P90X Round 1 Complete!

I finished 90 Days of P90X!  It's the most intense routine I've Ever Done!  It was 13 weeks of Cardio, Plyometrics, Core, Yoga, and of course, Strength Focus.  We worked out 6 days a week and sometimes 7.  There were difficult times, when we missed days, but overall we only got about a week behind schedule and did all the exercises.  I started out doing the 'Lean' Program and my Husband did 'Classic'. About half way through I intensified my 'Lean' schedule by doing Plyometrics instead of the Cardio X Video.
RESULTS:
Most of my results have come by gains in strength, and knowledge of strength.
I have learned a good system for muscles building, and I have learned how far I am able to push myself to get results.  I began strength training using no weights, 2, 5, and 8 pound weights.  I still use my low weights for 'Pilates' type moves but I am now regularly using 8, 10, and 15 lb weights, and sometimes I try to go higher but can only get a couple reps in with the 20 pounders.
I have also gained quite a bit of flexibility.  Yoga poses have become more and more familiar and comfortable for my body, but I have a long way to basic mastery.  The clearest change has been in my seated toe touch (or hamstring stretch)... Before Day 1 my fingertips were 3 inches from my toes, Now I can easily reach past my toes about 5 inches!  I attribute this to the good warm up and cool down stretches in every dvd, and also to the two days a week of stretch and yoga that are included in the P90X program.
I have not lost any weight, but I am certain that all the pounds of fat I've lost have been replaced by muscle.  I was not able to calculate my body fat percentage until we were already 2 months into the program, and I regret it.
I feel that I have also made gains in cardiovascular health, but my equipment is not very accurate.  According to my $12 heart monitor, my resting heart rate has gone down from 62 to 58 bpm, and I definitely feel more comfortable during cardio workouts.
I'm excited to do my 'after photos', but I haven't had the time just yet.  I think the big changes that you will see will be tone in my legs, arms and shoulders.  Since I carried my daughter in my stomach for 9 months, I'm not surprised to find that my tummy fat has been very stubborn.  My tummy has slimmed down considerably but I was really hoping for a six-pack.
It is very important to note that I didn't just get physical results.  I feel more confident and comfortable in my own body.  I know what I need to do to make gains in my fitness level, and I know that I am capable of so much more than I ever thought!  I would recommend this program to anyone willing to strive for their own greater potential.
WHAT NOW?
Before I started I thought it would be 90 days and then done,  but now I Know that getting fit is ongoing and I  intend to begin the Insanity program (also available from Team Beachbody), or another round of P90X, or perhaps I'll do a little of both........To be Continued........
SPECIAL THANKS TO :  My Wonderful Husband and Daughter, My Supportive Friends, and of Course Team Beachbody and Tony Horton.

Thanksgiving Success!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day!  There is no better holiday, in my mind, than one where the only goal is to get together and have a nice meal.  Generally Thanksgiving is the one day every year when 'no one diets', but we are doing P90X.  We have spent the last month giving our best to adapt our lifestyle to our diet.  -I consider the word 'diet' a little misused, as it simply means 'what is eaten regularly', and everybody eats regularly.-  Vegetarians usually don't eat meat just because it is a 'special day', why should we eat what we know is bad for us?  I planned our meal, and my day, according to what I know to be good nutrition.
The goal was something simple with low fat, low sodium, high protein, and high fiber.  The 'recipes' I used included no butter, no cream/or whole milk, no condensed soups, and added vegetables wherever they fit.
Here's what we had:

• Turkey- 'Foster Farms Natural', stuffed with big chunks of carrots, celery and onion, and roasted in a roasting bag, breast down.
• Mashed Potatoes and Carrots- four organic carrots, four potatoes, and half a red onion, chopped and boiled, then mashed with low sodium, free range, organic chicken broth.
• Green Beans- farmers market to my freezer in October, lightly steamed with dried cranberries, and garnished with almond flakes.
• Gravy- red and white onions sautéed with garlic and mushrooms in just a little oil, added chicken broth to avoid scorching.  I then pureed this with a tablespoon of my mashed potatoes and added it to a few cups of turkey drippings.  I added parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and a little salt and pepper, then stirred and heated to boiling.  It was probably the most complicated and least nutritious part of our meal, but was still healthier than the pan gravy I usually make.

It was all experimental but I told my family they could add salt and butter if they wanted, and I don't think anyone did.  Everything got great reviews, and everyone got stuffed with a healthy meal :)  My husband actually thought we were 'cheating' on our diet.  After dinner everyone but me had some Umpqua Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice-cream.
When my husband had left for work and everyone else had gone home I had a big cup of 'Candy Cane Lane'(Celestial Seasonings) Tea, then did the Plyometrics workout that I had intended to do that morning.  My $12 heart rate monitor said I burned about 1000 calories in that workout.  A perfect end to a great day!  I planned our meal and my day according to the fitness program I've been working so hard to stick to and I succeeded!
Maybe next year I can go with more organics and raw foods.

Problems and Progress

You may have read my other blogs, and you may already know that the last week has been complicated.  Expensive things are breaking down, my workout partner is spending most of his time working, and now I've got my daughter's cold. Despite setbacks, this last week my husband and I have managed to stick to our work-out schedule fairly well and have been inspired by the changes we can now see in our bodies.  My husband's shoulders and arms are blowing up.   Five years ago, at the end of a very physical job, he was ripped, but smallish.  Now he weighs about 20 lbs more, and is so much more muscular than I've ever seen him.  As for me, I don't just touch my toes during stretches -something I've always had trouble with- now I grab my heels and pull!  I haven't lost weight but there's no more 'squeezing' into pants, and I've lost about 2 inches off my hips and waist.  The 'double chin' I thought was a permanent feature has disappeared. 
In light of my busy week -that's going to get busier tomorrow- and the fatigue that this little cold has hung on me, I have decided to postpone beginning week 6 till tomorrow. (it was supposed to begin yesterday).  This will put me doing Plyometrics on Thanksgiving day.  It sounds difficult, but it will make the food so much yummier. 
Since I had no computer last week I was not able to report my modification of the P90X Lean schedule: to add intensity I will be doing Plyometrics instead of Cardio X, and to add effectiveness may substitute Core X for Ab-Ripper when I have time.  little note: I have learned that my core is very weak and the exercises in Ab-Ripper are so intense that I have trouble getting work done.  Core X is also very difficult for me but, because it is longer, I have more of a chance to make progress.