P90X - Day 46

I want to stay true to the intent of this blog.  My goal way back when it started was to talk about try to find a way to live healthy in an unhealthy world.  A world that is constantly tempting you to take a short cut to happiness, health and wellness, and yet continues to produce more and more people who live unhealthy lives. Over the last 4 years I have made many great starts towards a healthy live style.  I have also blown it and given in to the many messages around me.  As a result i have yo-yo'd up and down with weight.  I have been bordering on being diabetic, I have joined the ranks of those taking blood pressure medicine, and have like so many, resigned to the lie, that this is how life is going to be.  Well no more.


This blog is about the battle.  The biggest battle is the one I have with myself.  I am determined to win this battle, to regain my life, and to start living the way I was meant to live.  With that in mind, I started P90X back on January 5th.  It is now February 19th and I just completed day 46 of the 90 day workout.  While I am lossing weight, and changing the way my body looks, I am learning so much more.  I am learning that by working hard I can change the direction things are going in my life.  I am talking about more than health and fitness.  I am learning that when I feel good about myself it has a direct impact on my job performance and my relationships.  I am realizing that I do have the strength to stick with something and am determined to see it through to its completion. I am in my 7th week of P90X.  I have lost 26 lbs. I feel like I am finally doing something important for myself that will reap life long consequences.  This is all about becoming the best me I can be.  I was looking at the pictures of me on the header at the top of this page.  The picture on the far right is from me in April of '07.  I had gotten down to 211 pounds.  This morning I was 210 lbs.  The difference is that I have been converting fat to muscle, so my build is much better today than it was when I was 43.  I am starting to realize my dream of being in better shape when I hit 50 (yes, 2 and a half years away) than I was at 30.  I am trying to decide if I will do another round of P90X after I finish in April, or if I will start training for a Marathon.  My goal is to develop a life style of health, wellness, and fitness, that will carry me through the rest of my life.  I am well on my way to winning this battle.

P90X - Day 39

I am 39 days into P90X and starting to see some big changes. Over the first 3 weeks I dropped 15 pounds, but then have been stuck at 216lbs ever since.  My wife keeps telling me not to let the scale be the determining factor, but I can't seem to break free from it.  I was feeling a bit discouraged, realizing I was building muscle, that weighs more than the fat I was losing, but still discouraged.  At day 30 I took the second set of pictures. While I didn't see a flat stomach and six pack abs, I did see that I was slimming down a little.  I also noticed that there was some muscle definition replacing some of the sag.  My chest was starting to look a little more like the chest I remembered in days gone by (still a long way to go).  the start of this week I heard Tony H talking about '"Bring it," once again.  Only this time I told myself, I am going to make sure I am drained at the end of my workouts.  My muscles haven't really been sore since the third week, so I thought, turn up the intensity, do more, push harder, but be smart about it.  As a result, I felt like I was going to throw up after finishing twice this week, looking in the mirror, there is even more definition. To top it all off, this morning I was 209.  That means I am 27 pounds lighter than I was January first and 22 pounds less than when I started P90X.  I am no longer among the obese, just at the high end of overweight.  More than anything, I have maintained a fitness lifestyle for 39 straight days.  Kind of amazing for a couch potato like me.  I have just finished yoga, still can't do it all, but am doing a lot more than the first time round.  I continue to wonder what I will do to continue this lifestyle when I complete the first go around of P90X.  Maybe start again and work to get in even better shape.  My future goal continues to be clear, to hit my 50's in better physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally, than I hit my 30's.  At this point I am 39 days into my plan to get there.  My your battle go well for you.

P90X Day 33 - Starting to see the difference

I'm just over a month into the program.  I've been sweating, I've been jumping, I've been doing push ups, and using bands (instead up pull ups).  I also have been modifying the routines, taking breaks, doing my best and forgetting the rest.  I have been stuck at 215 pounds for a week, but my kids and wife tell me they are noticing the changes.  I can tell you I am feeling better about who I am as a person, my outlook on life is changing and I am excited about the future.  Today I looked at my pictures I took on day one and compared them to day 31 (yes I was a day late). Guess what, there is change.  Muscles are starting to show up, the man boobs are not as pronounced, the waist is starting to look different.  There is a long ways to go, but I am definitely on my way. 

My question now is how will I sustain this as a life style change.  I don't think I will be able to do extreme workouts 6 days a week for the long haul, but how will I continue with what I have started?  One thing I have been thinking about is my long term goals, and I have finally defined it in a nice little statement. "I will enter into my 50's better physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually than I entered into my 30's."  I am currently 47 and a few months from 48, so I have time to work on this goal.  I am currently working on my physical and emotional state of being.  These impact my relationships and where I am spiritually.  As I make progress physically with P90X, it is opening the door for growth in the other areas as well.

I can't wait for these next 4 weeks to fly by and hit the 60 day mark.  I am excited about what is happening to me both outwardly and inwardly.  My your battle go well.