Monthly Archives: February 2011

Food on the Brain!!!

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I admit, this P90X diet has got me thinking about food ALL THE TIME. Not in the way that I fantasize about raiding a Cold Stone Creamery or devouring ten Chipotle burritos, but in the way that it is time-consuming to plan out meals, grocery shopping lists, and figure out what to bring to parties and events  (ie something that is tasty enough for everyone to eat and that I can eat too). Mike and I talk about food all the time when we are together. When we’re apart, we text each other when we are especially hungry one day, when we resist some tempting food,  or when we eat our lunches apart and think that it was particularly delicious. Then, at work and social functions we have to explain to people why we’re not eating the cake or free pizza or why we can’t drink. On occasion, someone asks what I’ve been doing to create such awesome results so quickly, which prompts me to launch into a little summary about the P90X nutrition plan and what you can and can’t eat, etc.

To sum it up, it’s getting ridiculous.

I’m hoping that since we are just starting the plan that the obsession will wear off. However, I’m kind of doubting it since each phase has a new set of food rules to memorize and follow. Now that we’re in Phase 2 and incorporating more carbohydrates and less protein (and less dairy for Mike), we have new meals to come up with and plan. After years of watching what I ate for a while and then completely not caring and going overboard, and then going back to watching everything, and then not caring again, just about six months or so before we started P90X I noticed that I had finally come to a good place where I stopped caring so much about calories and started focusing eating well as often as possible and not getting overly upset with myself when I splurged. I found that when I did splurge, most of the time I was better at listening to my body and figuring out that I was full. The result was that I slimmed down a bit without even trying. It was a good feeling.

Now, I don’t think that I could have lost the amount of weight that I have on P90X from my aforementioned lifestyle, but I do hope that after we’re finished with P90X I can go back to that way of living and maintain my new figure. I don’t like counting calories and portion sizes every day, but that’s part of the P90X program and it works, so I’m doing it.

They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I definitely think that I have picked up some GREAT habits from P90X– resisting the candy jar on my coworkers desk, avoiding caffeine & artificial sweeteners, starting the day everyday at 6 a.m. with an intense workout, to name a few. However, I hope that this obsessed calorie counting habit goes with it. I firmly believe that doing your best to avoid processed foods, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and alcohol will help regulate your metabolism and blood sugar, warding off crazy cravings and overeating (theory a la Jillian Michaels as well as plenty of internet research). If you avoid these things, these is no need for calorie counting because your body will tell you when you’re gotten the fuel you need.

Although I am very excited about my results so far and I really like the P90X program, sometimes I just want to wake up not knowing exactly what I’m going to eat for lunch or dinner that day. I really hope that after we finish P90X I can take the good habits I’ve formed and, without calorie counting, maintain this healthy lifestyle with just a little less thought and planning.

Until then, I’ll keep counting!

P90X Phase 2 – Bringing it Back with Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

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Pike Press

Both Mike and I were looking forward to getting to the new phase after the recovery week. Confession – we skipped the X-Stretch video. We were planning on doing it after our morning group run on Saturday (Mike ran for the first time since the last half marathon and I ran 7.5 miles including up a ½ mile hill) but I had work to do that afternoon and by the time I got back I didn’t feel like doing it. Ah well.

Mike was especially excited to start phase 2 because he hasn’t been as enthused with his results as I have. I can definitely tell a difference in his body but I think he was hoping for a bigger change. This weekend we found more before and after videos and got inspired again. Then, we measured him and he has lost over an inch off his waist and gained nearly an inch on his biceps! I’d say that is improvement!!! I can see the biggest changes for him in his chest and waist.

Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

We felt rejuvenated after the “easy” recovery week and were more than ready to push play on Tuesday morning. We were very happy that the Chest, Shoulders and Triceps video was very challenging! I was VERY sore by Tuesday night and even more sore by Wednesday morning – a bizarrely great feeling!

The Format

After the usual warm-up and introduction of the new cast members, we got right into the workout. The set-up is really simple: one chest exercise, one shoulder exercise, and one tricep exercise.Repeat this over and over but with different moves.  Of course, when I say chest I mean PUSH-UPS. Like I mentioned in my Chest & Back post, push-ups are a great calorie burner and a fabulous full body workout! Although we only focus on chest once per week in P90X, I’ve been adding the optional push-up after upward dog during the vinyasa flow in order to get more out of my yoga workouts.  

 This workout is one that does not repeat exercises at all which means that you are constantly learning new moves. Some examples of some of the more simple moves are: Chair Dip, Slow Motion Push-ups, Side Tri-Rise  and Y-Press (Shoulder press but arms go out into a Y shape). There are many more that are more complicated than these and have names that don’t do justice in describing them.  One of the fun new ones for me is called Pike Press. Bend at your waist, get up on your toes, and put hands on the floor in front of you. Then bend your arms, pushing your head toward the ground and then push back up. Basically, it’s like a push-up for your shoulders.

I used mostly 10 lbs weights for the shoulder and tricep exercises, occasionally using 8 lbs for tricky tricep moves. I think soon I will be able to move up to 12 lbs for the shoulder presses. As for push-ups, I do as many as I can on my feet and then move down to my knees. For especially difficult moves, I start on my knees. Hopefully by the end of 90 days I’ll be able to do most of the moves on my feet!

My Opinion….

Despite the fact that we had to watch Tony do some of the exercises before we could really get after them, I was very fatigued by the end and felt like it was very effective. I can’t wait to see how we improve on some of the more difficult moves such as the one-handed push-ups and clap push-ups ( I can barely do these on my knees). I can already tell a difference in my strength while doing the push-ups. I’d be curious to see how many I can do to exhaustion and compare it to my original fit test results. I asked my friend Asia (a P90X grad) whether the 2nd phase workouts are harder and she said they were about the same. To me, this workout was perhaps not “harder” but rather, more effective. I think this is due to the fact that I’m gaining strength and getting used to the moves so I can actually push harder and get a better workout in. Either way, I’m happy with Phase 2 of P90X already!

Phase 1 Results

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P90X Phase 1

I can’t believe we are finished with Phase 1 of P90X. I have already seen incredible changes in my body and we are only 4 weeks in (27 days instead of 28 since we skipped one rest day the first week)!  

My Results are Based on:

1)      Completing every workout in the plan (6 workouts/week)

2)       Running two days per week, starting Week 2 (about 10-12 miles/week)

3)      Consuming 1,800-2,000 calories/day (The P90X needs calculator told me to eat 2,300 calories per day but I believe those calculators are better for men)

4)      One large cheat meal on Valentine’s Day

About one week into P90X I already saw results. I felt tighter and stronger and I already weighed two or three pounds less! At the end of the second week I was already down six pounds. And now, four weeks in, I’m down EIGHT pounds! I can’t believe it! As an avid “cardio-junkie” and runner, I had kind of resolved that my starting weight was about what my body should be at and wasn’t expecting big weight loss.

Measurement & Weight Loss Results (Day 27):

Weight Loss:  8 lbs (!!!)

Waist:  -1.75 inches!

Hips:  Same

Chest (below armpits): -1.25 inches

Thighs & Biceps: Same

My waist is definitely the area that I was most thrilled to see such great results!  As for my arms and legs, I feel that I have lost fat on them but I’ve also gained muscle which is why there wasn’t a change in the measurements. My pants are fitting much looser and overall I just look more toned and fit!

Running Improvement

Today is President’s Day and I am lucky to have it off. I met up with Asia and Jeremy at 9 a.m. and we ran up Torrey Pines hill, which is the most daunting segment of the La Jolla Half Marathon that we’ll be running on April 17.

Here’s a link to the course map: http://www.lajollahalfmarathon.com/Assets/_assets/pdf/Course+Map.pdf

This hill begins just before mile 6 and the steep portion lasts a little longer than 1 mile. As you can see on the course elevation portion of the map, we will be running up 420 feet between miles 6 and 7 – basically people go to Torrey Pines to HIKE this hill, not run it.

I ran the first half mile up this hill during a 7 mile training run with VAVI in November. We started up the hill at mile 3 of our run and I actually walked for a bit once we were about ¾ of the way up. This time we started at the bottom of the hill but we ran straight up it without stopping. We clocked a 11 min/mile pace for the first steep mile, but by mile 2 we were slightly under 10 min/mile. At the bottom of the hill we were down to a 9:30 average pace (we ran down the hill at about 8 min/mile) and at the bottom I continued on another mile and finished the five miles in 46:36, a 9:19 pace.

Until now, I haven’t been thinking that I could beat my PR at the Carlsbad half at the La Jolla Half since Carlsbad is the flattest course in San Diego and La Jolla is the hilliest. However, this run made me feel a little more confident that I may be able to do it! P90X is making me stronger!

Nutrition Plan-Phase 2

We are more than happy to say goodbye to carb-light and protein-heavy phase 1 of the nutrition plan. This means instead of eggs for breakfast and salad for lunch EVERY DAY, we can switch off between oatmeal and a sandwich for lunch. As turkey sandwiches and oatmeal were both a major part of my pre-P90X diet, I am more than thrilled to incorporate them again.

Phase 2, or “Energy Booster”, allows me one less protein (now 4 servings) yet one more carbohydrate. I still get 2 dairy servings, 1 fat serving and only 1 fruit serving. Throughout Phase 1, sometimes I had two pieces of fruit, especially on days that I ran and I’ll continue this into Phase 2.  Overall, it doesn’t sound that much different and that carbohydrate serving is going to make a huge difference to us when it comes to variety of foods we can eat.

Cheat Meals

Yes, we did have a cheat meal during Phase 1. On Valentine’s Day, I had a small (100 calorie) cupcake & two pieces of chocolate at work but stuck to my salad and other healthy snacks. However, for dinner, Mike treated me to a delicious meal at the bay-side restaurant Tom Ham’s Lighthouse. We indulged in the three course prix fixe menu. The bread may have been the highlight of the meal for me because we haven’t had white bread in a month. We ate two servings of bread with plenty of butter (they were pretty significant sized sourdough loaves – about 4 thick slices per loaf) before the meal even started! I was tempted to get a steak and potatoes, which wasn’t on the prix fixe, but decided to go with the pomegranate & goat cheese starter salad and the prawn and squash risotto main dish because I felt it wasn’t as heavy.  The biggest indulgence was the triple-dessert sampler. We each had our own small crème brulee, strawberry and fudge smothered brownie, and a small scoop of cherry graham cracker ice-cream. It was delicious! Food has possibly never tasted so good. Whatever I couldn’t finish, Mike polished off. Every piece of food that hit our table was consumed!

So yes, after all that food (probably 2 days worth of calories!), I still saw great results. I think that you have to incorporate some “cheat meals” to stay sane. Although I generally feel satisfied on the P90X nutrition plan, there are days that I really just want a piece of pizza or one of the cookies someone brought into work. Although I usually resist, I do plan to “cheat” on occasion. 

Onward…

So far I’ve really enjoyed P90X. I’m seeing positive changes and I’m doing some unique workouts that keep me interested. Each week I see big changes in my strength and I can’t wait to see what comes next. Bring it!

P90X Week 4 – Recovery Week

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Boat Pose (From Core Synergistics & Yoga X)

We are nearly finished with recovery week already! As is typical in every training program, the 4th week is a recovery week. Unfortunately my running club’s recovery week doesn’t sync with P90X, but I will only run two days this week so I think that is pretty consistent with the P90X recovery. Next week I plan to ramp it up to 3-4 days of running each week, on top of the normal P90X workouts (minus Kenpo X most likely).

Recovery Week Schedule

Day 1: Yoga X

Day 2: Core Synergistics

Day 3: Kenpo X

Day 4: X Stretch

Day 5: Core Synergistics

Day 6: Yoga X

Day 7: Rest

Days 1 & 6 Yoga X – Again!

Tuesday morning we started the day with 1 ½ hours of yoga and it felt great. I can definitely tell that I’m getting stronger – I’ve been able to hold the difficult poses for longer and I can get deeper into my warrior one and two. I can also tell that I am more flexible than ever!  Tuesday night I ran with my running group, an easy 5 miles. I was very pleased that the 5 miles was literally easy! I’ve noticed that my “easy” pace (easy enough to hold a conversation the entire time) has gotten faster. We used to run at about 9:45-10:00 min/mile pace, and now we’re consistently running them closer to a 9:30 pace. This is excellent progress!

Days 2  & 4 – Core Synergistics

We moved the schedule around a bit due to the fact that the second round would have fallen on a Saturday and we plan to do a long run (7-8 miles) that day. I figured it’d be better to do the X-Stretch video the same day as a long run and really be able to put in a solid effort on the Core Synergistics workout Friday morning.

I have to say – Core Synergistics is my favorite P90X workout. I love it! It is a full-body toning AND cardiovascular workout. It reminds me  A LOT of boot camp classes I have taken and loved. The video is an hour in length and the moves do not repeat. We start with staggered one-legged pushups (5 pushups with one hand further ahead of the other then switch) and I was pleased to discover that I was able to do around fifteen pushups with my feet on the floor! After that, I moved to knee pushups.  Next comes the Banana Roll, which looks absolutely ridiculous but is a great core workout. Basically you start on your back with your legs extended but off the floor and arms extended over head. Basically you maintain this position and then roll to your left and right side and then back over and over again. Our form is definitely not close to perfect but it still works! Other good moves that only use your body weight include the Spinx Push-Up, Bow to Boat (move from one yoga move on your stomach to the other more difficult move on your butt  with legs up, over and over), Prison Cell Push-Ups (push-ups with a knee-to-chest move in between), Side Hip Raises and Walking Push-Ups. The move that seems to resonate in most people’s minds is the Superman-Banana move, where you  switch back and forth between lying on your stomach with arms and legs off the floor like Superman and flipping over (without hands) to the Banana position.  Tony shouting “Superman! Banana! Superman! Banana!” will haunt you for days.

This workout also includes a few weight-training exercises which engage the entire core at the same time. Examples include Leaning Crescent Lunges (lunge and bend over while lifting dumbbells into an overhead press), Squat Run (squat and hold weights and move your arms like you are running quickly), Lunge & Reach (lunge to one side and touch dumbbell to the floor then return upright and fully extend the dumbbell to the other side), and Lunge Tricep Curl Press (tricep kickback, curl and do an overhead press while maintaining a lunge) .

Although all of the aforementioned moves get your heart rate up, Tony adds in some fun Plyometrics inspired moves for a cardio boost! These moves include Towel Hoppers (basically jump back and forth over your towel over and over again for a minute),  Steam Engine (hands behind head, lift knees up and rotate trunk so that your elbow meets your knee) and Halfback (four large single leg side hops forward and run with high knees back). I’m not sure if the Drea Roll would be classified as plyo, but of course Tony had to name a move after his favorite fitness queen, Drea. You start the move by standing at the front of your mat and then you roll backwards onto your mat until your legs are over your head, then rolling back and jumping to a standing position (add a jump or X-jump for increased intensity). I enjoy this move because I think it’s fun. Although I can’t keep pace with them, I can get up to my feet without using my hands and I add the jump at the end for intensity.

After the workout this morning, Mike and I discussed how can incorporate this workout into our normal weekly routine because we like it so much. Ultimately though, we will probably just reserve it for recovery weeks during these first 90 days. We discussed adding it in at least weekly during our final marathon training weeks (6 weeks after P90X ends).

Day 3 – Kenpo X

I won’t write a lot here about Kenpo. I haven’t written a post on it yet partially because I think it’s the least effective workout in the series. I also plan on eliminating it from my routine soon and replacing it with a long run (over 9 miles). I do think that we will continue to do Kenpo during recovery weeks, as it is a mild cardio workout and is probably good for loosening up.

Kenpo X contains a series of very basic kickboxing moves. I think another reason I don’t prefer it is that I absolutely love Turbo Kickboxing at 24 Hour Fitness, which is an hour-long cardio/dance routine set to pop music. It is much more fun and requires a  lot of coordination which makes it very rewarding when you master a routine. I love going to my kickboxing classes because I can forget literally everything in the world that is bothering me and focus solely on the moves. During Kenpo X, however, there are three moves per segment at most.

Don’t get me wrong, I work up a sweat during this workout. I believe this workout is all about how much effort you put into it. You can either punch lightly or punch with full force (but don’t over do it). If you really put some force into your kicks and punches, it can be a great cardio workout.

Day 5 – X-Stretch

We’ll be doing this workout tomorrow so I can’t comment on it from personal experience yet but from what I’ve read, X Stretch is an hour of stretching and includes several yoga stretches such as Sun Salutations, Cat Stretch, Frog, Downward & Upward Dog, and Child’s Pose.  Many of the other stretches are repeats of stretches performed at the beginning and end of the other videos. I’m looking forward to really getting a good stretch. I tend to do about five minutes of stretching after my runs so it will be a good test to see if I am feeling better this Sunday after doing a long run Saturday and doing X Stretch afterward.

Final Thoughts

I definitely feel less sore this week and overall, I am also less tired (despite putting in long hours at work this week). I can tell that the intensity level has gone down, and I think it’s a good thing because we were literally exhausted last weekend after three weeks of going strong. We slept over 9 hours both nights last weekend AND took a 2 ½ hour nap on Saturday. I think this low intensity recovery week was just what the doctor ordered.  We are on Day 24 today – 6 more days until we measure our 30-Day results!

P90X Legs & Back

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P90X Legs and Back

This is the last of the three strength training workouts in the first phase of P90X. However, unlike the other two workouts, Chest & Back and Shoulders & Arms, which rotate out during Phase 2, Legs & Back is a workout that is completed each non-recovery week.

Another difference for me between this workout and the other two is that I actually break a sweat (just a reminder, we work out at 6 a.m. each morning so it’s not as easy to sweat as it is in a warm gym).

The Workout

After the warm-up and introductions (Tony’s assumed favorite, Drea , makes another appearance in this video), we get straight into some serious moves. Tony recommends writing down the number of reps you complete for each exercise during the weight training videos. However, for the Legs & Back video, we only were supposed to write down the number of pull-ups we did. The legs exercises don’t have a place on the worksheet to record your reps or weight.

The legs exercises don’t repeat, but the four pull-up exercises are repeated once.  Some of the legs exercises include: balance lunges, calf raise squats, step back lunges, dead lift squats, chair salutations (the Yoga move) and speed squats. Basically, this workout consists of a variety of squats, lunges and pull-ups. By far the most difficult moves are the wall squats (90 seconds) and the single leg wall squats (switch legs every 10 seconds for 60 seconds each).

The second and third times we did this workout were double days for me. I ran five and a half miles in the morning the first time and did the workout in the evening (Post Superbowl!). I admit, I did not feel great and I didn’t give it my all.  However, the next week, I ran an easy seven miles with my running group in the morning and then had breakfast and a nap and then we did the video in the afternoon.  This time I felt much better and was able to really work hard. The wall squats were particularly hard, most likely because I had run so far that morning!

Although parts of this workout are miserable for me, I think it’s a great workout and I can tell I’m getting stronger. I still can’t do a pull-up or chin-up, but I have been pushing the chair farther away, which makes it harder. I saw improvements in the number of reps I can do as well.

Ab Ripper Update

I can do all the moves now to completion now except Crunchy Frog and Oblique V-ups! I even did the bonus 10 Mason Twists! I have started lifting my arms during the bicycles and in and outs (not the entire time). It feels great to see progress!

Week 4 – Recovery Week

Tomorrow is our third day of Week 4, Recovery Week (lots of yoga, minimal weight training). Check back for a post on recovery soon!

P90X Phase 1 Recipes

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We begin Week 4 tomorrow, which marks the final week of Phase 1, Fat Shredder. Fat Shredder only allows one serving of a traditional carbohydrate per day (ie bread or pasta), and therefore we are fairly limited on what we can eat. We eat eggs for breakfast every day and we eat a salad with plenty of meat for lunch. We always reserve our carbohydrate for dinner since we usually workout in the morning and it’s easier to eat a salad for lunch than it is for dinner. I am going to share some of my favorite P90X Phase 1 recipes with you in this post.

As mentioned in a previous post, we buy most of our meat at Costco and the majority of our vegetables and sauces at Trader Joes, so some of these recipes have ingredients from those stores.  All recipes were made with 18 ounces of meat, 6 ounces for me (Level) and 12 ounces for Mike (Level 3). I don’t measure vegetables so measurements aren’t exact! Go with what you prefer.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin and Savory Sweet Potato “Fries” with Asparagus  

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potato Fries & Asparagus

Pork:

  • 18 ounce pork tenderloin
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tsp dried rosemary
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Mix garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper together and coat tenderloin well with the mixture. Bake covered in foil at 350 degrees until the center temperature reaches 160 degrees (buy a meat thermometer – they are only about $4).

Sweet Potatoes

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (1 tbsp per person)
  • 2 tsp taco seasoning

Puncture a sweet potatoes a couple times with a knife and microwave for about five –eight minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft but not fully cooked. Let cool (while pork cooks) and then slice into french-fry like portions.  Mix olive oil and taco seasoning together well. Put sweet potato slices into a gallon-size zip lock bag and pour the taco seasoning mix over it. Shake until all fries are coated. Place fries onto a foil-covered baking sheet.

Once the pork has reached 160, remove it and leave covered. Turn oven to 425 degrees and put fries in. At this point, start the asparagus (either use a steamer or place them in shallow water in a frying pan and boil).

Remove fries from oven when they appear to be getting crispy (about fifteen minutes). Slice pork and serve!

Portions:  1 Carb, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 3), 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat.  

(Approximately 570 calories for Level 1, 770 for Level 3)

Yellow Chicken Curry with Brown Rice

Yellow Curry Chicken Stir Fry

 

  • 18 ounces chicken
  • 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • Frozen stir-fry veggies
  • 2 cloves garlic (optional)
  • Yellow curry powder (optional)
  • Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce
  • Garlic Salt

Cook brown rice according to directions on the bag (or use Trader Joe’s pre-cooked organic brown rice).

Cut chicken into tender size slices and place in a skillet with the chicken broth. Sprinkle garlic salt and yellow curry powder over the chicken and cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through.

In a separate skillet, sauté the stir-fry veggies with the garlic. The water should produce enough moisture so that you don’t have to use olive oil, but if necessary, use a small amount of olive oil (1/2 tsp).  

After everything is cooked, mix veggies and chicken and add 4 tbsp of Trader Joe’s Yellow Curry Sauce and serve over 1 cup of rice.

Servings: 1 Carb, 2 Protein (6 oz, Level 1) or 4 Protein (12 oz, Level 3), 1 Condiment, 1 Vegetable

(Approximately 500 calories for Level 1, 700 for Level 3)

Salmon & Mediterranean Couscous with Asparagus

  • Three 6-ounce packages of Morey’s Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon (or 18 ounces of salmon with lemon, salt, pepper)
  • 1 cup dry whole-wheat couscous
  • 2 ounces feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (or roasted red peppers)
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning          
  • Asparagus

Bake salmon at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, until salmon is fully cooked through the center. With about 15 minutes to go, begin steaming asparagus. Then, mix feta, chopped cucumber, bell pepper, onion and seasonings (season to your liking) together. In a large sauce pan, bring 1 cup water and 1 tbsp olive oil to a boil. Remove from heat and pour 1 cup dry couscous into the sauce pan. Stir well and cover. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add veggie and cheese mixture and fluff. Measure 1 cup couscous mixture and serve with salmon and asparagus.

Servings:  1 Carb, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 2), 1.5 Vegetable, 1 dairy, 1 fat (1/2 from oil, half from marinade on Morey’s salmon. Reduce fat and about 120 calories by using fresh salmon flavored with lemon and don’t use olive oil in the couscous).

(Approximately 700 calories for Level 1, 900 for Level 3)

Chicken Fajita Burritos

Chicken Fajita Burrito

 

  • 18 ounces chicken, cut into small chunks
  • ¼ packet fajita seasoning mix
  • ½ bell pepper (I like red)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Mushrooms
  • Several slices of white onion (you decide how much)
  • 2 whole-wheat tortillas (we like Mission whole-wheat wraps)
  • Guacamole:  1 avocado, ½ medium tomato, chopped red onion, a few shakes of Lawry’s salt.
  • Salsa

Sprinkle chicken with salt and some fajita mix and cook in a skillet. In a separate skillet, sauté garlic, bell peppers, onion and mushrooms (use a small amount of olive oil if necessary). Meanwhile, prepare guacamole (mix all ingredients above). When vegetables are fully cooked, mix a small amount of fajita mix with ¼ cup water and pour on vegetables. Increase heat and boil off the water. Heat tortillas on a clean skillet over medium-high heat for 15 seconds per side. Add ingredients on top the tortilla (for Level 3 you may need to have some of that chicken on the side since it probably won’t fit into one tortilla), attempt to form into a burrito, and enjoy!

Portions: 1 Carbohydrate, 2 Protein (Level 1) or 4 Protein (Level 3), 1 Fat, 1 Vegetable

(Approximately 550 calories for Level 1, 750 calories for Level 3)

Obviously all of these recipes can be modified to meet your caloric and portion-size needs as well as personal taste preferences (I like garlic and onion- not everyone does!). For example, I don’t always use the feta in the couscous because I typically get my two dairy servings earlier in the day. I also have to make sure to save my fat serving for days that we have the salmon or sweet potato fries.

Bon Appetite!

Yoga to the X Degree!

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Gymnasticscoaching.com

Tony likes to call Plyometrics the “Mother of all P90X Workouts.” I like to call Yoga X the “Evil (yet necessary) Step-Sister of all P90X Workouts.” And from speaking with others who have also endured the 1.5 hour mental and physical battle, most agree with me.

My Yoga Background

Although I’ve been working out for years and have been taking group fitness classes for at least three, I only ventured into my first yoga class a little over a year ago. I took a few classes at 24 Hour Fitness and found that I loved and hated the workouts simultaneously. I’m a pretty impatient person and I like to move fast, so I typically like high intensity classes (spin and turbo kickboxing). Yoga, however, is sometimes painstakingly slow. It is methodical, regimented, and at times, extremely challenging. Usually I’m sore in places I never knew I even had muscles!

I liked the pose portion of yoga (ie bending yourself into a pretzel or balancing on one leg) the most because I am quite competitive and I like to see how I can do compared to the rest of the class. Another part of me gets annoyed because attending a yoga class once or twice a month is not going to get me to be as flexible as the super yogi girls in my class who can bend sit with their legs out and bend forward press their chest and face flat to the ground. I’ve always wanted to be consistent with Yoga, but it never fits into my running schedule quite right.

P90X Yoga – Yoga to the X Degree

I was (pleasantly) surprised to find that the P90X Yoga is quite difficult and actually a really good workout. In previous experience, yoga (without some cardio before) can’t really get me sweating and my heart pumping, but Yoga X did! Yoga X is performed weekly during weeks 1-3, 5-7, and 9-12 and performed twice a week during recovery weeks, 4, 8 and 13. The video is 1 hour 32 minutes and is split into 5 sections: Moving Asanas, Balance Postures, Floor Work, Yoga Belly,  and Cool-Down.

Moving Asanas

 
 

Half Moon Pose (YogaJournal.com)

 

The video begins with the typical “vinyasa flow” which includes plank, chaturanga (a pushup with elbows at your sides) upward dog and downward dog. The flow is repeated over and over, with the addition of more difficult moves at the end of the flow each time. Some of the moves include Runners Pose, Warriors One, Two and Three, Reverse Warrior, Prayer Twist, Twisting Triangle and Half Moon. I felt that this section of the video drug on forever the first time we did the workout. The second time, however, I was expecting it, and it wasn’t so bad.  The third time, I was surprised when this section was already over! This is the part of the workout that gets your heart rate up and will even make you break a sweat. The point of these movements is not only to strengthen, but also to warm up your muscles for the balance postures and stretches to come.

Balance Postures

Crane Pose (YogaJournal.com)

The balance postures are my favorite part of yoga. Ironically, this is Mike’s least favorite part. I think it’s the competitive spirit in me. I like to see if I can improve on these week to week by holding the poses longer (or even just being able to get into the poses!). The postures start out with the simple Tree pose, which involves standing straight up and folding one leg and placing your foot the inside of the other leg’s knee. Then stand there for as long as you can, balancing on one foot like a flamingo. Another favorite pose that is featured is Crane. Crane is one that I am always too afraid to try in class, for fear of falling on my face (I’m not going to even try to explain this move –I instead, take a look at the picture above!). However, Tony recommends grabbing a pillow and putting in front of you. The second time we did the video, I actually got up off my feet for a few seconds! I’d love to work my way up to holding the pose for the entire allotted time.

Another difficult pose for the both of us is the standing pose where you lift your leg straight forward as high as possible and grab on to your big toe (keeping the leg straight) with your hand. I did well in the sit and reach portion of the Fit Test but this is a little too far of a reach for me. I can grab on and hold on for a little while, but it’s very difficult to actually straighten my leg and stay.

Floor Work

 

Plow Pose (YogaJournal.com)

 

Time to get on the ground! This portion of the workout, it seems, is the start of the cool down. Floor work involves holding stretching poses for various length of time, some of which involve contorting into very uncomfortable positions and suffering through the pain! These aren’t all easy stretches. One of the moves that Tony warns is particularly advanced is the Wheel, which I’m happy to report that I could already do. Wheel is basically a gymnastics back bend . Now, holding the pose for longer than fifteen seconds is another challenge and raising one leg, like the show-offs in the video, is quite a whole new challenge all together. Another fun one for Mike is the Plow pose which requires a lot of flexibility in the back.

Yoga Belly

Wait, don’t we already work our abs 3 days a week during Ab Ripper X? Didn’t we JUST do Ab Ripper yesterday? Yes, but it doesn’t matter because Tony wants us to work them again.  My arch nemesis – the scissor makes yet another appearance in Yoga X, except it is a static pose, as all the Yoga Belly poses are.

Cool-Down

It’s almost over! Fun moves from this section include Happy Baby (laying on your back spread eagle with your legs bend, grabbing toes and forcing legs apart) and the always comforting Child’s Pose.

Just after the Corpse pose and a warning that no, this isn’t a cult, Tony sits in the Meditation Pose and lets out some inhumanely drawn out “ohms.” Mike and I surmise that he has some sort of monk voice-over.

My Final Thoughts

Although Yoga X seems unnecessarily long, I actually kind of enjoy it and am very sore after this workout. Every time we’ve done this workout, my glutes have been sore for days!

Thanks to http://www.fitnessdestinations.com/p90x-review-day-4-yoga-x/ and www.yogajournal.com for a lot of the info provided here! I’m by no means a Yoga expert but wanted to describe the moves and also provide my thoughts on them!

And no, the move featured in the picture at the top of my blog is NOT part of P90X yoga!

P90X Nutrition Update: Challenges, Temptations & Results

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Salads: A Staple for P90X Nutrition

Today begins week 3 of P90X. I wanted to write a blog about how the nutrition plan is going, since it is such a pivotal component of the P90X 13-week program.  

Our Method for Following the Beast that is the P90X Nutrition Plan

The P90X Nutrition Plan is by far the most time-consuming and difficult part of P90X. I personally feel like the calories allocation is adequate (I’m eating between 1,800 and 2,000 calories a day), but Mike is struggling with his 3,000 allotment. He typically adds extra snacks throughout the day in order to feel satisfied, but sometimes he misses a snack and ends up starving through one of his classes. On occasion he has an extra banana with peanut butter (at least three tablespoons) because he is uncontrollably hungry. As Mike doesn’t have much body fat to lose, I think he will still get good results from his occasional PB binge, as I like to call them.

Every morning, Mike makes us our eggs (sometimes with an additional protein like ham or turkey or with veggies such as spinach, mushrooms and onion) and cottage cheese breakfast and I make our lunches (often the night before). For lunch, we’ve been switching off between a tuna salad (Tuna, veggies, mustard dressing) and a chef salad (ham, turkey, avocado, cheddar cheese, and veggies with Trader Joe’s light Parmesan Ranch). Sometimes (Mike more often) we add a cup of soup for extra calories. For dinner, we’ve found our favorite meals are pork loin with baked sweet potato “fries” and veggies, chicken stir fry with brown rice and Trader Joe’s yellow curry sauce (2 tbsp = 50 calories), and salmon with couscous and asparagus. One night we bought a roast chicken at the grocery store and served it with veggies, rice and black beans.  [Check back later for recipes and pictures!]

My favorite part of the nutrition plan is that it allows for frozen yogurt. Caveat: only 4 ounces. Although my local yogurt shop has a scale, we spent the first two weeks or so weighing our yogurt at 0.4 lbs, accidentally taking it for 4 ounces. Once we realized our mistake, we were very disappointed. 0.4lbs isn’t even that much (6 oz) so 0.25 ounces must be tiny! I do admit, since dessert is my weakness, that I have continued using the 0.4 lb measurement when indulging in fro yo. I can’t help it! I tell Mike that my fro yo is like his PB banana binges. We each get a little cheat – and at an average of 25 calories/ounce and zero fat, I don’t think 2 extra ounces of frozen yogurt is going to kill me!

Dishes, Dishes, Dishes!!!

On top of all this food preparation and cooking, we ALSO don’t have a dishwasher in our apartment so we have to hand wash a major amount of dishes each day. Overall, I’d say that we spend approximately 2 hours a day preparing , cooking and eating food and doing dishes. It’s exhausting!

Food Temptations

A hefty amount of social sacrificed naturally accompanies the nutrition plan, as it’s not easy to follow it at a restaurant or dinner party. Meals prepared at home are much more satisfying and take the guess-work out of  calories and portion sizes.  Although I’ve had some objections to my new nutrition life-style, most of my friends and my family have been supportive. However, you can’t live your life for two weeks without a certain number of temptations.

The biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome:

  1. Attending a birthday party at a wine bar and sipping water while watching everyone else enjoy champagne, wine, cheese and bread.
  2. Suffering through the smell of baked potatoes for an entire morning at work and then watching my coworkers eat loaded baked potatoes and chili for a Superbowl Potluck (oh yeah with cookies and cupcakes for dessert).
  3. Eating roast chicken, brown rice and veggies (ok I cheated a little and had a piece of white bread with butter too!) on Superbowl Sunday.
  4. Forcing my girlfriends to eat stir-fry with me on a Friday night to appease my diet (luckily they were fine with having a healthy dinner that night).
  5. Entering my office to the smell of coffee each morning (although I definitely miss the taste of coffee and had a 2-day withdrawal headache, I actually very alert without it).

Overall, I don’t feel that I have major cravings. The aforementioned wine bar party was only a few days into the plan and it was surprisingly easy to avoid. By far the most difficult day was the Superbowl. Even though we watched the game at Mike’s parents house and were removed from temptation, I still just knew that everyone I knew was eating party food! I was craving chips and guacamole like a starved pregnant woman!

Want Results? It’s all about the DIET!

As someone who regularly works out 5-7 hours per week anyway, I know that the weight-loss results I’ve seen so far (about 4-5lbs) are 99% nutrition related. Running 36 miles in one week (this is more than I typically run in a week when training for a half marathon) should cause an individual to lose about one pound of fat (1 mile = approx. 100 calories, 3,600 calorie deficit = 1 lb), given that they consume just enough to support their daily functions. However, as runners all know, we tend to eat A LOT more when running, especially when we get up to 10+ mile long runs. Oftentimes these extra 3,600 calories that we burned end up making up for the massive Saturday post-run breakfast, the bagel we eat pre-workout, the GU we suck down during the run to keep our endurance up, and especially, all the pasta we justify eating as a result of being a “runner.” At the end of the day, if you really want to see fitness results, you MUST follow a healthy diet and nutrition plan. Although I typically firm up and probably lose a few pounds of fat over the course of training for a half marathon, there isn’t a very noticeable difference like I will surely see during P90X. Not to mention, the addition of weight training three times a week will undoubtedly build metabolism-boosting muscle.

Overall, I think we’re making great progress. We have yet to skip a prescribed workout, I’ve done two double days (Chest and Back + 4 miles last Tuesday and 5.5 miles + Legs and Back on Sunday), and we’ve taken one day off. The only non-approved food I have eaten or drank in 2 weeks is a slice of a white baguette with a little butter and a little bit too much frozen yogurt.

We’re going on 15 days without alcohol, caffeine, fried food, and chocolate! Although, I must admit that I am looking forward to our “cheat meal” on Valentine’s Day!

P90X Shoulders & Arms

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P90X Shoulders & Arms - Bicep Curls

Of the three weight lifting workouts we have experienced this far, this is the one that I enjoy the most. I think the main reason that I love it is because I can actually DO it, unlike both of the videos that include pull-ups which I am still not close to being able to do. Last Thursday was the second day that we performed this workout. Although I was very sore in my triceps after the first workout, I don’t think that I was able to really get after it because I wasn’t sure which weights to use. During the second round, I knew what to expect and was able to crank it up a notch.

Overview of the Workout – Shoulders & Arms

Tony greeted us with the usual knee-lift, light jog, jumping jack, and arm circles warm up, followed by some stretching. I really appreciate the long warm-ups, especially on days that I’m very sore and/or very tired (most days). Waking up at 5:45 a.m. to workout is difficult but Tony makes it easier by easing us in.

This is the video that requires the most actual weight lifting (as opposed to using your own body as resistance). This workout is performed in weeks 1-3, 9, and 11. The format is set up as five three workout sets, fifteen different workouts in total. Although you are really only focusing on biceps, triceps and shoulders, all exercises are unique and most of them (bonus) also work other areas of the body as well.  The first time we did the workout I used mostly 8s and 10s ( I used 10s for the Fit Test) on my shoulders and biceps and even a pair of 5s on my triceps (for the Flip Grip Twist Tricep Kickbacks which Tony warns usually require a lighter weight). The second time we did the workout, I grabbed my 12s for bicep curls and used 10s on shoulders and 8s on triceps.

For me, this wasn’t a sweat-inducing workout and actually, I wasn’t even that sore the day following our second round. I definitely have to say that I am seeing improvement in my muscle definition, but I’m a little confused as to why I’m not really “feeling the burn” during the workout and why I don’t get very sore afterward (although I can tell my arms are fatigued). I definitely push my muscles to exhaustion during the reps, but I just don’t feel that same burning as I do when I work my legs. Mike thinks it may have something to do with another muscle that isn’t strong enough to really work my bicep (ie my wrist perhaps). I’m going to try to increase my weight next time – although curling 15s sounds crazy!

The Moves

Some examples of the workouts include: Alternating Shoulder Press, In & Out Bicep Curls, Chair Dips (killer!), Static Arm Curls, and Side Tri-Rises (by far the most uncomfortable for me because these hurt my hip more than anything). One of great full-body exercises is the Crouching Cohen Curl. To perform this exercise, grab a pair of heavy weights, get down into a squat and put your arms on the inside of your legs, with your elbows just below your knees. Let your arms fall straight and curl upward. This move isolates the biceps and also works out your glutes and thighs!

Overall, I enjoy this workout and I am looking forward to tackling it again soon. I’m also interested to see how Tony switches it up during Phase 2. In Phase 2, we’ll scrap this workout all together and start two new videos – one which works triceps in combination with chest and shoulders and a second that exhausts biceps in combination with back. The theory behind P90X and the phases and week variation is muscle confusion, and so far I think my muscles are overwhelmed at the very least, and most definitely confused!

Ab-Ripper Update

We have been following the Ab Ripper plan to a T. We always do it on the prescribed days (after the three strength training videos) and we always give our best.  This was the first time we both felt like we were seeing a big improvement in our technique and our ability. For the first time, I was able to finish the first set of bicycles to completion (usually my legs hurt more on these than my abs) and fold my legs during the Wide Leg Sit-Ups (The move: lay down flat on back with legs out and raise one arm straight up. Lift your body from the ground and reach the arm that is up to your opposite leg. Repeat on other side. The 50 lifts take over 2 minutes to complete. This move is intensified by folding legs Indian style so that you can’t use their weight to help you up).

Although there are several moves in Ab Ripper that I can actually finish, there are some that are still giving me trouble (although I see progress), most notably the Fifer Scissor (The move: lying down, hold one leg straight up, the other straight forward, about three to six inches off the floor, then switch, never touching the ground. The excruciating part is how unbelievably slowly Tony counts and he insists that you DO NOT move your legs until he says so). This is one of the moves that I will be VERY proud of myself when I am able to complete the full set!

The Payoff

Luckily, San Diego has been enjoying a warm winter and Spring inevitably brings a few beach days, so my newly sculpted arms & ripped abs won’t be hiding under bulky sweaters and sweatshirts for long!

 

P90X & Marathon Training – My First Double Day

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The Vavi Running Club - Pre-Carlsbad Half Marathon

 The VAVI Running Club

As I did for the Carlsbad half marathon,  I joined the VAVI Running Club to train for the La Jolla Half Marathon (April 17) and the Rock n Roll Marathon (June 5).  The VAVI Running Club meets twice a week – once on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. for either an easy, short run or an interval/lactate threshold run, and then again on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. for the long run. I trained for my 2nd half marathon (Carlsbad being my 3rd) with a good friend of mine, Asia, who runs about my pace and was also aiming for that coveted 2 hour half marathon. I found that it was MUCH more enjoyable to run with a friend and that the 2 hour chats we had on our runs brought us even closer. However, Asia would be out of town for the  Carlsbad half and therefore I was faced with the daunting task of running up to 12 miles before the race, all alone. Luckily, I found Vavi, and the rest was history. I met some really awesome people in the Vavi group and haven’t had to run solo since!

Because I liked the Vavi running club so much, I encouraged Asia and her boyfriend Jeremy to sign up with me for the Rock n Roll full marathon. One of the advantages to having a running group is that on the longer runs, there are aid stations set up with a jug of water and a jug of a sports drink. Another advantage is that Vavi sets up our courses for us so that we aren’t running the same ‘ol route every week.

 My First Double Training Day

This Tuesday Mike and I did our P90X Chest and Back workout in the morning and I was able to get to work in time to be able to leave at 5 to get to the first Vavi run of the new season. Although as a Level 1 nutrition plan follower I am only allotted one fruit per day, I “splurged” and an extra piece of fruit an hour before my run to ensure I had enough energy to make it through.

This would be my first run since the half marathon, nine days previous. As it’s the beginning of the running season, we only ran four miles, and luckily, it felt great. We took it easy (about a 9:40 pace) and I was able to catch up with Asia, who had just returned from her trip to Brazil, while we ran. Overall, the run went smoothly and I didn’t feel exhausted the next morning for the Plyometrics workout.

Attempting to Incorporate P90X into the Marathon Training Schedule

 

 

 

If Homer can do it, I can!

 

This morning our coach sent out the 18 week marathon training plan. I mapped out the plan on my google calendar and then added my P90X workouts. I have to say it was overwhelming to look at it! And the scariest part is that I didn’t even add the mid-week runs that I’ll have to do on my own to the calendar! The plan right now is to run on top of the normal P90X workouts only two times per week for the first three weeks of training. After three weeks (and when we enter Phase 2 of P90X and get more carbs) I will ramp it up to three runs per week. As of now, the calendar has us doing the Back and Legs workout the day before or the day of our Saturday long runs. Whether or not we’ll continue to work our legs the day so close to our long runs is still up for debate. We are considering swapping Legs and Back for the Chest and Back day in order to ensure that our legs are rested for the long runs. The downside is that this switch would mean we’d be working our legs the day before plyometrics. Ultimately, I think it’s more important to be well rested for long runs than plyo. We can turn off a plyo dvd but we can’t magically finish a nine mile run halfway through. Once the long runs ramp up to 7 or 8 miles, I plan to substitute in my long runs for Kenpo X. Basically, after that point, we’ll only do Kenpo during recovery weeks.

Although the aforementioned workout routine sounds frightening, P90X does have a “doubles” program which incorporates extra cardio three days a week. Someone following the doubles plan would do the regular six workouts each week and then add the Cardio X dvd three times a week. Although Tony Horton P90X guarantees that P90X will get you in the best shape of your life, there is still an option to accelerate results by adding cardio. The mere fact that the creators think that there is a select group out there capable of NINE very intense workouts a week gives me some reassurance that I can train for a half marathon while on P90X, especially with the substitution of the long run for KenpoX.  I’m not trying to break any records at the half in April and we will finish P90X with six weeks left to solely focus on training for a full marathon (I’m sure we’ll sprinkle some P90X dvds in each week). I think if I were truly focused on achieving a personal record in the half marathon, I’d have to take P90X down a notch and running up a notch. However, since I’m looking at the La Jolla half as a training run (albeit a very difficult one – starting at mile 6 there is a 420 foot hill which you later have to run down from miles nine through eleven), I think I’ll be ok.

And of course, I will be eating additional calories on the days that I run, although I do not plan to eat as many calories as I burn (ie not adding 1,300 calories to my day for a 13 mile run). It should be interesting to see how my results pan out if I keep up with this lean diet through the race.

P90X Doubles Forum:

 I found this great forum for questions from P90X users who are planning on doing the doubles program or incorporating running:

http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/blog/2008/07/01/p90x-approaches-doubles-approach/

Last – if any P90X users who are also runners stumble upon my blog, I’d love to hear your experiences.

TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME & KEEP PUSHING PLAY