Losing weight with P90X

Posts Tagged ‘p90x review’

P90X Review – Legs & Back

By Tim Pannell On February 18, 2010 3 Comments

Any of you that have followed my blog for any length of time know that I have knee issues.

I broke my leg skiing when I was 17 years old.  The problem was that I didn’t know it was broken for 3 weeks.

I finally went in to see the doctor about the pain and since it had been 3 weeks he was convinced I had a badly bruised shin bone.

Two days later when I was getting ready to take an architectural school project into Philly to be judged, my bone popped out it’s socket.

We went in for xrays and that’s when they discovered my leg had been broken.

I’ve had problems with that kneecap ever since.

On my 18th birthday I had to have 2/3 of the meniscus removed.

I’ve played a lot of racquetball the last 6 years and it has taken a toll on both my knees.

2 years ago I started doing prolotherapy on both knees.

The procedure was extremely successful on my right knee, but less so on my left.

When I started doing P90X workouts 8 or 9 months ago for the first time, both of my knees got stronger and I could notice a huge difference.

I was practically pain free for the first time in years.

Several months ago, while playing racquetball, I wrenched my left knee and have had quite a lot of pain off and on ever since.

I haven’t played racquetball since that incident.  I miss it terribly.  It is hands down my favorite sport to play.  So much fun!!!!!

Since finishing my latest snow covered photo shoot here in Utah I got back into the daily P90X routine once again.

2 days ago we did P90X Yoga X and it kicked my butt again.

Yesterday was P90X Shoulders and Arms and I felt great after that one.

Today we popped P90X Legs and Back or maybe it’s P90X Back and Legs, I always mix it around.

In any case…….my legs were burning big time this morning.

It was a great workout, but I deliberately took it a little easy because I just don’t want to wreck my knees anymore than they are already.

I paced myself and didn’t put too much pressure on either of my knees.  I did all the exercises without using any dumbbells just to be safe.

Anytime I felt any twinge in my knees I backed off a little bit.

The exercises for the back are similar to the exercises in the P90X Back and Biceps workout.

I got my heart rate up and was sweating a lot more than I expected to.

I know that this P90X Legs and Back DVD will help strengthen my leg muscles which will in turn give my knees a lot more support.

All in all I feel pretty good.  My legs are already a little tight, not sure if I’ll be getting up the stairs easily tonight or not…..I guess I’ll see.

P90X Review – How Plyometrics Kicked My Butt

By Tim Pannell On February 2, 2010 3 Comments

Here I am, 1 day shy of 3 weeks into the P90X workout routine.

Today, Kim, Melanie and I did P90X Plyometrics and it absolutely kicked my butt.

My legs burned bigtime during this workout.

I have to be honest.  Most of the P90X workouts have numerous exercises that I enjoy and look forward to.

This one does not until the very end when it mimics baseball pitching, basketball shooting and football drills.

I have spent a lot of time over the last year riding a recumbent bike, but that did not prepare me for this workout.

This was the first time I did Plyometrics because of my left knee missing close to 80% of its cartilage.

I managed to do all of the exercises, when I got overly exhausted I would slow down the pace.  THe only exercise that I could not do was “hot foot.”

Instead of jumping on just one foot at a time I had to use both feet to stabilize my left knee.

This workout has a lot of aerobic emphasis on it and left me out of breath more than almost all the other P90X workouts.

So far, Plyometrics is my least favorite of the P90X series.  It’s the one disc where my lack of fitness is extremely self evident.

There are a number of exercises on the Plyometrics dvd that leave me feeling a little spastic and uncoordinated.

That’s not a bad thing, it just shows my weaknesses in a major way.

From this point on I will be doing this workout routinely in order to work on those weaknesses that it exposed today.

If you try this one, make sure you were well rested and hydrated.

There are good examples on the dvd showing how to do these workouts ranging from high to low intensity.

One of the trainers on the dvd has a prosthetic leg which ensured that I wouldn’t belly ache about my knee.

It was impressive to see this guy working out hard and keeping up.

Inspirational to say the least.

Here’s my review of the P90X Plyometrics disc – I am more spent and tires after doing this workout than any of the other 11 except maybe ab ripper X.

It’s a great workout that will leave you exhausted if you watch your form and do the exercises right.

P90X Review – 2 Weeks and Counting

By Tim Pannell On January 27, 2010 1 Comment

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

By Tim Pannell On January 21, 2010 No Comments

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 – Where Am I Now?

By Tim Pannell On January 20, 2010 No Comments

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.

Does P90X Really Work?

By Tim Pannell On August 3, 2009 2 Comments

A lot of my friends keep asking me…...does P90X really work? All I can tell them about is my experience.  I can’t guarantee that the P90X workout will work for anyone else given that not everyone else will use it the same way I have.

Not everyone will stick to the schedule.  I would say this though, anyone who truly sticks to the workouts will see results.  I would love to hear from anyone that actually did the workouts and after all was said and done believed that they got zero results.

I don’t believe that that’s even a possibility.  P90X workouts were designed for people that are already in pretty good shape.  I am not one of those somebodies.  In the past 19 years I’ve weighed as little as 185 and as much as 310 lbs.

I’m currently at 268 and have been plateaued there for a few weeks.  I know that some of you might be saying that P90X says it’s designed specifically to avoid “plateauing”.  So you say………….there’s proof that it doesn’t work!

Before you go thinking that it’s P90X that doesn’t work, let me assure you that in this case the “plateauing” was caused by none other than me not working.

We took a family vacation for a week and I lost most if not all of my momentum that week.  I wrote a post earlier about how easy it is to do P90X if you travel.  I should have clarified that post by saying “if you travel by yourself on business trips.”

We were visiting family and I did a lousy job of keeping up with it.  I only did 1 workout that week if I remember correctly and went golfing twice.

I love to golf, but come on, nobody ever got ripped from golfing.  Tiger has a great physique, but we all know that he didn’t get it by golfing.  He trains like a lunatic in the gym.

I have no one to blame but myself for that week, but it definitely took a toll on my momentum.  Thankfully, I got back into the swing of things once we got home.

The other struggle I had that week was what I was eating.  I took in a lot more fatty foods than I had been eating at home and I could really feel the difference.  I was pretty tired and lethargic for most of the week.

The big difference for me at this stage of having done the P90X routines for the last 3 months is that I’ve learned not to beat myself up for the days that I’m less than stellar.  The past is the past, tomorrow is tomorrow.  the only thing I can control, is what I do with my life today.

For many of you that might not sound like a big deal, but let me assure you it is.  In the past I would beat myself up for any missteps, and since my past is loaded with plenty of missteps you can imagine how negative my “self talk” became.

I still have 58 pounds to lose.  The cool thing for me is that I KNOW that I will lose it. The other cool thing for me is that I don’t have to get down to 210 lbs. to enjoy the benefits of P90X training.

I’m already enjoying them even though I’m still overweight.  I am pain free in my joints, especially my knees.  That’s HUGE!!!

I have gained muscle, especially in my arms.  I am noticeably stronger.  My resting heart rate is lower than when I started the program.  How many 268 lb. guys do you know with a resting heart rate of 58 beats a minute?  Not bad, right?

The biggest eye opener for me of how much better shape I’m in was this:

I hadn’t played racquetball in over 3 months because my partner hurt his knee.  Usually after that long of a layoff the first couple of days back on the court are excruciating.

After a couple of long drawn out points, I would be sucking wind so badly I couldn’t breath.  Mike and I played again a few weeks back and I never once was out of breath.

Now some of you might be picturing a couple of old bald fat guys swinging their racquets like Peter Pan.  It’s just 1 bald fat guy….me.  You may have seen guys dogging it on the court, hitting the ball underhanded as they jog to and fro like a couple of “english gentlemen” in  some kind of sick mama’s boy badminton experiment.
That’s not us!  We play hard.  Mike and I both hit the ball over 160 miles an hour and even though I’m big, I can move pretty quickly.  Mike has close to a 48 inch vertical leap and is faster than anyone else I’ve ever played.  He played collegiate volleyball, so diving on the floor to keep balls in play is pretty common stuff for him.

I have to hit absolutely perfect shots to beat him, he gets to everything….it’s infuriating!  No one should be allowed to be that fast.

In any case, there was an obvious difference in my fitness level when we hit the court for the first time in 3 months.  I’m impressed at how much the P90X workouts improved my overall health and  fitness levels over that time period.

I did not do this program like some kind of “uber-robot”.  In the past 3 months I have skipped days, I have done 1/2 the workout on some days.  Some days I’ve done 2 workouts.  I have not been as consistent as I intended to be, and my diet hasn’t always been spectacular, but I’ve experienced plenty of great results from P90X.

P90X really does work!

P90X Workout Review – Attitude Adjustment – 07/13/09

By Tim Pannell On July 13, 2009 No Comments

Last week was actually not a great week.  I got through the 4th of July weekend and actually lost weight.  Monday morning I weighed in at 268 lbs.  and was feeling fantastic.

The problem shift in attitude happened after  I ate a bunch of junk that I’d been avoiding for the previous month or so.  My oldest daughter also had a birthday on Wednesday last week and I ate cake and ice cream then as well.

In and of itself, that’s probably not such a big deal, but we had extra ice cream laying around the house….well, not actually laying around the house, but calling out to me from the freezer non stop.

I had some ice cream several days in a row and what I noticed was that I had less and less desire to work out once I started systematically filling my pie hole with a lot of junk.

In full confession mode here…..I’ve always liked ice cream, but I became and addict when my wife worked at Baskin Robbins while we were in college and I got used to eating it everyday.

In fact BR is absolutely responsible for me gaining 25 pounds shortly after Kim and I got married.  It was the first time in my life that I ever even had a weight issue.

Now that you know the history, you’ll understand a bit better why this is so frustrating to me.  I know better, I know I need to be careful around ice cream.  It’s not like my fitness quest is over, far from it.  It is a setback though.

Had I continued last week the way I had the previous week, I probably would have lost an additional 2 or 3 pounds.  Instead I hung out in limbo for a week.

The interesting thing is the shift in my attitude.  Prior to the ice cream binge, I couldn’t wait to get to my workout because it always felt so good.  The last several days have been difficult for me to get motivated.

I”m sitting here writing instead of lifting weights and riding the bike.  So……that being said, I’m gonna stop writing for the moment and go workout, even if I’m not totally fired up about it.  I’ll be back in an hour and a half……………..

It’s 2 hours later and I’m feeling a lot better.  I rode the bike for 55 minutes and I upped it’s intensity from 3 to 4.  Then I did an hour of P90X Shoulders & Arms even though I was scheduled to do Back & Chest.

My arms felt weak and wimpy so I decided to start the week with my favorite set of exercises.  I’m really glad I worked through my bad attitude and just did my workout.  My body feels great, my arms are nice and tingly and I have a great “fitness” buzz on.  My mind is clear now and I’m ready to tackle the week.

I know that there are people out there that once they commit to something they seem to never stumble, but when it comes to working out or eating a certain way, I’m not one of them.  I’m going to have a few “down days”.

I’m not making excuses here…….I plan on doing better, but I’m not going to beat myself up for having a set back.  That won’t help me reach my ultimate goal.  So I’m gonna sit down and take a good long look at what I did last week and how it effected my overall plan and then I will learn from it.

All I can do today is start back on course and make a change for the better.  I put in a good 2 hour workout and I feel great!  That’s success in my book.  The past is now in my past.  I can actually do something in the present to have a positive effect on my future.

If you’ve struggled or are currently struggling with your weight, look at the past only to learn from it and then make a plan and stick to it.

Hang in there and don’t let the little or even the big setbacks get you down on yourself.  Just keep moving forward and before you know it you’ll be hitting your fitness goals and maybe even moving above and beyond your health related goals.

Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from claiming what’s rightfully yours.  It’s your body, it’s your health…..own it for crying out loud!

If I can get into shape, then anyone can.  If you’re on the fence, what are you waiting for.  There will never be a better time to start than right now.  Try the p90x workouts, try a gym membership, get a personal trainer, whatever works or will work for you.  Make a choice and follow it up with a bigtime commitment!

If you are waiting for an attitude adjustment to start working out, flip it around and workout so you get the attitude adjustment you want.  Just close your eyes and bull your way through it if you have to, but I can guarantee you’ll feel better once you’ve done it.

The times you feel least like working out are probably the most important times to actually get your butt off the couch and start moving.

Special thanks to condron.us for promoting the Fatboy Fitness Blog, we appreciate it!

P90X Reviews – Can I Do P90X If I Travel a Lot?

By Tim Pannell On July 10, 2009 1 Comment

I get a lot of people contacting me, wondering if P90X will work for them if they travel frequently for business and find themselves on the road.

This is an easy question for me to answer since I travel quite often for my commercial photography business.  In the last couple of years, I’ve been to Africa, Spain, France, Greece, Costa Rica, Vancouver, Whistler, London, Norway and Prague.  I love all those frequent flyer miles!

P90X workouts are easily adaptable for someone that finds themselves on the road.  Assuming you have a laptop to watch your P90X routines on or a dvd player in your hotel room, the only other thing you need is a set of the B-Line Resistance Bands and towels to keep the great big pools of sweat from ruining the hotel room floor carpet.

They’re super light weight and can fit anywhere in your luggage without really making a dent on your weight limit on any of the airlines.  Those excess baggage fees have become ridiculous lately.

The workouts are a little different and take a little bit of effort to get used to when compared to using dumbbells and the pull up bar.  But you’d have to be a completely uncoordinated weenie to not be able to pull this off.  If that is the case,  you have bigger problems than your weight or lack of fitness.  It does mix things up from the norm though and that helps with muscle confusion.

I like being able to workout in my own hotel room instead of heading down to the hotel gym and fighting over the small amount of equipment usually available.

All in all, P90X travels well and easily.  Anyone concerned about the effectiveness of the training when on the road, has no need to be.  P90X works great whether you’re at home or at a hotel in the latin quarter of Paris with a view of Notre Dame.

P90X Review – Shoulders & Arms

By Tim Pannell On July 10, 2009 5 Comments

My plan is to review each of the 12 P90X workouts over the next couple of weeks.  One a day as I do each of them.  When I’m finished you’ll have 12 P90X reviews to pick from to decide where you want to start your workout routine.

Out of all 12 of the P90X workouts, P90X Shoulders and Arms is my absolute favorite.  I have to admit right up front that I will be biased with this review.

It starts out basically the same way all the others do, with a typical Tony Horton 10 -12 minute warmup with jumping jacks and running in place, “riding the pony”, as well as some good neck stretches with “head rolls” and arm circles that really get in there and burn your shoulders.

Then it’s off to the races.  You jump right in with alternating shoulder presses to start working your shoulders.  From there you do “in and out” bicep curls, these are my favorites because when you’re finished your biceps are completely on fire.

You start working on your triceps next with two arm tricep kickbacks which is a great exercise to explode your triceps.

After these 3 exercises you go back to the beginning and start the process all over again.  This repeats itself throughout the entire DVD.  Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps and repeat.

Each set has a different set of 3 exercises that works those specific muscles in that specific order.  At the end of each set Tony does 30 seconds of ballistic stretching to let you catch your breath.

You’ll upright swimmer presses, static arm curls, chair dips, upright rows, hammer curls and a list of other classic weightlifting exercises.

By the time the DVD is over you will have done 2 complete sets of 5 different exercises for each of the targeted areas and you will be fried, but in a good way.

I love how this workout makes my arms feel.  By the end of this P90X DVD,  my arms are so pumped up it feels amazing.  It’s my favorite way to start my day now and that’s pretty amazing in it’s own right since just a few short months ago my morning routine consisted of sitting on the couch to watch ESPN or the news.

In 2 months I added an inch of muscle to my arms……pretty cool!

P90X Workout Reviews – Fatboy Fitness – 7/6/09

By Tim Pannell On July 6, 2009 1 Comment

Well, I made it through the 4th of July weekend and I porked out pretty well over the it, and yet…da…..dada…..daaaa! I’ve still lost weight! I’m now down to 268 and it feels like my body has finally turned the corner.

My body is actually looking for reasons to let go of it’s excess weight. In the past I’ve experienced the opposite feeling. No matter how hard or often I worked out my body would still put on weight.

I think that in my situation, I’ve been overweight for so long that it just took some time for it to get turned around. I’m just glad I hung in there long enough with the P90X workouts to start seeing the results.

Initially, I only wanted to lose 1 – 2 pounds a week and that is still my goal. This last week I lost a total of 4 pounds. I’m just going to put my head down and keep bulling forward.

I’m eating better foods. I eat more often during the day and am getting used to smaller portions. I am riding the recumbent bike about 45 minutes to an hour each day and doing 1 round of P90X everyday.

My favorite P90X to date is P90X shoulders and arms, followed by P90X chest and back. I know now if I stick with it I will be able to reach my ultimate goal of 210 within several months.

I also know that I’ll be able to keep the weight off. I have become quite used to the P90X workouts and on the rare days that I don’t get one in, I truly miss it. I love the buzz I get from pushing my body to the point where it wants to give up and I manage to go even further.

I’ve come a long way in just 2 months and look forward to seeing how much more progress I can make in the next 2 months.

Today, I get to start playing racquetball again, I can’t wait. I absolutely love that sport and have been missing it badly ever since my partner tore up his knee. He finally got cleared by his doctor to start playing again.

For anyone out there that is more than 30 pounds overweight, please read this: Don’t get discouraged if you actually start gaining weight when you start using the P90X workouts. I gained 8 pounds over the first several weeks and it wasn’t until about the 5th or 6th week that I actually started to lose weight on the scale.

Since that point I’ve lost about 15 pounds. In the last 2 weeks alone I’m averaging about 4 -5 pounds of fat loss each week. It’s worth hanging in there long enough to see those results. For the first time in a long time I can actually believe that I’m going to get back into great shape.

Gotta go, it’s time for my workout. Have an amazing day everybody!