Day 28- Phase 1 complete

Today is Day 28 and that officially means Phase 1 is complete.  I know that 28 is not 1/3 of 90 but the way P90X works Phase 1 is 28 days, Phase 2 is 28 days and then Phase 3 tacks on an extra week for 35 days.  So tomorrow morning I will take my measurements and get on the scale again and we'll see.  While I haven't lost any weight I am hoping for some loss in inches and/or body fat %. 

So tomorrow starts Doubles.  Cardio X in the morning and then weights in the evening.  Hopefully this will kick start some fat loss in Phase 2.  Or at least get me in phenomenal shape :)

Day 25

I'm typing this as I sit in at ATL waiting for my last flight to Jackson, which is delayed due to maintenance.  My last week in Jackson and I took the late flight today (leaves HLN at 1p) which was great to be able to see the kids/CK this morning and work out before getting on the plane.  The downside, however, is that I'm going to land close to midnight and probably not get a chance to run to Walmart to get groceries.  Tomorrow I actually have meetings for breakfast lunch and dinner so I'm just going to try to eat well at all 3 restaurants and maybe have a shake or protein bar in between.  Wish me luck!  First day without completely planning my meals ahead of time...guess it's a good test for "real" life post P90X. 

A few more days and I will complete Phase 1.  Looking forward to taking my measurements but I'm not getting my hopes up because I just don't "feel" different.  I guess we'll see.  I am definitely going to start Doubles on Friday so will be burning more calories 3 days a week.  Perhaps that can/will speed up the fat burning a bit in Phase 2.

Day 22

Well another week without any progress on the scale.  I am trying not to get discouraged and am patient awaiting taking my 30 day measurements next Friday.  That being said, I am toying with the idea of moving into the P90X Doubles routine for Phase 2.  For those not familiar with P90X the Doubles routine is the same as the Classic except 3-4 days a week you do a Cardio workout in the AM and then the P90X workout in the evening.  I am thinking it could help me get a bit leaner and lose some of the "extra" that is still sitting on top of the now-emerging muscle that I am gaining.  Luckily I'm WAHing for the 3 weeks of Phase 2 that I would need to do this so I think that could make it a bit more doable. 

Yoga today was good, weird to be doing it on a Friday but since this is my recovery week I think I have another session in a few days. 

Day 21

Week 3 is done!  The past few days have been tough.  Yesterday was a long day.  Got up at 5a for an early client meeting, then drove to Memphis for our end of project celebration which lasted until 11, then got up today at 5a (CST) to fly home.  Managed to eat fairly well (had a small piece of cornbread with my salmon and veggies last night) and I traded my rest/stretch day and used that yesterday (as rest) and today did Kenpo.  I felt really good in Kenpo, it was still a good workout but not as challenging as the last two weeks so hopefully that means progress.  I feel like I'm  building muscle but don't feel like I'm losing weight or getting leaner.  I think I may end up needing more cardio to "lean down" so i'll think about ways to incorporate that over the next week, which is technically my first "Recovery" week.  Think a lot of Yoga and cardio but no lifting/abs.  I don't do ARX again until July 1st which is a week away!  I am missing running a bit so maybe I can do some short 3-milers along with Phase 2 which will start 7/1.  We'll see.

Day 18

Yoga today was good, I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger.  Some of the poses I still have to modify but it's getting better.  Made it through 3 plane rides carrying a box of yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as a goodbye gift for my client and didn't eat any!  Sad, I know, but that is actually kind of impressive for a sweet tooth fiend like me.

I've been looking on some great websites for some clean eating recipes that I want to try as soon as I can let more carbs back in my life.  I definitely know I'd like to make the change towards cleaner eating (not sure 100% clean is realistic, but maybe 75-80% as a goal?) and there are some yummy ones out there, even for sweets.  I also want to try to make some homemade protein bars as I like the convenience of having them but don't really like the taste, nor the cost, of the store-bought brands.

Day 16/17

Overall it was a good weekend.  The workouts went well although I fell off the wagon a bit for food.  I ate well 95% of the time but did cave to a cookie on Saturday, some pie filling (skipped the crust to try not to be TOO bad) and another cookie today.  Didn't hurt my overall calorie count but didn't help with avoiding sugar like I'm supposed to be doing.  Tomorrow it's back on the wagon.

Day 14/15

Well, week 2 is in the books.  Yesterday was good. I did the X Stretch and definitely felt better after doing so.  Ate well on my airplane rides and am getting used to saying no when they offer food in First Class.  Not too hard when they serve creamy pasta alfredo.  Yuck! 

I weighed myself this morning for my Week 2 check in and, disappointingly, saw 128 flash back on the scale.  What does that mean?  Who knows?  Possibly that I haven't been eating enough, which is why I decided to up my calories from 1200-1300 to closer to 1600-1800 in the middle of last week.  Possibly that I'm just building muscle which weighs more than fat.  I know I feel better and I can tell I'm getting stronger.  My stomach feels tighter and I can feel muscle (albeit under a layer of mush that I'd still like to get rid of).  I am hanging in there and although I'm disappointed that the scale hasn't continued to go down, I will continue to follow the plan and see it through.  I figure after my 30 day measurements, if I still don't see progress (at least in inches if not pounds) then I will consider tweaking my diet.  For now, though, I'm off to Week 3.

Day 13

My second day of Kenpo X.  I decided to get up early and get the workout overwith this morning and I'm glad I did because I am wiped tonight and just want to go to bed.  I'm on a really early flight tomorrow morning so need to get some sleep.  The workout was good and I'm definitely still sore in places when I do a lot of leg or arm work a few days in a row.  Nothing like the first week, though. 

Food is fine although I was hungrier the last few days.  So either my appetite is increasing or I'm not getting enough calories.  It's hard to get a straight answer on how many I should be eating so I'm still shooting for somewhere in the 1300-1500 range.  We'll see.

Day 12

Legs and back and then ARX this morning.  I was definitely tired after 90 minutes of yoga last night and then waking up early to get in my workout but glad it's done with.  The pink band still seems lighter to me than the purple one (or at least the same), which is not what the packaging says.  It seemed light for some of the pullup moves so I may bring the red one with me next week to use instead.

Went to a whole foods-type natural market (they don't actually have Whole Foods in Jackson) last night but their selection wasn't great so I still had to make a trip to Walmart after my Yoga.  I'll stick to Walmart from now on as at least it's one stop shopping :)

Day 10/11

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday but had a good day.  The arms/shoulders workout was tough but I increased my weight on almost all the moves.  Did the ARX first again which seems to be a good way to go.  Ate well all day and even made a yummy salmon with Greek yogurt dressing for me, CK, Asher and Tanner (Reese was snoozing because she missed her nap).

On the road again today.  Sitting in ATL waiting for my last flight to Jackson.  I plan to land, pick up the rental car, head to the grocery store for food for the week and then to the hotel for Yoga.  Not a bad Monday.

Hoping Week 2 goes as well as Week 1 and that I can continue to challenge myself in the workouts. Overall I feel pretty good.  I don't really crave anything.  CK even made chocolate chip cookies last night and I was fine.  Doesn't mean I won't want a sweet now and then (I mean you don't undo a lifetime sweet tooth in 11 days) but I think I'm doing pretty well for now.

Day 9

Yesterday was my first meal out since I started P90X.  CK and I went out to lunch with a friend of his.  I got some chili and a side salad and seemed to be fine.  Not quite as virtuous as I have been eating since I don't really know what's in the chili, but high in protein and certainly not a "cheat" meal.  Tonight we are celebrating the LaPraim June family birthdays (Steve, Andrew and Kaitlyn all have birthdays in June) so I'm not sure if I'll be able to partake in dinner (and certainly not in any wonderful birthday cake).  I plan to bring some snacks in case dinner isn't P90X-friendly.  I've learned to just be prepared.  For 90 days I can do it.  I don't plan to be "that girl" (the one who never eats anything bad or can't have fun when you take her out) forever, but for this summer, that'll be me :)

Plyometrics today.  Definitely the hardest P90X workout in my opinion.  Tons of sweat, tons of jumping, but I did it and that's what't important.

Day 8

Week 1 is in the books and I lost one pound.  I am going to weigh myself once a week and only do measurements and updated photos at Days 30, 60 and 90.  I'm pretty happy with one pound, especially given that I'm likely building some muscle.  I tried to switch it up today and did ARX first and then Chest/Back.  I liked getting the Abs out of the way first :)  I definitely pushed myself doing push ups and tried to max my reps and am already feeling it even as I simply type.  Guess that's a good thing :)

Late night last night as I didn't get home until 1:30a so we'll see at what point my body starts asking for a nap on a hard workout and 4:30 hours of sleep.

Day 7

Did the Stretch X DVD this morning before work.  Didn't break a sweat but I definitely needed it.  It's a mix of stretches and yoga moves, many of which I could not do.  So that right there proves I need to do this every week.  I am completely inflexible and have a long ways to go to be able to do what they were doing.  A good end to my first week.  I can't believe it's a week.  It really hasn't been terrible.  I do still miss Diet Coke a bit and pizza sounds pretty good but I'm not really craving anything and I'm definitely not starving on the 1200-1400 calories I'm eating a day.

Travel day today so hopefully I can pack my cooler well enough to make it home tonight without any slip ups.  I don't plan to ruin the week now :)

Day 6

So Kenpo X is essentially Billy Blanks without Billy and with a few more jumping jacks.  It was a good workout, don't get me wrong.  And I was sweating all the way through.  But it wasn't anything I haven't done before.  He keeps it pretty engaging and there aren't a lot of breaks so the hour went by pretty fast.  Tomorrow is Day 7 which means Rest or X Stretch so I plan to try the X Stretch in the morning before work.  I figure on my first week I can use all the extra stretching I can get :)

Other than eating pretty much the same thing every day the nutrition part is going well.  In some ways bringing all my food for the day actually saves me time because I can eat during meetings and not have to try to find time (or energy) to think  about what I want to get for lunch, etc.  It takes more planning and prep time at night but does make the day a lot easier, especially when my calendar is back to back meetings all day from 7 to 6.

Day 5

First leg and back day.  The routine was pretty good.  I think legs are probably my strongest body part (from all the running) so this one was tough, but not as challenging as some of the others.  Then again, I did a lot of the moves without weights to make sure I knew what I was doing first.  Next week I'll add some weight and we'll see...

Then I did the Ab Ripper and it kicked my butt.  Normally it kicks my butt, but today after working my legs and my back, apparently I didn't have much left.  I barely made it through most of the moves and had to take more breaks than I remember taking this weekend.  Oh well.

Food went well.  I was able to get the yoga in last night (all 90 minutes!) and then head to Walmart to grocery shop.  Picked up a George Foreman and a single-serving blender so was able to have a Shakeology shake for breakfast this morning on the way to work and grilled some chicken for my salad and some turkey burgers for tonight.  Not too shabby.

Dare I say I already feel much better, or at least more consistent throughout the day.  Without the caffeine and sugar highs/lows my blood sugar and energy levels definitely seem more consistent.  I'm also eating every 2-3 hours so that's probably helping.

Day 4

First travel day going ok so far.  I'm actually sitting at ATL waiting for my last flight to Jackson.  I packed a soft-sided cooler this morning and ate my perishables in my first few hours (because I don't have ice or anything to keep it cool) and now am noshing on almonds, protein bars, my shakeology shake and some raw veggies.  I've stuck to just water (although it was almost second nature to reply "Diet Coke" when they asked me what I wanted to drink on the plane :) and am feeling pretty good.

Working out today is going to be tough.  I land at 6, head to the hospital and then have a scheduled session with the night ED supervisor from 8-10p.  Unfortunately this doesn't leave much time for my Yoga workout (90 minutes) nor my grocery shopping.  If I can get to the hospital in time I may try to run to the grocery store before 8 but we'll see.  I'd prefer not to be doing Yoga in my hotel room at midnight tonight but I guess we'll see...

Day 3

Today's workout was shoulders/arms and Ab Ripper again.  The shoulders/arms weren't too bad but I probably need to increase my weight next time and do less reps with more weight rather than the light weight and high reps.  Regardless, I will certainly be sore tomorrow.  More sore than I am today?  Is it possible?  I'm sure it is.  Also probably why yoga is scheduled for tomorrow.

I managed to make a pretty delicious salad today with lettuce, grilled chicken, quinoa, broccoli and avocado.  I think the avocado just gives the salad that creamy texture that makes it feel decadent even when it's not.  I'll have to keep that in mind.  My headache is better today so I think the caffeine is leaving my system once and for all :)

CK's still away for his basketball tournament so I've had to be creative with timing my workouts.  Reese helped me again today while Asher was sleeping which worked pretty well except that she wanted to carry the weights around which, of course, wasn't very safe.  I gave her the 2-pounders because I don't use those anyway.

So far so good.  Of course it's the weekend and I don't have much else going on.  We'll see how this works starting tomorrow with airplanes, hotel rooms and long work hours.  Wish me luck.

Day 2

Well, I made it through Day 1 and am about halfway through Day 2.  I've been battling a pretty constant headache, from the lack of caffeine I'm sure. Sad how addicted I've become to that little silver can.  Looking forward to getting rid of that addiction once and for all.

Eating has gone pretty well and seems relatively easy as long as you plan ahead.  I'm sure it'll be a lot tougher next week with 2 full days on an airplane and 2 more at work all day.  I didn't purchase the P90X recovery drink that you're supposed to use after workouts but others online have said it's mostly just important to drink/eat something with a 4:1 carb:protein ratio.  Turns out simple skim chocolate milk does just that so I'm trying that after my Plyometrics workout today.  Speaking of which...plyometrics...ouch.  As sore as I was this morning from my chest/back work yesterday I can only imagine how tomorrow is going to feel from all this jumping and squatting.  Wow.  I made it through, however, despite Reese trying to "help" by holding onto my leg at times.  It was pretty tough but I was able to finish it.  Now we'll see if I can walk tomorrow :)

I went to bed last night with the kids at 9:30 and we all got up at 6a this morning when Asher woke up.  I was still tired enough to fall asleep on the couch this morning while the kids were in the playroom.  I'm glad Plyometrics is on Saturdays so when CK is here (normally) I can hopefully sneak in an afternoon nap in the future :)

Day 1

My P90X adventure has finally begun.  Today was the Chest/Back & Abs.  It was pretty tough but about what I expected.  I would say I was able to do 75-80% of the reps.  The Chest/Back routine is a lot of different types of push-ups, all of which I have to do on my knees for now.  I am hoping that by the end of 90 days I can do many of them as regular push-ups, though.  I also don't have a pull-up bar (which is probably fine because there's no way I can do even 1 pull-up/chin-up right now) so I do those moves with the resistance bands.  The bands will also serve as my weights when I'm on the road but on days like today (when I'm at home) I use my free weights.  Overall I feel pretty good about my first workout.  It feels really good to be working out again and pushing myself.  I forgot how much I just enjoy feeling like I'm doing something active.

The nutrition plan has been fine (for the entire 6 hours I've been doing it).  The increased protein and more frequent meals means I'm eating before I actually feel hungry.  This is in stark contrast to my usual waiting 6-8 hours between meals and then scarfing down anything in front of me because I'm starving.  I'm tracking what I eat on myfitnesspal.com which is a pretty cool tool and will help me know if I'm sticking to the 50%Protein, 30% Carb, 20% Fat ratio that is recommended for Phase 1 of P90X and if I'm getting enough (or too many) calories. 

I had my first Shakeology shake today, which I received as a free trial with my P90X system.  I have the Chocolate version and it tastes pretty good (I mixed it with milk and frozen raspberries to eat after my workout).   It's expensive so I'm going to see how my diet shakes out for the first week or so before I commit to actually ordering more of it but it could be helpful as a breakfast or dinner meal substitute.