Graduation and beyond

I did it! On 7/1/2010 I completed my 91st P90X workout. I am incredibly proud, and profoundly shocked, that I stuck with it. The bottom line for me is, exercising has so many more payoffs than not exercising: I sleep better, I get a huge endorphin rush, my chronic neck pain subsides considerably (that's counterintuitive, I know, but it's true), and I just feel better about myself. I'm a mom who pushes her kids to attend every sports practice (barring illness), and now I'm walking the talk.

About a week before my completion, I needed to make a decision as to what I would do on Day 92, and beyond. I purchased Insanity and Chalene Johnson's Turbo Extreme; two other Beachbody-produced DVD programs.

After careful consideration, polling friends, reviewing the new programs, and upon reflection, I've decided to not fix what's not broke....and do P90X Round 2! I took two days off, and pushed play on 7/4.

I didn't execute Round 1 perfectly: I skipped Yoga X sometimes (ok, a lot). I still do all of my pull ups with the assistance of a chair. If Tony says, "now we're going to the bonus round" near the end of a DVD, I fast forward to the cool down. So I can still grow (or shrink) with this program. And I still have the diet/eating component to consider. Some day. Not today. But soon.

Who's with me? Who's pushin' play at home? What's your favorite workout DVD? Why?

P90X Day One, 4/1/2010. I'm a little bit sketchy whether this is the right photo... I MAY have mistakenly deleted my Day 1 photos off the camera before downloading them...but I'm pretty sure this was Day One. As you can see I was in serious need of new workout clothes, and some bi/tri/ab/quad toning. If I DID delete said photo(s) I believe it was a subconscious attempt to "purge" the old me, and commit to progress.

Today is Day 84 of my "first" journey. Still deciding what/how I'm going to "Just Push Play" on Day 92....but certain that I'm going to.

A little background: I have been an at-home exerciser for 20+ years; I've always hated the gym. I'm the chick who can't take her shirt off at the water park/pool/beach....ever, so the gym is just torture for me. I always loved and used my trusty Nordic Track skier through my late teens, twenties and beyond; progressed to a few video tapes in my mid-twenties. Really fashioned myself a home gym in about 2001: Lots of dumbbells, 30, then 40, now 60+ videos and DVDs; and my awesome Nordic Track elliptical. I have no excuse NOT to be fit.

My kids (now 11 and 12) were trained at an early age to NOT BUG MOM while she's working out unless A. The house is on fire (small kitchen fires don't count), or B. Someone has lost a limb (fingers and toes don't count). The kids know now that a mommy who gets her daily endorphin Rx is a happy mommy....much more likely to say yes to a sleep over, an impromptu fun family night, driving a kid to the movies.

Now, just because I am totally set up to succeed, it doesn't mean I always do what I need to do. Some months, and years, I am a workout animal...6 days a week. Sadly other months and years I fall way, way off the wagon, and the wagon backs over me. The dumbbells collect dust, the ladies in the videos stay young and cute (but some are horribly out of fashion, I must say); and I am a LUMP.

NOW, right now.....NO MORE LUMP. I will take it one day at a time, but I WILL work out a bare minimum of 4 days a week for the rest of my life. THIS time is different; and this is the reason I've decided to blog/journal/what have you.

In the next few entries I'll be speaking specifically of P90X and my specific effort to NOT modify diet for this part of my journey. That may (and I hope it does) change soon here...but I knew that making drastic changes in my eating would be difficult, if not impossible while also making drastic changes in my fitness commitment. In hindsight, that was the right decision for me.

Who exercises at home? Who loves the gym? Who eats better than me (don't answer that, all you bitches do)?

Home Stretch-Now what?

I began P90X on April 1st. To be honest, I NEVER thought I'd make it through the program. Ever. I am a chronic quitter, a fair weather exerciser, and I tend to get bored, or in an exercise rut easily.

Now here I am. I can see the finish line. I'm on Week 12, day 1. NOW WHAT? P90X again? Insanity? P90X classic (I did the "lean" rotation)? Cathe Freidrich's STS program?

This is my 60 day photo, taken a few weeks back. I will post the whole "series", once I'm a bona fide graduate.