Weekly Update IX

Exercise Plan

It’s the tail end of the Recovery Week and the start of Phase 3 of P90x Doubles. I felt a bit under the weather and took a 3 day break…sigh. Another delay in completing the final phase of P90X, but hopefully it will be the last. Instead of doing cardio exercises three times a week, it’s being bumped to four days a week. So I’ll be alternating between Plyometrics and Cardio X for my cardio workouts so I don’t overwork my body.

• Core Synergistics: Finished it in its entirety but it still feels difficult to complete.
• 3 Day Break…I don’t remember how this happened!
• Yoga X: I’m getting better at the Right Angle Pose, Twisting Half Moon, Wheel, Crane, and other more advanced poses. Surprisingly, the yoga belly section is getting easier and I can actually feel my abs “engaging.” I like it.
• 1 Day Break
• Plyometrics: It’s been challenging completing all the exercises, but it was done. I got to finish Phase 3 strong, so no more breaks!

Food Plan

Made a pact to avoid eating at chain restaurants after spending a dinner a California Pizza Kitchen, CPK.

I’ve been eating pretty sporadically but now, I’ve been planning meals and made some great meals for the next week.

Photos

PB&J Pumpkin Pancakes, 1 Hard-Boiled Egg, Nonfat Frozen Yogurt with Berries and Flaxseed Meal

Carrot Bread with Raisins and Walnuts and Sorrento Salad and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Japanese Vegetable Curry with Sorrento Salad and Steamed Rice

Chipotle BBQ Chicken with Fusilli and Sorrento Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Udon with Scallions and Quail Egg

Weekly Update VIII

Exercise Plan

Working out after a 3 day break isn’t the easiest thing to do. I had to ease my body back into the workouts which extended my schedule once again.

• Plyometrics: Plyo is always more difficult to complete after the weekend and this week was no exception. I ended the workout 15 minutes early because I just didn’t have enough energy to complete it. A bit disappointing, but it’s my fault for having a 3 day P90X break.
• Break (1 day)
• Legs & Back / Ab Ripper X: I was feeling a bit unmotivated, but I sucked it up and knocked these two workouts. I probably could have gone lower on the lunges, but at least my form was good. Used blue bands instead of green for pull-ups and I felt the increase in tension and a slight soreness the next day.
• Kenpo X: This is one of my least favorite workouts because I’m never quite sure if my punches and blocks are good. A mirror definitely helps and taping my wrists helps my form. It’s still difficult to punch air.
• Yoga: I skipped the Stretch/Rest day because I’m eager to get into Recovery Week. I made it through the Yoga Belly section fairly easy after skipping it for two weeks. I guess my core got stronger in the meantime. I actually held Crane for 60 seconds while resting on my head, did the right angle pose finger hold, and attempted Wheel. I still need to get better at half moon and twisting half moon.
• Core Synergistics: I did half of the exercise before I felt fatigued and light-headed. I should probably eat before doing this workout.
• Kenpo X: A good cardio workout but I need to improve my form.

Food Plan

I’ve been tracking my food intake and I stayed in the 1400 calorie range this week. Then again, I haven’t been working out in the mornings so it definitely knocks out a couple of extra calories that I’d be burning. Also, my food plan kind of went out the window and I’ve been eating more sporadically.  I had pizza for lunch one day, but everything else was pretty healthy…steamed veggies, stews, soups, and rice.

I did notice that I haven’t been eating enough fruit even though I have several packs of frozen berries. Perhaps it’s because I rarely have anything in my freezer that I don’t think to look in my freezer to find the fruit and put it with my yogurt. I’ll be working on increasing my fruit and veggie intake next week.

Photos

Chicken Adobo with Celery and Steamed Rice

Mochi balls with Sesame or Almond Meal

Weekly Update VII

Exercise Plan

It’s Week 7 of P90X Doubles, one more week until Recovery Week. I only got through half the week before I felt super tired and I needed a break. But that doesn’t mean I was a lazy bum….I just haven’t been doing P90X. But once Monday comes around, I’ll be back on it! =)

• Plyometrics / Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps / Ab Ripper X: Plyo never gets easier after the weekend. For the strength-training exercise, I mostly used 10 lb weights with 10 reps and modified the push-ups so that they are regular pushups. No Ab Ripper X, did it yesterday.
• Plyometrics: I completed the workout at 10 PM, which wasn’t a good idea because I was really tired by the end, but it makes for a good night’s rest.
• Plyometrics / Back & Biceps / Ab Ripper X: skipped Plyo today because I wasn’t that energized, perhaps it’s due to yesterday’s late workout. For strength-training, I mixed between 15 lbs and 10 lbs…Felt a bit stiff the next day, but in a good way.
• Yoga X: I completed everything except the Yoga Belly section (7 mins) I think my abs need a break. Got a good stretch for all my slightly achy muscles and feel more flexible this time around.
• Break (3 days)

Food Plan

I’m not listing out my daily caloric intake, because it’s too long but I’m learning to track it online.

This week, my average is about 1750 calories. Three days I went over 1850 calories, two day I went under 1600, and the rest fell between 1600-1850. The calorie counter I’m using isn’t all that accurate since I make all the food myself,  can’t always find the same ingredients/brands that I buy. I guess that comes with ethnic cooking. There are some things I eat that are kind of obscure so it doesn’t show up like Chinese sausages, French macaroons, and water chesnuts.

I think it was a pretty good week, food wise..made lots of dishes that lasted me until Friday and they weren’t expensive or hard to make either. Just tasty and delicious!

Photos

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Celery on Sweet Potato Bread

Stewed Tofu with Mushrooms, Fungi, Dried Shrimp, Chinese Sausage and Steamed Rice

French Macaroons from Jin Patisserie

Weekly Update VI

Exercise Plan

So it’s the second week of Phase II in P90X Doubles (Week 6/13). I decided that Cardio X is too easy as the second workout and instead, I’ll be doing Plyometrics as my extra dose of cardio. It really gets my heart rate up.

• Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X, Plyometrics: Did plyometrics in the morning and fell short of completion by 15 minutes, but at least I jump off the ground. Completed Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps with a mix of 5 lb and 10 lb weights, did a couple of modified moves for the push-ups. Ab Ripper X, did everything but only hit 30 Mason twists due to fatigue. It’s not a good idea to do strength training too late at night because I was quite tired throughout.
• Plyometrics: made it through the entire workout plus the bonus round. I can finally do hot foot without feeling pain in my shins so I’m getting stronger. My triceps were a bit sore from yesterday but it didn’t impede my range of motion.
• Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X, Plyometrics: Plyometrics in the morning again and it seems a bit easier. Looking into the mirror during the workout helps keep your form, especially when you’re tired. For Back & Biceps, I tried to increase the weight and tension when it comes to curls and pull-ups. Ab Ripper X felt a bit easier.
• Yoga X:  Yoga never gets easier since there are always more ways to increase intensity. I’ve been getting stronger and more flexible since I’ve finally been able to do the hand grab during the right angle pose, was straighter for the twisting half moon, and did crane for 50/60 seconds. In the end, I skipped 7 minutes of the yoga belly section.
• Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X,  Plyometrics: Only made it through half of Plyo before I started feeling really light-headed and dizzy. Guess I didn’t have enough energy…perhaps I should’ve eaten something beforehand. Skipped Leg & Back and Ab Ripper X.
• Kenpo X: Didn’t do Kenpo today, but I did go to a Power Yoga class for 1.5 hrs. It wasn’t as challenging as the Yoga X, but it definitely works up a sweat and I did feel fatigued a bit at the end. Good workout.
• Stretch X: Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X as a makeup. Took it pretty easy on the Legs & Back since it’s supposed to be my rest day. Stretched afterwards as well.

Food Plan

Since last week, I fell into a lazy streak of not planning ahead, I took the earlier part of this week to make as much food as possible. I had a lot more cheese in my diet this week than I’ve had in over a month. Aside from the overabundance of cheese, it was a pretty good week.

I realize that I’m not a big salad person, I had salad for a while, but I just got bored of it. So I need to figure out another alternative to getting a massive dose of veggies. Also, I tend to eat more apples, citrus, and berries than any other types of fruit. I got pears, plums, and bananas before…but I never finish the lot of them before they start to rot. I should probably stick to what I like or get less of the other types of fruit. Also, I need to add more flaxseed meal into my food since I bought a bag and it’s about time it gets emptied.

It’s been a while since I’ve done some daily food logs, so here’s one for this week. Personally, I think I eat too much for someone my size…but I guess I’m working out a lot, so it’s justified…maybe?

Day 1

• Breakfast: 2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 slice home-made pizza, 1 tangerine
• Lunch: 1 bowl steel-cut oatmeal, 1 cup Earl Grey tea, 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Dinner: harvest blend, 2 pork tenderloin medallions, mashed sweet potatoes, and blanched asparagus with oyster sauce
• Snack: 1 tangerine, 1 slice of Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted soybeans, 1 cup air-popped popcorn

Day 2

• Breakfast: 1 tbsp peanut butter, 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Lunch: 2 slices home-made pizza, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 tangerine
• Snack: 1/2 cup unsalted soybeans, 1 tangerine, 5 mini pumpkin pancakes
• Dinner: Clay pot style rice, steamed spinach, shiitake mushrooms, dried shrimp and Chinese sausage with sesame seeds, soy sauce and oyster sauce
• Snack: 1 slice Monterey Jack cheese

Day 3 ( I was awake from 4:30 AM – 11 pm with a short nap, so I ate more than usual)

• Breakfast: 5 mini pumpkin pancakes with maple syrup, 1 slice of Monterey Jack cheese, 1 vanilla ice cream bon bon
• Snack: 1 bowl oatmeal, 2 hard-boiled eggs, and lemon water
• Snack: 1 container Fage 2% Greek yogurt with honey and 1 pack roasted seaweed
• Lunch: 2 slices home-made pizza
• Snack: 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes with 2tbsp flaxseed meal, 1/2 cup coffee, 1 tangerine
• Dinner: Fusilli with chicken broth, spinach, Shiitake mushrooms, and Chinese sausage
• Snack: 1 tangerine, 1 TJ mini mint ice cream mouthful, 1 bowl air-popped popcorn, celery sticks, 1 tbsp peanut butter

Day 4

• Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 slices of home-made pizza, 2 tbsp kefir
• Lunch: 1 ounce blanched peanuts, 1 tangerine, mentos
• Dinner: pork tenderloin medallions with harvest blend, mashed sweet potatoes, blanched asparagus and oyster sauce
• Snack: 1 cup kefir

Day 5

• Breakfast: 1 tbsp peanut butter
• Lunch: 2 slices home-made pizza, 1 tangerine, 1 cup kefir
• Snack: 1/2 grapefruit with cinnamon
• Dinner: Balsamic chicken, steamed spinach and steamed rice
• Snack: air-popped popcorn, 8 slices of pepperoni and smoked gouda cheese

Day 6

• Breakfast: 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 slice of homemade white bread, 1 cup kefir
• Lunch: 1/4 rack of ribs, 1/4 cup mac & cheese, 1/4 cup pork and beans (from Baby Blues BBQ)
• Snack: 1 ounce peanuts, 1 slice of gouda cheese, 1 doubleshot wheatgrass (from Jamba Juice)
• Dinner: 1 bowl beef and veggie stew with fusilli

Day 7

• Breakfast: 1 bowl air-popped popcorn, 1 small bowl beef and veggie stew with fusilli
• Snack: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tangerine
• Lunch: 1 omelette, 1 cup mixed fruit, 1 cup hot cocoa, 1 nutella pancake with syrup (from Cafe Laurent)
• Snack: 2 French macaroons (from Jin Patisserie), 1 cup kefir
• Dinner: 4 grilled chicken wings (from Baby Blues  BBQ), 1/2 cup steamed broccoli, mashed sweet potatoes

Photos

Air-popped popcorn (no salt, no butter)

Mini Tangerine

Garlic & Herb pizza crust with Marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, lentils, spinach, peppers, scallions, and pepperoni

Balsamic marinated chicken, steamed spinach and steamed rice

Clay pot-style rice

Grilled chicken wings (from Baby Blues BBQ), steamed broccoli, and mashed sweet potatoes

Weekly Update V

Exercise Plan

This week was supposed to be a normal week, but I felt lazy so I had a two day break from P90X. I know, I should have been more disciplined, but this is real life and I am not perfect. The doubled workouts aren’t too bad and it’s just what I needed. In Phase I, I wanted to do an additional workout everyday, but now…I have to double up on my strength-training days…exciting! I hope next week won’t have any workout breaks.

• Yoga X: It flew by really fast this time and I did all the push-ups before downward dog. I made it through the Yoga Belly section without much difficulty and I stayed in the crane pose for the entire allotted time but one foot was still touching the ground (I’m almost there). Still working on the right angle pose, the wheel and the twisting half moon.
• Break (2 days)
• Legs & Back / Ab Ripper X / Cardio X: 10 reps for all pull-ups with increased resistance from last week, completed all reps required for the exercises, added 10 lb weights for calf raise squats, calf raises, and step back lunges, and added 5 lb weights for balance lunges, alt-side lunges, and toe-roll iso lunges. Skipped Ab Ripper X. Cardio – tried to follow Dom who was doing the more extreme version of the workouts and definitely felt tired by the end but it felt good. Sweaty but good.
• Kenpo X: I learned how to punch properly and I might need to tape my wrists to improve my punches, the kicks are fine and since I kept kicking waist level or higher, my hamstrings are a bit sore
• Stretch X: I needed to stretch since Kenpo left my hamstrings sore, so it worked them out well

Food Plan

I didn’t have much to do this week and yet, I was pretty lazy coming up with a food plan. I ended up eating more sporadically throughout the day and the week, which led to some extended periods of “fasting.” When I looked at my fridge, there wasn’t much I wanted to eat and I let a couple of things go to waste.

When I did eat, I snacked a lot of non-fat, non-salted popcorn. So, this weekend, I took it upon myself to find more appealing foods that I know I’ll eat even though it might be more expensive. And I’ll be making a lot of things ahead of time so I can’t complain that I don’t have any food in my fridge and I don’t have time to make something to eat.

Photos

Lemon and Ginger Thins from Trader Joe’s

Hot Chocolate from Cafe Buna

Potato Pancakes Brunch from Cafe Buna

Home-made Pork Tenderloin Medallions on Harvest Blend with Blanched Asparagus with Oyster Sauce and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Weekly Update IV

Exercise Plan

Since I offset my P90X plan, my rest days are on Tuesdays. So, this week, it was the last two days of my Recovery Week and I’m starting on Phase Two, Week 1 of Doubles. I took two extra days off since my shoulders were feeling strange and I needed more rest. But I started Doubles officially on Friday and I think it went pretty well. I did the strength-training and ab workouts in the morning with the cardio exercises at night.

• Yoga: didn’t finish because I felt tired and hungry. I stopped during the yoga belly section, with 15 minutes left of the program to spare. I did pretty well and lasted longer in the crane and wheel positions. My shoulders were feeling a bit weak, but other than that, no major pain.
• Stretch: I definitely needed to stretch and discovered that I am a little bit more flexible.
• Break (2 Days)
• Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Ab Ripper X, Cardio X: stayed with 5 lb weights and lower reps (10-15) to adjust to the new workout. Skipped Cardio X. Felt sore in my chest, shoulders, and triceps the next day…guess it’s working.
• Plyometrics: Made it through to the bonus round. Must go lower on the lunges and jump higher, but it was late and I didn’t want to disturb my downstairs neighbors.
• Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X, Cardio X: I used 10 lb and 15 lb weights for most of the exercises and alternated between 10-15 reps. For the forearm exercises, I used 5 lb weights and 15 reps. I don’t want large forearms! Ab Ripper X was ok, but there’s still more room for improvement. Cardio was pretty easy and flew by really quick even though I did it at night.

Food Plan

I haven’t been eating the healthiest this week, but I was never really starving either. But I notice that I can’t eat much per meal, but I eat more smaller meals throughout the day and snack in between. I need to cook up some more food since I’m running low on reserves and my fridge is stocked with ingredients, but few completed dishes. Hopefully next week will feel more settled in the food plan.

Photos

Here’s some quick snapshots of what I ate during this week:

French Toast with Scrambled Eggs and Bacon

Air-popped popcorn (no butter, no salt)

Steel-cut oatmeal with blueberries

Sizzling Rice Soup

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt with Strawberry and Graham Cracker Crumbs

I know it’s silly to post up disconnected photos of your body, but I’m proud of my abs thus far. Last year, my sole exercise goal was to have great abs and I did ok, but it wasn’t as defined as they are now from Phase I of P90X. I’m hoping that by the end of P90X, it’ll be “beach-ready.” LOL. To some, I might be already there, but I want everything to be flatter and a bit more defined. By the way, I am not sucking it in.

http://jqlee.wordpress.com/

End Phase I of P90X

It officially took me 45 days to complete Phase I of P90X Doubles. The first 30 days (Phase I) is scheduled just like Classic, so there was no doubling up of workouts aside from adding Ab Ripper X to the strength program. My delay in completing Phase I was due to a week of traveling and then I had a vacationing relative at my place for another week. Nevertheless, I’m ready to start Phase II, which is where I’ll actually be doing the Doubles schedule of workouts.

The workouts weren’t too difficult to master in Phase I, though I have a lot to improve upon, which is a good thing. The strength-training exercises like Chest & Back, Legs & Back, and Shoulder & Arms have helped me get stronger. I’m starting to use 15 lb weights for Phase II for some of the exercises, which is quite surprising to me. However, for tricep exercises, I still use 5 lb weights.

Kenpo feels more like an aerobic workout than a martial arts training session, but it does get the blood flowing. As for Yoga, I’m getting better every time, though I’m still working my way up to perfecting Crane, the Yoga Belly section, and Wheel. The Stretch program is simple and basic. It’s pretty helpful since I find stretching to be one of the most important parts of keeping your body in great shape. I do additional stretches sometimes since the ones provided in the program isn’t always enough.

Plyometrics and Core Synergistics knock down my confidence a few notches and makes me realize how out of shape I am in reference to these specific workouts. They’re challenging for me and it really takes a lot of effort for me to complete these two workouts, but it’s a good thing since I have 60 more days to go. So by the end, I’ll master it.

Measurements

.

Start of Phase I	End of Phase I
Height: 5′1″ Weight: 103 Chest: 30.5″ Waist: 24.5″ Hips: 33″ Thigh: 18″ Calf: 13″ Arm: 9.5″	Height: 5′1″ Weight: 103 Chest: 30″ Waist: 24″ Hips: 33″ Thigh: 18″ Calf: 13.25″ Arm: 9.5″

So, not much has changed but I expected as much since I’m not really trying to lose weight or anything. Externally, I want to look more toned, but internally, I want to be stronger, more flexible, and have more endurance.

Photos

Here are my photos after doing 45 days of P90X in Phase I. They all look about the same so I’m guessing the changes will show by the end of the program. FYI, the right is the before and the left is the after.

Are My Bad Habits…My Good Ones?

I’m back from my hiatus and it’s been an interesting week.

I traveled and saw some familiar sights from a familiar place.

Originally, I planned to work out but it proved harder than I thought. So, I eased up on my exercise plan to three 15 minute jogs and doing Ab Ripper X three times this week. I ate whatever everyone else was having, whether it was steak, seafood, sushi, or other items. When I think about, I ate more carbs and protein than I usually do. I tried to add more veggies and fruit to my food intake, but it wasn’t enough. Plus, I snacked a lot on almonds, chips, wafers, bananas, and popcorn. I had some of these snacks 30 minutes prior to going to bed. On two occasions, I woken up hungry in the middle of the night and I went to pick up a bite to eat (like a glass of OJ or a handful of almonds). For some reason, I’ve been ravenously hungry all week and I’ve been eating lots of big and small meals.

Therefore, according to many food and fitness “experts”…I should be gaining weight this week because I’m working out less and eating more in addition to having more unhealthy food than I normally ingest.

BUT…according to an old, janky scale, I lost 3 pounds. I weighed myself twice on the same scale: once when I arrived and again the night before I left.

How did that happen?

My friend says I’ve been unintentionally following a modified version of the Atkins diet. Something about when you eat more protein, your body doesn’t store it as fat as easily and instead, the fat reserves are being depleted. So you end up losing weight.

Also, since I was doing P90X for over two weeks, I’ve been building up muscle which burns through more calories a day which can explain my unquenchable hunger. The extra protein I’ve been eating goes toward repairing my muscles. So I guess my decreased exercise maintained my fat to muscle ratio…no increase and no decrease.

Personally, I’m not looking to lose weight since each pound is practically 1% of my total body weight. I want to maintain my weight and improve the muscle definition in my body. I don’t think in terms of weight…I want to see how my body can be sculpted and defined by healthy food and exercise habits.

But if I was on a track for weight loss…I guess my bad habits are kind of my good habits?!

March Madness: Pause 2.

This morning, I awoke with a sore back. It wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t move, but I felt it best to relax for a day. So, another pause. I’m being cautious so I don’t potentially injure myself. Even though it’s the third week of P90X, my body is still getting used to all the exercises and some areas are more prone to irritation than others.

Hopefully, I’ll get back on track and continue forward. I’m not a wuss, I’m just smart.

Exercise Plan

I planned to do P90X Shoulders and Arms, didn’t work out.

Food Plan

• Breakfast: pork and cheese bun and 1 blood orange
• Lunch: mashed sweet potatoes with 1 hard-boiled egg and blanched asparagus
• Snack: 1 hard-boiled egg
• Snack: 3 Girl Scout Thin Mints
• Dinner: 1/2 Chipotle chicken burrito bowl

Photo

No photo today.

*Edit: I added the photo because I thought my lunch was so pretty. =)

March Madness: Day 16

Exercise Plan

P90X Plyometrics. I was determined not to let my previous failure get in the way of completing this workout. So, I did this before breakfast, started out easy, and increased my intensity as the the rest of the program continued. I’m happy to say I finished Plyometrics!

Though, I did most of the modified exercises because my right knee felt strange halfway. About 15 minutes before the end, my right shin started to tingle. I need to strengthen my right leg. For my bottom half, my right side is weaker than my left. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve played taiko for 3 years and practically stayed in a left side lunge the whole time. My right side never got as developed and it’s showing now.

Food Plan

• Breakfast: pigs in a blanket bun, 1 blood orange, and 1 cup lemon salt water “gatorade”
• Lunch: 1/2 ham and egg musubi
• Dinner: baby lettuce salad and green onions with lemon sesame vinaigrette and 1/2 ham and egg musubi
• Snack: 1 handful of melon seeds

I planned to have a big lunch today, but for some reason, I only wanted half the musubi. So, I saved the rest for dinner. Perhaps it’s because of Plyometrics and my 7PM nap, but I wasn’t feeling so hungry. So why force yourself?

Photo

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o1IkY1sHUyo/S6HBK4p06fI/AAAAAAAAASc/FskFAmnCaI8/s800/day16.jpg