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.
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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