Friday, July 30, 2010

Yoga X...not exactly what I was expecting!

Alright...so, my impression of Yoga was different that what Tony gave me. I guess, in the back of my mind, I thought that Yoga would be about stretching and relaxation. Since I'm actually a pretty flexible man, I didn't think that Yoga X would be too terribly difficult...BIG MISTAKE! I was partially right. Tony had us bend into very uncomfortable positions and hold them. Of course, while we are holding these positions, we are to be relaxed, have perfect form, and breath in a very controlled manner. Yeah, Right!! I have a new found respect for those that do Yoga regularly. The workout was a 90 minute workout...as I was expecting a shorter workout and my duties as a father took over, I only got in about an hour. I'll get through the whole thing next time, I promise!!

Protein Bars are next on my list of things to cover...

I don't have a ton to say about protein bars at this point, but I know they are expensive...no matter where you get them. I've perused several blogs and sites and it seems that you need to keep into account the amount of carbohydrates (sugar mainly) in the bar. Clif bars are pretty good as well as the Atkins Advantage bars. I've had the Atkins bars before...when I tried to lose weight that way!! The bars taste great...the diet didn't go so well. However, for the penny-pinching bigboyP90Xer, I opted for this recipe which seems to not only satisfy my tummy, but also the requirements of a decent protein bar. I got this recipe from AllRecipes.com. I'm not sure where the recipe came from originally, but I like knowing exactly what ingredients went into my bar as well as having all of them at my fingertips.

Here it is:

MagicPunt's MRB (Meal Replacement Bar):

3 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I use Kirkland's organic peanut butter from Costco)

1 cup skim milk

4 scoops Protein Powder (I bought 100% Whey from the makers of Muscle Milk from Costco also...6 pound bag for about $28.00...best price I could find)

dash of cinnamon

1. Mix ingredients with a large spoon or knife until a sticky batter is formed
2. Use a spoon to spread the mixture in the bottom of a pam-sprayed glass or metal cooking tray evenly.
3. Top with 4-8 packs of Splenda (I've heard some not-so-good things about Splenda, so I used Stevia, which is 100% from a plant that you could grow in your garden).
4. Put it in the refridgerator overnight and cut into 8 equal bars (I used an 8"x8" pan and cut it into triangles...different shape from the store bought bars and geometrically easier to get even portion sizes...for me, at least!) that will yield:

11g fat (good monosaturated fats)
26g carbohydrates
21g protein
285 calories

They have a great taste and were "dirt cheap" to make.

Oh, and one more "tip of the day" as Tony would suggest: Recovery drinks are a good thing to drink within an hour after a workout. Beachbody.com recommends that you purchase their recovery drink, but what I've heard from several sources is that a glass of 1% chocolate milk is also a tremendous way to help your body recover. I've been doing that. Just for the sake of variety, I also bought some Gatorade G3 Recovery Drink. Tastes pretty good for about $1.70 a bottle (16 oz).

These tips are not what I would consider "expert advice", but I thought I'd include them so you can "chew on them" a bit and maybe do a bit of experimentation of your own.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday...busy day and night...tomorrow is the Kenpo workout so I'm sure I'll be in pain, but excited to report to you! Later!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Supplements, Arms and Shoulders...oh my!!

Well, today was day 3 of the program. The workout was kinda fun. Since I have chosen to use the bands instead of weights, there was a learning curve for me. I had to consider band color, how to secure the band, and how much band I should coil up to increase resistance. For the most part, I think I used too little weight. There were a few exceptions, but I probably could have gone with more resistance. Tony is very clear in describing what you want to get out of the workout. If you are going for bulk, then you want to do less repetitions and more resistance. If you are going for strong and lean without a lot of bulk, more repetitions and less bulk. 8-10 reps max for bulk and 12-15 reps max for lean. I also didn't feel like I just got my butt kicked after the workout, so I clearly should have pushed harder. Still...I managed to get a good workout.

Now...off to the discussion about supplements. Tony suggests that you use a multivitamin regimen to help your body reach it's peak performance level and to provide it with nutrients that are not easily consumed through your daily diet. Since I intended to try and do this program as he suggests, I knew that I would have to do the supplements. When I priced them on their website, I found that they cost approximately $50.00 per month. I REALLY couldn't justify spending that amount of money on me when there are 5 others in my household. I set off on a quest to find comparable, yet cheaper, supplements.

As I read blogs, sites, comments on the web, many people agreed that there was a much cheaper way. I was first drawn to the GNC website where I could purchase the Mega Men Sport Vitapak. That saved me a cool $15.00 already, but I still felt I could do better. I ended up at the Vitamin Shoppe Website where I discovered the Ultimate Man Daily Pack. Included in this 10-pills per day pack are:

1. Multivitamin and minerals
2. Calcium
3. Amino Acid Complex
4. Active-C
5. Herbal and Whole Food Nutrients
6. Lecithin
7. Zinc
8. Chlorella
9. Eleuthero
10. Vitamin E

Truthfully, I am no expert, but as compared to the other two vitamin packs, the supplements were very similar. The cost...$24.99 for a month supply. Now...my wife is a major league coupon person, so I thought...what the heck...let's see if there is a coupon code...AND THERE WAS!! I used a $15.00 off of $75.00 order coupon code which brought my total cost down to $19.99 per month of supplements. So...I have 3 months of supplements for $60.00 when I might have paid $50.00 for 1 month. Not sure what, if any, differences there are, but I saved $90.00!!

Summary:
$49.90 (Includes Shipping) P90X Peak Health Formula Supplements from www.beachbody.com
$34.99 Mega Men Sport Vitapak from www.gnc.com
$19.99 ($5.00 coupon included) Ultimate Man Daily Pack from www.vitaminshoppe.com

Tomorrow, I am doing the Yoga X workout. Not sure what to expect from that so, stay tuned!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Muscles I didn't even know I had?!?!?

Ok...for those of you that are actually reading these blogs, I must apologize! I dropped quite early last night so I didn't get to talk about Day 1 (Chest and Back). Oh, and I must not forget to mention Ab Ripper X!! What a delightful cherry on top of the P90X sundae!! So, I'll take a few seconds to discuss both days.

P90X (Chest and Back) Workout #1: Tony's video was quite intimidating. He had 3 assistants doing the workout along with him which he clearly has a good relationship with. He demonstrated the exercises as they should be done as well as with variations to help the "less fit" get through it. I decided to use resistance bands instead of the chin-up bar. I'm glad I did, because the entire video went back and forth between variations of push-ups and then chin-ups. After we completed all 12 exercises, Tony informed us that we would do them all again, but try to "Bring It" and work harder...I did my best and tried hard, but MAN WAS THAT TOUGH!! Then...after that was done, the program called for us to do the Ab Ripper X. 16 minutes...that's all that it is...16 minutes. Well, let me tell you that for the entire 16 minutes, you are working your abs...there was no break...at the end, Tony congratulated us for doing 349 reps on our abs. Needless to say, I DID NOT complete all 349 reps...I guess this is where I feel good about trying hard, but know just how far I actually need to go!!

Today was Workout #2(Plyometrics). According to Tony, this is the mother of all workouts. It is also referred to as "Jump Training". So, for 56 minutes, you jump on your toes in all different sorts of exercises. This is intended to be a cardiovascular workout, but it totally destroyed my legs in the process. I have to say, that it felt good when I was done...I really felt like I accomplished something.

Ok...enough for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take some time to discuss the use of supplements, recovery drinks, protein bars (which I have a recipe for), the nutritional plan and the other "hidden costs" that I wasn't aware of when purchasing the program. More to come...

Monday, July 26, 2010

Fit Test and Day 1

Well...with the demands of being a father, I started my Fit Test at 1:15 AM. Probably not the best time to test your physical ability. The test is a series of small exercises that you do until you fail (when your muscles give out) and cannot do any more. Tony provides minimum standards for each exercise and if you are unable to meet the minimum requirements, then you should do another exercise program before attempting P90X. I finally finished around 2:0o AM, took my shower (which I desperately needed), and went to bed....happily reflecting on the fact that I passed the test and saddened at how out of shape I've let myself become...oh well...this is the worst level of fitness that I will be in for the rest of my active life, right?!?

I plan to go through the "day 1" routine today during the kids' nap/quiet time. I figure it'll be about a 75 minute workout...is it bad to be looking forward to the recovery drink (apparently it is a beverage with a carb/protein ratio of 4-1)?!?

Speaking of food, I made the protein shake from the recipe that Tony's nutritionist provides...not bad! I was concerned that a shake wouldn't fill me up for breakfast and it did...hours later, I am still feeling pretty satisfied...

...ok...I'm back and it's 2 days later!! Let's just say that my lofty goals of doing P90X Workout #1 (Chest and Back) and then blogging in the evening was exactly that...lofty! It was a truly bad, selfish daddy moment for me. I hit the couch after the 4 kids were all asleep...3 hours later, my wife said to just go to sleep...I slept all night long and didn't wake up until somewhere around 7:15 AM! Tony said that we'd need to get sleep...he wasn't kidding! Thanks Bekah (my wife) for not kicking me when I was sound asleep on the couch!!

Oh the Wells Fargo Wagon is a comin'...

I felt like the "Wells Fargo Wagon" came this weekend!! On Friday, the Chin-Up Bar and resistance bands came and yesterday, the P90X workout DVDs came...I felt like a little boy on his birthday!! I couldn't wait to get started. When I had an opportunity to focus on the "How To Bring It" DVD, I popped it in the player and sat anxiously awaiting the pearls of wisdom and inspiration that this "iconic fitness guru" would have for me. He gave a quick overview of the programs that came with the DVD set. Apparently, there are three: Classic, Doubles, and Lean. Classic is what I intend to complete (as do most of his clients). The Doubles program is basically the same as the Classic program except there are more opportunities to work in extra cardiovascular workouts. This program is designed to get serious athletes in "tip top shape". The last one is Lean. Lean is for the person that isn't interested in bulk, but rather getting more ripped. More repetitions-less weight is the motto here. Then, I was so excited because Tony invited me to call him if I decided to do all 3!!! Then he mentioned something about climbing Mount Everest or something like that...Since I figure I have at least that many times through the program, I may take him up on his offer!!!

After I got past the initial joy of knowing that Tony Horton really cares for me and wants me to succeed, he hits you with it...vitamin supplements, extra equipment, recovery drinks, protein drinks, and protein bars. Initially, I thought that by ordering the DVDs, resistance bands, and chin-up bar, I had all that I needed...oops...what was I thinking?!? I guess Tony needs to make a buck like anyone else....don't get me wrong, I understand the need for the extra things, but when I spent some time researching these things, there are much less expensive options that will do the same thing. I did some shopping to buy things that I figured would be pretty important to my success...I'll outline these in a later blog with information regarding where I purchased them and the prices I paid.

Here's my plan...in case you didn't catch it earlier:

1. I intend to stick with the workouts exactly as outlined.
2. I will follow the nutritional recommendations that the P90X program suggests. In fact, my wife is willing to do the recipes for the entire family. She's awesome!!
3. I will take vitamin supplements, eat protein bars, drink recovery drinks, and drink Whey Protein.
4. I will take pictures of me every 10 days. I'm not expecting to see too many results initially, but I think 10 day intervals will be helpful. I'll also keep track of my weight every 10 days.
5. When I post pictures, I will wear the same shorts, placed in the same place on my waist. I will not tan, shave (my body), or enhance the pictures in any way.
6. I will give my honest opinion of the "P90X recipes" we try out...
7. I hope to post daily, but truthfully, I don't know if I'll have that much interesting material to sustain daily posts...

As I said before, I will discuss the different ways that I am adhering to the P90X program while not breaking my bank over the next several posts...with 4 kids, I need all the money I can save!!! As I type this blog, I am preparing the do the Fit Test tonight and start the program tomorrow...with a 2 week old daughter, I don't know how consistent I'll be in terms of the time of day that I work out, but it will get done daily.

So...for the humiliating part of this blog. I'm posting 4 pictures of myself. Initially, there were 6, but I think these 4 really catch the essence of what I look like. Assuming that I "Bring It...", this is theoretically, the worst I'll ever look...

I'll call it quits for tonight...more tomorrow. I'll talk about the Fit Test and the 1st day of working out...should be a "page turner"....see you then!!





Saturday, July 17, 2010

Inny or Outy

So...I find that when I give my kids their baths we have our most "in depth" conversations. A few days ago, we were discussing the idea of belly buttons...I think this conversation was inspired by a Veggie Tales song....the rap goes something like this "Belly Button y'all, uh uh, belly button y'all, uh, uh....and so on and so forth... (pretty catchy, actually!)

...Well, we started talking about why some people had "inny" belly buttons and others had "outy" belly buttons. The kids then compared belly buttons...I knew the inevitable was coming. Daddy...do you have an inny or an outy? I told them that I had a "way-inny" which, of course, they wanted to see. They've seen my belly and belly button a thousand times, but today was an epiphany, of sorts, for them. So...I showed them. My daughter proceeded to stick her entire index finger into my belly button. Yeah...pretty gross...sorry about that! I should have applied a rating to this posting. Someday, she'll regret knowing she did that!! This got me thinking...I really don't know what kind of belly button I have because I can't remember a time when I was small enough to know that answer. Perhaps P90X will help me find an answer to that very question!!

Sorry about the potential "gross factor" there...it just came to me so I figured I'd share!

I ordered the DVD's and the equipment yesterday...shipping should be fast...I think I got a great deal on Ebay. Ebay...hmmm....that is the subject for an entire blog, but maybe I'll post something about what I think on that issue at a later time...

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Green as green can be...

Hello! If you are reading this, then before you keep reading or doing whatever blog followers do, I should probably tell you a bit about me, my reason for blogging, and (I suppose) my goals. Firstly, Bob is my name. I'm a 41 year old man with a wife and 4 children. My oldest 2 are twins and they are 6 years old. #3 is almost 2 years old and as of today, 7/14/10, #4 is about 3 days old. It makes total sense to add a family member to the mix and THEN start blogging, but it is all part of my plan and I am the kind of guy that NEEDS a plan!!

I entitled this particular blog post "Green as green can be..." because all of the focal points in this blog represent newness in some capacity. I have never blogged before and truthfully, never really spent any time reading blogs. I suspect through this process I will do more blog reading. I've also never been the type of man to keep a journal, diary, or anything like that so I don't really know what types of things I should or should not include. I am always open to feedback.

2nd, I am new to the "parent of 4 children" thing. As I mentioned earlier, my 3rd child is almost 2 years old, and my oldest are 6 year old twins...so I'm not incredibly new to parenting....HOWEVER...I've learned in the last 3 days that being a parent of 4 is a WHOLE NEW THING!! My wife and I are routine oriented people and we still don't have one that works for the 6 of us. It'll come, but until then, we are literally "flying by the seat of our pants" on a regular basis. While this is not the purpose for this blog, I imagine that I'll refer back to my parenting experiences as well...if for no other reason than comical interludes!!

Now...to the real reason for diving into the world of blogging. I am a large man and I want to be much smaller. Reasons for this are: I'll feel better, be healthier, look better, live longer, and be stronger. NONE of these reasons top my list. The MAIN reason why I want to lose weight is that I feel a good parent leads by example. I want my children to live a happy, healthy lifestyle. I feel that their best chances of that are to see a healthy-living father. Since the oldest 2 are only 6, this is a good time to start to instill some life-long habits of exercising and eating right. My wife is VERY GOOD at making sure they eat well, so that's covered...the poor attitude towards exercise is my issue to deal with. I want to lose weight the healthy way and do something that will help me stay motivated. I've looked at a lot of different programs and have decided to purchase the P90X exercise program. I'm told that to get in shape, it's the best thing that is out there. I've watched the infomercial a ton of times and read some reviews on line. I've found that there are no negatives to the program, but there are 3 things to consider:

1. You have to commit to the entire program, which includes the "hour a day, 7 days a week" time investment and the dietary suggestions.
2. It's best to have a room dedicated to working out with the video.
3. You have to purchase resistance bands and/or a pull-up bar.

I have absolutely no issue with #2 and #3. #1 is where my pitfall could possibly occur. As I type this blog, I remind myself that positive thinking yields positive results...blah, blah, blah. That helps for sure, but with 4 kids and a LONG way to go, I have to push past how I feel physically (and mentally) and make myself do it everyday. I tend to be an all-or-nothing person. If I know I have to do it everyday, I'll succeed easier than only having to do it 3 days a week. Seems goofy, but if I get up in the morning to do the workout and I know that I can put it off until tomorrow...I may do that...especially if I have even an ounce of pain in my body!! "You'll be better off if you wait a day until the pain goes away, then you'll be ready to work hard...hold off until tomorrow" will be what the voice in my head will suggest....bad voice!!

Square 1: As I mentioned earlier, I am a 41 year old man. Over the last several years, my weight has fluctuated anywhere between 240 and 295 pounds. I am 6 feet tall and am told that I wear my weight well...whatever that means. I guess it means that I'm fat all over instead of just my gut. Admittedly, I am "thick" all over and will post a picture of myself (when I figure out how to do it) so you can see what square 1 looks like. Right now, I'm weighing in at 293 pounds. My pant size is 44, edging on 46 and my usual shirt size is XXL. I'm a real man with a real weight problem, combined with the fact that I also love to eat and have long-term motivation issues. When we eat pizza, I will eat 1/2 of the XL pizza. I can easily snarf down a foot-long sub with side dishes included. I enjoy a good beer. Trying different types of beer is a hobby of mine. Not really into the hard alcohol or wine thing...just an occasional good beer. I merely state these things to indicate that I am not a "staged" mildly out of shape man trying to do this program. The P90X claims that it'll get you ripped in 90 days. Well...if that happens to me, while doing everything right, a miracle will have occurred!! I'm expecting to have to do the program 2 or 3 times and then, perhaps, I can see my first six pack in the mirror. My buddy told me once that he has a six-pack, but keeps it in a cooler (his belly fat). I've adopted that policy for quite a while, but it's time to let the finely aged six-pack out...if I can do it in 9 months, well then, amen brother!!

Not sure how this all works, but I will order the P90X this week. When I get it, I intend to post every day describing some of the things I did, how I felt about it, and noting changes in my body. I'm expecting to feel tired, fatigued, and generally crappy at the beginning. By making myself post everyday, that should help with the motivation to keep doing it. We'll see...should be a fun ride if you can hang on long enough.

Now, to the issue of blogging. I am not an expert at the English Language. I am a music teacher. My writing may not be the best, but it will definitely be genuine. I am always open to feedback, encouragement, and constructive criticism about anything...diet, exercise, typing, blogging, etc. I hope that people read my blog and post comments...that'll be a lot of fun for me. If you know of other blogs that are similar, please refer them to me so I can see what REAL bloggers write about.

I guess, for now, that's about it. I have a bunch more to say and I'm sure more will come to me as I post each day.