Another Week Down

Another week of P90X is done and I think it’s been about that long since I’ve updated the blog. Thoughts have been going about a million miles a minute on things more important to meditate on than exercise. So, while I’ve been maintaining my workouts I haven’t felt the need to write about them.

My one thought of the week: it’s amazing to see results! This week I took advantage of Goodwill’s 99c clothing day to buy all new pants. It was pretty awesome to buy pants 2-4 sizes smaller than I’ve ever worn before and have them fit perfectly! Being a mom does not mean settling for a larger pants size.

Already Week 2 of P90X

One nice thing about moving from workout to workout is that once you’re in the habit of working out that part of the journey isn’t as hard. I took a four day weekend for my daughter’s first birthday and there were certainly mornings I would have rather slept in, but I got up and worked out. (Of course, my willpower didn’t carry over into eating as there was lots of celebratory foods.)

So, week 2 has started. This morning was a rough one for getting up so I switched P90X2 Plyocide for the P90X Plyometrics on the schedule. The workout is shorter and more fun, though also more intense. I’d forgotten that it uses more equipment, but that’s part of the fun.

Soreness continues.

Yoga

Today I substituted Yoga from P90X2 for the 90 min X routine. I love the X2 Yoga! (Random thoughts were given about it a while back.)

This routine was just what my legs needed today. When I woke up I actually wondered if I pulled, or otherwise injured, that knee tendon/muscle. But after 66 mins of yoga my legs felt refreshed and great. It was just the stretching I needed. That first forward bend was pretty pathetic.

In other news, my triceps are killing me from yesterday.

Day 3 – That Shoulder-Bicep-Tricep Workout

I wish I would have kept my workout sheets from the previous rounds… or, if I kept them, I wish I knew where they were. It would be interesting to see what weights and bands I previously used. It would also be nice to have a weight heavier than 5lb but lighter than 10lbs. And a weight heavier than 10lbs but lighter than 40lbs. Happily, bands can fill in the big gap, but I prefer weights for some moves.

I expect my arms will be really sore today. My legs are sore from yesterday’s Plyometrics, but in an area I’ve never felt before: the outer rear muscle/tendon thing on my knees. I’ve always felt my thighs or hamstrings. Speaking of hamstrings, it turns out that chair dips are a pretty good stretch for them when you keep your legs straight!

New Adventures with an Old Program

Monday I started P90X for the third time. The three times have stretched over the course of two years, both previous times were closely tied to losing pregnancy weight. Since the last time I’ve done P90X2 and Insanity; both arguably harder. I’ll admit that I thought this time would be somewhat “easy” … or at least not as hard as the previous times.

Truth: P90X is a hard workout. And “it is what you make it.”

Having come off 21 days of no working out (during which I did the Ultimate Reset food cleanse) my body is readjusting to early mornings of sweat. My body is reacting with sore (in a good way) muscles. As I sit and type my core is screaming at me. I don’t know that I really expected this reaction. I should have.

Truth: P90X is a hard workout. And “it is what you make it.”

Day 1: Chest & Back, plus Ab Ripper X

The best thing about this day is that I was able to do all my push-ups “regular” style on my feet. The last time I did P90X I did about 90% of my push-ups on my knees. P90X2 broke me of the habit (can’t put your knees on a stability or medicine ball). It felt amazing to be able to do SO MANY push-ups! I imagine I’ll have a similar feeling someday when I move from bands to pull-ups.

Day 2: Plyometrics

This was an interesting day. Several times I thought, “Ooh, a break already! So much easier than Insanity.” And, “Mary Katherine’s without holding a medicine ball? So much easier than P90X2.” On the other hand, I was a sweaty ball of tired by the end. My accomplishments today came from not stopping or modifying moves. When Tony touched the ground I touched the ground. When they jumped higher I jumped higher. It felt good to push myself by truly keeping up. I imagine I’ll feel this one tomorrow.

The Ultimate Reset: Results & Lessons

Three weeks is over! There were definitely challenges with the Reset, but also some great lessons learned.

First, the results: weight loss just over 10 lbs.
                            body fat percentage down 2.5%

Not bad for 21 days of changing how I ate. I was truly surprised to lose more weight with this program than with the workout programs I’ve been doing. 60 days of intense physical activity seems like it should take off more pounds than 21 days of clean eating. Lesson learned: physical activity is no substitute for healthy eating! I can only imagine the results I could’ve gotten from P90X, P90X2, or Insanity if I would’ve followed the meal plans also.

Two days past the Reset and I’m happy to return to small servings of meat and cheese. They don’t hold the allure they previously did and I’ve eaten both with large amounts of veggies. Lesson learned: veggies are filling and a good base for meals.

I’m drawn to snack when the kiddos go to bed at night. Even during the Reset I eventually allowed myself to snack on watermelon during this time. Dinners are often much work and time consuming with two little ones. By the time we’ve played, done baths, read stories, and kissed goodnight I’m feeling a little tired. Lesson Learned: Watermelon is a perfect snack. Fills my thirst and silences my sweet tooth.

While fruit breakfasts were delicious, I missed my Shakeology. Toward the end I occasionally used it for breakfast. Lesson learned: I used to make it with skim milk and peanut butter; while this added protein and was a good combination while pregnant it is probably more calories and fat than I need on a typical day. Shakeology with frozen cherries and water is my new favorite thing. By the time it’s blended it’s a fun chocolate-red color. And delicious.

Ultimate Reset: Week 2

Week 2 is in the books. The hardest part is definitely over. I no longer have the mindless motion of eating items I’m cleaning up (i.e. kid’s plates) or searching for excuses to munch. Not to say sometimes foods don’t tempt me. The hardest day was when someone brought in chocolate caramel cupcakes at work; they sounded great. But, I avoided the break room until they were gone.

I thought that the hardest thing about the vegan weeks would be the lack of cheese. I really don’t miss cheese; which kind of surprises me. I’ll probably have a quesadilla when the Reset is done; but most meals are pretty amazing without cheese. Meat isn’t an issue for me, as I typically don’t eat much of it anyway. What I miss is frozen yogurt/ice cream. It’s probably more the 100F heat than the Reset that has caused me to long for the sweet goodness. And the fact that when taking the kiddos out in the heat (baseball games and the zoo) I have gotten them ice cream. And kids are messy with ice cream; so I’ve had to help out to keep things semi-neat. Yes, I’ve cheated here and there. This has been my only cheat, so I’m feeling pretty good about it. Unfortunately, I’ve been able to tell myself that since I’m not taking the supplements I’m not doing the full Reset and it’s okay to cheat. Which, it’s not. All my other snacks have been of the nut and fruit variety. So, I’m more on the Partial Reset than the Ultimate Reset.

Nonetheless, as Week 2 finished I found that the second number on the scale was suddenly a number I haven’t seen since high school. Hooray for that!!