P90X Update - Day 17

Hey - so I'm 17 days into the P90x 'lean' program. In my last post I included the workouts that the 'lean' program uses. This path is way more cardio than strength based. Out of the 7 weekly work-outs 4 are cardio. Instead of doing 'Cardio X' and 'Kenpo X' on Tuesdays/Saturdays I've replaced them with runs of 4-6 miles. I'm training for a 15k in March and I need to be running, I also think I'm burning more calories running than I would in the cardio sessions.

The program is definitely working. I have been sore every day since I began. The first week really sucked ass because I was overly sore, but now it's just moderate soreness - which is bearable. I have stuck to the diet plan faithfully (link) and haven't had a sip of booze since Jan 13th. My numbers on the scale haven't really changed, I'm sticking around 170lbs but I can feel and see a difference already.

The hardest workout by FAR is Yoga X. Yoga is a 90 minute workout whereas all others are 60 minutes max. I find it mind-blowing that stretching and holding yourself in positions can leave you in a complete heap sweating on the ground. So far I'm only able to get 45 minutes through it. I have another go at it tomorrow and will see if I can make it to 50 minutes.

The Legs/Back workout is also pretty difficult for me, although I do manage to get through it. Even though I'd been hitting the gym, I neglected legs. After the first legs/back day 2 weeks ago, I had trouble walking up stairs, sitting down, and standing up. Last week was better, I expect this week to be a marked improvement as well.

Scaling workouts has been the key to me making it this far. In these videos you are watching a bunch of super-fit people banging out rep after rep of exercises you've never done before. You HAVE to scale these work-outs if you're not very fit to begin with. Shit, I had to watch some videos a few times just to get the movements right. Set a number of reps in your head you want to get to and knock em' out. Seek to improve upon that number the next session, even if it means adding 1 additional rep.

Thus far, I've noticed my flexibility and stamina are improving. There has been some definite fat loss from my midsection and I'm getting an outline of abs....never had those before! My body as a whole looks leaner now than it did a few short weeks ago. I'm excited, because it's so early into the program and I'm seeing changes.

So what are Days 30, 60, 90 going to look like? Can't wait to find out.

P90X Begins

I started P90x yesterday...and damn I'm sore. There are 3 different paths to choose from when doing the program: classic, lean, and doubles. I'm going with lean, which consists of 2 days resistance work, 4 days cardio/yoga weekly.

Schedule Weeks 1-3

I picked up a yoga mat and an adjustable dumbbell set  over the weekend. I already owned a pull-up bar, so start-up cost was relatively low considering I pirated the workout DVDs. I'm also following their nutrition guide to a tee, I want to see exactly what the program can do if I completely dedicate myself to it. The first 30 days is very high protein, 3 meals/2 snacks a day. I'm going to attempt not drinking alcohol for the first 30 days of the program, and then sparingly after that. After the fitness tests, etc. the program has me on a 2,400 calorie diet, which is higher than I typically eat - but I'm gonna roll with it.


I did some research on supplements, and have decided on the following:

• Goldstar Whey Protein (breakfast/before bed)
• Musclepharm Creatine (pre workout)
• P90x Results & Recovery formula (post workout)
• Vitamin stack
• Multivitamin
• Fish Oil
• Calcium
• Green Tea 

I did Core Synergistics yesterday. This consisted of push-ups, hip raises, banana rolls, planks, lunges, and other core activities that left my entire body aching today. The video was 60 minutes and I got through 40 before I collapsed and had to turn it off. I scaled down the reps on a lot of the exercises or else I wouldn't have even made it 40 minutes. All in all, a great success....I hope to build on it for next time. 

2+ Months Removed....

Hey internet, it's been awhile.

Over the past 2 months I've been steadily bombarded with emails asking me to update, provide advise, etc. I apologize I haven't been able to respond to all of you or even provide a final update on my progress. Between work and my recent lifestyle changes, it keeps me pretty busy. But I agree, it was shitty of me to update for ALMOST the entire time and then drop off completely.

Anyhow, I stopped short of the 60 days I set out to complete. I ended up stopping on day 46 of my fast because I hit 170lbs and that's where I wanted to be. Granted, it wasn't a studly muscular 170lbs, but it was a damn good start! I decided to re-introduce solids because I wanted to up my protein so I could do incorporate strength training in rather than just cardio.

As you may recall from my earlier posts, I was strictly doing cardio during the fast. While this was good for dropping the weight, it kinda left me as a weak skinny-fat noodle. I started doing full body strength training 3x/week and have put on some muscle. I'm at the point now where I don't feel like a complete tool at the gym because I'm actually able to lift some weight. Feels good brah. I've adapted my weekly routine to include 3 days strength, 3-4 days cardio.

My current diet is mainly high protein, low carb. I tend to eat pretty clean during the week. The booze and occasional shitty meal still present themselves on the weekends. I tend to drink a lot more vodka/water or vodka/lime now though. All the booze, no carbs. I've been following the leangains intermittent fasting program the past couple months and am enjoying it. I'm pretty used to not eating since this whole juicing thing began, so the transition was pretty seamless. I don't have time for breakfast in the morning anyhow...

So really, my goal right now is to get to a lower body fat percentage while increasing strength. Since I stopped juicing, I've gained 5lbs and stabilized at around 175lbs. I want to get to the point where the number doesn't matter, just feel/look good.

So anyhow, the final results:

Start Weight - 214.2lbs (9/4/12)
End Weight - 170lbs (10/20/12)
Total Loss - 44.2lbs
Start Waist - 38"
End Waist - 33-34"

Several of you have asked for a before/after picture, so what the hell:

My first beer after 46 days :)

What's Next?

Anyhow, this kinda turned me on to working out and getting healthy. I set some lofty goals for 2013 and I intend to follow through with them. I want to do crossfit, but I don't think I'm strong enough to even begin that shit. So, since I tend to do well with extreme shit....such as drinking juice for 40 something days...I'm doing P90x, cutting the booze, and closely monitoring my diet throughout the course of it. I just bought all the necessary items and intend to start mid January (need a few more party nights).

After that, I may look back into crossfit. I think I'll be posting my P90x progress on this here blog since people are still frequenting it.

Anyhow, I gotta go - got a 10k in the morning, prepping for the Gate River Run in March!

Goodbye Internet

Day 44

I finally went and got my watch after work tonight for my first reward (190lbs). I passed that mark awhile ago, just haven't got to check anything out....been staying pretty busy. I decided on a Victorinox Swiss Army watch. It's a pretty clean piece...I'm happy to add it to my collection.

Victorinox

I already owe myself an iPhone 5 for hitting 180lbs and I'm 4lbs shy of owing myself a MacBook Pro for 170lbs. This is getting expensive...LOL..but it's so worth it. I'm more motivated than ever now to continue getting fit and monitor my diet/exercise.

I'm taking a break from the gym tonight, I ran about 5 miles last night and my legs are reeaallly sore. I've got to keep upping the mileage to hit my goal of the Gate River Run in March. I'm signing up for several different 5k races between now and then to get some experience. Pretty cool stuff.

I ate a piece of avocado on Tuesday night - it was the first 'solid' food I've taken down throughout the process. Also, I drank a few beers last night. I met up with 2 friends I haven't seen in awhile and had a great time. The few beers I had hit me way harder than they would have 44 days ago - tolerance way down! I'm going to work on eating more solids in the coming week, breaking from the strict juice binge is kinda freakin' me out though. Hopefully, I still like food!

For now, juice on.

Day 42

It has been a loooonnnnggg slow week, BUT I hit my original goal weight of 175lbs this morning!! This past week was the slowest week yet in terms of weight loss. However - there isn't a lot more to lose....so I'm OK with that. I'm considering exiting the fast prior to 60 days and starting the next phase of my diet/exercise plan.


I'm pretty excited about working protein back in so I can start back with the weight lifting. Phase 2 is all about toning. I'm going with a high protein low carbohydrate diet while modifying my workouts to include strength training in addition to cardio. I'm planning on juicing through next Tuesday (already have the produce for the week) and then starting to eat raw fruits/veggies/nuts. By month's end I should be working meats into my diet - pretty stoked!

'The Biggest Loser - Week 6 Results

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I weighed in this morning at 174.8lbs for a weekly loss of 2.8lbs which brings my total loss to 39.4lbs or 20.28% of my starting body weight! Like I said, it was a 'slow-go' week - not much loss. This is why I think it's time to move on to the next phase. I don't want to become rail thin, I lost a huge amount of fat - now I need to go tone up and gain some muscle...

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Day 35

Well...I'm still plugging away. It's been 35 days now and this past weekend was one of the toughest. I went to the FL vs LSU game on Saturday. It was a lot of fun (especially with the gator victory), but much different from my prior years at this game.

We've tailgated with the same group of LSU fans for the past 6 years. They always have a killer setup with outdoor cookers, grills, and tons of different food and drink. This year was no different, aside the fact I abstained from everything. Luckily, there were some games that didn't involve alcohol I participated in to keep busy while everyone else was boozing and eating cajun cuisine.

Several of my friends didn't make the last UF home game vs KY so I hadn't seen them since the opener September 1st. Almost everyone said something about the amount of weight I have dropped. They were all pretty interested about the juicing - asking questions and trying the 'mean green'.  It was pretty cool.

'The Biggest Loser' Week 5 Results

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I weighed in this morning at 177.6lbs for a weekly loss of 6.8lbs which brings my total loss down to 36.6lbs or 18.69%. I'm within 2.6lbs of my 175lb initial goal and 7.6lbs of my re-adjusted goal of 170lbs. It's pretty remarkable seeing the weight still falling off at such a high rate. It actually increased 2.4lbs from last week's loss. I think I can credit some of this to the strict gym schedule I've been sticking to. I'm back full strength with running and am hitting the cardio 5-6 days/week now. I may decide to cut the fast short since I don't need to lose much more. I'm kinda interested to see how far this can go though...

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I'm spending this week and next researching my approach back to solid food and future diet. It looks like I'm going to start by first eating the produce I've been juicing, then steamed veggies, then finally mix some lean protein (chicken, fish) in with veggies after about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks. It should be interesting - I just want to be back in time for Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, I'll have to concede defeat to my brother in our annual eating competition, it's all about moderation going forward....

Halfway there....

It's been 30 days......1 whole MONTH on the juice fast. Coming into this, I didn't know if I could really go the distance. I've found that it's much more of a mind game than anything else. I'm not physically hungry, I just want to eat something because I enjoy eating different foods. I've been put in some tough positions (parties, tailgates, etc.) and haven't cracked. It definitely helped having some detractors that pretty much pinned me to fail from the beginning, appreciate that!

I'll be the first to admit, I've never considered myself to have a great amount of willpower in following through in regards to diet and fitness. I've always put it off, saying that I'll do it at a later time. I have literally been WANTING to get fit since the 11th grade - but always had an excuse. It would have been a lot easier then, but at least I'm doing it now. I have learned a lot about myself the last month and what can be done if you stick to a plan. Overall, it's been a great experience, I'm down to 181 lbs as of today - a whopping 33lbs less than one month ago. That's the equivalent of one of those huge ass Costco dog food bags that I was carrying around on myself.

I feel better in just about every way. My confidence has definitely taken a positive boost. Obviously, my clothes feel better, albeit loose. I'm thinking clearer and am more focused. I feel better running (much less bouncing LOL). Lastly.... I feel better sitting...this might sound trivial, but I sit all day and having extra pounds on you is pretty uncomfortable. I was always figgiting around in my chair and re-adjusting....no longer.

The first official 'Biggest Loser' weigh in at my workplace was today. I didn't see everyone's stats, but I'm fairly confident I have a pretty large lead. Some others have definitely lost weight, just not as drastic amounts as myself. I'm looking forward to winning this, so I get some extra cash to purchase some new work clothes. All of my work clothes are now baggy. They don't look terrible, but they are noticeably baggy. When I first started at my current position I came from a company where beachwear was acceptable attire. So I invested about $600 on dress clothes 4 months ago before starting this position. If my projections are correct I'll be netting about $660+ if I hit my target weight. That should be plenty enough to buy new clothes...

Over the next few weeks, I'll be planning my exit strategy. I'm starting to do research on the P90 program (starter version of P90x) to get toned up. I'm thinking of hopping straight into that when the juice fast ends, while I'm still in the disciplined mind-frame. Reintroducing solids into my diet needs to happen gradually, so I've got to start planning for that. I know I've got to change my diet going forward and keep the work-outs going. I'm cool with that though, I most definitely needed a lifestyle change.

Later