Monday, November 30, 2009

Day 63 - Sighhh

Unfortunately, due to inevitable, anticipated familial conflict, I skipped my Kenpo workout tonight. Stress usually motivates me to do better. This time it sucked out my life force and I retreated to the couch.

Tomorrow is Chest, Shoulders & Triceps and Ab Ripper. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Day 62 - I touched the floor!

When I started this program 62 days ago, I couldn't do a sitting toe-touch. Now I can reach 4" past my toes. When I started, I could hardly bend past 90 degrees at the waist. Now, just tonight, I finally did it - I touched the ground while standing with straight knees. I can't believe that I can actually touch the floor. That my hamstrings actually allowed it! I'm not trying to lost weight, nor am I trying to bulk up, but I'm definitely aiming to become more flexible.. And I've come a long way. And I have the photo to prove it!


That's me! Touching the floor!!

Day 61 - A day late

My bad. I forgot to post again last night. See, when anything happens outside of the norm (last night we went to a show at my school), I completely forget about posting.

Yesterday I did Legs and Back, and I'm getting better at this whole negative pull-ups thing. I have no problem with lunges anymore, which I guess is indicative that my legs are getting stronger! Yay! I love love love the calf workouts, they're definitely my favourite. When I work them really hard and they start to burn, it makes me feel like I have to pee! Hahaha it's the weirdest thing.

I ordered Christopher's Christmas present yesterday: a heart rate monitor! He already knows about it, so I didn't just ruin the surprise. He had to pick it out so I knew he was getting the one he wanted. He's very excited, and I am too because it'll be great to see how many calories we're burning during a hard cardio workout!

That's all for me - I'll be back tonight! :)


Friday, November 27, 2009

Day 60 - A quick entry

Just wanted to say...

I'm 2/3 done! Day 60! 66% finished! 
Wahoooo!!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Day 59 - Power Blocks!

Today was a good workout day, a not-so-good diet day. I went to a lunchtime conference where there was pizza and salad being served. I had a piece of BBQ chicken pizza (thinking that this was better for me than pepperoni or works) and a giant salad, fruit and water. Not so bad I guess, but this is the first time in over 59 days that I've had a piece of pizza! That's wild. Before this, Chris and I would order or make a pizza at least once a week!

As far as the workout goes, I did Shoulders & Arms. I like this workout because once it's over, there's so much blood flow to my arms and shoulders that I look HUGE! I don't want to ever look that muscle-y, but it's fun to see how much bigger my arms get when I work them out.

It's hard to believe I'm in Phase 3! I literally don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I'm done with P90X. Obviously I won't stop working out, but it's hard to say how often I will (likely 3-4x a week) or what I'll be doing (Yoga? Dance? Insanity?). I'm just enjoying this program and I'm making the most of it while it lasts. I'm even considering doing it over again, just minus the super-strict diet. Time will tell..

Oh yeah, and Chris got some Power Blocks! He found a used set on Kijiji (which is good because they're very expensive). Power Blocks are dumbbells with adjustable weights, so you can have a set of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 lb weights with only one pair of dumbbells. They're huge space savers, which is great in a tiny little apartment like ours. Chris is loving them! I'll stick with my 5, 8 and 10 lb sets, thanks. :)


The Power Blocks!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Day 58 - "Get a life"

There is a thread on the P90X message boards on Facebook called Spousal Sabotage. In it, different people discuss their experiences with their spouses and families not being supportive during their P90X journey. I encountered this myself today. Someone very close to me is having a hard time accepting the fact that I am doing and enjoying P90X.

I think that most people see intense exercise and strict diet in a negative light, or as a bad thing. Seldom do people see it as a positive, and if they do, they're usually supporting you to be a good friend and not because they believe in the program. I have many friends at school who think I'm crazy for passing up cookies and snacks, but they know now what it is I'm doing, why I'm doing it, and how much it means to me, so I'm not even offered treats and snacks anymore. It's become sort of a joke now for them to pass the snacks right by me. But I love this kind of support, the "we think you're crazy but if you're happy, we're happy" support.

This other person is not supportive. She is neither encouraging nor motivating. And she's certainly not understanding. She can't fathom why I'm doing such a long and brutal exercise program. When I post about it, she gets annoyed, even if I'm proclaiming my progress. She says I should "get a life" and stop being "so obsessed". She even said that no one reads my posts (you guys are a testament to that untruth, so feel free to leave your comments!). I was not overweight when I started P90X. I was not unhealthy, out of shape nor self-conscious. Because of this, it completely boggles this person's mind that I would do P90X. She has that classic attitude of 'if you're thin, why exercise?'. She's called me skinny, which I hate. It seems as though the happier I become, with my health, body and life in general, the more unhappy she becomes. And I do not understand.

So, this post is partly to rant and partly to raise awareness. If you're calling someone a "loser" and then telling them it was "just a joke" and to not take it so hard, you need to wake up. You need to see that you're hurting that person and, if they're not strong enough, you WILL bring them down. If any good came out of this, it's that I'm even more motivated now to kick ass and keep bringing it. She will not slow my progress. She will not bring me down. She will not win.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Day 57 - Photo and measurement day!

Drumroll please.. The biggest increases this time around are in push-ups (20!!) and flexibility. From Day 0 to today, I've gained 9" of flexibility! Unbelievable! 


Weight
Day 0: 124 lb
Day 30: 123 lb
Day 60: 123 lb


Chest
Day 0: 32"
Day 30: 31"
Day 60: 32"


Waist
Day 0: 27"
Day 30: 27"
Day 60: 26"


Hips
Day 0: 34"
Day 30: 33.5"
Day 60: 34"


Right thigh
Day 0: 19"
Day 30: 19"

Day 60: 19"

Left thigh
Day 0: 18"
Day 30: 19"
Day 60: 19"


Right arm
Day 0: 10.5"
Day 30: 10.5"
Day 60: 10.75"


Left arm
Day 0: 11"
Day 30: 10.5"
Day 60: 10.5"


Pushups
Day 0: 7
Day 30: 11
Day 60: 20


Wide-grip pull-ups
Day 0: 1/2
Day 30: 3/4
Day 60:


Toe touch
Day 0: -5" (5" away from touching toes)
Day 30: +2" (2" past toes)

Day 60: +4" (4" past toes)



No weight loss, but a huge change in body composition!

Day 56 - Slacker!

I don't know what's wrong with me - I post here every night for 53 nights and then forget a bunch in a row?? Not cool, Heather! Not that there's anything pivotal to report, just that yesterday was a rest day, and we're doing photos and measurements today instead of last night. I'll post tonight with the results! :)

Also, our diets change today - PHASE THREE! I now get two protein, three carb, two fruit, two vegetable, one fat, one dairy one bar, one snack. Hope I don't crash in the middle of the day from lack of protein!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Day 55 - Meatballs

Well, so much for Yoga. Chris felt like a more intense workout than Yoga tonight, and after my half-assed Core Syn workout last night,  I agreed. We did Core, because anything more intensely cardio would have caused major stitches since we only ate 15 minutes before working out. I kicked ass though, I'm slowly gaining better form in the Bow to Boat exercise, and for the first time I did the whole minute of Towel Hopping! And, I did 14 Stacked Foot/Staggered Hand Push-ups NOT on my knees! Hooray!!

For supper tonight (and hence the post title) we made turkey meatballs. Originally we intended to buy ground turkey and make them from scratch, but Sobeys sucks and they didn't have any ground turkey. So we bought a blue menu-type frozen kind, Extra Lean Ground Turkey Meatballs. 2.5 g of fat per 4 meatballs, and 10 g of protein.. Not too shabby! Chris made a tasty tomato sauce for them, and we ate them with mashed sweet potatoes and peas and carrots. The best part: we made the whole box, so we have lunch for tomorrow, plus one more leftover meal. Love it!

I'm going to go have some fro yo.. Tomorrow is picture and measurement day! :)


(They got a 9/9 rating on the Compliments website!)

Day 54 - Forgot to post!

Oops. I went out last night for a friend's birthday, then came home and crashed. Totally forgot to post. I did a shortened Core Syn workout last night (due to time constraints). I felt bad not doing the whole thing but I did my best for the time I had. Tonight is Yoga!

In preparation for going out last night, my friend and I looked up calories in drinks. She had heard of someone drinking flavoured vodka and soda water, and she said it was really low-cal.. and it was! Only 69 calories in 1 oz of the vodka, and none in the soda water. We both ordered these at the bar, and they were tasty! I really hate sugary drinks, and this tasted like club soda with a hint of raspberry. We had three of them, and I didn't feel  guilty at all since it was so low-calorie and since I was staying hydrated with the soda water. I think I've found "my drink"!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Day 53 - Rest day (AKA: Shopping!)

I spent the day at the malls with my buddies, looking for a dress for an upcoming occasion. Not for me, for her. With no luck. :( But it was still fun and a great way to escape the schoolwork for a little while!

Today was a rest day, and the diet was pretty boring: chicken bacon and egg whites for breakfast, Subway for lunch, tofu sausage and salad for supper. But, speaking of diet, I found a great website listing the 20 worst drinks in America. It states that "The average person consumes an extra 600 calories a day between Thanksgiving and New Year's, which translates into an extra six pounds of belly fat heading into 2010." These drinks don't help! Check it out, then commit to water and tea. You don't need the other garbage! Eat This, Not That!


#1 worst drink: The Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake
2,010 calories
131 g fat (!!!!!) (68 g saturated)
153 g sugars

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Day 52 - Run run run

Since I am in my rest week, today was supposed to be a Kenpo day. However, Chris got Insanity the other day and he's been dappling in that, so he decided he wanted to do one of those workouts instead, and I wanted to join him. But, before working out, I had supper (pork and veggies) so I started getting a major stitch in my side. I didn't want to ruin Chris's workout, but I also didn't want to do nothing, so I went for a run. I ran a lot before starting P90X, and I've never really enjoyed it. I found it really hard, frustrating and only rewarding when it was actually over with. My run tonight was the same, only my body handled it much better. I didn't time myself (I wish I had), but I ran 3.7km with one one-minute walking break. My breathing was better, my gait was stronger, my stride was longer and everything just seemed to flow. There was no fighting with my body to keep going, I just went. So, P90X has definitely helped my running.

Chris and I just watched The Making of P90X and it was pretty great. Tony is so funny! And it was neat seeing some of the people from the workout videos in the Making Of, like Wesley and Dreya. The best thing was watching it all come together, from an idea, to a rough draft on paper, to pilot workout groups, to test groups, then to production of the program. It's neat to see behind the scenes, and I highly suggest checking out that Making Of video! Really cool. That's all from me!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Day 51 - Yooooga!

For the first time in 51 days, I held a pose in yoga that I never could before. I have no idea what it's called, but basically you're in a lunge, twisted, with one arm behind your back and the other reaching under your leg with your fingers intertwined. Sounds ridiculous, I know, and it is! It's soooo hard on the quads, by the end of it they're so hot it feels like they're on fire. But I love it.

There are still a lot of moves I can't do. Like the moves that follow warrior three, where they stand on one leg with the other leg extended in the air behind them for about 2 minutes per side. Huge balance and strength requirements for those poses, and I can't do it. But neither can Chris, so I don't feel so bad. ;)

Nothing to report diet-wise - just a standard day! Sorry to be boring! 

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Day 50 - DAY 50!

I'm 55% done P90X!

I know I say this at every "milestone", but I really can't believe it's been that long. I'm going into my second rest week, starting today. Yoga was scheduled, but by the time I got home and we got ready, it was 8:30 and we didn't want to have to spend until 10:00 doing yoga. So we switched it with Intervals, the theory being there's probably a similar calorie burn between the two. Yoga is an hour and a half of relatively calm, isometric flexibility and strength exercises, whereas Intervals is 40 minutes of ballistic cardiovascular exercises. So, in theory, the calorie burn should be similar. If only I had a heart rate monitor, then I'd know for sure. Maybe someday!

Two days ago we did a yoga workout which I blogged about briefly, but was too into posting about breakfast to share my excitement... but I can't contain myself anymore... I HAVE A SIX PACK!!!

I was doing table and Chris walked in the room and was like, "Oh my god, where's your camera?!" So he snapped this picture of me, and there is literally a six pack there. Mind you, standing up and in different light it doesn't look that crazy, but in the bedroom light in table pose, I have friggen' six pack abs!!! And I'm obviously very excited about this!! SO proud! :)


!!!!!!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Day 49 - iPhone!!!

Chris gave me my Christmas present early today - an iPhone!

Needless to say I spent all evening playing with it and now I'm exhausted and ready for bed. Today was a rest day, so not much to post anyway!

Night ya'll.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Day 48 - A tasty breakfast adventure

I took pictures of my breakfast endeavors this morning, as promised. I cooked some chicken and shredded that, and chopped up red, green and yellow peppers, tomatoes and green onions:




I dumped all that in with some egg whites..



..then I threw half of it in a pan..



..and, ta-da! Christopher's breakfast!



His omelet didn't really turn out (because I can't cook omelets..), so I cooked mine more as a scramble. It turned out wonderfully..



And, because I prepared enough chicken and veggies to make four omelets, the remainder went into a salad..



..and we ate it for lunch with leftover pork chops from last night!

A photographic journey through my breakfast. Fun! I should do those more often.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Day 47 - Donut.. D'oh!

I woke up in a fury at 0615 this morning because I was supposed to be at the hospital to shadow an RN for 0630.. Needless to say, my alarm did not go off. I threw on some scrubs, called a cab, ran a brush through my hair, tossed a couple protein bars and two packs of oatmeal in my purse, and ran out the door. (Then I waited 20 minutes for my cab, but that's another story.)

I ate a protein bar while waiting for the cab, which, I guess, could count as breakfast.. but I still had no lunch. So during first break I went to the horribly overpriced cafeteria and got a turkey wrap, a yogurt, and - for the first time in 47 days - a donut. I was feeling so sooky and sour that I was so rushed this morning, I got the donut as a comfort food. I know, I know, "it's one donut, it's no big deal". It wouldn't be a big deal if this whole program didn't mean so much to me. But, I can forgive one donut. And in my defense, at the time, I purposely chose a glazed donut (honey dip) over the cake donut that I really wanted (sour cream glazed), because I know they're lower in fat.

So there.

I got back on track once I got home. We had pork chops and salad for supper, and I had a second protein bar at 1500 when I'm actually supposed to have one. Speaking of breakfast (well, I was), we don't have any chicken bacon, so I don't know what to do about breakfast. I can have oatmeal, I love oatmeal.. but that's two protein servings lost. I guess I could make egg whites.. Ooooh, I just thought of something: an egg-white omelet with chicken, peppers and salsa. YUM! See, this blog is good for something!

I'll be taking pictures of this breakfast. Can't wait!

Oh, and about the workouts: We did Legs & Back, skipping Ab Ripper again to do tomorrow morning. Chris is a maniac and has started doing intervals on weekend mornings, with his regular workouts in the evenings. I might join him tomorrow, but probably not. Let's be honest here. Anyway, for the chin-ups, Chris was reading that it's really effective to do negative chin-ups if you can't do a lot of regular ones. That'd be me. Negative chin-ups are half of a normal pull-up: the down part. You get your hands in place, stand up on a chair, then step off the chair and lower yourself down. And repeat. It really works, but I was a little disappointed because I had mega strain in my upper abs, to the point where I just stopped because they felt like they might get hurt. Chris says it's probably because it's working my body in a new way, and I hope he's right, because that means it'll go away with time. So I'll keep trying these negative chin-ups, and I'll keep ya'll posted!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Day 46 - No workouts here!

Hi everyone. Today was supposed to be Yoga day, but due to time constraints (read: my sisters' surprise birthday party), we couldn't fit it in. So we switched around some days. Today is now a rest day, followed by Legs & Back and Ab Ripper tomorrow, Yoga Sunday and Kenpo Monday.

Since I have nothing else to write about, I'll post a little story I found online a few weeks back, from The Telegraph.

Craz-E Burger: Americans embrace 1,500 calorie doughnut burger
Consisting of a bacon cheeseburger with a buttered, grilled and glazed doughnut standing in for a bun, the Craz-E Burger puts such fatty delights as the deep-fried Mars bar in the shade. Its 1,500 calories of sugar and saturated fat did not stop it from becoming a huge hit at a major fair in Massachusetts. Organisers of the Big E, which finished on Sunday, said visitors bought around 1,000 Craz-E burgers each day of the fair's 17-day run. The fair's website described it as "classic fair food" but noted: "No single ingredient dominates the burger. They all complement each other with artistry expected from a celebrity chef." It added: "The glaze smooths over the burger and oozes into a foreign but delicious combination with the crisp of the bacon." The burger was believed to have been created by a bar owner in Decatur, Georgia, who substituted a doughnuts when he ran out of buns. The restaurant also serves a hamdog, a hotdog wrapped in a beef patty and deep-fried. The Gateway Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team in Illinois, serves the Luther burger at games, piling on further coronary heartache by deep-frying the Krispy Kreme doughnut used as the bun.

Mmm mmm, smell those myocardial infarctions!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Day 45 - HALFWAY DONE!

I can't believe it - I'm halfway done P90X! I know how cliche it sounds, but it seems like yesterday that we started. Well, maybe not yesterday. Maybe more like last week. The diet has become effortless, I look forward to my workouts, and I feel incredibly accomplished at the end of every day. It calms me down when I'm cranky and it clears my head when I'm stressed. So many things have become easy, like sit-ups, push-ups, and balance and flexibility poses in Yoga. It's hard to believe that I used to struggle with some of these moves.

I'm so proud of myself.. A few years ago I never could have committed to such a huge fitness and diet program, and part of the reason I can is Christopher. He's motivating and supportive, even when he's not even trying to be, and he's extremely encouraging. I love having him as a workout partner. I never would have done this well without him.

And, of course, part of the reason is me. I am so determined to finish this program, and especially now that I've come this far, I'd be crazy to stop now. I'm feeling great, and the best part: people are starting to notice how toned my arms are! I'm so happy with my results, it's hard to believe I'm only halfway done. I can't wait to see what these next 45 days bring!


Me! Tonight! Just now!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Day 44 - A Plyo day

So I did end up doing Plyo tonight instead of Cardio! I'm happy about that because Plyo is definitely a harder workout, and I felt really great afterward. You know it's a good one when you're wiping off your face between every single exercise! I pass on the ones where 180-degree spinning is involved, because last time I tried those, I felt nauseous. Chris does them, so I do other random exercises so my heart rate doesn't go down. Seems to work pretty well for me.

We went to see A Christmas Carol in IMAX 3D today. It was really good!! Starting P90X, I thought going to the movies would be difficult because I'm a theatre popcorn addict. We would always get the full meal deal: huge popcorn, huge pop, bag of candy. I can't imagine how much fat and sugar would be in all that. Anyway, starting out I was scared because I thought I would cave and get some popcorn, but we've found ways around that. I pop a bag of low-fat popcorn at home and take two Ziploc baggies of it with me, with a protein bar and a bottle of water. It's perfect, it's just enough snack, and it's not super bad for me! Win win!

Tomorrow marks the HALFWAY POINT - very exciting! Chest, Shoulders & Triceps and Ab Ripper to celebrate! Hooray!!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Day 43 - Turkey day!

We went over to our friend's place for supper tonight, and she cooked an amazing turkey dinner for us. It was so tasty, and there wasn't even any stuffing or gravy to cheat with! We just had turkey, potatoes, squash and salad. No cheating here! I'm sooo sleepy from the turkey, but it was delicious, and we had a fantastic time. :)

I did Core today, and I think Tony should change the name to Shoulders. That workout works my shoulders so hard, it's unreal. The walking pushups, the plank to chatarunga iso, the plank to chatarunga run.. Shoulders, shoulders, shoulders! You'd think by now that I'd be able to tough it out.. Not the case. I can't finish any of those three without stopping for a little break. BUT! I did the whole steam engine exercise - with speed - for the first time, and I realized today that I've been doing the lunge and reach exercise wrong. I changed my footing today, rotating on the balls of my feet and lunging properly, and it gave me a totally different kind of workout. I really felt it working my back and abs! This is exciting because it means it'll be that much more effective.

And I still can't keep my balance very well in boat, but that's coming!

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day, so since we get a day off, we're going to see A Christmas Carol in IMAX 3D. Very excited! And tomorrow is supposed to be cardio, but if time permits, I'll likely change that to Plyo. But we'll have to wait and see!


Can't wait!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Day 42 - Rest day

Today was rest day, and I actually rested, instead of subbing in another workout. So, not much to write about today.

Except Chris made that delicious Italian Meatloaf from the recipe in the nutrition guide... MMMM, it is SO friggen' good. I'm sure I've said this before, but I'm a total sucker for meatloaf. I don't know why. Pastries and meatloaf are my weaknesses. Obviously, Tony doesn't allow pastries.. So I was ecstatic when we found that recipe, in the P90X nutrition guide, no less!

That's all from me today. Tomorrow is Core Syn, so I'm sure I'll have lots to write about then! And just because, a photo of me and my kitty:


Snuggles!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Day 41 - Cheat Day 2 of 3

Today was a great day. First of all it was Sunday, which means no class, and second of all I had no homework, so it was a real day off! I started the day by eating oatmeal instead of my regular scrambled egg whites and chicken bacon, then I did laundry and Chris did the dishes. When we were finished being domestic we spent some time with his family, then came home and started Intervals. After that we got ready for Christopher's late birthday dinner, and walked there only to discover the restaurant was closed... So we changed restaurant plans and had a wonderful meal together. Starting P90X we allowed ourselves three cheat days: Thanksgiving, Chris's birthday and Christmas. So for cheat day 2 of 3, we went all out, with butternut squash tarts, spinach stuffed pork chops, haddock fillet with apple chutney, apple and cranberry crisp, and wine! Mmmm, it was perfect. I surprised Chris with a bonus birthday gift, and a visit to a comedy bar in town. He was very surprised, and we had a great time.

So, speaking of Intervals, they were brutal! In Intervals, you do 20 minutes of workouts, then for the last 20 minutes you do the same routine but backwards. I found that I was more tired for the first set than the second! I felt like I was dying the first time around, but the second time I literally got my second wind and I finished with a bang. Then we did Ab Ripper, which we were supposed to do yesterday. I did all 40 Mason Twists with my feet off the ground - very proud! After watching some videos of some people doing Mason Twists over 200 times, 40 doesn't seem so hard.. but it really really is, and I'm proud that I can do them all.

That's it for now - I had a busy day and I'm exhausted! How was your weekend? :)

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Day 40 - Pomegranates and hip flexors

My flu is almost gone! Hooray!! All that remains is a deep, productive chest cough, which my nurse mother says will stick around for a while. But I can deal with a measley little cough, if it means the rest of my symptoms are gone!

Naturally, I celebrated this victory with some P90X. Chris and I did Legs & Back, and we started Ab Ripper, but we couldn't do it. Well, I'm sure Chris could have, but he gave in to my incessant whining, and we decided to do it tomorrow morning. The leg exercises are mostly lunge-based, which works your hip flexors in a major way. Then, to have to do Ab Ripper is near torture. A lot of the ab moves are in a seated, reclined position with the legs in the air, which translates into major hip flexor work. Mine were just too tired from the leg exercises, they wouldn't stop cramping, and my workout was suffering as a result. So we said "screw it, we'll do it tomorrow morning."

Also, Kenpo is scheduled for tomorrow, so we're going to swap it out for Intervals from P90X+. Intervals is a much better (read: waayyy harder) cardio workout, so I'm pretty stoked since I've been out of the loop for a few days. It feels great to be back.

And, I got three of four of my pomegranates prepped and portioned! Poms aren't in the nutrition guide, so I'm assuming they count as a fruit. One fruit serving is 100 calories, which is roughly 2/3 cup of pomegranate. I'm sure Tony won't mind.. Poms are incredibly good for you, they're full of antioxidants and fibre, and they're freakin' delicious - what's not to love?

  
Pom preparation, and the final result: perfect snack packs!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Day 39 - Yoga with a side of flu symptoms

I never thought I'd see the day that I actually loathed having a week off from everything. I would have killed for this mini-vacation as a kid! I left the house today for the first time since Wednesday (yes, that's only two days) and it felt so great. I am not one to stay indoors and feel sorry for myself, so the second I felt better, I was out the door. It also snowed here for the first time this fall, so we went on a little snow walk / grocery trip, and we rented a movie. It was cold and slushy and raining outside but I didn't care, because I was outside! Yesterday I checked the mail three times, just for the sake of leaving the apartment and walking down the stairs to the mailboxes. Literally going shack-whacky after two days.

I also ate better today. I am back on track with the diet plan, except I didn't have any fruit today. Counterintuitive really, when I'm ultimately trying to get over a virus. Anyway, I feel good about eating well today. I also did Yoga X, which makes me very proud. I was flip-flopping, trying to decide if I felt ready, and when it came time to do it, I figured that my fever and headache were gone, so why not? I did it all, minus the crazy Warrior Three poses.. which, honestly, I can't do well when I'm not sick. So I did the Yoga and I followed the diet guide. Life is good. :)

Tomorrow I have to prepare some pomegranate that I've been putting off preparing. I love pomegranate! I'll definitely have a serving of fruit if there's pomegranate around.


My poms :)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Day 38 - Feeling better, slowly but surely

Today was a good day. Instead of resting like the doctor ordered (literally), I wrote a paper, started a painting and scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom. This is what I'm like now; full of energy that I have to get rid of in one form or another. It definitely wasn't going to be through P90X workouts.. I'm not feeling quite that good. My fever is gone, but my nose has turned into a running faucet and I'm sneezing like crazy. Plus headaches. I literally have a Kleenex burn mustache going on. Needless to say, I'm very attractive right about now.

I tried to eat a little more on-track with the diet, and I did better than yesterday. Cheerios for breakfast, a cup of coffee (I know better, but I love my coffee), two cups of orange juice, a yogurt, tomato soup, and a protein bar. For supper I made breakfast: egg whites, chicken bacon and two baby bagels. Chris went out for birthday dinner with his mom, so I had no one to impress. Also, I love having breakfast for supper. And now I'm drinking tea. Life is good.

Yoga is technically scheduled for tomorrow, and I would love to get back on track with the workouts. Yoga (at least the easy moves) seems like a good one to start back in with, but I'll have to play it by ear and see how I feel.


This is exactly what I've been doing for the last two days.
Except that's not me. I'm not that pretty laying sick in bed.

Day 37 - Still down and out

Missed posting again last night. I was drowsy and nauseated, and it wasn't a good scene. My doctor diagnosed me with influenza, which wasn't surprising. What was surprising was how shocked she was that I would come to her office. I even sanitized my hands and put on a mask when I got there, but she said I should have gone to one of the flu assessment clinics set up around the city. Well, I didn't know.. I figured when you were sick, you went to the doctor. Anyway, she gave me a script for Tamiflu and an order to take a week off school and work. Tamiflu is kind of neat, it blocks an enzyme in the body that the virus needs to live. It doesn't end the symptoms, but it decreases the severity and duration. I don't know if it's H1N1 or seasonal flu, but Chris just called to tell me the paper is reporting no confirmed cases of seasonal flu. They've all been H1N1 so far. So, it's likely swine flu.

My fever has gone down overnight, taking Tamiflu and acetaminophen. My appetite has returned a bit, too. All good signs. Still have the sore throat, coughing, sniffing, sneezing and fatigue.

Yesterday I ate a bagel, a bowl of cereal, a protein bar, a granola bar, a delicious chicken wrap that Chris made for me, and 5 glasses of orange juice. For some reason, when I'm sick, I just can't drink water. I have to drink something flavoured. I know it's loaded with sugar and all I ate were carbs but really, right now I'm just focusing on getting better. And, sadly, I don't foresee any P90X in my immediate future. I'll try to post tonight. No promises!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Day 36 - Virus-laden

I didn't post last night either. And I can't blame it on the internet.

But, I'm sick. When I posted yesterday morning all I had was a tickle in my throat, and last night it had progressed to full blown cough, headache and fever. I felt antsy, laying on the couch all night, so Chris suggested I attempt some X Stretch. It helped with my restlessness and it felt really good, but I won't be doing it again today. I'm too sick today. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I'm hoping she'll know what I have, if it's a cold, flu or strep. I don't think it's a cold because of the nonproductive cough and the fever, but we'll see.

I've also switched my diet, and am more focused on eating things I can get down. So far today that's consisted of two glasses of orange juice and a bagel.

And, today is Christopher's birthday. Worst timing ever. :(

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Day 35 - Internet FAIL 2.0

My internet was down again yesterday, hence the lack of posting last night. I called them and they're going to come fix it on Saturday. I'm posting from school right now, but hopefully it's back on for tonight's post.

Yesterday was supposed to be rest/stretch day, but I did NOT feel like sitting around. (Plus, a friend of mine gave me a Lululemon workout top, which motivated me as soon as I put it on!) I did Plyometrics, and it felt great. I skip a few parts, based on last time I did it. I skip the twisting exercises where I'm supposed to spin 180 degrees, back and forth, because it makes me crazy dizzy. And I skip the "bonus" sports exercises, except for the jumpshot since it really gets my heart going. All in all it was a great workout!

Our slow-cooker chicken turned out really well, and we had it with stir-fried vegetables with it. It was very tasty! No idea what's for supper tonight. But it's Core Synergistics for my workout, and I can't wait! I'm in the middle of a crazy period at school so I loving having P90X as an outlet. It decreases my stress level, clears my mind and calms me down. I love it!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Day 34 - Making up for lost time

Today is Sunday, which means I wasn't in school. It's also Daylight Savings today, which means we gained an hour in the day. I woke up at 7:30, kind of by accident thinking it was 8:30, but stayed up and did two loads of laundry, dishes and the Intervals workout before noon (more on that later). Then I went to the mall with Chris, had a chicken hummus wrap for lunch, got groceries, came home, had slow-cooker pork chops, then did Kenpo X followed by Ab Ripper. I'd call that a productive day!

Today I kind of made my own workout schedule. As I was saying yesterday, Chris got P90X+. He did the Intervals workout yesterday and loved them, so we did them together this morning. I loved it! Well, I loved it when it was over and I felt awesome.. Getting through the actual workout was pretty brutal. It's based on interval training, and you do 10 seconds of low-intensity, then 10 seconds of medium-intensity, and finally, 10 seconds of high-intensity. This kind of pattern carries on through the whole workout for every exercise. The first 10 seconds of every exercise were my saving grace from the exercise prior. Intervals is definitely a fantastic cardio workout and I'll be doing it again soon!

We were actually scheduled for Kenpo tonight, and I was thinking about switching that up, but we decided to stick with it. We skipped through the blocks, but we did everything else. And when that was over, I stuck the Ab Ripper disc in and did the entirety of that. So, in total, I guess I did about 2 hours of exercise today! I felt like I had to make up for the last two days, since I was feeling so rotten about missing my workouts. I felt incredible after Intervals, and tired but accomplished after Kenpo and Ab Ripper.

I got my flu shots two days ago (and you should, too!) and the H1N1 vaccine made my arm really tender, like someone punched me in the arm. Because of this, all of my left-handed punches in Kenpo were a little sloppy.   I'm surprised at how much it aches. I still can't sleep on it. But it was worth it!

Chris had slow-cooker pork chops cooking all day, and they turned out to be delicious. He says it was more of an experiment than anything, throwing potatoes, garlic, diced tomatoes, ketchup, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth in with the pork chops. I'm telling you, slow-cooked is the best way to eat pork chops. They were so tender we didn't even use knives to eat them; they fell right apart. Right after supper we prepped a small chicken by stuffing it with limes and onions (there wasn't much to choose from for stuffing ingredients), soaking him with white wine and chicken broth, and seasoning him with garlic powder, dehydrated onion and oregano. He'll spend all day being cooked and will provide a delicious supper for us tomorrow. We are absolutely obsessed with our slow cooker, can you tell?

I'm heading to bed. Here is a quick photo of me from the Ab Ripper workout - check out them abs! :)


They're coming along nicely!