© Tim Pannell Photography

Here we are at the beginning of week # 3 with my  P90X Workouts.By the end of last week I had lost somewhere between 8 and 9 pounds. In just 2 days time I’ve gained back 6 of it somehow. That makes no sense to me….there’s no way to eat that much crap to gain that much weight in less than 2 days.

As frustrated as I was when I got on the scale, I still managed to do my P90X Chest & Back DVD. I’m glad I did it, in spite of how bummed I am about the weight issue. I’m hoping its just some kind of fluke and that tomorrow I’ll get on the scale and the numbers will make sense again. I guess I’ll have to wait for tomorrow to see if that works out.

Today’s workout didn’t feel very strenuous. I did all the different exercises for the entire workout, but I didn’t get the normal workout “buzz” that I usually do after finishing any of the P90X routines. My assumption is that because of my mood, I just wasn’t into it like I normally am.

I’m doing my best to just take one day at a time. I know that if I let the discouragement get to me then I will definitely fail to reach my goals. I’ll play racquetball tonight and get up in the morning and crank out a session of P90X Plyometrics…..ugh! I wish I looked more forward to that workout, but it is definitely a mother for me.

I’ll be in a better frame of mind tomorrow and I’ll get back on the weight loss train.

My youngest son started football camp this morning so he’ll be doing that every morning for the entire week…….it’ll be nice for him to be running around again.

He’s used to playing soccer all year round in Arizona and up here there hasn’t been anything for him to get involved with soccer or football wise. They say it’s too hot in the summer for the regular league teams to play…….are you kidding me!?!?!?!?!?

Anyway…..it’s nice to see him having something to do between now and when the regular football season starts. He was going a little bit stir crazy.

I’m struggling to believe that August is almost here….it still seems like April to me. I inner time clock hasn’t come close to catching up yet.

This is a pivotal week for me with the P90X workouts.  I have to make sure I get through them each day to be able to move forward and continue believing in myself.  Slow and steady progress is just fine with me at this point…I can’t let any disappointment upset what momentum I have.

Starting Week Three P90X Workouts is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

P90x © Tim Pannell Photography

I just finished doing P90X Shoulders & Arms today and feel great. I’ve lost a total of 6 pounds from the beginning of last week and I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about succeeding with my fitness goals.

I have to admit that I fully expected to have lost all my excess weight by now and have struggled to believe I can actually do this at this point.  The only thing that keeps me going is that I’m a lot stronger now than I was a year ago and I know that I’m better off being my size doing P90X regularly than being my size and not doing p90X at all.

After last week and the last couple of days, I do believe I can make this work and reach my overall fitness and weight goals.

I went to the chiropractor today and had him readjust my back as well as my neck and it’s the best I’ve felt in months.  I’m looking forward to a couple hours of racquetball tonight.

210 lbs…….here I come.

P90X Results is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Ok….my P90X review of this last week is……..it was a good week even though I didn’t lose the kind of weight I wanted to.  I did 5 straight days of P90x and played racquetball 4 times for over 2 hours each time.  Here it is the 2nd day of my 2nd week and I’m feeling pretty good right now.

On Monday this week, I did P90X Chest& Back. I was pretty sore, I’ve still got a pulled muscle in my right shoulder as well as my right tricep.  I got through everything but the military push ups.  I could only do a few of those without really hurting those pulled muscles.

My wife insisted I go to a Chiropractor that day to get worked on for the rib issue I’ve been having.  It’s felt as though my lower ribs have been out of place for several weeks now…mostly it just keeps me from taking a full breath.

The Chiropractor was great…I can breath again.  The last time I played racquetball last week….Saturday…..I really had a hard time breathing and bending over because of the pain in my ribs.  The doc said I was ridiculously tight in my thoracic region.  He cracked and popped away and I could feel the tightness subside….at least mostly.

I played racquetball Monday night and was looking forward to being pain free…..instead my left knee decided to be a problem.  It was pinched all night long , making it really difficult to step into any of my shots or run hard and stop quick to swing.  I really struggled and by the time I went home…..I was as hammered as I’ve ever been.

I could barely walk into the house….pathetic.  I didn’t think I’d be moving at all for a day or two, but to my surprise I woke up yesterday and didn’t feel too bad.  I had a submission deadline for a bunch of images I’d created over the last couple of weeks so I didn’t end up doing P90X Plyometrics with my wife. I skipped it…..missed it, but played racquetball last night so at least I didn’t go an entire day without some form of exercise.

To my surprise, I felt great last night when I played.  I was breathing well and moving pretty close to pain free.  The knee was a little tight, but none of the pain was there from the previous evening.  I played for a couple hours….played really well until the last 15 or 20 minutes when I could tell I was running out of gas.  I was up 5 games to 2 at that point, but lost the last 2 games.  LOSER!!!!

Today I’m gonna pop in the P90X Shoulders & Arms DVD and see how my tricep and shoulder respond.  They don’t feel too bad just sitting here typing away.  I think I’ve turned the pain corner with this round of P90X.

I’ve been pretty sore most of last week, but am moving around much better today.  I go to the chiropractor again today at 10.  That should take care of the last couple of issues in my back and neck.  Now I just have to really concentrate on my eating habits and get this weight off once and for all.

P90X Reviews Week Two is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Today is the last day of Week #1 on the P90X workout program.  It was a good week all in all.  I did 5 straight days of P90X.  I ended up playing racquetball yesterday instead of doing a round of P90X.  I just didn’t have time to do both.

My wife, Kim and I did P90X Kenpo X on Friday and it went well.  The only workouts I struggled with this week were Plyometrics and Yoga X.  I just couldn’t get through the entire workouts.

I have a lot of soreness in my elbows.  I have a pulled muscle in my right shoulder as well as my right tricep and that has caused me some problems with the P90X Shoulders & Arms routine.  I pulled the muscles playing racquetball.

I played racquetball 4 times this week for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours each session.  I have a couple of ribs out of place as well, so I will probably take a trip to the chiropractors this week.  The problem with ribs is always one of breathing.  I just can’t get full breaths all the time.

In spite of the ribs keeping me from getting full breaths I am breathing better when working out.  I’m not sucking air playing racquetball quite as badly as I did a few weeks ago.  The problem I’ve had with racquetball this year is a lack of consistency.  I’ll play a couple of days and then miss a couple of weeks.  I just haven’t played enough to get my legs back under me or get my arsenal of shots back to workable numbers.

I have to admit that being 49 years old seems to be a big pain in the butt.  It seems as though some part of my body is always in pain.  Usually it’s my knees, but when they feel good typically some other body part rises to the challenge and makes fussing noises for good measure.

I believe that once I get a handle on my weight that a lot of this day to day pain will go away……lets hope I’m not wrong on that one.

So to recap…..I did 5 straight days of P90x Monday through Friday.  I played racquetball Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

I lost a total of just 4 pounds from a week ago.  It really does seem that I should be able to lose more weight when I’m working out this hard, but I just have to continue being consistent and see what happens.

I am a lot hungrier when I’m working out this much, so I know that I have to be extra careful with what I eat and I don’t always make the wisest of choices in that arena.  One of my biggest problems is staying up too late and eating something just before going to bed.  I guess my will power is just pathetic.  I have to do better with this during the upcoming week.

For the most part it was a pretty good week.  I lost a little weight, I’m breathing better in spite of displaced ribs and my attitude is better.

I’m looking forward to week #2 of P90X and to the results.

P90X Reviews – Week One is a post from: Losing weight with P90X



© Tim Pannell Photography

Today my wife and I did the P90X Chest & Back workout together.  We both love it!

It has been a rare occurrence for us to be able to do P90X together . Her work schedule has been really difficult this last month.

She has to be at work by 6 am so she hasn’t been able to do any of the P90X workouts for over a month.  I haven’t been able to consistently workout for over a month either.

My big problems have been health related for the most part.  I did have 2 weeks when I was shooting photo assignments and was away from home and did a poor job of staying on top of my workouts.

I did push ups and crunches , but that was about all.

Once I got home i tried getting back inot the flow, but struggled this last week.  I finally went and played racquetball on Tuesday night just to try to jump start myself back into doing something physical.

It was fun to play again, although I pushed myself too hard and pulled a muscle on my right side.

It felt better this morning so I decided to put in the P90X Chest & Back DVD and do it with my wife.

Her sister can’t workout for a while since she just had her gall bladder removed.

It was nice to be working out with my wife again….it just makes the whole thing more fun to do.  We both noticed a drop in our ability to do the exercises.

My numbers dropped off by about 25% on half of the exercises and stayed the same on the rest, but I was a lot more out of breath than I was a month ago when I was doing P90X on a more consistent basis.

I know I will be sore tomorrow, but it’s a good sore.  I love feeling the muscles in my body and these workouts really do bring that about.

Kim might be changing jobs in the next week and we’re looking forward to being able to do P90X together every morning.

It helps us both with our overall attitude and well being.  We both have better outlooks when we’re working out and the benefits show up in just about every aspect of our lives.

Stress is reduced, we get some valuable time to spend together and everything else seems to fall into place.

I’m looking forward to next week……I really do love the P90X workouts!

P90X – Chest & Back – I Love This Workout is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

© Tim Pannell Photography

Here it is April 5th and I’m starting a new round of P90X.

Today is day #1.

Last week was a take it easy week for me.

I did P90X Chest and Back on Monday and I did P90X Plyometrics on Wednesday.

I also played racquetball for a few hours during the week.

I will be following the standard P0X Workout Schedule.

The previous round of P90X was pretty successful for me on a number of levels, but I failed on the “weight loss” front.

I am much stronger.  My arms are at least one inch bigger than 3 months ago.

I was more consistent with the previous set of P90X than ever before.

It really helped doing the workouts with my wife and sister in law.

It was much easier staying committed to the entire workout schedule and program than ever before.

My wife is now working from 6 am til 2 pm so the P90X trio has  been broken up for the moment.

My wife and I just finished P90X Chest and Back this morning since she has today off.

It was nice to have a workout buddy again.

I was surprisingly toasty toast today.

I fully expected to be full of energy since I took it so easy last week.

It wasn’t the case….I was breathing much heavier than I normally do.

Maybe its from all the crap I ate yesterday…..that’s my guess anyway.

In any case…..here I am, making another commitment to another 90 days of P90X.

This time around I have just one goal……LOSE WEIGHT!!!!!

I’m gunning for at least 30 pounds.  I know that my biggest problem is my eating habits.

Back in AZ I would start my mornings with a “Shakeology” shake and that really helped me get my eating habits in control.

When we moved up here to Utah, I just couldn’t bring myself to drink a cold shake since it was so cold up here.

I think in hindsight that really hurt me.  I have been much hungrier up here than back in AZ and I believe that the lack of Shakeology is the culprit.

After I’m done with this post I’m gonna make a shake and get my day started off on the right foot.

I slept well last night, I got in a great workout and I’ll start off today eating wisely.

It sounds like a good plan to me.

Have a great day! I know I will.

P90X – Next Round – Day One is a post from: Losing weight with P90X

P90x © Tim Pannell Photography

Well…….here I am sitting in my family room all dressed up to play a little racquetball.

I haven’t played since last August when I hyper extended my knee and had difficulty walking for longer than I’d care to remember.

I swore I’d never play the game again, it took too long to recover last time.

My brother in law plays 2 – 3 times a week and honestly……the game calls to me.

I started playing in high school and college.

I got away from the game for a long time and then got back into it about 6 years ago.

Getting hurt last November was not in the cards.  I hated getting hurt and I hated leaving the game even more.

I miss it.  I love it.

It is hands down the best outlet for any frustrations I’m going through.

I am going to take it easy and see what happens.

If the knee feels the least bit weak…I’m gonna bail out.

I’ve done just shy of 3 months worth of P90X and feel a lot stronger than I’ve been in a while.

My knee feels strong and I’ve built up a lot more muscle to support my joints.

I should be ok…I’ll keep you all posted.

Well……..I survived.  We played for 2 hours, nothing popped, nothing pulled, nothing strained, nothing broke…..life is good.

I didn’t play worth crap, but I didn’t have to be carried off the court. What a winner I am!

My shots were off.  I can’t even count how many unforced errors I had….pathetic.

I have to retrain my reflexes to not immediately react to the ball.

It’s always like that after having not played for a while.

You want to react to where the ball will end up, not where it’s heading.

I don’t know if that makes any sense if you don’t play racquetball.

The ball bounces a lot in racquetball and unless it’s hit to a perfect spot, it will most likely bounce to an area where you can reach it without running everywhere chasing after it like an idiot.

It’s not like tennis where once the ball goes by you the point is over.

A well placed shot won’t give you an opportunity to hit it once it gets by you.  With experience you learn which ones to go for and which ones to let by you and pick up on the rebound.

You might be wondering what any of this has to do with P90X workouts so here ya go:

I’m not really sore today.  If I played 2 + hours without doing p90x for the last 3 months, I’d be crawling out of bed.

I would hardly be able to walk.  My knees would be killing me, my ankles would be swollen and my feet would be completely shot.

My quads aren’t sore, my calves aren’t on fire…..I feel good.

Today I’ll pop in the P90X Chest and Back DVD.

The weight isn’t coming off in spite of my consistently working out each week.

Toady I’m gonna work on a better eating plan.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  If any of you that are reading have had any success with an easy to follow menu please comment.

Just a warning….if it involves weighing, ridiculous amounts of calorie counting I will be doomed to failure!

Have an amazing day!

P90X – Racquetball, Again? Are you Nuts? 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

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

© Tim Pannell Photography

I’ve had a crappy 3 weeks.  I think I only did 2 P90X workouts during the entire time.  It’s definitely time to reboot and start over.

I could spout off with a bunch of false bravado about how I’m doing so well at this or that, but the truth is that in spite of all the inspirational quotes I surround myself with, I’ve fallen into the “doldrums.”

Well……..no more!!  Pity parties suck and are a waste of time, but they’re easy to fall prey to.

I’m getting back into it starting today.  No more excuses.  I still weigh in at 263lbs.  and I’m happy that I haven’t gained back any weight over the last 3 weeks.

I’ve barely done any P90X at all over that period.  I’ve been on the stationary bike several times, but nothing consistent.

I just allowed myself to get sidetracked with work and taxes and putting our house on the market.

I’m learning that if I don’t get up in the morning and do my workout within about 45 minutes of getting up, it becomes really easy to not get around to it that day.

I’m not going to beat myself up over the last few weeks.  I just want to learn from my mistakes and move forward….it’s a new day.

If any of you have struggled at times like I have with being consistent, try taking it just one day at a time and recommit yourself to make the effort necessary to change your life.

I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m far ahead of where I was when starting out back in April.  Any time that I find myself getting discouraged I start to make a mental list of the things I’ve changed in my life over the last 5 or 6 months.

I’m eating healthier foods.  I’m only eating fast food 1 or 2 times a month – still room for improvement, but miles ahead of where I was a year ago.  I’ve become much stronger.

My knees are in much better shape that they were a year ago.  I had a little blip with my left knee a couple months back, but it’s better now.

I’m still eating ice cream occasionally, but I’m not serving it up in a bucket – LOL – smaller portions – no guilt.

At the beginning of this journey of mine I decided to embrace long range goals.  Slow, methodical, long lasting lifestyle changes.  I have to admit that there are times that I’ve been discouraged, but overall I’m pleased with how I’ve done so far.

After all, it took me 18 years to gain my extra 125 pounds.  It’s entirely unrealistic to think I can take it all off in no time at all.

I have 53 more pounds to lose and if it takes me another year to lose it, that’s just fine with me.

P90X – Time to Reboot is a post from: Losing weight with P90X