today marks the end of my first week of P90X.  and i'm really (mostly) doing this thing.  i've had a few snags here and there, but i expect to feel better and better about my commitment to the program within the next couple of weeks as i get the hang of it all and start to build some strength and endurance.  you'll need to know that Tony (the guy that leads the whole series) is very anti-"can't".  i get it, as people tend to check out mentally when pushing their bodies long before their bodies hit their limit.  instead, he says you should say, "i presently struggle with..."

now that you have that little nugget of information, a breakdown of what i've been working on for the past week:

day one - chest & back:  i presently struggle with wanting to do this workout.  i've got to be honest, it sucks.  one hour of pushups and pullups isn't really my idea of a fun time.  i have a really hard time motivating myself to get out of bed at 5 am for anything, let alone for this kind of torture.  i'm just going to say it right now - i will never like pushups.  however, the nice part of this workout is there is plenty of time to recover, and man can i feel it working.

day two - plyometrics:  i presently struggle with completing this workout.  i mean, wow.  training for a marathon has done nothing to prepare me for the short anaerobic bursts this requires.  this workout shows me so clearly why i was never a sprinter.  i've done it twice now (once before officially starting the program), and i haven't been able to finish yet.  i will do it this week (but seriously, probably only with lots of prayer).

day three - shoulders & arms:  i'm so beyond excited for what this workout will yield in the long run.  my arms are the one part of me that i really want to improve from a visual standpoint.  i can't wait for definition.  the first week wasn't great just because i'm still really trying to figure out a good weight for all of the exercises.  this week i should be able to push myself a lot more.

day four - yoga x:  holy cow.  i've never really cared much for yoga because i've always had the mentality that a good workout should involve sweating from every pore of your skin.  but this?  this is no joke.  yoga has definitely had the most painful after-effects, but in an amazing way that makes me feel like i'm kicking butt and taking names.  i didn't make it through the whole hour-and-a-half this week (mainly because i've got weak wrists), but hopefully i'll get there this week.

day five - legs & back:  i presently struggle with making time for this workout.  oops.  yeah, i skipped one in the first week.  at least i was still feeling the effects of that yoga, so i didn't feel like a complete failure.

day six - kenpo x:  love, love, love.  i would do this one every day.  i'm not sure how this is supposed to differ from kickboxing?  it's basically the same.  there's just something wonderful about a workout that allows you to also work out all of your aggression and feel like a total BA.

day seven - stretch x:  i kinda picked through the stretches i wanted.  an hour of stretch sounds amazing, but a girl needs one day of the week that she doesn't need to dedicate a whole hour to this program.  seriously, i'm a busy girl.

overall thoughts and feelings:  this is time-consuming.  i definitely need to get better about doing it in the morning before work.  yes, it sucks getting up that early, but it's totally worth it for the energy it gives me and also deters me from filling myself with bad food throughout the rest of the day.

other changes i've been making:

• cutting out most sweets.  i've allowed myself a small piece of chocolate each day and my sunday dessert at the in-laws.  i can't resist my mother-in-law's desserts.
• wayyyyyy less carbs.  i've been focusing on filling up on lean protein, fruits and veggies.  i've had small portions of rice and have still kept my oatmeal on some mornings, but for a girl that thrives on bread (especially after training for a marathon, in which case i was encouraged to load up on the stuff) i've been doing really well.
• as a result, i've been feeling much less bloated.  i've never talked about this here, but i've got IBS, something i wouldn't wish upon anyone.  more days than not, i walk around feeling like i'm pregnant to some extent.  i think i've finally found the main culprit.  starches and sugars, be gone, because i've been feeling great, and the stomach is breathing a sigh of relief.
• nuts, nuts, nuts.  i've cut down on the size of meals and added two snack times in throughout the day, which consist of a small handful of almonds and either a piece of fruit or some carrots and hummus.

here we go...

it's only 90 days...

i can totally do this...

who wants brownies, pizza and pop anyways?...

sleeping in past 5 am is so overrated...

...crap.

i "started" P90X last week, but let's be honest, if i didn't blog about it, it didn't count.  so i'm starting over.  and this time, i'm asking everyone to hold me accountable.  i will be following the nutrition suggestions a bit loosely.  i've gotta be honest, i have no intention of eating five servings of protein every day for the first thirty days.  gag me.  but i will be sticking to mainly lean sources of protein, fruits and veggies.

the fridge is stocked, my alarm is set, the before pictures have been taken, and i'm mentally prepared.

wish me luck.  (and maybe pass along a word of encouragement or two.)