Yup. Still at it…and I feel great. Kelly and I begin our second recovery week tomorrow which consists of the same core synergistic, yoga, cardio routine as week 4. 

We’ve continued to watch our diets and have both lost significant weight. I weighed in at 187.5 pounds the other day. Not bad for starting this whole thing weighing 218. My goal of 170 is in sight!

One thing that I’ve learned about this workout program is that results can vary greatly. Although I’ve lost a lot of weight I’m not insanely ripped like some of the commercials may lead you to think. I do believe that some people achieve these results but if I had to make a bet, I’d bet less than 25%. However, you will get in shape! That is just a plain fact. For example, my aerobic fitness has improved so much that I got onto an elliptical machine the other day and did 7.5 miles and burned 850 calories in 35 minutes. There is just no way I could have done that before starting P90X.

I’m considering modifying the workout at the end of the three months and continuing to do some of the routines because I have become to love them so much.

Lastly, I plan on doing my first ever 5K road race in October! That’s how good I feel!

Until next time!

Just kidding suckers! I will NEVER give up and here’s why:

Back on May 6th of this year I had one of the worst Gout (yes Gout) flare ups I have ever had. This time, the Uric Acid struck my right knee and pout me out of commission (and work) for 3 days. After visiting my doctor, he put me on daily medication to help flush the Uric Acid out of my joints. At 32 years old, I am on a daily Gout medication. Pathetic. My doctor also said that if I changed my diet and got some exercise and ultimately lost 20 lbs, I’d probably be able to ween myself off of the meds and eventually not need them at all. I probably would have ignored his suggestion yet again, accept that only a couple of months prior to this I developed a Uric Acid kidney stone, no doubt due to my diet. I needed a change.

I think it’s fitting that I tell you what my vitals were on that day in the doctor’s office:

Blood Pressure: 140/83 (some would say borderline but in reality this is a very high and shitty blood pressure)

Uric Acid Level: 10 (this is on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest you can have. Normal levels are between 4-8)

Weight: 218lbs (weighed fully clothed so take off about 5lbs)

As you can see, my health was on a rapid and steady decline and I needed to do something quick. This ultimately led to this decision to take this challenge.

A week after I started P90X I called my doctor and made an appointment for July 1st. If anything, I needed motivation to stay with the workout and this would be it.

This past Friday on July 1st I walked into my doctor’s office and had all of my vitals checked again. Here are the results AND THEY ARE REAL! I am not lying about this.

Blood Pressure: 122/78 (Holy crap! Almost perfect!)

Uric Acid Level: I get the results back this week and I will follow up.

Weight: 203lbs (15lbs LOST SO FAR! Measured in clothes so take off about 5 lbs or so.)

There is absolutely no way I’m quitting this workout after seeing results like this. Today was Shoulders, Chest, and Triceps and I’m a good sore all over, Tomorrow is Plyometrics, my nemesis. Bring it on…

In light of the fact that I just don’t have the time to blog every day about this, I’ve decided to get at least one post up every 2-3 days.

The workouts are going extremely well. Kelly and I have both successfully acclimated ourselves to getting up every morning at 5:00 AM to do the workouts and we’re both actually starting to FEEL stronger. It’s a good thing.

At the end of this week we change up the workout routine a bit. Week 4 is considered a “recovery” despite the fact that we have to do Core Synergistics and Cardio X! Core Synergistics is a routine that consists of strengthening your “Core” or your body from your neck to your waist. It looks brutal but it should improve my pull up abilities.

The diet is also going extremely well. Last night Kelly and I went out with a few friends to dinner and a movie and I took advantage of my 10% allowance to eat something let’ s just say, not really good for you. I had  beer and some chicken tenders along with some popcorn during the movie. I know I know…I probably shouldn’t have, but Kelly and I have been doing so well that I really needed to treat myself…and I’m glad I did!

I’ll try to catch up with you guys in a couple of days. I’ll leave you all with a decent breakfast smoothie recipe, a great vegetarian curry recipe (I made this recipe and it was really good. The picture attached was taken by me after the dish was finished), and my current weight.

Currently, I weigh 200lbs! This is the lowest I’ve weighed in 3 years!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie:

12 Large Strawberris

3 Large Bananas

10 Ice cubes

2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk

Blend ingredients together and enjoy. Serves 2-4.

Thai Vegetable Curry:*

Serves: 8  

Preparation Time: 40 minutes  

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups carrot juice

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 large eggplant, peeled, if desired & cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups green beans, cut in 2 inch pieces

3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained

2 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no salt seasoning

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

2 cups watercress leaves, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted natural chunky peanut butter

2 pounds firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1/2 cup chopped raw cashews unchopped

mint, basil or cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
Place the garlic, ginger, mint, basil, cilantro, carrot juice, bell pepper, eggplant, green beans, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, VegiZest, curry powder, and 1 cup of the watercress in a wok or large skillet. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables are tender. Mix in the peanut butter. Add the tofu, bring to a simmer, and toss until hot. Add the coconut milk and heat through. Top with the remaining 1 cup watercress and the cashews. Garnish with mint, basil or cilantro leaves, if desired.

Note: This can be served over brown rice or quinoa. Frozen vegetables may be used instead of fresh.

*Recipe courtesy of Dr. Joel Furhman from https://www.drfuhrman.com/default.aspx.

My apologies again for the delayed blog posts. Life gets in the way from time to time. Kelly and I just finished up our second run of Yoga X and it indeed was a bit easier this time round. My balance seems to be improving and Kelly is making for a great coach.

This past week we also did our second rounds of plyometrics and shoulders and arms. Plyometrics still sucks but I’m already seeing a big improvement in core stength and overall stamina. We’re definitely going to need to buy some more weights as the shoulders and arms workout is going to start demanding it. I love the shoulders and arms workout. I really feel like I’m seeing a huge difference in performance when I do that one.

I’m literally swimming in some of my clothes now! How about them apples?! Real results. If anything people, please let this blog inspire you to at least try to change your eating habits and lifestyle. I weighed 203 lbs today. I’ve already lost four pounds in just over a week!

Meal Plan 6/11/2011

Breakfast:

1 cup coffee w/no sweetener added and unsweetened almond milk

1 fresh white peach

Lunch:

Huge leafy green salad w/

- butter lettuce

- red bell peppers

- fresh brocolli

- red onion

- button mushrooms

- cilantro

- green onion

- grape tomatoes

- carrots

- celery

- cucumber

- flax seeds

- balsamic vinegar dressing mixed with garlic, fresh orange juice, italian seasoning (no salt)

Dinner:

Another green salad (same as above)

Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup (this soup is delicious)*

- 2 tblsp water

- 2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 tsp herbs de provence

- 5 cups carrot juice

- 3 cups unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk

- 2 carrots coarsely chopped

- 2 medium onions chopped

- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

- 1 cup chopped celery

- 3 leeks cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds

- 1/4 cup raw cashews

- 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice

- 1 tblsp chopped fresh thyme

- 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

- 2 (15 ounce) cans no-salt added or low sodium white beans (northern, navy, cannellini), drained and rinsed

- 5 ounces baby spinach

- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the water in a large saute pan. Saute the mushrooms, garlic, and herbs de Provence for about 5 minutes, or until tender, adding more water if necessary to prevent from sticking. Set aside.

In a large soup pot, bring the carrot juice, 2 1/2 cups of the milk, the carrots, onion, corn, celery, leeks to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

In a food processor or high powered blender, puree the cashews and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Add half of the soup liquid and vegetables, the lemon juice, thyme, and rosemary. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Return the pureed soup mixture to the pot. Add the beans, spinach, and sauteed mushrooms. Heat until the spinach is wilted. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

* Black Forest Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe taken directly from Joel Fuhrman’s book “Eat to Live”

Sorry for the delayed blog post. I was a little ill two nights ago and it carried over to yesterday.

Day 6 of P90X brought the Kenpo X workout to my living room. I LOVED this workout. It’s Kenpo Karate mixed with a kick ass cardio routine. Your heart rate goes up and you sweat a lot but at the same time it’s all punching and kicking so it’s a lot of fun. Kelly really liked this one as well and we both cannot wait to do it again.

Day 7 was a day of rest so there’s not much to talk about here. I should mention that there is a stretching routine that comes with the workout that you can voluntarily do if you’d like. I chose not to as I wasn’t feeling well.

Day 8 we started over! Holy crap! One whole week done already! Chest and back again today and I have to tell you that it was waaaaaay easier this time around! I’m feeling stronger and have more confidence.

My pants are already getting looser! I’m sure this has to do with the new meal plan Kelly and I are on but who cares?1 It’s working! I weighed 205 lbs yesterday. Two pounds less than only a few days ago.

I’m going to try to post my daily meal plans for you guys as well so you can get an idea of what we’ve been eating these last couple of weeks. I’ll try to start that tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

An hour long workout of legs and back today. We did lunges, squats, push ups, and pull ups. For the first time since I’ve started this whole workout, I actually felt stronger. Pull ups are starting to come a bit easier although I’m still using a chair for a little support. I hope by next week to ditch the chair altogether and see what happens.

Today was also an ab ripper day and even that workout seemed a little easier. Kelly and I are still taking it a bit easy and we’re not even close to doing all of the reps the people do on the DVD but I don’t let that discourage me.

I have to say that I’m also starting to feel a lot better. I have more energy and I haven’t felt this motivated in a long, long time. I’m sure a lit of it has to do with the new diet I am on. It’s mostly a nutrient rich plant based diet with some fish here and there. I’m eating HUGE green leaf salads and a ton of fruit. I also am allowed 1 cup of legumes or beans every day as well as 1 cup of starchy vegetables like squash, potatoes and corn although, I’ve been staying away from most starches. It’s working. I feel full after meals and I’m not craving any junk food. It’s a beautiful thing.

Tomorrow I have Kenpo X which I guess is a martial arts twist on a workout. I’ll let you guys know how it goes tomorrow night. Thanks for reading.

Yoga X. I need to preface this blog post by saying that this SHOULD have been day 5 of my workout however, I had to skip yesterday because I went deep sea fishing with some friends. After the trip I was completely beat and although I tried, I simply could not muster the energy to do my workout. So, I waited until today.

Yoga is hard. Yoga X is super hard. It’s an hour and a half of balance, stretch, and breathing routines and you sweat. You sweat a lot. I think I had to turn my yoga mat over at least 15 times to the dry side. Gross but effective.

Let me just say that I woke up today extremely sore. My quads and hamstrings felt like they were on fire and my triceps were very stiff. Yoga is excellent for working out those stiff and sore spots you might have after intense workouts which is why it’s essential for the P90X workout.

The workout itself was pretty discouraging and frustrating for me and I found myself pressing pause a few times. My balance is awful but I hope that in time it improves. If you decide to take this P90X challenge that is one thing that you have to continue to fight through…the frustration. It’s not easy but you have to keep going.

I also weighed myself today. Just so all of you guys know, I weigh 206 lbs. My immediate goal for weight loss within the next 2-3 weeks is to reach an even 200 lbs. Again, the more people that follow me, the more I will continue to press on with fervor. Thanks for reading and wish me luck!

Perhaps the “easiest” workout so far. Shoulders and arms. We woke up at 5:45 yet again and jumped right to it. Thanks to the Plyometrics workout yesterday my legs didn’t work so well but I still managed to do the complete double workout and the ab ripper x routine afterward.

Cogner bicep curls, chair dips, and standing shoulder presses were just some of this routine and i have to say that I actually enjoyed it despite the immense pain that I am in at present. Only 87 more days to go!

I still have to get a scale so i can post my weight statistics and I’ll eventually get sporadic pics up once they’re not so embarrassing. Tomorrow is Yoga X and I’m really looking forward to a nice long stretch routine. Talk to you guys tomorrow.

There has never been a more unholy and offensive workout I am convinced, then Plyometrics. Who would have ever thought that jumping up and down for a solid hour could be so God awful painful. I curse the person who invented Plyometrics.

Woke up again at 5:45 AM and did this hideous workout. Kelly joined me and I must say was better at it than I was but still struggled. Every part of my body hurts right now but it’s that good hurt feeling. I guess realizing all day long that you got your sorry ass up at 5:45 in the morning makes you feel like you’ve accomplished something so the pain is tolerable. I hope that feeling stays with me through this whole thing.

Tomorrow we have shoulders and arms. I took a look at the workout and it looks doable. I’ll report back tomorrow night on whether it was or not. Wish us luck!

Today was the first day of P90X. I woke up at 5:30 AM. I did a solid 1 hour chest and back work out followed by an intense 15 minute ab routine. All I can say is that this workout program is not for the faint of heart. I didn’t do nearly as many reps as I wanted to but I figure that will come in time. Tomorrow is Plyometrics. I hear this is the toughest of all workouts within the entire program. I am not looking forward to it but I will not let you guys down either. Only 89 days to go! Thankfully, my lovely wife has agreed to give this program a shot with me. That should help!