Doc Gets Lean

Ten Minute Trainer Yoga Flex

2009-04-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

Today is my 3rd day of 10 minute trainer. I'll tell you what. As much as I LOVE p90x, it's very time consuming. Ten Minute Trainer I can sneak in anytime, and it feels great.

Yesterday's cardio workout, was about the toughest 10 minutes I've done since I can remember playing soccer in High School. Just constant movement.

Today was Yoga Flex. 10 minutes of bliss! Sure, 10 minutes isn't really quite long enough to get totally limber, but it's enough to make me feel good enough to tackle the afternoon.

If you are thinking about getting this...GET IT! (Go to the "Shopping" button over on the right there). You just won't regret it. I feel great.

Plus, if I decide I want to add a p90x workout, I still can, but now I've got my 10 minutes in at least and I can feel like I've done something productive.

Tony Horton's Ten Minute Trainer

2009-04-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, sorry for the absense. I've been riding my bike a bit, not enough, but also very, very busy. I decided to give Beach Body's Ten Minute Trainer a try. It arrived this afternoon and I tore it open!

I just did the first working, upper body. I was skeptical that 10 minutes could give you a great workout, but I trusted Tony!

Sure enough, my arms are FRIED right now! I ordered the deluxe kit that came with 3 bands. (I ordered the medium kit). I chose the middle band, the purplish one. I think next time I'll try the light one for awhile.

So for sure, I've got 10 minutes a day to give this a shot. I did the 2 minute warmup and cooldown as well, and I feel great right now. Time for bed!

Weekend Workout - Kempo & AbRipperX

2009-02-22T17:32:00.001-08:00

Well last week's plyo wore me out...it had been about 4 weeks since I did it, and I was fairly sore (but not the worst I've been) for several days. I did yoga on Friday, and it was the best yoga I've done so far with Tony. After two 12 hour work days today I did KempoX and a bonus AbRipper X. Both were the best workouts of each that I've done so far.

Funny how I can take time off, not follow the program, come back and be better than before! One big problem though, is taking time off wiht my diet...that definately does not work! I'm on the heavy side right now, and no idea what my BF% is...been too lazy to check it.

Anyway, I feel good after today's workout.

Also, I recently became a coach...leave a comment, email me or check out my beach body site if you want to become a coach with me and make money while you get in shape!
http://www.milliondollarbody.com/suzannea

p90x Round 2 Chest Shoulders Triceps

2009-02-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Sorry no update for awhile. Workouts have been scattered, but I am not daunted! I will not stumble due to a few missed workouts, I am STILL a p90x warrior! It's been about a full month since my schedule was disrupted due to travel and family comittments, but I am back again today with a full Monday workout for Round 2. And guess what? Despite not working out with Tony for about 2 full weeks (I did 2 workouts with Shaun T's Hip Hop Abs), I was able to increase weights on 5 of my exercises today! Sweet.

AbRipper X is still HARD, but I'm doing better and better (again, despite the little holiday). I feel pretty good, now I just need to get my diet into gear. Headed off to Trader Joe's to buy some nutrition (after my recovery shake of course!)

Bring it!

p90 x Round 2 Day 29 Back and Biceps

2009-01-20T16:38:00.001-08:00

OK guys, if you are paying attention, you'll know that day 29 is NOT Back and Biceps. I've had a lot of "life" going on in the past week and a half and basically took a whole week off. Last time I worked either of these body parts was about 2 weeks ago, so I decided to start the week with it.

Man, it was tough.

Over the weekend I visited with my nephews, 4 & 7 years old, about 35 and 55 lbs respectively. In the guise of "playing" with them, I tried to come up with all sorts of creative ways to lift, press, squat and curl the little guys, LOL.

Guess I also didn't update you guys on going running last week...first time in over 2 years! 10 minutes straight! I was thrilled with myself. The following day I did have some soreness in my back, but it was gone by the day after that. Didn't get a chance to try running again over the weekend, but will integrate that slowly into my routine.

p90 x Round 2 Day 22 - Yoga!

2009-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

Recovery week, and its about time! I went climbing last night at the local climbing wall, and I felt GREAT. It's been over a year since I went and I attribute it to p90x. I was VEry, very tired today, however, and a little bit sore. Basically accomplished nothing all day.

So I was excited to see that todays workout was yoga. It felt great. I'm usually impatient, but I can tell I'm getting stronger. The first few yoga sessions are so frustrating b/c it doesn't seem like it should be hard, but it is. It takes core, hip & shoulder strength to hold poses.

I made it through to Wheel pose and then decided to call it quits.

Down dog was feeling great by the end.

Thanks Tony!

p90 x Round 2 Day 19

2009-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

Chest and back and Ab Ripper X. I'm totally thrashed. For some reason I love this workout...it really feels like I'm hitting all the major body movers...gluts, hams, back and core. No silly bicep curls (alhtough I love those as well)

Like I've said many times before...It doesn't get easier, you just get stronger.

p90x Round 2 Day 17 Shoulders and Arms

2009-01-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

This was an awesome p90x workout! I'm getting stronger quickly and am using 15 lb dumbells for my shoulder presses, and did 12 side lying tricep raises today.

The ab ripper x workout today was possibly my best p90x ab workout so far. I did MOST exercises...skipped the v-ups, took, a little break, then hit the obliques.

I still have a long way to go, but I feel better every single workout. One of the best parts? My back pain is gone! I havn't noticed any back pain for about a week or more now. Today I jogged to work a few blocks and it actually felt good! I may even take up running again once more weight comes off.

I'm going to start posting pictures again starting this Monday. This time around (round 2), I have not been as strict with the diet & photos, but at least I am working out most days of the schedule. If I can make little changes that stick, instead of trying for a big change that I don't follow through with, I'll be much healthier in the long run.

By theway, I recently became a p90x coach! Stop by my p90x Coach's page here to read my story and get in the game.

p90x Round 2 Day 16 Plyometrics

2009-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

It just keeps getting easier in a sense, although I think I worked harder this workout than any previous Plyo workout. I have yet to do the whole thing both rounds, but I sweated up a storm and felt like my from was really good on most of the exercises here. Also, I'm leaving the ground on most of the jumping exercises with little to no back pain! Yippee!

p90x Round 2 Day 8 - Chest & Back

2008-12-23T16:56:00.001-08:00

Hey all, I'm a day behind and didn't even realize it. I worked a 10 hr shift yesterday, then headed to my dad's for dinner, which consumed the whole day. But I did the Day 8 workout today, chest & back. My best on that workout so far. I really feel like I'm pushing myself harder each time and setting good goals. I'm using 12 lbs now on the heavy pants and the lawnmowers and it's not quite enough, but close. Pullups, I'm still doing them 100% assisted, so it's hard to measure progress, but I feel I'm using less assistance each time and really getting tired by the end of it.

I picked up a new Hortonism today, "Don't let your ego get in the way of your Success!"

Till tomorrow...

p90x Round 2 - Legs and Back (Day 6)

2008-12-20T10:54:00.001-08:00

OK, I'm a little out of order here with my workouts. Took 2 days off, because I was pretty tired. But I did the legs and back today (only half the workout). Nevertheless I'm pretty beat. The pullups are getting better. I'm still doing them all assisted, but they are coming easier and with better form and less assistance from my legs.

My whole body feels tired from this one.

I plan to do Yoga later today, and then tomorrow I'll do Kempo and I'll be back on track!

p90x Round 2 - Day 2 Plyometrics

2008-12-16T15:44:00.001-08:00

I've officially started round 2 of p90x and this time I'm serious. 2 days in a row now. I intend to complete the entire thing. I've been doing scattered workouts up to this point, knowing that something was better than nothing, but now I'm ready to do it again.

This week's plyo was just OK...I did the warmups and first round of exercises enthusiastically...and although I didn't make it as far as last week, the exercises I did were with much better form.

Push play with me!

p90x Plyometrics - Another week of progress!

2008-12-09T20:38:00.000-08:00

Whew, what an amazing workout! This is week 3 of the plyo since I picked it back up again. Week 1 all I could do was finish the warmup and I was sore for a whole week. Last week I did the warm up and the first half of the sets up to the Mary-Catherines. And I was sore for a week.

Today I zipped through the warmup, did the first round of EVERY set plus the bonus sports moves at the end! I felt so much stronger, even in the first few exercises, I was doing them much more "enthusiastically" than last week. While a bystander might not have noticed the difference, I sure did.

By the end I was more than wiped out, but I pushed myself through the ENTIRE workout. Thanks Tony, I LOVE working out with you!

p90x Day 3 Arms & Shoulders

2008-12-03T21:19:00.000-08:00

Got this workout started pretty late in the evening. Worked from 8AM-6PM, went to a lecture from 7PM-9PM, stopped by my mom's house until 11PM, then got home and forced myself to workout with Tony and the gang!

Felt really good. This was my first "day 3" workout since last March, and my weights and reps were the same as when I quit doing it last time. So either I started too easy, or I've been doing something to keep my arms in shape.

Probably cyclocross and mountain biking is helping a little bit.

Did the first half of the workout (both rounds), then stretched then did most of Ab Ripper X...better than last time I did it.

Soon it will be a piece of cake.

Today my legs and gluts started getting sore from last night's Plyo workout, but now they are feeling pretty good, just a little bit tight. It'd be nice if Tony worked in a little more leg stretching to today's workout since yesterday was all legs.

p90x Plyometrics - Getting Better!

2008-12-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

OK, folks, this is round 3 of p90x for me, with a confession...Round 1 I made it 30 days. The summer was hectic. Round 2 I tried starting the week that I moved...big mistake! It's been 2 months now, i've put a few pounds back on and getting tired of not feeling GREAT like I did in the spring.

So I've been convertly working out with Tony, not telling you guys about it...the diet is yet to be followed this time, but doing ANYTHING is better than doing nothing. SO this was my 2nd plyo day...did it last week too.

Last week I got through the warm up and that was it...AND I was killer sore for the next 5 days or so. Today I got through the warm up no problem, and did about half the workout, just the first set of each exercise (no repeats). I hope to tell you next week that i made it through the whole thing!

Stay tuned, and keep working out!

p90x Day 3

2008-09-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

I worked late on Tuesday night, then had to go in early today, and got home around 1:30 AM and went to bed..so I missed this workout. :( But I will do it today.

The good news is that I communted to work yesterday on my bike for the FIRST TIME since graduating from medical school! It felt great, so at least I did that much. Legs STILL sore just from the "warmup" I did with the plyometrics DVD 2 days ago!

p90x Day 2 (Round 2) - Plyometrics!

2008-09-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Haha...well if you've done any p90x workouts at all, you'll know that this DVD is one KILLER workout that will have you walking like you've got noodles for legs for a few days afterwards!

I really had minimal time, but am determined to finish day 60 before my 40th birthday-so I had to do something.

My back was really, really sore from yesterday's workout...not from the "back" exercises, but my low back from the pushups...my arms/pecs are stronger than my lwo back and it created alot of stress, especially the decline pushups.

So I waited until late in the evening to start, my muscles had been warmed up all day, and then I did the warmup...and that was it.

But still, it's a 10 minute work up of jumps, jumping jacks, lunges and stretches so it stands alone as it's own mini-leg workout! And sure enough, I"m STILL sore, 2 days later. It's a good sore though, I'm getting strong (again)

p90x - Day 1 of 90 , Round 2

2008-09-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I am so, so sorry for my absense...but even more sorry to myself. Life gets crazy and busy, and while I stayed active, p90x active is a different kind of beast. I have become weak, tired, achy and stiff in the absence of "pushing play".

Yesterday was Day 1 again. I skipped the pre-test and the measurements, but I weighed myself and took photos. This first week will be espeically challenging because I am in the middle (quite literally) of moving. Diet is difficult because I don't want to store and move perishables, so I've been eating dried fruits, canned soups (low sodium), and other "portables" like protein bars and such.

So Day 1 Chest and Back was truly brutal! Especially logging the workout next to the previous round...could I actually be weaker than I was 6 months ago when I started the first time?

Well here I go again.

Current weight: 156lbs
Goal weight: 137 lbs (19 lbs)
Goal Date: November 15th

Why Nov 15th? Well, I turn 40 on November 19th, and I want to finally create, shape and keep the fit beauty that I know is inside of me. Its there dying for the world to see and for some reason I keep stopping myself.

Well the clock won't turn back, I'll never be 18, or 21 or 29 again. But I can be as young as I allow myself to feel as long as I stay true to my internal desires.

Stop sabataging yourself and start pushing play!

Core Syngergistics Again

2008-05-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Well it's been awhile since I met with Tony Regularly to "push play", and I sure did miss it! I did about 20 minutes of Core Syneristics tonight and it felt good. Boy, I'm out of shape again, but I'll get back there soon!

Making a Comeback....

2008-05-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all, it's been almost 2 months exactly since my last post. had I kept it up, I'd be done with my first round of p90x by now! Yikes.

The diet has fallen by the wayside, as has willpower. Willpower, what a funny thing that is...here today, gone tomorrow.

Anyhow, I was out of the country for 2 weeks during which time it was extremely hard to continue exercisign and eating well. Meals were mostly rice, beans and tortillas, with breakfasts being mostly carbs. I brought protein bars with me to snack on, but after a whle of not "bringing it" daily, I didn't need the extra protein.

I put on 5 pounds, but what's worse, got out of the exercise routine. I did a few sessions with teh bands while I was gone.

I intend to restart p90x, I think I"ll start with month 2...and focus on the strength workouts 3 x per week, and my bike 3x per week ormore.

It's now into bike racing season and I'd like to make the most of it.

p90x - Back and Biceps

2008-03-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Still hanging in here...trouble getting back into a routine, even a week after being home. I'm home for 1 more week, then out of the country again for two weeks! Hope I can keep it all together.

I did back and biceps last nigth for the first time. OUCH! Wow, that was tough. How can there possibly be so many different exercises you can do?

The strip sets at the end were pure 100% tor ture!

But it felt good. Bring it!

p90x - Phase 2 - Bring It with Chest/shoulders/tris

2008-03-25T21:03:00.001-07:00

Wow, that was a damn tough workout! My first of Phase 2. Like I said before, I took an extra "rest" week, but I did some stuff. I did 3 workouts, went telemark skiing at Copper Mountain, and did a bicycle race, the first of the season.

But my diet went to crap last week, and I carbed up. It's easy to do once you start. I did a little better today, but when presented with chocolate chip cookies, I had two! Oh, and a plate of sweet potatoe fries..>I know the worst food ever invented next to pizza (but it t astes so good!)

This was the toughest workout so far, but I LOVED it.

Chest/shoulders/try totally rocks and I am wiped out!

p90x - 2nd "rest" week adn core synergistics

2008-03-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'm here, don't despair. Actually, I'm there. I'm out of town for a week, at 7500 feet elevation. I don't have good access to weights, at least not at the same time as a DVD player, so I'm doign rest week again. Sunday was a travel day and arriving at altitude kind of sucks teh energy out of you!

TOday I got back itno it with core synergistics. I did about half of it and was really wiped out, then I remembered that I'm at altitude, so I was pretty happy with how well I did.

Diet has taken a turn for the worse...and so has some intestinal distress! I bet it's due to increased carbohydrate ingestion, so starting tomorrow, back on the p90x diet as best I can.

I havn't been in this town since last September and people are noticing that I've lost weight!

New Weight Low

2008-03-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

Well, a new low for the past year or so. Got on the scale today: 147 lbs! Yay, I broke the 148 barrier. :)

Even though it's rest week, I'm still losing weight.

p90x - Rest Week - Stretch X

2008-03-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

Wow, what a great session. a full hour of nothing but stretching. Some of the stretches were just a little hard, but they all felt great. I'm better at several of them that we've been doing in the yoga sessions as well. RIght now I'm having a rasberry chocolate smoothie...yum. Feeling pretty good.

Rest week - Core Synergistics & Kempo

2008-03-12T18:41:00.001-07:00

Somehow on my days off, I manage to fill the whole day and leave no time for my workout. I did the first 4-5 moves of core synergistics and can't wait to get at it a gain later this week. It seems really cool (and veyr hard!)

Kempo was fun, I did the whole workout this time. I still dont' sweat as much as Tony and the gang, but it's a great workout none-the-less.

Cheers.

p90x - Day 22 - Yoga

2008-03-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

This is my first rest week, and I was really glad to see Yoga here. I've been feeling tight, especially since I missed Yoga and Kempo last week and havn't been stretching otherwise.

I made it through the entire tape, with the exception of about 5 seconds of a handful of poses like "twisting half-moon". Of course, there is a lot to be improved in terms of my form, but at least I made it through.

I find with yoga that the more familiar I get with the poses and the comfort of it, the more I can "lose my mind" and just let go and relax adn do the moves.

I did almost all of the "Yoga Belly Seven" as well which REALLY impressed me as the first week I could barely do any of it.

Looking forward to the rest of "rest" week.

p90x - Day 21 Pics

2008-03-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

OK, here's a different shot you havn't seen yet. I'd be mortified just to have the first picture up, but since I'm seeing so much progress, here it is. in the front and side views this week, I couldn't see much progress from last week to this week. But in this angled view you can see some additional progress.

Extrapolate that continued fat loss/muscle gain to the next 10 weeks to finish up p90x, and I'll be one foxy chick!

I like to call this picture, "The Incredible Shrinking Belly"

Week 3 Day 7 - Rest Day

2008-03-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Today I wont' be resting, I'm headed out to cross country ski! I took my pictures a day early since I'm workig a 12 hour shift tomorrow and I dont' think I"ll be able to get pictures in before work.

As far as measurements, things are OK, not dramatically different, but changing

Weight: 148.5 (no change from last week, but it's a day early still)
Waist 29.5" (Yay, first time below 30")
Hips 40"
Chest 38"
Bicep (R) 15"
Thigh:: 24.5"
Calf: 15"
Wrist: 6"

So not much change in measurements. I'll be anxious to look at the pics side by side because I FEEL just a little skinnier, and the waist measurment is smaller as well.

You really need ALL of thesse things (weight, measurements, photos) in order to see progress, if I didn't have the photos I'd probalby be getting discouraged by now. But the workouts still feel good, my core feels REALLY strong compared to before and my legs feel great as well. Picking up something off the floor is a piece of cake...no knee pain or back pain at all.

p90X - Day 20 - Catching up!

2008-03-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been busy. I worked an overnight shift, then back again to work at 3pm, so I didn't do a workout yesterday. You'd thnk that the day before when I didn't work until 9pm I would have gotten a workout in, but I was busy doing house buying stuff, then I just stayed in town until it was time to go to work.

I missed Yoga and Back & Legs/ab ripper X. kempo was scheduled for today.

So today I did back & Legs when I got up, didn't to ab ripper (yet) because I was really bonking. Since then I've had some good food & calories. I plan to do abripper X before long, and then I'll do as much yoga as I can muster before bed.

Tomorrow I'll do Kempo then I'll be as caught up as I'm able to be.

Diet wise, it's really busy & time consuming to try and get all the right nutrition. My kitchen is a mess because I'm constantly fixing food instead of snacking on fattening chips. So overall it's good.

I try not to put too much stock in my weight and measurements except at weekly intervals because things don't change quickly. But today I was happy to see my waist measurement sneak below 30 inches for the first time! Stay tuned on Monday to get a new set of measurements & photos!

p90x - Pictures - Day 15

2008-03-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe I'm posting pictures of myself on the itnernet. But I hope it's inspiring to you to see what can happen in a short period of time. The weight loss in the photos below is not stunning...about 3.5 lbs. But the body shaping is incredible. I hope this keeps up...I'm going to be one hot fox!

Take a look and see what you think:

Things I notice:
1) Chin smaller
2) You can see my neck. (that could be the haircut)
3) HOT new haircut
4) The six pack wants to come out
5) Butt looking toned and lifted
6) Hips smaller still

Let's see your Pix!

Bring it!

p90x - Chocolate Mango Protein/Recovery Shake

2008-03-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

This shake doesn't have enough carbs to qualify as a recovery drink, but it gets close, and you can add something on the side to bring the carb count up and make it nearly a complete meal if you like.

it was something like this:

1/2 cup fat free yogurt
1 scoop Chocolate Designer Whey Protein
1 cup Frozen Mango cubes (Trader Joe's)
1 tbs Flax Seed Meal (Omega 3 & 6)
1 Tbs Wheat germ (lots of B vitamins)
1/2 cup skim milk

Blend to desired consistency.

Serves 1:
Dairy 1
Protein 1
Fruit 1
Fat 1/2
Carbs 1/4 You can add more wheat germ to incrase the carb count, it also gives it a nutty flavor

YUMMMY!

p90x - Day 16 - Plyo

2008-03-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

Well this was good and bad. I got through the warm up and the first set of four exercises, both times, and did it far better than than the past 2 weeks. I was a little slack on the next set of exercises & skipped a few, but last week that's where I stopped. This week I was able to finish the workout, but with lots of modifications.

one of the really great things about this p90x Plyometrics DVD is that they show you modifications to reduce impact, but still get the feel & benefit of the workout and allowing you to progress into it. Any time I've done plyo in the past, I've felt like I hurt my back or my SI joint, because the instructions are to be "explosive", jump "as high as you can", etc. But with p90x, "We've got options!"

I have a secret crush on Tony I think. LOL.

p90x - thoughts on 2 weeks in...

2008-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

I thought that this would get easier as I went, as my body got used to the workouts. But it's getting harder!

First, motivation comes and goes, the novelty is wearing off. Second, I AM getting stronger. So doing 10 pushups today is just as hard if not harder than 10 pushups 2 weeks ago. I'm just doing them with better form, going deeper, straighter back, more core muscle involvement, which ultimately, burns your pecs even more.

I am more sore today than I was 2 weeks ago!

I am losing weight and inches as well, but slowly. 3.5 lbs in 2 weeks is not insignificant, but I'm inpatient. Yes, my clothes are fitting better, but they are my "fat clothes" that are fitting better. LOL.

I have high regard to those who have successfully lost 40,60, 100 lbs or more over 12-18 months. It's a long road.

I am feeling good about myself, but every new thing I take on pushes something else behind and I need to figure out how to get back on top of things.

Quitting my job, unfortunately, is not one of them , but neither is quitting p90x. Tony Horton is waiting for me!

p90x - Day 15 - Chest & Back

2008-03-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, this workout never gets easier! (I just get stronger...)

I notice new things each week. Last week it was my abs that got tired and limited the number of pushups I could do...well they must be getting stronger because I really felt it in my chest this time!

Pullups were super hard as well. By the end of the workout I was trashed and could barely do Ab Ripper X. I skipped a few of the ab exercises, but others I did better than I have before.

Overall I'm making good progress. Even though the scale and measurement changes aren't dramatic, the photos really show my progress!

Today I felt pretty skinny even though I've got at least another 10 lbs that will come off "easily", and then I'd be trhilled with another 5 lbs after that. 15 lbs may not sound like a lot to some of you, but combined with the 3.5 I've already lost, and my small frame (5'3"), it's pretty significant to me.

Bring it!!!

Day 15 Measurements

2008-03-03T11:46:00.001-08:00

End of 2 weeks! I'm not seeing dramatic changes int he mirror, but I can really see it in the photos! I'm wearing a "skinny" sweater today too. Yippee.

Here's the scoop:
Weight: 148 (3.5 lbs wt loss)
You have 29.5% body fat.
You have 43.7 Pounds of fat and 104.3 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

(The silly equation says I've lost muscle and gained fat, but it's obviously incorrect!)

BMI:26.2
Chest: 37.5"
Waist: 30"
Hips: 40"
R thigh: 24.5"
L thigh: 24"
R arm: 13"
L arm: 12.5"
R calf: 15"
L calf: 15"
R wrist: 6"

p90x - Days 13 & 14 Kempo & Rest

2008-03-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

I switched my rest days this weekend. I'm workign overnight shifts Friday, Saturday and Sunday, pretty much the worst combination of shifts that one could possible get. It' doesn't get much better next week, when I will have done 6 night shifts consecutively (not back to back, but with no day shifts inbetween). 4 of those on weekend days.

Considering that I am contracted only part time, I'm basically getting screwed.

SO anyway....

I used yesterday as a rest day s ince I was wiped out from workign overnight the night before. I didn't even get a hot tub soak because the hot tub was closed for cleaning! But today I got up a little early from my post night shift fitful sleep and did most of Kempo X. I totally bonked near the end and skipped the last 1/3. It was a good workout none the less, and was just as hard as last week...I"m probably working harder than I did on the last one.

TOmorrow will be the first day of week 3, more pictures, measurements and weighing.

I've lost just a bit more weight, and maybe another half inch or so. I'm trying not to get too hung up on measurements and just keep pushing play.

Hopefully my mood will brighten a bit when I get back on to day shift.

p90x - Day 12 - Legs and Back

2008-02-29T16:45:00.001-08:00

This workout wiped me out, but I love it. I love the leg work...so many different types of lunges and squats and balance moves all mixed together. I like the fact that the leg exercises are different in the 2nd round.

I think I'm making progress with pullups as well, but it's hard to tell because I'm using a chair for assistance. I sure do get tired when I do it.

Ab Ripper X went well today too, some exercises I went all the way up to 25 reps, some only 10. Overall it felt better than the last time.

Today was really a day where I lacked motivation. I don't know if that's because of the timing...12 days in... the novelty is wearing off maybe? Or could it be because I have 3 days of night shift coming up and that's never fun.

My diet has been OK, I'm not overeating, but probably not getting a good variety in. I havn't grocery shopped this week.

But I do feel like the fat/skin on my abdomen is getting looser & flatter, flat being a relative word as you can tell by the photos.

All in all, another day down. Keep on pressing play.

p90x - Day 11 - Yoga

2008-02-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Well I got through the whole Yoga workout this time, it's LONG.

I enjoyed the first half much more because I knew the sequence and appreicated it's progression from sun salutes to warrior one, warrior two, reverse warrior, etc. I figured out that each pose is just the final pose in a sequence that contains all the previous poses. I don't know if that is typical in yoga, but it made it very meditative.

I had a little trouble with the second half, which I didn't get to last week. It was nice to see Tony struggle a bit with the balance too. Mabye it was an act, but he's such a showoff in everything else, that I don't think it was.

The final stretching felt really, really good. I'm still tight in the hamstrings, but getting better. I'm especially noticing the improvemtn in flexibility of muscles that attach to my pelvis...hamstrings, quadratus lumborum, obliques, etc.

I am still sore from the plyometrics 2 days ago, and just starting to get sore in the arms from yesterday's workout.

My abs are feeling better and better each day and I look forward to continued improvement.

Oh, and I'm missing another 1/2" from my chest, waist and hips! ;)

p90x - Recipe - Dill Poached Fish with Shallots and Apricot Jam

2008-02-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a p90x style recipe that I whipped up last night after my workout. Wow, was it excellent. Feel free to modify as needed. (image is not of following recipe)

Name: Poached Fish with Shallots & Dill

Stats: Serves 1
Protein: 2
Condiment: 1
Veg: 1

Ingredients:
6 oz fish fillet (I used flounder)
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
2 tbs apricot preserves (no sugar added)
vegetable or chicken broth (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

Instructions:
Dice 1 or 2 shallots and 1 or 2 cloves of garlic. Saute in a pan sprayed with cooking spray until they begin to get clear. Pour in a few tablespoons of organic chicken or vegetable broth if the pan begins to get too dry.

With a spatula, gather the shallots in the center of the pan in a flat layer. Place sprigs of dill over the bed of shallots. Place your fish fillet over top of this. Layer the top of the fish with a two tablespoons of apricot jam (no sugar added), and place additional dill over this.

Pour in additional broth, enough to allow the fish to poach without drying out.

Place a glass lid on the pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the fish is done.

Gently remove the fish fillet and place on a plate. While the shallots & garlic are still in the pan, add 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves to the pan. Pour in additional broth if needed. Stir just long enough to wilt the leaves, then remove from heat and place the spinach & shallot mixture on your serving plate. Transfer the fish on top of the bed of spinach.

Enjoy!

p90x - Day 10 Shoulders & Arms

2008-02-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

This was a nice workout. Since starting tri training, i havn't done any isolated bicep or tricep work, and in the long run, probably won't continue, but the workout feels good. Compared to last week, I was using heavier dumbells, doing more reps and hurting more. The last exercise, the side lying tricep raise was SO MUCH EASIER than last week! I did twice as many as last week.

Ab Ripper X rocked today. Nearly 20 reps of MOST exercises, and now I'm able to start focusign more and more on form, instead of just trying to flop around on the ground following the workout!

Diet today was so so. I went out with a girlfriend to a mediterranian restaraunt and think I fared well, although I have no way of knowing how much fat was in the meal. We split Sleek (kale, black-eyed peas, onions, spices) and a swchwarma that thankfully had a paper thin pita for a wrap.

The lunch threw my meal timing off, but I recovered with a few protein bar snacks, a 1/2 cup of yogurt with 1/2 cup warmed blackberries, and then a nice dinner whose recipe I'll post separately.

Keep pushing play!

p90x Photos Week 1

2008-02-26T21:50:00.001-08:00

Well kids, here it is, it's ugly, but necessary! What shocks me (aside from how big my AP diameter is) is that I can actually SEE a difference between Day 0 & Day 8. Take a look and see what you think...

I notice these things in particular:
1) Smiling on Day 8
2) Smaller Chin
3) Waist more defined
4) Belly less saggy
5) Belly Button happier
6) Hips less wide

By next week, my belly shouldn't be flopping over my waist like that! (Yuck!). Wierd how the right side of my body is fatter than the left. LOL.

p90x - Day 9 - Plyo

2008-02-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Wow...I made it through 40 minutes of this workout before fast forwarding to the end to cool down. I felt so much better than last week, it's really incredble!

My diet was not quite up to par today in terms of timing and total calories, but it was OK. I need to continue planning like I did last week.

Well, pretty tired now so this is short.

Bring it!

p90x - Day 8 - Chest and Back

2008-02-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

I was psyched for this workout, but it sure wasn't EASY! As Greg LeMond is noted to have said, "It never gets easier, you just get faster", or in p90x terms, "It never gets easier, you just get stronger." I think that will be my new tagline for the blog!

I suppose I'm getting stronger, and I'm noticing new limiters. For the pullups, my limiter is my grip strength, believe it or not. I'm using a chair for assistance, just enough to crank out 10 reps, but at the end of it, no matter how much assistance i give myself, my grip strength still gives out. I'm going to have killer forarms at the end of this...they are already big. The genetics of my great-grandmother I've discovered from family photos. LOL.

As far as the pushup series, Today I was limited by my back and lower abdominal strength. From the very first pushup, I could feel my abs activating to keep my body straight. I must have had really poor form last week if my abs weren't sore. I don't even think my abs knew what to do when I was doing a pushup last week! Now that they've woken up with 3 Ab Ripper X workouts (and today makes 4), they are getting into the game as well.

Ab Ripper X...Wow, this was killer, today! My best day yet, I did about 20 reps of most of the exercises. Not as pretty as they did, but I forced the reps out, even when it hurt. The last exercise, Mason Twists, I don't go all the way to the ground...my disc surgery was too scary to want to repeat it, so the ballistic nature of hitting the ground on each time is too much of a risk for me, so I just do a controlled twist in the air. But today was the first time I could even do a single rep of Mason Twists after Ab Ripper X!

This has become the favorite part of my day, finishing the workout, drinking my recovery drink and updating the blog.

Bring it! And keep the comments coming, I love visitors!

p90x - Week 1 Progress Notes

2008-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

It's the end of week one and I'm feelign pretty good. I'm excited for this week. The diet is getting easier to follow, but I am/was still having doubts about whether or not I was donig it correctly. I am eating far, far better than I was before, have had minimal (probably not enough) fat, and typically I used to eat lots of chocolate, pizza, cheese, lots of olive oil for cooking, etc.

My muscles feel toned, my pants are already fitting better.

While I know it's not super accurate, I'm encouraged by the body fat calculator...I had been dissapointed the weight loss is not more, today is the first day the scale is below 150, but it says I've lost about 3 lbs of body fat, but gained a pound of lean muscle. Yahoo!

here are my stats:

Weight 149.5 (2 lb loss)
BF%:You have 28.5% body fat.

You have 42.5 Pounds of fat and 106.5 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).

BMI: 26.5
Chest: 37.5"
Waist: 31"
Hips: 40.5"
R thigh: 24.5"
L thigh: 24"
R arm: 13.25"
L arm: 12.5"
R calf: 15"
L calf: 15"
R wrist: 6"

p90x - Day 6 - Kenpo X

2008-02-23T12:26:00.001-08:00

Yahoo! For the first time I made it through the warmup without feeling wiped out! This was a fun workout. I like the fact that it was pretty much basic kicks & punches with some combos and variety. It's not what I was expecting, I guess I was expecting something more like Tai Chi with various poses and linked moves, but nope, this was just kick, kick, kick, more kicking, punch, punch, punch, etc.

I liked the star moves and the elbow series teh best.

At first I was very awkward on the kicks, but even from the beginning to the ending of the first session my kicks were much better. I'm sure they will be even better next week!

Recovery drink is in, and now I'm going to fix some lunch.

Great workout, my jeans are fitting looser already!

p90x - Day 5 Back and Legs

2008-02-22T22:12:00.000-08:00

Today was the first workout I've made it through without getting the "bonk" feeling part way, yay! And I'm shocked at how well I did with the leg exercises.

The pullups felt really, really good and I really pushed it at the end with the last set of switch grip pullups. I'm still using a chair, and will for awhile, but getting the muscles moving and stretching my lats feels great.

I discovered with the diet that I was underestimating my egg white measurements by about 2/3s! I was misreading the carton label as well as the recipe. So I got a little more calories in this morning than I had been.

Food is still challenging...preparing it all and having it ready to take to work. It's getting better slowly.

As far as progress? I actually think that I've lost 1/2 inch from my chest, waist and hips so far...but that could just be user error with the tape measure, so I'm going to withhold my glee. No obvious weight loss so far, but my muscles feel great.

p90x - Day 4 Yoga

2008-02-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

Today I had the day off work, my favorite days of all! Somehow I managed to fill my entire day with errands, cleaning, office work, bills, my coaching job, quick stop to the health club to sit in the hot tub for 15 minutes, etc.

I finally started Yoga lated at night and only lasted about 40 minutes before turning it off. I'm not sure if I was tired, or if I was bored, but 40 minutes of Yoga is more than I was doing before, so I'm OK with that.

p90x Recipe - Scallops with Avocado Lemon Dill Sauce

2008-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

I made up this recipe based on some guidelines in the p90x Nutrition Guide:

Name: Sauted Scallops and Green Onions with Lemon-Dill-Avocado Dressing and Rice

Stats:
Serves: 1
Protein: 2 portions
Carbs: 1 portion
Fat: 1 portion

Ingredients:

8 ounces of scallops (2 portions of protein or 200 calories)
1 cup of cooked rice (1 portion of carbs or 100 calories)
1/3 mashed avocado (1 portion of fat or 100 calories)
2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon Juice
1 tsp fresh chopped dill
2 chopped green onions
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 cup Vermouth or White White ( didn't figure this into the calorie counts...but I'm sure it's got calories...)

Directions
Saute 2 servings or about 8 ounces of Scallops in a pan coated with cooking spray until they just begin to brown.

Mix together in a bowl:
1/3 mashed avocado
2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon Juice
1 tsp fresh chopped dill
2 chopped green onions
salt & pepper to taste

When scallops are close to being finished, pour in a few tablespoons of vermouth or white wine and scrape up all the glaze at teh bottom of the pan mixing it back in with the liquid.

Pour the lemon-avocado dressing over the scallops and mix well.

Add 1 cup of cooked rice and stir together until rice is warm.

You may need to add a little more liquid while the rice is heating through.

This is a balanced and tangy p90x recipe with loads of nutrition.

Sit down and enjoy!

p90x Day 3 - Arms & Shoulders

2008-02-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, this day was a lot better than yesterday. I woke up with some energy, brought good meals to work, ate snacks at 3 hour intervals and came home psyched up to work out.

My biceps are a little sore from Saturday's test still, and my hamstrings were sore from just the tiny bit of plyo I did yesterday...no wonder I couldn't complete it!

My lats started getting sore as well from Mondays workout.

Today's DVD was killer, my arms & shoulders FEEL huge right now, wierd. I guess they are just pumped. I reached a point about 80% of the way through the workout where suddenly I was just dead tired. During breaks I didn't want to move, and even forgot what set were were doing on the very last tricep pushup...what a cool exercise THAT was!

Ab Ripper X...don't know that I did it better today, but I did it smarter. I did 10 sets of each exercise which enabled me to do a few more, but I still petered out after 5 or 6 sets. I enjoy the cooldown the most.

I had a fantastic post-workout shake, I'm using Endurox since I still have some, I mixed 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup blueberries with it & topped it off with water...never had a better shake in my life.

Thanks for reading and leaving comments!

PS Funny thing at work... I had a craving I've never had before for a vanilla flavored cupcake with strawberry icing! How funny is that?

p90x - Day 2

2008-02-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, I slept hard and well last night and woke up exhausted and with a headache. Anyone else experience headaches when starting this nutrition plan? Funny thing is that I don't feel hungry at all, but I do feel my body asking for energy and nutrition...but it's not out of hunger.

Also, now that I have a specific nutrition plan to follow, I'm far less tempted to snack at night out of boredom...I think that added a lot of calories to my daily intake in the past. I'm also thirsty as heck in spite of feeling like I"m taking in a lot of water.

I'll have to measure my water intake more carefully.

Anyway...today was plyometrics. I had a hard time making it through the warmup, I was just totally wasted from yesterday (day 1, work, getting sick at work). I did the first group of 4 exercises, then tried to do modificaitons to the exercises and then just shut it off because I couldn't even do a simple squat without feeling wiped out. Seemed like a dramatic response to what LOOKED like a simple workout, but my energy level today was the total opposite of yesterday, so I think it's all a part of getting used to the whole change in diet & scheduling.

P90x - Day 1

2008-02-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

I was super excited to get up on day 1, have a mushroom eggwhite omlet, then start my workout. Chest and Back was no gimmicks, just hardwork! I was impressed with the fact that I was able to do the entire workout.

I ate well the rest of the day and fixed meals to take with me to work so I was all set.

But it seems like my GI system had some issues somewhere along the line. I don't know if it was the diet change, stress from the weekend, or if I caught a GI bug at work.

I was totally wasted by the time I got home from work, took a hot bath and climbed into bed.

Day 1 complete!

p90x - Goals

2008-02-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

The material that comes with the program doesn't really talk much about goals, but mine are 20 lb weight loss and BF%age of 20%.

Goal statement from 3 years ago still stands. Note that I achieved this the first time around, and have since gained 10-15 lbs back. This time I'm shooting a little further:

My new body will be 20 pounds lighter, a flat stomach, muscular shoulders, arms and legs; strong back; firm butt; smaller hips and thighs!

p90x - Fitness Pre Test

2008-02-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

Here are my numbers from the pre-test:

Fitness Test:
1) Pullups: 1/2
2) Vertical leap: 11" (wow!)
3) Pushups: 22
4) Toe Touch +7"
5) Wall Squat 1'30"
6) Bicep Curls 10 lbs: 31 reps (wow...shoulda used heavier weight)
7) Ins & outs: 20 (was supposed to be able to do 25...I know core is a weakness for me)
8) HR Maximizer:
Max: 166
1 min: 120
2 min: 105
3 min: 96
4 min: 88

Measurements:
Weight: 151.5 lb
Resting Pulse: 68

BF%age: 30% as determined by Home Body Fat Test
You have 30% body fat.
You have 45.3 Pounds of fat and 105.7 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water).
(scary!!!)

Chest: 38"
Waist: 32"
Hips: 41"
Right Thigh: 25.5" (largest part for consistency)
Left Thigh: 24.5" (ditto)
Right Arm: 13"
Left Arm: 12.5"

Extras:
wrist: 6"
Calf: 15.25"

P90X - Minus 1 Day

2008-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

TOmorrow is the big day! Last night I printed out my weekly schedule. I do shift work in an Emergnecy room and every shift may be different during the week which makes it challenging...sometimes i might need to eat lunch at work, sometimes dinner, and sometimes I might be workign night shift which has me up 24 hours in a row and I don't know what meal I'm supposed to be eating!

I noted specifically what meals I'll need to eat at work on which days, and finally I planned out tomorrows meals & food.

I'm ready to get this party started!

Pre-P90x testing

2008-02-16T21:57:00.000-08:00

it's been 2 years plus since I lost 20 pounds using Jorge Cruise's 8-minutes in the morning. I kept my weight right at 138-140 for about a solid year without really trying very hard. The good habits I learned plus the added activity of tri training and cycling kept me pretty stable.

But slowly I let my diet slip, began working out less, running became very hard so I quit, and now I'm up to 150+ pounds. It doesn't seem like a mere 10 pounds should make a big difference, but on a frame as small/short as mine, it's horribly noticable, at least to me.

Today I did the fit test for the P90X program and was actually pleased with my pre-program results, and they are good enough to start the plan.

But I was NOT pleased with my before photos! Once I get them uploaded I'll put them here so you can follow along.

Oh, someday (soon?) I'll finish entering all my diary entries for the last go round with 8 minutes. THe diary made a big difference so I think I'll keep up the blogging for this round as well.

Just like last time, the nutrition and planning is going to be the most challenging part of the program.

Day 3 Journal

2004-12-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Woke up at 6AM to do exercises. Thought about breakfast combos while stillin bed. Ended up with: Cous-cous, tuna, raisins. Tasty!

Eating at work was a challange. I will have to bring my own food. Ended up eating milk, salad & peanuts.

Biceps now sore from exercises this AM! Going to nap, then walik/run and grocery store before bed.

Day 2 Journal

2004-12-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

Wide awake at 6AM. Jet lag stll? Fifteen minutes to do exercises, stretches and some light yoga, including one backbend!

Great breakfast - omlette/veggies/otmeal/banana. Interview lunch - lots of veggies. Dinner - Subway.
Muscles Feel good
Tired
Home by 11pm. Bed 11:30pm. up at 5 AM to do exercises (planned)

What pain has being unfit cause me?

2004-12-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

Tired all the time. Serious back pain. Decreased mental acuity and peace. Less time for activities outside of work! Decreased confidence in relationships and decreased desire to go out and play.

What is my specific goal?

2004-12-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

My new body will be 20 pounds lighter, a flat stomach, muscular shoulders, arms and legs; strong back; firm butt; smaller hips and thighs!

Day 1

2004-12-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

I've only been doing this half a day and I can already see that it will take a lot of work. making meals is time consuming - until I tried to prepare a meal with one complex carb, 1 fat, 1 protein, 1 dairy, I didn't realize how unbalacned my eating has been! Eating well is important and I'm glad this is a day off to focus on proper eating. It will take a lot of planning and working ahead of time.

End of day 1. Feel exhausted. Diet? Sleep catching up? Die some yoga stretches. Right hip/leg really tight.