I did Insanity in lieu of p90x Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday due to my elbows. I'm pleased to report that my right one will most likely be good to go in the next day or two. However, it has become apparent my left one is going to take some time. I tried to test it out last night. I tried one push-up during my workout and it wasn't happening. I felt all kinds of pain. I then tried bending my arm while resisting and while it wasn't as much pain I could definitely tell something wasn't right.
I'm pretty bummed out. More so than I thought I would be. I even thought about just pushing thru the pain and figuring it out later. I know that's the worst idea ever but it was a little shocking to me how at the time I thought it was a GREAT idea.
I finished my workout but had to modify it to take out push-ups. I held planks instead of push-ups which seemed to work ok, no pain there. I immediately iced and took advil afterward and will continue to do so for at least the next 4 days. I'm going to give it 7 full days of rest (meaning no p90x) then go from there.
Sigh.
I will continue this Insanity route until Sunday and then decide if a doctor needs to get involved. Yuck. Oh please, dear elbow, please get better.
Today's Menu:
B: 2 eggs + 1/2 WW English Muffin + Coffee
S: Turkey Sandwich on lite whole wheat bread
L: Fish + Rice + Veggies
S: Yogurt
D: Maybe some bruschetta and salad
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Week 11 P90x
I can't believe I'm coming down to my final weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to finish out my workouts strong because I had a little accident yesterday. I fell down the steps in my apartment and decided to catch myself with my right elbow and hip. They took quite the beating. I had just started Chest and Back, got through the first exercise of push-ups, ran down my steps to get water and BOOM! I fell. Hard. It hurt.
I grabbed an ice pack for my elbow and sat on the couch for a second debating whether or not to go back up and finish the workout. It was nothing but push-ups and pull-ups and I knew I needed my elbow for both. I waited a few minutes, went back upstairs, did one set of pull-ups then immediately stopped. Wasn't happening. So, I popped in an insanity workout and did that instead. I'm glad I chose to stop the Chest and Back workout because during my insanity workout, my whole right arm decided to swell and become stiff. It hurt to just bend. I did some major icing, elevating and ibuprofen and it got a little better by the end of the day.
It's still sore and pretty bruised today so I'm putting off Chest and Back for at least another day and hitting the cardio hard. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm already having issues with my left elbow. For the past week or so my left elbow has been very tender when I place it on hard surfaces. I googled some stuff and saw a lot of "overuse injury" stuff but who knows what it really is. Rest and ice are usually always a good bet so that's what I'm going to do to save both my elbows.
Apparently I'm falling apart.
Hopefully things will be right as rain by tomorrow. It would be a shame to get this close to the final weeks and have to switch things up but I don't really mind. I really enjoy these strength workouts and really feel like I'll be incorporating them into future workouts so I don't feel like I'm abandoning it. I was going to do the Insanity program next anyway so if I have to start that early, no big deal. Honestly, I have had too many times where I ignored minor injuries. I wouldn't give them proper rest and sure enough, they became major injuries. Totally not worth it.
In other diet and exercise news I have come to the conclusion that my doctor is right. I definitely need more cardio. I used to hate weight lifting but now I LOVE it. I love how strong I've gotten and I especially love how I can feel my muscles. Unfortunately, I remembered recently why I didn't like it so much. I get better physical results with cardio. I'm a fortunate woman who actually builds muscle. Quite a lot. I know they say that women can't without steroids but that's not entirely true. No, I don't look like a body builder but I definitely have more muscle than the average woman. My mom is the same way. The thing is, once I get the fat down, I just look really, really athletic. Exactly how I want to look actually but cardio is the only thing that gets fat off for me. This is one of the reasons why I'm excited to start Insanity. I figure as long as I do my cardio and watch my calorie intake, then I'm going to have pretty amazing results. Especially since I have all this glorious muscle now.
Today's Diet:
B: scrambled eggs + whole wheat english muffin + coffee
S: apple
L: salad + thai chicken w/ rice noodles
S: yogurt
D: beef and broccoli + stir fry veggies
I grabbed an ice pack for my elbow and sat on the couch for a second debating whether or not to go back up and finish the workout. It was nothing but push-ups and pull-ups and I knew I needed my elbow for both. I waited a few minutes, went back upstairs, did one set of pull-ups then immediately stopped. Wasn't happening. So, I popped in an insanity workout and did that instead. I'm glad I chose to stop the Chest and Back workout because during my insanity workout, my whole right arm decided to swell and become stiff. It hurt to just bend. I did some major icing, elevating and ibuprofen and it got a little better by the end of the day.
It's still sore and pretty bruised today so I'm putting off Chest and Back for at least another day and hitting the cardio hard. I figure it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm already having issues with my left elbow. For the past week or so my left elbow has been very tender when I place it on hard surfaces. I googled some stuff and saw a lot of "overuse injury" stuff but who knows what it really is. Rest and ice are usually always a good bet so that's what I'm going to do to save both my elbows.
Apparently I'm falling apart.
Hopefully things will be right as rain by tomorrow. It would be a shame to get this close to the final weeks and have to switch things up but I don't really mind. I really enjoy these strength workouts and really feel like I'll be incorporating them into future workouts so I don't feel like I'm abandoning it. I was going to do the Insanity program next anyway so if I have to start that early, no big deal. Honestly, I have had too many times where I ignored minor injuries. I wouldn't give them proper rest and sure enough, they became major injuries. Totally not worth it.
In other diet and exercise news I have come to the conclusion that my doctor is right. I definitely need more cardio. I used to hate weight lifting but now I LOVE it. I love how strong I've gotten and I especially love how I can feel my muscles. Unfortunately, I remembered recently why I didn't like it so much. I get better physical results with cardio. I'm a fortunate woman who actually builds muscle. Quite a lot. I know they say that women can't without steroids but that's not entirely true. No, I don't look like a body builder but I definitely have more muscle than the average woman. My mom is the same way. The thing is, once I get the fat down, I just look really, really athletic. Exactly how I want to look actually but cardio is the only thing that gets fat off for me. This is one of the reasons why I'm excited to start Insanity. I figure as long as I do my cardio and watch my calorie intake, then I'm going to have pretty amazing results. Especially since I have all this glorious muscle now.
Today's Diet:
B: scrambled eggs + whole wheat english muffin + coffee
S: apple
L: salad + thai chicken w/ rice noodles
S: yogurt
D: beef and broccoli + stir fry veggies
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
p90x Day 60 Results
I was wrong about my measurements:
-->
I improved on more than chest and arms. My waist and hip area went down nicely as well. I honestly can't tell when I look at myself in the mirror. I definitely feel stronger and can lift more and do pushups so I know I've gained muscle. I also FEEL firmer in almost every area of my body but in full disclosure I see MINIMAL changes in the mirror. Also, I have no change in pants size yet. I find that very, very strange seeing as how in my waist area I've lost around 5 inches or so. However, traditionally, I don't change pants sizes til I drop 20-25 pounds. Seriously, one pant size for 20 pounds. So I'm HOPING that's why. I did put on a pair of "just out of the dryer" jeans this morning and they feel a little looser in the butt area. Maybe that's something.
Anyway, not to take anything away from the work I've done, I must say these numbers are not too shabby. And to put it in scale perspective, at 60 days I was also up 3 pounds from my beginning weight.
I have the feeling that as long as I continue there will be a breakthrough. Maybe it just takes my body longer to adapt but whatever it is I'm not discouraged and am, in fact, excited to finish this round and begin a new one!
Well, here's to the last 30 days. Who knows what will happen!!
Today's menu:
B: 1 egg + 1 egg white + bacon + ww english muffin + coffee
S: string cheese x 2 + blackberries
L: spring mix + roasted turkey + carrots + baby zucchini + cottage cheese + asiago dressing
D: hhhmmmmm ......
-->
| Day | 1 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 60 | TOTAL LOST |
| Waist | 41" | 38.5" | 37.25" | 36.5" | 35.25" | 5.75" |
| Chest | 43" | 43" | 43" | 42" | 41.5" | 1.5" |
| Left Arm | 14" | 13.5" | 13.5" | 13.5" | 13" | 1" |
| Neck | - | 13.5" | 13" | 13" | 13" | 0.5" |
| Rib | - | 35" | 34.5" | 34.5" | 35" | 0.0" |
| Belly Button | - | 42.5" | 42.5" | 40" | 37.25" | 5.25" |
| Hip | - | 46" | 45.5" | 45" | 43 | 3" |
| Left Leg-Knee | - | 19" | 19.5" | 18.5" | 19" | 0.0" |
| Left Leg-Upper | - | 26.25" | 25.25" | 25.25" | 25.75" | 0.5" |
| 17.5" |
I improved on more than chest and arms. My waist and hip area went down nicely as well. I honestly can't tell when I look at myself in the mirror. I definitely feel stronger and can lift more and do pushups so I know I've gained muscle. I also FEEL firmer in almost every area of my body but in full disclosure I see MINIMAL changes in the mirror. Also, I have no change in pants size yet. I find that very, very strange seeing as how in my waist area I've lost around 5 inches or so. However, traditionally, I don't change pants sizes til I drop 20-25 pounds. Seriously, one pant size for 20 pounds. So I'm HOPING that's why. I did put on a pair of "just out of the dryer" jeans this morning and they feel a little looser in the butt area. Maybe that's something.
Anyway, not to take anything away from the work I've done, I must say these numbers are not too shabby. And to put it in scale perspective, at 60 days I was also up 3 pounds from my beginning weight.
I have the feeling that as long as I continue there will be a breakthrough. Maybe it just takes my body longer to adapt but whatever it is I'm not discouraged and am, in fact, excited to finish this round and begin a new one!
Well, here's to the last 30 days. Who knows what will happen!!
Today's menu:
B: 1 egg + 1 egg white + bacon + ww english muffin + coffee
S: string cheese x 2 + blackberries
L: spring mix + roasted turkey + carrots + baby zucchini + cottage cheese + asiago dressing
D: hhhmmmmm ......
Monday, May 21, 2012
FitBit
I have been looking at the fitbit for a long time now. I've read all kinds of reviews and user opinions and even have gone so far to pick it up in the store only to put it back down.
So after my doctor visit last week, I decided to take the plunge. I mean, I had a gift card to a store that sells them so I figured why not. So I came home from my appointment and went shopping.
I got a blue one.
Initial thoughts? I'm still not sure. I've had a rocky start with mine. I started wearing it full time on Friday. I did 2 workouts that day (as per my doctor's orders!): a walk and a p90x strength workout. It told me I burned 2493 calories total that day (that includes my workouts). I can't help but think that seems a little high.
But it was only day 1 so I wore it again the next day.
Saturday! I wore it the whole day long. Had one short cardio workout (20 minutes maybe) and worked on a photo shoot so I was pretty active. It says I burned 2421 calories. I was a little surprised that the calorie difference between this day and the day before was so minimal because of the 2 workouts but whatever.
Next day:
I was starting to get into this little gadget. I liked seeing my steps, calories and whatnot. I found myself getting competitive and trying to move more to beat my steps from the previous day.
And then, it stopped working.
It was the end of the day after much movement, walking, and such and it just decided to stop working. No lights, nothing.
I was agitated. I reset the sucker and left it at home while I finished my day all prepared to take it back to the store. But, when I got home, it was working again.
Go figure.
However, the third day was a wash since I had to reset it.
Now it's Monday. I've been wearing it and so far I'm at 1116 calories burned today.
Yeah, I burn way less calories at work than I thought. I have 2 workouts planned for today so hopefully I'll get that number up higher.
Conclusion: I have no idea what to make of this thing. I like that it makes me want to move more. I like that I can see how my calories differ day to day. Do I think the calorie burn is accurate? For now my answer is no. It appears to be an estimate at best but I'm hoping over time I can find a pattern in the number. Maybe it'll help me find that "sweet spot" my doctor was talking about.
In any case, I love gadgets and data. Maybe in a week or 2 I'll have a better idea.
For now, I'm keeping it.
So after my doctor visit last week, I decided to take the plunge. I mean, I had a gift card to a store that sells them so I figured why not. So I came home from my appointment and went shopping.
I got a blue one.
Initial thoughts? I'm still not sure. I've had a rocky start with mine. I started wearing it full time on Friday. I did 2 workouts that day (as per my doctor's orders!): a walk and a p90x strength workout. It told me I burned 2493 calories total that day (that includes my workouts). I can't help but think that seems a little high.
But it was only day 1 so I wore it again the next day.
Saturday! I wore it the whole day long. Had one short cardio workout (20 minutes maybe) and worked on a photo shoot so I was pretty active. It says I burned 2421 calories. I was a little surprised that the calorie difference between this day and the day before was so minimal because of the 2 workouts but whatever.
Next day:
I was starting to get into this little gadget. I liked seeing my steps, calories and whatnot. I found myself getting competitive and trying to move more to beat my steps from the previous day.
And then, it stopped working.
It was the end of the day after much movement, walking, and such and it just decided to stop working. No lights, nothing.
I was agitated. I reset the sucker and left it at home while I finished my day all prepared to take it back to the store. But, when I got home, it was working again.
Go figure.
However, the third day was a wash since I had to reset it.
Now it's Monday. I've been wearing it and so far I'm at 1116 calories burned today.
Yeah, I burn way less calories at work than I thought. I have 2 workouts planned for today so hopefully I'll get that number up higher.
Conclusion: I have no idea what to make of this thing. I like that it makes me want to move more. I like that I can see how my calories differ day to day. Do I think the calorie burn is accurate? For now my answer is no. It appears to be an estimate at best but I'm hoping over time I can find a pattern in the number. Maybe it'll help me find that "sweet spot" my doctor was talking about.
In any case, I love gadgets and data. Maybe in a week or 2 I'll have a better idea.
For now, I'm keeping it.
p90x: Week 10 and a Doctor's Visit
First, I apologize for not posting my measurements. I took them, I just kept forgetting to post. And now that I have the time, I don't have my little notebook with me.
I can't give you exact numbers but I CAN tell you it's nothing overwhelming. I believe I only lost inches in my arms and chest. Everything else is holding steady. I wasn't too surprised because I have gained a few pounds and I can tell they aren't good pounds. Totally my own fault though, I was eating too many calories.
Lots of calories :)
I was eating so much that I had to give myself an intervention. I laid down the law with myself and I've been back on track for a whole week now.
Today is day #1 of week #10. That means in three weeks time I'll be staring down my final days of this round. However, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will be doing some sort of round 2. I know it won't be a full on p90x but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a hybrid that will involve p90x and I'll tell you why.
I had a visit with my doctor last week and we went over a bunch of stuff about my weight loss ventures. Long story short: I need more cardio. It was with a heavy heart that my doctor informed me that I need to up my cardio. She kind of cringed when she told me because nobody wants to hear that but I wasn't too surprised actually. Her initial recommendation was 7 days a week of 1 hour of cardio in addition to 3 days a week of strength training. That's a lot of working out isn't it? As for calories, she recommended 1500-1600 but also said I have to monitor my results because "it's a fine line between eating too little and eating too much" so it's my job to find the proverbial sweet spot. My doctor is older than me and in really good shape so she shared with me her exercise and diet program so that helped. She works out every day of the week, eats incredibly healthy and also has to keep a strict eye on intake. She also stressed that it's important to kick this in the butt now because it's only going to get harder as I get older.
Kind of hard to image this getting any more difficult.
Anyway, we had a really great talk and I'm glad that I'm able to talk to her so freely about all of this.
So now I'm going to up my cardio. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to jump right into 7 days a week of 1 hour of cardio plus my weights but I'm going to start incorporating more cardio as soon as possible. I'm going to continue to follow p90x as scheduled but try to throw in some walks, runs, cardio dvd into the mix to start.
Once this round is over, I'm going to create a "round 2" that tries to follow her recommendations. I just got the insanity workouts so I figure why not incorporate that into my hybrid. She wanted me to do more cardio and Insanity screams CARDIO!
Today's Menu:
B: 1 egg + 1 egg white + 1/2 ww english muffin + bacon + coffee
S: string cheese x 2 + blackberries
L: spring mix + baby zucchini + carrots + light dressing + roasted turkey + cottage cheese
D: un croque monsieur + salad (Maybe, if I feel like cooking cause my apartment is crazy hot right now)
I can't give you exact numbers but I CAN tell you it's nothing overwhelming. I believe I only lost inches in my arms and chest. Everything else is holding steady. I wasn't too surprised because I have gained a few pounds and I can tell they aren't good pounds. Totally my own fault though, I was eating too many calories.
Lots of calories :)
I was eating so much that I had to give myself an intervention. I laid down the law with myself and I've been back on track for a whole week now.
Today is day #1 of week #10. That means in three weeks time I'll be staring down my final days of this round. However, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will be doing some sort of round 2. I know it won't be a full on p90x but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a hybrid that will involve p90x and I'll tell you why.
I had a visit with my doctor last week and we went over a bunch of stuff about my weight loss ventures. Long story short: I need more cardio. It was with a heavy heart that my doctor informed me that I need to up my cardio. She kind of cringed when she told me because nobody wants to hear that but I wasn't too surprised actually. Her initial recommendation was 7 days a week of 1 hour of cardio in addition to 3 days a week of strength training. That's a lot of working out isn't it? As for calories, she recommended 1500-1600 but also said I have to monitor my results because "it's a fine line between eating too little and eating too much" so it's my job to find the proverbial sweet spot. My doctor is older than me and in really good shape so she shared with me her exercise and diet program so that helped. She works out every day of the week, eats incredibly healthy and also has to keep a strict eye on intake. She also stressed that it's important to kick this in the butt now because it's only going to get harder as I get older.
Kind of hard to image this getting any more difficult.
Anyway, we had a really great talk and I'm glad that I'm able to talk to her so freely about all of this.
So now I'm going to up my cardio. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to jump right into 7 days a week of 1 hour of cardio plus my weights but I'm going to start incorporating more cardio as soon as possible. I'm going to continue to follow p90x as scheduled but try to throw in some walks, runs, cardio dvd into the mix to start.
Once this round is over, I'm going to create a "round 2" that tries to follow her recommendations. I just got the insanity workouts so I figure why not incorporate that into my hybrid. She wanted me to do more cardio and Insanity screams CARDIO!
Today's Menu:
B: 1 egg + 1 egg white + 1/2 ww english muffin + bacon + coffee
S: string cheese x 2 + blackberries
L: spring mix + baby zucchini + carrots + light dressing + roasted turkey + cottage cheese
D: un croque monsieur + salad (Maybe, if I feel like cooking cause my apartment is crazy hot right now)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Week 8 of P90x = Phase 2 Recovery
I have been meaning to write an update for a couple of days now I just haven't gotten around to it.
When we last met, I had a seven day workout week ahead of me. Well, right after I published that post I spoke to a friend of mine who is currently on his own journey doing Insanity (another program like p90x) and he told me to not kill myself by skipping my rest day but rather to just "kill it" that week.
And kill it I did. I did all 6 of my workouts. All 6 were amazing and I burned tons of calories. I also ate really well. And now I am in my recovery week. That's right, I'm 8 weeks in. I'm so very proud to have made it this far but in all honesty, it has been very, very enjoyable. Last night I got to do Core Synergistics which I hadn't done in awhile since I switched to the Classic schedule and it was amazing. I know I've been progressing through this whole process but last night it was glaring me in the face. From the push-ups to the lunges, to the dreya rolls, I was able to do every, single, one. Don't get me wrong, it's still a challenging workout and I sweated my way through the whole thing but I was working out at a whole new level. And yes, it felt amazing.
I haven't gotten around to measuring myself but I am going to try to do that in the next day or so because I'm a little curious to see if I've lost any more inches. I still haven't lost a single pound according to the scale. I mean, that number goes up then down then back up so I don't know what to make of it. I can't wrap my head around it so I'm just going to let it be. My jeans are FINALLY showing signs of being baggy and to me, that trumps the scale not moving. Also, for the first time, I noticed my face has gotten slimmer. Isn't it weird how that kind of stuff just magically happens?
I didn't notice it yesterday but suddenly today it's slimmer. Go figure.
I'm still working on my nutrition. I've heard it a million times over and over again, "it's all about nutrition". And it really is. Turns out, working out isn't the hard part. The eating is the hard part. If you're going to try this program, trust me, the workouts are nothing. Planning healthy meals and choosing healthier options is a job all by itself. But, I AM getting better at it. I think my tastes have changed as well. It's a known fact that I love pasta. Weird thing is, it just doesn't do it for me anymore. I had a cheat meal about 2 weeks ago and I made my favorite pasta dish. I was so excited to sit down and eat it and when I did ... NOTHING. It tasted fine, I just wasn't satisfied with it. I find myself more satisfied with a good hamburger for a cheat meal. Crazy right? I guess I've taken a liking to protein.
Who knew?
Today's menu:
B: 2 egg omelet + diced tomato + shredded cheese + coffee/creamer
S: edamame + string cheese + buffalo jerky
L: turkey + fresh mozzarella + broccoli + lettuce + whole wheat bread + pickles
S: cottage cheese
D: ?
Today's Workout:
I switched out Cardio X for a run on the treadmill.
When we last met, I had a seven day workout week ahead of me. Well, right after I published that post I spoke to a friend of mine who is currently on his own journey doing Insanity (another program like p90x) and he told me to not kill myself by skipping my rest day but rather to just "kill it" that week.
And kill it I did. I did all 6 of my workouts. All 6 were amazing and I burned tons of calories. I also ate really well. And now I am in my recovery week. That's right, I'm 8 weeks in. I'm so very proud to have made it this far but in all honesty, it has been very, very enjoyable. Last night I got to do Core Synergistics which I hadn't done in awhile since I switched to the Classic schedule and it was amazing. I know I've been progressing through this whole process but last night it was glaring me in the face. From the push-ups to the lunges, to the dreya rolls, I was able to do every, single, one. Don't get me wrong, it's still a challenging workout and I sweated my way through the whole thing but I was working out at a whole new level. And yes, it felt amazing.
I haven't gotten around to measuring myself but I am going to try to do that in the next day or so because I'm a little curious to see if I've lost any more inches. I still haven't lost a single pound according to the scale. I mean, that number goes up then down then back up so I don't know what to make of it. I can't wrap my head around it so I'm just going to let it be. My jeans are FINALLY showing signs of being baggy and to me, that trumps the scale not moving. Also, for the first time, I noticed my face has gotten slimmer. Isn't it weird how that kind of stuff just magically happens?
I didn't notice it yesterday but suddenly today it's slimmer. Go figure.
I'm still working on my nutrition. I've heard it a million times over and over again, "it's all about nutrition". And it really is. Turns out, working out isn't the hard part. The eating is the hard part. If you're going to try this program, trust me, the workouts are nothing. Planning healthy meals and choosing healthier options is a job all by itself. But, I AM getting better at it. I think my tastes have changed as well. It's a known fact that I love pasta. Weird thing is, it just doesn't do it for me anymore. I had a cheat meal about 2 weeks ago and I made my favorite pasta dish. I was so excited to sit down and eat it and when I did ... NOTHING. It tasted fine, I just wasn't satisfied with it. I find myself more satisfied with a good hamburger for a cheat meal. Crazy right? I guess I've taken a liking to protein.
Who knew?
Today's menu:
B: 2 egg omelet + diced tomato + shredded cheese + coffee/creamer
S: edamame + string cheese + buffalo jerky
L: turkey + fresh mozzarella + broccoli + lettuce + whole wheat bread + pickles
S: cottage cheese
D: ?
Today's Workout:
I switched out Cardio X for a run on the treadmill.
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