Day 32: Week 5 day 4- Yoga

Yoga was fantastic yesterday. A nice afternoon workout. Gwen and Doug both worked out with us. Earlier in the day I had set up a mirror (from one of the bathrooms or bedrooms original to the house) in the media room. It's huge! It will be lots of fun working out with the mirror in there, being able to see if I've got correct form. It was kind of hot in the room yesterday, though. Kind of like hot yoga... ;)
Found out that my cousin Stephanie finished round 1 a few days ago and got started on round 2 today! I'm so excited for her. I know how it feels to not want to stop!

Been looking at material for my job starting in 2 weeks...excited and more than a little nervous, I admit. There's so much to learn. I'm a little intimidated. But I think the more I become familiar with the material, the better, right?

Legs and Back today. Bring it On!

~Pam

Day 31-Week 5 day 3-Back and Biceps

It's been a while since I last posted...sorry about that! A lot has happened. On Friday, in the afternoon, I got a phone call from LADWP. They offered me a job, and I accepted. The job starts on the 27th of February, so I'm trying really hard to prepare myself so I'm not completely overwhelmed on my first day. We've been working out in the meantime, I promise! Friday we did some Core Synergistics, Saturday Yoga. Both were great workouts. Sunday we went to visit Jeff and Juri in San Diego to watch the SuperBowl, and dropped in to see Peggy, Russ, and Emily on the way.
Monday, we started week 5 with some Chest, Shoulders, and Triceps. Doug came over and worked out with us...Tuesday Gwen did some Plyometrics with us (she burned 930 calories!).
This morning, when Matt came home from work at 720 am, we got our workout on. I'll admit that I wasn't too keen on waking up to do it, but I pushed through and I'm glad I did. Back and Biceps is a short but tough workout. Really works those biceps! (Imagine that :) Then, of course, some ab ripper x action afterwards...

Feeling pretty good. Took some measurements on Sunday. Next post, I'll post my results :)

~Pam

Day 25-our first Stretch X

Well, today was a continuation of the Recovery week, and the first time this round of doing the Stretch. Just what the doctor ordered! Matt was in a little bit of a grumpy mood-he was tired and hungry by the time we started. We had spent all morning working on the cars-washing and changing the oil. So by the time we started, it was about lunch time, and we were both hungry. But we stretched it up, and felt pretty darn good afterward. We ate our protein bars, drank our recovery drinks, and I cooked up lunch and dinner (yes, I'm a super rockstar, I know...) I grilled a steak for steak and arugula salad for lunch, then grilled two hamburgers for some cheeseburgers with quinoa and broccoli for dinner. Pretty tasty, if I do say so myself :)
Oh, goody, tomorrow is Core Synergistics again....Should be fun doing it with Matt :)

~Pam

Day 24 AKA Week 4, Day 3

Kenpo X :) I do still love this workout. I feel like I work up an amazing sweat every time. Just keep kicking and punching. If there's any pent-up aggression, this is the workout to take it out! Matt and I worked out together, starting at noon. This morning was a lazy morning. Matt got home after 11 and then he decided to do his Core Synergistics workout. What a beast! So he didn't get to bed until after midnight. 9 am came around, and we lazed in bed until about 10. Then we had some soy sausage sandwiches for breakfast, waited a couple hours and worked out. Finished around 1, I got lunch going (after our recovery drink/protein bar), showered, and got Matt off to work. Busy morning! I'm feeling pretty sore after Core yesterday. I'm glad we get a rest from Ab Ripper, but that's really the only rest we get this week! It's more of a recovery week.

As a sneak peek to Sunday's numbers, I will tell you the scale made me very happy this morning, and I'm down about 5 pounds so far! :) Very.Very.Happy!

Days 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Ok, so I know I haven't posted so much these last few days (almost a week) but I promise we did all the workouts!

Thursday- Yoga, just me and Matt. A first!
Friday- Legs and Back---this workout was really hard for me to finish. I didn't quite get to do ab ripper, either, since I had so much nausea...
Saturday-Kenpo. A butt kicker, as usual. Peggy and the girls showed up after and we went sightseeing!
Sunday-Rest day
Monday-Day 22. Yoga. Matt and I together, again, this time with Doug coming over after Matt got off work.
Tuesday-Day 23. Core Synergistics. What a tough workout! Gwen, Doug, and I worked out together. I was sweating like crazy! Matt worked a double today, but he won't get out of doing this workout since we get to do it one more time this week :)

~Pam

PS. Sunday we'll be taking measurements and pictures.

Day 17 (already?) Shoulders and Arms + Abs

I love this workout for the simplicity of it. Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps. Over and over again. I did pretty well today. We worked out around 11 this morning. Was feeling pretty good. Upped my weight or reps on all my exercises. And then Ab Ripper hit me. I did all the reps on every exercise until we got to leg climbs, and the nausea hit! I couldn't go any further. I'm thinking I might not have eaten enough yesterday and it caught up to me. Just a thought, though....I made sure to eat enough today. Matt was so great helping me try to feel better. I DO feel a little better now, as I'm sitting here writing this. Looking forward to Yoga tomorrow :)

~Pam

Day 16-Plyo X

What a butt kicking workout today! Matt, Gwen and I were all sweating like crazy! Gwen burned 1000 calories! we all pushed eachother to work harder, and keep going. It was our first workout together, and I'm sure we were all showing off for each other :) Gwen did fantastic. Matt kept pushing us. I need to work on form.

Great workout!
~Pam

Day 14-Rest. Day 15-Chest and Back Plus Ab Ripper

Sunday we took the day off. I'm glad we did.

Monday morning, the HVAC guys were back to complete the install. We worked out around them, though. Doug came over around 9 am and we did a bunch of push ups and pull ups. Then we did ab ripper, and I have to say, its hard to find improvement there. I'm doing almost every rep. But I did improve on one exercise with 1 more rep :)

PS. My interview was today. :) I'm glad it's over. I'm hoping it went well!

~Pam

Day 13-Kenpo X

Saturday saw us doing Kenpo. I wasn't in a good mood all day. I was pretty stressed out about the upcoming interview, and I'm afraid I didn't feel like working out. But I pushed through and did it. :)

~Pam

Day 12-Legs and Back plus Ab Ripper

Today we had to work out a little later than we usually do. We didn't get going until around 5. And since we ate protein bars before the workout...we both dealt with nausea pretty much the whole workout. But, speaking for myself, I pushed really hard and made vast improvements over last week. I took a preworkout drink, which I think gave me the energy to finish strong. And, let me tell you. I think I only DIDN'T do 4 reps of Abs :) I'm definitely getting stronger. I need to work on form, now. And make it work!
Tomorrow is Kenpo. I think maybe DOug will come over. Also, Gwen didn't do her workout today since there were HVAC guys working all day. SO I'm going to encourage her to workout when she gets home around 11 tonight. Matt's going in for an overtime shift tonight; he's napping right now.

Dinner time!

~Pam

Day 11-Yoga X

Yesterday (Thursday) Matt worked from 7 am to 11 pm. But that didn't stop me from doing my workout for the day. Doug came over after work and we did some Yoga. It was a great workout. My muscles felt all tingly afterwards. I love how it stretches you out, which is just what you need in the middle of a P90X workout week. I still struggle with the standing splits, Half Moon, crane, Plough, and some of the ab exercises. BUt I just do my best, and I feel so much better afterwards. The phone kept ringing during the workout, though, which was a little frustrating. Its hard to concentrate on the moves when the phone won't shut up. :)

~Pam

Day 10-Shoulders and Arms plus Ab Ripper

Man, oh, man. What a workout. I really pushed myself, especially those last few reps. I'm getting really nervous for my interview coming up on monday, and I really needed to relieve a little bit of stress. Again, I improved a bit on Ab Ripper. I can't wait until I can do the whole workout again nonstop. I remember that feeling and it was AWESOME! Still, I'm working hard, and getting better every time. I'll be feeling it in my biceps tomorrow!

~Pam

Day 9-Plyometrics

Yesterday (tuesday) Doug came over and he, Matt and I kicked some Plyo Bootay! It was an awesome workout. We were all pouring with sweat. We did the whole thing this time. DOug made it through the workout, and we all did the bonus exercises! What a workout!!!

~Pam

Day 8-chest and back

Monday Doug came over after work and we worked out. Pushups and pullups. Plus Ab Ripper :) It was a great workout, and a great break during the day, since we were working on power stuff all day. I really pushed it and was feeling it the next day! I'm getting better with Ab Ripper- I'm doing more reps each time I do it!

~Pam

Day 7-Kenpo X

Sunday, January 15th-Yes! I love this workout. It's moving, and grooving. Fun, fun, fun! Seriously. I'd actually forgotten how much fun it was. Matt worked until 3, then Doug came over and we worked out together. The sweat was pouring, let me tell you! I felt like a million bucks afterward. Might have something to do with the pre-workout drink I consumed...that stuff tastes awful, but gives you so much energy! It's kind of expensive, so I'll hold off on it for when I REALLY need it :)

I made up a menu yesterday for the whole week. I figured out what I would LIKE to eat from last week's menu. I added up all my calories for the day, as well. I have just a few groceries to buy. Maybe I'll get that done today.

Doug is going to come over again today at 3 to do Chest & Back. Who would believe, but he's stayed caught up with us! And Gwen, too! She's still got to workout for today, I think, but she's stayed on track, has made up her own menu, is making it work with her work schedule. I'm so proud!

Well, lots of work to do today. I'll make one more entry for when I finish the workout this afternoon. I think I need a snack.. :)

~Pam

Day 6-Rest day

Since Matt had to work a double shift on Saturday, we decided to take that as a rest day and continue with the workout on Sunday. That means day 7 would be Kenpo...I was so excited. You see, Kenpo is my favorite workout.
So, after Matt went in to work at 11 pm Friday night, and got off work at 3 pm Saturday afternoon, he took a little nap. Then, we got all dressed up and went to a retirement party for one of the guys  Matt works with. So much fun! Reconnected with people I'd met previously, met some new friends, and ate some good food. I think I did pretty well-I had steamed vegetables, a salad, and a chicken breast, plus some roast. Not too, shabby. Oh, I did have some cheesecake for dessert, but who could blame me? I did so well all week, I needed a reward! ;)

~Pam

Legs & Back

Woke up this morning at 4am and worked out (Matt's schedule is crazy the next few days). I kinda like working out in the morning, first thing. Although, I had a rough time trying to sleep at 9pm last night; kept waking up about every hour. I was paranoid that we wouldn't wake up in time to work out for some reason. Legs and Back is a pretty fun workout. Heavy on the legs, that's for sure. I'm really feeling it, even a few hours later. Feel it in the glutes! It was a little different working out with just me and Matt. Brought back memories of round 1, working out in the wee morning hours before he rushed off to work. Made breakfast of cheese scramble and turkey bacon. There was more, but I knew Matt wouldn't eat it :) It feels good to be done! With the exception of Ab Ripper X, of course. I think we reached our limit at the end of the workout and decided to hold off on abs until this afternoon. Here's to hoping Matt can come home, do abs, take a quick shower, sleep, and get up to go to work again tonight! Whew!

~Pam

Day 4 Yoga X

Thursday afternoon Doug came over and we did Yoga. I forgot how much I liked this workout. I felt so good afterwards. So relaxed. I still can't do all of the moves. Standing stilts kills me, as well as half moon and twisting half moon. But, guess what! I was able to do Crane for a few seconds! Yeah! I didn't attempt plough, because my back is still a little finicky. Yoga Belly 7 is still difficult for me. But I love the end of the workout, when you do the corpse pose and the ohms.... :)

Great workout!

~Pam

Day 3-Shoulders and Arms plus Ab Ripper X

Ok, can I just say how difficult it was to roll out of bed this morning! Painful to the extreme! I'm starting to remember how this program feels again. I was pretty sluggish, but I made breakfast for Matt (spinach scramble with 1/2 grapefruit and skim milk), and got him out the door. I did some laundry today, did some studying {oh, yeah, I got called in for an interview! Next Monday, which gives me a little over a week to prepare myself. Wish me luck!}, vacuumed, did the dishes, Had lunch (chicken salad with veggie soup) and waited for Matt to get home from work so we could work out. I'll admit; when I saw Gwen working out earlier in the day, I was jealous. It's nice to get the workout over with. But, on the other hand, it's nice to have a routine, as well. Working out at the same time every day is nice, too! Doug came over again, and we had a pretty nice workout. I'm extremely sore, and I feel like every movement is pain. But I stuck it out, ramping up the weight at the end for the last few reps, just to push myself. We have worksheets for all the workouts this round, even Ab Ripper, which I really like. I'm able to keep track of even miniscule progress during that workout and feel pretty darn good about it. Hey, even an extra rep than last time is an improvement, right? That post workout recovery drink is one of my favorite parts of the day!

Well, now that dinner is cooked (we had tilapia with pesto sauce, wild rice, and more veggie soup) , dishes are done, and I can finally relax a bit, I have to say that even though I'm extremely sore and tired, I feel pretty good. I can't wait for the changes in my body to start happening. I know they will. It's just a matter of time.

~Pam

Day 2-Plyo X

Dang! I forgot how difficult this workout is! The Mother of All Workouts, indeed. Doug came over again to work out with us, and I'm glad we had some external motivation, because Matt and I both weren't really feeling it at the start. Once we got going, I definitely got more into it. Matt took some sort of pre-workout mix, and he had so much energy, even at the end. Much more than I did ;) I kept telling myself that Gwen made it through earlier today, so I HAD to keep going. Sweat dripping down by the end, and we didn't do the bonus exercises, but I feel really good now that we finished!

We got our shipment with the Accelerade Recovery drink, and it tasted really good after that workout! I also had a protein bar to supplement, and I'm feeling pretty good. Probably should shower, though...

Yesterday we had red pepper soup, with salmon and pesto, plus asparagus. Tonight we get turkey, gravy, and butternut squash soup. I've already made the soup (thank goodness) and now just need to finish getting the rest of it ready :)

Yeah for P90X!

Day 1

Awesome, awesome, awesome workout today. Chest & Back with Ab Ripper X at the end. Our friend Doug came over after work to start this journey with us. I'm glad he came over! It was awesome getting back into the swing of things. The music started up, and I had all sorts of flashbacks to the last time we did these workouts. Am I sore right now? Yes! Am I going to be more sore tomorrow? Absolutely! But it is going to be so worth it!

On a side note, Gwen is starting the workouts, too! I was so proud to see her working out this morning! Keep it up, Gwen! (She worked out in the morning due to her work schedule.)

Plyo X tomorrow. Looking forward to it...gonna BRING IT!

And The Numbers Are....

Here are my (Pam) numbers for day 1:

Weight:140
Chest: 36
Waist: 33
Hips: 41
Right Thigh: 22.5
Left Thigh: 22.5
Right Arm: 12.5
Left Arm: 12

I'll leave it up to Matt to post his numbers if he's interested!

Unfortunately, for those of you who are keeping track, my numbers are almost up to the same as they were when I first started this program...back in 2009! I'm definitely in better shape than I was then, and I know that my clothes are a lot smaller now than then. In fact, my bf% back then was in the 30's and its around 17% right now. So, I'm a lot different, but still...I'm just going to have to Bring It! and work extra hard. Get back what I worked so hard to get before. I can do it! It's just a matter of working hard, eating right, committing, and deciding to succeed. This is going to be AWESOME!

~Pam

Fit Test

Well, I guess we really are starting this! We just took the fit test today, and I'm getting really, really excited to get this thing started. We've decided to follow the meal plan, at least for the first month, and went grocery shopping today. I've never bought so many different kinds of vegetables! I forgot just how much FOOD you have to eat when you're doing this program! It should be fun. As a a matter of fact, Matt is out at the grocery store picking up the items we couldn't get at Costco. Either they didn't have it, or we needed such a small quantity that it wasn't worth getting it there. Tonight we'll have our last night of pasta for about a month, and then it's onto plenty of protein, fruits and veggies, and protein powder :) I can't wait!

On a side note, I may have convinced my sister, Gwen, to participate. I hope she's ready to BRING IT!!! :)

~Pam

Decide

While I was at my sister's house last month, I decided something. I've got to take control of my life and get back what I once gained. I NEED to do P90X again. I told Matt, and he agreed to do it with me, and then he got a couple guys from work to commit, also. We're going to start on January 9th. I'm ready to BRING IT!

For Christmas, Matt surprised me with P90X2. Takes it to a whole new level. Once I do another round of P90X, I'll be ready to tackle the newest challenge. Wish me luck!

~Pam

PS. Before pictures and measurements to come. :)