30 Day Shred Challenge!

So I am challenging myself to do the 30 Day Shred starting TODAY :)

I am super excited and really hope to see results. There have only been a few reviews that I've read where people have said they showed no results. My luck, that will be me! Haha... either way... After I get out of work today, I am headed home to start the first day of shredding and then off to the grocery store to buy some healthy food!

Yipee :)

I will be posting before and after photos to THIS POST
so check back to view my day to day progress and maybe post a motivational comment or 2?!

I think I'll need them by Day 2!

Note: I am not doing this challenge because I feel like there is something wrong with the way I currently look. But I’d like to increase my strength and tone up!

To make it easier to find this post, you can click the widget to the right hand side of my blog to check in once in a while to see my progress! I'll also be adding my meals for each day!

Here's to shredding!

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Amanda's Shred Challenge:

Day 1: Took before photos. Then popped in the DVD.
Wow, Jillian... you kicked my badonka donk. Literally. Note to self: Do not run 3 miles before Day 1. Although it was tough at times (mostly the weight lifting for me) I was able to power through it! Waahooo ladies!
Breakfast: Banana with peanut butter (1 tbspn). Special K Cereal Bar
Lunch: Whole Wheat Bagel w/ cream cheese
Snack: Homestyle Popcorn
Dinner: Raisin Bran Crunch

Day 2: I got up early this morning before work for Day 2. Talk about a kick in the butt bright and early! Like I didn't know what was coming or something?! My arms are a bit sore, but I feel energized for the day :)
Breakfast/Lunch: 2 eggs (scrambled)
Lunch: Toasted whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter & banana
Snack: Special K Cereal Bar. 1 york peppermint patty
Dinner: Grilled Chicken and Wild Rice

Day 3: So my alarm went off at 6am, and I popped out of bed ready for day 3! Once my feet hit the floor, I could feel it.... ohhhhhh ouch. There are those muscles that I never hear from. How are you guys doing anyway? Anywho... Day 3 under my belt! I went grocery shopping last night too and bought a ton of healthy food. If I'm going to do this... I might as well do it right!
Breakfast: 2 egg whites (scrambled) Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (1 cup w/ 1/2 cup 2% milk)
Lunch: Low carb tortilla with, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, diced red peppers, & fat free italian dressing. Sliced red peppers
Snack: Apple, 20 almonds (ok, 22 almonds)
Dinner: Salsa, Guacamole, Corn Tortilla Chips (don't judge)

Day 4: Well, I went out in the city last night with some of my work friends, so I wasn't really feeling as chipper this morning when my alarm went off. As I was falling asleep last night I remember thinking, "I mean I CAN just workout after work if I'm too tired in the morning", which IS true... but I feel so much better when I get up and start my day shredding... so beep beep beep, I was up. Bella was up with me :) watching her Mamma workout. Day 4 done and my calfs are the worst by far, these jumping jacks and jump ropes are killing them!
Breakfast: 1 cup Cottage Cheese with cinnamon (1/2 tspn) and Splenda (1 packet). Multi Grain Toast
Lunch: Salad (iceberg) with strawberries, walnuts, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, fat free italian dressing (1.5 tbspn)
Snack: 90 calorie cookie pack. Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt. Jell-o 60 calorie pudding snack
Dinner: Tortilla from Day 3. As well as Grilled chicken and wild rice

Day 5: So I ran yesterday after work, that was fun.. NOT. This morning I woke up though and my calfs were not nearly as sore as they had been. The only thing that is bothering me is my left bicep. Yes, you heard that right... just my left one. Strange, I know. I feel good on Level 1, almost like I should switch to Level 2 now, but I want to try and wait until Day 10, so I can do 10 days on each level. Yay for sleeping in tomorrow!
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal. 2 eggs scrambled
Lunch: Salad (iceberg) with cherry tomatoes, avocado, and fat free italian dressing (1.5 tbspn). Strawberries and Kiwi
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal & (then I wasn't satisfied) Kashi Honey Bites Cereal
Friday night: 4 Miller Light Beer (BAD)

Day 6: I feel good today! Slept in and did my workout without feeling that sore. I am still going to wait until Day 10 to move on to Level 2. So far, so good! I definitely notice my stamina is way better even a few days in.
Breakfast: Grapefruit (1/2)
Lunch: Plain Greek Yogurt
Snack: Chips. Strawberry Jell-o
Dinner: Slow cooked vegetable stew

Day 7: I didn't feel like shredding today. Sundays I like to relax especially being away. I also ate 3 apple turnovers, french toast, and half a bagel. Woops. I think I pulled a muscle in my neck this morning too. 6am tomorrow morning will not be fun.
Let's not even talk about this day... bad eating all around

Day 8: So, back to NJ... at 6am in the morning my house temperature is 65*, so it's not the easiest thing to get out of bed when I'm already cold in pants and a t-shirt and put on shorts and sports bra and trek my way out into the living room. Day 8 complete and my neck and shoulders are sore today. Two more days and I am onto Level 2.. dun dun dunnnnn. I ate like crap yesterday and I am kind of mad at myself. I was really noticing a change in my stomach and now it's back to normal. Note to self... stop being stupid.
Breakfast: 2 eggs (scrambled). Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
Lunch: Salad (Day 4) add raisins - yum!
Snack: Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt. Apple. Corn Chips and Salsa
Dinner: Grilled, Breaded Chicken with left over Wild Rice

Day 9: This morning my alarm went off and I really didn't feel like getting out of bed. It was one of those days. Did my workout and ate my DISGUSTING breakfast that I made myself. Gross.. vom, literally. Now I'm sleepy today, ugh. Does anyone ever notice how drinking water makes you hungry so much faster? Well, I do!
Breakfast: Cottage Cheese (1/2 cup), Greek Yogurt (1/2 cup), sliced almonds (1/2 tbspn), Steel Cut Oats (1/2 tblspn), Vanilla Flavoring (1/2 tspn)
Lunch: Tortilla (Day 3). 1/2 Low Calorie Pita Bread with Fat Free Strawberry Preserves
Snack: Other 1/2 Pita with Strawberry Preserves. Apple. Jell-o 60 calorie chocolate pudding snack
Dinner: Grilled, Breaded Chicken & Rice (I know, I'm boring)

Day 10: Well... instead of one last day of Level 1, I went on to Level 2 this morning. Ugh! There are so many arm workouts and lunges and leg movements... I was sweating like crazy by the time I was finished! I have to admit, there were a ton of times that I wanted to slow down... one being the double jump ropes.. like who are you Jillian and what are you doing to me? I went for a 3 mile run yesterday after work too, so I was definitely feeling it this morning. I have to be careful though, because now that it's starting to get cold out, my body does not adjust well to cold weather and I always end up with a sore throat/head cold. I am trying to get enough sleep (8 hours approx) and take vitamins to keep my body healthy. I definitely worked different muscles today, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow morning!
Breakfast: 1 egg white/1 scrambled egg. Kashi Go Lean Cereal and 1% Milk
Lunch: Salad (iceberg) Raisins, Walnuts, Cherry Tomatoes, Fat Free Italian Dressing
Snack: Banana with Natural Peanut Butter (1 tbspn) Greek Yogurt

Day 11-14: Sorry I forgot to write about my whole weekend of working out! Michael was here, but I still did every morning! My back was all kinked this weekend because of these mountain climbers and other weird legg thrust things I'm doing on Level 2. I ate like crap this weekend too... so I'm going to skip over that part. Chocolate Chip Cookies, pastries, Bagels... you name it :) Woops!

Day 15: Half way through and I set my alarm clock back this morning so I could sleep in longer. I plan on going home today and shredding, aka: it's a lazy Monday. I find myself thinking about everything I can put off in my first 10 minutes of being up in the mornings. "Maybe on week days I should shred after work, and only on weekends in the morning."
Breakfast: 2 Egg Whites. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
Lunch: Tortilla & Cucumbers
Snack: 7 Oreo's (oops!)
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Almondine... Pita with Natural Peanut Butter and Banana

Day 16: My back is MESSED UP! I ran before my shred. I think that may have helped actually warm up my muscles fully so I wasn't as tight going into the workout. Regardless at the end of this Level 2 I am always sweating like crazy!
Breakfast: 2 Egg Whites. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
Lunch: Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad (2 baguettes)
Snack: 5 Halloween Cookies (oops) Small Oven Pizza Slice
Dinner: Grilled Chicken. Apple slices with Natural Peanut Butter

Day 17: So I am slowly figuring out what exercizes are tweaking my back... on the last circit of Level 2... the weight training, literally KILLS me... like really? Chop my arms off please because thats how they feel. Double jump ropes... I dispise you. And Jillian... don't say in the middle of my double jumping... "I want.. you.. to feel like.. you're going to die." Grrrr. I ran 3 miles after my shred too, and my ankles were REALLY sore.
Breakfast: 2 Egg Whites. Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal.
Lunch: Tortilla
Snack: Yes, more oreos.. caramel popcorn (I'd say about 3 cups worth) and 2 Halloween Cookies
Dinner: Grilled Chicken. Sliced Apples with Natural Peanut Butter

Day 18: It's Friday and I had no little motivation to want to come home from work and shred. But... I remind myself each time that it's only a 20 minutes workout and that I can power through it! Level 3 is creeping up on me!

Day 19: I like shredding in the mornings a whole lot better... I feel so good the rest of the day! Today was my last day on Level 2... eek. Just focusing on resting up for Level 3 bright and early tomorrow before church! Oh and my ankles and wrists are hurting me from all this pressure from the plank moves. Ouch.

Day 20: Level 3.... Hello and welcome. My name is Amanda... thank you for the beating. WOW. Yes! That's all I can say. It was a tough one, but awesome at the same time! My eating has not been all that great lately, but I have kept up with my shred every day!

Day 21: Happy Monday! Level 3, Day 2... bring it. I feel good :) I am sure by Day 25 I won;t be saying that, but for now... I feel like my body is being pushed, and I love it! If I am ever dying, I will break for a few seconds... I don't want to injur myself... but as a whole, I think I'm doing ok!

Day 22-25: Ladies, these few days were ok at best for me. After day 25, I had to stop the shred for now because my back is completely messed up. I went to the chiropractor and he believes it's definitely from all the excersize and plank positions that I've been doing that are putting more stress on my middle back. What makes it worse is that it hurts the most when I'm sitting for a long period of time and I do that for 8 hours a day in work! It's slowly getting better and I am looking forward to getting back to my workout. I will finish the last 5 days and then probably start over and do it every couple days!