© Tim Pannell Photography

Ok….I did my p90x plyometrics workout this morning and was a wet rag.  I didn’t even finish the complete workout I was so hammered.  My legs were on fire about 1/3 of the way through.

I played racquetball last night for a couple hours until my legs were like jello and the effects of that were obviously still lingering this morning when I started P90X.

I’m pleased with myself for getting up and giving it a shot….just bummed I couldn’t suck it up and do the whole thing.  I’ve dropped 6 pounds in the last 3 days so that’s at least encouraging.

I’m feeling better today than I did yesterday.  My sister in law was released from the hospital last night and is home resting.  There are so many friends in the neighborhood and from the church coming around in bunches to show their support and give her help with anything that needs to be done.

It warms my heart to know that so many people love her and are pulling for her and are pitching in.  In that sense….life is good…in spite of the obstacles.  She’s weak today, but over the halfway mark with her radiation treatments.  She’s eating, even though it’s not much fun and the taste is completely whacky.

I watch her and am amazed at her great attitude and ability to focus on the positive…..I have no reason to complain about anything in my life at the moment.

I have been eating better the last several days as well…..lots of hummus, guacomole, tomatoes, cucumbers.  Feeling much better physically than I have for weeks.  I guess the hardest part fo rme has always been breaking the unhealthy cycle of being lethargic and eating crap….especially at night just before I head off to bed.

I’m doing better and will continue to do better.  When I get back to P90X Plyometrics next week I will be stronger and I will be able to complete the entire workout like I used to be able to.  I’m playing racquetball again tonight so we’ll see how it goes……no complaints…….just getting busy.  I will overcome this weight problem once and for all.

Tomorrow is P90X Shoulders & Arms….my favorite P90X workout of all…I’m looking forward to it.

P90X – Plyometrics – I’m a Wet Rag is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

Well……now we know why my sister in law was having trouble breathing the last time that she, my wife and I did P90X together a couple of months ago.  She was just diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.  She never smoked a day in her life, she runs about 8 miles a day….5-6 days a week, lifted weights on a regular basis and taught PE.

The idea of her getting lung cancer is preposterous.  She is in good spirits and will give it all she has when it comes to overcoming this disease.  The odds aren’t great, but the statistics for this disease are overloaded with people who are 60 + years old, ex smokers, diabetics, drinkers, overweight…basically really unhealthy people.

I prefer to look at her as though she were a female version of Lance Armstrong.  She is strong, she is confident and I am convinced that she will find a way to manage this disease and live a long and healthy life in spite of what she’s going through right now.

This does give me pause as I think about how overweight I am and how fortunate I’ve been up to this point in my life to not have any serious health issues…..other than having really bad knees.

I’ve been struggling the last couple of weeks since Mel was diagnosed with this crap.  I feel good about her ability to rise above this…..she can do hard things, but I feel lousy about my ability to accomplish much of anything lately.  I’ve been playing racquetball for a few hours a couple of times each week, but I keep gaining weight.

I did the P90X Chest & Back DVD today, by myself.  My wife’s schedule is still not real conducive to working out together.  Eventually we’ll figure it out and get into a routine.  I haven’t been sleeping that well lately and have struggled to get up early enough to workout with her.

I’ve picked up more weight over the last month and am feeling again like a human blob….not so much fun, but it is what it is.

Business has picked up a little bit….at least there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.  These days, I have to hold onto whatever little I can find to be positive about.  It’s been a rough year and a half……time for things to improve.

I really thought that by now I would have reached my goal of weighing 210, but I’m worse off than I was…that’s discouraging.  This last month I’ve dipped into the comfort food and with the added stress of Melanie’s situation it seems like I’m automatically gaining weight.

It’s always been frustrating to me in the past when I would workout out regularly and eat right for several months and not really see any results and then in the space of a couple of weeks of not being vigilant I can pick up 10 to 15 pounds.  That’s what I’ve done this month.

I guess at the moment….I’m angry because I’ve gained back a bunch of weight……..but mostly, I’m angry that someone so healthy and fit as my sister in law could be affected by this bastard of a disease.  I learned a long time ago that life isn’t fair.  My folks getting divorced on my 9th birthday wasn’t fair.  I stopped expecting fairness when I was a kid, but this……this just pisses me off.  This has no business messing with my sister.

She should be the last person in the world to have to go through this.  Her situation does put things into perspective.  I have no right to gripe about my struggle to get my weight into a respectable zone.  She’s the one with the real struggle.  My problems are miniscule in comparison.  I have no right to be frustrated about my own situation.  I have to take control of myself and make better choices……no one to blame for past failures but myself.

So I did my one hour of P90X Chest & Back……that’s the beginning of my latest attempt.

I cannot fail this time.  I have to be strong for Melanie.  I have to get back my good attitude.  I have to do this for my wife, my kids, my family and for me.

Melanie’s in the hospital right now……she had an operation to keep her chest cavity from filling up with fluid.  She hopes to get home in the next couple of days.  We’re fortunate to be living in a large home that has plenty of room for all the family that has come and will continue to come and show their support for Mel.  I’m blessed to have such a wonderful caring family that truly loves each other.  We will all pull together and help Melanie however we can to overcome this cancer.

P90X-Getting Back to Basics is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

My wife, sister in law and I have been doing the P90X workouts for 2 months now.

Here’s my review of that 2 months.

In the beginning, I really struggled.  I had done P90X back in Chandler, AZ off and on the second half of last year.

I had made progress…..at my worst I weighed 310…still can’t believe it.

At my best I weighed 261 lbs.  Right now my weight has been fluctuating wildly and not staying consistent.

Since moving to Utah my weight has been bouncing around between 263 and 270 lbs.

My guess for the yo-yo effect is the stress of moving and getting things set up.

It really has been a hectic 2 months moving in and making changes to my photography business.

I have eaten more crap than I should.  The culprits – ice cream, brownies, cookies.

I have gone cold turkey on those kinds of things in the past only to end up pigging out on them later.

I decided a while ago to just eat smaller amounts of them.

It worked for a while, but gradually the portions and/or frequency has grown.

My wife and I decided to just do desserts on weekends a couple of weeks ago.

We also forgot about that decision a couple of weeks ago……….crap!

I didn’t remember that decision until just now writing this post.

I will try this again starting today……..no junk until Friday night.

I guess we’ll see what happens.  Will it make a difference with my weight?

Honestly, I don’t know.  I assume it will help.

In 2 months my weight has bounced around, but my strength and stamina has increased continuously.

We did the P90X Chest and Back on Monday, Plyometrics on Tuesday, P90X Shoulders and Arms on Wednesday, Yoga X on Thursday, P90X Legs and Back on Friday and on Saturdays we would do either Kenpo X or Shoulders and Arms.

I have gone from being able to do 5-10 push ups to 30+.  I can actually do the “diamond” push ups now.  I think the first time I tried those suckers I could do 1 or 2…..now I can do 20+.

I still struggle with the “divebomber” push ups, but can do 6 of them without collapsing.

I’m amazed at the progress I’ve made and that I’ve been able to see progress as quickly as I did.

Each week brought better results and statistics.

P90X Shoulders and Arms is still my favorite of the P90X workouts.

I’ve added 5-10 pounds to each of those exercises.

I have had something going on in my left elbow for the last 2 weeks so I backed off on the amount of weight I’m using for the last week as well as this one.

It feels exactly like tennis elbow except I’m not left handed and I don’t play tennis.

I used to play a lot of racquetball and would experience “tennis elbow” from time to time in my right elbow from that.

Plyometrics still kicks my butt.  I find it extremely difficult to keep up with.  I honestly dread this workout, but even with it I can see progress being made.

P90X Yoga X is also still difficult for me at this point.

I find it extremely difficult to breath because of all of my excess weight, but I do the best I can.

Kenpo X is a lot of fun and a bit more aerobic than the other P90X workouts.

I was sick with bronchitis for all of January so that made working out that much harder.

The other obstacle for me was the higher elevation here in Utah.

It took me a while to adjust to that, but at this point I have made the transition.

Have I reached all of my goals yet?……..NO!

Have I reached some of them?…… YES!

I love working out now -(with the exception of Plyometrics).  Today is Plyo day and I’m dreading it.

My arms are bigger, my core is tighter, my legs are stronger and even though I haven’t lost any real weight over the last 2 months, I’m in better shape than I was.

Everybody responds differently to exercise.  I feel at times like a chemist….tinkering away with my little experiments to see what will work best for me.

All in all, the latest of my P90X reviews is this:  I still love these workouts!

They have changed me for the better and I will continue doing them long after I’ve hit my desired weight.

I will be exercising for the rest of my life.

There is no going back to my previous sedentary lifestyle.  In that respect, P90X has been a wild success.

If you want to give P90X a try……you can order it here.

Good luck!

P90X Reviews – Weight Loss? is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Today I’m 1 day short of 4 continuous weeks of P90X.

If taken 5 days off.  I had a stock photo shoot most of last week and was up early and out late each day creating photographs in the snow with families and teens.

It was a lot of fun, but it did disrupt our P90X routine.

My wife also hurt herself…..bruising her rib as she dove after a runaway sled with a 5 year old on it before it shot across the road.

She will be out for at least another week or two because of that rib.

Melanie, my sister in law and I got back on the horse today and did the P90X Chest and Back DVD.

We were both struggling more today than we had the last time we did the Chest and Back Workout.

I’m pretty active during my photoshoots.   I roll around a lot on the ground and twist and lean while I shoot.

My abs actually do get a pretty good workout.

In spite of the ab workout, taking 5 days off of P90X was noticeable today.

Over the previous 3 weeks I was consistently doing more reps with more weight week after week.

Today, that streak ended.

I did use push up bars today to get a little more range of motion, but I ran out of gas much sooner than last week.

It’s nice to get going again and I’m grateful to have someone to work out with because it is much easier to keep going when I have to answer to someone other than just myself.

I can tell that this last month has made a difference.

I’m stronger.  I have bigger lung capacity.  I’m also in a better frame of mind.

I’m in this for the long haul.  This is a lifestyle change for me………not just a temporary change of short term habits.

Even when I get down to my target weight, I will continue working out, whether its with P90X or another workout series of DVDs.

If you’ve struggled like me over the years to get your level of fitness back on track, give P90X a try.

I’ve tried a bunch of different programs over the years and nothing has ever worked for me until P90X.

There is enough variety to the exercises that I have not become bored.

There is a great balance of strength training and cardio to help me feel more balanced than ever.

I’m so glad I started on this program……I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

P90X – 5 Days Off is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

OK, so you typed “P90X Reviews” into google because you’re curious about what other people’s experiences with P90X might be.

If you’ve tried a bunch of other workouts and are ready to try the best…….read on.

Here’s my review as of today – the P90X workout is the best workout you can buy for the money.

I became a Beachbody coach back in May of last year.  I’ve had good months and bad months since that time.

Truth be told, I had a lot of distractions last year that I used as excuses to keep me from exercising consistently.

I’ve nevertheless seen some decent results.

At my worst, I weighed in at 310 lbs. – HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

Right now I’m bouncing between 264 and 270.

My goal last year was to get down to 210lbs. with about 10% body fat.

Obviously, I didn’t reach my goal.

I am not going to get all upset about that though.

There has been more than enough good results to build upon.

We sold our house in Arizona early in December and moved out on the 29th of December.

We were homeless for a couple of weeks there because we couldn’t move into our new place until after the 9th of January.

I did a lot of soul searching during that time to try and figure out what worked for me and what didn’t.

One of my biggest mistakes was not making myself accountable to somebody on a daily basis.

There are workout buddies available on the WOWY supergym on the Beachbody site.

These are other people who are using P90X and you can share ideas and success stories with them online.

This time around I decided I wanted to find some workout partners and use that as an incentive to “bring it” everyday.

My wife and my sister in law agreed to help me out and we started working out together over 2 1/2 weeks ago.

We’ve taken 3 days off since we started.

It’s been so much easier to stay consistent with the P90X program since I’ve been working out with them.

In the last 2 1/2 weeks my weight has fluctuated between 264 and 270.

I’ve been eating pretty well.  I still need to cut down on some of the snacking I’ve done on crap that is less than healthy.

I’ve added 5 pounds to each and every one of my dumbbell exercises.

I’m doing twice as many pushups as I used to.  I can now do 20 without being completely spent.

My arms are definitely more solid and my core is tighter than it was when we started back in January.

I’m stronger, fitter and in a better frame of mind.

My P90X review is as follows:  P90X is the best series of workout DVD’s I’ve ever done.

Don’t just take my word for it.  There are tens of thousands of people that are doing P90X and experiencing great resutls.

The only thing keeping me from reaching my fitness goals has been my lack of consistency……..and it looks like I found a solution for that.

If you’re thinking about trying P90X………….just go ahead and jump right in.  You can BUY P90X here if you’d like.

I wish you all the best and will be happy to answer any questions any of you reading this blog might have.

Have an amazing day!

P90X Reviews – Try the Best is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Here’s my latest review of the P90X workout program.

P90X is a tough set of workouts.  No sissies allowed.

Our family recently moved from Arizona to Utah and during the 4 month process I wasn’t able to work out consistently.

I had several good weeks, but also some really bad ones as we had to leave the house as many as 30 times a week as prospective buyers would tour our home.

It was a pretty stressful time in our lives and frustrating at times to say the least.

Now that we’re in Utah and settling down I tried to create a situation that would help keep me on track with my workouts.

I believed that if I could get a partner or 2 to workout with me I’d be less likely to talk myself out of working out occasionally.

My main goal this time around is to be consistent.

My wife, my sister in law and I started our P90X workouts 2 weeks ago today.

In the last 2 weeks I’ve only missed a total of 3 days.

I am noticeably stronger even though I still have a long way to go.

2 days ago we did the P90X Shoulders and Arms workout.

I think the next time I do this workout I will need to add 5 pounds to my dumbbells as each exercise  was much easier than the previous time I did the Shoulders and Arms workout.

Yesterday we did the P90X Chest and Back workout.

We finally figured out how to hook up the bands here at the new house.

There’s a loft above the family room where we work out and we just loop the workout bands through the hand rails.

It took us a while to figure that out, but fortunately we did.  This enables us to fully participate in all of the P90X workouts.

Today we did the P90X Core Synergistics workout and enjoyed it a lot.

There are a couple of exercises on the core synergistics disc that are a real struggle for me.

Sphinx push ups and the plank to Chatarunga exercises just kill me.  I know if I stick with it I’ll get better at them both.

Tony Horton is really good at insisting that the proper form is more important than the overall number you do.

I made some progress with my flexibility which was also nice to see.

I’m able to do more and more push ups with each successive workout.

I’m finally getting over this cold/flu I’ve had for the last month.  Breathing has been a struggle for most of that time, but it’s getting better.

I still struggle with the more aerobic exercises because of that coupled with the higher elevation here, but I’m at least making progress.

I’m pleased with how much easier it is to workout everyday now that I have 2 partners keeping me going.

I think this will lead to even better results in the coming months than I’ve experienced in the past.

P90X Review – 2 Weeks and Counting is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

P90X © Tim Pannell Photography

I’ve had a couple people ask me recently what the real gist of P90x is, so here goes.

P90X is essentially a series of 12 DVDs produced by a company called Beachbody.

Tony Horton, a professional trainer, provides the motivation to work your way through each fitness DVD.

Each P90X DVD focuses on a different body part or set of muscles.  These range from the chest and back to biceps, triceps, legs and abs.

The P90X DVDs not only focus on gaining muscle but also work on flexibility with several videos that feature yoga and stretching.

The one thing you’ll notice quickly the very first DVD you watch is that these aren’t just muscle bound goons.  They’re extremely flexible muscle bound goons.

OK, they aren’t goons, they aren’t really muscle bound and they’re not just men.  There are different people in many of these videos and they are physically fit.

They all look pretty good.  They aren’t anorexic and wafer thin.  They are fit, they are healthy, they workout and they eat.  No gimmicks, just hard work and common sense.

Each P90X Workout is at least one hour long and no easy thing for somebody just beginning to try to get into shape.

It does get easier and easier to keep up with Tony Horton in these workouts if you stick with it long enough and keep trying.

There are still moves I can’t do without a little cheating.  There are still exercises that absolutely kick my butt.

I’ve made progress.  If you could see how I looked the first time I worked out with P90X and compared it to today, you’d see the progress I’ve made even though I’m still overweight.

There are no prepackaged meals to purchase as there are with so many of today’s “weight loss” programs.

There are supplements as well as nutrition bars and protein shakes available, but they are not mandatory.

There is however, a P90X nutrition plan that comes with  the workouts.  It recommends high protein and low fat foods and the more frequent consumption of smaller meals throughout the day.

P90X promotes the idea that most healthy foods can be easily obtained from a local grocery store.

Rather than having to buy certain meal plans for an extended period of time in order to lose weight, P90X is more about making a lifestyle change.

It emphasizes eating healthy meals “for life.”  It’s a plan that can be followed by anyone at any age whether they are already fit or are just wanting to end old habits and become fit.

It is important to stick with the program long enough to get the full benefits that it offers.

You’ll build muscle, gain flexibility, burn fat more effectively and establish better eating habits.

One of the main reasons P90X is such an effective set of workouts is Carl Diekler’s idea of “muscle confusion.”

The workouts are pretty intense and there is so much variety from one disc to the next that it keeps your body from getting complacent and bored.

By the end of the first month you get introduced to another set of exercises to keep your body from plateauing.  Most exercise programs fail for this very reason.

While you are going through the P90X workouts you can enjoy the support, meal planning, progress calendar, other P90X reviews and success stories available to you online.

This workout at home program is endorsed by medical professionals, body builders, personal trainers and regular Joes and Janes.

It saves you the hassle and cost of going to a gym in your neighborhood.  You don’t have to invest in any super expensive equipment…….a couple of fitness bands, a yoga mat and maybe a couple of yoga blocks andyou’re off to the races.

Ultimately the your success or failure with the P90X program will depend on you own personal motivation and self-discipline.

If you do the workouts but dont’ follow the nutrition guide or if you follow the nutrition guide, but don’t stick with the workouts, you won’t get the most out of the program.

If your goal is to increase your overall fitness level by building up muscle, burning fat, improving your cardiovascular activity and are willing to devote some of your time and energy to get there, this will be a wonderful workout program for you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to have cosmetic surgery to look better.  You don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.  You don’t have to guzzle diet pills either.

It’s a fairly simple plan.  Just get a P90X Extreme Training System and do it.  You’ll see the results and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with them.

P90X Review is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

01/20/10 – Here’s my candid P90X review explaining where I’m at right now.

I’m now 49 years old.  I currently weigh 267 lbs.  At my worst I was 310 lbs.

I had gotten down to about 260 a couple of months ago.  I gained back 12 pounds over the holidays while we had our house up for sale and moved to Utah just after Christmas.

I attribute that to not exercising (other than riding my bike) eating poorly.  We ate out a lot more often because we were showing the house up to 30 times a week.

I also think my stress levels were elevated and caused me to add weight.

Since starting P90X about 8 months ago I’ve gotten into better shape, but that’s still relative.

If you’re new to this blog you wouldn’t know that I’ve gone from weighing 185 lbs with 6% body fat to weighing over 310 lbs. with 46% body fat at my worst.

I’m a victim of my own making.  As a kid I got used to eating anything I wanted and never gaining an ounce of fat.

I developed really bad habits and my relationship with food was pretty unhealthy.

I used to work out regularly when I was in college.  I would lift weights for 1 1/2 hours and play racquetball for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week.

I never did it to stay in shape.  I did it because it was fun.

I started my own commercial photography business in 1985.  I became much more sedentary and at that point started gaining weight.

I got up to 240 pounds and was hating life.

Before my 19 year old daughter was born I started playing pick up basketball gains in the park at lunchtime 5 days a week and I got back down to 185 lbs.

My body fat percentage was probably around 12% at that point.

Since then I’ve ballooned up again and have been struggling to get a handle on my predicament.

Ideally, I want to weigh around 210 pounds and have a body fat percentage of about 10%…….that’s my goal.

I’m doing this for me, my wife and my kids.

I want to be healthy, I want to enjoy my years as an older guy.

P90X is a great workout program.  I love it.  The only problem with it is actually a problem with me.

I haven’t been consistent.  I’ll do well for a couple of weeks and then I’ll get out of the habit.

I’ll eat well for a couple of weeks and then I’ll gradually add more junk into my diet and before you know it I’m drinking soda instead of water and eating cookies and ice cream.

I know myself well enough to know I could never go cold turkey on that stuff, but I need to learn how to eat it sparingly instead of daily.

I’m understanding my body better than I did a year ago.

I know that I respond well to eating 5 – 6 smaller meals each day instead of 2 or 3 bigger meals.

I know that if I can exercise regularly for 2 weeks it’s easier for me to keep at it.

I know that if I skip more than 1 day of exercise I have a good chance of bailing out on my workouts for as much as several weeks.

Today is day 7 of P90X workouts for the year 2010.  We moved from Arizona to Utah and we’ve been in this house for 10 days.

I’ve established a routine of working out at 8 am with my wife and sister in law and it’s going well.

I’ve had bronchitis for 3 weeks and that’s been holding me back.  The higher altitude up here is also making it more difficult for me to breath so I’m still not riding my bike.

Eventually I’ll be healthy again and I can go back to riding the bike 45 minutes a day along with my P90X workouts.

The workouts are great…….IF YOU DO THEM CONSISTENTLY.

The consistency problem comes from me, not P90X.

I’m now accountable to my wife and sister in law and I believe that will help me stay on track.

In any case, it’s 8 am and it’s time to pop in the P90X Shoulders and Arms DVD.

I fully expect to reach my fitness goals within this next year.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

P90X Review – Where Am I Now? is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well, we finished day 4 yesterday by doing the P90X Chest, Shoulders & Arms Workout.

It feels so good to be doing P90X consistently.  It’s only been 5 days since I started working out with my wife and sister in law, but I can tell that this is becoming a repeatable routine.

We started working out on Thursday with P90X Shoulders and Arms.  Friday was Kenpo X, Saturday we did Core Synergistics.

We took a break on Sunday and started back up on Monday with Chest, Shoulders & Triceps.

I’m not sure what workout we’ll do this morning, but I know we’ll be doing one of them.

My body is sore in a few places, but not too bad when you consider the intensity of the workouts.

Some of the different types of push ups done in the “chest, shoulders & arms” workout really tax me.

I’m feeling tightness right where my chest attaches to my shoulders.

It’s a good feeling.  That’s one of my favorite parts of working out…….feeling my muscles and being just a little bit sore.

The beauty of the P90X routines is that they work different areas with different exercises from disc to disc.

The soreness I feel in my body moves from day to day to different muscle groups………..I love it.

That feedback from my muscles lets me know the workouts are doing what they’re supposed to do.

The bottom line for me is this – I am at a stage in my life where I can’t wait any longer to get committed to changing my lifestyle.

I started P90X last year and have made a lot of improvements in my life.

I’m eating better than I was.  I’m working out more often than I was.

This year I need to get more consistency.  I know it’s unrealistic for me to cut out sugar completely, it’s just not gonna happen.

Though I can and will do a better job of limiting the amount of sugar I take in.

I have a better system in place this year to keep me on track with my workouts.

I’m basically just piggy backing off of my sister in law since she’s been working out on a daily basis for years.

My wife and I are accountable to her and since she’s coming over to the house in the mornings for P90X with us, we have no excuses.

We have to show up.

In fact, she just walked in so I’ll have to finish this post after today’s P90X butt kicking.

I’m back after an hour of P90X  “X Stretch”.  It felt pretty good.

I definitely need to work on my flexibility.  This workout helped me easily identify the areas of my body I need to work on.

I know that by keeping with it my flexibility will improve.

I’m so glad I’m in a position to be working out every morning.  It just improves my entire outlook for the day as well as gets my body in shape.

If you’ve struggled with your weight year after year or decade after decade you have to make a choice.

I’ve decided that I can’t continue to live my life with an extra 100 pounds.  I’ve lost over 45 pounds and have about 55 more to go.

I know that as I apply what I’ve learned by cycling through the P90X workouts, ride my bike consistently and eat more responsibly I’ll eventually reach my goal.

Maybe I do it in a couple of months, maybe it takes me a couple years.  I am embracing the process and focusing on that as oposed to just focusing on results.

I will be healthier from doing these things, whether or not it immediately shows up on the scale.

My mindset is changing as I do more and more of these workouts.

I’m no longer just hopeful.  I actually expect to succeed at reaching my fitness goals.

I can now see myself at my target weight.  I can picture it in my mind’s eye.

I can feel it, I can taste it.  I will reach it

P90X Workout – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Well today was the third day in a row that I worked out with my wife and my sister in law Melanie.

We popped in the P90X Core Synergistics workout and I think all 3 of us are now sorer than crap.

In spite of any soreness, it feels great to be getting back into the habit of working out.

Core synergistics is a great workout, it covers from your chest to your backside and everything in between.

I can really feel it in my abs as well as my hips.  It’s nice to feel things tightening up as new muscle groups get worked out.

The great thing about the P90X routines is that they switch the training exercises up on each DVD.

Your body doesn’t get too used to one or two specific exercises and then stop responding to them.

I did struggle with my breathing today.  Still feeling the effects of bronchitis as well as the higher altitude up here in Utah.

This worked out a different group of muscles for me as well so those muscles sucked up extra oxygen and left me experiencing some heavy breathing………perv…..lol.

There are several of the exercises that I can barely keep up with and I know that my form isn’t perfect, but I’ve done enough of these P90X workouts to know that over time, I’ll get better and better at them.

Eventually, I’ll master the form and I can increase the intensity as I keep at it.

The trick is not to get discouraged when I feel or look like an idiot trying to pull off some of the more exotic moves  some of the exercises require.

The best thing is this……I feel good working out.  I know that I’m going to be healthier in the long run for doing it.

I know that eventually I’ll get rid of my excess weight and add some extra years to my life.

My overall attitude is better as well when I consistently work out.  It’s much easier to be positive minded.

It’s also nice doing the workout series with someone else.  Having my wife doing it with me is awesome.

I really appreciate her encouragement and help as well as my sister in law’s.

She’s pretty fit already, she and her husband workout a lot.  Tons and tons of running, hiking and racquetball.  She teaches P.E. at the elementary school.

Assembling a support group around has made working out much easier.

Instead of being tempted to stay in bed and blow off working out, I get up because someone else is going to be here and I don’t want to flake on them.

I need all the help I can get at this stage.  I really do want to get over the hump so to speak and change my lifestyle for the rest of my life.

It’s only been 3 days, but I’m off to a great start.

P90X Core Synergistics – My Abs Are Screaming is a post from: Losing weight with P90X