Reboot P90X 2015: Day 5 Legs and Back

Another week has passed from Yoga to Legs and Back. It’s been busy and it’s so easy to put off working out. But I’m still getting back into it. With Legs and Back today, I had to push myself to keep on going.

The Exercises

• Legs and Back

I skipped the Ab Ripper X portion since my body is still not ready. I did half of the legs and back exercises before my legs started to feel really weak. Every time I have to do a movement, I can see my body jiggle with fat. Though I know I’m not where I want to be, seeing that made it more real. Seeing that makes me want to keep going. I want to finish this program and get to the point where I feel and look fit and toned and healthy. I know it seems like it might never happen, I have to keep going if I want that body and that lifestyle.

The Meals

• Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
• Fish and Chips
• Steamed rice, steamed fish, steamed lettuce with oyster sauce

It’s been easy getting breakfast but the rest of my meals aren’t as clean as I want them to be. My brain knows what’s good for me but my stomach rebels. It wants something greasy, something heavy, and sometimes, I listen. But the next day, I don’t feel as energized and I know it’s due to my not so great food habits. I need to start adding in some more fruits and veggies!

Reboot P90X 2015: Day 4 Yoga

A week passed before I finished the Yoga session of P90X.

I went rock climbing and hiking with some friends during the weekend but it was hectic trying to squeeze in a workout during the week. Getting started on wedding planning kind of interrupted everything. Instead of an hour workout session, it was replaced by family and friends helping me find venues and dresses for the wedding.

The Exercises

• Yoga

I did half of the yoga session and like always, my wrists are a bit sore from all the planks and downward dog movements. It felt really good to stretch out and do twists. It was what my body needed to relax and release all the tension that was built up from the week.

The Meals

• Cinnamon Sugar Oatmeal
• Pork and Leek dumplings
• Steamed rice, sautéed tomatoes and scrambled eggs, steamed fish, and steamed bok chou

But I remember that I made this pact with myself to keep going even if I skip days. I haven’t failed yet, I have only just begun and I have to keep on going if I want to succeed. A few setbacks won’t deter me this time.

Reboot P90X 2015: Day 3 Shoulders and Arms

Another day of soreness, my body is still getting used to all this movement. Today, it’s working on the shoulders and arms.

It feels good to have a regular routine and exercising different parts of the body. Though it sometimes seems like everything is sore, it’s not true. Arms and abs are probably the most sore parts of my body. Hopefully I’ll get better and it won’t feel as sore anymore.

The Exercises

• Shoulders and Arms: focusing on shoulders, biceps, and triceps
• Ab Ripper X: skipped

I did one round of 12 exercises for the weight lifting portion. 10 repetitions with 10 lb. weights. Skipped the bonus round. Completely skipped Ab Ripper X because after doing the first exercise, my stomach felt like it was on fire and completely refusing to do anything. I could hardly use it, so I just stretched it out for a bit.

Though it feels like I’m doing a light portion of the workout this week, I need to establish a baseline and to ease my body into this program. P90X is intense and if you go too hard in the beginning, it can cause injury and pain enough to get you to stop. But you have to keep going, even if it means not finishing everything.

The important thing is that you keep going!

The Meals

• Cinnamon and Sugar oatmeal
• Lomo Saltado (leftovers): stir-fry beef with onions and tomatoes, steamed rice and fries
• Pulled Pork Burger with beans and coleslaw
• 1 small bag of tortilla chips
• 1 cup of spiced chai tea

In the spirit of being healthier, I am trying to add a fruit or veggie side to at least one meal a day. People think being healthy means you have to cut this, stop eating that, and it’s all no, no, NO to things you love. It makes it hard to stay on track when you’re denying yourself so to flip the script, I focus on adding something positive. Try one extra helping of veggies. Go for the healthier meal option today. Make one positive choice to improve yourself and if you keep going, it’ll be easier to make more choices that are better for you.

One small step to being healthier can lead to big changes ahead as long as you keep on going.

Reboot P90X 2015: Day 2 Plyometrics

It’s Day 2 and it’s time for Plyometrics.

After yesterday’s workout, I’m definitely feeling it in my back and armpits. My chest and arms, not really. Perhaps I could have gone further with the exercises, but I know next time, I can push harder.

The Exercises

• Plyometrics: jump squats, run stance squat switch pickups, double airborne heismans, swing kicks

Plyometrics was brutal! After doing 40 lunges and 40 squats in the warm-up section, my legs were already burning. I didn’t get very far into the program, I completed the first set and I was done. Cardio isn’t my strong suit and my heart felt like it would pound right out of my chest! I took a break after the first 4 exercises and the second set wasn’t very good. So I called it a day and hopefully my body will recover from the shock of all this movement.

The Meals

• Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal
• 2 Spicy Mayo Salmon Tacos on Corn Tortillas
• 3 fried chicken wings, steamed lettuce with oyster sauce, seafood egg flower soup, and steamed rice
• 1/2 Asian pear
• 1 small bag of tortilla chips

I made an effort to eat healthier today. I need more vegetables in my diet but it’s a challenge when the rest of the family doesn’t like them. Not sure about fruits because they’re too sweet or tangy for my taste buds. Since I’m more of a savory person than a sweets person, I grabbed a small bag of tortilla chips that was leftover from a Chili’s outing. A few steps forward today and I know it will get better.

It’s only the beginning, so I can’t beat myself over it. I showed up, I pressed play, and I did my best.

Forget the rest.

Reboot P90X 2015: Day 1 Fit Test and Then Some

After much delay and much failure, I’ve started back up again. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down, what really matters is that you get back up.

So here I am again on Day 1 on P90X. I did the fit test without the heart rate monitor and it’s quite sad to see the numbers. Sure, they’re only numbers but I remember when I was more in shape when I first started P90X years ago. Age has not been kind to me and my body keeps rebelling.  It is time to start over.

The Exercises

• Chest and Back
• Ab Ripper X

I did one round of C&B, that’s 12 exercises, and I didn’t repeat the rounds. It was tragic. 10 pushups per set and about 15 pull-ups with the green bands. I modified most of the exercises to the most basic format: alternate between pushups and pull ups. For Ab Ripper X, I made it through all 11 exercises and 25 repetitions. It was exhausting but I’m glad I did something.

The Meals

• Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
• 2 Eggs, 2 Slices of Ham, and 1 Pack of Instant Noodles
• Lomo Saltado: Peruvian stir fry with beef, onions, and tomatoes with a side of rice and fries
• 1 shortbread cookie

For meals, I don’t follow the prescribed diet. I am a normal person trying to eat healthier but honestly, it’s hard. I don’t fake my meals. I eat real food, even if it’s not good for you. I don’t do supplements, recovery shakes, protein bars, etc. I like whole foods that are as natural as possible. So yes, for today, I had some instant noodles and I used half a pack of seasoning that comes with it. And shortbread. So what? This was what I ate and I know I can do better.

Because I have done this program before, it makes me feel more embarrassed about my body. Knowing what it used to be able to do, what it used to look, and even where I started…I have become such a slouch! I wonder if people noticed I let myself go and why didn’t they say anything? Then again, what can they say that will sound positive and not judge-y?

Here’s to tomorrow! Show up and let’s go!

What’s the Deal with Raw Milk?

Can I still have raw milk if I’m lactose intolerant?

For the past 10 years, I’ve drastically decreased my dairy consumption because of the effects of being lactose intolerant. That gurgle stomach, the uncomfortable gassy feeling…it’s not pretty. But I love love LOVE cheese and ice cream.

I am resigned to the fact that if I have one slice of pizza or a glass of milk, I’ll be dealing with the consequences later that night. Sure, I could take lactase pills or drink lactaid milk…but it’s just not the same. I want my BODY to be good shape, not tricking it into accepting these dairy products. I have tried kefir, greek yogurt, and regular yogurt to supplement my dairy consumption but I don’t really like the taste and texture of these products. So, I’m heading back to the simplest thing…milk!

I will be trying raw milk for the next 30 days. I bought a half gallon of raw skim milk and I’m going to see if I can handle it without getting the horrible effects of being lactose intolerant. My friend has been trying this experiment for the past year and he hasn’t had any problems…and his intolerance was more severe than mine!

Hopefully I can add dairy back to my diet, especially since I’m getting older and I want to take better care of my body.

If you’ve tried raw milk, I’d love to know!

Simplify P90X: Day 11

Do you get energy from other people or do they drain you?

For me, it’s the latter situation. Although I love hanging out with friends, I am pretty wiped after our events. Add in kayaking and I’m so beat that all I wanted to do was sleep.

It’s always necessary to listen to your body and do what feels right. After an awesome and fun workout yesterday, my body needed more food and less exercising. So I took another rest day and stocked up on protein and tasty food to take care of my body.

Until tomorrow, show up and work hard!

Simplify P90X: Day 10

Today was kayaking day!

Took it easy yesterday with a few jumping jacks and pushups to get myself in shape. But today, I got to spend the day outside on the water, seeing some wildlife and getting quite an arm workout too. So fun and way better than doing P90X in my living room alone. 😛

Kayaking with friends and communing with nature…can’t be beat!

Until tomorrow, show up and work hard!

Simplify P90X: Day 8

I’ve been sick for the past few days so I haven’t been working out.

So, it’s time to show a little food!

Sometimes, I feel like most workout programs have a food diet that is just…weird. Bars, shakes, and bland cardboard meals seem like what they offer instead of “real food.” It might work for some people, but I love variety and pretty meals.

Here’s a little bit of what I’ve been eating lately.

Japanese chicken curry with carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and steamed rice (homemade)

Chinese beef noodle soup with bok choy, carrots, onions (homemade)

Indian roti with 4 Thai curry sauces (at Thai Lemongrass)

Thai green papaya salad (at Thai Lemongrass)

Until tomorrow, show up and work hard!

Simplify P90X: Day 5

Today should be Shoulder and Arms given my switched schedule.

But as it turns out, it’s going to be my rest day.

My body isn’t used to working this hard and it started to fail. The muscle soreness got pretty high and I was in quite a bit of pain after pushing myself through the past 4 days of exercising. On top of that, I got food poisoning which really knocked out the option of working out today. So, I just stocked up on fluids and light meals to get me through the day of rest. Sometimes, you just have to listen to your body and let nature take its course.

Hopefully, I’ll feel better soon.

Until tomorrow, show up and work hard!