Exercise – Today is the Stretch exercise or Rest option for P90X.   I choose the Rest option, but I did get in a couple hours of yard work

 

Diet – omelet with buffalo chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, protein shake for snack, turkey reuben and chips for lunch, pot roast for dinner, popcorn for snack.

 

 

Exercise – Today was supposed to be Kenpo day.   I did not do this workout.   First day in 40 days I did not do my P90X routine.  I did get in 18 holes of golf.

 

Diet – blackberries for breakfast, protein bar for lunch, some Corona Lights and IC Lights for snack through the day and evening, and a gyro for dinner. 

 

 

Exercise – Today was Legs/Back and Ab day for P90X.  I can feel my legs getting stronger with each of these workouts.

 

Diet  - omelet with buffalo chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese,  protein shake for snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, venison with mushrooms/onion/cheese for dinner, cheese/sausage and crackers for snack.

 

Here come the long 3 day weekend with lots of temptation to skip exercise and eat bad foods.  Time to stay disciplined.

 

 

Exercise – Today was Yoga day for P90X.  I have been feeling a little lazy the last two days, so I need to turn that around this weekend even though it is a Holiday weekend filled with cookouts and get togethers.

 

Diet – omelet with buffalo chicken sausage/peppers/cheese for breakfast, blackberries for snack, leftover chicken/veggies/potatoes for lunch, protein shake for snack, cheese/sausage/crackers for dinner, and then a little popcorn for a snack.

 

 

Exercise – Today was a little bit off of my usual routine as I was in Pittsburgh all day for work.  I did my ab workout at the hotel in the morning before going to my client, and then did the back/bicep workout later at night when I got home.  I tried to make every excuse to myself to not do the night workout, but I finally pushed my way through it and felt great afterwards.

 

Diet – Turkey sausage with egg whites on wheat sandwich for breakfast from Einstein brothers (only 290 calories), protein bar for snack, grilled chicken with potatoes and zucchini for lunch from Olive Garden (I ate half, and will have the other half for dinner or lunch the next day), protein bar for snack, Jacked Up burger from Paninis for dinner, and a protein shake for snack

 

 

Exercise - Today was jump training (Plyometrics) for P90X.

Diet - Diet – omelet with buffalo chicken sausage/onions/cheese, blackberries for a snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, venison/mushrooms/onions/cheese pizza for dinner.
 
 
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Exercise -  P90X day was Chest/Shoulders/Tris and Abs workout routine.  Another successful day with this.  I had some mail that was going out, but instead of just putting it in my mailbox, I biked the mail to the post office which is a 3.6 mile round-trip.   I also had a softball game tonight.

 

Diet – omelet with buffalo chicken sausage/onions/cheese, blackberries for a snack, cucumber/onion salad, protein shake for snack, scallops of rice with cilantro for dinner.

 

 

 

Laura asked us to answer the following question, "What has been the biggest change in me since I started the contest."

 

 

As I spent my time doing yard work pondering about this question, I could not come to a consensus with myself on any one specific change that was the biggest.  Instead, what I came to realize was that I have gone through several small changes over the last 4 months, which have contributed to my weight loss so far and has me on target for my goal of 60 lbs for the 6 month contest.   One of the changes I have noticed is that I was an experienced excuse maker and justifier of my actions.   In the 4 months of the contest, I have had 2 good months (-16ish each month), and 2 bad months (less than -8 lbs total for the 2 months).   I justified those bad months by telling myself it was OK because I was out of town, or I was on vacation, etc.   I now realize I can do some form of a workout no matter where I am at, and I can eat relatively healthy no matter where I am at.   So, I have promised myself that there will be no more excuses in these final 69 days.  One of the ways I am monitoring myself is by keeping an Excel spreadsheet which includes my daily weight, meals I eat through the day, and the workouts I do each day.  On days where I lose weight, the font is green, and on days where I gain weight, the font is red.   I try to keep the red days to a minimum.

 

Another change involves me eating foods I have never eaten before, or in very limited portions.   Foods such as bananas, blackberries, celery, asparagus, and protein shakes are no commonplace on my menu.  It sure is much better for me than gyros and patty melts and wings.

 

Another change has been my sleeping patterns.    I used to be a night owl, even during the work week where I would routinely stay up well past midnight watching TV and also getting cravings for food and late night snacks.  I would then awake in the morning in time to start my work day, usually forgoing breakfast and definitely no time for a workout.   Now I am generally in bed between 10-11, awake around 6-6:30.  I get in a morning workout, have a healthy breakfast, and then start my work day.  I feel much better throughout the course of the day, and my workout is already done.  This also helps me regulate my 4-6 meals a day.

 

Basically, I feel better physically and mentally since this contest has started.  I am looking forward to continuing this process for the next 69 days and beyond to reach my ultimate goal of 100 lbs lost.

 

 

 

P90X – Today was Stretch Day.  I also got in a few hours of yard work which felt like excellent cardio

 

Diet – protein shake for breakfast, blackberries for snack, cheese/sausage/crackers for lunch, and popcorn for dinner

 

 

P90X – I did Kenpo today early in the morning prior to weigh in, and then did 18 holes of golf.

 

Diet – Weigh in day is my cheat day where I go off the regular diet routine.   I had cheesesteak sandwich and hashbrowns for breakfast at Waffle House, some wings and beers for lunch, and lobster ravioli with scallops and shrimp for dinner at Bistro 185.  

 

I was pleasantly surprised with my results at weigh in today.

 

70 days remain!

 

 

P90X – Today was Legs/Back and Abs day.   Ab workout was a good one.   My legs were not feeling it today so my leg workout was a bit sluggish, but I got through it even though I wanted to quit many times.  I also went on a 2 mile bike ride

 

Diet - omelet with chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, protein bar for snack, blackberries for lunch, cucumber/onion salad for dinner, protein shake for snack, some beers with friends for another evening snack.

 

 

 

 

P90X – Today was Yoga day.   Each time I do Yoga, I find myself getting better and better at the different positions.  A lot of it has to do with my decrease in abdominal mass which allows me to torque my core more and more each time.  I also got in 9 holes of golf after work.

 

Diet  - omelet with chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, protein bar for snack, protein bar for lunch,  peanut butter wrap for snack, venison steak pizza with mushrooms/onions/cheese for dinner, protein shake with peanut butter and banana  for snack

 

 

 

P90X – P90X is all about muscle confusion.  With this being the first week of Phase 2, a new workout was introduced – Back and Biceps.  A lot of curl work for the biceps and pull ups (I substitute resistance bands for these routines)

 

Diet  - omelet with chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, blackberries for snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, protein bar for snack, venison steak with mushrooms/onions/cheese for dinner. 

 

A few more days until weigh in.   I think I may have done better this month in terms of loss than the last two months combined.

 

 

 

P90X – Today was the dreaded Plyometrics day.  My legs definitely feel much better now than they did when I started doing this 30 days ago.

 

Diet  - omelet with chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, blackberries for snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, protein bar for snack, venison steak with mushrooms/onions/cheese for dinner, and protein shake for snack. 

 

I was bored tonight, so I decided to do an little Excel work with our weight loss journey to see where I stood percentage wise.   I am not sure if images come through on these blogs, but if there is no image below, you can view it at this website: http://www.crmcoaching.com/lubber/lightenup_may.jpg

 

I color coded the results, green is good, yellow is so-so, and red needs improvement.   Those of us in the yellow and red need to kick it up a notch during this second half of the journey.

 

P90X – Today was the start of Phase 2.   Many of the days are the same routines as Phase 1, but some of the strength days are different.   This is part of the muscle confusion theory.   Today was Chest/Shoulders/Triceps with an ab workout.   I am getting more reps in with the ab workouts each time due to my belly getting smaller.  I also got out in my yard and got the rest of my lawn cut.

 

Diet – omelet with chicken sausage/onions/peppers/cheese for breakfast, blackberries for snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, a couple scoops of peanut butter for snack, scallops over rice with mushrooms and cilantro for dinner, and protein shake for snack. 

 

Less than a week until our May weigh in.  I hope everybody is doing well.

 

 

P90X – Today was Stretch day, last day of Phase 1, 28 days down 62 to go!   I also was able to cut half of my yard in the rain.

 

Diet – omelet with chicken sausage/onions/mushrooms/peppers/cheese for breakfast, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, a couple of scoops of Peanut Butter for snack, scallops over rice with mushrooms for dinner and then some homemade popcorn for snack.   I would say this was my best weekend so far, no alcoholic beverages, good exercise, and my only food indulgence was some popcorn.

P90X – Yoga Day.    I woke up at 6am and got in my Yoga prior to a round of golf.   The yoga has helped me in all areas of flexibility and has also improved my golf game.

 

Diet - omelet with chicken sausage/veggies/cheese for breakfast, protein bar for snack, ground bison/onions/mushrooms/cheese for lunch (it takes just like Hamburger Helper, only healthier), lobster served over rice with mushrooms and cilantro for dinner, cheese/crackers/sausage for a snack.

 

Sunday will me the last day in Phase 1 of P90X.

 

 

P90X – Today was Core Synergistic day.   I had a great workout this morning.  Increased my reps from my prior Core day.

 

Diet - omelet with chicken sausage/veggies/cheese for breakfast, I had a business lunch meeting today and we went to the B Spot in Strongsville.  I was trying to be good even though there were soooo many tempting items on the menu (chocolate shake, lola burger, rosemary fries, etc).   I ended up getting The Stripper.   It is a burger will blue cheese served over lettuce with bacon and avocado.   I ate half of it for lunch, and the other half for dinner.

 

Now comes the weekend.  I do not think I have gone a weekend without gaining some weight during this contest.   I am looking to change that this weekend!!

 

 

P90X – Today was Stretch Day.   An hour of stretching which felt very good early in the morning. I also got in 8 holes of golf.

 

Diet - omelet with chicken sausage/veggies/cheese for breakfast, blackberries for lunch, protein shake for snack, ground bison/mushrooms/onions/cheese/potatoes for dinner

 

 

 

P90X – Today was Kenpo day.  The routines are getting easier each time I do them, but they are still hard.   I also did a 2 mile bike ride and had softball practice

 

Diet – omelet with kielbasa/veggies/cheese for breakfast, protein bar for snack, cucumber salad for lunch, blackberries for snack, ground bison/mushrooms/onions/cheese, protein shake for snack

 

 

P90X – Today was Core Synergistic day.   This routine is made up of push-ups, ab work, and other exercises which work the core of the body.  I also went for a mile bike ride

 

Diet – Ground bison/cheese/onions/mushrooms/potatoes combination for breakfast, 3 beef jerky and cheese for lunch, tilapia over rice with mushrooms and cilantro for dinner, protein shake for snack

 

 

P90X – Sunday completed my third of 12 weeks.   This week is what is called the Recovery week.   No strength training, lots of yoga, stretching, kenpo and core.  Today was Yoga day.   I also got in 9 holes of golf.

 

Diet – omelet with kielbasa and veggies, blackberries for snack, cucumber/onions/celery salad, spoonful of peanut butter for snack, protein shake with banana and peanut butter for dinner

 

 

Happy Mother’s Day

 

P90X – Today was Stretch day.  One hour of stretching, while it is definitely the easiest of the 7 days of routines, it is harder than it sounds.  I also got it some yard work.

 

Diet – Protein shake for breakfast, strawberry smoothie for lunch, for dinner I made ground bison with onions/mushrooms and cheese, after dinner I succumbed to my craving for some kettle chips.

 

 

 

 

P90X – Today was Kenpo day (a form of kickboxing) – Good cardio day.   Also played golf in a golf outing.   Unfortunately, that did not bode well for my diet as I had some beers and some burgers (but refrained from the bun and the unwanted carbs).

 

 

P90X – Today was Legs/Back & Abs day.   Legs felt a little tight today, so my reps were down, but I did get the entire workout in even though I felt like stopping several times throughout.  I also was able to get a round of golf in between the rain drops.

 

Diet – omelet with kielbasa, veggies and cheese for breakfast, blackberries for snack, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, sausage/cheese & crackers for dinner

 

Now I need to continue my good work this weekend.  It will be tough with a golf outing Saturday with college friends.

 

 

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

 

P90X – 90 minutes of Yoga

 

Diet – omelet, protein bar for snack, salad and porchetta for lunch, chili with ground turkey for dinner

 

 

P90X – Today was Arms/Shoulders and Abs.  Increased weight/reps in most of the arms/shoulder routine.   In addition, I did the most total ab reps in the 3 weeks I have been doing the workout.  After dinner, I went for a 1 mile walk.  Tomorrow is Yoga day, 90 minutes of stretching and putting my body in positions it cannot quite get into just yet.

 

Diet – Another good day of 4-5 small meals.   Omelet with kielbasa and veggies for breakfast, protein shake for snake, cucumber/onion salad for lunch, nuts/dried fruit for lunch, and then some tilapia (baked with cumin and parsley) and rice with cilantro for dinner, protein shake after my walk.

 

 

P90X – Plyometrics completed this morning.   This is the 3^rd week of doing Plyos, and each week the routine is getting a little bit easier

Good day of eating too, high protein, low carbs.    Omelet for breakfast, protein bar for snack, celery salad for lunch, nuts//dried fruit for snack, salmon/potatoes/asparagus for dinner.

 

Rain has finally subsided, so time for an evening walk.

 

 

P90X – today was Chest/Back and Abs day.   Lots of push-ups, and ab work.   I have increased my reps each week (this is the start of my third week).  

In addition, I cut a couple of lawns today and went for a walk after dinner.   Excellent day in terms of exercise.

 

Nutrition was good today too.   Salmon, roasted potatoes and asparagus for dinner (my mother would probably faint if she heard I love asparagus now as opposed to when I was a kid and would always hide it in my napkin and throw it away.)

 

Tomorrow is Plyometric day, the mother of all P90X workout days!

 

 

Weigh ins was yesterday and I was down 5 lbs for this month, which puts me at 22 lbs for the 3 months or first half of this journey.   A little bit off of the pace of 60-70 lbs I set for myself for the 6 months.   That only means I need to kick it into gear.   I have been great with the exercise doing P90X each day for the last two weeks.   I need to focus more on my eating habits, especially on the weekends when I tend to lose focus and eat too freely.