This is a recap of days 22 to 26 of the 30-Day Shred. It is also the last instalment of my Waist Management Program, since I’ve decided to stop here, and not go on for the whole 30 days. Now, at first I was pretty bummed out to be “giving up” so close to the end, but today I turned a mental corner and realized what a success this experiment has been.
But first, the recap: I was pretty excited to get down with Level 3 on Day 22, but my left elbow gave out during the first exercise, and it was too painful to continue. I tried to finish the workout by doing variations of the rest of the exercises, but if you’ve done Level 3 of the Shred, you know that it’s all about putting your whole body weight on your arms, and I just couldn’t do it. I was very disappointed and iced my elbow, anxious to try again the next day. But on Day 23, my arm was no better, so I did Level 2 of the Shred, making sure to avoid the push-up based exercises. The next few days saw me doing a half-hearted attempt at Level 2, but my heart was no longer in it. I made the decision yesterday morning to pack it in early, despite my strong desire to see it through to the end. Sometimes you gotta know when to fold ‘em. So here are my final results, after 26 days of the Shred:
Starting Measurements:
Waist (narrowest part): 33″
Low Waist (4″ below waist): 37.5″
Hips (4″ below low waist): 41.5″
Final Measurements:
Waist: 31”
Low Waist: 36”
Hips: 41”
Now, despite the elbow (which is still sore and will require medical attention – but more on that later), despite coming up short on my goal measurements, and despite quitting before the end, Waist Management was a resounding success for me, albeit in very unexpected ways:
1. My legs are toned and so much stronger. Really, I may not have lost many inches in my thighs, but those babies are rock hard now, and defined. Yowza!!
2. Core strength improves running – I feel like I can run harder, farther, and faster because I’ve got stronger muscles that allow me better running form, so there’s less strain on my knee joints.
3. I love my body shape – Something happened somewhere along the way in this program where I started to really love my body. It helps when the man you live with tells you that you look great all the time, but during this training I actually started to believe him. I started enjoying looking in the mirror again, and even embraced my vanity in regards to my appearance. I truly came to terms with the shape of my body and learned to be grateful for what I have, and what I’m able to do.
So, now what? Well, training for my upcoming 10k continues, but weight training will resume as before (Mondays and Thursdays). This training program was fine as a jump start for strength training, but I’m more than ready to settle into a regime that’s more sustainable over the long term. I’m also taking care to stay diligent regarding soy in my diet, and also to eat with a little more purpose and reserve.