P90X: A First Look

It's no secret to my friends & family that I've wanted P90X for a long, long time. I've asked for it for Christmas & birthday presents for the last year and a half. When that box arrived, I tore it open.

My first impression of the nutrition plan was that it was WAY more detailed than I thought it would be. I thought it would give daily portion amounts for different body types and goals, as well as some recipes. It had that and more. There's actually a day-by-day, meal-by-meal approach where it gives you the exact menu of what to eat each day in addition to the other options. So, someone who knows how to eat correctly & within the given portion amounts can choose the first option. However, for the person who doesn't really know how to do this and needs a highly structured menu, they've got it. The nutrition plan is very much along the lines of the information you'll find in this blog - lots of veggies and lean meats, fruit to balance out the blood sugar, and the good whole grains. The difference is that this is broken down into three 30-day cycles with the first 30 days having a higher protein:carb ratio than the the second and third 30-day cycles. This is to take off fat quickly in the beginning and to have more energy during the later cycles. Another difference is that there are no cheat meals during the 90 days.

There is no alcohol during the 90 days. This is right along the lines of other well-respected results-driven trainers. While the caloric content of alcohol is of concern, it's not the only thing that makes it important to avoid. Mixers are usually high in calories & sugars as well. But, the most important aspect of why one should stay away from alcohol during a kick-your-butt training run is because of the way it changes our hormone levels, which are largely responsible for how we store (or don't store) fat. Also, not drinking during this time makes the body feel clean, energized, and well-rested.

The intensity of the two workouts I've done is similar to our dry-land exercise when I was a swimmer at the University of Houston. During the plyometrics session, the trainer says..."all elite athletes train with plyos..." He's exactly right. It was almost as if he had a session with our old trainer and had the workout down pat. We all had similar plyo workouts - basketball players, the baseball team, swimmers....that is what helps an athlete with explosion off of the blocks or their vertical jump. It also kick-starts the body into shape, burns fat, and helps immensely with cardiovascular fitness. I found the shoulders and back session to also be similar to what we did at UH....back to the basics. It was a lot of push ups and pull ups - body weight exercises that are rudimentary yet highly effective. Today, I've got the shoulders and arms workout which is biceps, triceps, and deltoids. And, every Sunday I'll be doing 92 minutes of Yoga X.

The workouts are 6 days a week for about an hour daily. There's the doubles option, which is similar to 2-a-day workouts we did in college. The 7th day is a rest day, or one can pop in the "Stretch X" video for an hour long stretch session, which helps prevent injury, increases flexibility, and reduces soreness. I'm choosing the stretch option for now.

Summer 2010 Photos

With summer coming to a close after Labor Day weekend, I'm posting some of our photos from the season. It was a hot summer, and Jet's broken arm got in the way of the swimming I'd planned we'd do. We had fun in other ways...

Jet & Kimber went to the circus for the very first time. My dad & I took

them. Jet loved the motorbikes, Kimber loved the acrobats.

Jason's family visited El Paso for a wedding. We all went to the zoo together.

They love their older cousins Megan & Jordan so much. It was an

amazing visit.

Jet's getting so big. That's a full portion of enchiladas that he ate.
He calls them, "chiladas". He's blowing bubbles at the park & riding
go-carts in the photos above.

Kimber loves playing dress-up. She's "Doctor Kimber"
& wearing every costume she owns in the photos above.
Jet's giving her a helpful lift at the zoo while she looks at a snake.

Kimber's 3rd birthday cake.

I sacrificed a barbie doll making it, but it was worth it.

I'm pretty proud of my creation. Thank goodness for You-tube

and the cake makers for step-by-step instructions.

That's me in the lab.

Taking a nap with my sweet baby girl. She's a thrasher

& takes up the whole bed. I have no idea where she gets

that from.

You Won't Come Fast Enough

P90X....you were supposed to be here a week ago. get here. hurry up, come on, what is taking so long....i can't wait. i bought my pull up bar, i drank my last drink of alcohol. i'm looking at before/after blogs. i'm talking to friends. i'm chomping at the bit. i'm plugging in my days into an excel spreadsheet so i can start to have an idea of when my days off will be and how i'll structure that with studying, commitments, and my responsibilities. i'll do you in the morning because i have night classes (yes, i know that sounds dirty). i'll wake up and push play, then drink my coffee, take my shower, and start my day. i can't wait, i can't wait, i cannot wait.

hurry, dammit.

When The Bird Flies

My sister is a performer. She has this way of lighting up a room when she walks into it. She and my father are kindred spirits in that they feel most at home in front of a crowd...singing, playing, telling stories. They capture the attention of those around them. There are times when I feel so grateful when she walks in and rescues me in the middle of a conversation, and there are times when I feel immediately extinguished for the same reason.

She is ten years my junior.

I remember tucking her in bed at night, reading bedtime stories, & letting her play with my makeup. I changed her diapers and helped her pee in a toilet. I taught her the lyrics to, "The Flame" by Cheap Trick. She was a very young performer, singing the song in front of my teenage friends to their, "Awwwww.....thats so cuuuute!!" exclamations. I was 17 when I left home for college. She was 7. That was almost 20 years ago.

She leaves for New York in less than two weeks.

To say that my heart is breaking while it is beaming is the only way to describe how I feel. I'm so, so happy for her. She has the courage to fly... to chase a dream regardless of where it leads...to jump without a net. For her to move to a place full of art, song, and dance fills me full of delight. We should all be so lucky as to be immersed in a culture that we love. She's said many times that she doesn't know how long she'll be there, but it doesn't matter...she must go. Now's her time.

But, my heart breaks, too. I feel spoiled to have been around her these past 10 months. She's one of the very few people that I ever really let in to my own little walled-off heart, and it hurts to see her depart. It's a selfish hurt, but a raw one. I also have that big-sister stigma...who'll be there to make sure that she's safe on the subway, who will be there for her to talk to about how her audition went...letting go can be so hard sometimes.

I think of my children, and how this is only one small experience of what is to come. For I know that in time I will see many of those I love dearly bat their wings and fly. There's something natural about it. There's something beautiful about it, and there's something a little sad about it, too.

Birthday Weekend Lowdown

I had an amazing weekend - here's what we did:

Friday, August 27th, I woke up to my 5 year old sleepy-eyed son telling me, "Happy Birthday, Momma" with a big hug and morning-breath kiss. So, so sweet. I opened presents - new Asics running shoes & P90X!! YES!! I had breakfast with my dad and my daughter, had a hair appointment for lunch along with some chocolate truffles, and had dinner at my favorite steak restaurant with my husband, kids, and dad. My sister waited on our table.

Saturday, August 28th, Farmers Market morning - my fav. I love how I know the person who grew my peaches, apples, and garlic. I image their love and dedication along with the sunshine growing the food that supplies our delicate bodies with the nutrition that we need. I went home and made eggplant parmesan for an early dinner with the eggplants I bought there. The kids threw-down. Jay took Jet to see Star Wars in the park while Kimber and I had a girls night.

Sunday, August 29th, Morning walk over scenic drive - they close it down for pedestrians every Sunday morning. We put Jet on his bike and Kimber in the jogger stroller & set off. Fun. That evening, we went to Jake, Isaiah, and Baby Jake's Bday party with a bouncehouse and a band. Amazing.

Tuesday, August 31st, My sister's birthday. We celebrated all three bdays (mine, my sisters, my step-sisters) with a family cookout last night at my step-mother's home. Brisket was on the menu, and I got to spend time with everyone.