New Year, New Goals

I love the holidays! But I am glad they are over. I learned that I have not completely gotten over bad eating habits and temptations. I thought that I could have a little candy or cookies around the house and not over do it. Boy, was I wrong! It's hard to admit to inhaling hundreds of calories of chocolate just because it was there. I think I ate an entire box of Girl Scout Cookies one day. And dinner on a cruise ship...yeah, I enjoyed the seven course meals.

All that food did result in gaining about seven pounds in less than a month, but as of the end of January, I've lost five of that. All it took was two weeks of commitment with Ten Minute Trainer and obviously, eating healthier.

Over the holidays, I bought a book called 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I highly recommend it for everyone. It's an eye opener regarding how processed food and even animal-based foods could be directly related to the increase in so many illnesses. The diet recommended in this book is heavy on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. Very little to no dairy or meat of any kind. I'm not sure I could go that far. However, what is nice is that for the most part, the recommendations in this book are in line with the nutrition advice that comes with the fitness programs from Team Beachbody.

I am about to start a new program; the one that really put Tony Horton on the map as a trainer, P90X. This program is much more time-intensive compared to Ten Minute Trainer. I will have to force myself to get up early several days a week to get these sessions in. The tougher obstacle will be following the diet plan. There are three phases to the 90-day program and the diet is key to getting the best results possible. The nutrition guide changes slightly in regards to the percentages of protein, carbs, and fat that you eat as the focus of the workout changes.

Why am I doing P90X? I want to increase my upper body strength (lots of push-ups and pull-ups); shed some more body fat on my lower belly, hips, and thighs; and learn to prepare healthier meals that don't rely on Nutrisystem or other pre-packaged meals. I will drink Shakeology for one meal a day. It really is a product that I enjoy daily. I get my chocolate fix without the guilt. Plus, Team Beachbody should be releasing a new Tropical flavor in the next month. Can't wait to try that.

I do plan on slightly modifying the P90X schedule on cardio-focused days. That's because I signed up to run my first half-marathon on April 21st. It's a great route through the German wine country. So starting in February, I'll throw in some run days a few days a week. I know this is very ambitious. I'll have to listen to my body and back off when necessary. I'll have a great support system with my Coach and Team Angry Bear Fitness. Plus, I've put together a group of friends to join me on the 90-day journey. We will support each other as we lose weight, get fitter, and improve our health with several Team Beachbody workouts (P90X, P90X2, Ten Minute Trainer, and TurboFire).

Stay tuned for updates....

A little late...Slim in Six results

Very, very late posting this, but I finished the Slim in Six program just before Christmas and things have been a bit hectic with the holidays and traveling since then.

This program consists of three different workouts plus an ab and stretching routine. You do the same workout six days a week and do the abs and stretching at least three times a week. Every two weeks, you move to a more difficult workout. I enjoyed the workouts; however, doing the same one every day, day after day get old. I think that's why I didn't do as well with Jillian Michaels' program early last year. But why I did enjoy Ten Minute Trainer so much. I need variety!

That being said, this program will help you get slim. Lots of core work and moves that focus on hips, thighs, and glutes...all my trouble spots. And the arm workout is pretty nice, too.

I think I would have done much better if it weren't November and December when I was doing this. I gave into some of my temptations over the holidays. Between Halloween and Christmas candy, I definitely over-indulged. But the good news is that I still lost weight overall and I know I improved my stamina.

So here were my results at the end of the six weeks (21 December 2011):

Weight: 138.2 (-3.2 pounds)
Body Fat: 25% (-1%)
Body H2O: 54.4% (+0.9%)
Body Muscle: 37.5% (+0.6%)
BMI: 22.2 (-0.6)
BMR: 1397 (-15)
Waist: 27.0 inches (-0.75)
Hips: 36.75 in. (-0.75)
Chest: 30.0 in.(-1.0)
Bust: 34.0 in. (same)
Thighs: 22.5 in. (-0.5)
Arms: 10.0 in. (-0.25)
Neck: 13.25 in. (same)

And the fitness test results:
Resting Heart Rate: 60 bpm (same)
Vertical Leap: 12.75 in. (+1.0)
Push-ups to muscle failure without pausing: 48 (+3)
Toe Touch: 3 inches past toes (+2 inches)
In & Outs to muscle failure without pausing: 46 (+26)
Wall Squat: 2:21 (min:sec) (+41 seconds)
Bicep Curls to muscle failure without pausing: 41 with 10# weights (+15)
Heart Rate Maximizer: 174 bpm; 95 bpm three minutes later

My core probably gained the most strength, which is what I really need. I've had off and on lower back pain for as long as I can remember. Once the Army sent me to a physical therapist who recommended a bunch of REALLY BORING exercises that focused on the muscles of my back and abdomen. I couldn't will myself to do it every day. So happy to have found fitness programs that I enjoy and that work.

Slim in Six is a great program for women and men looking to get started on the right track with weight loss. The diet plan is very straightforward and the workouts can be modified if you just aren't capable of completing some of the moves. Keep pushing play and you will improve.

I'm ready to move onto something more challenging. Time to kick it up a notch with P90X in 2012!