P90X, Day 17

Tonight was shoulders and arms. OUCH! I up'd my weights to 10 lbs. and used 7 lbs. for the tricep exercises. My arms were on fire by the end of the workout. It was the normal 3 girls tonight and then Steph brought her neighbor, John. He was a really nice guy, retired Army, and it was fun to workout with a guy for a change. He kept us going.
Before the workout I ran a mile outside then headed in - it was freezing! Seriously, my car said it was 33 degrees when I got to the track by the gym. I had long sleeves and pants on with a vest, but I needed a heavier jacket. I'll be better prepared for Friday's run. The wind was going right through my running gloves...I think I know why people cover them with mittens now. When I went into the gym I did 15 minutes on the bike (not the cozy one with the seat that has a back, but the one that looks like a road bike), and every 2 minutes I alternated the resistance. Then I chilled for 5 minutes before Zumba was over so we could start our workout.
Tomorrow is Kenpo - should be fun. It's supposed to be Yoga, but we don't have enough time at the gym during the week to get it in so we do it Saturday's (but I've probably said that a million times already).

P90X, Day 16 - PLYO

Whoo-hoo! Plyo! I love it! I was drenched tonight. This workout always gets my heart pumping and makes me feel so good.
I did well with my goals last week. I completed all 6 workouts and I logged my food every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So my goals for this week are:
Exercise Goal: To complete all 6 P90X workouts and to run at least twice.
Food Goal: To continue logging my food and clean up my snacking habits.
Tomorrow will be my first run since getting my cortisone shot (as long as it's not raining...I hate running in the rain and will only do it if its race day...so yea, I don't run in the rain - LOL) then it's shoulders and arms with the girls.

Day 15, P90X

We knocked out Shoulders and back followed by some ab ripper X tonight. It felt good to be burning some calories again. It was also nice to get together with the girls and just relax...I was slightly paranoid that no one was going to show up because of what that guy was accusing me of and all the drama I created by posting something on facebook. Seriously the guy is missing a few marbles. I posted a question asking how to reserve the gym so it wouldn't happen again and he took this to mean that I was racist and slandering him. It's a crazy World full of lots of wackos.
So anyway, I've wasted enough of my life thinking about him lately, back to the workout. The gym was closed so we had to workout at one of the fitness centers in the housing areas tonight...it was only a few minutes from the house so I walked. It was a nice walk there, but really cold on the way home. The walk was a nice way to clear out my mind...no distractions from the kiddos or anything else.
Food today was good! I'm proud of myself. The hubby really loves me! He bought me not one, but TWO Tosca Reno cookbooks, and 75 ways to love your oatmeal. We made a pumpkin maple oatmeal in the oven for breakfast this morning - YUMMY!!!! It was so good. I got him the Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Weightlifting. He loves it and I can't wait to read it too. We're making a commitment to each other to do this together and do it right. Tonight (when I can drag myself away from the computer) we're going to write out our New Year's Resolutions! I'll share tomorrow. :)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!! No workouts today, it's a rest day. I thoroughly enjoyed my Holiday and break today, and probably ate a little too much. Tomorrow it's back to the grind with P90X.
I've got more news on that guy from the gym 2 Saturday's ago. He came back and posted on the facebook page...it's completely absurd, but he made me cry. Here is what he had to say...

Angela, it is very disturbing that you would mislead people about what happened in the aerobic room. Lets' set the record straight. You had not begun your workout. I explained the reason why the group did not meet the week prior(family emergency). We did not tell you to leave the room. Moreover, you asked me if the other side of the room was available and if you would be in the way. I acknowledged that the space was available at all times because we make sure to leave that space for others to perform their workouts. You even said thank you and proceeded to do your workout(By the way, that P90X Yoga DVD is one and a half hours long to which you and the two other ladies did not complete). I even explained to you in a professional manner to contact Mr. Carr who could give you all the particulars about how long we have been using that time slot(well over a year). So until you speak with the appropriate individuals, you should reserve you incidious comments. Also, don't you come in @ 8:O'clock at night. No on else in a year and a half has complained. They even join our insanity group. You look like you could benfit from it. I wonder if I was another ethnicity would you have complained and tell lies. Come join us so you can get in some real shape!!! You and "your group" are welcomed. Check my results. One individual has lost 62 pounds. He even works at Murphy gym. Another has lost 30 pounds. One that have lost 102 pounds, her last 40 pounds with us. If you had a problem then you should have addressed them with me instead of lying in such a manner. Witnesses were there to confirm my side of the story and they could not believe the coward approach taken on your behalf. The staff has said that when you come in after Zumba, you complain about not having enough time to workout. I guess the closing time nine O'clock does not register with you. If you want catering, there are plenty of services would accommodate you. It looks like you have used them frequently.

Then the jerk sent me an e-mail and threatened to sue me for slander. He's crazy and full of crap. Got me all worked up and upset. Ruined my perfectly good day...that'll teach me to log onto facebook on Christmas day. Now that I've calmed down I filed an official complaint with the base and we shall see where this goes.

Day 12 of P90X

Tonight was Legs and Back followed by some Ab Ripper X. I love this routine. My legs were feeling the burn today...and so were my abs. There were only 3 of us tonight, but it was still good. The gym was a ghost town. I thought there would be a lot of people trying to get their workouts in before the crazy weekend, but no. I guess everyone was on the road going somewhere. We went and did some shopping today and the traffic was INSANE!
We took my bike to Princeton Sports to make sure it was good for the triathlon...of course it is...better be, I paid $900 for it (it's a Trek road bike). I bought it with our tax return last year, then found out I was pregnant so I never got to ride it. It's a beautiful bike. I've only ever road mountain-type bikes, so I'm nervous to ride it. I'm sure I'll fall over at some point - LOL. The guy that I was talking to was super helpful and told us about all these programs in the area for triathletes. I can't wait to start looking into them.
Tomorrow morning is Yoga then Christmas day is my rest day! Worked out really well...in fact, New Year's day is our rest day as well. :)

Day 11 of P90X

We did Kenpo X tonight (supposed to be Yoga X, but it takes too long for the amount of time we have in the gym). This is normally one of my favorite routines (probably because it's the easiest). I must say that my shoulders were definitely feeling it tonight. Kenpo is a little harder when done in the P90X program and not just randomly for fit clubs...you certainly feel it more. I didn't realize how much I needed the opening stretch until we started doing it - boy did it feel good to move my arms around.
The girls and I were talking tonight about our weight. I've been 182 for 3 weeks now. I feel lighter and happier then I have in quite some time, and it bothers me that the scale is not budging. I love when people say it's because muscle weighs more then fat, but seriously people how much muscle do you really think your body builds in one week? I know P90X is more for toning then weight loss - I could certainly stand to do both. With the right diet I should be able to still lose weight and tone, so, I've started tracking again. I'm already starting to see problems areas. I'm snacking when I shouldn't be and I'm not making the best choices. It's time to plan out meals and snacks again. I always do better when it's all right in front of me rather then being left up to my own devices.
Tomorrow is Legs and Back and then our schedule might get a little out of whack for a few days, but we'll be back on a roll come Tuesday. Happy Holiday's everyone!

P90X, Day 10

Tonight was Shoulders and Arms and boy am I feeling it. I did Zumba first, and then we all did our P90X workout. Overall it was a good workout; there were 5 of us tonight. I used 8 lb dumbbells for the entire set - even the tricep kickbacks - YEA Me! We didn't get Ab Ripper X in...just not enough time before the gym closes.
On a side note I went to the dermatologist today and the spot on the top of my head that's been bothering me for awhile (at least 6 weeks now) is actually a skin cancer spot, so they removed it. I should get the results back in 1 to 2 weeks. Plus all my acne flair up lately are more then likely due to having an IUD. Just lovely. I spent my teenage years with acne, I had hoped by this stage of the game it would be gone instead of getting worse. We are going to try acutane (spelling). It's a very serious drug, and I'm still on the fence about it. All I have to say is it better work!
So, anyway, it made me all depressed. I ate 4 cookies tonight and even though I worked out I still wasn't fully into it. Hoping the results are normal and that this funk doesn't last long. My foot feels better - that's something right?!

P90X, Day 9

Day 9 of P90X was Plyo. I love this workout, but boy was it tough tonight. My foot felt awesome, but by the end I was really starting to feel it, so I slowed down a bit. I felt amazing afterwards though! So glad that I stuck with it tonight.
I went back through my old blog posts today - boy have I come a long way in the past 11 months! My posts have really changed too. I used to put up a goal every week, so I think I might go back to that. I liked seeing all my old goals. So, here are my goals.
My big goal for 2012 is to complete a triathlon. The TriColumbia's Celebrating Heroes sprint Triathlon on June 24th is my goal. It's a sprint so it's only half the distances: 0.62mi Swim - 17.5mi Bike - 3.4mi Run. It also costs around $125 so it's a hefty investment that if I pay to do it then I'm going to do it, I'll have to! Chris will also more then likely be deployed at the time so he won't be there to cheer me on...although he's promised to help me train! I'm so excited about it!
My exercise goal for the week is to take it easy on my foot (so no running), and to get all my P90X workouts in this week (2 down, 4 more to go).
My food goal for the week is to track. When I do it, it works. I logged all my food today, and I hope to do it the rest of the week too. I was actually thinking about wearing my bodybugg again so I can see how many calories I'm burning. That'll be a goal this week too - see if I can find it AND see how much it'll cost me to activate it.

P90X, Day 8

Okay, I'm starting with an update on the jerk at the gym on Saturday. Today I got two responses to my facebook posts about him. Here is the first: 
From Lauren Williams, Gaffney Fitness Center: This group has been meeting for over a year in the aerobics room every Saturday. They are doing a P90X video workout. We have not advertised this in the past because it is not an instructed class, but I think we are going to add to the flyer as a video followed workout (no instructor), so we do not run into this issue again. You are correct that we do not reserve the rooms or equipment for personal issue. The room is first-come, first-serve when there are not scheduled programs. By advertising, we will have the room reserved for the ongoing workout. The group workout is from 9 to 10 a.m. and is open to anyone to join.
My response (I still wasn't happy, but at least they are trying to correct the problem:
Thank you Ft. Meade for letting me know. We were confused since on Saturday the 10th we worked out at 9am and there was no one there, so when we came back on Saturday the 17th and set-up and started our workout we were very upset to be told to leave due to a group that meets there every Saturday - when obviously they don't. We as well are doing the P90X workout - although that is not the program they were doing or we would've just joined in. Glad to know they will be done at 10, we will just come in at that time. I appreciate your assistance - Thank you!
Then on the MWR facebook page (they run the gym):  Ms. Gillen is correct that our policy is first come, first serve on the rooms when there is not a scheduled program being held. I would like to apologize to Ms. Gillen for the treatment she received at the fitness center from another customer. He did not have the authority to request she leave the room. I will be speaking with our staff and refresh them on the policy of first come first serve for the rooms.
This class is a re-occurring program that has been offered for over a year. Going forward we will be advertising it with our aerobics classes as a video instructed P90X class for anyone that would like to join.

YEAH - an apology. Now if only the jerk would apologize. We're going to work out our schedule and see if we can get the room "reserved for video workout" as well. I don't see why not!

Okay, today was day 8, the start of week 2. My arms are burning from all those push-ups and my shoulders are feeling the burn from using the bands. I don't feel like as big of a wimp using the bands this time because all 6 of us used them tonight. I still wish I had my pull-up bar, but I'll take the bands for now. I hung the bar up in my bedroom today and attempted one, I can still get half-way up so that's good! Hopefully soon I'll be able to do one all by myself!
On another note I went to the Podiatrist today about my heel. They took x-rays and it turns out that most people when they have inflammation have a level 2 or 3, but I was more at 9-10. Hmmm...no wonder it hurts. There is also the start of a small heel spur. It's growing out horizontal though, so I guess that's good. She gave me some exercises to try - just a stretch for every time I'm sitting for awhile and then get up. I also got a cortisone shot. It wasn't horrible, but wasn't great either. My foot is so sore right now. She said that it will feel better in another day or so, but not to go crazy because it is still injured - always will be. Funny thing about it is afterwards I was walking around and my left foot felt fine, but my right foot was hurting. Guess you can tell I was really overcompensating for my left foot hurting. She said that's probably why my hips have been hurting as well.
I've got plyo tomorrow - might not go so well for me, but we'll see! 

P90X Yoga, Day 7

Yoga X. It's supposed to be a relaxing type workout - if you can get your mind right. My group of workout buddies and I get to the gym yesterday right at 9am when it opens, we go down to the aerobic room, put in our DVD, set up our mats, and start the video. Then all hell breaks out. This guy comes in with another women and tells us that it's his space and that it's reserved for his group. They do Insanity EVERY Saturday at 9am and EVERYONE knows that so we need to leave because his group of at least 15 to 20 people will be meeting there. OH REALLY?! Well, Mr. Crazy then why were we here last Saturday at 9am and had the whole place to ourselves? Apparently he was out of town...so I guess that means if he's not there his giant group of 15-20 people just don't show up? Okay, well it's first come first serve and we are here and we've started so we're going to do our workout. Well then Mr. Crazy gets in my face and tells me that it's place and he reserved it and they've been using it for weeks and weeks and if I had a problem with it to take it up with the facility manager (who just happens to be off on weekends).
So, me being me, and not liking to create drama, the 3 of us moved our mats and hooked up our DVD player - because unlike Mr. Crazy WE have a back-up plan for when someone is where we want to be and we still want to workout out. We were 20 minutes into Yoga before he even started AND there were only about 6 of them. Then our DVD player died. We packed up and went upstairs to the desk. I asked them how we can reserve the room too. They said they don't reserve the room...and again they told us to talk to the facility manager. APPARENTLY he is the ONLY person in the gym who can handle a situation like this.
I was SO TICKED OFF. I called and left a nasty message on his machine. Steph called and left him a message. My hubby is going to go in and talk to him as well.
HOW RUDE! We could've worked something out, but no this guy was a total jerk and all angry and in my face. I hate people like that.
And honestly, we are a small group, and we are perfectly fine with doing our Yoga in the corner with a DVD player or laptop. It's the whole we reserved this space and everyone knows that we do this every Saturday at 9am, and then the whole lack of cooperation from the gym that pissed me off. Pick your battles people and I just picked one.
I spent weeks calling around base trying to find another location for us to do our workouts and you can't reserve any of the spaces. The workout centers in the communities all have tv's and no vcr's and then their workout areas aren't very big so if we have more then 3 it's a tight squeeze. The best place to workout is in the aerobic room at the gym. If this guy can reserve it, then I want to too. And if we can't then it's going to be whomever can get to the tv first, and I don't like that. There is another gym on base with an aerobic room. I want a tv/vcr installed in it. That's my goal. Mr. Crazy isn't winning this battle Ladies!
Oh, and this morning there were 2 of us, so we went to the community center and used the kids room (it's only big enough for 2, maybe 3 Yoga mats). We were able to get the whole 90 minutes in without someone bringing their kids to the center. We got lucky. :)

P90X, Day 5

Tonight was legs and back and it rocked! What an awesome, yet tough workout. My legs were screaming by the time we were finished. I wish I could say the same for my back, but the center we work out in doesn't have a door frame that fits my pull-up bar so we used bands.
What I'm seriously thinking about doing is hanging the bar upstairs and then doing some when I walk past it since I can't get them in during my workouts. The bands work fine, but I like using an actual bar (with a chair of course...I'm not that good! LOL).
We did Ab Ripper X again. My abs were screaming. 2 days in a row. I thought, hmm I'm not sore, that's good. Until we did the V-up's - OUCH! Oh yea, those things work!
Yoga X is on tap for tomorrow morning. It's probably my least favorite P90X workout...although it is growing on me.

P90X, Day 4

Tonight we did Kenpo. Normally I love Kenpo, but tonight I just wasn't feeling it. I felt like I half-assed all of it and I'm not happy about it. We followed it with Ab Ripper X (first time this week that we were able to get it in). I did okay, but fizzled out by the end.
Everything about today was just off for me. I really need to figure out my food, I know that was a big part of my problems today. I was hungry all day...I know it has everything to do with running 2.25 miles, 30 minutes of Zumba, and P90X Shoulders and Arms yesterday. I had an idea it was going to be one of those days when I chugged my Shakeology this morning and then was still hungry. First time since I've started drinking it that it didn't fill me up. I was out of coffee filters this morning - no good!
I still got to put a star on my chart, 4 days down. I'm ready for a run and some legs and back tomorrow! Should be better. Do your best, and forget the rest.

P90X, Day 3

Shoulders and Arms are done! It was a good workout last night. I like working out at the gym. I was able to use 6 and 8 lb dumbbells instead of just the 5 lb ones I have at home. I'm thinking of going to 10 and maybe 12 for some of the exercises though. 8 was too light for some.
We haven't managed to do Ab Ripper X yet this week because the workouts are taking too long. Gonna try and squeeze it in after Kenpo tonight (we moved Yoga to Saturday since it takes too long). We'll get all the kinks worked out in no time.
Meals went okay yesterday:
Breakfast: Shakeology with peanut butter, frozen strawberries, and 2% milk (hubby bought wrong one...aw well).
Snack: Starbuck's Grande Caramel Soy Latte
Lunch: Panera Apple Chicken Fuiji Salad, bread, Iced Green Tea
Snack: Gingerbread man cookie split between the 4 of us
Dinner: Asparagus pizza - YUMMY!
Snack after workout: Recovery drink, protein bar
Late snack while watching Christmas Vacation: popcorn and water

P90X, Day 2 - Plyo!

Tonight was Plyo! Nothing gets the heart pumping faster then some plyometrics. It's a fun, fast workout, and I love it! It was a lot more fun with 4 other Ladies too.
Today my left foot was bothering me again. I was hobbling all over the house, and my hip bones hurt too. I don't know what's going on. I don't like it. I don't think it was my run last night that did it. I honestly think it's the Yoga X. Can you do Yoga with shoes on? I might have too. I think the lack of support is bothering my foot. It actually hurts enough that I broke down and called the foot doctor. :(
Tomorrow is my run followed by Arms and Shoulders. I'm going to take some Ibuprofen and just keep going until my appointment. Do your best, and forget the rest!!

Day 1, P90X

Day 1, P90X. Wow! I forgot about all these crazy push-ups and pull-ups. We couldn't find a chair for my pull-up bar tonight so we all just used bands. They worked just fine. If we really wanted too we could jog upstairs and across the gym and use the assisted pull-up, but seeing as how we had to stop the DVD every time we did pull-ups it was already taking us longer then expected - it would just add way too much time. The bands work just fine for us.
It was a great workout and a good turnout - 6 of us total! I did my jog before hand - 1.5 miles. It was a good run. A cool 40 degrees outside so my lungs were burning. I need to invest in one of those mask things if I keep running at night.
Plyo tomorrow!
Shakeology is going well too. In fact the hubby has decided that he likes it too so now I'll have to buy 2 bags of it. LOL!
Starting weight: 182
Chest: 39"
Waist 38.5"
Hips: 45"
L. Thigh: 28.5"
R. Thigh: 29"
L. Arm: 13.5"
R. Arm: 14"
Here are 2 photos from tonight. I'll take the "official" ones tomorrow.

 

Here we go again, same old...

Tomorrow is the big day! I'm starting P90X all over again. I just KNOW that I'm going to finish this time too! I have a wonderful group of workout buddies on base that are going to be doing it with me...I hope. I organized all of it - got a schedule together, found a location...now let's hope people show up - LOL!
I found a really cool idea on Pinterest...

so, I went to Wal-mart and bought a bunch of supplies. I made 9 of these - 1 for me and 8 extras. I'm pretty sure that'll be enough.
P90X starts tomorrow, 30 days later Dump your Plump challenge starts (they both end at the same time) and we have 2 teams of 4. The Lady Xer's (my team) and Flabby Four (he, he). I'm not sure if anyone other then the people on the teams will show tomorrow, but I think they can make their own books. Right?!
I'm such a dork, I also bought a package of 750 gold stars, and I hung up the P90X calendar on my wall...yep, a gold star for every workout I complete. I might even get a little crazy and give my self a star for eating clean that day.
I'm super excited and hoping that I finish this time around. We'll just take it one day at a time. Look for daily blogs again, and I'll update photo and stats tomorrow!

New Goals

I've been MIA for awhile...sorry about that. Things kind of went crazy once the hubby came home. My workouts were pretty sporadic there for awhile. I stumbled upon a group of ladies on base who are fantastic! Thanks to them I worked out 3 days in a row...and I have the photos to prove it!
Yep that's me up front in the blue. I think my calves look good...I might have to wear those pants more often.

Ab Ripper X, and all sweaty because we just finished Kenpo X.

I think this one was HIIT 15.

I started working out with these ladies and then Chris went away for a week. I did 2 workouts at home, and then I fell off the bandwagon again. I have a future challenge coming up though!!
Starting December 12th we are starting a P90X group on base! We are going to meet every night (Mon-Fri) at the gym and in the morning on Saturday. 30 days after we start P90X, the base Dump your Plump challenge starts, and 60 days after that both P90X and the Dump your Plump challenge will be over. I'm hoping to stick with it this time. I'm planning on cleaning up my diet. I'm going to try and go cold turkey - straight into only clean foods. My Shakeology arrives soon so that will be part of it too.
I'm printing out this quote and putting it on my mirror throughout the challenge, "Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." General George S. Patton.

Week 7...right?

Okay, I got completely confused as to which week I was on - LOL. So tonight I decided I was on Week 7, day 1. I did Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps followed by Ab Ripper X. Tonight was rough. I think running 3 days this week took a bigger toll on my body then I thought it would.
I did run again this morning. I ran with my running partner, but we didn't do so well. We ran the 3.6 mile trail, and we ran for 3min, walk 90sec, but we only did it 4 times, then we walked the rest. When I was doing push-ups tonight I was groaning about how bad my arms hurt. Just goes to show that running really is an all body workout.
Chris was running around snapping photos of me working out so I thought I'd put a few here.
Getting ready to start (YES, we have our tree up. Chris is going TDY for 2 out of the next 4 weeks so we put up the tree...no lights or decorations yet). This is my little space that I workout in every night...

 Jumping jacks...

 Push-ups (yeah! he got me in regular position and not knees!!!)

Nutrition today was decent. I ran first thing in the morning so it threw off my morning breakfast/lunch routine. Lunch was also a work thing with Chris's office (I did really good, it was a bar-b-que place and I just got a piece of bar-b-que'd chicken). I did have a nonfat peppermint mocha (grande) today too.

Run Day

Today was a run day. I stepped outside to go for a run and immediately turned around and came back inside for gloves, headband, and vest - brrrrr! I went to the trail that loops the golf course today - it's 3.6 miles and it's a dirt/stone trail. I LOVE it! I absolutely love trail running...it's what makes it a sport for me. It was a chilly 45 degress, so I was thankful that I thought to grab my headband, gloves, and vest. I upped my tempo today and ran 5 min, walk 90 sec. I repeated it 6 times; then walked the last .5 mile or so. I only passed one other runner today and he was bundled up as well. I had to laugh on my drive home though because there was a group of 3 guys (probably Army) running in shorts and t-shirts - brrrr!
I've run this trail twice this week and both times I headed into the woods first. The first time I had no idea what I was getting myself into...what I found was that there are 5 lovely steep hills. Apparently the other runners knew this because everyone I passed on Tuesday was running towards me (only one other person was braving the weather with me today...and yes, he was going in the opposite direction as well). Today, I tackled those hills knowing they were there and I did awesome! Both times I ran up all the hills without stopping. There is something about tackling a steep hill that makes you feel so strong.
Tomorrow it is back to P90X...tonight is the Broncos game with my hubby!! Night all.

Fit Club

I went to fit club on base tonight and we did Turbo Fire HIIT 20. Woo-hoo! That was fun! I wanted more though...I felt robbed that all I got was 20 minutes. We did about 25 minutes of 40 minute Rev Ab routine (gym was closing so we didn't finish it up). I'm so NOT impressed with Rev Abs. Talk about dull. I was fully expecting a bunch of ab routines and instead got a dancing kickboxing type routine with a bunch of "drop your booty" squats - talk about annoying. He kept jumping around and doing this spin move because he was "feeling it" and he'd raise his shirt and smile while doing a routine...big eye roll...whatever guy. I won't be buying that routine anytime soon.
Food today was really good:
breakfast - coffee with creamer, 100 cal bagel with egg and cheese
snack - a little more coffee, almonds and raisins
lunch - toasted tuna sandwich with cheese and a pickle
snack - celery, peanut butter, raisins
Dinner - Chicken taco salad (we didn't eat the shell) and hubby made the best "salsa" with sweet potatoes - YUM!
snack - recovery drink and protein bar

Tomorrow is back to P90X - chest, shoulders, and triceps and another run.

P90X, Week 5

Yeah, I'm still on week 5. I've gotten WAY off track since my husband has come home. It's not his fault at all, I just lost all my motivation. Tonight I put in Week 5, day 5 of P90X - back and legs. It literally kicked my butt. It hasn't been this tough since week 1. Honestly, It felt good to finally be moving. I felt like such a slacker the past week.
Food has been terrible of course. Today it was really good. I didn't overeat in fact, I probably under ate.
I'm also doing a 30-day beachbody challenge. It started today - couldn't have asked for better timing. I am going to give Shakeology one more try...or rather 30 more tries. It's part of the challenge. I'll find out what the hype is all about.
I'm going to try a run tomorrow too. We'll see how my foot holds up. Every time I see someone running I start to feel jealous. I read a friend's blog today about this tape she bought and I think I'm going to try it for my foot if it starts hurting again...it's worth a shot.

P90X, Week 5 - Back and Biceps

I love back and biceps. In fact I'm loving all the new routines. I'm ecstatic that I just got 2 days in a row done. Chris and I have talked about switching it up so that I can work out in the mornings, but I think I'll keep it up at night time. I think it's best to stay in routine for now.
I didn't write down what I ate today, but I did have a mini Blizzard for an afternoon snack (special thanks to my hubby for telling my daughter to ask for ice cream...I guess in his defense he had no idea that it would lead to the meltdown she had until we got her that ice cream - LOL). Everything else was good.

30 Day Photos

Okay, I'm going to try the photos again. Alright, no laughing now. The "white" photos are my first photos, the "yellow" colored ones are my current. I have no idea why they turned out yellow.

I fooled with these photos for awhile and I can't get them side by side...don't know what I'm doing wrong, so I just put one on top of the other...and I made them small so you don't have to see so much of me. :)

And the final ones...

I can see a difference. No where close to where I want to be, but I'm getting closer with each workout and with every nutritional change I make. 150's here I come!!

P90X, Wk5 - Plyo

Okay, I think we are all settled in and ready to start getting back into my P90X workouts. I've been so off and on for the past 2 weeks that I think starting over at week 5 is best. I did Plyo tonight without Chris because his knees are still bothering him from doing Insanity on the ship. It was tough. Tougher then I remember. I wonder if taking all that time off time off is making it harder? Hopefully it'll get a little easier as I get into it again.
Nutrition today was decent. I felt hungry a lot today, so to keep from eating this afternoon we took the kiddos on a long walk and played at the park for awhile. It was just gorgeous outside!
Breakfast - Bisquick Heart Healthy waffle with honey and banana; coffee
Snack - Protein shake
Lunch - Feta salad; grapes
Snack - Triscuits and 1 oz cheese
Dinner - Blackbean chipolte gardenburgers; rice; green beans
Snack - Recovery drink and protein bar

P90X,, Week...ummm

My husband is home!!! YEAH!!! After 6 long months it's so wonderful to have him around. He wants to do the P90X workouts with me, so I think what that means is I'm going to restart at Week 5, day 1. I was only on Week 6, day 3, so it's not going to set me back too far.
I have to tell you it was weird having someone else in the house working out with me...fun, but weird. I love that he groaned when we had to do one armed push-ups and clap push-ups! Woot-woot! Ab Ripper X was tough as usual, but I wanted to impress my hubby so I did a little more and went a little higher. Felt good! In fact, it made me realize that I've been holding back on some of my moves.
Another thing I was able to do was take my 30day photos. I've been trying to attach them for the past 10 minutes. Forget it! I don't know why they aren't uploading. My results are very noticeable! I need to print them out so I can hang them up for added motivation.
Food today was good!
Breakfast - eggs, diced potatoes (steamed), 1 oz cheese
Lunch - Feta salad, veggie soup, 1 piece of toast
Snack - celery with peanut butter and raisins (shared with my 2 year old)
Dinner - Salmon, asparagus
Snack - Recovery drink, luna bar, apple

P90X, Wk 6, Day 2

I missed yesterday because my Sister came over and helped me out with a little project. She didn't leave until 9pm, so I just headed to bed. Tonight I felt lazy and didn't want to workout, but I'm not sure how the next couple of days are going to go, so I just pushed play. It was Plyo tonight. Love this workout!!
Food today was good...sort of.
Breakfast - I accidentally skipped this one. Kids and I slept in until almost 9am. I had coffee and creamer.
Lunch - Feta salad and tomato parmesan soup
Snack - celery with peanut butter and golden raisins; handful of candy corn
Dinner - 5 fish sticks, mac 'n cheese, steamed cauliflower. I know it sounds weird, but I was cleaning out the fridge.
Snack after workout - Luna bar and recovery drink. Sometimes I think I workout just so I can eat this late night snack!

P90X, Week 6

YEAH BABY! I'm in Week 6! And I am LOVING the chest, shoulders, and triceps workout. It makes me feel so strong and my arms are feeling it by mid-set. My big problem tonight was my left thigh kept cramping up on me. It bugged me during Ab Ripper X too.
Food, oh how I hate thee. Okay, I obviously love it a bit too much because it causes such heartache. Tonight as I was drenched and grunting through all my push-ups I was really regretting the handful of candy corn, the serving of thin mints...why do I put this crap in my house?! I know it's that time of year, but it's only going to get harder with all the big feasts coming up and cookie season quickly approaching.
When I was working out with the trainer and doing really good with my weight, I still ate bad. It's just that I was working out 3 times a day so I was bound to lose weight. I think it's time to step back and focus on nutrition...and not just say that I will. Maybe it's time to try something silly - like notes on doors and such. Who knows it might just work for me.

P90X, Wk 5, day 6

I took my rest day yesterday since I spent the day chasing my kiddos around the aquarium. I went to bed at 930pm, the baby didn't wake up until 6am and then went right back to bed; the sun woke me up at 8am. I felt so rested today!!
I did Kenpo X tonight and the Ab Ripper X that I missed on Friday. It was a good workout - isn't much more to say that I haven't already said about this workout. Fun, fast-paced, and drenched afterwards. It would've been a great day if my Redskins wouldn't have totally embarrassed themselves. LOL!

Running Update

I'm not running anymore. I went to the doctor and he told me to take the next 4 to 6 weeks off. He said with time off and Ibuprofen it should heal nicely and not bother me anymore. If I decide to keep running it will probably be a constant problem for me. He said I should run without the jogging stroller - easier said then done. He isn't my normal doctor, so I will probably go back after I start jogging again (probably January time frame depending on how the Holiday's go) and see my normal doctor...get a second opinion. For now I'll take a breather, wear my new sneakers with insoles, and just see how it goes. I'm already starting to notice a difference with just not running for a week. For some reason Yoga makes it hurt more too...it's probably because we don't wear shoes. I might have to take a break from Yoga for awhile too - darn! :)

P90X, Wk 5, day 5

Legs and Back. Normally I love this day, but tonight I wasn't feeling it. I almost took a break from working out. The baby was up and down a lot last night so I didn't get a lot of sleep, but I put the DVD in and "pushed play" anyway. My heart really wasn't in it though - I felt like a 200 lb person, oh wait, I am a 200 lb person. LOL Anyway, I just felt really heavy tonight. I'm not sure why, probably just overly tired. I skipped Ab Ripper X, I'll do it with Kenpo tomorrow.
Food today was not so great. You can tell the days I don't do well, I usually just don't even mention it in my blog. Hmmm. It was nice and cold here today so I had tuna melts and tomato Parmesan soup for lunch - YUM! I made chicken enchiladas for dinner (put them in the crockpot so the whole house just smelled yummy today). My problem lately has been the candy corn jar sitting on the counter. It's time to hide the damn thing. My hubby said, please buy candy corn for me so that when I come home I can have some. Now, why, oh why, did I bother dumping it into a jar?! As if I have that much self-control!

Yoga X

Hmmm...I still don't like Yoga X, but it was a tad easier with the Yoga Blocks (a worthy $5 investment). Also for the first time since doing Yoga X I was actually able to clear my mind and just focus on the breathing. I didn't keep telling myself how much I hate this and I can't do that move, I just did them. Although I still sat back in awe as they did the plough to shoulder pose. No matter how hard I try I can not heave my body up into that position...hopefully by 90 days I will. Namaste my friends.

P90X, Wk 5, Day 3

Today was Back and Biceps followed by Ab Ripper X. Great workout! Lots of pull-ups. I tried to do one without the chair and I actually got about half-way up - HUGE accomplishment for me! Just like on day 1 of this week (with all the crazy new pushups) this one had some crazy new pull-ups! We did one where you held a towel in one hand and the bar in the other, did 3 and then switched hands, repeat other side...called towel pull-ups. LOL. The other crazy one was called corn cob pull-ups...yep, really crazy - slide to the left, slide to the ride, slide to the center, basically do a push-up, drop down, pull-up, slide to the left...  so crazy! But they were actually kind of fun. Ab ripper X was tough tonight - my body just felt really heavy.
Tomorrow is Yoga. I bought Yoga Blocks, so we'll see if it goes any better. It's been two weeks since I've done Yoga, so maybe it's gotten better?!

P90X, Wk 5, Day 2

Well tonight was a familiar workout, Plyo, but that didn't make it any easier. I was thinking while I was doing the routine (probably not such a good thing), but it seems harder, and I think that's because the first time you're just kind of following along, but watching because you don't know what you're doing. Then with each week you get a little stronger, so you do a little more. Tonight was tough because I was hanging with them! I was keeping up - woot!woot! That's a good feeling!
Tomorrow is weigh-in day! Fingers crossed that my little mini-break helped me. Oh, and little man slept until 4am so he almost slept the whole night (so much better then 1 or 2am)...sleep feels good!!

Staying Strong, P90X Wk 5, Day 1

I took a mini-break last week...and boy did it feel good to workout tonight! I missed 4 workout days last week, but I still managed to run 7 miles and complete 1 Kenpo and 2 Core Synergistics, so I guess that's not so bad.
Week 5, day 1. This workout was NO JOKE! Wow! Holy push-ups...from regular, to one armed, to clap push-ups...they were all there and then some. My arms are on fire! That was probably the best workout set I've done in this program - LOVED IT!
Ab Ripper X was part of the routine tonight and I have to say that I've improved tremendously since week 1. I'm doing at least 15 of every exercise and 20 to 25 of most of them. Woot-woot!!
I don't want to talk about my food today...terrible, terrible, terrible...okay well, maybe not that bad, I did have oatmeal for breakfast and fish for lunch, but dinner was bad...4 pieces of pizza. UGH! Ah well. The recovery drink sure tasted good after that tough workout.
Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, oh, and fingers crossed the baby sleeps through the night!

Thinking it through

I didn't workout tonight. I just didn't have the heart to do it. I feel like someone has come along and let all the air out of my motivation bag. I could blame it on my period this week, but I that doesn't seem really fair. Maybe I'm trying to do too much with P90X, running, and changing all my eating habits; and then I saw my measurements and I just don't know. Motivation has been zapped. It doesn't seem to matter how many motivational posters or quotes I read either...they're just pissing me off right now.
My sister gave me a book by Tosca Reno that I thought I would find inspirational and motivating. I'm interested in doing the eat clean "diet" but for some reason instead of inspiring me the book made me feel kind of sad. I really enjoy working out. I like the way it makes me feel both during and after the workouts, but I can honestly say that I never thought I'd be in my late 40's and 50's going to the gym and lifting weights or even still struggling with weight issues by that age. That's not how I see myself, or at least I didn't think it was. That is who Tosca Reno is. She didn't change her life until her 40's. That's when she started lifting and eating clean, and she's in the best shape of her life. She looks amazing, so it should be inspirational - right?!  So why am I so depressed about it?!
Maybe it's the way I was raised. My family just doesn't work out. My Dad worked hard in the fields all day and Mom worked hard chasing the 3 of us around all day. Healthy lifestyles just weren't apart of who we were, so I guess it makes sense that I never saw myself working out at a certain age. Maybe that's also why I'm so drawn to the fitness lifestyles.
I find my father-in-law inspirational. When his wife passed he turned his life around. He started eating healthier (even when everyone gave him crap about those shakes he was always making) and became very active with riding his bike, and he started going to the gym again (him and Chris used to do funny little challenges). It was amazing watching him transform his body.
How can people older then me (I'm only 34) find the motivation and drive to change their lives and yet I still struggle with it? I've always struggled with it...does that mean I always will??
I think fitness is important, and so does my husband. I know it will always be a part of our lives. I guess I just never truly thought about being older and still having to worry about the way I look. Or maybe as we get older we stop worrying about how we look at start thinking of it more as how do we live longer? I want to be around for my kids. I want to see them grow old and have their own children. But does all that really rely on my being able to do P90X yoga?!
I don't know, maybe it wasn't the book or the running or the P90X stuff, maybe I'm just in a sort of funk right now. I'm sure it has lots to do with Chris being deployed and being home alone with 2 little ones 24/7. I only get a few precious hours to myself at the end of the day when the kiddos go to bed, so choosing to "press play" every night can become very taxing.
I guess it's time to dig deep and figure out why I'm really doing all of this. Is it for my kids? Is it so that I can finally wear a pair of shorts and not feel like I'm grossing everyone out? Maybe I just need to think about what I really, truly want and my motivation will come back.

Measurements

A fellow blogger posted the above chart for healthy weight. Let's see I'm 5'6 (sometimes 5'5, but we'll go with 5'6 since the numbers are higher)...yep still overweight, but am I actually still considered obese? Hmmm...
Here are my starting stats from 4 weeks ago followed by current:
Weight: 193 / 185
Chest - 41" / 35"
Waist - 41" / 38"
Hips - 44 1/2" / 43"
Rt Thigh - 30 1/2" / 30"
Lt Thigh - 30 1/2" / 30"
Rt Arm - 15 1/2" / 15"
Lt Arm - 15 1/2" / 15 1/2"
Hmmm...I guess that's not bad. I really thought that my thighs were getting smaller, but only 1/2"....hmmm. I wonder if I taped at different spots? I don't know. I'm going to keep on pushing play, try a little harder on my food, and we'll see what happens.

P90X, Wk 4, day 5

I was feeling pretty crappy yesterday. We had our weekly weigh-in and my scale said I gained a pound. Yes, I know, only 1 pound, but I've been doing really well with my eating and my workouts, the scale should NOT be going in the opposite direction. So, needless to say, I had a crappy day and couldn't find my motivation to workout last night - exactly the opposite of what I should do when the scale goes up.
Tonight I pulled it back together. Shannon and I were going to run but then she had to cancel, so instead of mope around the house, I loaded up the kiddos and went for a jog. It was so darn windy outside today. I decided to try and run a mile again and this time I got 4 minutes in and just lost all my energy. I could not push any further. The wind was coming right at me and as I was pushing forward it literally felt like the stroller was rolling backwards. I was going faster walking. So I walked for about 30 seconds and then started running again. Then I had to stop again because Katelynn threw her shoes on the ground (of course I ran over them with the stroller and then tripped over them). I picked up her shoes and then kept on jogging. I finished right under 11 minutes, so I guess that's not bad seeing as how I did it in 1045 the other day without stopping. I kept jogging/walking for 2 more miles, so I actually jogged for about 2 1/2 miles today. I had to stop about 1/2 mile early because I just couldn't push the stroller any longer...that and Katelynn wouldn't stop screaming to walk (she loves walking around the field with us, well in tonight's case, me). She got quite a surprise tonight too because they did Colors right before we got to the car...and not only was she surprised but so was Mommy because they actually shot off a canon. I jumped, she jumped, and Denver kept right on sleeping - LOL.
Tonight was supposed to be Stretch X since I didn't do anything yesterday, but I read through what the stretches were and decided to skip it (I might do it on the rest day this week). I did Core Synergistics again. I swear anytime Drea Webber (spelling) is in the video - look out! Great workout. 
Food today was okay. I really need to cut back on my coffee though.
Breakfast - egg, soy sausage wrap; coffee
Lunch - Tomato Parm/Basil soup with 1/2 cup jasmine rice
Snack - coffee and the last 2 banana muffins
Dinner - Cheese Tortellini with diced tomatoes and a bag of steamed brussel sprouts with craisins; 1 mini peppermint patty
Snack - recovery drink, Luna bar

P90X, Wk 4, Day 3

Kenpo X. What more is there to really say?! I'm in week 4, this is the 4th time I've done the routine and I still like it. All those kicks and punches make me feel energized! I did my run with Shannon tonight too. I got there early so I thought I'd run a mile....LOL, I have no idea what I was thinking, but anyway, I ran one entire lap = 1 mile in 10:45. Wow, I'm pretty slow, but I guess that's not so bad for pushing a double jogging stroller with a 30lb kid and a 20lb kid and being half drug by my 45lb husky; that and it's been almost 20 months since I actually ran a mile without stopping (minor little break for having a baby). When Shannon got there we did our normal run for 3min/walk 2 min. We repeated 3 times. We only did 2 miles together tonight since the kiddos were acting up.
Back to P90X, I will have to switch the week up a little bit due to my bookclub meeting on Thursday, so tomorrow I'll do the Core Synergistics. The rest of my week should be good. I'll take my rest day on Thursday, Friday will be Yoga X, Saturday I'll do the Stretch X, and then Sunday will be the start of Week 5!
My sister is coming over on Thursday to watch the kiddos so I'll have her take some 30 day photos for me and I'll tape myself to see how "well" I'm doing. I feel great and I have been losing weight, so we'll see how the photos look and what the tape says.
Food today was okay. I felt hungry this afternoon so I ate more then I have been lately.
Breakfast - oatmeal with almonds and craisins; coffee
Snack - 1 oz turkey jerky, string cheese
Lunch - 3 oz Talipia, brussel sprouts, 1/2 cup jasmine rice
Snack - 2 banana muffins, coffee, and then about an hour later 1 oz of Almond nut mix
Dinner - Turkey burger with a 100 calorie pack of guacamole, 1/2 oz cheese, lettuce, on sugar free bread and 1 serving of these very yummy sweet potato nugget things
Snack - Luna bar and recovery drink

P90X Wk 4, Day 2

I'm all about the images today. I can't help it, I just keep finding great motivational pictures that help keep me focused.
P90X - I have to say that I was super excited to be doing a "new" workout on P90X today. Core Synergistics...really it was like Pilates. Great workout, and super tough.This is the first time since starting P90X that I did not do the bonus sets though. I was wore out - sweating all over the place and my abs were sore. At least I knew it was working! I like this one - 100x's better then Yoga!
I also tried the chocolate Shakeology today, and I really don't get what all the hype is about. I thought it was okay. It wasn't the best, but it was certainly better then the Greenberry. I didn't want to hate it so I made sure that it would be as yummy as possible - I mixed it with peanut butter and banana.
I did pretty decent on my eating today too:
Breakfast - 3 eggs, 2 soy sausages, coffee
Snack - 1oz turkey sausage, string cheese
Lunch - large salad with chicken
Snack - banana muffin, coffee (seriously I'm addicted to coffee)
Dinner - Shakeology
Snack - recovery drink, Luna bar

Running Update

It looks so peaceful in this image - I love it! I met Shannon today and we did our normal 2 mile run. Today we did jog for 4 min/walk 2 min and we repeated 3 times. I probably shouldn't say that we jog 2 miles, we jog until we're too tired to jog more and then we walk. We always do 3 miles total.
I told Shannon today that I wear running clothes because I'm hoping it will make me feel more like a runner and therefore be better at it! LOL...make sense right?!
We are signed up for our "first" 5K next Saturday, and we are going to do it in costume!! It's going to be so much fun. I can't wait! Yes, running, fun!
Here is one more photo that I stumbled across on Pinterest - a too addicting website.

Week 4 - RECOVERY

I'm excited to be in week 4, but not so excited to have to do Yoga twice this week. Good news, I did it tonight so only 1 more time to go! I know you're supposed to be serious in Yoga but seeing Tony in those tight "girlie" pants just makes me laugh every time, and the "oooommmmmssssss" at the end crack me up. I'm no where closer to being able to do the Crane or the Plough into Shoulder Pose, but I am getting stronger and holding poses longer. I'm much better at the balance poses then the actual Yoga.
Tonight was the first time I got to do Yoga with an actual mat, and I think it helped. Although my hands were still sliding all over the place in the downward dogs, so I laid a small towel down for my hands and I had no more problems.
Food today was okay, better then yesterday, but still not great...
Breakfast - 2 waffles (made from a box of Heart Healthy Kruteaz and using applesauce instead of oil) with honey and apples and cinnamon, coffee
Lunch - last piece of chicken stuffed with feta, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, water
Snack - coffee, homemade banana muffins
Dinner - Turkey burger with 2 pieces turkey bacon on sugar free bread, water
Snack - Recovery drink, Luna bar

P90X, Wk 3, Day 6

Aw, Kenpo, how I love thee! Nothing like an hour of punch throwing and kicking to get my mind focused. It's a great workout (minus some of the Yoga stretches at the beginning, and yes, I do seriously hate Yoga that much).
I had a great day today - spent it at a pumpkin farm with family and friends so I was literally on my feet all day (minus the hay ride). I thought I was exhausted when I put the kids down, but told myself it was only Kenpo and that's not so bad...and it wasn't. I feel great now. Just finished sipping my recovery drink and eating my Luna bar.
I won't go into my food otherwise because it was pretty bad today. Tomorrow I'll take the kiddos grocery shopping and get back on track for Week 4, Day 1!! Do your best, and forget the rest!

P90X, Week 3, Day 5

I spent Wed and Thurs this week feeling just awful - my throat hurt, my body ached. There's nothing like being sick when the hubby is deployed. Needless to say I didn't get any workouts in. I decided to skip Yoga. I figured since I missed 2 days I'd rather do a lifting routine then a "cardio"...that and I really don't like Yoga, so I'm not complaining that I missed it. I'll get it in next week...in fact during Week 4, I get to do Yoga not once, but TWICE! I'll do Kenpo tomorrow and then Sunday jump right into Week 4. No point in taking a rest day when I just had 2 of them.
I'm still having lots of issues with my left heel. I'm going to break down and call the doctor on Monday to set up an appointment. I went to a running shoe specialty store today (Chris - it was by the hospital Denver was born at). The lady was very helpful, of course she did sell me her most expensive Saucony shoe, but it also had the most support out of any of them, and they felt like I was walking on pillows. I put them on and there was a huge difference. They are also half a size bigger then what I was wearing. My heel still hurt, but honestly just putting on a new shoe probably isn't going to "cure" an injury.
It literally stopped raining and the sun came out when I got home, so I put my new shoes on and took them for a "test drive." It was good. The shoes fit my feet very well. My only complaint was that my right foot felt tingly when I ran?? I don't know what that means. Oh, and I did buy inserts for a little extra cushion and so that I can put them in my other shoes.
Food today was okay.
Breakfast - 2 vitatops, coffee
Lunch - leftover feta/spinach/sun-dried tomato stuffed chicken
Dinner - Fuji Apple Chicken Salad from Panera, Iced Green Tea, 1 pumpkin cookie (that I had to fight my 2 year old for)
Snack after workout - Recovery drink, Luna bar
Did I really only eat one snack today?! WOW!

Weigh-in Wednesday

I'm part of a group on Facebook where they do a weekly weigh-in and basically just motivate you through your weight loss journey. Today is the weigh-in. I had to step on and off of my scale a few times to make sure it was right because up until now I've lost 1 pound per week. Today I was down FIVE pounds!!!!!!! YEAH ME!!! I just know I'm going to be grinning all day...oh, wait, I have yoga tonight...aw well, I'm still going to be grinning all day! :D

P90X, Wk 3, day 3

Shoulders and arms is not my favorite weight lifting routine, but I think it's only because my weights are not heavy enough. I use 5 lb dumbbells. I think they are great for the triceps exercises, but I really do need to invest in 8 and 10 lbs. I was going to buy some at Dick's last weekend but the 8's were $12.99 - A PIECE! I did break down and purchase a yoga mat though - I get to try it out tomorrow night. It's been working great for ab exercises.
Today is the first day that I've been truly sore too. I'm not sure if it's because I pushed harder this week or if it's because I've been running more or if it's because of the recovery drink. My first thought is the recovery drink. For the first two weeks I drank chocolate milk afterwards and felt great the next day, now this week I've been drinking the recovery drink and I can't sleep at night and my body hurts. I'm thinking it might be the drink...it really could just be a combination of it all. I don't know. I'm not really sure what to do.
I REALLY enjoy the P90X workout, and I have a feeling that eventually when I try turbofire and Insanity that I'm going to really like them as well, but honestly I'm not a fan of the beachbody products. My "coach" keeps telling me to be a coach, but honestly I don't think that I could sell a product that I don't use or like.
I will definitely be hyping up P90X though - I'm loving this workout (minus Yoga, and even that is starting to become enjoyable...um, maybe I should wait until tomorrow to say that?!).
Food today was decent.
Breakfast - english muffin with peanut butter and Mom's spiced pear jelly; apple
Snack - vitatop
Lunch - chef salad
Snack - 1 serving of Nut-rition digestion nuts mix (my fave because of the mix - Almonds, cranberries, granola, pistachio, cherries); Ummmm...Starbucks Grande Caramel Soy Latte too :)
Dinner - fish (baked in the oven in olive oil and McCormick Baja Citrus seasoning) and a steam packet from Green Giant (potatoes, green beans, peppers)
Snack - recovery drink and TLC bar
I did my 2 mile run with Shannon tonight, came home and put the kiddos to bed, started P90X, and by the time I started Ab Ripper my stomach was growling - loudly. I ate my granola bar before even heading upstairs to shower. That can't be good...maybe not enough protein today?

P90X, Wk 3, day 2

Woo-hoo Plyo! Every week I get excited for Plyo and then it starts and I remember how tough it really is. Half way through my energy starts waning and my thighs are burning, and then suddenly we're doing gap jumps and my  mind is like "weee-eeee." Then I find my energy again and always finish strong.
I thought it was funny though because when I started sweating I smelled the recovery drink - OMG that stuff is seeping out of my pores - HA! I find it hilarious that Tony struts around in this video - he's like a runway model. He, he.
Nutrition today was okay.
Breakfast - 2 vitatops (100 cal each), coffee
Snack - jerkey and string cheese; banana
Lunch - last of the tomato basil soup (it's Pregresso and I really like it!) and mac and cheese
Snack - hummus and pita chips (that I literally have to fight my 2 year old over)
Dinner - large spinach salad with feta, black olives, tomato, cucumber, shredded chicken
Snack - TLC granola bar and recovery drink
Water - not enough (maybe 32 oz)

P90X, Week 3, day 1

Yep, that's right! I'm on Week 3!!! Yea Me!!!! I'm so proud of myself for sticking with it. I told myself I'm not going to measure myself except for at the 30 day mark (I'll take photos then too), so I can't say for sure that I've lost inches, but since our clothes can be a great motivator - I dropped a jean size!!! Yea Me!!!
Shannon and I did our 2 mile run tonight - we really pushed hard those first two sets. It was a great run tonight! Tonight's P90X workout was Day 1 again, so chest and back. What that meant was lots of push-ups and pull-ups. I'm doing well. Each time I do a few more off my knees, so that's always good. I'm also doing a few more pull-ups! Yea!!
The area I'm seeing the most improvement is my sit-ups. I didn't make my goal of 3 exercises at 25, BUT I was able to increase each exercise.
My food today was good.
B-fast - english muffin, 2 soy sausage patties, 1 slice cheese; banana
Snack - jerky and string cheese
Lunch - Tomato Basil Soup with some mac and cheese added
Dinner - grilled chicken and brussel sprouts (drizzled in rasp. vingerette dressing and cranberries).
Snack - Kashi TLC granola bar and recovery drink
My food choices are improving. I'm not perfect, but a lot better then where I was a few weeks ago.

P90X Update

Okay I was having all kinds of problems with my computer here lately. No internet connection for almost 2 days. So here is my update on P90X. I took Thursday off because my Sister and I spent the evening decorating the rest of the outside of my house for Halloween, then had some girl bonding time when the kiddos went to bed. Friday my friend Shannon and I did our 2 mile run and then I came home and did Day 6, Kenpo. It was great. I like Kenpo...I think it's my favorite X cardio.
I also tried the recovery drink on Friday. I liked it. It smells wonderful when you open the jug. It tastes...okay. I mixed it with water. I liked the first half of the drink, but then the last half was kind of tough to swallow. I really thought it was sweet. It had a total of 26 grams of sugar in 12 ounces. I will keep drinking it though because it did seem to help.
I probably should have worked out last night, but I took a day of rest. It's what my body told me I needed. I spent Saturday with my Sister and kids - we did a fall festival place and some shopping. I was really tired when I got home, so I didn't even turn the computer on (not like it was working anyway). I put the kiddos to bed, read for about an hour, and was asleep by 9. Little guy didn't wake up until 6am, and then he went back to sleep. We all got up around 8. I feel so refreshed this morning! I'm hoping to get a jog in and it's day 1 of week 3 - Chest and Back with Ab Ripper X. Bring it!!

P90X, Week 2, Day 5

I heard the following lyrics on the radio today and thought that they really apply to this whole P90X thing, "even on my weakest day, I get a little bit stronger." What a great line!
I met my friend Shannon this evening at 6pm and we did our 2 mile jog, then I came home and got the kiddos to bed, and then came downstairs and ho-hummed around, and eventually just pushed play. Sometimes I feel like a walking advertisement for the P90X workouts, but really the things Tony says stick with you and really do work.
I thought it was funny that I was so excited to be doing legs today because I forgot that it included back. HA! Had to run and breakout the pull-up bar and chair. I really like this routine. I do great on the legs and struggle, struggle, struggle on those pull-ups. I like using the chair though...it really does make a difference on how I feel about the workout. Everyone is motivated by different things.
My eating was not so well today. I like food. I struggle with this whole cutting back on calories. I know how important it is, but when faced with choices I rarely make the right one where food is concerned. I had a repeat of the soy sausage muffin for breakfast (I like those! They'll be a new staple for me). For lunch I met my brother and we had Mexican (my absolute favorite type of food). I ordered a chicken burrito, BUT I only drank water! That counts for something right? I followed this with Starbucks. Um...this has got to be my biggest weakness - COFFEE!! I love, love, love coffee and would be in so much trouble if I worked in a coffee shop. I had a nonfat Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte (my fave until snow arrives then I like Peppermint Mochas). I can't order a tall. I've tried. It only makes me mad. While in Starbucks I happened to look at the bakery case - NEVER DO THIS! I bought a pumpkin muffin. Um...YUM! Dinner was a Boca burger and carrots. After my workout I had a Luna bar (LOVE these!) and chocolate milk. That was my day.
I lost a pound this week! I'm just happy that the numbers are finally going down and not staying put. I'll take a pound a week! I know I could do better if I switched up my eating habits. I normally avoid Starbucks, but when I'm out and about I like to grab a cup.
I'll try to start fresh tomorrow. Looking ahead I'll probably have to do my rest day tomorrow since my Sister is coming over for our weekly movie night! She's on a no carb diet so I normally eat really well with her!

P90X, Week 2, Day 4

Surprise! Yoga was not any easier this week then last. I woke up dreading the fact that I had to do Yoga today. I'm not sure why, but it is not my favorite workout. I do like that I'm drenched by the time the Yoga session is over...I must be doing something right. The Crane and the Plough into shoulder thing still killed me. I at least got into the Crain (with toes on the ground), but I couldn't get into the Plough. That is so going to be my goal for next week!!
I followed the P90X nutrition plan today. Breakfast was delicious! I was really hungry this afternoon though, but didn't eat anything - went for coffee instead. I probably should've just ate an apple. For some reason the plan didn't have any fruit in it? I'm going to stick with the plan for the rest of the week and see how I feel. I'll give anything a try!
Legs is my favorite workout so I'm looking forward to tomorrow - BRING IT!

P90X, Week 2, day 3

Tonight was tough for me. I almost didn't get my workout in. I didn't start until 845pm, so it's now almost 1030...I normally like to be getting into bed by now, so fingers-crossed that the kiddos both have a good night sleep. I spent about an hour and a half at the grocery store tonight. I bought a lot of things I've never bought before and it took me some time to find a lot of it. The one thing I wanted and couldn't find was Quinoa...I looked all over the rice aisle. I wanted to try a fellow blogger's recipe, so I might have to make a special trip to Whole Foods. Although that would probably take me all day since I've never been in one before. LOL.
I sat down with the P90X nutrition plan today and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. I thought it would be in "greek" and that I wouldn't be able to do it, but I actually had a good bit of it already. I'm going to start it off fresh tomorrow! I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
As for the workout, tonight was shoulders and arms. I know this workout is supposed to be a lot harder...I mean aren't you supposed to at least pause when he says bonus round?! I seriously need to go and buy heavier weights. Right now I'm using 5 lbs and I'm maxing out every exercise. The girl in the video uses 10 lb dumbbells most of the time. I think I'll buy a set of 8's and 10's and see how I feel.
The killer is always the Ab Ripper X. I'm getting better at some of the exercises, and on some it feels like I'm getting worse! If that's even possible?!
My beachbody coach brought me a free sample of greenberry Shakeology today. I've never heard of greenberry, so I'm open to any suggestions on how to make a good shake with it. I ordered the recovery drink (I don't remember if I said that yesterday or not), but it shipped today and the notice said I'd have it by Monday. I'll be part way into week 3.
Tomorrow is Yoga. Hmmm...not sure how I feel about that one yet. It definitely isn't my favorite workout.

P90X, Week 2, day 2

Holy-Plyo! Tonight was tough. I don't remember it being this hard last week. I didn't have the energy or focus when it started and had an internal battle about turning it off, but after the first round I relaxed and really started to enjoy it. I just "did my best, and forgot the rest." I feel so much better for actually completing the workout. It was tough, but isn't that what this is all about? Getting out there and changing old habits. Old habits are what got me here in the first place.

Today, for me, really was all about internal battles. I had some serious cravings this evening for pizza. Football was on, it was cold out, I was feeling lazy and just didn't want to cook - even though I'd put chicken in the fridge to thaw. I did some digging around in the cupboard and told myself I can do better then take-out and the calories I would have to deal with from it. I rubbed the chicken in a spicy chipolte mix, grilled it on my foreman (I'm 100 times better at chicken then salmon!!!), put rice on the stove, threw veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms) into a skillet with some olive oil, then piled it all into a low fat, low carb tortilla. It was so yummy I wanted 2 (but only ate 1). Of course as I was eating it I thought it would've been better if I'd grilled the tortilla too - now that I'm not so good at, my hubby is a pro at it though, but he's not here right now.
Tomorrow is shoulders and arms and it should be interesting...my back is a little tight from yesterday still. Hopefully by tomorrow night I'll be feeling better. I went ahead and ordered the recovery drink mix today. It should be here by week 3. They offer a 30 day money back guarantee, so why not.
Tomorrow I'm going to focus on getting my head straight and "bringing it!"

P90X, Week 2, day 1

Woo-hoo!!! I'm still doing P90X and still just as motivated as day1 - sort of. I tried to talk myself out of it tonight. I kept saying, "I'm tired, I just don't think I can do it tonight." But you know what? I did!! I put the DVD in and pushed play, and the rest is history. I have to say that I feel 100 times better for doing it too. I'm so proud of me right now.
I implemented some changes today. First, I did pull-ups using the bar with a chair. Man, oh man, were they tough! My average was about 8. I did the best on the reverse grip ones. I thought it was funny because I finally found a spot to put my husband's pull-up bar - in the closet doorway...I kept getting my hair caught on the clothes rack. LOL.
My neck is feeling a little sore though so I must've been straining a little too much to pull-up. I should probably try and use my foot a little more to prevent that, or it could be from my push-ups. I might not be holding my neck right. I don't know.
My second change, I did push-ups off my knees (not all of them, but a good many of them). I didn't make that a goal for this week, but figured I'd give it a try. I did as many as I could and then I switched to knees. I felt the diamond push-ups a lot more on my knees since I was able to get further down. My WORST push-ups by far are the decline. I can barely do 3 of them. UGH! I used to do them on a stability ball, boy have I come a long way (in the opposite direction).

I was told that the Ab Ripper X is at the end of the video, and, yep, it was! I had turned it off too soon last week. The ab routine was tough tonight! After sucking your gut in for all those push-ups, then trying to do some of those moves, I actually did a little worse on some of them then last week.
I do know that I'll be sore tomorrow. My neck is sore and even my forearms are feeling a bit stiff, so I just know I'll wake up sore tomorrow. What a great workout!!
I don't even want to go into my eating today. It's my birthday!! No, I didn't have any cake. I didn't eat anything terrible either, it's just what I had was terrible. I decided to do salmon for dinner, so I put it in the fridge to thaw earlier today. Well it was still frozen, so I put it on quick defrost in the microwave and it practically cooked it. Now, I never make fish. I usually have it when my sister comes over or when my husband is home because they make it. So, needless to say, putting it on the Foreman grill after defrosting was a bad idea. It tasted like rubber. Dogs liked it though.
Looking forward to Week 2, day 2 tomorrow! Bring it!!

P90X Week 2 Goals

I'm thinking that maybe I should set some goals for week 2.
Goal #1 - I'm going to attempt pull-ups! I was told to try the chair, so I'm going to. It can't hurt any, and maybe I won't feel like such a failure for sitting on the floor using bands. I just have to find a way to bring the hubby's pull-up bar downstairs and find a chair. Otherwise I'll be pausing the tape and running upstairs every few minutes.
Goal #2 - Do 25 reps of 3 Ab Ripper X exercises! Right now I can do 25 of 2 sets, I'll aim for one more set next week. I'm still getting ab cramps, so I have to stop and stretch during the routine. I hate that...two pregnancies have really weakened my ab muscles.
Goal #3 - Order Recovery Drink Mix. I've heard nothing but good things about it, so I'm going to order it this weekend.
Goal #4 - Work on getting the food portion down. It's confusing to me, so I'm going to spend my evening tomorrow making out a menu for the week.
Try your best, and forget the rest!

P90X, Day 6 - KENPO X!!

I'm going to look forward to Kenpo X every week that I get to do it. I loved, loved, loved it!!! What a great, fun workout. Reminds me a lot of kickboxing classes. I wanted more! Wish it was 90 minutes like Yoga.
Since I missed the Ab Ripper X on Day 5, I added it tonight. I did better. There are only 2 exercises that I can do all 25 on - Pulse-ups and the leg climbs. My worst one is the V-up/Roll-up. That one is a killer.
I don't know what it is about P90X, but I feel like Superwoman! I know I've said that before, but there is something about finishing one of these workouts that just puts a huge smile on my face. I LOVE IT!
Tomorrow is my rest day. I missed yesterday, but I'm still going to rest tomorrow. I'm headed out of town for the day and I'm not sure I'll make it back, so I'll keep it a rest day. Week 2 starts on Saturday!
Bring it!!

Running

No P90X tonight. It's 915pm and I'm just getting done with things for the day. I'll call today my rest day and get back into it tomorrow night...I was wondering how long I'd be able to go before a night like tonight happened. Not a bad string of days though!
I went for a run this afternoon. The skies cleared and the sun came out, so I grabbed the kiddos and off we went. It was a good run. I did 2 miles in 25 minutes and then I walked the last mile in 25 minutes! HA! I let Katelynn out of the double jogging stroller so we walked it at her pace - does that burn more or less calories?! LOL.
Now my foot is sore again though. I really do think it's from the double jogging stroller and the extra weight it requires me to push. I believe that I have plantar fascitis. When I read up on it it sounds exactly like what I've been going through. I've never EVER had problems with my feet when running (and since I was in the military I used to do it a lot), so I really do believe it's from the jogging stroller. And even though I bought the shoes from a running store (Boulder Running Co. in CO - LOVE them!) that was 15 less pounds ago and without pushing the stroller. I'll see if the home remedies work and if not I'll have to head to a doctor. Seems like a pretty common problem with runners though.
Until tomorrow, do your best, and forget the rest!

Really?!?

CRAP! I just realized I forgot to do the Ab Ripper again. He seriously needs to add it to the end of the routine, or make it a point to say, "Don't forget Ab Ripper boys and girls." Too late now...I've already showered. I think I'll throw it in on my rest day. Shoot, shoot, shoot.
Seriously though, what's happening to my memory?! LOL

Day 5, P90X

I saw the most perfect quote on Facebook today, "Oh, I know I'll improve. It's just that my life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes now. That's a sentence I read once, and I say it over to comfort myself in these times that try the soul." - Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables. It seems so fitting most days!
Today was legs and back, oh my! I loved, loved, loved the leg portion of this routine. I kept up with all of them and really felt the burn on some. I was not so thrilled with the back portion - I can't do a single pull-up, so I was sitting on the floor with my band attached to the door doing arm pulls. I hate doing it that way. It makes me feel like a failure. I know we all have to start somewhere though, I just feel silly. When I was working out with a trainer I would do pull-ups with the bar at my hip level and my feet extended out (kind of like an upside down push-up). I was getting good at them too and I know I was close to being able to actually do one (before I got prego with baby #2). I wish there was a way to have one of those bars here instead of my husband's bar that taunts me every time I walk past it. Darn thing!
I almost didn't do P90X tonight. I think my little guy is teething. It took me forever to get him to go to sleep and I was so tired, but I put it in and pushed play anyway. I'm so glad I did. I don't know what it is about these workouts - they make me feel like superwoman! Maybe it's the whole, "I'm doing P90X" thing. I don't know, but I like it!
I've been hearing more and more about the recovery drinks so I'm going to do some research on them, and if I decide to do it we get paid on Friday...just in time for week 2! Right now I have a glass of chocolate milk and an apple (sometimes a Kashi TLC granola bar) after my workouts. Yes, people, I said chocolate milk! Here is an article about it (just do a google search...there are tons of them!):
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100604/chocolate-milk-refuels-muscles-after-workout
My husband actually told me about the whole chocolate milk thing (or did I tell him?)...I don't remember anymore, but that's what he does after he lifts. I think it's working pretty well for me.
I have my weigh in with my facebook support group tomorrow! I'm hoping I dropped a pound or two this week. I feel good and like I've been eating well, but honestly I haven't tracked. I have so many other things to do then try and log into yet another website. I was keeping a journal, but it doesn't really help me other then I know WHAT I ate, and it all gets jumbled together on the pages...so annoying! So, yeah, I'm still struggling with the whole food portion. I always have, and probably always will.
So, just remember what Dr. Seuss says, "today you are you, that is truer than true, there is no one alive who is youre then you" - you can do it!

Weight-loss Competition

Okay, I promise that this is my last blog for the day. I just kept remembering stuff after I posted. LOL.
I met someone on the Beachbody website and they invited me to join their facebook group. It's a page that basically just supports each other on their journey - great concept! Well, they are doing a weight loss competition that ends on Thanksgiving. I made my goal to lose 20 pounds, but I'll be happy with 15...heck I'll be happy with any weight loss. I've been stagnate in the 195-200 range for so long now.
I think if I lose 20 then I'll celebrate with cool whip on my pumpkin pie, oh, or maybe some type of pumpkin protein shake...is there such a thing? I'll have to research it.

Running Update

I am still running. I didn't get out today though because Katelynn is still fighting her cold. She had a temp of 99.9, so I didn't want to risk taking her out. I talked to Shannon and we are going to try and run tomorrow evening which should be interesting because P90X is supposed to be legs, but technically that probably won't bother me until Wednesday's run!
I came across an article in the new Oxygen magazine that my sister gave me. They talked about Jeff Galloway (I had never heard of him) who wrote Running and Fat Burning for Women, and he's completed over 150 marathons. His biggest piece of advice for runners is to use the run/walk method. YEAH US! That's what we do. We run for 3 minutes, walk for 2 minutes and repeat as many times as we can (we've gotten up to 5). Galloway believes that the run/walk method helps to replenish a runner's energy. I couldn't agree more! I think the walk breaks really do help making running longer easier. I used to think that you had to run, run, run, but now I know better. I'm applying P90X to everything I do these days, "Do your best, and forget the rest."

Day 4 - Yoga X

When they say Yoga X, they mean X!!! HA! My goodness! I'm so glad that I waited until the kids went to bed because it really let me relax and get into the moves - which is extremely necessary with this DVD; that and the fact that it's 90+ minutes long.
You will seriously Warrior that Downward Dog right out of yourself - he, he. I think I did really well, until we hit the Crane. Um, yea. The other one I had trouble with was Plough (right? I think that's what it was called...shoulder something). I got myself up (which is truly a feat when you think about how much weight is being heaved up there), but that's it. I didn't make it into any of the other poses, but I WILL! Those two were the toughest for me, but I like a challenge!
I was "happy" when the Yoga ended, but then all the fun balance poses started. I actually liked the poses though, they were a good-kind of tough. I thought it was funny how at the very end you are in a calm, collected state of mind and then the infomercial starts yelling at you. It was too funny.
I really do like P90X so far. It seems to be just right for me. It's tough, but yet it has this "feeling" of being doable. I was thinking that maybe the best thing to do for the rest of the week is to just do the exercises when the kiddos go to bed...at least until I know what to expect. So far it's been working out. I'm day 4 of 4. Yeah me!!
Let's see what tomorrow brings. Do your best, and forget the rest!

P90X, Day 3

Feel the burn baby! HA! What a great workout. I thought, boy today should be pretty laid back with just shoulders, arms, and an ab routine (which I missed the first day). I put in disk 3 and this one is go, go, go. I was sweating up a storm even before the warm-up was done. I got a little nervous. HA!
It was awesome! I think I'm going to need bigger weights though. Although the one guy was using bands and I do have those, so maybe I'll try them next. I'll have to review what the color of the bands mean though so I don't kill myself. I have 5lb dumbbells here at the house, and they worked well. I had a burn a few times, but overall it was probably a tad too easy for me. I completed at least 15 reps on every exercise (yea, too easy...darn). I went ahead and did the Bonus Round. Loved, loved, loved the side tri-rises. I'd never heard of them before, but they'll be a new favorite.
I put in the Ab Ripper X - OMG! I was wondering where the sheet was to keep track. Well it's simple, do 25 of everything. Um, not so simple. I did take it easy so that my ab muscles wouldn't flare up...I mean seriously, am I the only person in the World who gets a charlie horse in her abs?! I did at least 10 of every exercise except for the crunchy frogs - Ouch! and the v-up/roll-up - OMFG! HA - pardon my french. Good grief those were tough. I can't wait to be able to do all 25 of them! AND I WILL DO ALL 25!!
So, day 3 of P90X and I'm loving it. I feel great and super strong! I hope this energy keeps up. I'm seriously thinking about doing the shakes and replenishing drinks. It's all so expensive...now I know why there are so many coaches (discount!).
Speaking of coaches...never heard from the one randomly assigned to me. I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed in beachbody. I'm super stoked to be doing P90X, but I feel as if the website as a whole is a bit complex. It's hard to know where to go to look for help, and it seems that everyone is a coach and every coach has different opinions (and some have no idea what they're talking about). Anyway, not sure I like the site, but I LOVE the workout!
Let's see what tomorrow brings!

P90X, Day 2 - Plyo!

Wow! Plyometrics was day 2. Cool! Plyometrics is basically jumping moves - lots of going from a squat straight into the air. I had a really busy day today, so I didn't get to do the workout until around 830 when the kiddos were in bed. If I'd known it was going to be Plyo I would've tried to do it sooner - talk about an energy rush. Chris, I think I know what your Insanity workouts are like, and, yes, you're getting an excellent workout! That PRT should be nothing when you get home. :)
My arms were a little sore today after yesterday, but nothing crazy. I moved an entire playset today and then scrubbed it down. I almost didn't workout tonight, but told myself, why not. The kiddos are being quiet and I'm sure it's just arms or something. HA!
I drank chocolate milk after my workout - my hubby told me about that one. I also ate an apple...hopefully it'll keep the munchies at bay.
Let's see what tomorrow brings. :)