Sweaty.

I hate being sweaty.. but that's slowly changing! I guess I measure my workouts by amount of sweat produced. This is week 4 of phase 1, and that means a different workout routine. Today I did Core Synergenics and it kicked my butt! Yesterday was Yoga, and of course I did not do Yoga X. Instead, I did Yoga for Health on my Netflix, and it was incredible. I have never ever liked Yoga, but this program was great and it was exactly what my body needed.

This week's workouts are: Yoga, Core, Kenpo, Stretching, Core, Yoga, Rest
I will also be going to Zumba class on Monday with a friend, so it will be Yoga & Zumba that day.

Sounds pretty easy to me. School starts next week, so this is coming at the perfect time as I adjust my schedule. I'm really happy I started this workout plan because by now it is a habit and I don't really have to force myself to do it anymore. Hopefully that habitual attitude will stick with me as I add homework and classes into the mix.

Collapse

Today was so incredibly hard. I barely made it through Legs and Back + Zumba Abs. I collapsed afterwards and was shaking for a while afterwards. This is what happened last time and I know it's from not eating or drinking enough. You'd think that since I know what the source of the problem is, I'd be able to fix it...but old habits die hard. Trying to incorporate more food and water into my day is much harder for me than it should be. I really reject the thought of eating more than I already do.

Let my experience be a lesson- while on P90X you MUST eat a lot and get tons of water or else you will collapse from exhaustion. It's not preventing me from working out, but it does make my recovery time about three times longer than it should be.

The end of week three is tomorrow, and I will be checking my measurements. I'm so nervous! P90X doesn't work the same way for women as it does for men. For a lot of people the first 30 days does not produce weight loss- it can even make your weight go up since you're gaining muscle. Phase two and three are where you see the fat melt away. The first time I did P90X I had a huge success in phase one, but this time I'm not losing. A lot of people quit after week four because they didn't see the huge results they had hoped for and do not keep going. I'm determined to get beyond week four!

Exhausted

I'm laying on the floor, panting, after finishing Ab Ripper X and Coco takes the opportunity to smother me with kisses. I make the conscious decision that I'd rather be covered in dog spit than have to get up and make my protein shake. I'm just that exhausted!

This week I upped the reps on every single workout. It's taking its toll, and I was shaking and barely making it through Shoulders and Arms today. I'm excited and nervous to weigh myself at the end of this workout week. I can't say that I lost any inches- I haven't measured, but I haven't noticed a difference in my clothes. To be quite honest, I didn't even dress up to go anywhere this week, so maybe that's why I haven't seen a difference...sweatpants aren't going to show you anything. My arm muscles are becoming visible and so are my thighs! I've had a busy week at home because I spontaneously decided to buy a hedgehog. I've been trying to get her used to me, set up a bigger cage for her, and sew her little toys to play with.

I haven't been eating or drinking enough and I'm getting dizzy spells. I had this problem the last time I attempted P90X. I just..don't like eating or drinking. I'm not the kind of person who eats when they're bored, because I get bored of eating. Nothing seems to appeal to me lately, and so I normally eat this in a day:

Breakfast- Cinnamon Oatmeal with Chia seeds
Lunch- Salad and all natural dressing, sometimes Miso soup too
Post-Workout- Protein shake
Dinner- A piece of chicken and some veggies
Snack- Popsicle
Water- 3 or 4 glasses

So... I'm getting about 900 calories. I have heard that eating less than 1200 can actually damage your weight loss  efforts because your body goes into starvation mode. This is the way I have ate my entire life- maybe I'm doing it wrong?

OW!

I finished 5 out of the 6 workouts this week. Legs and Back is so so so so painful, that I need an extra day to recover. I'm literally icing my butt- and it's not helping. I hate the legs and back workout to death.

Tomorrow I will be doing Yoga and Pilates instead of taking my rest day. I am not sleeping quite as well as I wanted to be, but I did keep the friend drama out of my mind and I even managed to meet someone who is so much like me, it's unbelievable!

I'm excited to see how much I have accomplished at the end of next week!

Revel in this Feeling

Just finished Cardio X. I hate that one. Actually.. I pretty much hate all of P90X, but you gotta do it, right? I'm proud of myself- I came home from work, didn't even give myself time to argue and makeup excuses, i just changed and worked out. My motivation today was a glass of red wine and a movie with my hunny after I finish cardio and tanning. Usually the whole postponing rewards thing doesn't work for me, but I really want that glass of wine!

The feeling I have right now is absolute soreness. It's the kind that you can feel so deep in your muscles you know you'll be feeling it for days. I love this feeling and I think I'm a failure if I don't feel it every day. I don't miss it when it's gone- but it is a blaring reminder that I'm actively doing something to change my body and my life.

Time to relax and tan. I'm having a good day :)

Week One Done!

I've been fairly successful this week. I have created some new habits, and actually Pinterest has become one hell of a bad one. I'm on there ALL the time (It's worse than fb). I'm sipping on my protein drink and thinking about what I could have done differently last week and apply it to this week. The first thing is to just do it! I conveniently distract myself whenever my workout time comes around. I'm at war with my body- I just don't know which parts are on which side.

I'm not going to weigh myself or take measurements until the end of week three because I'm just not that kind of person. I track my progress by my muscle tone, soreness, and reps. My arms are already shaping up. It's not visible, but the muscle is pretty much rock hard already. My thighs are the same. Week one is always killer because you're just getting used to the feeling of being sore. I did not do all the workouts this week, which I am very ashamed of. So...motivational quotes are going up on my computer screen and mirrors.

I've had a lot of drama in my life lately and it's taking a toll. My best friend and I had a falling out, over stupid stuff, and did not talk for over 3 months. Now we're trying to be friends again, and it's just not working. I'm really lonely and whiny right now since she is the only one of my best friends that actually lives where I do. I'm also sleeping an unbelievable amount right now (like 10+ hours a night) and I never feel rested. I don't want to sleep that much, but I just can't wake up. When I finally do wake up, I'm exhausted and tempted to fall back asleep on the couch. I'm not sure what's going on. I'm going to make it a goal to put the friend drama out of my mind for this entire week and see if that helps.

Remember my resolution about not being on the computer so much? I really need to get serious about that one.

My workout partner and I:

Essential Tools

I have been bad. Yesterday I did not do Cardio X. I have many reasons (excuses) why, but I'll spare you. So, today I am going to do both Shoulders and Arms and Cardio X AND Zumba abs. I am punishing myself, but who knows if I will learn my lesson.

Tomorrow is my birthday so I'm going to admit right now that I'll be breaking my diet a lot. I know for sure my husband will be taking me to Red Lobster and will most likely buy an ice cream cake. Tonight we might go out to the bars depending on if my best friend is going to come to town. I hate having my birthday on New Years Eve! It was only awesome last year, on my 21st bday. Living in a college town makes it so much worse- you're lucky if you can get a drink every half an hour! Sorry.. ranting.

Back to what I'm supposed to talk about.
So this is the protein I use. The ones on the left are from Vitamin World. They're chocolate and vanilla flavored. Top right is Gold Standard in Cappuccino flavor- not the tastiest. The last one is Cyto Sport in vanilla, and it's my favorite.

I do not like protein drinks by themselves. I really hate the texture if they are not properly mixed. One thing I have learned to help get the clumps out is to make the protein drink before your workout and put it in the fridge. By the time you're done the chunks have mostly deteriorated. Or just make a smoothie, like I do.

I want to address the protein drinks really quickly because I feel that many women have the wrong idea. Protein shakes will not make you bulky. Don't be afraid to buy some! I use my protein shakes as 1) a low calorie (and meatless) way to get in 25g of protein, and 2) as a recovery drink. You would not believe how much difference you will feel if you take one after your workout. You need to drink it immediately after your workout (within 30 minutes) and it will prevent soreness. Not all soreness, but it makes a dramatic difference. Also- do not think that those pre-made protein shakes you can get at drugstores is the same thing. Most of those shakes have only 9gs of protein and much, much more calories and sugar. They are not the same thing as protein powder!

I said that I make smoothies instead of drinking the protein plain. It really does not take long at all. Maybe 4 minutes and you have a perfectly blended drink, no clumps at all! Usually I mix vanilla with a cup of frozen (microwave it a little) fruit and ice. I also always use milk, not water. Another shake I love is half a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter, or sometimes I don't even add the banana. Here are my tools in the kitchen:

I would not trade my Oster blender for anything in the world! I love it so much and it makes smoothies effortless. The adorable tea pot is from Kohls, and it is microwavable. It helps me make my oatmeal and miso soup quickly because it holds the perfect amount. Miso is extremely good for you, and it is only 35 calories! You can make your own, but I prefer to get this instant Miso soup from Walmart. I take out the seaweed though.. not a fan. I have mentioned before that I hate eating meat, but I have to add chicken to my diet in order to get enough protein in. The microwavable (hey, I'm a college student!) Tyson chicken is awesome. It has a grilled flavor to it and it only takes 2 minutes to make. I usually make one breast and cut it up into little pieces and eat it with a side of veggies. If you're concerned about sodium content you might want to look at different options, but I myself do not care.

My workout equipment is really basic. If you're just starting out with P90X you do not need as many different weights as I have. Some of these are my husbands- I could never lift 25lb dumbbells!

I mostly use the 8lb dumbbells, but I recommend starting out with the 5lb and 2lb. I use the perfect push-up thingies because it is easier on my wrists. I do not use the blue band very often, it came with the orange one. I use the orange one to do the pull-up alternatives. The yoga mat was from Target and is used almost every day! Lastly, my VS water bottle gets emptied during each workout.

And We Danced

So today was Chest and Back+ Ab Ripper X.

I got through the whole workout just fine. I did 12 reps for most of the exercises so that I can move up from there. Don't worry if you can't do a push up to save your life! I have really weak wrists so push ups are difficult and pull ups are impossible. I do 5 push ups the normal way, then the rest "girl" push ups with my knees down. I think it's really important to do as many as you can without your knees as soon as you start out or else you will not push yourself to that step later on. Instead of pull ups I do the band exercises that are shown.  

Changes I've made to suit my needs: 

I am not going to do Plyometrics just yet. One, because of my foot injuries, and two because I'm just not fit enough. Doing Plyometrics is like subjecting yourself to torture. Not going to happen, at least not in this phase. Instead of Plyometrics, I will be doing Cardio X.

I also do not like Yoga X. I can't even describe my hatred for it. Not only is it the longest, it is soooo incredibly boring. If you're a person who does Yoga and is thinking that Yoga X should be fun, think again! Yoga X is nothing like any other Yoga class. I will be substituting either Zumba or Pilates for Yoga X. 

Also, some people swear by Ab Ripper X, but I'm just not that impressed. One day a week I will be doing Zumba Abs instead of Ab Ripper X. I feel like Zumba works my obliques 100% more. 

Starting video:

Ugh.. I just.. do you have any idea how hard this was to do? I made a video of my starting point. I gritted my teeth and hid my shame showing the entire world my stomach. The only person to see my stomach since high school is my husband and my mother. Really. So, here it is:

Day One

Now I'm fully accountable for what happens next. 

Those Dreadful Measurments

I'm going to have a really long introduction because I need to get a lot out there before I "officially" start my weight loss goals. I like to read about other people's stories and how they succeed, but there are always so many details missing from their journey that I'd like to know. I'm going to try and be as thorough as possible and of course, brutally honest.

About my body:

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 205lbs (ouch)

Measurements-
Arms (each): 13.5

Thighs (each): 24.5

Chest: 43

Tummy (not waist): 42.5

Hips: 46.5

Neck: 14

Weaknesses: carbs! I love pizza and pasta.
                     I never drink enough water

                     I snack all day (will power) 

Strengths: Knowledge- I know what I need to do, but... 

                Support System

Health:

I'm not in the best health. I get sick often, right now I have problems with my feet since I bruised both of my Achilles tendons. I have to wear a walking boot if I'm doing a lot of walking- this is just temporary. I have carpal tunnel that has been acting up lately. I wear braces to bed and whenever it is bothering me. Diseases like Fibromyalgia, Lupus, and Diabetes run strongly in my family. I'm not pre-diabetic yet, and trying to make sure I wont be any time soon. 

About My Lifestyle

 I am a photographer, a full time student, and I have a part time job. I am exhausted pretty much all the time. I'm 21, very soon to be 22, and I'm pretty sure I have the body of a 40 year old. I love to go geocaching, but my husband and I haven't gone often this year. I'm insanely stressed out most of the time because I have too much going on. Despite being busy, I do have time for exercise but I have a lack of motivation. I would so much rather be online or watching TV. So, I have a normal lifestyle in terms of activity. I have to walk to classes, when I work I am walking for about 5 hours straight. On my days off I always lounge and stay on the couch. 

Also, I'm not a vegetarian, but I very rarely eat meat. I just don't like meat. I cannot shake the thought of eating muscle and veins from another living creature. When I do eat meat it takes forever because I examine every little piece looking for veins and fat. I just avoid the stuff as much as possible. 

Fitness Plans

I want to be down to 140lbs, curvy but not soft. I admire women who have strong arms and visible muscles. I want to be lean and strong. I will be starting P90X Classic today.

I have tried it in the past and had success. My first month devoted to P90X was difficult but I lost 15lbs quickly. I pulled a muscle in my hip during a Yoga X pose and it took almost 3 months to heal! Needless to say, I gained that weight back and more. I also did not drink or eat nearly enough to push through the workouts. I passed out a few times my first time around. This time I will definitely eat and drink enough and not push myself too hard too fast!

You see results very fast with P90X, but even though I've had it for over a year now, I haven't been motivated enough to start another round until now. I will be tracking all my workouts and diet with an awesome app on my droid called 90Droid Extreme Fitness. 

Diet

I'm going to be following the P90X nutrition plan. Phase 1 requires a huge amount of protein so I will be drinking two protein shakes a day. Since I'm going to have to eat protein, I am planning on eating chicken everyday. Basically I do not count calories, I just make sure I meet these servings:

Proteins (5)

Dairy (2)

Fruits (1)

Veggies (2)

Fats (1)

Carbs (1)

Snacks (3)

Water (8)

I usually only drink 2 glasses of water a day, so this will be a challenge. I have always hated drinking fluids, and yes I know that's extremely weird. I only drink enough to keep myself conscious- not healthy at all. Although the plan says stay away from alcohol, Dr. Oz says you should drink a glass of red wine to get rid of belly fat. Hmm.. not sure what I'm going to do with that information.

Alright, so I'm embarking on my weight loss journey starting... tomorrow. Don't judge me.