Something about me.
30 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in beach body, exercise, fitness, p90x, Photos, strength training, weight loss, working out Tags: biggest loser, confession, love, washboard stomach
Confession:
#1 – I derailed on Wednesday night doing P90x.
#2 – I feel guilty.
Why?.. Hmmm, there are a few reasons. Overwhelmed? Sore? Tired? I’m making more excuses than a contestant on The Biggest Loser (love that show by the way).
I’m ready to go again. Tomorrow I will re-start week 2.
I just want a damn washboard stomach.
Week 1: Lost two pounds, however….
25 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in p90x, weight loss, exercise, fitness, working out, strength training, beach body Tags: weight loss anxiety, motivations, tendencies, Week 1 Results, food, overeat
… however… I overate on Monday and Tuesday. Tisk tisk. I was hungry and bored.
This is a list of what I overate:
- Three or four String cheeses (Light)
- Two or three extra servings of turkey
- Two or three servings of fruit
- Three or four extra servings of carbohydrates.
It is terrible. I always have a problem with the diet part of any fitness program. I hear that it is helpful to do something constructive instead of eat if one’s tendencies are triggered. Perhaps I will start sniffing glue…
Kidding.
I am back on track today, and I am “dialed-in” to my motivations. I have to remember why I am doing this in the bigger picture.
How I do Leg and Back X
22 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in beach body, exercise, fitness, p90x, strength training Tags: Leg and Back X, Skiing
I ski. My boyfriend lovingly jokes that I am in my natural habitat when we are on the mountain. I have a smile plastered across my face with every run I take, like I’m a walking caricature of myself.
I ski aggressively and with purpose. I “bring it” when I am on the mountain. This is why I have decided to replace Leg and Back X with skiing.
Let’s face it: 2.5 hours of actual ski time (not sitting on the chair lift or in the lodge) is 2.5 times longer than Leg and Back X.
Don’t get me wrong: I will still do Ab Ripper X on ski days, but I have to find a balance somewhere so that I do not overtrain (link: Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining).
Skiing is great because it works all of your muscle groups, but it specifically works a few more than others. From the most to least, here are the muscle groups that skiing works:
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings and Glutes
- Inner and Outer Thighs
- Calves
- Abs and Back
- Arms
Trust me: I feel the burn. I am committed to P90X and “bringing it.” My version of Leg and Back X is just as tough.
Thanks for reading.
The big, bad Yoga X
21 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in exercise, fitness, p90x, weight loss, working out Tags: day 4, yoga x
Yoga X was the video I feared the most during P90X. It runs for about 90 minutes in length.
Here is the flow:
- 45 minutes of asanas and warrior poses. Not easy! I was actually sweating during this part.
- 25 minutes of balance poses. I definitely fell over a few times.
- 10 minutes of core strengthening yoga poses. It was great.
- 10 minutes of gentle floor stretches.
I was surprised by how quickly the time went. I lit candles, turned the lights down low, and the program’s host/trainer/inventor/madman, Tony Horton, was unbelievably mellow throughout. Even though it was a tough workout, I came away feeling extremely calm.
Top 10 Reasons People Don’t Exercise
19 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in p90x, Photos, Uncategorized Tags: day 3, fitness, health, p90x, plyometrics workout, weight training, workout excuses
It’s okay to drink Diet Pepsi on P90x…
… it’s even okay to drink it in a bamboo tree in a law office.
However, it is not okay to not feel any soreness after a workout.
I will attest to this: I am sore. Yesterday, I did a plyometrics workout (lots of jumping while landing like a cat). Thank God I like cats.
Jen, is it taking you too much of your time to follow the diet and exercise regimen?
No. However, you must have a little gusto and use a little elbow grease to make time to work out. According to U.S. News , the top 10 excuses to not exercise are:
- I’m too busy.
- I’m too old.
- I hate going it alone.
- It’s so boring.
- My kids get in the way.
- My back hurts.
- I’m too fat.
- I’m thin already.
- I’m not a gym rat.
- I have arthritis.
Holy crap, people! Let’s not get too carried away with excuses. In my opinion, it boils down to motivation. Like any new habit, you have to really to want change. I struggle with excuses #1 and #4. However, with P90x, #4 is not a problem.
I combat the “I’m too busy” urge by being real with myself. Yesterday was a super busy day for me. I:
- Worked for 4 hours
- Went to class for 4 hours
- Attended a 2 hour board meeting
- Studied for 3 hours
- Spent time with my boyfriend, did a load of laundry, and picked up the house
Day 1
18 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in p90x, Photos, weight loss Tags: Day 1
What and How I ate:
P90X has two approaches to its diet: 1) Menu approach – Follow a specified menu everyday. This is for people who have more time to prep meals. 2) Portion approach – Choose from a list of foods that you consume in a very utilitarian manner. This is for people who have less time. This is my approach.
For breakfast, I had a low-fat, strawberry protein shake.
The picture to the left of this sentence includes everything I ate over a 7 hour period. The key for me to be successful in the nutrition component will be to pack lunch like this every day.
For dinner, I am going to eat another bowl of turkey, rice, and peas with an extra helping of turkey.
I will drink 8 cups of water a day.
I will eat these same exact foods all week. The program does not ask that you do this, but I want to make food prep easy on myself during the first week.
Check out this video if you would like to see me doing a little P90X workout!
Before Photos
17 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in p90x, Photos, weight loss Tags: before photos, weight loss anxiety
Here it is: my 1st day on P90x. Not much as happened yet, I am just watching my calories. I’ll let you know how the workout goes tomorrow.
I am a little nervous…
I’m anxious that I won’t follow through for a full 90 days, but I’m going to do my best. I am motivated by the desire for a sexy body and added stamina for my favorite recreational activities: alpine skiing and road cycling.
Check out my starting pics at 130 pounds.
While it is true that I am not an obese individual, I still have a higher body fat percentage than I would like. I would be ecstatic if I could convert some of those lipids into muscles. I have never had defined abdominal muscles. This is something I covet.
