Day 30 is Here!!!

Aaron's upper body, front and back.

We didn't bother doing lower body shots this time.

Hidi's upper body, front and back.

These shots were all taken in our laundry room at sunset. Unfortunately, I don't think we have good lighting in any room on any day. Poop.

Okay, so I owe you all an apology. I stopped posting daily when I realized that all I had to say somedays was what I had to eat and what workout I was doing that day. However, now that Aaron and I are into Week 5 and have hit Day 30, a significant checkpoint, I thought I'd post some photos.

Also, After Week 2, everything started to feel pretty easy. So easy, in fact, that we started running and/or walking to get extra exercise. Everything stopped being easy this week. Not only did the added running and walking destroy my already fragile knees, but what Tony Horton said about P90X is true: the program works through "muscle confusion." After four weeks of same-old same-old, I woke up this morning and my muscles said WTF?

Day 9: Bringing it Hard: I am a Runner Once Again!

With weather this nice it's hard to come up with an excuse to not start running. So, with a little inspiration from my friend, Jen Baxter, I put on my running gear and ran out the door an hour after dinner. You're thinking, Really? After a morning of plyos? Yes, after a morning of plyos! I felt that good! I kept up with Tony Horton's gang for the entire hour (even those Rock Star Jumps!) this morning and the excitement spilled over into my evening. What better to do than run?

Though I don't have a race in mind, I'm officially training again. I ran to Lakeside Park and the rose gardens. My concept of mileage is completely gone, but I think my route is approximately 1 3/4 miles. As I rounded the gardens--my halfway point--I felt the familiar waking up of my foot bones, the slight tweaking of my right knee, and the burn of my lungs expanding to accommodate more oxygen. Yes, it feels good to run. I am a runner once again.

As for 5Ks in my future, I'd like to hear your suggestions for races held April through July, weekends only. (Northeast Indiana only, please.). Thanks!

Workout: Plyometrics at 9:45 a.m.
Bonus Workout!: 1 3/4 mi (?) run in 15:45
Hours Slept: 6

Breakfast: protein shake
Post-Workout Snack: protein bar and diluted oj
Lunch: 2 turkey and pepper jack cheese on thin whole wheat bread sandwiches
Afternoon Snack: mozzarella cheese stick
Dinner: 12 fish sticks
Post-Workout Snack: Soy Joy bar, rice cake
Caffeine: Red Berry Full Throttle

Days to Go: 81

Review of Week One

So, in conclusion to one week of the P90X program, I am sore, tired, and inspired more than ever to get myself fit. Tony Horton guides Hidi and me through an intense routine comprising of muscle building, fat shredding, and body toning work outs that leave our muscles wasted. But even through the pain, I find myself looking forward to the next sweat drenched workout. For the first time in a long time, I feel good.

Day 8: Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnd REPEAT!

With Week One under my belt, it's time to get started on Week Two of P90X. Time to repeat last week all over again. Which means a great chest, back, and abs workout today, but I'm already dreading tomorrow's plyometrics routine.

I learned another lesson tonight. Make that two. Never workout as a couple when your kids are still awake for the night. Also, rest days must always be on Saturdays when we have all 8 kids (something, luckily, we started doing without considering how busy and tiring our Saturdays are, but we were reminded of this weekend).

We ended up getting a little bit too much rest during what should have been an hour and fifteen minute routine. Between 7 and 9:30 tonight, we passed a screaming Ember back and forth between us as we struggled through the push-ups and did the modified pull-ups (with bands instead of a bar) with ease. Our sit-ups weren't too bad, but we both agreed that everything is much easier and much more fluid the day after yoga.

Now, we have two weeks to figure out how to get in our Sunday workouts. Before the kids wake up is not an option because not only do Aaron's boys rise before the sun, but also we'd likely wake everyone. After everyone is in bed is also not an option, because Aaron needs to be in bed around 9 p.m. (he wakes up at 3 a.m. every day for work). Any suggestions?

Workout: Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X at 7:15 p.m.
Hours slept: 5 1/2

Breakfast: protein shake
Morning Snack: 30 pistachios and 6oz orange juice
Lunch: 2 turkey and pepper jack cheese on thin whole wheat sandwiches
Dinner: beef and broccoli stir fry
Post-Workout Snack: Soy Joy bar and diluted oj

Days to Go: 82

Day 7: One Week Down, 12 to Go!

Giving up pop and chocolate without gradually weaning myself finally got the best of me today in the form of an optical migraine. Aaron worked this morning so it was just me and seven kids (Jake was in Chicago at the Children's Museum with his Bear Scout pack). Within minutes of waking, my vision waned and was replaced with white static dots pulsating like the headache that was to follow. Using the bottom left field of vision, I raced to fold laundry, make beds and feed the kids breakfast before Aaron got home. Then came a pain so sickening that I was brought to my knees gagging.

Lesson learned. I ended up needing caffeine to keep the headache at bay, so I reluctantly cracked open a Full Throttle and blew a gaping hole in my diet plan. This was later followed by pizza and brownies and some vodka drinks. I never gorged myself, but I felt as if I had participated in some sort of food orgy. You see, the P90X nutrition plan is designed so that you're never full, but you're never hungry either. This took some getting used to the first few days (I always was afraid I would get hungry if I didn't eat larger portions), but I've found that the plan actually takes the thinking out of eating for you. I have 5, at most 6, times per day that I prepare food in the kitchen. For the most part, it's all mapped out for me. All I have to do is stay on top of the grocery shopping.

Now that I made a few bad choices, I can safely say I don't want to make any more for a while. I don't feel bad because I ate and drank things that weren't on the list, but my body does. I felt heavier and sluggish just by ingesting all of those fats, greases, and sugars. P90X may have cured me of my pop and chocolate cravings just yet. But as for pizza... time to start getting creative.

Workout: none, Rest Day
Sleep: 8 hours

Breakfast: protein shake
Morning Snack: 1/2 Red Berry Full Throttle
Lunch: southwestern-style soup
Dinner: 3 slices sausage pizza, 2 dark chocolate brownies
Evening Snack: 2 slices sausage pizza
Alcohol: 2 double cran-orange vodkas

Days to Go: 83

Day 6: Why Can’t I Look Like That?

Aaron and I were looking at ourselves in the mirror with our shirts off last night admiring our new muscles. I looked to Aaron and saw a huge improvement in his biceps and triceps, and then I looked to myself and saw… meh. Yes, there is a tiny bit of improvement in muscle tone, but really all that’s changed is my flexibility and how I feel. Not how I look. This will change, but it really ticks me off how quickly guys get in shape compared with women.

One way Aaron had a leg up on me (haha, literally) was today’s workout. Kenpo, largely a cardio self-defense workout, was something Aaron was already well-versed in. I, on the other hand, spent a good chunk of each routine staring at the TV trying to figure out what some of the moves were and where exactly I should place my feet when I punched. Like me, if you’re not familiar with a “jab-cross-hook-uppercut,” look out: Tony Horton does not explain what these moves are, and he and his team move at lightening speed!

Regardless of the difficulty of Kenpo, it was tons of fun. I imagined every “step drag-claw-low punch” and every “three direction kick” was directed at the people who have made my life hell. I broke a sweat that I haven’t experienced in years. I “brought it” with such intensity that I strained my hamstrings a bit more than I should have. With time, I think I will catch up with Aaron.

Workout: Kenpo-X at 10:00 a.m.
Hours Slept: 6

Breakfast: protein shake
Post-Workout Snack: protein bar and diluted orange juice
Lunch: turkey and cheese croissant
Afternoon Snack: mozzarella cheese stick, 3 rice cakes
Dinner: 6oz chicken breast, two baked potatoes with Smart Spread

Days to Go: 84

Day 5: Starting to Feel Results

I was just thinking how awesome it is to have all 5 kids on the same overnight sleep schedule (8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.). It is nothing short of a miracle to have a baby under 6 months old sleeping 10 or more hours every night. Never having to swing my legs out of bed, change a diaper, whip out a breast for a late-night feeding--these are all things I am very grateful for, especially since I read daily about the hell some of my Facebook friends are going through trying to break free of that 3-hour sleep-wake-nurse cycle.

My biggest problem, however, is trying to get little Ember Grey to nap for at least an hour twice a day. This especially comes into play when I'm trying to get my morning workout done. I normally feed Ember her cereal and 1st foods between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m., change her diaper, and then lie her down for *hopefully* an hour and a half so I can do my full P90X routine. Today she didn't sleep more than 30 minutes into my legs and back workout before fussing and crying, summoning me to her cribside to adjust blankies and lights and music just so. This is not the first time this has happened.

When I did workout today, I actually felt pretty good. Yesterday's yoga routine ended up making me feel strong, tall, confident, and flexible. I started and finished the hour with a smile on my face. I really "brought it" today! I made through all but one exercise (90 second wall squat) without stopping early. All the lunges and pull-ups (with resistance band) and squats feel just as good as they did bad. Everytime I felt the burning pinch of old muscle tearing so new muscle can be added, I visualized the legs I used to have, the legs I want to have when I slip on my bikini or a dress this summer. I got so caught up in these images that the minutes just flew by (even if Emi did keep me running in between sets).

I started noticing a change in my ab workout today, too. I hammered through all of my wide-leg sit-ups with good form, I did many more roll-up/V-up pulses, and when it came time to do heels to heaven, I actually could keep my legs straight at a 90-degree angle! This is a major accomplishment for me in getting some of that old flexibility back, and I'm excited to see what the days ahead bring.

Workout: Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X at 9:30 a.m.
Hours Slept: 8

Breakfast: protein shake
Post-Workout Snack: protein bar and diluted oj
Lunch: protein shake, apple
Afternoon Snack: rice cake and mozzarella cheese stick
Dinner: 3 low-fat whole-grain waffles w/syrup, 5 slices turkey bacon

Days to go: 85