SHRED Diet, Week 4

Wow! I can't believe we are at Week 4 in Dr. Ian's SHRED diet!!! Time is flying by so quickly and I am really surprised to be talking about this since I thought for sure we would never make it past Week 3. LOL Week 3 was rough and there were a lot of times where I was really hungry and wanted to give up but we made it through and I am so glad to be looking at a different week. Thanks for all of you who have come to visit looking for resources about the SHRED diet. As of today, I am down 16 pounds which is pretty amazing for 3 weeks of work.  It hasn't been easy by any means but definitely worth the work and sacrifice we have put into it so far.  It's an amazing feeling to wake up every morning knowing that we have made it this far. Dr. Ian's diet is only a 6 week cycle so my husband and I are already talking about where to go after we are done here but I guess we will cross that road when we get there. We still have weeks 4, 5 and 6 to make it through before we talk about moving on!

Nick is also doing very well on the diet. He has lost a little over 20 pounds. Unfortunately we had to modify the diet for him because of his job. He works 12 hour days and 1500 calories a day are just not enough for a man who weighs 215 pounds and who is active that many hours of the day. His job requires a lot of lifting, climbing, etc. and the more active you are, the more calories your body needs to function. We added extra things to his meals and an extra snack for during the day because he was feeling weak and sick with only 1500 calories a day.  

A lot of people have asked me about the protein shakes and smoothies. We make our own smoothies and sometimes our own shakes but for the most part, I buy store-bought protein shakes. It's easier and more convenient. It doesn't really matter which one's you buy, just watch the calorie content. I try to keep them around 200 calories or less. I don't mind the Kellogs or Special K brands that you can buy in the cereal aisle of your local grocery. There are some other brands in the pharmacy department that might be more appealing, it just depends on your own tastes.  

Week 4 has some new meal options.  It also has us doing a combination of exercises instead of just 1. For instance, on days that we have 30 minutes of cardio, the book suggests splitting it up into 2 different activities at 15 minutes each. Examples are:

15 min. jogging outside

15 min. jogging/walking on treadmill

15 min. on elliptical machine

15 min. on bicycle

225 jump rope revolutions

20 min. treadmill intervals

15 min. Zumba

15 min. spinning

15 min. of any other high intensity cardio

I know the book doesn't talk much about toning but for me, it's really important that I start doing more than cardio. As I lose weight, I am noticing more and more areas of loose skin, particularly under my arms (My kids call them Bingo arms, isn't that nice of them?!) and in my stomach area. I know adding muscle is going to probably temporarily slow my weight loss down but ultimately, my goal isn't just to lose pounds, it's to lose fat and get toned. I am afraid if I keep putting off these toning workouts, it's going to be harder and harder to tighten these loose areas. So, I started arm workouts this week and adding in some stuff for my legs and butt. My goal is to have Michelle Obama arms. Just check those out!!! HA! If you come back later on and I should have a few workouts posted. Start small if you aren't used to doing these types of exercises or you will be like me, hunched over holding your back walking like you are 90. HAHA! 

SHRED on!