Okay, in case you didn't know this, I'm a slacker. It's been a while, since I have added anything to this. Maybe I hit a rut or perhaps I was just being lazy. It's time to get caught up and to get things rolling, again.
The last month has been a whirlwind. I have moved from Nashville, back home to Alabama. It was not an easy decision and the transition has been a little bumpy, but it could have been worse. All things considered, it just seemed like the thing to do. I had been away for over ten years. I enjoyed Nashville and had convinced myself that I was close enough to friends and the family that I left behind to be able to hop in the car and take a trip to visit for a the weekend any time that I wanted. However, life happens and there are always things to do and it became routine to think, I'll do it next weekend. "Next weekend" seemed to come around only a few times each year. That was not good. Other circumstances played a part in this decision and after the move, I started to see that there were other factors that I did not even know about that confirmed that this was the best option.
My work with the fire department was great. I miss that. I was pushing myself to do things that I had never thought I was capable of and felt good about the things I was doing, the service I was helping to provide and the choices that I was making. I miss the friends to whom I had gotten close, but I know that those friendships can and will continue, though I am not as close to them, geographically.
The family is doing well, but they are not the same people that I had left, ten years ago. They are every bit as caring, loving and supportive as they have always been, but time, age and life has shown that things change and all we can do is go with those changes and we, as well as all of those around us must adapt with those changes and keep going. After moving back, I became more aware of this than ever. It would have been very difficult for me to deal with the fact that waiting on "next weekend" may have been an error in judgment and could have taken away the quality time to be able to spend with family and friends. That level of regret would have been hard to live with. I am happy that I do not have to go through that, now.
One of the first things I did, after moving back, was to go see a friend of mine. He and I had gone to high school together and played music together for many years. He is doing well. He got married, before I moved to Nashville. Married life was good to him and, as can be expected, he put on a few pounds. Recently, he has been working on taking them off and has done very well. I am proud of him.
I went to see him play with his band and it was the first time I had seen him in several years. He looked good. I could tell that he was happy with his results and when he saw me and saw my own transformation, he was a little deflated. Don't get me wrong, he was happy for me and proud of me and of my own accomplishments. It was kind of funny. When we saw each other, we shook hands and hugged (it was a manly hug with lots of forceful back slapping...that is an approved man-hug...I'm hugging you, but I'm hitting you, too.) He just looked at me and said, "Okay, you win."
Since then, I've been trying to maintain this, but I have slipped a bit. My mom seems to think that she needs to make up for the last ten years of not being able to cook for me. I feel guilty every time I sit down at a table that is filled with deep-fried, buttery, starchy, high carb, higher fat platters of motherly love. It's my mom, though. I had to take one for the team. I have taken a few too many, though.
The first week I was back, I gained 5 pounds. I started running and worked myself up to about 3 miles a day. I had gotten myself back to "fighting weight", but I have slacked off, again. Not good.
I wanted to find a job and get myself into a stable routine with that and then go forth and pursue my initial goal of getting involved as a firefighter with a department in or close to my new home. Phase 1 of that is complete. I am working for a pharmaceutical company and I think I will enjoy it. Now, it time to really get to work. Phase 2 begins, today.
This morning, I took my (now 11 pound heavier) butt to the grocery store and filled my buggy with baby spinach, fat free yogurt, chicken breasts, protein bars, string cheese and (ugh, it pains me to say this...) cottage cheese. Later, today, I will restart the first 30-day level of P90X.
The most difficult part of this is going to be the Mom Factor. She means well and I know it is all done with love, but I also know that I am going to have to be very careful, knowing that hurting her feelings will be unavoidable when I tell her that I can't eat her triple layer, death-by-chocolate cake after declining to eat her culinary offerings where butter is not just a seasoning or a condiment...in many cases, it's a side-dish.
Mom, I love you. Just keep that in mind.
Sometimes, being little is better than being young.
I know it's been a while. Cut me a little slack. Life has a way of stepping in and taking up our free time. In any event, here I am.
I am staying with the P90X program. Perhaps I should say that I am staying with the diet portion of the program and I am trying to work in the work outs, as I can.
The idea of this came from different things. Above all, I knew I had a few pounds to lose and I was not as healthy as I should have been and wanted to be. I also wanted to get in better shape to enable me to be successful in a new adventure and what I had hoped would lead into a new career as a fire fighter.
I was able to get myself into the department as a Probationary Fire Fighter, also called a Probe or a Probie or a Newbie and there are several other terms that I have been made aware of, but I'll keep those to myself. I wanted this transformation to help me stick around and see what life is like on the other end of the remarks.
A few weeks ago, all the new Probies were called into the station to be fitted for Turnout Gear. Turnout gear is the protective clothing worn like boots, pants and coat. When my turn came, I stood up in front of the officers in charge of the fitting and they looked at me and one said to the other; "He looks like he's Little D's size. Go try his gear on."
I honestly can't remember the last time I was compared to or in any way referenced to anyone or anything "little", but I am sure I was probably about 7 years-old at the time. Cool!
I knew who they were talking about. I've met this 'Little D'. I don't know his real name. I don't know many of the real names of the guys I have met. They all have nick names. Little D is not that "little". He's not a tall guy, but he's not a short guy, either. We are about the same height. So, ok, I can see that. He's in great shape, too. The first time I saw him, I thought to myself that he obviously works out and takes care of himself and I hope I never piss him off, because he would surely stomp me into a little greasy spot. So, I felt really good to have my build compared to "Little D". A few months ago, things may have turned out differently. There is a guy in the department that they all call "Chunk"...but, he's a cool guy, too.
Training is going well. After the classroom sessions, we all go out to the service bay for PT, physical training. The Captain that is doing the training seems to be a good guy. I am reminded of the movie Forrest Gump. Specifically, when he meets Lieutenant Dan for the first time. I am certain that he and I will never make our fortune working on a shrimp boat, but I can't help but think to myself; "I sure hope I don't disappoint him."
25 push ups was barked out. pppppppth No problem. A few months ago...different story. 25 squats. Dude, this is a cake walk. 20 push ups. Ok, you have my attention, now. 20 squats. Dude, I thought we were cool. 15 push ups. I'm starting to dislike you. 15 squats. I see a pattern forming, here. 10 push ups. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot, here. 10 squats. Perhaps we can crank up one of the engines and pump some water over here...I'm just saying. 5 push ups. If you guys need me, I'll be under the ladder the truck. I'll be the one curled up in the fetal position with the snot bubbles coming out of his nose.
Now, what happened next was a valuable lesson. Another Probe who I am sure was trying to be gung ho and not a smart ass barked out; "5 squats"...then proceeded to do them. The Captain announced that since he could not follow instructions, he would do everyone's last 5 squats. There were 25 of us there.
Note to self...always follow instructions.
I am staying with the P90X program. Perhaps I should say that I am staying with the diet portion of the program and I am trying to work in the work outs, as I can.
The idea of this came from different things. Above all, I knew I had a few pounds to lose and I was not as healthy as I should have been and wanted to be. I also wanted to get in better shape to enable me to be successful in a new adventure and what I had hoped would lead into a new career as a fire fighter.
I was able to get myself into the department as a Probationary Fire Fighter, also called a Probe or a Probie or a Newbie and there are several other terms that I have been made aware of, but I'll keep those to myself. I wanted this transformation to help me stick around and see what life is like on the other end of the remarks.
A few weeks ago, all the new Probies were called into the station to be fitted for Turnout Gear. Turnout gear is the protective clothing worn like boots, pants and coat. When my turn came, I stood up in front of the officers in charge of the fitting and they looked at me and one said to the other; "He looks like he's Little D's size. Go try his gear on."
I honestly can't remember the last time I was compared to or in any way referenced to anyone or anything "little", but I am sure I was probably about 7 years-old at the time. Cool!
I knew who they were talking about. I've met this 'Little D'. I don't know his real name. I don't know many of the real names of the guys I have met. They all have nick names. Little D is not that "little". He's not a tall guy, but he's not a short guy, either. We are about the same height. So, ok, I can see that. He's in great shape, too. The first time I saw him, I thought to myself that he obviously works out and takes care of himself and I hope I never piss him off, because he would surely stomp me into a little greasy spot. So, I felt really good to have my build compared to "Little D". A few months ago, things may have turned out differently. There is a guy in the department that they all call "Chunk"...but, he's a cool guy, too.
Training is going well. After the classroom sessions, we all go out to the service bay for PT, physical training. The Captain that is doing the training seems to be a good guy. I am reminded of the movie Forrest Gump. Specifically, when he meets Lieutenant Dan for the first time. I am certain that he and I will never make our fortune working on a shrimp boat, but I can't help but think to myself; "I sure hope I don't disappoint him."
25 push ups was barked out. pppppppth No problem. A few months ago...different story. 25 squats. Dude, this is a cake walk. 20 push ups. Ok, you have my attention, now. 20 squats. Dude, I thought we were cool. 15 push ups. I'm starting to dislike you. 15 squats. I see a pattern forming, here. 10 push ups. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot, here. 10 squats. Perhaps we can crank up one of the engines and pump some water over here...I'm just saying. 5 push ups. If you guys need me, I'll be under the ladder the truck. I'll be the one curled up in the fetal position with the snot bubbles coming out of his nose.
Now, what happened next was a valuable lesson. Another Probe who I am sure was trying to be gung ho and not a smart ass barked out; "5 squats"...then proceeded to do them. The Captain announced that since he could not follow instructions, he would do everyone's last 5 squats. There were 25 of us there.
Note to self...always follow instructions.
The Devil you know or the Devil you don't?
Last week, I would have completed the first phase of P90X. I say "would have" because there were days that I was not as diligent as I should have been with the workout schedule. I stuck to the diet. I am proud of myself for that.
After 28 days of the diet and about two=thirds of the workouts complete, I have lost 23 pounds and I see muscle definition that I have never had in my life. There was nothing easy about it.
Early on, I thought about and wrote about the possibility of getting complacent with the results that I have seen and hoped that I would push forward and continue with the program. I am wondering if that has happened and I am trying to mask it or, more aptly, make excuses for long hours of work and lack of free time to do so.
For the last week, I've stayed with the first phase of the program. I've tried to make up for the missed workouts and I think I have done this. Today, I took a peek at the phase two workouts. Holy Crap!
So, here is my thought process. Have I done my best? I knew going into this, it was going to be difficult. Have I done my best? Upon seeing the next phase of work outs, am I ready for the next level? Have I done my best? I don't think I have.
Maybe it is possible that I am seeing the tougher road ahead and I am questioning whether or not I have prepared myself. Maybe I am seeing this and I am doubting my ability to do it. I recall many times that I doubted my ability to get this far. I got here, but it was not without a few short cuts. Have I done my best?
Hind-sight is 20/20. The phase one workouts have gotten easier to do, not easy by any means. The phase two workouts are going to get much harder.
Deja vu... It is so easy to think back at how we could have done things differently, once we get that glimpse forward. Part of me is considering starting phase one, from the beginning and not making the excuses for not following the schedule as it is laid out. Part of me wants to move forward with phase two, learning from the mistakes that I admittedly made with phase one. The rest of me just wants a bacon sandwich, dripping with bar-b-que sauce and a towering pile of curly fries.
All of me thinks that P90X should include an additional DVD, offering psychological help to people that struggle with things this brings about. I really don't know where to go from here.
After 28 days of the diet and about two=thirds of the workouts complete, I have lost 23 pounds and I see muscle definition that I have never had in my life. There was nothing easy about it.
Early on, I thought about and wrote about the possibility of getting complacent with the results that I have seen and hoped that I would push forward and continue with the program. I am wondering if that has happened and I am trying to mask it or, more aptly, make excuses for long hours of work and lack of free time to do so.
For the last week, I've stayed with the first phase of the program. I've tried to make up for the missed workouts and I think I have done this. Today, I took a peek at the phase two workouts. Holy Crap!
So, here is my thought process. Have I done my best? I knew going into this, it was going to be difficult. Have I done my best? Upon seeing the next phase of work outs, am I ready for the next level? Have I done my best? I don't think I have.
Maybe it is possible that I am seeing the tougher road ahead and I am questioning whether or not I have prepared myself. Maybe I am seeing this and I am doubting my ability to do it. I recall many times that I doubted my ability to get this far. I got here, but it was not without a few short cuts. Have I done my best?
Hind-sight is 20/20. The phase one workouts have gotten easier to do, not easy by any means. The phase two workouts are going to get much harder.
Deja vu... It is so easy to think back at how we could have done things differently, once we get that glimpse forward. Part of me is considering starting phase one, from the beginning and not making the excuses for not following the schedule as it is laid out. Part of me wants to move forward with phase two, learning from the mistakes that I admittedly made with phase one. The rest of me just wants a bacon sandwich, dripping with bar-b-que sauce and a towering pile of curly fries.
All of me thinks that P90X should include an additional DVD, offering psychological help to people that struggle with things this brings about. I really don't know where to go from here.
End of Phase 1
1983 was a long year for me. In February of that year, I turned twelve years-old. I was so close to becoming a teenager, I could almost taste it. Looking back, I really don't know why it was so important to me to have the title of "teenager". There is really no difference between being twelve and being thirteen or even fourteen. The advantages of being a teenager really do not kick in until you are fifteen and are able to get your learner's permit.
That begins the next long year of a person's life. Knowing that a driver's license is that close, makes each day seem longer than the last.
At seventeen years-old, we want to be eighteen, thinking that we'll be out of school, grown and living the life we've been dreaming about our whole life. At eighteen, I was supposed to be married to Heather Locklear and she and I would live happily ever after on the fortune that we would make owning our own video arcade.
It's difficult to be a nineteen-year old. We feel too old to be called a teenager, but we still are. At some point, as a nineteen-year old, many kids have uttered the phrase; "I can join the army and go to war and be killed serving my country, but I can't buy beer!"
Twenty is a long year, because at that point, you're less than a year away from being able to buy that beer.
After the age of twenty-one, time seems to stand still for a while. And why shouldn't it? We're young and we can stay up all night and go to work the next day on little or no sleep. We can fall down and we bounce back up and we may not even bother to dust ourselves off. We're not scared of anything!
During my twenties, my best friend Tim and I would keep ourselves busy with assorted activities of debauchery. To this day, I cannot see a duck without slight chuckle and thoughts of a weekend in Memphis, TN.
Turning thirty is not a big deal. Yesterday, I was twenty-nine. I'm just a day older. I'm basically still in my twenties. I'm not really in my thirties. I am thirty. There is a big difference. During this decade of ages, some wise-ass thought it was necessary to sub-divide age, going forward. You're not thirty-two years old. You're in your early thirties. You're not thirty-four, thirty-five or thirty-six, you're in your mid-thirties. Your not thirty-seven, thirty-eight or thirty-nine. You're in your late thirties. At this point, we fight it and claim the we roll "old school" by saying that I am still in my thirties...and we'll say that right up until the day of our fortieth birthday. Some of us will continue this for a while longer.
Today is the last day of phase 1 of My P90X. I have stayed with the diet program. I have had to make some adjustments to the workout program just because I did not have the time to do this like it is supposed to be done, every day. I am wondering if I should move on to phase 2 or stay with phase 1 a little longer to make up for the missed time working out. The next phase does give me a bit more food. I can get two more protein servings, two more veggie servings and two more dairy servings.
In the beginning, the diet portion was the toughest part of this. As I got into it, the diet portion got much easier. It was about that time that I would shorten or skip workouts. Slowly, the hunger would start reoccurring at the end of the day, like it had. I wonder if the alterations to the workout schedule has anything to do with this or if my body is just needing the extra food, because of the transformations that have happened. Again, not jumping into any body building contests, but it has been pretty drastic, to me.
However, this is what I can say, at the end of phase 1...even if it is the end of an altered phase 1.
* I need to buy a new black belt. The one that I have had for the last several years has 5 holes in it. Most of that time, I have been able to use the middle one, #3. The #2 hole does show signs of some wear. I call this my holiday hole, as it was most likely utilized between Thanksgiving and New Year, along with the bar-b-que holidays of the Spring and Summer months. Today, I am using the #5 hole and I really need a #6 hole to pull it back farther. with much of the belt wrapped around my waste, it flaps against itself and if I were to run, it would sound like the baseball cards I would put in the spokes of my bicycle as a teenager.
*Yesterday, when I stepped on the bathroom scale, it said 178 lbs. (I have not seen that since I was eighteen or nineteen.) Friends and family have told me that they really don't think I need to loose any more weight, because I was never that big to begin with. What they do not realize is that I have not exhaled since 1993.
*Once I can get up and get going, I just feel like I have more energy and more stamina and if I were to fall down, I really think I would bounce back up like I was in my twenties. Though I would dust myself off. Don't want to be a slob, you know.
*I'm thinking about calling up my ol' buddy Tim and asking if he is up for a weekend trip to Memphis.
That begins the next long year of a person's life. Knowing that a driver's license is that close, makes each day seem longer than the last.
At seventeen years-old, we want to be eighteen, thinking that we'll be out of school, grown and living the life we've been dreaming about our whole life. At eighteen, I was supposed to be married to Heather Locklear and she and I would live happily ever after on the fortune that we would make owning our own video arcade.
It's difficult to be a nineteen-year old. We feel too old to be called a teenager, but we still are. At some point, as a nineteen-year old, many kids have uttered the phrase; "I can join the army and go to war and be killed serving my country, but I can't buy beer!"
Twenty is a long year, because at that point, you're less than a year away from being able to buy that beer.
After the age of twenty-one, time seems to stand still for a while. And why shouldn't it? We're young and we can stay up all night and go to work the next day on little or no sleep. We can fall down and we bounce back up and we may not even bother to dust ourselves off. We're not scared of anything!
During my twenties, my best friend Tim and I would keep ourselves busy with assorted activities of debauchery. To this day, I cannot see a duck without slight chuckle and thoughts of a weekend in Memphis, TN.
Turning thirty is not a big deal. Yesterday, I was twenty-nine. I'm just a day older. I'm basically still in my twenties. I'm not really in my thirties. I am thirty. There is a big difference. During this decade of ages, some wise-ass thought it was necessary to sub-divide age, going forward. You're not thirty-two years old. You're in your early thirties. You're not thirty-four, thirty-five or thirty-six, you're in your mid-thirties. Your not thirty-seven, thirty-eight or thirty-nine. You're in your late thirties. At this point, we fight it and claim the we roll "old school" by saying that I am still in my thirties...and we'll say that right up until the day of our fortieth birthday. Some of us will continue this for a while longer.
Today is the last day of phase 1 of My P90X. I have stayed with the diet program. I have had to make some adjustments to the workout program just because I did not have the time to do this like it is supposed to be done, every day. I am wondering if I should move on to phase 2 or stay with phase 1 a little longer to make up for the missed time working out. The next phase does give me a bit more food. I can get two more protein servings, two more veggie servings and two more dairy servings.
In the beginning, the diet portion was the toughest part of this. As I got into it, the diet portion got much easier. It was about that time that I would shorten or skip workouts. Slowly, the hunger would start reoccurring at the end of the day, like it had. I wonder if the alterations to the workout schedule has anything to do with this or if my body is just needing the extra food, because of the transformations that have happened. Again, not jumping into any body building contests, but it has been pretty drastic, to me.
However, this is what I can say, at the end of phase 1...even if it is the end of an altered phase 1.
* I need to buy a new black belt. The one that I have had for the last several years has 5 holes in it. Most of that time, I have been able to use the middle one, #3. The #2 hole does show signs of some wear. I call this my holiday hole, as it was most likely utilized between Thanksgiving and New Year, along with the bar-b-que holidays of the Spring and Summer months. Today, I am using the #5 hole and I really need a #6 hole to pull it back farther. with much of the belt wrapped around my waste, it flaps against itself and if I were to run, it would sound like the baseball cards I would put in the spokes of my bicycle as a teenager.
*Yesterday, when I stepped on the bathroom scale, it said 178 lbs. (I have not seen that since I was eighteen or nineteen.) Friends and family have told me that they really don't think I need to loose any more weight, because I was never that big to begin with. What they do not realize is that I have not exhaled since 1993.
*Once I can get up and get going, I just feel like I have more energy and more stamina and if I were to fall down, I really think I would bounce back up like I was in my twenties. Though I would dust myself off. Don't want to be a slob, you know.
*I'm thinking about calling up my ol' buddy Tim and asking if he is up for a weekend trip to Memphis.
Take a break, Superman. I got this!
I'm still at it. I had to make a few adjustments, but I'm still plugging away. Life just got in the way and I have to make time for more important things.
I have made a few more discoveries. First of all, it's still working. A few days ago I was in the shower and noticed some muscle tone beginning in my thighs. I told a friend that I had thighs like a comic book super hero. She immediately burst out in uncontrolled laughter. I'll remember that the next time a mad scientist poisons the water supply, turning all who drink it into gelatinous cubes.
Another observation; my face no longer looks like the picture on my ATM/debit card. Yesterday, I went for a hair cut and when I gave my card to the lady, after she cut my hair, she had to look at the picture and then look at me and then back at the picture and then back at me and then asked to see my ID, because it did not look like me. That's cool, I guess.
The haircut is a different story. Every time I go and get a hair cut, I walk out looking like Opie or a Backstreet Boy. Yesterday was an Opie day.
Another discovery. The egg white induced gassing is either getting better or I am becoming immune. I try to be good and I try to be considerate, but if there is no way to leave the room, how do you warn anyone else there, that you're about to "Bring The Pain"? It's usually easier to just wait until someone looks at you and squint your face up and then quickly shift your eyes to someone else and try to pin it on them. Maybe that's my super power!
The last new discovery, I don't know if my house can take much more of this. Every workout video begins with a warm up. Part of these warm ups is a few minutes of jumping jacks. I have learned where to do this and not suffer the wrath of the ceiling fan, but there is a crack that has formed in the ceiling of my workout room. So, another modification is having to be made...no more jumping jacks.
Now, if you will pardon me, the Mayor has illuminated the sky with the image of Howdy Doodie. A super hero's work is never done.
I have made a few more discoveries. First of all, it's still working. A few days ago I was in the shower and noticed some muscle tone beginning in my thighs. I told a friend that I had thighs like a comic book super hero. She immediately burst out in uncontrolled laughter. I'll remember that the next time a mad scientist poisons the water supply, turning all who drink it into gelatinous cubes.
Another observation; my face no longer looks like the picture on my ATM/debit card. Yesterday, I went for a hair cut and when I gave my card to the lady, after she cut my hair, she had to look at the picture and then look at me and then back at the picture and then back at me and then asked to see my ID, because it did not look like me. That's cool, I guess.
The haircut is a different story. Every time I go and get a hair cut, I walk out looking like Opie or a Backstreet Boy. Yesterday was an Opie day.
Another discovery. The egg white induced gassing is either getting better or I am becoming immune. I try to be good and I try to be considerate, but if there is no way to leave the room, how do you warn anyone else there, that you're about to "Bring The Pain"? It's usually easier to just wait until someone looks at you and squint your face up and then quickly shift your eyes to someone else and try to pin it on them. Maybe that's my super power!
The last new discovery, I don't know if my house can take much more of this. Every workout video begins with a warm up. Part of these warm ups is a few minutes of jumping jacks. I have learned where to do this and not suffer the wrath of the ceiling fan, but there is a crack that has formed in the ceiling of my workout room. So, another modification is having to be made...no more jumping jacks.
Now, if you will pardon me, the Mayor has illuminated the sky with the image of Howdy Doodie. A super hero's work is never done.
No idea what day this is.
I often think that the best and most relaxing sleep that I get is that hour that I am hitting the snooze bar on my alarm clock. Who knew that sleep that came in ten intervals of ten minutes each could feel so good? I am doing that more and more.
Imagine how rested and refreshed I would feel if I set my alarm clock to go off at 10pm and just keep hitting the snooze bar until 5am, the next morning.
Something's gotta give.
I am going to have to make the "P" in P90X stand for "Part-Time". There is just no way that I can maintain the pace of this program with the time commitments while trying to keep up with my regular job schedule and travel time required with that as well as the time commitments that I am committed to with my other job with the Fire Department and still keep the yard mowed, the clothes washed, the dishes done, the house cleaned, the dog bathed and everything else.
I am still going to keep with the diet and nutrition portion of the program. I will still be doing the workouts, but I may have to do them every other day or every third day.
I don't like the fact that I have to do this and maybe if things change with my regular job and there is not so much commute time involved, I can go back to the normal pace. Right now, it's just too much and something's gotta give.
I'll still update this blog, as things happen, but the updates will be less frequent.
Imagine how rested and refreshed I would feel if I set my alarm clock to go off at 10pm and just keep hitting the snooze bar until 5am, the next morning.
Something's gotta give.
I am going to have to make the "P" in P90X stand for "Part-Time". There is just no way that I can maintain the pace of this program with the time commitments while trying to keep up with my regular job schedule and travel time required with that as well as the time commitments that I am committed to with my other job with the Fire Department and still keep the yard mowed, the clothes washed, the dishes done, the house cleaned, the dog bathed and everything else.
I am still going to keep with the diet and nutrition portion of the program. I will still be doing the workouts, but I may have to do them every other day or every third day.
I don't like the fact that I have to do this and maybe if things change with my regular job and there is not so much commute time involved, I can go back to the normal pace. Right now, it's just too much and something's gotta give.
I'll still update this blog, as things happen, but the updates will be less frequent.
Day 17 - When the cat's away, the mice will play. What does the dog do?
I am thoroughly convinced that some people just have more than 24 hours in their day. These same people can crawl into their bed and fall asleep as soon as they close their eyes and can spring out of bed in the morning, no matter what time the alarm clock is set...wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.
These people do not give off any kind of body odor, so they do not have to bathe. These people have no digestive system, so they do not ever need to take the time to eat or go to the bathroom. They have cars that run on air, so they never have to stop for gas. It's not like they have anywhere to go, because they are all independently wealthy and do not work. They already have everything they want and need and if something new is invented, it magically appears at their home.
Let's talk about their home, shall we? The kitchens never need cleaning. The floors never need to be mopped. The carpets never need to be vacuumed. Dust never settles on the TV or the coffee table. When they put a dirty dish in the sink, it disappears and the reappears, cleaned and dry, in the appropriate cabinet. The dishes taught this nifty little trick to the laundry.
When a shirt, towel or any other piece of cloth or clothing is worn, removed and tossed on the floor on in a hamper, it also disappears and reappears cleaned, pressed and neatly hanged or folded in the closet or dresser.
They have nothing but time to do anything and everything that they want to do.
I am not one of these people.
I go to bed as early as I can. I am tired and i am sleepy, but I toss and turn because I am trying to figure out what I have to do at work, tomorrow...did I get everything done, today? In the beginning, I was awake before my alarm would sound. these days, I hit the snooze bar more and more. Some days, I don't even make it out of bed to work out and have to do them, in the evening. when I do get up, do not expect much out of me before my send cup of coffee.
I can get pretty funky and not showering is not an option. I have to eat and this diet is such that it takes time to do it right. You can't spell "microwave" with P90X. Most days I drive about an hour to work and about an hour home. I'm at work for 9 hours a day, not counting the 2 hours I am driving.
Let's talk about my home. I can clean my kitchen and a day later, it will look like I have done nothing. It's just me! Laundry seems to pile up in the strangest of places. The bathroom is not at all immune to these oddities.
Now, I have to find a way to create another hour for these workouts.
When I go leave to go to work, Ludwig is usually on the couch, looking so sad. He makes me feel guilty. The shape of his head and face seems to morph into a totally different looking dog that is just so pitiful, it breaks my heart to see. I am thinking this is just an act. When I leave, I am not certain that he is calling the other dogs in the area telling them that the coast is clear. I can imagine them having their party. there are a few in the kitchen, smoking cigars and playing poker. There are a few on my computer watching Youtube videos of cats being startled or doing otherwise stupid stuff.
Maybe one of them uses my shower and is walking around, wearing my robe. They go through my closet and pull stuff out and do the same to my dresser.
They all leave before I get home, but he mess is there and Lud just acts like that is how I left it. I'm sure this is happening. I just can't prove it. How else could my life be consumed with doing chores and duties that keep me from doing anything else? I am beginning to wonder why I am even doing P90X. It's not like anyone will get the chance to notice because I am too busy mowing the yard or cleaning the gutters to see anyone.
These people do not give off any kind of body odor, so they do not have to bathe. These people have no digestive system, so they do not ever need to take the time to eat or go to the bathroom. They have cars that run on air, so they never have to stop for gas. It's not like they have anywhere to go, because they are all independently wealthy and do not work. They already have everything they want and need and if something new is invented, it magically appears at their home.
Let's talk about their home, shall we? The kitchens never need cleaning. The floors never need to be mopped. The carpets never need to be vacuumed. Dust never settles on the TV or the coffee table. When they put a dirty dish in the sink, it disappears and the reappears, cleaned and dry, in the appropriate cabinet. The dishes taught this nifty little trick to the laundry.
When a shirt, towel or any other piece of cloth or clothing is worn, removed and tossed on the floor on in a hamper, it also disappears and reappears cleaned, pressed and neatly hanged or folded in the closet or dresser.
They have nothing but time to do anything and everything that they want to do.
I am not one of these people.
I go to bed as early as I can. I am tired and i am sleepy, but I toss and turn because I am trying to figure out what I have to do at work, tomorrow...did I get everything done, today? In the beginning, I was awake before my alarm would sound. these days, I hit the snooze bar more and more. Some days, I don't even make it out of bed to work out and have to do them, in the evening. when I do get up, do not expect much out of me before my send cup of coffee.
I can get pretty funky and not showering is not an option. I have to eat and this diet is such that it takes time to do it right. You can't spell "microwave" with P90X. Most days I drive about an hour to work and about an hour home. I'm at work for 9 hours a day, not counting the 2 hours I am driving.
Let's talk about my home. I can clean my kitchen and a day later, it will look like I have done nothing. It's just me! Laundry seems to pile up in the strangest of places. The bathroom is not at all immune to these oddities.
Now, I have to find a way to create another hour for these workouts.
When I go leave to go to work, Ludwig is usually on the couch, looking so sad. He makes me feel guilty. The shape of his head and face seems to morph into a totally different looking dog that is just so pitiful, it breaks my heart to see. I am thinking this is just an act. When I leave, I am not certain that he is calling the other dogs in the area telling them that the coast is clear. I can imagine them having their party. there are a few in the kitchen, smoking cigars and playing poker. There are a few on my computer watching Youtube videos of cats being startled or doing otherwise stupid stuff.
Maybe one of them uses my shower and is walking around, wearing my robe. They go through my closet and pull stuff out and do the same to my dresser.
They all leave before I get home, but he mess is there and Lud just acts like that is how I left it. I'm sure this is happening. I just can't prove it. How else could my life be consumed with doing chores and duties that keep me from doing anything else? I am beginning to wonder why I am even doing P90X. It's not like anyone will get the chance to notice because I am too busy mowing the yard or cleaning the gutters to see anyone.
Day 15 - FINALLY!
I wussed out, this morning and slept in. Did my work out, tonight. It took 2 weeks, but I finally made it through a workout without stopping, skipping, skimping or fast forwarding over anything.
Now, I'm going to go cry in the shower.
Now, I'm going to go cry in the shower.
Day 14 - Dog tired
In the last 14 days I have seen some incredible things. Yep, a truly amazing transformation is taking place. None of which I am more proud than the transformation taking place with my dog, Ludwig. Yes, my dog.
Lud came into my life about 5 years ago. He was a rescue dog. He was about 10 weeks old, when I brought him home. Perhaps I should say that was when I gave him my home and he was gracious enough to continue letting me live there.
Two weeks ago, Ludwig was going through a very confusing time. I would try and do these work outs and he must have thought it was play time. This complicated things, to say the least.
Try doing jumping jacks in a room with an 8-foot ceiling, from which a ceiling fan is suspended. I cannot think of a better definition for the word "focus". Add to the mix, a 75-pound black lab that thinks his purpose in life is to be involved in every single aspect of my life. It appeared as though he made the choice to take on the role of being my personal trainer.
In some ways, it was not such a bad thing. Rather than having some muscle-head arching over me, yelling at me, screaming how big of a cream puff I was; he used the popular method of positive reinforcement. For example, after every sit up, I would be rewarded with a cold wet nose being lunged in my ear. When I would go to the floor for push ups, he was right there in front of me...face and front legs down on the floor, butt up in the air and tail wagging. There were a few times that he would actually raise up as I did and lower himself back to the floor. Most of the time, he just raised up and pivoted around in a circle and whacked me in the face with his tail. I guess he was not impressed with my form.
We had our share of accidents. On more than one occasion, I hit him in the face with a flying elbow, while doing Kenpo. He just looked at me with this "What the Hell?" expression.
Now, Lud has assumed the role of a cheer leader. I brought a bedding mat in the already crowded room. Now, I tell him to go lay down while I torture myself. He will run to his mat and lay on it, after he has brought all of his toys into the room. As the workout continues and I grow tired and slow my pace, I hear a sound behind me. It is the sound of his massive tail pounding the surface of the floor.
Many times, I look at this dog and can't help but feel like he knows something that I don't. I wonder if he is thumping his tail on the floor because he sees me slacking and is trying to push me, in the manner of a surrogate muscle-head personal trainer. Maybe he thinks the workout is coming to an end and he will get his dog biscuit treat for being a good dog and staying out of my way. Maybe he just has to go pee.
In any event, he has decided to give me the room to do my thing. Even if it is to avoid being hit with a Kenpo elbow, it is still nice to have the room to work out. It's also nice to think that I have my own personal cheering section, even if he does lick his own butt.
Lud came into my life about 5 years ago. He was a rescue dog. He was about 10 weeks old, when I brought him home. Perhaps I should say that was when I gave him my home and he was gracious enough to continue letting me live there.
Two weeks ago, Ludwig was going through a very confusing time. I would try and do these work outs and he must have thought it was play time. This complicated things, to say the least.
Try doing jumping jacks in a room with an 8-foot ceiling, from which a ceiling fan is suspended. I cannot think of a better definition for the word "focus". Add to the mix, a 75-pound black lab that thinks his purpose in life is to be involved in every single aspect of my life. It appeared as though he made the choice to take on the role of being my personal trainer.
In some ways, it was not such a bad thing. Rather than having some muscle-head arching over me, yelling at me, screaming how big of a cream puff I was; he used the popular method of positive reinforcement. For example, after every sit up, I would be rewarded with a cold wet nose being lunged in my ear. When I would go to the floor for push ups, he was right there in front of me...face and front legs down on the floor, butt up in the air and tail wagging. There were a few times that he would actually raise up as I did and lower himself back to the floor. Most of the time, he just raised up and pivoted around in a circle and whacked me in the face with his tail. I guess he was not impressed with my form.
We had our share of accidents. On more than one occasion, I hit him in the face with a flying elbow, while doing Kenpo. He just looked at me with this "What the Hell?" expression.
Now, Lud has assumed the role of a cheer leader. I brought a bedding mat in the already crowded room. Now, I tell him to go lay down while I torture myself. He will run to his mat and lay on it, after he has brought all of his toys into the room. As the workout continues and I grow tired and slow my pace, I hear a sound behind me. It is the sound of his massive tail pounding the surface of the floor.
Many times, I look at this dog and can't help but feel like he knows something that I don't. I wonder if he is thumping his tail on the floor because he sees me slacking and is trying to push me, in the manner of a surrogate muscle-head personal trainer. Maybe he thinks the workout is coming to an end and he will get his dog biscuit treat for being a good dog and staying out of my way. Maybe he just has to go pee.
In any event, he has decided to give me the room to do my thing. Even if it is to avoid being hit with a Kenpo elbow, it is still nice to have the room to work out. It's also nice to think that I have my own personal cheering section, even if he does lick his own butt.
Day 13 - Eye on the prize
When I was a little kid, I was given an allowance. By little kid, I mean 7 or 8 years old. By allowance, I mean a dollar or two. Living in the country, there were not many opportunities for a kid to spend his (hardly) earned money.
Once a week, the family would drive into town. Mom and dad would go grocery shopping and go to Wal-Mart and pick up what ever items were needed for the week to follow. My brother and I would spend most of that time walking the aisles of the toy department, then we would walk through the candy aisle and then make our way to the magazine section. The magazine section was not my idea.
My brother was, and still is, four years older than me. He would want to look through the magazines. I had to and most of the time wanted to hang with him. I had no interest in magazines at that time, but what's a kid to do?
What does this have to do with P90X? Hang out with me for a bit. I'll get there.
While walking the toy department, I would see some cool toys that I could buy with the few dollars in my pocket. I would also see even cooler toys that I could not buy at that time, but if I would save my money and add that to my allowance from the weeks to follow, I would have been able to buy them. I always caved in and bought the toy that I could afford. I never saved for the more expensive item. I guess I was too tempted for the sure thing...the bird in the hand as apposed to the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip on the wall. As a kid, it was not that big of a deal and not that difficult of a decision to make.
Here's where I am going with this. There are 2 things that are happening to me, now. There are 2 things that are coming about by the work I have put into this. The first is that I am dropping weight. In the last 13 days, I have lost about 15 pounds. I look better, I feel better and I know I am healthier. These are all great things.
The second thing is that I am seeing muscle tone and definition in my arms and legs. Of course, this also means I am getting stronger and healthier. ...again, great things.
I find that my situation is much like that of a 7 or 8 year-old boy in the toy department with a few dollars in his pocket. I can buy the cheap toy and leave the store with no money saved for next time. I can be happy with the weight that I have lost, feel proud of what I have accomplished and quit working my butt off.
I can save my money and add that to what is to come, later, and get a better toy. I can keep working with this program. I can get stronger, healthier and make a life altering commitment that I can continue for an amount of time that will be much greater than the amount of time that the better toy will last, before I break it, loose it or let the dog eat it.
I guess what I am saying is that it is so easy to be blinded by the drastic result that come quickly. If I allow that to happen, I will never know what I am really capable of doing.
I'm going to keep at it. Kung Fu grip...I am 77 days away!
Once a week, the family would drive into town. Mom and dad would go grocery shopping and go to Wal-Mart and pick up what ever items were needed for the week to follow. My brother and I would spend most of that time walking the aisles of the toy department, then we would walk through the candy aisle and then make our way to the magazine section. The magazine section was not my idea.
My brother was, and still is, four years older than me. He would want to look through the magazines. I had to and most of the time wanted to hang with him. I had no interest in magazines at that time, but what's a kid to do?
What does this have to do with P90X? Hang out with me for a bit. I'll get there.
While walking the toy department, I would see some cool toys that I could buy with the few dollars in my pocket. I would also see even cooler toys that I could not buy at that time, but if I would save my money and add that to my allowance from the weeks to follow, I would have been able to buy them. I always caved in and bought the toy that I could afford. I never saved for the more expensive item. I guess I was too tempted for the sure thing...the bird in the hand as apposed to the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip on the wall. As a kid, it was not that big of a deal and not that difficult of a decision to make.
Here's where I am going with this. There are 2 things that are happening to me, now. There are 2 things that are coming about by the work I have put into this. The first is that I am dropping weight. In the last 13 days, I have lost about 15 pounds. I look better, I feel better and I know I am healthier. These are all great things.
The second thing is that I am seeing muscle tone and definition in my arms and legs. Of course, this also means I am getting stronger and healthier. ...again, great things.
I find that my situation is much like that of a 7 or 8 year-old boy in the toy department with a few dollars in his pocket. I can buy the cheap toy and leave the store with no money saved for next time. I can be happy with the weight that I have lost, feel proud of what I have accomplished and quit working my butt off.
I can save my money and add that to what is to come, later, and get a better toy. I can keep working with this program. I can get stronger, healthier and make a life altering commitment that I can continue for an amount of time that will be much greater than the amount of time that the better toy will last, before I break it, loose it or let the dog eat it.
I guess what I am saying is that it is so easy to be blinded by the drastic result that come quickly. If I allow that to happen, I will never know what I am really capable of doing.
I'm going to keep at it. Kung Fu grip...I am 77 days away!
Gotta take a water break...A LOT OF WATER break
Well, there has to be a pause to the program for a while. Apparently, there are just too many people in Nashville, TN that's not living right and an apocalypse teaser was thrust upon us, this weekend. Rain started Friday night and did not end until last night.
I was lucky. I lost power for about 15 hours. Things blacked out for me as I was getting ready for the Yoga workout. I tried to convince myself that something much greater than myself was stepping in to tell me that P90X Yoga was an abomination and should be cast aside. At the moment, there are over 11,000 customers that are estimated to still not have electricity.
I was lucky. My house is on a hill. My yard is torn up from the water that ran down that hill. Water seeped into a storage building I may have lost a weed eater and a leaf blower. There are people that have 4 foot or more of standing water in their living rooms.
I was lucky. I have a water lovin' dog with webbed paws. If it had gotten that bad, I could have just tied the end of his leash around my waist and Ludwig could have taken us to higher ground. However, he does get easily distracted and very well could have taken off after a tree limb floating down-stream and we could be screwed. There are people that are still on the top of there cars or on the roofs of their homes awaiting a water rescue.
This morning, one of the local TV stations was showing a movie that was at least 15 years old. I wondered why they were doing that when there was so much going on. I saw the reason being explained as the words were scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Everyone in the studio and in that part of town had been evacuated, during the night and programing was being controlled from another location. I flipped over to another local station that was broadcasting. They were reporting that 6 people had been reported as having lost their lives, this weekend.
I was lucky.
I was lucky. I lost power for about 15 hours. Things blacked out for me as I was getting ready for the Yoga workout. I tried to convince myself that something much greater than myself was stepping in to tell me that P90X Yoga was an abomination and should be cast aside. At the moment, there are over 11,000 customers that are estimated to still not have electricity.
I was lucky. My house is on a hill. My yard is torn up from the water that ran down that hill. Water seeped into a storage building I may have lost a weed eater and a leaf blower. There are people that have 4 foot or more of standing water in their living rooms.
I was lucky. I have a water lovin' dog with webbed paws. If it had gotten that bad, I could have just tied the end of his leash around my waist and Ludwig could have taken us to higher ground. However, he does get easily distracted and very well could have taken off after a tree limb floating down-stream and we could be screwed. There are people that are still on the top of there cars or on the roofs of their homes awaiting a water rescue.
This morning, one of the local TV stations was showing a movie that was at least 15 years old. I wondered why they were doing that when there was so much going on. I saw the reason being explained as the words were scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Everyone in the studio and in that part of town had been evacuated, during the night and programing was being controlled from another location. I flipped over to another local station that was broadcasting. They were reporting that 6 people had been reported as having lost their lives, this weekend.
I was lucky.
Day 11 - Dogs don't make good grocery shoppers.
I have decided to shuffle some things around and push the program back for a day.
There is so much more to this than just lifting weights and doing push ups and reducing food portions and limiting what you eat. This is something that requires so much more of a commitment.
If I were fortunate enough to be so wealthy that I did not have to go to a job and work all day, this would be easier. If Ludwig had opposable thumbs and could do a few things around the house to help me out, that would be enough to make it easier. The last time I gave him a $20 and asked him to go to the store to pick up some skim milk, he came back with a gallon of whole milk and $15.49 worth of Snausages. Thus ended the days of Ludwig’s grocery shopping.
The whole point of pushing everything back a day was to get Yoga on Sunday. Yoga is a workout that is an hour and a half long. All others are between 45 minutes to an hours. Sunday is the only day that I know I will not have to get up early and go to work, so I wanted to have the ability to have a more flexible day for the Yoga workout. Flexible day…Yoga…I made a funny!
That leaves the remaining days of the week looking like this…
5am –
Wake up, force myself to get out of bed, stagger through the living room to open the front door to let Ludwig out, make my way into the kitchen where a pot of coffee should be waiting for me , if I remembered to program the coffee maker the previous night. I do not know if coffee is allowed as part of this program. I do not know if it is a carb or a fat or what, but unless Mr. Horton is ready for a fight, he better not touch my coffee.
5:15am-
Ludwig is back inside and breakfast is being made. This consists of poached egg whites and some type of breakfast meat made out of a turkey. It may be an egg white omelet, for the last few days, I have even been making egg white sandwiches on wheat bread. Let’s go back to the omelet for a second. One morning, I made myself an omelet that had spinach, feta cheese and diced chicken breast. A chicken omelet… I felt like the “Godfather” of poultry. It was like I put a hit out on the Cluck family and I whacked the bird and I whacked its unborn kid. That wasn’t breakfast; that was a vendetta.
5:45am-
Breakfast is over, dog is fed, kitchen is cleaned up, workout is beginning.
5:47am-
Tears are falling, hopes and dreams are shattering, I hear my bed calling out to me, reality is kicking my ass.
6:45am-
Shower. It is at this time, every day that I think about finding a medical supply store, where I can buy myself one of those stools that go into the bath tubs and shower stalls of nursing home bathrooms.
7:30am-
Out the door and driving to work. As if by magic, I am feeling so much better, now.
7:30pm
Home from work and trying to finish up a few things that I could not finish at the office.
8:15pm
Figure out what I have not eaten from my allotted cache of food for the day and create a feast for myself that usually consists of something like an 8oz serving of V-8, an individually wrapped, part skim, string cheese chunk and a 3oz portion of some type of low fat, grilled meat. I wonder what Paula Deen could do with that?
8:45pm
Dinner is over, tomorrow’s coffee is prepared, dog has been out, bed is calling me and I still have a supplemental workout that needs to be done.
10:00pm
Second workout is over, back to the shower, go to bed, lay there and cry myself to sleep. I hate my life!
There is so much more to this than just lifting weights and doing push ups and reducing food portions and limiting what you eat. This is something that requires so much more of a commitment.
If I were fortunate enough to be so wealthy that I did not have to go to a job and work all day, this would be easier. If Ludwig had opposable thumbs and could do a few things around the house to help me out, that would be enough to make it easier. The last time I gave him a $20 and asked him to go to the store to pick up some skim milk, he came back with a gallon of whole milk and $15.49 worth of Snausages. Thus ended the days of Ludwig’s grocery shopping.
The whole point of pushing everything back a day was to get Yoga on Sunday. Yoga is a workout that is an hour and a half long. All others are between 45 minutes to an hours. Sunday is the only day that I know I will not have to get up early and go to work, so I wanted to have the ability to have a more flexible day for the Yoga workout. Flexible day…Yoga…I made a funny!
That leaves the remaining days of the week looking like this…
5am –
Wake up, force myself to get out of bed, stagger through the living room to open the front door to let Ludwig out, make my way into the kitchen where a pot of coffee should be waiting for me , if I remembered to program the coffee maker the previous night. I do not know if coffee is allowed as part of this program. I do not know if it is a carb or a fat or what, but unless Mr. Horton is ready for a fight, he better not touch my coffee.
5:15am-
Ludwig is back inside and breakfast is being made. This consists of poached egg whites and some type of breakfast meat made out of a turkey. It may be an egg white omelet, for the last few days, I have even been making egg white sandwiches on wheat bread. Let’s go back to the omelet for a second. One morning, I made myself an omelet that had spinach, feta cheese and diced chicken breast. A chicken omelet… I felt like the “Godfather” of poultry. It was like I put a hit out on the Cluck family and I whacked the bird and I whacked its unborn kid. That wasn’t breakfast; that was a vendetta.
5:45am-
Breakfast is over, dog is fed, kitchen is cleaned up, workout is beginning.
5:47am-
Tears are falling, hopes and dreams are shattering, I hear my bed calling out to me, reality is kicking my ass.
6:45am-
Shower. It is at this time, every day that I think about finding a medical supply store, where I can buy myself one of those stools that go into the bath tubs and shower stalls of nursing home bathrooms.
7:30am-
Out the door and driving to work. As if by magic, I am feeling so much better, now.
7:30pm
Home from work and trying to finish up a few things that I could not finish at the office.
8:15pm
Figure out what I have not eaten from my allotted cache of food for the day and create a feast for myself that usually consists of something like an 8oz serving of V-8, an individually wrapped, part skim, string cheese chunk and a 3oz portion of some type of low fat, grilled meat. I wonder what Paula Deen could do with that?
8:45pm
Dinner is over, tomorrow’s coffee is prepared, dog has been out, bed is calling me and I still have a supplemental workout that needs to be done.
10:00pm
Second workout is over, back to the shower, go to bed, lay there and cry myself to sleep. I hate my life!
Day 10 - The proof is in the pudding...Ah, pudding!
I had a late night, last night and I was just too tired and sore (after doing the newly discovered supplemental workout) to get out of bed when the alarm clock sounded, at 5am, this morning. That was about 2 hours ago and I regret not pushing myself to get up and work out. I have every intention of doing the workouts, this evening. Today is a 2fer. Shoulders and Arms and Ab Ripper X. I know it's Friday, but knowing that I am going to be doing those when I come home from work. I'm actually not looking forward to coming home from work. How sick is that?
I think I may have a defective scale in my bathroom. I have weighed myself every day and it has not moved. I know I have lost weight since I began this program. I can see that when I look in a mirror. I have had people tell me that they see it, as well. I just don't know how much. By no means am I expecting to be able to wake up a week later and none of my clothes fit.
So, what I had said as a joke may be more truthful. Perhaps my scale is broken. If it is, it is certainly NOT because my fat ass made it beg for mercy after the initial use...forever giving a false indication in hopes that I will feel like I have reached some weight loss goal, never to set foot upon it again. Maybe the Chinese just don't make things like they used to.
However, there is an up side to this. Today, I am wearing a belt that I have not been able to wear in close to a year. Not only that, but the belt is actually fastened through the second hole from the end AND I am wearing my shirt tucked in.
On another bright note. I think that tomorrow, I will be able to lift my arms enough to soap up my arm pits when I take a shower. I am sure that is something that EVERYONE will be able to appreciate.
I think I may have a defective scale in my bathroom. I have weighed myself every day and it has not moved. I know I have lost weight since I began this program. I can see that when I look in a mirror. I have had people tell me that they see it, as well. I just don't know how much. By no means am I expecting to be able to wake up a week later and none of my clothes fit.
So, what I had said as a joke may be more truthful. Perhaps my scale is broken. If it is, it is certainly NOT because my fat ass made it beg for mercy after the initial use...forever giving a false indication in hopes that I will feel like I have reached some weight loss goal, never to set foot upon it again. Maybe the Chinese just don't make things like they used to.
However, there is an up side to this. Today, I am wearing a belt that I have not been able to wear in close to a year. Not only that, but the belt is actually fastened through the second hole from the end AND I am wearing my shirt tucked in.
On another bright note. I think that tomorrow, I will be able to lift my arms enough to soap up my arm pits when I take a shower. I am sure that is something that EVERYONE will be able to appreciate.
Day 9 - Ignorance is bliss
Cardio X, today. It is a mixture of some of the different work outs within the program. It starts with Yoga. Man, I hate the Yoga.
I picked up on something that I missed the first time, around. This particular workout is suggested to also be used as a second workout for those that are doing the the "Lean" program, like I have chosen. I did not realize that this was to be done, every day as part of that program.
This was mentioned close to the end of the video. I must have missed that the first time when I blacked-out, or perhaps I was huffing and puffing and wheezing so badly that I did not hear it.
I picked up on something that I missed the first time, around. This particular workout is suggested to also be used as a second workout for those that are doing the the "Lean" program, like I have chosen. I did not realize that this was to be done, every day as part of that program.
This was mentioned close to the end of the video. I must have missed that the first time when I blacked-out, or perhaps I was huffing and puffing and wheezing so badly that I did not hear it.
Day 8 - Variety is the spice of life, but is it a carb or a protein?
As I have mentioned, the diet and nutrition aspect of the program is something that I am getting used to. The last few days of the first week, I found that I was not as hungry as the first few. I am thinking and hoping that will continue. This is probably something noticeable, due to the fact that during the first couple of days when I would go to the kitchen, my dog, Ludwig, would run and hide. Now, he just stands at the kitchen door and peaks around the corner at me. Baby steps...baby steps.
There are certain things in life that I will never understand. Why do we park in driveways and drive on parkways? Why don’t sheep shrink during rain storms? Why do grocery stores always put donuts on sale when I go on a diet? Has my eating habits and addiction to those geometrical, glazed, golden brown, sprinkle topped and often cream filled hand-held confections of love had such an impact on the donut industry that grocery stores have to slash the price of them to try and entice others to buy them?
Joe the Plumber had his 15 minutes of fame. What about Betty the Baker? She may have a family to support. Perhaps she has a son or a daughter in college. How can she keep up with her mortgage? This is too much responsibility for one person. I can’t take the pressure.
Last night, I went to a grocery store that had bags of frozen chicken tenderloin (down South, we calls ‘em chicken fingers) on sale…buy one get one free. I thought this would be great. They are small enough that each one would make a single protein serving. I could take a few out of the freezer in the morning and put them in the fridge before I leave for work. When I come home, I could finish thawing them and with a little help from George Foreman I can grill them in a few minutes. By doing so, I would have my dinner portion for that night, along with a breakfast and lunch portion for the next day. It’s all about the time savers.
Well, while I was at the market, I noticed that I was being followed. I was not being followed by a store employee that thought I was shoplifting. I was followed by a stacked display of half-price donuts. It really seemed that every where I went, I saw a stack of donuts. You’ve heard that “all roads lead to home”, well…in this grocery store, all aisles led to these frikkin’ donuts.
It just so happened that I was on the phone with a friend at that time. I had mentioned to her that these things were everywhere and I could not get them off of my ass. Without missing a single step she brought it to my attention that they were not on my ass, but if I gave in and took one to the checkout counter, it would be on my ass and a lot harder to get rid of.
I could not really argue with that logic. It would also be worth noting that this is the friend that emails to me those nice photos of swim suit models and hot celebrity chicks every day that I do good and try hard and stick with the program and reminding me that I am 1 day closer to stealing her away from her boyfriend. I really do not want to disappoint her. Positive reinforcement…it’s not just for dogs, anymore. Yes, I am well aware of the irony in that. Just go with it.
There are certain things in life that I will never understand. Why do we park in driveways and drive on parkways? Why don’t sheep shrink during rain storms? Why do grocery stores always put donuts on sale when I go on a diet? Has my eating habits and addiction to those geometrical, glazed, golden brown, sprinkle topped and often cream filled hand-held confections of love had such an impact on the donut industry that grocery stores have to slash the price of them to try and entice others to buy them?
Joe the Plumber had his 15 minutes of fame. What about Betty the Baker? She may have a family to support. Perhaps she has a son or a daughter in college. How can she keep up with her mortgage? This is too much responsibility for one person. I can’t take the pressure.
Last night, I went to a grocery store that had bags of frozen chicken tenderloin (down South, we calls ‘em chicken fingers) on sale…buy one get one free. I thought this would be great. They are small enough that each one would make a single protein serving. I could take a few out of the freezer in the morning and put them in the fridge before I leave for work. When I come home, I could finish thawing them and with a little help from George Foreman I can grill them in a few minutes. By doing so, I would have my dinner portion for that night, along with a breakfast and lunch portion for the next day. It’s all about the time savers.
Well, while I was at the market, I noticed that I was being followed. I was not being followed by a store employee that thought I was shoplifting. I was followed by a stacked display of half-price donuts. It really seemed that every where I went, I saw a stack of donuts. You’ve heard that “all roads lead to home”, well…in this grocery store, all aisles led to these frikkin’ donuts.
It just so happened that I was on the phone with a friend at that time. I had mentioned to her that these things were everywhere and I could not get them off of my ass. Without missing a single step she brought it to my attention that they were not on my ass, but if I gave in and took one to the checkout counter, it would be on my ass and a lot harder to get rid of.
I could not really argue with that logic. It would also be worth noting that this is the friend that emails to me those nice photos of swim suit models and hot celebrity chicks every day that I do good and try hard and stick with the program and reminding me that I am 1 day closer to stealing her away from her boyfriend. I really do not want to disappoint her. Positive reinforcement…it’s not just for dogs, anymore. Yes, I am well aware of the irony in that. Just go with it.
Day 7 - And on the seventh day, God created Tylenol.
I am just a few hours into it, but I can already tell that every seventh day of the workout schedule is my favorite. You see, day seven is "Rest Day".
There is the added option of a stretching video that can be watched and worked. I am not falling for that, again. I was suckered in by the promise of soothing, relaxing stretches on Yoga day. I think I would have rather been water-boarded for that 90 minutes.
This morning, I stepped on the bathroom scale for the first time in a week. Actually, I bought this scale the night before I started this program. Until, now I thought that having a bathroom scale would be much like reliving my 2nd grade school year of 1982.
That was the first of many times that I had to change schools. Being the new kid in school made me a target for getting teased and bullied. Having pale skin, bright red hair and freckles made me easy to spot in a crowd.
I figured that a bathroom scale would be much like Hubert Wallace hanging out in my bathroom, 24/7. Every time I walked into the bathroom for any reason, the scale (Hubert) would be there to point and laugh and mock me. Every time I stepped on the scale, would be the very moment in time that Hubert would take my milk money from me. So, I have lived sans scale for all of my adult life. Until, that is, a week ago.
According to the scale, I have lost 10 pounds, this week. I am sure that is probably not the case. It was a brand new scale and maybe the first time I stood on it, it registered a false reading of a higher weight. Or maybe I broke the scale when I first stepped on it and every reading from that point on is inaccurate and much lower than it should be. Maybe I am just in denial. I looked into the bathroom mirror and I saw that my face was more narrow. My neck was thinner. That was a cool thing to see. Hubert Wallace, you are my bitch!
What have I learned this week? There have been many revelations. In no particular order...
* My ceiling hangs 8 feet from my floor.
* When I am stretching or reaching upward, the distance between the floor and the tips of my finger is much greater than 8 feet.
* The higher the speed of a ceiling fan, the more painful the impact to your knuckles.
* Any item, service, product or idea that includes the word "Ripper" in the name should really be avoided, because nothing good will come of it.
* If your dog really loves you, you can accidentally elbow him in the mouth while doing your Kenpo workout.
* If your dog is really smart, he will go and lay down in the corner of the room while you finish your workout, after you have stopped to make sure he is OK.
* My dog, Ludwig, is not as smart as I've always thought he was.
* If the U.S. Military could harness egg white generated farts, we could win the war against terrorism and go green at the same time.
* Microwavable egg poachers are not non-stick.
* If you're hungry enough...and I mean really hungry enough...you will eat cottage cheese.
* Many people think that P90X is a game for Wii. I wish I could bitch-slap them for being an idiot, but I can't lift my arms.
There is the added option of a stretching video that can be watched and worked. I am not falling for that, again. I was suckered in by the promise of soothing, relaxing stretches on Yoga day. I think I would have rather been water-boarded for that 90 minutes.
This morning, I stepped on the bathroom scale for the first time in a week. Actually, I bought this scale the night before I started this program. Until, now I thought that having a bathroom scale would be much like reliving my 2nd grade school year of 1982.
That was the first of many times that I had to change schools. Being the new kid in school made me a target for getting teased and bullied. Having pale skin, bright red hair and freckles made me easy to spot in a crowd.
I figured that a bathroom scale would be much like Hubert Wallace hanging out in my bathroom, 24/7. Every time I walked into the bathroom for any reason, the scale (Hubert) would be there to point and laugh and mock me. Every time I stepped on the scale, would be the very moment in time that Hubert would take my milk money from me. So, I have lived sans scale for all of my adult life. Until, that is, a week ago.
According to the scale, I have lost 10 pounds, this week. I am sure that is probably not the case. It was a brand new scale and maybe the first time I stood on it, it registered a false reading of a higher weight. Or maybe I broke the scale when I first stepped on it and every reading from that point on is inaccurate and much lower than it should be. Maybe I am just in denial. I looked into the bathroom mirror and I saw that my face was more narrow. My neck was thinner. That was a cool thing to see. Hubert Wallace, you are my bitch!
What have I learned this week? There have been many revelations. In no particular order...
* My ceiling hangs 8 feet from my floor.
* When I am stretching or reaching upward, the distance between the floor and the tips of my finger is much greater than 8 feet.
* The higher the speed of a ceiling fan, the more painful the impact to your knuckles.
* Any item, service, product or idea that includes the word "Ripper" in the name should really be avoided, because nothing good will come of it.
* If your dog really loves you, you can accidentally elbow him in the mouth while doing your Kenpo workout.
* If your dog is really smart, he will go and lay down in the corner of the room while you finish your workout, after you have stopped to make sure he is OK.
* My dog, Ludwig, is not as smart as I've always thought he was.
* If the U.S. Military could harness egg white generated farts, we could win the war against terrorism and go green at the same time.
* Microwavable egg poachers are not non-stick.
* If you're hungry enough...and I mean really hungry enough...you will eat cottage cheese.
* Many people think that P90X is a game for Wii. I wish I could bitch-slap them for being an idiot, but I can't lift my arms.
Day 6 - At what price? I'd say a dollar.
Gone are the mornings of waking before the alarms sounds. Upon us are the days of excrutiating pain that consume your body as it takes 15 minutes to roll yourself over to hit the snooze bar that allows you to sleep an extra 10 minutes.
Today was a karate / tai bo / cardio / kick your ass kind of day. My butt cheeks are sore. I stopped at a convenience store for coffee, on my way to work. While I was paying for it, at the counter, I dropped a dollar bill.
It seemed to fall in slow motion, as I knew the further it dropped, the more I would have to bend to get it and the more painful that would be. A dollar...not worth it.
As it hit the floor, the guy behind me wanted to play good Samaritan. He said, "Hey buddy. I think you dropped something." I did not even look.
"Nope, no, sorry. I didn't drop anything." I'm thinking okay, dude. There's your window of opportunity. Pick up the dollar, buy a lottery scratch off with it and we'll all have a great day.
That was not happening. The last Boy Scout was standing behind me in line at the Quickie Mart. "No, you did. I saw it fall out of your wallet when you paid for your coffee, there."
I turned and looked at him and slowly said. "No...I did not." Then I turned and walked away...slowly...and wincing.
Today was a karate / tai bo / cardio / kick your ass kind of day. My butt cheeks are sore. I stopped at a convenience store for coffee, on my way to work. While I was paying for it, at the counter, I dropped a dollar bill.
It seemed to fall in slow motion, as I knew the further it dropped, the more I would have to bend to get it and the more painful that would be. A dollar...not worth it.
As it hit the floor, the guy behind me wanted to play good Samaritan. He said, "Hey buddy. I think you dropped something." I did not even look.
"Nope, no, sorry. I didn't drop anything." I'm thinking okay, dude. There's your window of opportunity. Pick up the dollar, buy a lottery scratch off with it and we'll all have a great day.
That was not happening. The last Boy Scout was standing behind me in line at the Quickie Mart. "No, you did. I saw it fall out of your wallet when you paid for your coffee, there."
I turned and looked at him and slowly said. "No...I did not." Then I turned and walked away...slowly...and wincing.
Day 5 - Cheaters never win, but they do get ice cream!
Today's workout was arms and shoulders. Today was a 2fer. I also had to do Ab Ripper, again. Ab Ripper...I spit at the from the deepest depths of my soul! The arm and shoulders workout went well. When I get through a workout without puking, I say it went well.
There was a problem, though. There were a lot of pull ups in this workout. I could not do them. I have to pull up bar. They have pull up bars that can be used in any doorway. That is, any doorway, but mine. The video did show how to use resistance bands to simulate pull ups for those that did not have a pull up bar. I could not even do that. The band would need to be mounted above you and used by pulling the band down, rather than pulling yourself up. I will have to figure something out with this. There is another part of the video for which I need to find an alternative. You are supposed to squat while leaning against a wall. This works your legs. Holy Shit, does it work your legs. Unlike the people in the video, I do not have huge spacial work out area that is equipped with pull up bars hanging from the ceiling or bring walls that would not get stained by my sweating self, as I squat and lean against it. I'll have to work on that.
My friend Kate came over, this afternoon. She agreed to help me wire my home theater system through the attic. In turn, I offered to by her lunch and ice cream. We agreed that everyone should have a cheat day. This was going to be my cheat day. However, it was not much of a cheat day, at all. I had a veggie burger with no mayo and no fries. So, there was my carb intake and veggie intake. I did have onion rings that were breaded and fried. That was not good. I also had ice cream, but it was sugar free ice cream and I had a small serving. So, that was my 2 dairy and 1 fat portion for the day. I made out pretty well. Kate said that I had a lot to learn about the concept of cheating on a diet.
That's the thing, though. I don't want to cheat. I am seeing this work. I want it more. I want to work at this and make the most out of what I am able to do with it. I do love ice cream, though. I had to show Kate what was happening to my calves and my arms. I told her that until I was sure that my 2-pack was an actual 2-pack, I would not be showing it to her or anyone.
She laughed and said that if I can get through this program, she would buy me a bunch of wife-beater shirts to show of the "guns".
There was a problem, though. There were a lot of pull ups in this workout. I could not do them. I have to pull up bar. They have pull up bars that can be used in any doorway. That is, any doorway, but mine. The video did show how to use resistance bands to simulate pull ups for those that did not have a pull up bar. I could not even do that. The band would need to be mounted above you and used by pulling the band down, rather than pulling yourself up. I will have to figure something out with this. There is another part of the video for which I need to find an alternative. You are supposed to squat while leaning against a wall. This works your legs. Holy Shit, does it work your legs. Unlike the people in the video, I do not have huge spacial work out area that is equipped with pull up bars hanging from the ceiling or bring walls that would not get stained by my sweating self, as I squat and lean against it. I'll have to work on that.
My friend Kate came over, this afternoon. She agreed to help me wire my home theater system through the attic. In turn, I offered to by her lunch and ice cream. We agreed that everyone should have a cheat day. This was going to be my cheat day. However, it was not much of a cheat day, at all. I had a veggie burger with no mayo and no fries. So, there was my carb intake and veggie intake. I did have onion rings that were breaded and fried. That was not good. I also had ice cream, but it was sugar free ice cream and I had a small serving. So, that was my 2 dairy and 1 fat portion for the day. I made out pretty well. Kate said that I had a lot to learn about the concept of cheating on a diet.
That's the thing, though. I don't want to cheat. I am seeing this work. I want it more. I want to work at this and make the most out of what I am able to do with it. I do love ice cream, though. I had to show Kate what was happening to my calves and my arms. I told her that until I was sure that my 2-pack was an actual 2-pack, I would not be showing it to her or anyone.
She laughed and said that if I can get through this program, she would buy me a bunch of wife-beater shirts to show of the "guns".
Day 4 - The dog looked away.
I actually get to sleep in, today. I slept an extra hour. It felt good. With no where to be, I just relaxed. Eventually, I made my breakfast and got myself geared up for my workout. Today was Yoga X.
I was actually looking forward to the workout. I've seen people doing Yoga and TV and everyone always looks so calm and relaxed and peaceful. This was going to be a nice change of pace for my day off of nothing to do. Okay, bring on all the hippie, tree-hugging, stretching and chanting.
Oh, Hell no! Just a few minutes into it, I was crying, moaning, straining and all around hating life. This workout was an hour and a half long. I would surely be dead before then. I could not make it through to the end of this one. I stopped the video and took breaks and tried to go back and continue. There came a point that I just could not do it.
I did suffer my first injury, today. The ceiling fan got into a fight with the knuckle of my pinkie finger. The knuckle lost.
The diet is getting easier, as far as appetite and hunger. It is hard in other ways, though. I don't always have the time or the opportunity to go to the grocery store and buy the fresh veggies and dairy items. If I buy them in bulk or at least a week's worth at a time, some of what I would be buying would go bad before I have the chance to eat it, as I am restricted on the amount of each type of food I can eat. I guess it is all part of the sacrifice.
The program pages that I was able to find and download contained some very nice recipes that would go along with the program during the stages of the diet. I just don't have that kind of time. I don't have another person in my home that could help me out by doing some of the shopping or doing some of the cooking when they have the time to allow me the ability to take my time to do other things, like work at my job. Again, it's all part of the sacrifice.
I went to grocery store, today. It was raining and stormy all day. I went to market that had an underground garage and escalators that allowed you to enter the store. I stepped on the escalator and began my journey up. When I got about half-way up, I saw a Krispy Kreme donut display at the top of the escalator. I as I got further up the escalator, more of the display came into view. I swear, I heard a choir of angels singing.
It was like they knew I was coming! People, there is a God and he has the greatest sense of humor of all.
I just needed a few things. I wanted to get a case of bottled water. I saw a stack of bottled water that was on sale. It was very easy to just slide a case off of the display stack and into my cart. When I finished my shopping, I went to the check out counter and the lady was able to scan the water while it was in my buggy. When I got to the parking lot and had to take the water out of the buggy and put it into my truck, I considered going back and exchanging it for a 6 pack.
When I got home, I just cut through the packaging and took a few bottles inside with the intention of returning for the rest...tomorrow.
Another thing I bought at the market was some cooked chick leg quarters. They smelled good. I did not even get a plate. I grabbed one out of the box and ripped it in half. I had the chicken leg in one hand and the thigh in the other. I attacked it like a lion that had downed a slow gazelle that had been separated from the pack. I did peel the skin off.
I could not tell you how they tasted. They were not in my mouth long enough for me to know. As I was shoving the chicken extremities into my face and pulling out the bones, like from a cartoon before I swallowed, I noticed Ludwig looking at me. He had a look of disappointment and fear in his eyes.
I was actually looking forward to the workout. I've seen people doing Yoga and TV and everyone always looks so calm and relaxed and peaceful. This was going to be a nice change of pace for my day off of nothing to do. Okay, bring on all the hippie, tree-hugging, stretching and chanting.
Oh, Hell no! Just a few minutes into it, I was crying, moaning, straining and all around hating life. This workout was an hour and a half long. I would surely be dead before then. I could not make it through to the end of this one. I stopped the video and took breaks and tried to go back and continue. There came a point that I just could not do it.
I did suffer my first injury, today. The ceiling fan got into a fight with the knuckle of my pinkie finger. The knuckle lost.
The diet is getting easier, as far as appetite and hunger. It is hard in other ways, though. I don't always have the time or the opportunity to go to the grocery store and buy the fresh veggies and dairy items. If I buy them in bulk or at least a week's worth at a time, some of what I would be buying would go bad before I have the chance to eat it, as I am restricted on the amount of each type of food I can eat. I guess it is all part of the sacrifice.
The program pages that I was able to find and download contained some very nice recipes that would go along with the program during the stages of the diet. I just don't have that kind of time. I don't have another person in my home that could help me out by doing some of the shopping or doing some of the cooking when they have the time to allow me the ability to take my time to do other things, like work at my job. Again, it's all part of the sacrifice.
I went to grocery store, today. It was raining and stormy all day. I went to market that had an underground garage and escalators that allowed you to enter the store. I stepped on the escalator and began my journey up. When I got about half-way up, I saw a Krispy Kreme donut display at the top of the escalator. I as I got further up the escalator, more of the display came into view. I swear, I heard a choir of angels singing.
It was like they knew I was coming! People, there is a God and he has the greatest sense of humor of all.
I just needed a few things. I wanted to get a case of bottled water. I saw a stack of bottled water that was on sale. It was very easy to just slide a case off of the display stack and into my cart. When I finished my shopping, I went to the check out counter and the lady was able to scan the water while it was in my buggy. When I got to the parking lot and had to take the water out of the buggy and put it into my truck, I considered going back and exchanging it for a 6 pack.
When I got home, I just cut through the packaging and took a few bottles inside with the intention of returning for the rest...tomorrow.
Another thing I bought at the market was some cooked chick leg quarters. They smelled good. I did not even get a plate. I grabbed one out of the box and ripped it in half. I had the chicken leg in one hand and the thigh in the other. I attacked it like a lion that had downed a slow gazelle that had been separated from the pack. I did peel the skin off.
I could not tell you how they tasted. They were not in my mouth long enough for me to know. As I was shoving the chicken extremities into my face and pulling out the bones, like from a cartoon before I swallowed, I noticed Ludwig looking at me. He had a look of disappointment and fear in his eyes.
Day 3- What ever motivates you.
I am not sure if this is really happening or if my brain is just freaking out by the extreme level of Hell that I have been putting my body through. Last night, before I went to bed, I removed my shirt and stood in front of the bathroom mirror.
I have not had a photo taken of myself with my shirt off, since I was (maybe) ten or eleven-years old. Even before doing this, I never took photos of myself to have a “before” comparison. I know what I looked like, before. I don’t need a photo to remind me. Again, I was never obese. I really don’t consider myself to be fat. I do know, however, that I could shed a few pounds and work on muscle tone and be healthier. I still don’t want people to see me without my shirt.
Anyway… Last night I am standing, shirtless, in front of the mirror. I could swear that I was seeing the beginning of a set of 6 pack abs. It was more like a 2-pack. It was the 2 at the end of the plastic ring holder thingy. It was the 2 that remained in the plastic holder thingy when you don’t pull them out before putting the 6-pack in the fridge. Is it possible to see that, this soon?
They weren’t going to be mistaken for anything seen in the movie “300”, but I thought I could see the beginning of them. I was so excited. I have never seen anything like that before. Not sure if I am really seeing it, now or if I am just seeing what I want to see.
This morning, I woke up at 4:30am, beating my alarm clock by a half hour, again. However, this morning was different. I opened my eyes and wanted to cry. I could not move. I was so sore. Everything was hurting me. It was horrible. All I could do was close my eyes and go back to sleep, hoping I was having a nightmare.
It was not a nightmare. It was very real and very painful. I hit the snooze bar four times, this morning. I hated the fact that I did it, each time that I did it. I hated it as much as I hated not hitting it a fifth time and getting out of bed. I don’t understand that.
Today, I made an egg white omelet filled with turkey sausage. It was a nice change of pace. I also had a protein drink before my workout. Today was “Arms, Shoulders and Back” along with “Ab Ripper X”. I really did not like the sound of that. I got a late start, so I could not do the ab workout…oh, darn. I will do that, tonight. At least, I have every intention of doing that, tonight.
It was a tough morning. Once again, the warm up was killing me. The entire thing was about an hour long. I did very well for the first thirty minutes. After that, I just started going through the motions. I did that for about ten minutes and then could not even do that anymore.
I felt so guilty about stopping when I did, but I just could not continue. It’s not that I really did not want to keep going. I could not keep going. Two hours later, I had showered, dressed, packed the snack they call lunch and was on my way to work. I stopped to get gas. While standing between my truck and the gas pump, I realized that I actually felt pretty good. It occurred to me that after having gone through Hell and not even being able to go all the way through it, I felt stronger, I felt like I had more energy than I did a week ago when I just woke up, showered, dressed went to work and stopped at McDonald’s for a breakfast burrito on my way in. As sore as I was, I still felt better than I had felt in a long time.
That excited me, but also made me feel even guiltier about hitting that snooze bar so many times, this morning. Later that morning, I noticed something else. When I turned my palm upward and made a fist, I saw the muscles in my arm between my wrist and elbow move and roll around. How cool is that? I’ve never seen that before! A few hours later, it was still doing it. Holy Crap! This is awesome.
Well, damn…what else is happening, here? I looked down at my leg. I was wearing shorts. My calves had this strange look about them. I could actually see the contour of the curvature where one muscle would lay over another…or what ever it is they do. I had tone. At the very least, I could see the beginning of what would end up being muscle tone. I could differentiate different muscles…and they moved…independently. It hurt like Hell when they did, but THEY DID. That was frikkin’ amazing to me. I’ve never seen anything like that on my own legs, before.
And it did not stop there. I noticed similar things going on with the backs of my upper arm. This was not as obvious as what was going on with my calves, but it was obvious that something was starting.
I talk to people that tell me they have tried to do it and could not. I understand why. I may be joining them, but I am going to try my hardest not to. My friend Beth put it in the greatest perspective. I told her that she was like Forrest Gump’s mom. She always had a way to putting things in a way that I could easily understand. She said that she tried it, but could not complete it. She said that a fitness program should leave her tired, but invigorated. P90X made her contemplate mounting handicap rails around her bathroom because her legs would not work and allow her top get off of the toilet. It’s not funny when you can relate to it.
Another friend of mine, Kate, is motivating me in her own special way. Each day that I tell her that I have stayed with the program, did not cheat on the diet and did my best with the workout, she emails me images of hot chicks and sexy models or celebrities in bikinis or lingerie and tells me that I am one day closer to being able to steal this woman away from her boyfriend. THAT, my friends, is what I call motivation and one helluva support group!
I have not had a photo taken of myself with my shirt off, since I was (maybe) ten or eleven-years old. Even before doing this, I never took photos of myself to have a “before” comparison. I know what I looked like, before. I don’t need a photo to remind me. Again, I was never obese. I really don’t consider myself to be fat. I do know, however, that I could shed a few pounds and work on muscle tone and be healthier. I still don’t want people to see me without my shirt.
Anyway… Last night I am standing, shirtless, in front of the mirror. I could swear that I was seeing the beginning of a set of 6 pack abs. It was more like a 2-pack. It was the 2 at the end of the plastic ring holder thingy. It was the 2 that remained in the plastic holder thingy when you don’t pull them out before putting the 6-pack in the fridge. Is it possible to see that, this soon?
They weren’t going to be mistaken for anything seen in the movie “300”, but I thought I could see the beginning of them. I was so excited. I have never seen anything like that before. Not sure if I am really seeing it, now or if I am just seeing what I want to see.
This morning, I woke up at 4:30am, beating my alarm clock by a half hour, again. However, this morning was different. I opened my eyes and wanted to cry. I could not move. I was so sore. Everything was hurting me. It was horrible. All I could do was close my eyes and go back to sleep, hoping I was having a nightmare.
It was not a nightmare. It was very real and very painful. I hit the snooze bar four times, this morning. I hated the fact that I did it, each time that I did it. I hated it as much as I hated not hitting it a fifth time and getting out of bed. I don’t understand that.
Today, I made an egg white omelet filled with turkey sausage. It was a nice change of pace. I also had a protein drink before my workout. Today was “Arms, Shoulders and Back” along with “Ab Ripper X”. I really did not like the sound of that. I got a late start, so I could not do the ab workout…oh, darn. I will do that, tonight. At least, I have every intention of doing that, tonight.
It was a tough morning. Once again, the warm up was killing me. The entire thing was about an hour long. I did very well for the first thirty minutes. After that, I just started going through the motions. I did that for about ten minutes and then could not even do that anymore.
I felt so guilty about stopping when I did, but I just could not continue. It’s not that I really did not want to keep going. I could not keep going. Two hours later, I had showered, dressed, packed the snack they call lunch and was on my way to work. I stopped to get gas. While standing between my truck and the gas pump, I realized that I actually felt pretty good. It occurred to me that after having gone through Hell and not even being able to go all the way through it, I felt stronger, I felt like I had more energy than I did a week ago when I just woke up, showered, dressed went to work and stopped at McDonald’s for a breakfast burrito on my way in. As sore as I was, I still felt better than I had felt in a long time.
That excited me, but also made me feel even guiltier about hitting that snooze bar so many times, this morning. Later that morning, I noticed something else. When I turned my palm upward and made a fist, I saw the muscles in my arm between my wrist and elbow move and roll around. How cool is that? I’ve never seen that before! A few hours later, it was still doing it. Holy Crap! This is awesome.
Well, damn…what else is happening, here? I looked down at my leg. I was wearing shorts. My calves had this strange look about them. I could actually see the contour of the curvature where one muscle would lay over another…or what ever it is they do. I had tone. At the very least, I could see the beginning of what would end up being muscle tone. I could differentiate different muscles…and they moved…independently. It hurt like Hell when they did, but THEY DID. That was frikkin’ amazing to me. I’ve never seen anything like that on my own legs, before.
And it did not stop there. I noticed similar things going on with the backs of my upper arm. This was not as obvious as what was going on with my calves, but it was obvious that something was starting.
I talk to people that tell me they have tried to do it and could not. I understand why. I may be joining them, but I am going to try my hardest not to. My friend Beth put it in the greatest perspective. I told her that she was like Forrest Gump’s mom. She always had a way to putting things in a way that I could easily understand. She said that she tried it, but could not complete it. She said that a fitness program should leave her tired, but invigorated. P90X made her contemplate mounting handicap rails around her bathroom because her legs would not work and allow her top get off of the toilet. It’s not funny when you can relate to it.
Another friend of mine, Kate, is motivating me in her own special way. Each day that I tell her that I have stayed with the program, did not cheat on the diet and did my best with the workout, she emails me images of hot chicks and sexy models or celebrities in bikinis or lingerie and tells me that I am one day closer to being able to steal this woman away from her boyfriend. THAT, my friends, is what I call motivation and one helluva support group!
Day 2- What does not kill us makes us stronger and egg whites make us gassy.
Once again, I woke up before my alarm clock went off. I was surprised at that. I actually had dreams during the night about the workouts. Now, in the dreams, I was working out on a basketball court and the Tennessee Titan’s cheerleading squad was working out with me and they were all dressed in sexy lingerie or bikinis. What ever motivates you, right?
After two egg whites, a turkey sausage patty and a protein drink, I was ready for my workout. Day 2 is called “Cardio X”. After about 10 minutes, I renamed it; “Cardi-oh shit, my heart just exploded!” Sadly, 10 minutes into that video and you’re still doing the warm-up. I hate this guy. Where are my Titan Cheerleaders?
Remember that scene in Aliens where the baby alien burst out of that guy’s stomach? Driving to work today, I sneezed. I was looking for that baby alien.
There was some good news, today. I misread my nutrition guide and it turns out that 6egg whites make up for 1 protein serving. I had thought it was 2 eggs that made 1 protein serving. MORE FOOD FOR MARK! The downside to that is, egg white REALY make me gassy. Maybe that will contribute to the end result. People will not want to be around me for the next 88 days. When it is over and people start coming around, they will think I have actually lost a lot more weight than I really did, because they really can’t remember how much extra weight I had, they just knew it was more than I have when I see them, so they will assume more dramatic results.
After two egg whites, a turkey sausage patty and a protein drink, I was ready for my workout. Day 2 is called “Cardio X”. After about 10 minutes, I renamed it; “Cardi-oh shit, my heart just exploded!” Sadly, 10 minutes into that video and you’re still doing the warm-up. I hate this guy. Where are my Titan Cheerleaders?
Remember that scene in Aliens where the baby alien burst out of that guy’s stomach? Driving to work today, I sneezed. I was looking for that baby alien.
There was some good news, today. I misread my nutrition guide and it turns out that 6egg whites make up for 1 protein serving. I had thought it was 2 eggs that made 1 protein serving. MORE FOOD FOR MARK! The downside to that is, egg white REALY make me gassy. Maybe that will contribute to the end result. People will not want to be around me for the next 88 days. When it is over and people start coming around, they will think I have actually lost a lot more weight than I really did, because they really can’t remember how much extra weight I had, they just knew it was more than I have when I see them, so they will assume more dramatic results.
Day 1- Oh, dear God, what have I done?
I CAN’T DO IT!!!!
I was excited about beginning the program, this morning. I set my alarm to go off an hour earlier, so I could do the work out. I woke up before my alarm. I was pumped and ready to do. Today is begins Phase 1. Today’s workout is Core Synergistic. Tony Horton, the guy on the DVDs…he’s a Sadist. He’s trying to kill me.
I really tried to do this, but I have a few things working against me.
1- Space. Since I downloaded the videos off of the Internet because I cannot afford to buy the real thing, I have to watch them on my computer. My computer is in the small spare bedroom / office / junk room of my house. Luckily, I do not a have a bed in there. That is lucky because it does give me little room to work out, but more so because if a bed had been in there, I would have stopped the video after 10 minutes and crawled into it and gone back to sleep for another hour.
2- Low ceilings. This is complicated further by the presence of a ceiling fan in that room. I cannot do the full stretches and jumps in a room with an 8 foot ceiling and a fan that hangs down a foot from it.
3-Ludwig. Ludwig is my dog…a hyper-active black lab/border collie mix that thinks every time I bend over it must be to pet him. He also thinks that every time I get on the floor, it must be to play with him.
4- I’m a wuss. This point needs no further explanation.
At best, I have a clear floor space of about 4 foot by 5 foot to work in. That does not stay clear for long, as the dog runs into “the kill zone’. I’m trying to lift my arms and stretch without loosing a hand to the ceiling fan. I’m trying to stretch to the floor. I knew I could not touch the floor, anyway. I really can’t do it when a 75 lbs dog has worked himself between my feet and licks my face every time I bend down. When I would drop to the floor for push ups (oh, dear GOD, the push ups), Ludwig would also drop to the floor and stick his face into my face or spin around in circles and whack me in the head with his tail. I started wondering what kind of work out program he was doing.
If I continue with this program, I could be horrible deformed and disfigured from the loss of appendages due to a ceiling fan and by only being able to use one arm to do the routines, while the other arms is trying to push away a big frikkin’ dog.
I am ashamed to say that I did not make it completely through the first video. I lasted about 40 minutes. I am still proud of myself, though. I am actually surprised that I stuck with it for more than 4.
The workout is over and I actually feel pretty good. I am tired and a bit sore, but I am feeling good and I don’t quite understand it, but I like it. Time to eat!
For the first 28 days, I am restricted to a certain diet. I think this is accurate. I am not really sure. This is what I was able to find on the Internet, but I never really saw the actual nutrition program from the makers of P90X. So, this is what I think I am supposed to be eating, daily.
• 5 protein servings
• 2 dairy servings
• 1 fruit serving
• 2 veggie servings
• 1 fat serving
• 1 carb serving
• 1 condiment serving
• 1 snack serving
• 1 P90X recovery drink
• 1 P90X protein bar
Since I could not afford the actual P90X program, I can’t buy the actual recovery drinks and protein bars, either. I found some at Kroger that may or may not be close enough. They were cheaper and I’m sure that they would be better than nothing.
It’s time for breakfast. I made myself 2 poached egg whites and 1 turkey sausage patty. I packed my lunch and took a veggie steamer to work with me. I took a squash and a zucchini to steam (2 Veggie servings), a can of tuna (Protein), a cup of cottage cheese (Dairy), 8oz of skim milk (Dairy) and a protein bar. I decided to do the accelerated diet. You would not find that in the program. That is my own little twist. I decided that if I remove the carb and fat portions, all together…it would all work that much faster. That was a good idea for about two hours.
10am is snack time. It’s time to rock out the cottage cheese. I love cheese. I love Swiss cheese. I love cheddar cheese. I love Colby, Monterrey Jack, Provolone and Mozzarella. Yes, I love cheese. Cottage cheese is not cheese. I don’t know what it is, but it is not cheese. It is, quite possibly, the most disgusting thing I have ever put in my mouth…and I ate a bug for a dollar when I was in the 3rd grade.
I was so hungry, though. I ate it. I ate it all (1 cup). I still say it was not cheese, though.
As I was driving home, I thought about how my steering wheel would taste if it were sprinkled with salt. I realized two things. First of all, egg whites make me gassy. Secondly, I am not a fitness expert and if my understanding of a make-shift, bootleg copy of a nutrition guide says I need a carb and fat and a condiment, by God, I want carb, my fat and my condiment.
I stopped at a grocery store and bought a loaf of whole grain bread. As I continued to make my way home, I began trying to make a deal with God, the devil, Buddha or anyone else that was listening that a carb serving consisted of 2 slices of bread and not just 1 slice. Luckily, it did. I just don’t know if I am supposed to stop swearing, loose my soul or shave my head, now.
Dinner was made up of a tuna sandwich consisting of 1 can of tuna (Protein) between 2slices of whole grain bread (Carb) with a tablespoon of Miracle Whip (Fat) and a teaspoon of mustard (condiment). Normally, I would eat a sandwich over the sink and let the crumbs drop or over a paper towel and just wad it all up and throw it in the trash when finished, or let Ludwig have anything that was dropped on the floor. Not tonight. I ate it over a plate and literally licked the plate clean of all crumbs and morsels that had fallen from the grasp of the bread. I felt like a shammed junkie who’s mother busts him shooting up. The dog just lowered his big fuzzy head and exhaled deeply.
Thus concludes day 1.
I was excited about beginning the program, this morning. I set my alarm to go off an hour earlier, so I could do the work out. I woke up before my alarm. I was pumped and ready to do. Today is begins Phase 1. Today’s workout is Core Synergistic. Tony Horton, the guy on the DVDs…he’s a Sadist. He’s trying to kill me.
I really tried to do this, but I have a few things working against me.
1- Space. Since I downloaded the videos off of the Internet because I cannot afford to buy the real thing, I have to watch them on my computer. My computer is in the small spare bedroom / office / junk room of my house. Luckily, I do not a have a bed in there. That is lucky because it does give me little room to work out, but more so because if a bed had been in there, I would have stopped the video after 10 minutes and crawled into it and gone back to sleep for another hour.
2- Low ceilings. This is complicated further by the presence of a ceiling fan in that room. I cannot do the full stretches and jumps in a room with an 8 foot ceiling and a fan that hangs down a foot from it.
3-Ludwig. Ludwig is my dog…a hyper-active black lab/border collie mix that thinks every time I bend over it must be to pet him. He also thinks that every time I get on the floor, it must be to play with him.
4- I’m a wuss. This point needs no further explanation.
At best, I have a clear floor space of about 4 foot by 5 foot to work in. That does not stay clear for long, as the dog runs into “the kill zone’. I’m trying to lift my arms and stretch without loosing a hand to the ceiling fan. I’m trying to stretch to the floor. I knew I could not touch the floor, anyway. I really can’t do it when a 75 lbs dog has worked himself between my feet and licks my face every time I bend down. When I would drop to the floor for push ups (oh, dear GOD, the push ups), Ludwig would also drop to the floor and stick his face into my face or spin around in circles and whack me in the head with his tail. I started wondering what kind of work out program he was doing.
If I continue with this program, I could be horrible deformed and disfigured from the loss of appendages due to a ceiling fan and by only being able to use one arm to do the routines, while the other arms is trying to push away a big frikkin’ dog.
I am ashamed to say that I did not make it completely through the first video. I lasted about 40 minutes. I am still proud of myself, though. I am actually surprised that I stuck with it for more than 4.
The workout is over and I actually feel pretty good. I am tired and a bit sore, but I am feeling good and I don’t quite understand it, but I like it. Time to eat!
For the first 28 days, I am restricted to a certain diet. I think this is accurate. I am not really sure. This is what I was able to find on the Internet, but I never really saw the actual nutrition program from the makers of P90X. So, this is what I think I am supposed to be eating, daily.
• 5 protein servings
• 2 dairy servings
• 1 fruit serving
• 2 veggie servings
• 1 fat serving
• 1 carb serving
• 1 condiment serving
• 1 snack serving
• 1 P90X recovery drink
• 1 P90X protein bar
Since I could not afford the actual P90X program, I can’t buy the actual recovery drinks and protein bars, either. I found some at Kroger that may or may not be close enough. They were cheaper and I’m sure that they would be better than nothing.
It’s time for breakfast. I made myself 2 poached egg whites and 1 turkey sausage patty. I packed my lunch and took a veggie steamer to work with me. I took a squash and a zucchini to steam (2 Veggie servings), a can of tuna (Protein), a cup of cottage cheese (Dairy), 8oz of skim milk (Dairy) and a protein bar. I decided to do the accelerated diet. You would not find that in the program. That is my own little twist. I decided that if I remove the carb and fat portions, all together…it would all work that much faster. That was a good idea for about two hours.
10am is snack time. It’s time to rock out the cottage cheese. I love cheese. I love Swiss cheese. I love cheddar cheese. I love Colby, Monterrey Jack, Provolone and Mozzarella. Yes, I love cheese. Cottage cheese is not cheese. I don’t know what it is, but it is not cheese. It is, quite possibly, the most disgusting thing I have ever put in my mouth…and I ate a bug for a dollar when I was in the 3rd grade.
I was so hungry, though. I ate it. I ate it all (1 cup). I still say it was not cheese, though.
As I was driving home, I thought about how my steering wheel would taste if it were sprinkled with salt. I realized two things. First of all, egg whites make me gassy. Secondly, I am not a fitness expert and if my understanding of a make-shift, bootleg copy of a nutrition guide says I need a carb and fat and a condiment, by God, I want carb, my fat and my condiment.
I stopped at a grocery store and bought a loaf of whole grain bread. As I continued to make my way home, I began trying to make a deal with God, the devil, Buddha or anyone else that was listening that a carb serving consisted of 2 slices of bread and not just 1 slice. Luckily, it did. I just don’t know if I am supposed to stop swearing, loose my soul or shave my head, now.
Dinner was made up of a tuna sandwich consisting of 1 can of tuna (Protein) between 2slices of whole grain bread (Carb) with a tablespoon of Miracle Whip (Fat) and a teaspoon of mustard (condiment). Normally, I would eat a sandwich over the sink and let the crumbs drop or over a paper towel and just wad it all up and throw it in the trash when finished, or let Ludwig have anything that was dropped on the floor. Not tonight. I ate it over a plate and literally licked the plate clean of all crumbs and morsels that had fallen from the grasp of the bread. I felt like a shammed junkie who’s mother busts him shooting up. The dog just lowered his big fuzzy head and exhaled deeply.
Thus concludes day 1.
Background Information
Two months ago, I turned 39 years old. I am not one of those people that constantly dwells on getting old or being old or how much of their lives have gone by and having little or nothing to show for it. Trust me, I could. I just never have.
I have to grin when I hear people say things like; “I’ve struggled to control my weight all my life.” I can’t say that. I did not struggle with it, at all. I let my weight control me and for many years, I did nothing to try and control it. That is, at least, in a healthy aspect. I did much to control it while watching it rise.
I could not go through a grocery store check-line without grabbing a candy bar to eat in the car. Most mornings, it was too much of a hassle to make sure that I had a healthy breakfast. If I even had breakfast at all, I would get something from a fast food restaurant or convenience store grub such as Twinkies, honey buns (yes, plural) or I would get lucky and find a store that sold Krispy Kreme donuts. I would buy a bag or a box or get at least 2 (sometimes 3) individual, cream filled, chocolate coated, hand held, delicious pastry filled with love.
We’ve all seen those tabloid TV shows that brought into our living rooms images of people that were so obese that they could not get out of their own bed. I was never at that point. However, not that long ago I weighed close to 275lbs. That was not good for a 32 year-old, five foot, ten inch tall guy. I committed myself to changing.
For me the change was not as simple as diet and exercise. That was a big part of it, but there was more. That is when I became aware of some of the obsessive-compulsive issues that I had.
I did not crave junk food. I just could not leave anything incomplete. If I bought a bag of potato chips, I had eat the entire bag in one sitting. I could not open the bag and grab a few as a snack and walk away from it until another day. If I opened it, I had to finish it. This applied to just about everything. If I ordered a pizza, I had to eat the entire pizza. If I bought a box of snack cakes, I had to eat all the cakes in the box. If I cooked something…even something healthy…I had to eat all of it, once I had dished the first portion out of the pot, pan or casserole dish.
I could buy a box of Twinkies and leave them in the center of the kitchen table and walk by them a hundred times a day and never crave one. However, when I opened that box, I had started something and I had to finish it. The only way to finish that task was to empty the box I had opened by eating all of what was inside. That was my compulsion.
Once I identified that, I knew I had to make some changes. Yes, a proper diet and disciplined exercise was required, but I also had to change the way I bought food and cooked food.
I could still buy potato chips. I just bought several individual serving-sized bags, rather than 1 large bag. I could open a bag and eat them all and not feel like something was left undone because the other bags were never opened. I could still buy snack cakes. I just bought individually wrapped items and not a box. I could buy frozen pizza, I just bought the small, singe serving.
In addition to this, I decided to stop drinking regular soft drinks and drink only diet drinks. At the time, I also worked for a large company that had an employee fitness center. After work, a few times a week, I would spend about an hour on an elliptical machine.
In 6 months, I had dropped to 175 pounds. I was so proud of myself and loved the way that I looked and felt. Thanksgiving of that year, I had gone to the home of an aunt and uncle where all of the extended family was gathering. It had been 4 or 5 years, since I had seen some of these people. There were people there that said they did not even recognize me. The next Spring, I noticed 2 photographs that my parents had on display, next to each other. The first was my brother and I, at Christmas, two years prior. The second was my aunt, her daughter and me at the Thanksgiving gathering, eleven months later. I hardly recognized myself.
One of my best friends told me that 175 was not a good look for me. She said I did not look healthy and that I actually needed to put a few pounds back on. I think I was about 7 years-old when someone last told me that I needed to gain some weight.
Since that time, I have been able to maintain my weight below 200 lbs. That is still huge, compared to the nearly 275 that I weighed a few years ago. However, I am not getting the exercise that I need to be getting and I am going back to some of my bad habits. Damn, I do love me some Krispy Kreme.
So, I have decided to try something new…P90X.
I have heard about this and I am going to try it. I am writing about my experience, because if history has shown me anything it is the fact that my life is like a sitcom where so many bad, but not life threatening, things happen to a guy that it makes others laugh and appreciate how good they have things.
I fully expect this to have the same result.
I don’t have the money to buy the P90X program, new. I looked on Amazon and Ebay and there is not much difference between the price of the new program and the price of what it is being sold, used. I looked on Craigslist and saw that someone was selling a set of copied DVDs and said that the buyer could print all the nutrition guides and workout plans from the Internet. Still, $60.00 is a lot money for me to spend on a set of DVDs for a program that I may wuss out on.
I looked for the DVDs on a shareware site. I was able to download all of them and, sure enough, I found all of the paperwork and printed them as well.
I looked at the nutrition guides and wondered if I had lost a few pages or if everything had printed. There had to be something like that going on. There was not enough food on this thing. What they call a meal, I call a snack. What they call a snack, I call a bite. For example, one meal allowed me to have a 3oz portion of chicken breast. That is about the size of a deck of cards. I am committed to this, though. So, if that is what it takes. I can do it! I Can Do It!! I CAN DO IT!!!
I have to grin when I hear people say things like; “I’ve struggled to control my weight all my life.” I can’t say that. I did not struggle with it, at all. I let my weight control me and for many years, I did nothing to try and control it. That is, at least, in a healthy aspect. I did much to control it while watching it rise.
I could not go through a grocery store check-line without grabbing a candy bar to eat in the car. Most mornings, it was too much of a hassle to make sure that I had a healthy breakfast. If I even had breakfast at all, I would get something from a fast food restaurant or convenience store grub such as Twinkies, honey buns (yes, plural) or I would get lucky and find a store that sold Krispy Kreme donuts. I would buy a bag or a box or get at least 2 (sometimes 3) individual, cream filled, chocolate coated, hand held, delicious pastry filled with love.
We’ve all seen those tabloid TV shows that brought into our living rooms images of people that were so obese that they could not get out of their own bed. I was never at that point. However, not that long ago I weighed close to 275lbs. That was not good for a 32 year-old, five foot, ten inch tall guy. I committed myself to changing.
For me the change was not as simple as diet and exercise. That was a big part of it, but there was more. That is when I became aware of some of the obsessive-compulsive issues that I had.
I did not crave junk food. I just could not leave anything incomplete. If I bought a bag of potato chips, I had eat the entire bag in one sitting. I could not open the bag and grab a few as a snack and walk away from it until another day. If I opened it, I had to finish it. This applied to just about everything. If I ordered a pizza, I had to eat the entire pizza. If I bought a box of snack cakes, I had to eat all the cakes in the box. If I cooked something…even something healthy…I had to eat all of it, once I had dished the first portion out of the pot, pan or casserole dish.
I could buy a box of Twinkies and leave them in the center of the kitchen table and walk by them a hundred times a day and never crave one. However, when I opened that box, I had started something and I had to finish it. The only way to finish that task was to empty the box I had opened by eating all of what was inside. That was my compulsion.
Once I identified that, I knew I had to make some changes. Yes, a proper diet and disciplined exercise was required, but I also had to change the way I bought food and cooked food.
I could still buy potato chips. I just bought several individual serving-sized bags, rather than 1 large bag. I could open a bag and eat them all and not feel like something was left undone because the other bags were never opened. I could still buy snack cakes. I just bought individually wrapped items and not a box. I could buy frozen pizza, I just bought the small, singe serving.
In addition to this, I decided to stop drinking regular soft drinks and drink only diet drinks. At the time, I also worked for a large company that had an employee fitness center. After work, a few times a week, I would spend about an hour on an elliptical machine.
In 6 months, I had dropped to 175 pounds. I was so proud of myself and loved the way that I looked and felt. Thanksgiving of that year, I had gone to the home of an aunt and uncle where all of the extended family was gathering. It had been 4 or 5 years, since I had seen some of these people. There were people there that said they did not even recognize me. The next Spring, I noticed 2 photographs that my parents had on display, next to each other. The first was my brother and I, at Christmas, two years prior. The second was my aunt, her daughter and me at the Thanksgiving gathering, eleven months later. I hardly recognized myself.
One of my best friends told me that 175 was not a good look for me. She said I did not look healthy and that I actually needed to put a few pounds back on. I think I was about 7 years-old when someone last told me that I needed to gain some weight.
Since that time, I have been able to maintain my weight below 200 lbs. That is still huge, compared to the nearly 275 that I weighed a few years ago. However, I am not getting the exercise that I need to be getting and I am going back to some of my bad habits. Damn, I do love me some Krispy Kreme.
So, I have decided to try something new…P90X.
I have heard about this and I am going to try it. I am writing about my experience, because if history has shown me anything it is the fact that my life is like a sitcom where so many bad, but not life threatening, things happen to a guy that it makes others laugh and appreciate how good they have things.
I fully expect this to have the same result.
I don’t have the money to buy the P90X program, new. I looked on Amazon and Ebay and there is not much difference between the price of the new program and the price of what it is being sold, used. I looked on Craigslist and saw that someone was selling a set of copied DVDs and said that the buyer could print all the nutrition guides and workout plans from the Internet. Still, $60.00 is a lot money for me to spend on a set of DVDs for a program that I may wuss out on.
I looked for the DVDs on a shareware site. I was able to download all of them and, sure enough, I found all of the paperwork and printed them as well.
I looked at the nutrition guides and wondered if I had lost a few pages or if everything had printed. There had to be something like that going on. There was not enough food on this thing. What they call a meal, I call a snack. What they call a snack, I call a bite. For example, one meal allowed me to have a 3oz portion of chicken breast. That is about the size of a deck of cards. I am committed to this, though. So, if that is what it takes. I can do it! I Can Do It!! I CAN DO IT!!!
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