WEEK 1 OF P90X COMPLETED

I got through week 1 without any hiccups. I don't think I hated any of the workouts but some were more enjoyable than others.

PHASE I :: WEEK I :: Weight = 142lbs
Day 1 October 20th 2008 :: Chest, Back & Ab Ripper X
I had to do the push-ups on my knees as I've never been able to do push-ups. I also had to do the pull-ups with a chair assist because they've never been something I could do either. Some of the push-up positions I really struggled with (Military, diamond and dive bomber) and some weren't too bad. I didn't knock out huge numbers of any of them. As for the pull-ups, I decided to stick with 10 of each position for each rep. I felt comfortable with 10 but think I could add a couple more for week 2. For 'Heavy Pants' and 'Lawnmower' and 'Back Flys' I used 10lb weights. I stuck with them throughout the workout. I didn't want to be messing around adjusting the weights. For week 2 I'll be increasing to 15lbs for 'Heavy Pants' and 'Lawnmower' but will be staying the same for the 'Back Flys' as a struggled a little with those.

Ab Ripper X was harder than I expected. I'd done Tony's Bonus Abs routine which was included on my Turbo Jam DVDs. I thought the exercises were going to be pretty much the same but they weren't. I couldn't do all the reps. I did 20 for most but as little as 15 for some and I just couldn't do the 'V ups'.

Day 2, October 21st 2008 :: Plyometrics
Where do I start? What a workout! I struggled with height and co-ordination on this one. In my opinion, it's the most difficult of all the workouts for Phase I. I tried my best on each of the exercises and hope I can improve for week 2. I didn't do as many reps as Tony would have liked but I'm sure that will change with time.

Day 3, October 22nd 2008 :: Shoulders, Arms & Ab Ripper X
I really enjoyed this workout and felt really pumped at the end of it. I stuck with 10lb weights for the most part. I was managing between 10 and 15 reps depending on the exercises. I think I might increase to 12.5 or 15lbs for the exercises were I managed 15 reps. I struggled most with the 'Seated Shoulder Flys' and the 'Straight Arm Shoulder Flys'. I think I will have to decrease the weight with those for a couple of weeks.

I did a little better with Ab Ripper X today but not much. I think I need a thicker mat because I've ended up with a bruise in each hip from the 'Oblique' exercises.

Day 4, October 23rd 2008 :: Yoga X
I'm not sure I enjoyed this too much. I'm not very flexible so some of the moves were pretty uncomfortable and balance was a big problem. The first half of the routine was the most difficult and things got better during the second half. I'm really hoping that after doing Yoga X for a few weeks, I gain some flexibility. I've not been able to touch my toes in a very long time. It would be great if I could at some point.

Day 5, October 24th 2008 :: Legs, Back & Ab Ripper X
Another great workout . I felt the most stiff after this one as compared to the other workouts. I managed to keep up with the amount of reps Tony wanted. I was very pleased to see the 'Calf Raises' as my calves are one of my main trouble areas. Stuck with 10 reps for each of the pull-ups, again, using the chair for assistance.

I felt a little stronger when doing the Ab routine. I didn't do many more than I'd managed earlier in the week but the ones I did, I felt my technique was better. Still can't do the 'V ups' though.

Day 6, October 25th 2008 :: Kenpo X
This is my favorite of the workouts for Phase I. Time seemed to fly by on this one. I loved the nice long stretch before we got started. I wore my weighted gloves for this and was glad I did. Some of the moves were similar to ones I'd done with Turbo Jam so co-ordination wasn't a problem. Even the moves I hadn't done before were very easy to pick up. I did full reps on each of the movements and was very happy with how everything went with this workout.

Day 7, October 26th 2008 :: Rest or X Stretch day
I didn't manage to get in any stretching. Just too many things going on during the day. I was happy to have a little break from exercising. I wasn't sure whether I should be eating all 1800 calories today because I wasn't doing a workout. I didn't feel the need to have all the snacks so I cut one out.

WEEK I EATING
I really struggled to get 1800 Calories each day. I used the portion method and planned ahead for the whole week. I seemed to have the correct amount of portions but when I added the calories using www.myfitnesspal.com I was under most days by as much as 300 calories.

I ate clean every day. I had one caffeinated coffee in the morning and then one decaf in the evening. I know Tony prefers one coffee a day. Hopefully the fact that one of mine is decaf helps.

I think the only thing I ate that took me over on one of my portions was 2 Yorkshire Puddings. I'd had my carbs in the morning by having 3 pancakes (with peanut butter and sugar free syrup). I was cooking a Roast Beef dinner and had made Yorkshire Puddings to go with it for the rest of the family. I didn't go over my calorie intake for the day, just over my carb portions for that day.

End of Week I Weight :: 140lbs = 2lb Loss

On to Week II
Looking forward to the second week. My menu is planned out and I don't doubt I'll eat clean all week. We have a birthday in the family on Saturday and so there will be cake. I hope I have the will power not to eat any. I'll let you know next week how that went.

This was me prior to starting any form of exercise at 180lbs

Throughout my whole life, I had never been heavier than 140lbs until after I hit 30. I didn't drink any alcohol before then or snack much.

I met my husband when I was 29 and we began snacking in the evenings as we watched movies. My job got pretty stressful and I started having a few drinks on a Friday night after work.

Within several months I started gaining weight . I had to keep buying bigger clothes but this didn't deter me from snacking or drinking.

When I was pregnant with my 1 year old, I was probably eating the healthiest I had eaten in a very long time. I craved salad, fruit and fish. During the first few months of the pregnancy, I lost 14lbs and I only ever gaining those 14lbs back throughout the whole pregnancy. Not bad going! I was hoping to continue eating healthy, which I did for a while but once I moved to the US and was lonely at home with the baby, I began snacking on cookies and donuts during the day and ice-cream during the evenings. I could slowly feel myself getting heavier and tired.

I was laying in bed hoping for some inspiration and low and behold the very next day the commercial for Turbo Jam came on the TV. I don't think I've ever moved so fast as I did to run for my credit card. I quickly ordered everything that was on offer.

The DVD's and equipment arrived within the week but I didn't start straight away. There was a holiday weekend coming up so I thought I'd wait until after then. The night before I started the '10 Day Kick Start' I consumed a pint of Dove ice-cream....a whopping 1200 calories! I felt sick to my stomach.

The next day I got started. I was hoping the motto would be true....10lbs and 10 inches in 10 days. I followed the diet plan to the letter but I didn't follow the workouts in the same way. There was no way I could manage a 45-50 minute workout so I substituted some of the 20 minute workouts and some long walks instead.

Day 10 came very quickly. I had noticed a little change but seeing myself every day, I suppose it wasn't too noticeable to me. I stepped on the scales and got out the tape measure. To my amazement I'd lost 10lb and 10.5 inches in the 10 days.

During the next 3 months I worked very hard to stick to the diet and exercise plan. I only had one day off most weeks. I alternated my workouts so I was doing cardio one day and sculpting the next. I had a birthday during this time which meant a few (okay maybe 5) margaritas and cake but for the most part I was very good.

After 3 months of hard work I had lost 38lbs and dropped down from a size 18 to size 10. My current weight is 142lbs.

After the initial 3 months my eating habits during the week were still pretty good but during the weekend, I began eating the odd cookie or a little ice-cream. I was still working out between 5 and 6 times per week. I didn't weigh myself for a few weeks.

I stepped on the scales last week for the first time in a few weeks and was still 142lbs. Yay!

I knew I needed something else to push me further and so I ordered P90X and the equipment needed to get started.

It's taken several weeks of planning and ordering but I got there in the end. Today (Oct, 20th 2008) was day 1 of P90X Classic.