Update

I realize that it has been a very long time since I’ve update this blog.  If I recall, I promised pictures the last time, and I was really struggling with the decision to do so.  However, my word is my bond so I will deliver.  Please do not laugh   Anywho, I haven’t fallen off from working towards my fitness goals.  I did complete 1 month and a half of Insanity.  During month 1, I was also running 3 times a week as well.  Month 2 kind of scared me, so I didn’t complete.

After my defeat, I did decide to go to the gym daily.  I usually do cardio, and weight training as well.  I even incorporated some yoga in the mix, which is very well needed after all the other high impact activity.  I have seemed to hit a plateau, so I am trying to tweak my fitness routine and my diet to break through that.  I’ve also decided to attempt Insanity again because it was an awesome workout, and delivered satisfying results.  I will try and update the blog more often, especially after month 1 round 2.   I may even throw in a full body shot just for a better picture of the results.  That would be awesome so you guys can see the overall results (arms, legs, etc..) Wish me luck!

DIG DEEPER!

Digging deeper is exactly what I’m required to do with this workout.  I knew it would be hard, but I never ever imagined this.  Insanity is probably the most physically challenging thing I have done ever.  In high school, I worked out and cheered.  I used to do a boxing workout with my uncle which was pretty challenging.  I ran, did stadium runs, and went to the gym.  All of that, and this has been the most taxing on my body.  However, it feels good because I can feel it working.  I already am feeling stronger after one week, even though it feels that my legs are going to give out.  These workouts are constant movement, with little or no breaks (although breaks are encouraged to prevent injury or overexertion).

This workout program has also challenged me mentally, because I know what is to come.  It is so crazy, because I find myself coming up with the weirdest scenarios in my head to keep me pushing through the workouts.  This is the most that I have self talked through a workout in my LIFE!   Seriously, you have to dig deeper.  I find myself thinking things like “Okay, someone has snatched Samir from you and you have to catch them.  You can’t stop, what are you gon’ do, let them get away with your baby!”  Like real talk, please don’t laugh at me, but it is that deep!

As far as progress, my scale number is down two pounds.  I won’t do any serious measurements until month one is complete.  However, as I stated earlier I am already feeling a bit stronger through the workouts.  The ones that kill me the most are Pure Cardio, and Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  BEAST MODE!  Seriously, they have me climbing up my stairs like a primate as I struggle to make it up to the shower.  I know it will only get better, or at least I hope so.

Here are some tips that I have for anyone doing this or thinking about doing Insanity:  1.  Drink A LOT of water, because you are going to SWEAT, causing you to lose fluids.  2)  Drink a protein recovery drink to help strengthen your muscles.  This program is very taxing on you and can cause a lot of stress to your body.  The drink helps provide the nutrients necessary to rebuild those muscles, and helping with the soreness.  3)  REST, REST, REST!  4)  Make sure you eat enough, to fuel your body with the necessary nutrients it needs.  I am following the diet plan that came along with the program, which requires you to eat 5 small meals daily.

Wish me luck, this is very difficult, but I will make it through.  Lets GOOOOOO!

INSANITY

Hola, it has been a while since I blogged here. I have been a busy bee, traveling just a tad, doing birthdays and living life. I recently went to Arizona and enjoyed the sun, as well as some fresh lemons! Yes, I am still on these lemons. I went to the store today to grab some, and quite frankly was upset at the selection. The lemons at the store are so small! There truly is nothing like fresh fruit.

I recently made the decision to take on the Insanity challenge. I have been wanting to do it ever since I was doing the P90X program. After attempting to purchase this product through another avenue outside of Beach Body, I was burned and ended up filing a claim to receive my money back. I received it back, and went ahead and purchased it straight from the source. The video set came in this mammoth package that had me excited like it was Christmas.

The week I was scheduled to begin, I was suckered into going to Old Chicago (thanks Steve), and ate a bad caesar salad, which gave me food poisoning. I struggled with it all week, and it had me OUT. Food poisoning is the worst, I wouldn’t wish it on my most prized enemy.

Now that the food poisoning is gone, I decided to kick it in gear and begin the program. I took my before pics (no I will not post them now, I’m still shy), and measurements. Everything wasn’t as bad as I thought, though I still have a long way to go. I am very excited to see the progression during the program. After the measurements, I did the fit test along with my brother who is joining me on this journey. To me, the fit test was like a normal workout! I’m telling you I was drenched in sweat, and it was only 30 minutes! If this is the fit test, I know the workout is a BEAST. I am excited, and nervous. Some of the exercises I completely sucked at, and others I did great. Here is where I am as of day 1:

Switch Kicks (2 kicks 1 rep) – 30 <<<—SUCKED. The mofos on the tape started out at like 80!
Power Jacks – 27
Power Knees – 67
Power jumps – 10 <<—-Don’t judge me.
Globe Jumps – 5
Suicide jumps – 6
Push-up jacks – 10
Low Plank Oblique – 22

**UPDATE**  I did the fit test again today, 3/29/2010 as my first official calendar workout of Insanity.  New results:

Switch Kicks (2 kicks 1 rep) – 43
Power Jacks – 27
Power Knees – 71
Power jumps – 11
Globe Jumps – 8
Suicide jumps – 8
Push-up jacks – 14
Low Plank Oblique – 32

As you can see, the areas I suffered most were the with the jump exercises.  I am excited to see where I will end up throughout the program. Wish me luck folks!

Here is a little more about Insanity:   http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do

P90X Completion

I have been procrastinating on this post for some time now, and there is really no excuse. I could say I have been busy, but not that busy. I know that I promised a photo, but I have not mustered up enough confidence to do so for the world to see lmao! Let’s see, P90X was completed on February 18, 2010. I prolonged that completion due to travels and other things but I finished it on out. I lost a total of 20 lbs and 12 inches off. I am glad that I did the program because it jump started my healthy living habits that I hope to continue from now on. I am looking forward to my next journey which will be Shaun T.’s Insanity. When that starts up I will continue to blog about that. As of now, I’m doing some P90X DVD’s and other workouts that I have at home. Working out here is easier than carting my son to the gym, plus he doesn’t like the daycare anyway. I will keep you updated on my journey from here on out, and thanks for your support!

Update

So I realized that I hadn’t updated you all on my recent progress. Yes I have been going strong still with P90X and am scheduled to complete on January 23. Boy does time fly! Although I probably won’t finish on that date because I will be out of town, the end is still near. While I am gone, I still plan to work it on out, just not on the P90X DVDs. I have been monitoring what I eat and how much. Throughout this time I have learned two key things: a). It isn’t how much you eat all the time, it is what you eat. B). Drink A LOT of water. My water intake is crazy, it suppresses my appetite and flushes water out so my body won’t cling on to it. I have become a label reader and calorie counter. I’m not so quick to just grab stuff because that could slam my daily caloric intake. This was hard to do at first, just as portion control was but my stomach has adjusted. I am not eating nearly as much as I was, and I am eating better.

Ok so on to my stats as of today. I am 15 pounds down. Not anything drastic but I’m satisfied with the inches.

Left arm – 1 inch lost
Right arm – 1.25 inches down
Right thigh – 2 inches lost
Left thigh – 2.25 inches lost
Bust – 1 inch lost
Waist – 2.25 inches lost
Hips – 2 inches lost

That is a total of 11.75 inches lost overall. I don’t know what is typical for a program like this, either way I’m happy. I’m losing and not gaining so I am good. One word of advice, follow the diet plan from day 1. If I would’ve followed Tony’s diet plan I bet I would’ve achieved even better results. I am happy though! Just to see inches lost, especially up top and in those hips. Honey, I’m ecstatic! I just wanted to give an update on how things were, I’m seeing a change and so are others around me. Next update will be the final one for this particular program, however the buck doesn’t stop here. I still have a long way to go to reach my goal. Be blessed and thanks to those who have supported me along the way. Peace!

Day 38 Down with Plyo, 52 more to GO!

Today marked my 38th day of the P90X workout system. As I have stated in previous posts, I am doing the Lean version, which has a bit more cardio than strength training. This schedule does not include Plyometrics. Since I am in the second half, and I want to burn more calories, I decided to sans a strength workout and add Plyo. So I have Core Synergistics, Cardio X, then Plyometrics, Yoga X, Legs and Back, and Kenpo X. I think with that schedule I will be fine. Overall, I have lost inches from my arms, legs, and waist. The waist is where I have seen the largest difference. Also, my scale has started to move more in the downward direction so that is always good. I have lost 4 more pounds from last week. I am sure this has something to do with me stepping it up in the eating department. I am drinking a lot more water, staying between 1200-1500 calories a day, and eating more frequently instead of 3 concentrated meals. I use Sparkpeople to help me count my calories which is good because I can see what my recommended intake is against what I am actually taking in. I also limit my sweets and breads intake. I LOVE bread, and probably ate it with every single meal. I also am an ice cream fiend. I had to cut down on the ice cream for other reasons, and the first time that I had it was yesterday at a birthday party. I ate it in moderation, but sill was able to enjoy it. I also have stayed away from fast food because it was killing me. It’s crazy because I don’t really have the desire to eat it anymore.

Anywho, back to Plyometrics. Plyometrics means “jump training” using a series of jumps, lunges, and squats to get your heart rate up. In the video, Tony H. says that it is the MOTHER of all workouts and that it puts the X in P90X. I’m going to tell you this right here, he didn’t lie. I heard that this workout was high impact and difficult so I was a bit nervous to go into it. However, if I want the results that I am hoping for, I saw this as a necessary addition to my schedule. It is very high impact and can be detrimental on your joints so you have to make sure you have good form, land how they tell you to, and take it “easy” if you have joint problems. I put easy in quotations because I don’t mean skate through it, just follow the modified moves in the video if you have problems which he tells you. There is a man in there with a prosthetic leg so there is no taking it easy, no excuses! Wear a knee brace for support, strap up your ankles, do whatever it takes to make sure you are supported so you aren’t injured. Most of all, stretch! This workout killed me, I was so drenched in sweat. The warm-up had exercises that were from the workouts of other videos if that tells you anything. I hated it, but loved it as most of the videos and am glad I made this an addition to my schedule.

I want to take a quick moment to address a little something called negativity. Let’s face it, losing weight is a battle, mostly with the mind. You are fighting every day to do the right thing. This is the hardest thing that I have had to do in my life. It requires will power, dedication and patience. The weight didn’t pop on overnight, and it sure won’t drop overnight but it WILL drop if you work at it. During a journey like this, you want to make sure you have supporting and encouraging people around you. You don’t want “yes men”, you want someone that will be honest with you but still encourage you. You want people to tell you to push yourself, but you don’t want people around you demeaning what you are doing. Negative energy can come from family and friends, just make sure you can identify who is trying to help you, or who is trying to derail your progress. If someone is telling you that you can’t do it, you don’t know what you are doing, you will never lose the weight because you aren’t doing it their way, and that you aren’t trying your best when you KNOW that you are, don’t listen to that person. Often times people who can’t or won’t do something that you are, or have other issues with negativity will see you progressing and it makes them uncomfortable with themselves. They either lash out at you, or do the adult thing and do something about it. Don’t let people like that put you down, or make you feel bad about what you are doing especially when they are not by your side, feeling your pain, feeling you push through fatigue, seeing you sweat, counting your calories, you get my drift. You KNOW when you are slacking and not giving your all, and you know when you are. If you are, tune that negativity out and show the world what you are made of. Like the song says “motivation for me, is them telling me what I could not be, OH WELL!” Peace and blessings. Thanks for your continuous encouragement and support.

DAY 30 of P90X, WOW!

First off, let me begin by saying I never thought I would make it past day 14. I have this two week thing when it comes to working out. I’ll do a new program or routine, thug it out for like two weeks straight and then fall off. Making it to day 30 is quite amazing to me. I have worked out six days a week, stretching and resting on the seventh. I feel much stronger, my endurance has improved, and I have no intention on quitting here. I am going for the full 90 baby, January 23rd marks the finish line. IF everything goes according to plan, I’ll be on the road then but I will not let that stop me. If anything, that is more reason to celebrate with a purpose. I haven’t seen any drastic changes yet, however I do know they are coming with time. When I began I wasn’t eating the way that I should’ve been so I am pretty sure that has something to do with it. Now that I have become more serious about what I put into my body, I know that change is around the corner; not that i haven’t changed already. Setting a set schedule to workout has helped. I usually workout around 8 when my son goes to bed so I can focus. I made that a routine part of the day like anything else. If he happened to be up still, or if it was a weekend and he wasn’t occupied with other things, he would be right there with me. It is very entertaining to see him enjoy the workouts and try to imitate the motions. His favorite is the “superman-banana” move. Those that have done the program know what I’m talking about. Anyway, I’ll take my measurements and photos tonight after I workout and report tomorrow. I plan on giving day 30 all that I have. Thanks to all those that have encouraged me, made me feel even more confident, and that have been by my side through it all. Sky’s the limit!

Day 18 is here…..

I have reached Day 18 of P90X. I have passed my dreaded two week mark, and I don’t have any desire to stop. I am so proud of myself! It can get discouraging, because I haven’t seen a major drop in the scale. I have to remind myself it takes time. I do however notice changes, changes in my endurance, changes in my strength (time for heavier weights), and some changes in my appearance! Things are starting to “sit right” like they were pre-baby. I am also more confident, I posted a Facebook picture for the first time since my son was born last week. I was so self conscious and just had a bad outlook on myself. One thing I have learned, is that it is truly mind over matter. The mind will tell you that you are too tired, you don’t have time, eat that fast food, and if you eat that fast food go ahead and quit this battle you already are traveling down the wrong road. But see, you WILL fall. I was reading a Soror of mine’s article about mentally preparing yourself for weight loss. She was saying that this thing takes TIME, it will not happen overnight. You are erasing a LIFETIME of bad habits, so you will fail. See this time, I went into this thing knowing that I’m not going to lose the weight overnight, I’m going to stumble, I’m going to get tired, but I will NOT lose! This thing will not defeat me. Thanks to everyone who has kept up with me thus far, your support drives me as well. Just a tip for those just starting P90X, it WILL get easier. Oh you will still work hard, but it will get better, you will be able to get through the workouts, do things you couldn’t when you started. There was thing called leg climbs that I just couldn’t do! I can DO those now lol! So I KNOW it’s working even though I don’t see it as drastically yet. Week one is pure hell, you are sore, if you are just starting a fitness plan you can’t make it through, I mean it is just bad but it does get better. I am almost done with Phase I, and feeling great. Next week is recovery week! Peace!

Week 2, Day 10

What’s up, I haven’t posted in a few days because I have been a bit busy reflecting. I just wanted to record that I am still going strong with P90X. The workouts are becoming a bit easier, so I can up my intensity some and get an even better sweat in. Also, I now need heavier weights, so I am going to have to buy some. My little bits are getting too light, and I am not lifting to my full potential. I am proud that I have been sticking with it this long, even thought today is actually my day 11. It’s funny because yesterday, my neck was killing me and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do Arms, Shoulders and Triceps. I think I slept wrong or something, it hurt and it was stiff. So anyway, I stretched it out and worked out anyway. My neck feels SO much better. It is still a bit sore but it isn’t stiff at all, so I guess I worked that thang right on out! I am going to post a few questions that I have received regarding P90X and hopefully it can help some.

1. Do you actually need all that stuff to do the program (yoga mat and brick, weights, bands, pull-up bar) or can I get by without it?

Simple answer, yes. It wouldn’t be P90X without it. Now, I can’t do pullups, I can get up halfway and I’m done. However I attach my resistance bands to my bar and use those as demonstrated in the video. And I still keep it to practice until I can do at least one. I say you can get by without a yoga mat depending on what kind of flooring you have, I don’t use one. You DO need free weights. Depending on your ability to do the Yoga stances, you don’t need a brick for support. If you don’t want to buy a yoga brick, use a phonebook or something else to support you until you can hold the positions alone.

2. Is the workout difficult?

Yes, it is a pretty intense program, but that isn’t to say it can’t be done. I hate it sometimes, but I love it. I love Tony, and love how it is broken up. It never feels like I’m working out for an hour it goes by. If you have done martial arts or sports, some of the movements may be familiar, but it is still intense because of the constant movement. The most difficult thing for me is the Yoga, but it is needed. I now see why Yoga is needed, it helps with strength and flexibility.

I hope I have been a help to someone, if you have other questions let me know. Peace!

Bye Bye Week 1, WHAT’S GOOD week 2!

So week one is officially OVA! I don’t know about you but that is wonderful to me. I have learned a lot about myself during this week, and learned a lot about taking care of my body. So I did measurements, and I haven’t really lost any inches, however I did lose 3 pounds. Since I didn’t lose any inches, I wonder if that was fat, water weight, or whatever. But that is still weight lost so I’m happy about it. I did pretty good with my diet, although I did slip up and ate some “fatty foods.” I did however watch my portions with those foods that I did eat.

Saturday was Halloween, so we went out visiting family. I got home pretty late, and since I hadn’t worked out that day, I ended up finishing my week at almost midnight lol! I still got it in though, WHATEVER it takes. If you want something, that is the kind of attitude you have to have. If I could spend late nights up studying and reading for school, why not working out? Hopefully I won’t have to do that too many more times. For me, it is better than getting up in the morning, I can’t stand it. That is absolutely last resort for me. I know the benefits of getting up early to work out, but it just doesn’t work for ME. I end up cranky, tired, just can’t do it.

I went and purchased some supplements to help me along with my health journey. They are called be-hot by GNC. The box comes with a 30 day supply of little performance packets designed to help with metabolism, muscle development, and diet. They were recommended to me by the store rep (GNC has great store reps). I wasn’t looking for a fat loss pill, just something to give me a boost along the way. I did notice after starting those, that I sweat a LOT more during my workouts as well.

Sunday was a rest day or X-Stretch day for the workout program. I opted to rest, however I did stretch throughout the day (my body NEEDED it), and I went to the YMCA and sat in the whirlpool. I also stretched while in the whirlpool. I’m going to tell you right now, that helped SOOOOOOOOO much, I think that will be my weekly routine. My muscles although still sore, felt so much better and less tight, and I was so relaxed.

In this post, I wanted to give a few tips or reminders while doing P90X, or any workout program:

1). STAY HYDRATED, STAY HYDRATED, STAY HYDRATED! This is so important. You will sweat and work so hard, so make sure to drink plenty of water during the day, before workouts, during workouts, and after workouts.

2). Eat, don’t starve yourself. You need to fuel your body with the proper nutrition, or else you may feel fatigued, nauseous, and tired. Also take a multi-vitamin to make sure your body is getting the nutrition it needs. I take One A Day for women.

3). STRETCH! I cannot stress this enough. Make sure that you stretch your muscles adequately. This is not only to improve flexibility, but to prevent injury. If you over exert yourself, rest up, don’t hurt yourself because then you may be out longer than expected.

4). Stay positive, stay motivated, and reward yourself. This doesn’t have to be with food, but with something that you like as an incentive to keeping up with it.

This is only week one for me, but I feel like I have accomplished something. Now lets get these other weeks out of the way. Today, day 8, my first Core Synergistics workout (see post 1)! PEACE!