I've debated in my head about whether to make this post or not. I have issues with posting about exercising, etc. I don't really know how to explain it, other than to say that I feel good about myself when I workout, and so if I post about it, I feel like I'm bragging or something, so I prefer to keep it to myself. It is weird, but my head doesn't always make sense.
So I may need to give a little backstory to bring you up to speed. Since shortly after Avery was born (she's almost 6), I've tried various methods of getting rid of the extra pounds. We got a treadmill about a month after she was born and I've worked that thing to the ground (it is approaching the end of its life rapidly). But I kept eating the same way I had been (not much stayed down the entire time I was pregnant with both girls, so it was nice to be able to eat again after they were born) and so I really didn't see a huge decrease in my weight. I couldn't seem to get back down to my pre-baby weight.
So I started using www.thedailyplate.com occasionally to get nutritional information about the food I was eating so I could make better choices. I tried keeping a food journal and tracking what I ate but this was incredibly time-consuming. In January, I started using thedailyplate on a daily basis to track my calories and my workouts...I'm a detail-oriented person and this tool really aided me in my anal neuroses. It was a really quick and accurate way to keep track of everything in regards to my health...weight, body measurements, what I ate, my workouts, the whole nine yards.
I also started changing up my workouts. I had been doing a lot of running and some of Gunnar Peterson's core secrets videos, but wasn't looking much different. So I decided to start getting back into resistance training and trying some other things. Seth and I used to hit the weights often before we got pregnant with Sadie, but I hadn't done heavy weights since then.
The first program I did was the Total Body Makeover by Bob Greene. I really started paying more attention to what I was eating, stepped up running BIGTIME, and did weights daily. This was a twelve-week program and by the end, I was feeling better and had dropped some weight.
I had the realization that with fitness, like most other things in my life, I am a goal-oriented person. I work better, harder and I'm more motivated when I have a specific goal to reach. In this case, completing a program. For me, it wasn't really as much about losing a specific amount of weight (though I do have a specific amount that I want to lose) but more about being in the best shape that I can be in, and I know I'm working towards that goal when I'm working a specific program. Having a specific program is key for my motivation.
So after that realization, I knew that when Total Body Makeover was over, I needed something else. So up next was Making the Cut by Jillian Michaels. This was a 30 day program (I did it once then repeated it) and included high-intensity sprints, resistance training, and lots of plyometrics (I also did 30Day Shred).
Around this time, I also started doing a lot more research on
nutrition, metabolism, organics, etc. This really made a huge impact on
the foods I eat and feed my family. It's a process, and I haven't
changed everything, but we've made huge strides and I continue to make
changes to our eating habits. I am definitely not 100% clean, but I'm trying to inch my way closer.
I've also bumped up my water consumption to 80-100oz per day and put myself on a schedule so that I could maintain that amount daily. (Which is why I'm running to the bathroom every few minutes....Seth has asked me on more than one occasion if I'm sure that I'm okay).
After Making the Cut, I was mixing things up, doing a large variety of workouts, and simultaneously trying to convince Seth to let me buy P90X.
I was finally able to convince him, and today is day 7 of P90X for me. I'm loving it. It is definitely intense....if you've heard anything about P90X, that is probably the word you've heard, intense. Very true. It would have had me in the fetal position if I'd done it a year ago. (If you haven't seen anything about P90X, basically there are 13 dvd's and you have a schedule...you do at least one a day).
I have a couple of faraway friends who are doing P90X right now (whoowhoo R&M!!), but I've tried to convince some nearby friends to do it with me. My pleading hasn't taken effect yet, but I'm hoping someone will be convinced (you know you want to!).
So, the reason for the post. Because this program is so intense, I need some accountability. So now that I've shared that I'm doing it, hopefully you'll ask me how it is going and I'll be more inclined to bring my best to my workout every day.