It's President's Day and I'm sitting in a hotel in Oslo, Norway. I should be working out right now but the gym in our hotel doesn't open until 0700. Looks like I won't get my workout in before we head back to Germany this morning. Sure hope I am feeling motivated enough to do Chest & Back plus Ab Ripper X when I get home.
This last week was rough from a nutritional standpoint. I did my workout every day, but I really made some poor choices this weekend and even last week. And while I am being honest with myself, I have made some poor choices since November. At first I justified it because I had just met my original goal weight and it was the holiday season after all. Once we got back from our vacation, I did get more focused and lost the few pounds gained on the cruise. I thought that starting P90X and the nutrition plan that comes with it would be a smooth transition. Week one went well, but week two, not so much. I could blame it on the Valentine's Day candy that came home with Amelia. I could blame it on the long weekend trip. But those are just excuses. Everything I decide to do is my choice. It was my choice to eat the candy and my choice to order the desert and eat that entire entree last night instead of stopping when I felt full.
The reality is that changing a lifestyle isn't done overnight or really even in six months. I have lifelong bad habits when it comes to food choices. Over the last year, I have made huge improvements and I will keep getting better. This will be a lifestyle change. I am reading a book right now called "PUSH" by Chalene Johnson. It's set up as a 30 day guide to help you focus on your goals and priorities in life. It is meant to help with all aspects of life but since Chalene Johnson is a fitness trainer, of course there are some great diet and exercise tips. One of the things she talks about is 'having a diet' versus 'being on a diet'. We all have diets. It's what we eat every day. Food choices should not become an obsession. They should just become a natural part of your day and those choices should be healthy without thought. I think I have been 'on a diet' for too long. Yes, that diet helped me lose 20 pounds, but if I don't transition to 'having a diet' then that weight will be back before I know it.
So week 3 starts today and I am refocused on following my plan. I will remind myself of my goals. I will also remember that there was a time when I had to force myself to exercise. Now that is second nature. If I stay motivated and continue to work on it, making health food choices even when faced with my biggest temptations, will also become a habit.
Changing subjects to wrap up...this workout is great. I like the variety. Now if only my pull-up bar would work in my house. That will have to wait till Texas. I am using a heavy resistance band to simulate the pull-ups, but I have doubts this will actually build my strength and ability to do them. I tried to do one last night in the hotel gym and can't yet. I'm not surprised because I know I haven't really ever utilized the muscles required to do that exercise. By the end of 2012, I will be knocking them out though. Just wait and see!!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
P90X - Week 1
Week one was a success. I think I will enjoy this program and as long as stick with the nutrition part, I know I will build strength and shed a little more body fat. Here's where I started:
Weight: 139
Body Fat: 24.7%
Body Water: 54.7%
Body Muscle: 37.7%
BMI: 22.3
BMR: 1398
Waist (upper): 27 in.
Waist (at navel): 30 in.
Hips: 36.5 in.
Thighs (both): 22.5 in.
Arms (both): 10 in.
Neck: 13.25 in.
Arms (flexed): 11 in.
Not posting photos to start. I took them, but no one needs to see my pasty-white-living-in-Germany-in-the-dead-of-winter body in a bikini.
I didn't do another Fitness Test, but I'm confident I'm at about the same place as I was before Christmas in that area.
The first week consisted of the following schedule:
Monday: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X; lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I did buy a pull-up bar, but it won't work in our house, plus at the moment I can't do one unassisted. So I use a heavy green resistance band attached to the upper door to simulate the various types of pull-up. It still works those muscles!! Ab Ripper X consists of eleven different tough ab moves, 25 reps each. I struggled toward the end, but I know I'll get better.
Tuesday: Plyometrics; about an hour of intense cardio, lots of jumping and spinning, mega-calorie burn. I really enjoyed it and look forward to getting better at it.
Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X; biceps, triceps, and shoulder burning.
Thursday: Schedule called for Yoga X, but I did a seven mile tempo run instead (officially signed up for that half-marathon in April so no turning back now!!).
Friday: Schedule called for Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X; but Amelia got sick in the middle of the night and I ended up working late.
Saturday: Kenpo X and Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X; Kenpo involves a lot of punching and kicking. I'm really not very coordinated so again I have some work to do in getting better at this workout. Legs & Back involves a lot of squats and lunges broken up by pull-ups for a break (ha!).
Sunday: Schedule calls for a rest day or Stretch X. I got caught up by doing Yoga X. Ugh! I knew I was going to be miserable and I was. I am just not that flexible right now. Then throw in some twisting and turning while stretching and the fact that it's a 90 minute workout...my worst nightmare! That being said, I know it's good for me and none of it was impossible to partially do (thank you yoga blocks!). So I'll get my yoga in when it's called for. I also managed to get a long run in today. Ninety minutes on the treadmill. I'm well on my way to finishing that race strongly in April.
The next two weeks will be identical to this one, then the 4th week is a rest week as far as the strength training goes. Only, cardio, yoga, and stretching.
As far as nutrition goes, the program gives you guidelines for protein, carb, and fat ratios. Phase I last four weeks and is heavy on the protein, low in fat. It's called Fat Shredder. I like the sound of that. I cooked a big batch of one of the recipes, Shrimp Stir Fry. We also had turkey burgers and several egg white omelets. And each day I drink my Shakeology. I have a new trick to get my veggies in. I throw in 2 cups of ready to eat spinach. Can't taste it at all! I like spinach quite a bit, but don't always like carrying a salad to work or cutting up the other veggies for a real salad at dinner. Now every day I can at least 2 cups of leafy greens along with all the other super-nutrients in Shakeology. Beachbody is releasing a new flavor this week, Tropical Strawberry. It's actually a vegan formulation. I'm not vegan, but I'm looking forward to trying it. Might even get my husband interested. He's a fruit lover.
My friends in my challenge group are getting off to a good start as well. Can't wait to see where we all are in 90 days! Keep on moving everyone!
Weight: 139
Body Fat: 24.7%
Body Water: 54.7%
Body Muscle: 37.7%
BMI: 22.3
BMR: 1398
Waist (upper): 27 in.
Waist (at navel): 30 in.
Hips: 36.5 in.
Thighs (both): 22.5 in.
Arms (both): 10 in.
Neck: 13.25 in.
Arms (flexed): 11 in.
Not posting photos to start. I took them, but no one needs to see my pasty-white-living-in-Germany-in-the-dead-of-winter body in a bikini.
I didn't do another Fitness Test, but I'm confident I'm at about the same place as I was before Christmas in that area.
The first week consisted of the following schedule:
Monday: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X; lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I did buy a pull-up bar, but it won't work in our house, plus at the moment I can't do one unassisted. So I use a heavy green resistance band attached to the upper door to simulate the various types of pull-up. It still works those muscles!! Ab Ripper X consists of eleven different tough ab moves, 25 reps each. I struggled toward the end, but I know I'll get better.
Tuesday: Plyometrics; about an hour of intense cardio, lots of jumping and spinning, mega-calorie burn. I really enjoyed it and look forward to getting better at it.
Wednesday: Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X; biceps, triceps, and shoulder burning.
Thursday: Schedule called for Yoga X, but I did a seven mile tempo run instead (officially signed up for that half-marathon in April so no turning back now!!).
Friday: Schedule called for Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X; but Amelia got sick in the middle of the night and I ended up working late.
Saturday: Kenpo X and Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X; Kenpo involves a lot of punching and kicking. I'm really not very coordinated so again I have some work to do in getting better at this workout. Legs & Back involves a lot of squats and lunges broken up by pull-ups for a break (ha!).
Sunday: Schedule calls for a rest day or Stretch X. I got caught up by doing Yoga X. Ugh! I knew I was going to be miserable and I was. I am just not that flexible right now. Then throw in some twisting and turning while stretching and the fact that it's a 90 minute workout...my worst nightmare! That being said, I know it's good for me and none of it was impossible to partially do (thank you yoga blocks!). So I'll get my yoga in when it's called for. I also managed to get a long run in today. Ninety minutes on the treadmill. I'm well on my way to finishing that race strongly in April.
The next two weeks will be identical to this one, then the 4th week is a rest week as far as the strength training goes. Only, cardio, yoga, and stretching.
As far as nutrition goes, the program gives you guidelines for protein, carb, and fat ratios. Phase I last four weeks and is heavy on the protein, low in fat. It's called Fat Shredder. I like the sound of that. I cooked a big batch of one of the recipes, Shrimp Stir Fry. We also had turkey burgers and several egg white omelets. And each day I drink my Shakeology. I have a new trick to get my veggies in. I throw in 2 cups of ready to eat spinach. Can't taste it at all! I like spinach quite a bit, but don't always like carrying a salad to work or cutting up the other veggies for a real salad at dinner. Now every day I can at least 2 cups of leafy greens along with all the other super-nutrients in Shakeology. Beachbody is releasing a new flavor this week, Tropical Strawberry. It's actually a vegan formulation. I'm not vegan, but I'm looking forward to trying it. Might even get my husband interested. He's a fruit lover.
My friends in my challenge group are getting off to a good start as well. Can't wait to see where we all are in 90 days! Keep on moving everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)