DAY 32: When Life Interrupts (UPDATED)

UPDATE AT 9:57 P.M.: I did it! Even after a long, hectic day, even after taking the kids to Berry Cup, even after our nightly struggle to get them showered, teeth-brushed and wrestled into bed....I did my yoga workout.

It wasn't the greatest of workouts. I'm tired and after I hit "publish post" on this, I'm going to bed. But I didn't let life knock me off my goal.

Note to self: If you're going to workout after dinner, don't eat chili. Chili and Dolphin pose do not mix well. Blech.

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Original Post

Two straight bad nights of sleep and a hectic work schedule today have put me in the position where I can't workout this morning. So, I am mentally committed to doing my Yoga workout tonight, after I get home from work.

This is perilous for me, because it is this kind of procrastination that has undone my workout programs in the past. It concerns me, but I don't really have a choice today.

I promise you, my intentions are good. The question is, are my intentions good enough to get me to push play tonight?

I'll update you tonight.

Day 31: Eating on the Run

Here's a little quirk about me: I do not like box lunches. I can't explain why but they just gross me out. Well, today I had a box lunch as part of my monthly Leadedrship Montgomery meeting. It was a turkey sanwich, chips and a cookie. I was very hungry so I partook....a little.

I ate the turkey without eating the bread, had half the chips and passed on the cookie. Me not eating a cookie is a major accomplishment.

Controlling what you eat is much easier when you have control of your meals. But when someone else is in control, you have to improvise, which I did today.

You also have to plan. I brought pistachios and a protein bar to satisfy my hunger before snacks and lunch came out. This worked well this time.

No cookies = Mission accomplished.

Day 30: Picture Day!

Today is picture day at my son's elementary school. He, like his mom, is very photogenic. His dad, however, is not.

I remember always hating picture day--I'm not the kind of person who can force a smile. I look awkward. Of course, in recent years, I hate pictures for another reason: I'm fat and the camera shows six or seven chins at least.

But for P90x, you are encouraged to take your picture at the beginning of the program, throughout the 90 days, and then at the end. You need to take a shirtless photo (for men!), a "bicep" photo and a side photo. I've decided to do these photos every 15 days.

I shared a "likeness" of the before picture with you but didn't want to scare people away and run my real picture. It wasn't pretty. It still isn't. But, it's a lot better.

The difference between day 1 and day 30 is very noticeable. Some definition in the muscles. A little less of me spilling over my shorts. And even from the side (a fat guy's worst angle), you can see that my gut is smaller.

So, where are the photos? Tucked safely and neatly on my computer, thank you. I'm still not ready to share. So, you'll have to take my word for it at this point.

Day 29: Really?

One-handed push-ups? Seriously?

Chest, Shoulders and Tricep Workout.

Ow.

That is all.

P.S.: I did not look like this during the workout.

Day 28: Accentuate the Positive

For most of my adult life, I have hated shopping for clothes. Each shopping trip is a depressing reminder of how heavy I've let myself get as an adult. Getting fitted for a suit or a tux was worst of all--each measurement read aloud and memorialized for your enjoyment. A diary of blubber. Good times.

But I had a slightly different experience on Saturday, when I went to get fitted for a tuxedo for an upcoming event. I braced myself to hear a big number when the tailor did my waist measurement, but, lo and behold, it was lower than it has been in a while. Mind you, it's still a pretty big number---but headed in the right direction.

Since starting P90X, I have lost 14 pounds and easily two inches on my waist. I also have started to see some semblance of a physique emerge again and--wait--what's that?---is that....a BICEP??? Why yes it is. In short, I'm not Patrick Swayze in this skit, but I ain't Chris Farley either (by the way, is this one of the funniest SNL bits EVER?)

As I enter week 5 of PDaddyX, here's a list of a few other things that I feel pretty good about:

1) I haven't missed a single day of working out and, except for one ugly morning, I felt good about working out each and every time--at least before I started.

2) I've been told by a few friends that I have "more energy" than I ever did. A good sign.

3) This blog has received 1,671 page views and I've received a lot of kind, supportive comments. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have no idea how motivating it is. I'm also encouraged because a few people have found reading this blog motivational for them to start--or to continue--working out. That's awesome and not something I expected.

But the best sign of all, for me, is that my two boys continue to notice that Daddy is exercising more and is trying to eat healthy. I even shared a salad with my 4 1/2 year old the other day and played a game of tag without getting so winded, that I had to pitch a tent on "base." How cool is that?

Yes, there are warning signs out there and I need to stay on my guard. But, so far, PDaddyX has been a great experience. I'm psyched for what the next 62 days will bring!

Let's go!!

Day 27: Warning Signs

This morning, I finished up week 4, my "recovery" week, with a Yoga workout. I'm actually starting to make some progress on Yoga, meaning I can do about 50 percent of the poses well and the rest are just an epic fail waiting to happen.

The recovery week has been nice and, this particular moment aside, my body is definitely not as sore as it was before. I feel ready for the next phase of P-90x. But during this week I've seen a few warning signs.

Slip-slidin' away: For the first three weeks, I was gung ho. I was getting up at 4:45 a.m. and was working out by 5 a.m. This week, I've been hitting snooze a little more, starting my workouts closer to 5:30 a.m. and then rushing to get them done. I think this is natural for any long-term fitness routine--the excitement can quickly turn to drudgery. But, I AM still excited about P90x and I am COMMITTED to being up at 4:45 a.m. and getting started by 5 a.m. Feel free to call my house at 5 a.m. to check! (Not really)

The mind is willing, but the core is weak: One thing I haven't talked much about is the fact that I've been giving short shrift to my ab and core workouts. The recovery week is all about working the core and I realized that my abs and lower back are not at the same place as the rest of my body (not that the rest of my body is in any great place, but it's better). So as I enter Phase 2, I will definitely be working my core as much as I should. For the record I HATE ab work.

A twinge of something, but not regret: Yesterday, as my friend Eric was torturing leading us through a work out, my left knee kept acting up. This knee has always been a little balky and it has given me a twinge here and there, especially during leg workouts and Plyometrics. But, for the first time in four weeks, I got a little worried about injury. I'll just have to keep an eye on it.

I'm still really encouraged by how I'm doing and I'll share some of the "good news" with you tomorrow. In the mean time...

GO UCONN HUSKIES!!!!!!!!!!

Day 26: Not Pretty Progress

Every Friday at around 5 p.m., I can hear the music coming from the auditorium across from my office. That tells me that my colleague Eric (the same one who got me interested in P90x) is starting his weekly aerobics class. Eric does this class for free for the folks who work in the central office of our school system.

I've always told Eric (in this picture at the annual MCPS Back to School Fair) that I wouldn't EVER take his class. I'd say: "My co-workers don't want to see all this trying to do aerobics. It wouldn't be pretty!"

Well, today I gave it a shot. Instead of doing the "Core Synergistics" workout this morning, I took Eric's class at 5 p.m. I was right. It wasn't pretty. Eric is in great shape, in good part due to P90x, and he put me and about a half-dozen other folks through a very hard workout.

It was the first time I've worked out with other people in a very long time and, actually, it was nice to struggle along with some colleagues. And, it was a nice checkpoint in the PDaddyX journey.

While I struggled with some of it, I actually was surprised how much I was able to do. I know that four weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to make it through a quarter of the workout. But, today, I probably did about 75-80 percent of it. So, that's a sign of progress.

It ain't pretty. But it's progress.