Power90 down and on to the next one

Some time ago, I decided that I wasn't in this thing for a quick solution.  I wanted a workout program and nutrition plan that I could live with over the long run.  While I may not do something as intense as P90x when I'm 70, the point is, I'm setting myself up so that I will be able to exercise (God willing), long after the gray hair has taken over ;-)


How have I done so far?  I completed Power90 earlier this month.  I didn't finish as strong as I would have liked and my nutrition wasn't always on point.  (I attribute it to stress, but I can't let excuses continue to get in the way).  I had still hoped to see more changes in the first 90 days. I realize that this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. I am overall VERY happy with the results. I lost 10 pounds but clearly (pics below) a lot of fat was lost and muscle developed. I did have a period of struggle once my Mom had her surgery but now I know how important it is to keep pushing play AND most importantly staying on task with nutrition. Your health really is in your hands. Don't let anything get in your way. If it does, get right back up and keep fighting.


Motivator Eric Thomas asks the question "how bad do you want to succeed?".  He goes on to say that most people won't succeed because when it gets hard or they start feeling pain, they quit.  You have to find a way to push through the pain (be it stress, interruptions, family commitments, whatever the discomfort) in order to come out on the other side where success resides.  (Obviously, if you have real pain, you may need to stop and seek treatment.)  I think was my biggest lesson from Power90.  Keep pushing!  Consistence and persistence.


Power90 was also a great starter workout for me.  I hadn't really worked out in some time and it was great to get back into a routine and get better with nutrition.   I love Tony Horton as annoying as he can be, but he is a great trainer -- pushes you to do more, expect more of yourself and work that much harder.  The workout is also great because it has different levels and you don't do the same thing every day.  I love weights though and it really showed during the workout.  I continued to struggle with the cardio portion just because I'm not a huge fan of cardio based workouts.  I have also continued to learn about nutrition and am eating so much healthier (who would have thought that a self professed veggie hater would be happily snacking on veggies and fruit every chance I get?).  I'm also still drinking Shakeology daily and loving it.  Chocolate is my all time favorite but the new Tropical Strawberry is yummy too!  


I can share some funny things/successes that I've noticed. 1) the fat stores around my knees is almost gone 2) my butt is definitely looking better 3) I have much better stamina (jumped on the bike for the first time in a long time and rode 16 miles) 4) my clothes fit MUCH better 5) I can get off the couch by just standing up instead of pushing up 6) I can run up and down my stairs without getting out of breath, and 7) who can forget that dreaded BACK FAT - it's actually going away, poof, goodbye forever :-)  There are more things but those are the ones that come to mind.  My overall fitness and healthy have improved tremendously.  I still have not gotten sick (biggest WOO HOOO ever!!).  And, although I do get tired with trying to do all and be all (LOL), I am making it happen.


I also felt mentally prepared and ready to take on P90x.  In fact, I was anxious and looking forward to it.  We started on 2/20 so today is day 3 week 2 and I feel great.  It's hard not to look in the mirror every day to see the changes... but I can feel them, especially when I put on clothes.  The changes in how they fit and how I look in them are even more noticeable.  P90x is no ordinary workout and the results that people are getting are the real deal.


I'll talk more about P90x another time.  Right now, I am so enjoying helping others on their fitness journey... I really do think I have found my life's passion.  I always knew it was helping others but I was struggling to define what that looked like.  


So, before I go today... here are my Power90 transformation pictures.  Still a work in progress... but aren't we all.  I LOVE my new lifestyle.  Keep pushing play people.

Month of Sundays

It has been a month of Sundays since I've posted.  I have had so much going on recently with being a caretaker and new entrepreneur.  Sometimes you have to prioritize and unfortunately, blogging fell down the list of priorities.   You guys know how it is.  Despite all the life happening stuff, I did finish up Power90.  I'll post pictures later.  I know that I could have done better but I'm going to give myself kudos for finishing the program despite what was going on in my life at the time.  I decided that I wasn't going to let life derail me.  Life will always happen.  Things kept knocking me down, but I just kept fighting to get back up and on track.  There will ALWAYS be something that comes up - something that needs your time or upsets you.  Just don't let it derail you from your goals.

Power90 was a great starter workout and it helped me achieve my objective - improve my fitness level from couch potato to someone capable of doing P90x.   I have significantly improved my health and fitness.  In the process, I lost inches and some weight.  I climb stairs without getting out of breath.  I walk up and down hills without getting out of breath.  My lung capacity has improved significantly and I've had zero problems with asthma.  I'm stronger and much more fit.  I can see changes in my body - things lifting and shaping.   I did my first training ride for Tour de Cure and did 15 miles and a decent sized hill (both ways) without feeling like I was going to die.  I also have not been sick once since starting Shakeology.  To me, that's the biggest benefit of all.  Despite all the stress and being around a bunch of sick people at the hospital and skilled nursing facility, despite the quacky weather we've been having, despite being completely run down, I did not get sick at all this winter.  A little tired? Definitely!  But, not sick and that is a huge accomplishment for me.  So, my conclusion about Power90?  Like I said it was a great starter workout and I'm glad that I took the time to do it.  If I had been on program 100%, I know that I would have seen even better results.

I've been busy reaching out to help others join my fitness journey and have started two challenge groups, both of which started Monday, most of us doing P90x. I have been looking forward to this day now for probably a month.  I know, I'm crazy or something.  I was ready for the bigger challenge (and bigger results).  I love P90x because it changes daily so you don't get bored.  Plus, I'm surrounded now by a bunch of folks that are getting it in on a daily basis.  It really is inspiring.

OMG.  Day 1 (Chest and back) was crazy with the number of pull ups and push ups that we did.  I have to say that I am happy that I did Power90 first.  I at least felt somewhat competent during the pushups.  Not good mind you, not even close, but I could get some done in the all the sets of different pushups.  Heavy pants, lawnmower... killed those moves (from Power90).  I don't have a pull up bar yet but I'm looking forward to getting one this weekend so I can start doing those as well.  The pull ups scare me but I'm thinking that I can use a chair to help me.  I used the bands do do the pull up moves (modified)... that seemed to work well.

I am starting to feel the soreness which is actually great... I felt good all day except at one point feeling very hungry although I had recently eaten (2 hours before).  Thought maybe I needed another snack.  One thing about this workout is that you need to EAT!  I'm supposed to take in 2400 calories a day.  I need that much energy to fuel my daily living plus the increased calories burned in my workout.  And, I can tell you from one day, this is no joke.  You need to study the nutrition plan closely and stick to it.  In coaching several people along this same process, this is the issue already.  Helping them with the nutrition plan... we'll work out the problems over the next couple of weeks and hopefully get everyone on the right path.  I think I'll start posting what I'm eating and they'll get a better sense of it.

I feel soreness in so many places - shoulders, back, lats, biceps, abs - this workout clearly works the areas intended.  The last things that I need to work on are better hydration and rest - I did great during the workout and even shortly after but it all fell apart later on.  I probably need to be taking in about 96 oz of water a day now.  And, I definitely need to go to sleep by 11.  Rest = Recovery and that's when your body actually is making the changes you're working so hard to get.

Tuesday is Day 2.