booyah!

yay! as of about 20 minutes ago, i finished my regular 3 weeks for phase 1, AND i didn't miss a single workout in these 3 weeks. i have the recovery week for phase 1 next week and then onto phase 2. i'm super excited to be doing something different this week and then starting a new phase next week. seriously, it's like p90x was made for me. i get so bored so easily. this is my ideal workout because i have my workouts planned for me so i know exactly what i'm doing every day and don't have to decide, but i don't have to do the same workout twice in one week which i love. as it is, i feel like a week isn't very far apart and find myself thinking, "i just did this one" when it's been 7 days.


i'm excited for the next week and then the week following. i feel better and that's what matters most. :)

discouraged.

i know, everyone has the discouraged post. but i have to vent somewhere and this is my blog. isn't that was it's for?


it's been 2 1/2 weeks and i haven't lost any weight. seriously, any. i can't figure out what i'm doing wrong. eating too many calories? not enough? no consistency? wish i had money to go visit a nutritionist. i did stumble upon a blog by a woman about why people (specifically women) don't necessarily lose weight on p90x and how it's not a weight loss program, it's a fitness program. helpful information, really. however, i figured i would lose SOME weight just because, well, i'm burning a lot of calories every day, gaining muscle and eating better. seems like a combination for some kind of weight loss, right? blah! i haven't lost any inches either, in case you're wondering. i HAVE gotten quite a bit stronger and, indeed more fit, but i'd really like to start losing a little weight now. my 30 pics are going to look just like my before pics. oh, sigh.


part of me is tempted to quit p90x and try a different weight loss tack, as per the article i read (which made a lot of sense, really) however, the other part of me says stick with it. even if you don't lose any weight, you will be more fit and that's important right? besides, these first 30 days could be a setup for something wonderful in the next 30. plus, if i do decide to go a different rout afterwards, i may actually have enough strength and endurance to make some other workouts much more effective.


meh. wish me luck. i've only got the rest of this week and then recovery week for phase 1. i think i'm still going to try doubles when i start phase 2. we'll see.

must. do. better.

okay, so i've made it through two weeks of workouts and i feel great. really, i do. i even doubled up one day last week because i missed a day due to crazy life curve balls. i've got only one week to go of regular week followed by a recovery week in phase 1. and then, we start again with phase 2. so, there's two very important decisions i've made.


1: i need to step it up. i'm working hard with my food, i really am, buuut i could and need to do better. it's been two weeks and i've only lost a pound and a half. i'm not sure if this is due to a beginning muscle gain or if i'm still eating too much. . .or the wrong things. . .or something. i just don't know, so i guess i need to work harder.


2: with this in mind i've decided i need to start waking up earlier in the morning to do my workout first thing. this is going to be really hard for me. i love being awake early and starting my day, but i hate waking up early.  i frequently wake up feeling refreshed, but i wake up slowly so i'm not ready to get out of bed. and then, of course because i lay there so long, i end up falling asleep. then i go back into dream mode and waking up is impossible, and i'm groggy. It's a vicious cycle. so, while this is going to take some serious determination and self-discipline i know i will ultimately really enjoy the benefits of this change.


3: There are three different program options for the regular p90x. classic, lean and doubles. originally i was going to do the classic program because, well, it seemed like a good place to start. however, because i feel so great and actually want to work out more every day, i've decided to do the doubles program. fortunately, phase 1 is the same for both so i haven't missed anything. i wanted to see how i felt after the phase 1 before i decided, but now i know, i'm ready. i'm ready to lose the weight! i'm ready to feel better about myself.


just two more weeks and i will post my 30 day pictures. at the very least, even if i'm not losing weight, i am getting fit and that's just as important as losing the weight, if not more really. and just doing something makes me feel better about myself and where i am. and that's good.

Made it!

okay, okay, i know that's a little premature. i've got a long way to go yet, but i think it's important to celebrate the successes, no matter how small and i think i had quite a few this week. 


first, i made it through 6 consecutive days of full workouts, including today, which i got up early to do so we could go to the snow together (with the youth) because i knew i wouldn't want to do it when i got home. and i didn't. saturdays will be the toughest because it's a different schedule, which is why i'm so happy about today.


second, i'm sore, but i feel good and am still mega motivated for next week. and i got my pull-up bar in the mail so i'm excited to add the extra challenge. i think it's probably a good thing i did my first week without it.


third, i've been creative at dinner and better about making lower calorie dinners. plus, i've been under my calorie goal almost every day this week (the one day i did go over was only a very little bit). i'm enjoying making more vegetarian dishes and cooking more things from scratch to avoid extra sugar and other less healthy things.


fourth, and most important, i've been very good about what i've eaten all week. but wait, there's more! the sugar cravings are starting to go away! hooray! and it's such a great feeling to go through ideas for dinner such as fast food and not find any of it very appealing. it still sounds really good when i'm hungry, but i've discovered if i don't let myself get too hungry (read: let my blood sugar drop) it really doesn't sound very appealing. in fact, paul and i went out last night and we stopped to get ice cream at rite aid. i got a single scoop of chocolate brownie because it sounded really yummy, but after about 5 or 6 bites the sugar craving was gone. i've been at this point one other time in my life and it was really nice.

one week down (almost)....

i have one more workout day tomorrow (kenpo--which one i really like) and i made it through my first week of p90x! that means only 11 more weeks to go, haha. but seriously, i feel great. i've already lost over a pound and a half since monday, which is great, but even better, i feel so much better already. i've also gained quite a bit of muscle already! i know this because the ab ripper x is killer! and the first day i couldn't finish any of the workouts but the first one today i finished a couple other AND got more consecutive reps on several others before i collapsed with burning muscles. 


the best thing about this program for me is that i get to do a different workout every day of the week. this very much appeals to my need for variety. i get bored so easily. i can handle a certain workout once, maybe twice a week, depending on how much i like it, but anymore and that and i lose motivation. i'm excited to see how this plays out in the next few weeks. i plan to take pictures at 30, 60 and 90 days too. fortunately, i've found a system that works time-wise to get my exercise in each day too. 

melissa and nate, i can't thank you enough for letting me borrow this! i was so ready for it!