Day 18: Yoga, Bare(ly)

Hey, Boo Boo!

This is definitely a brutal workout. I do feel more flexible and I'm glad I have done it, but I dread the 90 minute timer. It never seems to go down. Actually, I don't mind the second half. All those Downward Dogs and Chatanooga (or something liek that, I can never make out what Tony is saying!) wear on me. I do a killer Warrior Two pose. I actually survived the Pretzel Pose (It's not really called that, but it should be!) and I can almost use a yoga block to add to my stretching past my foot.

I can't believe I am almost at the recovery week. Time is flying by. (Except when I am watching the dang timer!)

I'm still eating healthy. I really want some Doritos, but I am being a good boy!

Update again tomorrow!

Day 17: Back and Arms and back again!

This is a great workout. It isn't as tiring to your whole body like the chest and arms workout. Maybe my arms are getting stronger (or more likely, I don't have enough weight and need to seriously consider going into debt to buy some dumbbells!) but I really felt like I did a good job with this workout.

The "MyGym" was indispensible this time around. I really only used the stand alone bands during the Bonus Round (which I did much better at this time!). I felt the burn, though. I felt it big time. There were a few exercises that were a little difficlut with the "MyGym" and I wonder if I am doing them correctly.

I ate well again. I had a few too many almonds for my snack, but other than that I maintained my discipline.

Tomorrow is the toughest workout: Yoga. see you then!

Day 16: Plyo's Revenge

I did well, but it still kicked my butt. I only had to hit the pause button about 12 times. Seriously, I love my remote!

I couldn't keep up as well as last week, where I seemed to have some kind of Energizer Bunny adreniline rush, but I made it through okay.

My meals today (Let me know what you think!)

Breakfast:
1 Multivitamin
3 strips of Extra Lean Turkey Bacon (20 calories each)
1 glass OJ
1 Muscle Milk Protein Shake w/ 2 Cups of 1% Milk

Lunch:
Peanut Butter Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread

Dinner:
Beef Round Steak (Seasoned) 7 OZ
1 Dr Pepper (My first in 3 days)
1 Multivitamin

Snacks:
4 Pieces of Homemade Turkey Jerky
2 Low Fat Mozzerella Sticks
1 Handful of Almonds
1 Fat Free Soda

Not that impressive, I know, but still pretty healthy!

Day 15: Why I hate Mondays!

I suck at push ups. I'm not much better at Pull Ups. Ab Ripper is deadly.

Seriously. This is my least favorite workout. I procrastinated today because I knew I would struggle. I never thought of not doing it, but the fact that I did this workout at 8:00 PM tells me that I wasn't mentally up for it. Last week I was energized for each days workout after the first one, so I hope I get the energy "bump" again this week.

I know I worked hard and I definitely showed up and brought it, but it is demoralizing to only do 6 or 7 pull ups, and my push-ups are slow and pathetic. I did a little better with the diamond push-ups and the Dive Bomber Push Ups, but the military style killed me. My arms still feel weak and I have a feeling I'm not getting enough resistance with the bands.

I'm doing a lot of reps with the bands, but maybe I need to figure out a way to do more weight with less reps so I can build more muscle.

I'll talk about food again this week, but lets say that I feel a little guilty about having half a rack of ribs on Saturday (and about 4 leftover ribs on Sunday) but I still have eaten healthier than I ever have before. I'm on a lot of Protein bars and the Muscle Milk tastes great. I have no idea if it is helping me at all since I have nothing to compare it to.

Anyway, Just another Manic Monday. Wish it were Sunday. More later!

Here's a quick YouTube Vid:

(Unavailable at this time!)

YouTube Update (Week 2)

Hey, Did anyone else notice that when they create an account at YouTube that when you didn't have any "Friends", it harshly reminded you of this upon visiting your channel with a "You Have No Friends!" message. I went to get a "clip" of it and post it here, but alas, someone finally got a call from the Self-Esteem Police. Anyway, here is my Video Update for Week #2:

(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 14: Stretching (Thank Goodness!) and Week 2 Review!

If you are just starting P90X, I really recommend that you don't take the day off and do the Stretch X video. It really made my second week much better. I felt better all week and I think the Stretch X (and the Yoga) are the reasons why. I already feel more flexible than I did two weeks ago.

I used to be a hockey goalie, and I was always a skinny-pretzel like guy. My nickname was pretzel legs because I was so skinny (and the fact that I could be bent into a pretzel as a goalie), so the fact that I had let myself get so out of shape AND I had lost my ability to stretch like I used to was frustrating as heck. In two weeks I feel much better about myself.

Here are my Week 2 thoughts:

What is great is the variety of programs and the fact that I have yet to be bored with any of the programs.

Tony is not an annoying coach like some other DVD Gurus.

I have the ability to modify any of the exercises and the DVD participants are really working out and to see them grinding it out is motivating. My "MyGym" DVD was okay, but you could tell a lot of the participants were using the easy weight bands so they could keep up. Here, Tony pushes the others, even scolds them for not using enough weight.

I like the music and the production values. I like the routines and I always feel great (in a masochist sort of way) afterwards.

I Look much better and feel much better about myself this week than I did the first week.

I ate much better this week, until Saturday night when I had Barbeque ribs at a restaurant and some fries. Again, I don't feel that guilty abou tit because I ahve eaten as healthy as I ever have for two weeks. I did not plan on following the diet to perfection, but I will continue to eat healthy and do my best to keep track of my calories.

I love the Recovery Drink.

I still probably should buy some Dumbbells.

I like Muscle Milk for my Protein shake. I don't know how much it is helping. I heard froma friend of mine that it was probably a bit too FAT based, but again, I'm not trying to lose a ton of weight here.

Anyway, I'll keep Pushing Play and Bringing it! Thanks to whoever is reading this!

Day 13: Kenpo Redux (Tony Horton is no Miyagi!)

Love the Kenpo. Awesome workout and I love the vocal Olympics that you get to do. It's like being a kid watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all over again. I was better at some of these drills this time and I was really into it.

My only complaint is that Tony Horton rushes you into things. I'm sure I'll appreciate it in the third month, but I got lost on a few exercises early. I especially was waiting for Tony to ask me to wax my car before trying the "Star Blocks." It was ridiculous. If Mr. Miyagi were my teacher, I would have surprised myself at how quickly I had mastered the art of the multiple block. As it is now, I am screwed if I get a bunch of Ninjas attacking me from different angles!

I really felt this workout later on in the evening. My arms and legs were dead tired later on this evening. I Like the Saturday workouts a lot!

Stretch on Sunday and a week in review! I'm excited to beginning my third week.

Day 12: Legs & Back again!

This is definitely my favorite workout. I well with it and it definitely helps having already been through it once before. Some comments:

I still don't know if I am doing the Toe-Roll Iso Lunge correctly. It's one of those moves where if you don't do it right, it's probably pointless. So I hope I'm not ruining the whole thing.

I still can't do the Switch-Grip Pull Ups. I just don't have the strength. I am much better at pull-ups in general than I was a week ago (and I realize now that my body indeed hadn't recovered On Monday from Last Friday's workout-since that includes the Ab Ripper and Pull-Ups) but switching while I am holding on is not happening. It's kind of demoralizing, but it also gives me something to shoot for.

I love the skaters and the intensive leg work.
I did pretty well with Ab Ripper, but I must say that I get an overwhelming feeling of dread when the program ends and there is Tony, sitting on the mat, waiting to put me out of my misery.

It's like finishing a huge meal at a fancy dinner party and then they bring out another course. Well, not as enjoyable as that, but you get the idea!

I'll have another update after Kenpo X today!

Day 11:Yoga! Yoga! Yoga! (with apologies to John Belushi)

I would like Yoga a lot more if it was more "Childs Pose" and less Cirque du Soleil!



Seriously. It is probably one of the hardest workouts because your body is forced into so many awkward poses. When you are lifting, you brace yourself for the energy you expel. Yoga X, on the other hand, lulls you into a false sense of security.

"Yoga is relaxing. Become one with yourself. Ohhhhhhmmmmmmm!"

Yeah right. Your body rebels when you try to twist yourself into a pretzel. Unexpected sweat and pain arrives. What the hell is going on?

I do feel incredible afterwards. It's kind of like how most people look at writing. They like to "have written" but don't necessarily enjoy the process.

I really hate the first half of the program. Well, hate is a strong word. Let's say it isn't enjoyable. The balance poses are tough. I'm sure I'll improve, and I already feel better after being sore from yesterday. Yoga + Recovery Drink= Helping!

I have decided not to use the Recover Drink on Yoga and Stretch days, which will let me milk the amount of packets I use. I know I'll have to buy another 30 anyways, but at least I'll have a few left over for P90X+!

Day 10: Arms and Shoulders (And the Bonus Round!)

I had an amazing surge of energy today.

Don't get me wrong. Parts of my body still felt like they had been beaten by a pack of angry alpacas.

But I was excited to bring it and I wasn't dreading any part of the workout. I showed improvement in most of my areas. I dropped down in some, but that was because I learned how to do them correctly (Static arm curls means that one arm stays static! Ahhh! I get it!) or figured out a better weight (or in my case, band resistance).

I was ready for the bonus round, which was good. I like the way you do three exercises and then repeat them. It gives you a chance to push yourself, but you don't get sick of the same routine. Then it moves on to another three (and finally the bonus round of three).

I've stuck to my diet this week. I'm not following it exactly, but I am only eating healthy foods and I amm having mderate portions. The problem I'm finding with the plan is that I find it tough to design a whole meal using all the different components. I'm sure I'll get more practice, but I think I am living on protein shakes, bars and a multivitamin.

I'll bring it with another update tomorrow!

Day 9: Plyo. I brought it, Baby!

Today was awesome. I enjoyed Plyo and was even able to keep up with the guy that seems to do all the moves harder than everyone else.

I probably cheated a bit. I work from home and I was getting calls for work so I had to pause. Of course, this probably helped me a lot, but it was a big boost for my confidence. As much as yesterday bummed me out, today invigorated me. I felt stronger and really good. I also haven't had a Dr Pepper since Saturday. (I am not counting the Diet Dr Pepper glass I had today, I'm talking the sugar/calorie version that I am addicted to!)

Not only that but my Rangers are got back on track with a win tonight.

I've decided to really commit to eating better this week. I am taking my Muscle Milk and Vitamins and I feel good about sticking with the program. I'll have more tomorrow!

Week 2, Day 8 (A Pain in the ABS!)

I must be doing something wrong.

I was excited to start week 2 and I ran into a brick wall like a forward skating into Chris Pronger (a really big defenseman for those who think hockey is a foreign sport!).

I couldn't do a freakin' decent amount of pushups for my life. I felt very inadequate. I don't know what the problem was. I started wondering if the muscle confusion is too confusing. I cursed my weak chest and arms. I went down in many of the reps. And the biggest surprise?

A major pain in the ABS!

I felt it on my first set of push-ups. It was like a knife ripping the inside of my belly. Does Ab Ripper X actually rip open your abs? Damn. I have to grab on to things to get up from the couch.

I'm determined to do a much better job with food this week, but we'll see how long that goes.

YouTube is annoying me. I keep trying to do my Week in Review post and it spends more time trying to "connect to server" than a reality contestant crying to a camera. I'll try to add the video when I get a chance.

Keep Bringing it!

Week 1 Review

I knew it would be physically demanding.
I wanted it that way.
It lived up to it's billing as an extreme home fitness program.

My body is very sore and I know that I "brought it" to all my workouts. I have a long way to go, but it felt like a good foundation was being built throughout the week.

I appreciated the variety of programs. It was nice to not repeat anything furing the seven days. I'd much rather be wanting more than being bored with the same program 2-3 times in a week. The videos were well prepared and very inspirational. The people on the vids were a good mix of people who could do the exercises perfectly and those who weren't afraid to show it when they struggled. There was no question, the people on the video were gettign a great workout and this pushes you to work harder.

I feel stronger after one week, but I didn't really lose any weight. Not that weight loss is my primary goal, but I am having issues with the diet.

This week I ate as healthy as I ever have in my life. I had no chips. I had 6 Dr Peppers as opposed to 12-15. I had no chocolate (except the Chocolate flavored Protein Shakes from Muscle Milk). I didn't have any fast food. But I don't think I met my DCI goals on any day (Daily Caloric Intake). I didn't eat that many veggies, but that was still an increase from the zero that I usually ate. I ate whole grain cereal. I ate whole grain English muffins. I actually ate three meals a day. I drank water. Lots of water. I ate some fruit (probably more than I was supposed to) and I took a multivitamin twice a day. The recovery drink from P90X was excellent. I don't know if it actually helped or if it was a mental thing, but I felt that I was much more ready for a workout the next day. And it tasted pretty good as well. I snacked on protein bars and string cheese and raspberries instead of Doritos. I didn't have any pizza or hot dogs!

I am really happy with the program and I expect my results to improve as I solve some of the issues mentioned above.

Today starts week #2, which means that the dreaded Ab-Ripper lurks in my future.

Thanks for those that are actually reading this blog. Bring it!

More later!

Day 7: X S-T-R-E-T-C-H (Not your mother's Stretch Routine!)

Am I really surprised?

Yeah, I know. Who am I kidding. If they were going to do an optional routine for the last day of the week, why the heck would they mail it in with a few mamby-pamby stretches and a pat on the back.

First surprise. It was an hour (1 hour!). How the hell was I going to stretch for an hour? It stretched every part of my body except for my face. (For that, I looked for the video I saw on Ellen the other day, but I couldn't find it. Yeah, I know I watch Ellen. She's hilarious and I work from home. Give me a break! Instead, I found this hilarious video so you can stretch your face: Tyra shows us how to do it!)

Thank goodness for the yoga mat. This did tire me out, but it also made everything on my body feel better. The only part of me that is still sore is my calves. To the point where I don't really want to walk. Seriously.

Anyway, I highly recommend doing the X Stretch. It is worth it. I was tempted to skip it because there was so much stretching during the week and especiallythe 90 minute Yoga X, but I am glas that I did it. I think it will make me recover much more quickly and it will help me with those other workouts as well as be beneficial to my overall muscle development.

Here's my last vid of the week: (Until I do a new routine, I will be doing less frequent video updates.)

(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 6: Kenpo X (Muggers Beware!)

Hiiiiii-yah!

That's what I'm talking about. This was a very fun and cool workout. It did require a lot of skipping back (use the << button on your DVD player as it's much easier than searching for the beginning of an exercise. The chapters are well marked!)and forth to the beginning of exercises so I could try and figure out the punch/kick sequence. There were a lot of really cool moves, and I feel very prepared to fend off a gang of ninjas. At least in my mind.

The exercises are short but intense. You only have about 20-30 reps of each exercise. Don't feel ashamed to let it out and do the vocals that are suggested in the vid. I felt it much more when I did so. I'm sure my neighbors appreciated it, but who cares!

Also, I would use your mat for the warm up and the stretching. My knees cannot take being on a hardwood floor for any amount of time.

Here's my Vlog:

(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 5: Legs & Back (and the deathly Ab Ripper!)

Yeah, it sounds like a Harry Potter title. Anyway:

Finally, a workout for the hockey player in me! As much as I am not in shape, my years of playing hockey finally paid off in P90X. First of all, I knew I was going to have a good workout when one of the exercises was called "Super Skater". I guess my muscle memory for skating hasn't faded and my skinny legs are (as they always have been) are still freakishly strong!

My observations of this workout:

This was very tough on the legs. The back workout was tough but fair. Mostly pull-ups. Here are the names of the exercises:

Balance Lunge
Calf Raise Squat
Reverse Grip Pull-Ups (I did 10!)
Super Skaters (Yeah- I killed on this one!)
Wall Squat
Wide Front Pull-Ups
Step Back Lunge
Alternating Side Lunge
Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups
Single Leg Wall Squat
Deadlift Squat
Switchgrip Pull-Ups (Pretty much impossible. I couldn't switch without starting over!)
Three Way Lunge (I got confused on this one)
Sneaky Lunge (Best name for an exercise. It sounds dangerous!)
Chair Salutations (Hellooooo, Chair!)
Toe Roll Iso-Lunge (I don't think I did this correctly)
Groucho Walk
Calf Raises
80/20 Cyber-Speed Squat


I liked the variety and the back and forth between muscle groups. I think the exercises with pull-ups allow people like me to get longer rests because I was drinking my water while they were doing 10-20 more reps. Overall it is a good workout no matter how many pull-ups you can do. I did feel better with these than I did on Monday.


I spent a lot of time pausing and rewinding (well, skipping chapters- which is very handy, by the way) because Tony just says what we are doing and goes to town. Again, I didn't watch this in advance. It's a good idea to do so, but it wasn't practical for me today. I also got confused in a few of the exercises. The Three Way Lunge wasn't complicated, but the camera angles messed it up. Of course I was sweating and hurting so much at this point, I wasn't listening to Tony as much as I should. He said "45 Degrees" and I heard "45 reps you out of shape loser!"

The alternating side lunge was tough because my workout area isn't exactly huge. Tony, take it easy on those of us whose workout spaces aren't much more spacious than a bathtuib. If I were a little taller, I wouldn't have been able to do this horizontally (I already told Tony that I don't like his assuming I can workout Vertically!).

Ab Ripper was easier and harder. Besides learning the secret to doing the workout without a shirt (Adam the amazing muscle bound flexible guy did it and it drove me crazy because everytime I moved I sounded like I had beans for dinner!) I picked up on things I had been doing wrong for the past two times. I really like that there are options to make it harder, which will be a challenge that I'll want later on. For now I'll just try to survive.

I also think a great design of the program is that the Ab Ripper X program is at the end of each program that you do on Ab Ripper days on. This is very handy, because Ab Ripper X comes on a DVD as well, and since I am on the floor already it wouldn't be physically possible for me to get up and change the DVD. Now it would be even better if the next version ejects the disc, turns on the hockey game and brings me the recovery drink personally. I'll buy that version for sure.

Here's my Vlog:

(Unavailable at this time!)

My Food Problem

As my P90X Journey gets rolling with a head of steam, the dangers of my eating habits (past and present) continue to pose challenges.

As pointed out here by one of my inspirations, Savy)

I'm not eating enough.

According to my amazing software, P90Xcel, I am way under my caloric intake.

Yes, to lose weight, in some cases, you have to eat more. As I mentioned in one of my early posts, my daily meals used to look like this:

Breakfast: Maybe some OJ, but usually nothing.
Lunch: Sometimes I'd eat. Sometimes I wouldn't
Snack: Chips (usually Doritos or Spicy Chips)
Dinner: Big meal (Quesadilla, Hot Dog, Chinese Food, Pizza, Pasta) Always A' La Carte. No condiments.
All Day: Dr Pepper. Probably at least 3, sometimes as many as 5.

And I wondered why I was getting the flab around my middle and my pants seemed to have shrunk!

I am following the portions plan, and I stocked my fridge and cabinet with decent food (see here), but as much as I have self-discipline and I can stick to doing things, I don't have the mind of a Chess Master. Or a Chess scrub, for that matter. I can't think too far ahead. Right now, I realize that I haven't taken any meat out of the freezer for dinner tonight. (I did have enough foresight to know that if I don't freeze meat it will go bad quickly!)

I have cut back my Dr Pepper (As a writer, it bugs me that there is no "." after Dr, intentionally if you look at any can. Yeah, I have a Pepper problem!). I haven't given it up completely, but I have dropped to no more than 1 a day and the cravings haven't been as bad. (The headaches have curtailed dramatically).

I really am not trying to lose a lot of weight. I am trying to get lean body mass and turn some fat into muscle. I've never had to worry about what I eat, so this is a big switch. I don't drink alcohol, so that isn't a problem. That said, I have made this commitment and I am going to follow the program as best I can. (I just took out a frozen Pork Tenderloin. How's that for improvement?) But I need to be realistic. I have given up the chips and the candy and cut back on the soda. As Savy advised, I need to listen to my body within reason. If I have a few more carbs than the program advises, I am not going to go on suicide watch.

I am also going to look into some Chile-pepper recipes that can bring the heat and not the fat. I just heard someone on TV talking about how spice can make you feel like you aren't giving up a lot. I'll post any good recipes for fellow Chile-heads like me. Anyway, this is the first of what I am sure will be regular food postings. Sorry if I made you hungry!

Legs, Back and Ab-Ripper today! I'll post again later!

Day 4: Yoga X (Getting my Zen on!)

My mindset was not good for Yoga. I planned an hour and then realized that Yoga X was 90 minutes. Whoops. I made it work, but I think Yoga is one of those things that you will only get the full benefit when you have completely surrendered to the process and blocked out everything else.

Trying to remember where you left your keys is counterproductive.

The balance poses were killer. I love the stretches, and some of the more complicated ones are challenging in a fun sort of way, but it can get frustrating. I was sweating so much that even my Manduka mat caused me to slip and slide. My name was probably "Clumsy Lumox" as opposed to "Graceful Swan."

I would give myself about a C+ as far as completion goes. I had to sit out several of the exercises. I've always been flexible, so this was pretty frustrating. I was a goalie for heck's sake!

My one major criticism of this vid was that it was hard to hold the poses and watch the screen. I didn't watch this one first, so I don't know if this was the problem. My workout space is horizontal, and it seemed that Tony wanted me to face forward. Come on, Tony, I don't want to have to move my glass coffee table as well! I'm glad that I had a yoga block (I've never seen anyone use TWO blocks, but I always see people it as a plural when it's listed as an accessory. Is this like Pair of pants? Don't forget your Yoga Blocks?)

The workout really helped me feel better. I have to say that the pace of the program is excellent. I am totally sold ont he muscle confusion. As much as I want to repeat a workout to do it better, I like the fact that it's a week before I do it again. I get bored way too easily and this program leaves me wanting more before I can get bored. What a concept.

I didn't do the recovery drink for this exercise (I did do my Muscle Milk Shake- 1 cup has been my standard, not two. I'll talk about this when I can get a handle on whether it is doing me any good or not.) as I think the exercise itself helped with my recovery from the previous workouts.

Here's the Video Blog:

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Day 3: Shoulders & Arms (Great Workout!)

(Sorry for the delay. I did my video uploads, but was unable to post at the blog!)
Okay, this was my favorite workout yet. Probably because I could really feel it and there was an adequate amount of time between reps.

The workout included the following:

Alternating Shoulder Press
In & Out Bicep Curls
Two Arm-Tricep Kickbacks
Deep Swimmer Presses
Full Supination (huh?) Concentration Curls
Chair Dips
Upright Rows
Static Arm Curls
Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Curls
Crouching Cohen Curls
Lying Down Tricep Extensions

I skipped the Bonus Round. But I will try it for sure next time. The reason I skipped it is that I was running late (I totally mis calculated my time) and I still had Ab-Ripper X to do. If I skipped Ab Ripper, I knew I would feel it worse the next time.

My main problem was, again, figuring out the bands. Sometimes I was too light, others, too hard and keeping track of my results were difficult. I really wish I had Dumbbells, but I don't have it in my budget, especially if I am going to continue to eat as healthy as I need to!

I did use "MyGym" again. It was excellent for many of the moves. I ended up kneeling on the MyGym instead of standing and using my Gold's Gym Resistance Tubes for several exercises. This didn't always work, but I got a good burn.

Anyway, here is my video blog:
(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 2: Plyometrics (Mommy!)

"The Mother of all P90X sessions!"

They aren't kidding. My abs are still reeling from yesterday and I am sore everywhere, but I did it. Barely.

I had to Push "Pause" several times so I didn't puke. I tried not to eat as much before hand this time, especially since they warn you of that in the video. I just had my Muscle Milk Protein Shake about an hour and a half before hand.

I wasn't sure whether to use my Mat or not. I watched the video first and the exercises pushed the limits of my small workout space. I decided to use it and I am glad I did. My old "goalie knees" appreciated the soft landing for a lot of the jump exercises. I obviously had to jump off the mat for several exercises, but it worked well for the most part.

The vid is basically 5 minutes of warm up (which isn't exactly easy) and then there are sets of four exercises. Most are 30 seconds and the last one is 1 minute. You sometimes repeat or add on to an exercise you have already done, but I liked the variety. It's a great workout that will get better as I grow stronger and get in better shape.

They suggest a heart-rate monitor. I don't have one and don't really want to spend money investing in one. It would have been cool to monitor how high my rate increased, especially since my favorite hockey team (The slumping New York Rangers) have been putting one on a specific player the past few games. But I don't think you really need one.

Some of the jumping exercises are easier than the others. I like the sport simulations. The last set of four had a baseball pitching, jump-shot and football simulation that was almost fun if I could have felt my body at that point.

I swear, the timer seemed to stay at 30 minutes left forever. It was less than an hour, but it felt like twenty-four.

The meal plan is going to be tough. I am struggling to figure out the best way to use the portions plan. Last night I made a Thai food recipe that probably had more servings of things than I should have, but I am sure I will get better. I am kind of hungry all the time and I don't know if that is good or bad.

I only drank one Dr Pepper yesterday. That's a major accomplishment, as I am usually craving them all day long.

Anyway, here is my short 1 minute vid immediately taped right after my Plyo-torture:

(Unavailable at this time!)

Day 1: Holy Crap!

I am on the floor typing this.

Seriously. I don't know how I am going to drive. This is painful to type. What the hell was I thinking?

Seriously, it was a great workout. My reps were very low compared to the people on the video.

I thought I was going to get a little sick to my stomach when it started. I think the HEavy protein shake was not a good idea, even an hour before. Maybe add an extra 30 minutes before. I also had a carbonated (0 carbs/0 fat) soda about 2 hours before. That probably wasn't smart.

I used my MyGym for the Lawnmowers and the Heavy Pants, but the Back Flys were hard with the bands. I am not sure how well I did them and the vid didn't do a great job explaining how it should look without dumbbells.

Ab Ripper X is killer. I am usually pretty strong with my Abs, but this was pure, unadulterated torture. I was curled up in a ball crying for my whoobie!

I'm trying the recover drink right now. It's pretty good. Anything that will make me feel it less tomorrow!

Here's a quick vid that I did immediately after the workout:

(Unavailable at this time!)

I brought it today, although there were times where I thought I should quit. This blog will be a major motivational factor. I hope it is informative and interesting to anyone who has stumbled across it. But I am writing it for myself first and foremost. Thanks to anyone who is coming along for the ride.

Day 1 Nutrition (In Progress)

I'm doing the "Fat Shredder" Portions program at Level II. I will probably only do the fat Shredder for a week, as I am not really trying to lose a lot of weight (and I'm adding the Protein Powder Muscle Milk to try and enhance the muscle growth.)
(2,400 Calories per day)
Protein (7 servings)
Dairy (3 servings)
Fruits (1 serving)
Vegetables (4 servings)
Fats (1 serving)
Carbs (1 serving)
Snacks (1 Dbl or 2 sngl)
1 Sports Bar
1 Recovery Drink
2 Condiments (2 tablespoons each)

Okay, first off, here is what I ate (I won't do this every day, just for a few days in the beginning as this is the thing that I am most anxious about. If others have suggestions/comments or if this helps I figure it is worth posting!)

Breakfast:
1 GNC Mega Man Sport Multivitamin (Will take the other tonight)
1 cup of Kashi whole grain flakes w/8 oz 1% skim milk and about 8 Raspberries
16.9 fl oz Water

Snack #1:
Jerky (2 pieces)
Protein Bar

Lunch:
Small Whole Wheat Pita w/ 2 TBS of Peanut Butter
1 Diet Soda (no carbs, no sugar, no caffeine- all natural Nelsons Black Cherry! Very Good!)

Snack #2:
2 cups 1% milk with Muscle Milk Protein (Shake)
P90X Recovery Drink (after workout)

Dinner:
Dr Pepper (I know, but I usually drink 4-5 a day!)
Spicy Thai Chicken dish (This was included veggies and chicken, but probably too many condiments that added to the fat content. I did use brown rice and diet brown sugar.) I have no idea how bad an idea this was, but I'm trying anyway!

I'm not really trying to lose weight, but if I want results, I need to be careful. My main concern is eating enough calories to support the fitness program. I'll let you know how this goes as time goes on.

Before Pics: Day 1

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Sorry for the fact that they are all over the place. They will serve their purpose, though!

START WEIGHT: 182.4 lbs

START BODY FAT: 16.6%

START BODY WATER: 55.1%

I who am about to die, salute you!

I start tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous and excited at the same time.

Grocery Shopping & VLOG #3

My pantry is healthier than it's ever been.

I can't say I found the whole healthy shopping experience fun.
I walked by my old friends in the candy aisle.
Dr Pepper glared at me like a jilted lover.
It is so much easier to just buy junk. Looking at labels and analyzing the health benefits was like browsing a library in Russia.

I noticed quite early on that I am easily one of the targets for markting. I would love to be one of those people who goes into the grocery store with a list and comes back with only things that are on it. I think I accomplished that once when I went to buy a bag of Doritos at 2 AM.

Healthy food is expensive as well.

My next problem is deciding what to eat and when. I am going to try the PORTIONS plan, and I am at Level 2 fitness. The meal plan is very fish intensive, and I cannot bring myself to eat fish. Seafood is too, er, fishy for me.

P90X calls for you to eat about 5 times a day. This is a major paradigm shift for someone who is used to eating one big meal, several Dr Peppers and a few snacks throughout the day. I have read several sources who claim that it is very dangerous to start an exercise program this intensive and not support it with the correct amount of calories. I also can't eat food late at night or the food I eat will become stored energy.

You'll notice that my knowledge of nutrition is hardly impressive. I hope that this blog will progress at the same rate as my fitness program. I will look back at the early posts with nostalgic whimsy, remembering my ignorance from so long ago (3 months is long in fitness lingo!).

Anyway, here is my VLOG regarding my grocery shopping trip:

(Unavailable at this time!)

This is just a quick Cam upload, as I didn't have time to try to increase the production value, which is limited as well. The built-in webcam on this computer is weak at best, so pardon the non-hollywood looking vid.

VLOG #2: Nutrition (or lack Thereof) & Home Gym Set Up

Unavailable at this time. Sorry!

VLOG #1 Intro: Why P90X

Removed. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Failed Attempts: Reasons I chose P90X

I didn't just make this decision with a 2 AM impulse buy watching an infomercial while eating Doritos. I've tried various exercise devices and programs with limited success. Here are my "failed" attempts at keeping myself in shape:

JUMP ROPE: I have a jump rope. But really, how much jump rope can one person do? Motivation was an issue here. I might still use this as a warm up.
SLIDE BOARD: This is great for hockey, but again, it's basically aerobic conditioning and leg intensive. I didn't look nearly as good as this guy does.

Hip-Hop Abs. Yeah, I know. It was cheap and I thought it would be fun. It was.

But even in the privacy of my own home I felt ridiculous. This was another Beachbody.com product, and it came with a month-long program (which I followed religiously!). But after the month was up I didn't feel much improvement and I was left to design my own program or repeat it. I definitely felt the plateau effect as the days went by. I also had to supplement my own strength program and I had no idea how to develop this on my own (another appealing factor in the P90X decision!)

MyGym Last year I purchased the "MyGym" home fitness system. It is a very well designed piece of equipment.

The problem is that it came with just a couple of DVDS and it didn't really provide a schedule of workouts. In fact the guy on the video said in one sentence that you should take two days off between "waves" and then later in the same video said to take one day off. It was confusing and the plateau effect came into play almost immediately. I will use the MyGym for my P90X workouts as the resistance bands will work well considering I don't have dumbbells.

For the reasons I listed above, the P90X program seems to be exactly what I need:

1. A tight schedule with step-by-step procedures to follow.

2. A variety of activities. P90X gives me 12 different routines. I think the "muscle-confusion" philosophy is what my body needs to stay motivated.

3. STEP-BY-STEP MEALS: P90X also comes with a diet that I can adjust accordingly or follow a daily meal plan (which I have never done before!) if I wish.

4. ONLINE SUPPORT: The online gym is cool. Just another form of accountability and a great resource. Of course they push their supplements and other products, but the people are a great motivation.

The Method to My Madness! Why this blog?

What the hell was I thinking?

I used to be active. I could eat anything and remain a skinny, metabolistic freak of nature, much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone I ever knew. My diet presently consists of Dr Pepper, Doritos, quesadillas, hot dogs and chocolate. I'm 6'0" and about 185 lbs. Sounds about normal, right?

The problem is that I used to weigh 150 lbs. No, that was unhealthy as well, but three years and thirty pound later I understand that I need to adapt to my rapidly aging body. Back then I was playing a lot of hockey and my work involved a lot of walking around. Now I am working from home and this blog will document my attempt to follow a vigorous exercise program that can be utilized in a small living space. I also realize that I can't eat the way I have in the past as I am turning 40 this year. Oh, boy. What have I gotten myself into?

This blog is going to serve two purposes:

1. To document my progress with the extreme fitness program P90X. This will be for myself, but hopefully it can help some peoplke decide if they want to try this as well. I will include reviews of products I use, hints, tips, mistakes, etc.

2. To hold myself accountable as if I know that this blog will be staring at me if I miss a day. Any comments and encouragement will be greatly appreciated.

Here's to a FIT 2008!