Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Day 17/97

Blew my back out on Monday doing Chest and Back.
I wasn't doing anything in particular that was wrong - just hanging down like I do every time they tell me to do it and let my back stretch... and it kicked me right in the ass. I stood up, felt a muscle go, and my right leg collapsed down. It hurt like you wouldn't believe.

I couldnt' walk Monday... took the day off from work. Took Tuesday off as well. My boss told me I needed to come in to work today, so I made it in today and sat in pain the whole day. Ibuprofen and some anti-inflammatories that my Doc gave me awhile back are barely touching this, but I feel it getting better.

My brother is a Chiro, and he fixed me up on tues. I'm still pretty derailed though, and have an appointment with my regular Doc tomorrow (Thurs). So far I owe tony 1 plyo, and 1 arms and shoulders unless I can workout tonight. I am adding a week to my P90 to make sure I complete everything I need to.

This sucks.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Day 12/90

272.1 lbs

Well, here is one of those unexplained weight spike days. They tend to come when you're feeling REALLY good... like you've got your A game to deliver. I woke up this morning and scratched my chest - only to find that there was a bit less flab there to scratch. It was noticeable. I felt great and jumped out of bed to get a weigh in and start my Legs and Back workout.

I hit the scale. Up 3 lbs in a day? What the hell is the deal? I think after years of weighing myself that I understand how much salt, workouts, dehydration, and alcohol all play a role. Any rich, salty foods (My dear mother in law's eggplant and stuffed peppers last night?) will retain water on me. I can tell by the way my wedding band fits. Any alcohol consumption (bottle of beer last night?) also contributes to this.

I didn't let it get me down, I just need to make sure I hyper hydrate myself today.

The leg and back workout was "glorious" to quote my boy Tony. I did NOT want to do it this morning, but I got going and by the time the warmup and stretch was done, I was ready to go.

I worked hard on this, and felt that my legs were less shaky, and I was able to do more. I wish I had a better option for the pullups. I don't have bands big enough to challenge me, yet I'm several pounds away from being able to haul my ass up in the air. I should almost rear my head back in the gym to do assisted pullups just to get them done on these days.

The workout was good. Wall squats sucked - as always... but I got it done.

Protein shake with banana for breakfast, and I was satisfied and off to work.

Tomorrow is Kenpo and then 2 weeks DONE!

Day 11/90

268.2lbs

Yoga day.
The sea was angry that day my friends...

I just had a flat out SHIT day. It was crazy... I was running all over the place, working my face off, and trying to keep on top of everything. NOT doing the Yoga workout in the AM failed me, because I needed to put the effort in and I NEEDED the relaxation that came along with it. I did not get that, and I felt that.

I think the placement of the Yoga day is dead on perfect. Its in the middle of the week, and after the pounding your body has been taking, is a nice mid-week recouperation. I work VERY hard to do the poses as best as I can, but I have more area for improvement in THIS exercise session than in any other. It just means I have to work harder at it.

I had to work all day, then come home and get it in so I did NOT do the balance postures. Shame on me, because I need those too - but 1.5 hours in my life is crazy. I Know how important it all is, but i just didnt' have the extra 45 min. to spare and get everything done.

With that said, I was very PROUD of my Yoga performance, though I doubt any good practitioner would agree with that. I ate well during the day, but enjoyed dinner at my mother in law's a bit too much. :(

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Day 10/90

Ok. I missed a day on the blog. It was a crazy day - Primary Day around here -and I was running like Mad. I noticed, however, that when I didn't blog and track my food I didn't have a good grasp on what I ate or was eating throughout the day. I was unfocused, and not on board. I couldn't' tell you if I ate well or not yesterday. I THINK I did, but this just reinforces the need to blog, log, and track everything you can. I caught myself just now as I was typing this, and realized how easy it is to slip into the old ways...

Yesterday was Plyo. HOLY Plyo. But I DID finish it. I was a bit lagged at the end, but in no way, shape or form am I going to give up that workout and move to the easier one. I need to be committed and work hard on these workouts to grow and strengthen myself properly.

Today's workout is Arms and Shoulders. It's one of my favorites, and I'm waiting until Julie gets home from work to get it done tonight.

I am feeling run down again today, but I think I have a bad reaction to caffeine.

Ready for workout Later..

Monday, September 8, 2008

Day 8/90

271.4 lbs.

Monday... Got to repeat my chest and back again today. I love that workout. Nice shoes man. Not as nice as mine though...

Got through this workout like a champ. It energized me for a whole day and I felt great! I had a great post workout shake of whey, banana, and blueberries. It was a stressful day at work but I managed to hold it together pretty well.

I ate a ton of PORK the past few days. The other white meat is no stranger to me. I had a pork sandwich for lunch, one for dinner, and then some pulled pork *No bun at a meeting I was at.

I belong to a beer club. It meets one Monday a month... We met tonight. I was very much enjoying my beer tasting but I kept it straight up and was very much in control and not overeating/drinking. Always room for improvement but I am proud of myself and did a great job!

Plyo tomorrow. UGHH!!!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Day 7/90 - Week 1 Complete

Weight: 272

Measurements:

9/1/2008 9/7/2008

Neck 19.00 18.25
Chest 51.00 48.00
Arms 18.00 16.50
Waist 47.50 47.50
Leg 27.00 25.75

Well, week one is complete. I elected to take the day off from workouts and let my body reset itself. I felt pretty wasted at the end of last week, and feel quite recovered right now.

It was definitely a challenge. I can see these workouts getting easier and harder at the same time as I push myself more. This is a tough gig without a doubt, but I am on-board with it.

I had some bumps this week, but for the most part, I'm down almost 5 lbs of weight, and most of my measurements have taken a dive already. My waist measurement is always weird on me because I'm easily bloated depending on what sort of food I eat, so it changes pretty easily. Everything else went down, which I'm very happy with.

Areas where I feel I excelled - Workouts. I got all 6 of them done. I didn't allow myself any excuses and I brought it every time. When I couldn't do it in the morning, I did it in the evening. Julie and I worked really hard together and did 1/2 of our week's workouts in tandem. It was great having a partner for these.

Areas that need improvement - Food. I am aware of everything I'm eating... which is a step in the right direction,.... but I need to improve the quality and cut out the garbage. I'm tracking what I put in, and my numbers aren't right where I like them. I need to cut out the damn beer too! Too many occasions, parties, etc. No excuse Tom - you can do it!

Bring it on Tony. Week 2.

Day 6/90

272 lbs.

I need to log this one a bit late. We had a great Kenpo workout in the morning and then took it easy for most of the day. We were celebrating our Wedding Anniversary and had a nice meal planned, so we had out workout, ate smart during the day and relaxed, and then headed out to our favorite restaurant - Hutch's - in Buffalo.

I think we both ate as sensibly as we could without going overboard or disappointing ourselves. Our appetizer that we shared was eggplant napoleon - basically eggplant, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and prosciutto with vinegar and oil and basil. We shared a beet salad, and then had our entrees. Julie had the grilled tuna which is always perfect and amazing there. I was in the mood for beef and wanted something lean. Normally i'd get a ribeye, but these things are walking heartattacks and bring about 2000 calories with them. I opted for the sirloin (which turned out fantastic when ordered rare) and portabello mushroom.

I had a beer with dinner, and julie had a mixed drink. Then we decided to go out on the town a bit and hit a couple of our favorite bars, etc. We did so, had a couple of drinks and were on our way home - exhausted - by 9:30 Pm on a Saturday night. This program is kicking our asses. We had a couple drinks and decided that was plenty, and we should go home. We were both sleeping by 10:30 and slept a good solid 8 hours each.

It was a great anniversary and we behaved within reason on program.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Day 5/90

272 Lbs.

OK, first off - I have finally proven that regardless of what I eat, drinking any alcohol immediately makes me retain water. I worked out and ate on plan yesterday - the only thing different was I had some beers. My weight went up this morning. It went up yesterday morning too after I had a drink the night before. This is what I "suspected" but was never sure of. Even more reason to not have beers (though I do find them delicious) when I'm training. It's not an alcohol thing - I have just really come to enjoy a fine beer. Damn.

Anyway... I was wasted tired again this morning. Felt like shit and just about got out of bed. I met a good friend for breakfast and ate well - eggbeater omelette with ham and cheese, no homefries, no bread, and a side of oatmeal. What pisses me off is these cooks make eggbeater omelettes in OIL. If someone is ordering eggbeaters instead of regular eggs, wouldn't you use Pam or something? I was pissed. I ate it anyway and accounted for the extra grease.

Lunch was good - I had some of the leftover pork roast and it did the job.

When I got home from work, I ate my yogurt/protein combo as I had to work out at night once Julie got home. We got our workout going at about 7:3o PM - Legs and Back. Now, I've always had really strong, sculpted legs, but I always avoided working them out because I've been in the situation of not being able to walk after I work them out due to soreness. Tony has been good to me so far though, so I went for it. My quads are throbbing, but I could do 90% of the workout without really blowing it. I needed help with stability now and then, but I was on it for the most part. Julie hammered this one home, then did Abripper X - the psycho that she is - while I made our dinner of grilled salmon and whole wheat pasta.

It's about 10 PM and I'm tired as hell again - but it's a GOOD tired. I hit most of my marks on my nutrition. Fat was a bit high, but the protein was up there and I kept the carbs low.

I need to avoid my beers. There will be times when its appropriate, but seeing the result of alcohol reflected in my weigh-ins is really painful to me.

I am feeling good, and I'm feeling solid. Wasted tired, sore as hell, but ultimately I know that this is what I need to do for myself and my family.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Day 4/90

270.1 lbs

I had to get some extra food in at the end of yesterday. Intake was too low so I hit some protein powder and yogurt. It boosted me to where I needed to be, but I also weighed in heavier the next day. Go figure.

It was my wedding anniversary yesterday. We had a nice meal together when Julie got home (7:30 PM) of Turkey Sausage, WW Pasta, and homemade sauce. Before we ate however, we busted out Arms and Shoulders. I'm an old pro with this one - its tougher with weights than bands though, so it really hit me hard. We ate and Julie was sleeping by 9:30 PM. I was sleeping by 10, and was up at 6:30. I haven't slept that long in I don't know how long - so I am absolutely working out like a champ.

This morning I was energetic, but scared as all hell of Yoga. I mean - I am the LAST guy I imagine doing Yoga. I'm just not built for it - and I was right - but I had to do it. It was 1.5 hours long (Come on Tony - Seriously?) and I only had an hour, so I did 1/2 hour of the poses and 1/2 hour of the balance.

It was a rough gig.

I made a pork roast this night as we were having some friends over. Had a couple of beers. I accounted for them and stayed within my boundries nutritionally - but I still don't think it's a great thing to do. We shall see tomorrow. I did avoid the desserts, treats, etc. so that was good. The pork was delicious.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Day 3/90

268.5 Lbs.

Weight is dropping. I am sore as hell. My entire body aches and 8 hours of sleep doesn't even seem to be resting me. I know it'll turn around but right now I am very beat.

Last night was a challenge. I wasn't anywhere near perfect, but I did pretty good. I had a drink at the party (scotch and soda) and a bit of cold cuts to hold me over. I made sure to eat a good meal before I went so I wasn't going to pick at garbage to eat.

After the event, we went to a club next door for dinner. I looked at the entire menu three times and hit a home run. Grilled Diver Scallops and Pork Belly (I didn't really eat the pork belly) for an appetizer, and grilled chilean seabass for my entree. Heavy protein, not really many carbs, and I didn't eat the bread, etc. Someone ordered a really good bottle of wine, so I had a glass of that. I still can't tell a good wine from a bad one, so it was wasted on me. In any event, it was a good meal, and I was satisfied without going off the reservation with my eating.

Shoulders and Arms today. I LOVE this workout. I feel like it was made for me. After this, I have a yoga day, a kempo day, and a day off (which will translate to a bike day for me).

I had a weird start to the day as I got up late, didn't have time to eat anything good, and was surviving on almonds until I got to get some lunch. Workout will be after work - maybe at the end of the day when Julie comes home. We'll see.

Fitday.com is running like shit lately. I can't get it to log anything in. Hope they fix it.
Tom

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Day 2/90

Weight - 274.4

Plyo fucking metrics.
Are you kidding me?

I went to bed at 10:30 last night - exhausted and for good reason. I was up at 6:30 and my whole body was sore. I had a nice twinge in my back from the declined pushups but its nothing a visit to my trusty chiropractor (brother) can't fix. All this tells me is that I need to be more conscious about my form when I'm doing these workouts.

I dragged my ass out of bed - motivated by the fact that my wife got up at 4AM, did Plyo, and then is going to work a 12 hour shift at the hospital, and go to a 3 hour class afterward. Had a cup of coffee, and then went downstairs to fire up the workout.

I got it going with the warmup, and broke a sweat within a minute. By the time the warmup was done, I was covered in sweat and ready for a break! I pushed on, but right off the bat had to modify a lot of the moves to fit my ability. Again - not making excuses, just being as practical as I can be. I've done plyo before and coming down from repetitve jumps with 270 lbs laid me up for almost a month last year. I struggled, yelled, cursed, and cried, but I persevered. At about 30 min in, my phone rang, and it was work, calling me in on an issue. I got about a 5 minute break, chugged a bunch of water, told them I'd be in shortly, and then went back downstairs to do as much as I could.

I got the workout down to about the 15 min remaining mark before I had to go in. I was cooked, but I did what I could. I owe myself another 20 min or so of workout at some point today. Maybe i"ll hit the spin bike when I get home from work.

In all, this exercise is going to fry me. I will push at it as long as it makes sense - and i'm not injuring myself or modifying the workouts so much that I don't get ANY workout out of it. I know the alternative is the Cardio DVD. I just want to give this my all and try it. If I can't complete it next week, I'll go to the Cardio.

Also - I found a new treat. Last night I ate plain yogurt (got some from a local farm - chunks and shit in it. Nice!) mixed with EAS whey. I threw a splenda in and it wasn't bad at all. Turned into a nice 50gm Protein 25gm Carb low fat meal. I had the same thing for breakfast this morning too. I'm eating my oatmeal at work now and trying to get through the day. I'd love to have a quick visit to the Chiro but it doesn't look like it's going to work.

Big goals for today now that the workout is done? - Get a spin in to make up for lost traction on the workout. Behave at the fundraiser tonight. Order something delicious but nutritious at the club for late dinner.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Day 1/90

P90X - Chest and Back
276.4
Cal 2016
Prot 50%
Carb 16%
Fat 34%

Well, today was Day 1 of P90x for me and Julie. It is Labor Day and I slept in a bit, got up about 8 AM, and made myself some eggs and egg whites with turkey polish sausage and 2% cheese. It was good, and I relaxed for a bit and drank some coffee.

Julie got up and we hit the basement for day 1 of P90x. I've done this workout a bunch of times before, but now that I have more equipment, dumbells, and a workout partner, it was a whole different ballgame.

The series of pushups and pullups was hardcore. There were some that were easier than I thought (surprisingly the declined pushups) but most kicked my ass with wreckless abandon. I was covered in sweat and was completely wasted when we finished the series. I wrote it all down and realized I need to get heavier dumbells soon as I progress. At a buck a pound.. bah. Its worth it.

THe fact that we launched P90X on a holiday really set the bar. We had a few different options of where to go - a friend's house where there would be beer and drinks and hot dogs... or another friend that should have more friendly food (and doesn't drink). We went with option 2, and had a great time. We went and sat by the lake, ate a huge pile of turkey, salad, etc. I ate 3/4 lb of turkey. Hey - gotta get that protein in any way you can!

Just got home... feeling a bit sore, but I should sleep well tonight. Slammed down some yogurt and protein powder. I think that'll be something I'll be eating regularly. It is very tasty and filling. I may not be saying that in 89 days... but it works for me.

Tomorrow is another challenge, as I have a huge day at work, and a fundraiser event that is sure to be filled with delicious foods and an open bar... as well as a nice dinner at a private club afterward... I need to be on my A game. I also have to get my workout in before work as there will be no other time.

Cheers!
_Tom

Sunday, August 31, 2008

P90X - Minus 1 Day and Counting...

I've been playing around with P90X for most of the summer - just the workouts mind you - not the nutrition - and only the workouts I felt like doing. Of course, the workouts I FELT like doing were the ones that were most easy for me - Namely Chest and Back, and Arms and Shoulders. I kicked around the nutrition plan here and there, but bagged out of it - mainly because in Buffalo we get about a solid 12-16 good weeks of summer, and we go in intense party mode. I'm not making excuses, just being honest with myself. The last thing I wanted to do was get on a hardcore nutrition plan, and then find myself cheating all the time, drinking beers, and rationalizing myself out of it like I tend to do with just about everything I SHOULD do that might be good for me.

It's labor day weekend and summer is winding down. People are getting back on their normal programs around here, kids are back in school, and life may soon assume a more even keel. In the past few months, I've been to California and back twice, enjoyed the Toronto beer festival, had almost every good beer known to man, BBQ'ed, gone to parties, out to dinners, good restaurants, etc. I also got some solid distances in on my bike and trained the shit out of myself. It was a good summer. But I'm up about 10 lbs, feeling flabby, and ready to take on my next challenge and focus on it.

I am ready for the workouts. I know I'll be somewhat limited on what I can do ( It'll be awhile before I can haul my ass up on a pull up bar)- but I am going to push and do what I can to get it done.

I also needed to make sure I have the right equipment. I shot out today and dropped a princely sum on cast iron dumbells. I've been meaning to get them for a long time, and finally just dropped some coin. At $1/lb it adds up REALLY fast. Especially when you're buying 25, 30, 35 lb dumbells in PAIRS. I got what I needed to get going, and will buy additional weight as I need it.

We have most of the food I need right here in the house. I'll run out and get a few things more but I'm ready to roll. My breakdown per the guide is 50% Protein, 30% Carb, 20% fat and 3000 cal. I know from experience that hitting 3000 cal when I'm training is tough as hell - (Thats over 300gms of protein/day!)So I am going to launch at 2500 cal/day with those ratios and see what I can do. If I need the extra fuel I'll kick up to 3K.

I also am going to track my intake on FitDay.com. I think the P90X logs are very convoluted, and don't make much sense. - Cheese sticks are snacks AND dairy, dried fruit is listed as a snack AND a fruit. I think I will be much more accurate if I stick to the plan with the ratios and caloric intake as the guide wants me to.

I have to admit, I'm going to miss my beers as well. I'm not a Coors Light pound 10 beer type of guy, but I do enjoy a couple very good craft beers, and my favorite season (Oktoberfest) for beer is coming... so its going to be a tough one but this is all about sacrifice and dedication.

I also am nervous about travel. I'm going to Vegas at the end of Sept. on an expense account and would REALLY like to enjoy myself with some endulgence... That will be one of my biggest challenges in this whole program.

We have a nice dinner and some beers planned for tonight in the yard, and then I'm ready to hit it hard tomorrow AM. This blog is to keep me honest and track my progress.

Bring it on motherfuckers.
-Tom