JPoissonify: Battle Log

[JPoissonify]

BATTLE LOG ENTRY 01:

 

Today I start my pathway to fitness. I'm using the NF 6 Week Challenge as a Catalyses to make the changes I've known I need to make for a long time. In the past I've started exercising and eating better but allowed the constraints of my schedule and job become an excuse. I'm a Cinematographer for Indie Film, this career means odd work hours, long days and not the most healthy foods to eat on set.

 

Every time I would get somewhere- Including loosing 25 pounds after 3 weeks of P90X I would let myself fall off the wagon. I would skip days because a 60 minute work out before or after a 12 hour day wasn't something I wanted to do. Or I would pick up a candy bar on set for fast energy kick instead of fruit. Before I knew it I wasn't working out at all and was gaining all the weight I lost back.

 

No more, I need to break this schedule. I'm going to use the accountability on NF to do this. Additionally I've chosen a better program for my weight loss- P90X3 since it only 30 minute workouts. This I can do. Additionally I will ease myself into eating better. Every time before I would just cut out everything bad which left me craving them and ultimately lead me to have a 'cheat day' which would become days.

 

My 1st Challenge Can Be Found HERE.

 

Today is my first day of P90X3 which is Total Synergistics.

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Just did my first day of P90X3, it kicked my ass and I struggled but I manged everything. Some modified and not as many reps as required but I'll work my way up.

The 30 minute change in the system is both a blessing and a curse. Not really any breaks but time flies by. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow but that's ok.

Nutrition I've done well today, good meals and kept snacks healthy. Only had one 10 ounce soda.

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Into Day 3 of P90X3 and holy crap am I sore. I knew it was going to happen but you forget how much wheb you're typically not a fitness person/someone as out of shape as I am. Today is Yoga in the schedule. I'm not looking forward to it as I struggle with it considerably. I'm pretty flexible but I'm heavy so to say I struggle to keep each pose and movement is a freaking understatement.

I'll be doing that in a little while.

Eating front I'm doing a good job- Sticking with only one soda a day, choosing better options for meals. That part is easier since I do like cooking. Snack wise doing mostly well, faulter today with a snack cake but considering what I use to normal eat that's not bad. I would rather not make the slip up a regular habit but I won't beat myself up over it just yet. Just strive to keep such snacks to a minimum at best.

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Just finished Day 4 of P90X3- 'The Challenge' which is a series of pushups/pulls alternating for 30 minutes with only 3 60 second breaks. The Challenge part (besides all of it) is you set your numbers X Pullups, X Pushups for every group ahead of time and try to match it.

Before I get into that I'll talk about yesterday's Yoga. It was very difficult, I stumbled out of form often, a lot, pretty much everything. I did watch the video twice before actually doing it but still got a bit behind having to watch pose before executing. It was way, way tougher the Agility. Hopefully being more familiar with it next week I'll do better.

Now back 'The Challenge' I did good but did have to modify. I do the pushups on my knees and use bands instead of an actual pullup. I try to get the most tension I can throughout and do a hold st the end before releasing each 'pullup'. Pushups I have the most trouble/shallowish with Military style.

Food wise I'm doing well, even got my brother to actually buy no horrible snack foods his grocery trip this evening. He's the snack cake/ice cream king but not anywhere as unfit as me.

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Day 05 went well I filmed during the day, as the Cinematographer/Camera Operator I had to lots of shoulder mount shots, moving around an intense scene. I was worried I wouldn't be able to hold the camera up for long takes due to how sore I was for the first three days but I was able to my job with no problems which was great. And despite there being candy and other crap on set I stuck to my fruits, nuts, etc as healthy snack options instead.

 

The workout for the day was called CVX which is a leg routine with a hint of cardo. Tough with the fact legs were worked out slightly in every other workout this week but I did it with pretty much no modifications. Today is 'The Warrior' which is a Bootcamp like workout. It'll mark my 6th and last workout for the week. Day 7 is a rest day. It'll also make the first time I've done actual full week of a P90X program without having a make up day. Typically I would do like Day 1-3 and then make for my rest day and then do 4-6. That would then leave me no rest day between 6 and next week day 1 so I would then typically do 1 and 2 days, skip, do 3-5, skip, do day 6 and then be a day behind the schedule. It would snow ball from there and by the end of week three I would be so off schedule I would either give up or vow to start completely fresh in a week or two, which would not always happen.

 

Having to come on NF and post has helped me make sure I do my 30 minutes and is helping me make my goal of actually doing the full 90 day schedule. By the end of this 6 week challenge I'll be 1/2 through the program, a point I've never gotten to before, and on my way to finish the whole 90 days.

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About to do the first workout for Week 2 of the cycle. 'The Warrior' Workout on Saturday was hard but good at the same. Rest day on Sunday was much needed.

 

Nutrition is still going strong, even going out with friends for dinner Sunday evening I made sure to get a cucumber salad instead of fries.

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First two days of Week 2 went well. Pushed harder, going 100% instead of the 80% I pushed week one

Soreness has considerably gone away. After a workout I'll feel it but its minimal by next day. Day 2 was 'Agility' I sweat my ass off but worked hard.

I do believe I'm getting a cold, have some congestion in my chest but not going to let it interfere with the schedule. If I feel really bad I will still work out but lower intensity. Hoping it doesn't come to that.

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Day 03 Week 2 was Yoga and thanks to Cavemom's suggestion I made a cheat sheet which helped me memorize the sequences and.not stumble due to looking up. It was still tough but went a lot smoother

Much more happy with my efforts.

Today was 'The Challenge' with makes you set goals ahead of time on a series of pullups and pushups. I exceeded my Week 1 numbers and even did 8 wide pushups regular instead of on my knees.

Cold is still special and causing me issues but not preventing me from pushing myself.

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Sweated the most I have in Day 05 of Week 2's workout 'CVX'- Cardo Leg Routine. One more day this week- 'The Warrior' and then Rest Day. Every day at this point marks a new milestone in sticking to working out. I'm pretty proud of that and I think having to come here and report has an awful lot to do with that. Having a cold there where two days I didn't want to do anything but I didn't want to report I had already failed less then 2 weeks into the 6 week challenge. So I sucked it up and I'm happier for it.

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First Workout of Week 3 schedule starts shortly. Last week of the first block of exercises. Next week is a recovery week with more flexibility workouts in place of strength and cardo. Then new 3 week schedule of exercises for Block 2.

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3 Days of Week 3 down, 3 Days left. Pushing myself more each time, next week all new workouts for recovery week.

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Finished last workout of week 3. This week I was able to 32 pushups, cut out soda and a few 'super burpees'. I'll post a more detailed report tomorrow.

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Been busy with work to get on here but been able to keep up working out daily. In my 3rd day of the 4th week which is a transition week. Pretty much all new exercise routines.

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Today is the last workout for Week 4 of Block 1 of P90X3 which is Yoga X3 and then tomorrow is rest day and last day of Month 1. Its a pretty cool mile stone, never actually committed to working out and stuck to it for this long before. Tomorrow I will weigh myself and see how much I officially lost pounds wise. I've been keeping track of inches and I know I have lost several across the board so I know something is going on even if the actual weight difference isn't significant yet.

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Crazy to think I'm now on my 2nd month of working out. Today starts a whole new series of work outs for three weeks. I need to weigh myself, didn't get a chance this morning hoping to get to it tomorrow or Wednesday the latest so I know my progress in the department from Month 1.

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Weight Loss Results for Month 1: Loss of 8 lbs, 4 1/2 inches off my waist, 2 1/2 off hips, 1 off thighs and upper arms.

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Last work out for Week 5- a pretty intense cardo work out. Tomorrow is a delightful day off and then Week 6 starts. I'll be adding a 15 minutes core strengthening work out every other day starting Monday.

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Week 6 Day 1 Workout about to commence with an additional 15 minute core routine as well.

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Half way through Week 6. Kind of crazy to think I've maintained working out and eating better for this long. Honestly its the longest I've committed to this by three fold. Today is a leg strengthening exercise routine. Hoping to improve on what I did last week, increase depth in some of the squats and maintain balance better.

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Last workout of Week 6 Challenge starts shortly which marks the half way point of my first round of P90X3.

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6 Week Challenge #1 Report (Jan 6th- Feb 16 2014)

 

MAIN GOAL: Start Healthy Habits- Kick Start Weight Loss.

I'm using these first 6 week challenge to start healthy habits that in the past I have failed to solidify. This will give me the foundation to finally solidify the steps I need to take to loose weight and become a fit person. These habits include but are not limited to Regular Exercise, Better Eating Habits, Being Accountable by reporting to NF on my Battle Log.

 

• RESULTS: For the first time ever I actually stuck to working out for more then two weeks without skipping a day in the planned schedule. Even through getting sick, having some random crap thrown my way and having to learn to modify or know the workouts better I stayed with it and am determined to continue this streak. Better Eating Habits have also gone pretty good: I managed to 95% cut out soda- I drink a cup very once and a while, I've gone back to cooking 90% of my meals which allows me to choose better options for myself. I've done a good job keeping it healthy but have room for improvement. Biggest challenge with this was trying to get my brother on board as he is my roommate. He still buys some crap but I typically ignore it and he just eats it all. Accountability wise I've been using NF to keep myself motivated even on the tough days. I report progress and missteps and read other's postings to see results are possible.

 

QUEST 1: Start P90X3 Classic Cycle on January 6th. This is a 6 Exercise Schedule that includes strength and cardo. In the past I tried P90X 1 which had long workouts, average 58 minutes. I had some success in loosing weight but would fall off the bandwagon due to my odd work schedule as a Cinematographer for Indie Film. This new version is 30 minutes only leaving me no excuse. I typically faltered 3 weeks in, this 6 week Challenge will force me to get 1/2 way through the 90 day schedule which will set up the habit and drive to continue all the way through the full 90 days.

 

• RESULTS: For 6 Weeks Straight I have worked out 6 days a week doing the first half of P90X3 Classic Cycle without a slip up. I'm kind of amazed, I've never done more then like 2 weeks of solid working out and that still included missing a day or two. I'll be continuing the rest of P90X3 Classic Cycle which is 6 more weeks and one recovery week as my goals don't end with the 6 Week Challenge.

 

QUEST 2: Reduce Unhealthy Snacking/Soda Drinking. I will cut my Soda Intake to 1 A Day, replacing my cravings for it with Tea with a small amount of honey. I will vow to reach for healthy snacks- Fruit, Vegetables, etc instead of Cookies and Snack Cakes. My ultimate goal is to follow a Paleo like diet but I'm realistic to the fact that an instant change will lead to failure. I might slowly walk towards this goal.

• RESULTS: I've pretty much cut my Soda drinking to zero, I have a cup of soda maybe once or twice a week. It was pretty easy, I was kind of surprised. I thought I'd get caffeine headaches but using the tea the first week cancelled that out or I just got lucky and didn't get any. Rest of my eating has improved a lot. Before I was eating fast food a lot, pizza and lots of junk food in general. Now I cook pretty much everything, I keep my snacks mostly to fruits, vegetables, etc. When I do eat something unhealthy I look at what it is first and either go with a different not so healthy option or only eat half. There is still room for improvement in my eating as I want to get closer to a Paleo like diet but I'm impressed with the leaps and bounds I've made thus far.

QUEST 3: Accountability: I will Report my Exercise and Eating Habits- Both Failures and Successes to NF via this and my battle log at least every other day. In the past I would hide my attempts to loose weight and get fit and that allowed me to make excuses to not do it.

• RESULTS: This is my 50th post on NF which means I've been keeping up with reporting in. I had one week where I could only get on here every two days but rest of the time I reported in at least every other day and often every day.

 

LIFE GOAL: Make Time Daily to do Zazen. I sit Zazen regularly from time to time and I feel more focused and relaxed when I do so. I need to make an effort to do it daily and keep myself in balance.

 

• RESULTS: I'm not 100% at daily Zazen practice but I'm getting there. I average about 4 times a week and plan on using the rest of workout routine I'm doing to connect them together totally and make it a daily practice.

 

TOTAL RESULTS: I've lost 13 1/2 pounds in the 6 weeks. Additionally I've lost 5 1/2 inches off my waist, 3 off my hips, 1 1/2 off my legs and 2 off my arms. Most of my pants don't fit so well which is good but I can't completely fit into some older pants, they are still too tight so it'll be belt time until I can bridge the gap. I can also do actual pushups which I pretty much haven't been able to do since I was like 17 and even then it was only a few. On days I have to do it I am racking up about 45 and then doing the rest in 1/2 plank position. I want to get more depth and have to do less on my knees. Cardo wise I can keep up longer during it with taking less breaks and far less modifications.

Now to finish the rest of P90X3. Today is Week 7 Day 1.

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Week 7 Day 03 of P90X3- Yoga today. A bit sick, a head cold but otherwise all is good. Thinking about the goals for my next 6 Week Challenge here on NF.

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Last week was busy. Finished the 2nd Block of P90X3 Strong, despite not feeling 100%. This week starts Transition Phase similar to Week 4. It also marks my first day of my 2nd 6 Week Challenge on NF. You can read it here: Challenge 2.

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This week is 'Get Back On Task' Week after last week's epic fail.  I didn't make up the workout I missed as planned and I didn't do my bonus workout on Thursday or Sunday last week. I dodged set food options as much as possible but not as much as I would have liked. Friday I still kept as my Paleo day and Sunday evening as my new recipe day. Both of those don't make up for Saturday which was 1/2 good eating and 1/2 terrible eating day.

 

This week is going better thus far- Doing bonus workout for today shortly.

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This week going strong, just did yoga and a bonus cardo session.