Day 11, 12 & 13!

Well, we have completed week 2 of P90X! I've heard that once you get past this point, it only gets easier and the results get better! It was weird doing yoga by myself on Wednesday, but I managed to make it through the entire hour and a half without stopping! On Thursday I definitely did a lot better with ab ripper. It seems like every time I do it now I seem to do better.

Today was definitely interesting. Since Ryan's parents arrived today and are staying for the weekend we decided to get up early before work to do Kenpo. We got up at 6:30am (It was still dark out!) and trudged up to the gym (I don't think our apartment neighbors would appreciate us doing jumping jacks that early in the morning). I thought it was a lot easier this time, now that I have all the punching and kicking moves down. I think Kenpo is one of my favorite workouts. It really is fun and makes the time go by so fast but you can definitely tell you are getting a good workout.

Tomorrow we are going to Disney World with Ryan's parents so we will be getting plenty of extra cardio from walking around all day! Sunday we are going to the beach and I can't wait to show off my new muscles :) Everyone has been so impressed when we show them our results and they can't believe we have stuck with it even though we are both very busy people already!

Can't wait for week three! Bring It!!!!

Day 9 and 10 - Plyometrics and Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper X

I was dreading doing Plyometrics again, as it is by far my least favorite workout. We actually did a little better this time around and only took 2 very short breaks. I think if I had made the effort to spend an extra $30 on a heart rate monitor it would have been reading 'what the f*ck are you doing, you're about to have a heart attack!' lol. I get soo dizzy doing all those squats and jumps and lunges. I definitely did better on the chair leg swings, I didn't hit the chair once! Go me! I was soo tired after working out that I passed out in bed with my sweaty gym clothes still on. Ryan had to wake me up and remind me to get my sweaty butt in the shower before I fell asleep for the night, lol.

WE ARE NOW ON DAY 10! I am so excited that we are now a 10th of the way done! I am pleased to say that muscles soreness is at a minimum now. This time last week I felt like a semi truck had run me over, but I guess my muscles are now accustomed to being drained every day. Today we did shoulders and arms which I also felt I did a little better at. I even felt good enough to go straight into Ab Ripper and I completed a lot more reps this time than normal, and some I didn't even need to take any breaks in between! THAT'S an accomplishment!

Tomorrow is yoga and I have to go it alone because Ryan will be working late tomorrow night. Boo. For anyone who is in their first week or two of P90X, keep it up, it DOES get easier!


DAY 10 RESULTS!
We knew we'd been seeing and feeling results, but it's definitely gratifying seeing the comparison photos! You can see some minor changes in both of our bodies. I see some changes in my abs and definitely in my back. Ryan's chest is gaining more definition and his back muscles are also more defined. I can't wait to see day 20! Click to zoom in!

Day 7 and Day 8 - X Stretch and Chest & Back + Ab Ripper

We made it through our first week! Happiness! Yesterday I got up and had to do some cleaning around the house. I popped in X Stretch and intermittently did some stretches in between cleaning. I had to scrub our dirty shower/tub which I am pretty sure counts as an extra cardio workout.

We went to our Halloween party and I did have a few fistfulls of sugary and chocolatey goodness, but I only had one beer which I thought was pretty good will power. Ryan on the other hand fell completely off the wagon. He had about 5 beers and some liquor drinks and the candy too. Oh well, I don't think one night of debauchery will ruin our results.

Today we did chest and back again and I had forgotten how much this one kicks your ass...err..arms. I still had to do most of the push ups on my knees, and I started out on the bars but switched to bands half way through. I just don't think I'm quite strong enough for the bar yet and I need to build some more upper body strength first. Ab ripper was a bitch as usual. I hate hate hate it!

We have both started seeing some small improvements in our bodies. The fat is shrinking and some muscle definition is popping up all over the place. We keep saying 'If this is only after one week, imagine what we will look like 12 weeks from now!'. We are both super excited!

Having some steak and steamed veggies tonight for dinner to celebrate our 1 week accomplishments!

We snapped a couple of pictures after getting all sweaty after our workout for your enjoyment! :)

Day 6 - Kenpo

Kenpo is a fast-paced assortment of kicks and punches that will make you SWEAT! There are no real breaks in this hour long routine and it definitely kicks your heart rate into high gear. It starts off with a lot of good stretching and then it's right into non-stop fist jabbing, jumping, and what feels like imaginary sword fighting. I sweated more during this DVD than any of the others! I usually don't sweat much but this one had sweat dripping down my stomach. This is a GREAT cardio workout. I felt awesome afterwards. It releases a lot of tension and makes you feel like you just opened a can of whoop-ass on someone.

Tomorrow is our first rest day and then we start the week all over again. We are attending a Halloween party tomorrow night which will be chock full of fat food and alcohol. Will we be strong enough to resist the temptation? Tune in next time to find out!

The Shorts

So I have these cute Roxy jean shorts that I bought years and years ago and realized that they were a little short and showed a little too much of the cottage cheese on the back of my thighs, they got worn maybe once or twice. So they got tossed into a drawer and forgotten about. Until I was getting ready to move and was going through my clothes. I found them and tried them on and couldn't even button them. My hip fat bulged out over the top. Apparently I had gained a few pounds since their purchase because I didn't remember them being that tight before. I was tempted to give them away to Goodwill and just calling it a lost cause, but something in me said "NO! I will fit these shorts again one day, AND I will look GOOD in them!"

Without any real plans of accomplishing this goal (as happens to many people with a closet full of "maybe one day they will fit again" clothes), my adorable Roxy jean shorts sat in the drawer for yet another couple of years. I never even bothered trying them on since I knew it would just make me feel bad about myself. For about 3 years they sat at the bottom of the drawer again, waiting to be worn.

Then I started working out again. I felt great and knew I had lost some weight. I remembered my skinny shorts and I dug them out of the drawer and put them on. I could button them again! I was still not quite to the point of wearing them in public though. The legs were still tight and it made the flabby stuff on my inner thighs stick out more than normal. I still had the cottage cheese on the back of my thighs which was the reason for their original banishment to the drawer. I didn't want to give up hope though, so back in the drawer they went. Until today.

I pulled them out again to see how they fit now that I have started P90X. and they did fit better than ever, I even wore them to the grocery store for a test run! They still seemed a bit too short for me to wear comfortably without feeling self-conscious about my fat though. I noticed myself trying to adjust them and pulling them lower to cover the flab every so often. So I came home and took them off and decided that this was my goal and what a perfect way to gauge my results!

So now my goal is to not only fit into my skinny jeans, but to look AWESOME in them! Lose the flabby stuff and the cottage cheese forever and be able to wear booty shorts to my heart's content and not feel self-conscious about it! What do you think?!

Day 5 - Legs, Back & Abs

Today was legs, back and abs and I forgot how much I HATED doing squats. My fat legs hate it when I make them do work. The wall squats are now my arch nemesis. There was also lots of other squatting and lunging mixed with pull ups/chin ups. I got a pretty good sweat going with the leg stuff. That has definitely been my weak spot so far, which I expected. I was excited to feel the burn in my butt and hamstrings though, since that's definitely the part that needs the most work.

I think we will be doing this one in the gym next time. Our little apartment made the lunging exercises a bit difficult, especially when Ryan and I were out of sync and practically bumping into each other. I used the bands this time for the pull ups by putting them over the door, and it worked well. I was afraid at first that it would snap and smack me square in the face, but luckily they seem to be able to withstand all my pulling and stretching.

Tomorrow Ryan might have to work late so he is thinking of doing Kenpo in the morning after I leave for work. I am not excited to have to do it on my own, I really enjoy having him there to push me and make sure I am doing it the right way. I guess this is something I'll have to get used to though since his schedule is always different. There will probably be a lot of times where we won't get to work out together. 

I am excited that it's almost the weekend, and then we get to start it all over again on Sunday! Woo hoo!

Day 4 - Yoga X!

So today was the first time I have ever tried yoga. EVER. I was a little nervous at first because I am not known for my balance and grace, lol. The first moves had my sore muscles straining and stretching, then the more advanced moves pushed me pretty hard. There were times when my legs just gave out on me and I tumbled. It was challenging but definitely enjoyable. Then we went into the balance poses and my muscles were finally warmed up and not aching anymore. I was AMAZED to see the flexibility that I never knew I had! I was more flexible than Ryan who had some trouble touching his feet. I was even able to do a few seconds of the crane! I honestly did not think I was going to be able to do it, but with some focus, good breathing and a pillow (just incase!) I was able to do it!

I feel sooo much better after getting all my muscles stretched and pulled. I was walking around at work today like an old lady with fake hip earlier, and now I feel so limber and relaxed. Definitely an awesome part of P90X! I will be looking forward to yoga day from now on!

Here are some photos of Ryan and I doing crane pose, and one of me testing my flexibility after our workout. My dog and cat even decided to join me :) We are having lean ground turkey chili with kidney beans for diner tonight! Tomorrow is legs, back and *dun dun dun* ab ripper!