Fin

Boom! Obligatory weight loss big pants shot.

Well, I guess this is my final post.  I was really trying to think of something to tie it all together, like a list of things I've learned or something similar, but I have more of a collection of feelings and experiences now rather than a coherent summary statements.  I could say a lot of things, but they would probably only make sense to people that have gone through it.  So I guess I am telling anyone who is reading this and hasn't tried the PCP to do it.  It will change you for the better.

I did learn a lot of things, but mostly about myself.  Some of the most obvious things I learned that would be applicable to everyone include: Losing weight is easy.  Getting ripped is hard.  Diet is the most important lifestyle change you can make.  More important than you can even imagine until you do it.  And it's actually relatively easy, you just gotta stick to it.  Having a support group like Team Cookie Monster helps.  I went on a sugar binge yesterday (a baked a bunch of vegan desserts this weekend in anticipation), got a lousy high from it, felt sick, and couldn't wait to get back to my balanced diet the next day.  When you eat balanced, eating out of that balance makes you feel like crap, and you just want to get right back in that balanced state.  I also spent a lot of time really thinking about what I eat, what I put into my body, how it makes me feel, how it impacts those around me, how it impacts the world at large.  These are all very important points for everyone to think about for themselves, but it's so easy to overlook when you can get so much calorie dense food for so cheap in our society and not have to worry or think about where it comes from.  Really, if we have the need to worship something, it should be the food we eat.  It really is that important.

And to Team Cookie Monster, we did it.  I sincerely appreciate everyone's support as well reading about everyone's successes and lessons learned.

I leave you with me baking, mostly because I like the juxtaposition of the Arm&Hammer box next to my guns.

Day 89

Technically, it's day 90 here, I'm not ready to do my last post, and I didn't have internet access all weekend.  Yesterday's super-set was actually really fun.  I prefer the full body exercises like pull-ups and push-ups, so throwing several full body exercises into one set was pretty much the bees knees.  I also realized of all the things I've learned doing this project, the most important for me can be summed up in one word...vegetables.  I can no longer imagine a meal without fresh veggies, and cannot fathom how I went so long eating so few of them.  Anywho, back to work, full blown last post coming up, most likely tomorrow.

Gym Visit

Since I'm a graduate student, I'm already on campus a huge portion of my life and I'm required to pay fees for our Student Recreation Center, which is code for a fancy gym.  You know, pool, indoor track, weights, the works.  So as part of our homework assignment, I stopped by today.  I don't really hate gyms, but can't say I like them either.  There are always people grinding away on some cardio or weight machine and it really seems like 90% of people there have no idea what they're doing.  We've just been trained culturally that if we put in our time, our lives will be better.  Unfortunately, if you don't work out intelligently or with sincerity, this just simply isn't true.  So yeah, a lot of overweight people on exercises bikes, a lot of dudes that look really strong but also pretty damn fat.  The thing that really bothers me most about gyms, though, is that people drive there.  I realize that some people live far away and want to lift, but it's on a damn college campus.  How hard is it to walk the 5-10 minutes to get there?  Why would you drive somewhere just to run on a treadmill when walking there and back would get you the same workout?  And be better for the environment?

No Title

I think I have finally lost the remaining bit of Thanksgiving, or about the same fat level as before.  So I'm really excited about this week, the final push.  For PCP of course, not for life, I really can't imagine life now without working out regularly.  One technical question about planks though.  Has anyone else had problems breathing while performing them?  It didn't seem to be an issue for me until the last couple of weeks, but sometimes I have to stop them short, not because of the burn, but because I start feeling light headed.  I just can't seem to figure the breathing out now.  Also, the long planks really kill my shoulders, I think I tense up my entire body too much.

Life choices

Another day of PCP.   It's funny, I don't really think of this as a count down anymore, as I know I will continue on with most of these habits after day 90.  Also, I don't think I will have quite reached peak condition for my body after day 90, although I know I'm close.

One of the big reasons I chose this project was because my mental state was really inconsistent.  I thought a major part of it had to do with the work environment I was in, but I also knew I wasn't in great shape and I  definitely wasn't eating well.  I needed to tease out whether it was truly the work or if it was just a body/mind issue.  So I thought if I put in a serious effort to make these changes I would see a vast mental improvement.  Unfortunately, while my body was getting better, I wasn't improving mentally.  So this week I made some major changes at work.  I'll blog more about it this week when everything is finalized, but needless to say a major burden has been lifted and all the mental goodness that comes along with a well-tuned body is finally coming through.  I realize this is kinda vague, so like I said, more details to come.

Another Day Closer

It's so nice to be back eating PCP again.  I definitely gained a little fat over break, but it's already melting away a bit.  Although I think that might have screwed up chances for a six pack by the time our 90 days is up, I'm not too concerned.  This wasn't really about body image for me but about cultivating healthier habits.  It's amazing that we can eat so much delicious, real food and still get more and more trim.

I'm Back

Hello Team Cookie Monster!  I apologize for the length between my last few posts, we traveled to my wife's family's place for Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, there was no internet at her Tia's house (tia is Spanish for aunt, so if you learn one thing from me, there is a new vocab word).  While the entire PCP project thus far has been a great learning experience, there was massive failure on this trip.  I guess failing  is also a great learning experience though.

The diet was almost non-existent during this time.  Part of it was my personality is very not forceful, and I work very hard to not inconvenience people, especially when I'm a guest.  And my wife's family is Mexican, so the cultural and language barrier just made it that much more difficult.  As a male, it's culturally important for the females to make sure the man is always taken care of (my wife was raised in the US, so we don't follow this at home, thank goodness).  Which means that food is constantly forced on me.  And since I was a guest, food was constantly forced on me.  And me saying no means food was constantly forced on me.  I don't mean to say some of it wasn't delicious, but actually most of it was way too salty or sugary or both.  I have never felt so unhealthy.  I know this isn't true, because I have been more unhealthy in my life before, but my body has been cleansed of so many bad things since this project started that the constant salt and sugar just made me feel absolutely terrible.  I felt bloated the whole time, my bowel movements were totally messed up, and I was constantly craving raw vegetables.  Also, so much salt and lack of fresh fruits and vegetables just left me feeling constantly dehydrated.  I could not drink enough water to feel sated.  I think it would have been much easier just to claim I was a vegetarian, as everyone just said I was too skinny to worry about the food.  And I was not allowed in the kitchen, as that would have been rude on my part and because that's just not the place for the man to be.  I felt really bad about myself when I got home late last night as I feel I let everyone down.  But it also just made me more committed to making the life choices that PCP is instilling a permanent part of who I am.

I don't want to make it sound like it was horrible, I had a lot of fun.  There was plenty of singing and dancing involved.  And it was really funny that my wife's mother and I both understand rudimentary English and Spanish, respectively, so she would ask me questions in Spanish and I would answer in English, and we both understood each other.  We just both lacked the confidence to make the jump into the other's language.  But I never want to eat like that again in my life, it would have been so much more enjoyable if my body would have felt better.

It was also nice to be away from work and to have time to think about what's really important.  It seems obvious, but health and family is so much more important than anything else you do in life.

Also, as I mentioned before, I had to chance to read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer while I was on break.  A really, really good read, and gave me the push I need to decide to become a vegan.  I am going to wait after PCP is over to make the change, but I think it's an important and necessary choice for me.  I went to buy some chicken today and just thinking about where it came from made me put it down in disgust.  So I guess I'm just lacto ovo pescatarian the next couple of weeks, which will give me time to research how to transition.

Well, long post, two more weeks team. JFD

Thanksgiving madness

Sorry I've been a really crappy teammate lately, but hanging out at my wife's family's place for Thanksgiving. No internet and no time. I'll blog all about it in a couple of days. I did just get to read Eating Animals though, highly recommended.

Day 70 - Super Bonus Workout

New pictures up, I definitely feel stronger.  We got over a foot of snow the past couple days, and the city hasn't gotten to the sidewalks I usually take to work, so I trudged through the foot high snow, uphill, for a mile.  It felt awesome, and it's absolutely gorgeous outside right now.

A few night ago, I made my evening snack into a smoothie.  It tasted pretty good, but I noticed I drank the whole thing way faster than if I would have eaten the pieces individually, and I felt kinda sick afterward.  I think there's something to be said for slowly chewing your food.

I've also been really curious about animal proteins.  I know we've evolved to eat them, and that our bodies can utilize them more efficiently than plant based proteins.  But is it still possible to achieve the strong, lean looks we've been getting without them?  I know it's probably not feasible in the 90 days of PCP, but I'm asking more long term.  Just been especially bothered by where my food comes from lately.

Day 68

I find it hard to believe we're so close to the end.  I actually find blogging really hard right now as I feel PCP has just become a routine part of my life and there's just not much to say about it.  I'm not much of a talker anyway, and one thing I've learned is that blogging is not my forte.

The exercises have been going extremely well this week, I don't know if it's the small dose of carbs right before, but it seems like I'm can push harder than before.  That pumped feeling after you go to failure is great.

Still waiting on my new Nike Speed Rope to arrive, this leather rope is just too light and I can't get used to it.  But that's minor, just enjoying the program, keeping my head down, and sweating through.

Day 66

I ordered a Nike Speed Rope, but got a leather one in the mean time.  The weight is so much different from what I'm used to, and it's a little bit longer than my other one, so it's like learning to jump rope all over again.  Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it is more difficult, making my jump roping workout a bit more intense.

Has anyone else been trying food combinations you wouldn't have thought of before?  I know most people eat fruit with their oatmeal in the morning, but I haven't had oatmeal yet cause it seems so blah.  But this morning I made steel cut oats with avocados and green onions...delicious.  I cannot believe how far we've come on so many fronts.  Nice work Team Cookie Monster, we're close to being done with the project, but I feel like we've made some lasting changes to our lifestyles.

Day 63 - Jump rope blues

Two days in a row without a full set of jumps...aarrrgggh. Yesterday I was about halfway finished when some two dogs ran my way and started barkin' up a storm. They weren't threatening, just annoying, so I just walked a ways up the street and continued jumping. Except they followed, and since it was six thirty in the morning and I didn't want to wake the whole apartment complex up, I let the dogs win. So I went for a run later in the day instead. And now that our carbs are so low, I can see the advantage of carbo loading. Never noticed before since my diet was so crappy, but my energy level was pretty low after about 20 minutes. Anywho, no dogs this morning, but three minutes into the first set, snap, broken jumprope. Seriously, this damn thing only lasted two weeks. I think it's because I'm getting better at jumping, as the first one I wore through was worn along a long stretch of the rope, but this was concentrated in one small area. So I think I'm gonna stock up this time. Also, has anyone tried the leather ropes? Think they're more resistant to wear than rubber ones?

Day 61

A quick question.  Has anyone ever heard that it's harder to lose that last little bit of weight when it's cold as opposed to the warmer months?  This adipose business seems extremely tenacious.  I can see it's shrinking a little bit each week, but damn, that stuff is stubborn.  Sounds like it's going relatively well for everyone.  I'm enjoying the morning jumps, it's kinda nice jumping when it's still in the 30s (Fahrenheit) outside, a good way to wake up in the morning.  Although I haven't been getting too many people commenting on the difference in appearance, most because hair covers my entire head and face and warm clothes hide the difference in physique.  And I still need new pants, now they just look kinda baggy and sloppy.

Day 59

Once again, not much to report.  Waking up for jumps, grunting through the exercises, eating the amazing fresh fruits and vegetables.  I'm super happy we get to eat fruit again for the evening snack.  Just wanted to take this post to thank all my team members for all the work everyone has put in so far.  I think it's incredible we can come together from all over the world for a project like this.  When I feel the hurt, it's nice to know other people are doing the same thing to make our lives and those of us around us a little bit better.  So thank you all.  And thanks to the earth for pomegranates and brussel sprouts.

Day 56

Finally posted some new pics.  I had the pictures taken without the flash this time so my cracker skin wouldn't be too washed out and you can see the definition better due to the contrast.

Other than that, not too much to report.  I'm loving jump roping in the morning.  And I think with the new jump rope weighing slightly more (since the rubber isn't worn down), I can get a faster turnover rate.  I actually counted today, and the 4X4mins I could get almost 2000 jumps in.  Who would have though, didn't we start at about 250 jumps?  And my calves are finally starting to no longer get sore from jump roping.  Would like to say something more insightful, but it's just a nice, steady grind, nothing extraordinary.  JFD Team Cookie Monster, JFD.

Day 53 - Breakthrough

It's a breakthrough of sorts.  I wore my first jump rope down to nothing and broke through it.  So I need to go purchase a new one today.  I decided to get up and go for a 30 minute jog this morning since I didn't have a jump rope.  A few observations: Running is a lot harder when you haven't eaten in twelve hours.  Even a slow jog.  I mean, I still felt good during and afterwards, but could tell I was missing some energy.  I also noticed that running at 8 o'clock on a Saturday morning, every other runner or walker I passed made eye contact and gave a greeting.  Every single one.  So a question?  Was everyone confident and friendly because that's the type of person that exercises on a Saturday morning?  Or are these people not normally like that, but they sense some kind of kindred connection because we're doing the same thing at the same time?  I usually make eye contact and nod at everyone I see, but I notice that on a daily basis, 99% of people avoid eye contact.  I realize I look kind of like a homeless dude right now, but even when I was clean cut I saw this.  Just found it interesting.

Day 51

Time is flying, jeez.  I've been waking up and doing the jumping in the morning all week, it's kind of nice to have it out of the way and feel productive right when you wake up.  And you get the added bonus of jump starting the ol' metabolism, so sweet.

And now, indulgence description time.  I actually wasn't craving anything in particular, and nothing sounded especially necessary, but I haven't gone out to dinner with my wife since PCP started and I have definitely missed that.  So I went with steak fajitas:

I chose steak as I haven't eaten any beef since PCP started.  And I chose fajitas as they still have tomatoes, onions, and a few colors of peppers added.  I avoided the chips and salsa, and only had one bite of beans and rice.  Those things were just kind of salty and bland tasting actually.  As for the actual fajitas, well, the vegetables were way overcooked and had almost no flavor.  Seriously, I eat this stuff raw several times a week and know that peppers, onions, and tomatoes are packed with flavor...where was it?  Less nutritious and less tasty?  Lame!  Overall, the meal was just kind of blah, I could make it better at home, both in taste, nutrition, and value.  Although it was nice to go out with my wife and enjoy time together.

But the story is not over.  My last indulgence was some ice cream, which made my stomach feel kind of bloated and caused me to burp for maybe an hour after I ate it.  Well, it turns out that must be my body's reaction to overcooked, overseasoned food, as the exact same reaction happened this time.  I just felt really bloated and then burped constantly for a couple of hours this time.  And then after I jump roped this morning, I noticed in the mirror that my abs weren't as defined as yesterday morning.  Damn indulgence.  I'm ready for this day of PCP food, that stuff just didn't work for me.

Day 49

Alright, finally feeling back on track.  Woke up early and did the jump ropes this morning, which made me feel way hungrier throughout the day but also made me feel like I had more energy.  This weekend kinda felt like a reset button was hit, I just feel completely better about everything now.  Watching the sunrise and all the colors as I walked to school this morning made me tear up, everything was completely beautiful.  Of course, morning zazen might have had something to do with that too.  Anywho, just looked at the new exercises, I'm pretty pumped there are times with no leg exercises, I just find those to be the most boring thing, although I know why we do them and I know that they work wonders.

Day 48

Wow, I didn't realize I hadn't posted in so long.  I know this valley thing is definitely true, I'm finding it harder to blog, and the longer I go without the easier it is not to say anything.  Sorry Team Cookie Monster.

I thought I would write today about my major failure this weekend.  Saturday night was a Halloween party.  I didn't want to think up a costume so I just bought some cheap aviators and a hoody and went as the Unabomber.  But everyone kept asking me if I was Joaquin Phoenix all night.  But let's just say moderation was not part of the equation.  I felt absolutely terrible most of the day yesterday, although still stuck with the diet well and did the exercises.  And I still feel way better every time I do the exercises.  But I still feel my balance has been rocked a little too hard.  It's interesting that being in better shape and eating much better, we can feel more in tune with our bodies.  The flip side is that when you abuse it, you notice it way more.  So at least I learned something.

Day 44

I really couldn't agree more with what most of you are already blogging.  Definitely just kinda running on auto pilot, eating the food, doing the workouts (still paying attention to the exercises as I do them, but don't really think about it most of the day), appreciating the fact that I can jump rope with a timer.

One side effect of PCP I didn't anticipate was the inability to leave a kitchen dirty.  I never spent much time in the kitchen before, but now that I'm in it regularly I do not feel comfortable with dirty dishes, packaging strewn about, etc.  It is now part of my nightly routine to make sure everything is washed and wiped down and put away.  And I kinda like it.

Day 42

You know what's awesome?  Not sucking in your gut when you walk around cause there's nothing to suck in.

Day 40 - A Few Observations

Has anyone else noticed the inability to just sit around anymore?  I can't just lounge around in bed, I have to be doing something now, which was definitely not a problem before.  Yesterday I just got too antsy and had to go out for a run.

Also, does anyone else get excited in the produce section of the grocery store these days?  I used to spend little time there, and now I find myself spending more time there than anywhere else, looking to try new things and getting excited about things I haven't had in a while.

Thirty-Nine

I have a question about the bicycles.  I know I could just e-mail Patrick but I figure I'll post it on the blog in case other people are experiencing the same thing.  I find that my legs are getting really tired after 15 sec or so, but I can't really feel it in my abs.  I realize this is the wrong target area, but I can't seem to find a body position that works.  Anybody else have this problem?

Also, I hate baggy clothes, and now the majority of stuff I own seems baggy.  As I'm already wearing the smallest size men's pants that most companies make, I think I might have to try boy's sizes.

Day 38

So I've still been doing the exercises at night, but want to switch back to morning.  Work this weekend kinda screwed up my sleep schedule though, so I'm hoping to get rested this weekend.  Anywho, as a result of this I'm posting my comments on Day 37's exercises to Day 38.  I really like this super targeted approach to one area.  Before, when we were just doing all body workouts, push ups actually pretty easy for me, like I could do an extra five or ten on the last set after everything else was complete.  Just always something I've been able to do.  But push ups after chest dips?  Let's just say failure ensued.

Day 36

Short post, just saying I got to leave work at a reasonable hour, looks like this will be the case for the coming days, and back on track with the exercises.  Just did the missed day on the jump rope day.  And I just looked at the new exercises, I'm excited.  And excited about the new diet too.  Damn, exciting.

Day 35 - A Day Behind

I finally had to miss a day, so I am now a day behind.  Work has taken it's toll lately, I could not get my exercises in until 11PM on both Saturday and Monday.  And Sunday....Sunday I didn't get home until almost 1AM (work, not partying).  It was the point where I realized I was gonna get less than six hours of sleep anyway, so I chose the sleep over exercise.  So I got my rest day a day early, and am now a day behind on the exercises.  Why does it seem that no matter how much I prioritize, work gets precedence?  I don't even like my work, it's frustrating.

Other than that, the exercises are going really well, definitely getting worked every time.  Also, I noticed a while ago that 9 times out of 10 when I trip jump roping it's my right foot that catches.  So I started doing a bunch of one legged jumps to break up the monotony of jump roping and I realized that I'm letting my left leg do all the work.  Seriously, jumping on my left leg is almost the same as jumping two footed, whereas jumping on my right leg is difficult.  I just I was just kinda letting it touch the ground without doing any of the hard stuff.  Interesting, but needs correcting.

Day 33

Yesterday was a long day at work, so I didn't make it home until 11 PM.  But I did the exercises...and they seemed much harder than usual.  I don't know if it was the long day, or the fact that we're doing more targeting of specific areas right now, but this is the first week that I'm ready for the day off.  That being said, it's still highly motivating to look in the mirror and see things you haven't been able to see before (last night was a big slab of back muscle poking through.)

Also, does anyone else keep noticing how the flavors of all our "plain" food just keep getting better?  I had some yellow bell pepper with breakfast this morning and it was absolutely amazing.  Deliciously ripe pear and dried figs for morning snack...incredible.  And were egg whites always subtly salty?  Pretty amazing stuff.

Day 31-I am a Greek God

I was across town last night and remembered that I needed more Greek style yogurt.  They didn't have the brand I usually get so I went for something new.

Resemblance?

Day 30

Already day thirty?  So hard to believe.  Well, I'm writing this in the morning, and haven't done the exercises for the day, but thought I'd update how last night went.  I don't know about the rest of you, but when I'm sick I feel like my movements are way more efficient.  As if my body doesn't want to waste excess energy.  Or maybe my mind is just concentrating way harder on what's going on so I'm just taking in more details of everyday movements.  Either way...1300 jumps with only one trip (there were three small breaks in there).  I'm convinced this is due to being ill.  I hope I can carry this awareness forward when I'm feeling better.

In other workout news, I never much cared for the rows in the past, I could feel they were doing something, but I just never felt too taxed after.  However, when doing rows after doing pull-ups, yeah, nice, huge difference.  And the planks.  What is it about that exercise?  I think it's a weird kind of pain, as it seems the most self imposed of all the exercises.  In others, we are pushing or pulling against something, but the plank, you just tense up and go.  Wild.

Anywho, feeling somewhat better today, although still not at 100%, but I kinda like the feeling.  Go Team Cookie Monster.

Day 29 - Blah

Still sick.

The jumps actually went really well last night even though I felt like crap.  Just kinda floated through them, and felt a little better afterwards.  Then had insane fever dreams last night.  I invented a new economic system, but all the bar graphs I was showing people would shoot up out of the ground and we'd have to dodge them.

I really like that this project keeps changing.  It seems every time I start to feel like my body is hitting steady state, exercises change.  I love it.

Day 28 - Sick!!! (Ba-Bum-Bummmmm)

Yup, it finally happened.  I realize most of you have already been through it, and it seems like it doesn't last too long.  I got home last night and I could feel it coming on, but I did the workout anyway.  The jump ropes were the best in weeks, I just felt relaxed and calm the whole time and barely tripped.  Because I knew I was getting sick, I thought about just stopping there, but now I feel like I can't miss a work out.  As if I would be super lazy and a bad person if I skip.  So I did it, and it felt great like always (double katana's??? You are unkind).  Then slept like terrible, sore throat, hurt to swallow, congestion...you know, the standard fall cold.  So it's kinda nice that we just jump rope today.  I plan on trying to get a lot of sleep, but work still calls, as I'm right in the middle of something and don't feel comfortable asking others to do it for me.

In other news, I was able to sit in full-lotus for twenty minutes last night.  Before PCP, I couldn't even get in full-lotus.  So I think my goal is forty uninterrupted minutes in full-lotus posture at the end of PCP.  Most definitely achievable.

Indulgence

That's right, Ben & Jerry's.  Now I used to be able to finish a pint of this stuff no problem.  I dug in and ended up eating about a third of it.  But I had to stop myself, as I think I could have mindlessly kept shoving the whole pint in, as the sugar is still addictive.  And it was tasty, but not more or less than before.  I felt fine immediately afterwards.  Then I felt super bloated.  Then I walked up to lab to check on some cell culture (about a mile walk) and started feeling a little sick.  Burping a lot, feeling on the verge of puking a few times.  By the time I made it in I was definitely feeling sick.  Not disgustingly sick, just mildly unsettling.  After about an hour, the feeling went away.  And then I was kind of craving more.  Dangerous stuff!  I guess this just goes to show how even though it makes you feel like crap, it's still super addictive.

Verdict: Avoid

Day 24 - Casting Demons

So my brother-in-law (who is 12) lives with my wife and me, and he pretty much sits and watches me exercise or tries to participate some on a regular basis.  He was talking to his mother recently (who only speaks Spanish), and was trying to tell her about how much I exercise.  However, his Spanish is not great, and ended up telling her I "exorcise extremely."

While I found this hilarious, I also thought that we are all casting out demons through PCP.  We are getting rid of laziness, overeating, crappy food, etc.  So get those demons out.

Day 23

I realized that this whole time I still haven't eaten any asparagus!  I am shocked, as I love the stuff.  So I will be steaming some tonight, something I have all day to look forward to.

The exercises have been going great, I am definitely getting my ass kicked on a daily basis.  I've started to really slow them down and pay attention to form, even if that means going with a lighter resistance band, when your form is better it hurts way more and it hurts in the correct muscles, you know, the ones you're supposed to be working.

Day Duece Duece!

Well, I'm finding the jumping getting a little easier, I still trip a lot but have improved some.  Maybe the running break helped.  It really is nice to know that when I'm struggling with this, everyone else is going through the same thing.  So thanks team.

I've also been doing my exercises at night the last few days.  I see positives and negatives to this.  I like working out in the morning, as I feel positive effects throughout the day from the exercises.  But when I exercise at night, I feel like my body is more awake and in tune with the exercises, like I'm doing a better job with form.  So I guess there's a trade off.  Maybe I'll just mix it up on a weekly basis, keep experimenting to see which I like the best.

Day 21

I think I've missed a couple of posts, sorry team.  I have excuses, but they don't matter.

Good news is I haven't missed any workouts.  I did decide to take a day off of jump roping and went for a jog instead yesterday.  Before PCP, I would run three miles 3-4 days a week.  Nothing fast, just to get outside for a bit.  I stopped when PCP started as I don't have time for PCP and running.  But wow, jump roping has made a huge difference.  I went on a nice slow run for forty minutes and wasn't even winded afterwards.  My legs didn't hurt, my feet didn't hurt, it was a very pleasurable experience.  So we'll see how jump roping goes today.

Also...does anyone else still feel like this is a ton of food?  Last week, I could eat the meal then be hungry about an hour or two later.  But now I basically force myself through every meal, I just never feel hungry anymore.  So I'm kinda anxious to see how the new diet is going to work out this week.

Day 18 - PCP to the rescue!

Team Cookie Monster Unite!  JFD!

Until today, I've always done the workouts in the morning, but I decided to sleep in today.  No noticeable difference....at first.  But the day got progressively worse, mostly with infighting at work.  So I went home to read.  Still felt off.  Then came back to work...worse.  Then I got around to doing the exercises.  Jump ropes were still bad today, but after reading Sara's JFD post (which was incredibly inspirational for me), I gritted it out.  I decided to push myself with the exercises and rest even less than the allotted time between exercises.  It hurt,  and it simultaneously felt really, really good.  But best of all, my mood and outlook were improved beyond measure.  So if any of you are having a crap day, maybe it will help to push yourself more than usual sometimes.

Day 17 - Morning Frustration

I've been frustrated the past couple of mornings over jumping rope.  Just this time last week, I could do three hundred jumps straight with maybe 0-2 trips.  This week, I cannot even go 50 straight, and often times I trip up every 15 or 20 steps.  What the hell is up with that?  I thought I was supposed to get better, not worse.  Anyone else experiencing this/ have any tips?

In other news, I did full blown pull-ups today instead of incline ones.  I gotta say, I like the real ones much more.  Yeah, they're harder, but where it really made a difference was in the later exercises.  Curls and DaVincis were more difficult and way more satisfying than before.

Day 15 - The Colors!

One really nice thing about eating more veggies is the variety of colors.  (I realize this is a low light picture taken on a phone, so the greens and reds aren't really popping, but you know how amazing they look in person.)  It really the day a little better when you see those bright colors coming at ya first thing in the morning.  And fresh pico de gallo makes everything better regardless.

New diet this week looks like no significant change, except I get to eat fewer carbs, which is actually really nice as that was my least favorite part of the diet so far anyway.  I actually hope we get to eat more veggies, as I'm finding the more I eat them, the more I like them.

Waiting

Hahaha, so I guess we are all patiently awaiting next weeks plan/schedule.  Regardless of whether or not this is a ploy by Patrick for some lesson, we are definitely seeing some great team unity!

Day 14

Two weeks team.  It's already flown by.  And I don't know about you but I'm definitely seeing some differences...less fat, more tone.  A few cravings for salt or sugar here and there, but nothing that doesn't pass in a few moments.  Also excited to see next week's diet plan and exercises.  But really, everything here is status quo.

Day Nine A.K.A. Paradox of Choice A.K.A. The White Stripes

So I have this ongoing semi-argument with my wife that we think we want unlimited choice, but in actuality it makes our lives much harder, and I find that the PCP is helping my argument.  We have this strict diet to follow right now, which you would think limits your options of what to eat, but this isn't the case at all.  Since we only have X grams of carbs and Y grams of vegetables, we get really creative within these boundaries, and we see that our choices within these boundaries are near limitless.  Nobody wants to eat the same food all the time, so you find all kinds of creative and fulfilling ways to get your Y grams of vegetables.  If Patrick says eat whatever the hell you want (week one), we get confused, we have no rules, no boundaries and can't make a choice.  But now we have rules and boundaries, but instead of feeling confused and limited, we feel creative and liberated.  I'm convinced this is why Apple is taking over.  Like if you knew you could only be awake eight hours a day, would you sit around and watch TV?  Hell no, you'd live those eight hours to the fullest.  So enjoy your mass of food to it's fullest.

Anywho, I hope the project is going well for everyone.  I am excited and enjoying the feeling.

Day Eight - The Lesson

I learned many things this morning.

A) I need some lighter resistance bands (which I already ordered), as the DaVincis are shoulder killers and I could not complete the sets (or even do very many) with the heavy bands (parenthetical statement).
B) Wow, we can eat a lot of food.
C) Greek yogurt is flippin' delicious.

And that was just in the morning.

Day Seven

Alright, just jumpropes.  I managed to make it through the first three hundred without breaks or trips.  The next one hundred were golden.  The final one hundred were ugly.  But all in all, not bad, and I really like the loose, warmed up feeling my body has after doing the jump ropes every morning.  I was also extremely glad we didn't have any strength this morning, as I had judo last night and my body feels wrecked.  So a nice day of rest.  And I will almost certainly be having a half beer today.

Day 5 - Vanity

I noticed our team isn't posting as much on the weekend (myself included).  If that's cause we are busy people enjoying our lives and don't use the internet as much then, I think that's a positive thing.

I started this project to get lean and fit for life in general, but it's only day five and my wife has already noticed my arms are more toned.  That little comment definitely made me feel good, so I hope everyone else is feeling something similar.  Sometimes it will take those superficial things to keep our practice going, so let's have a toast to our bodies!

Day Three - Mind Games

Does anyone understand their mind?  Day three and I found it so much harder to get up and going.  My mind was telling me to sleep another twenty minutes, but I knew if I got up and did the exercises I would feel energized and better throughout the day.  So I did them, and I feel energized and better.  But why did I have to fight myself?  Why is taking short term goals so much easier than long term goals, when in the end the long term goals are the ones that makes our lives easier?  Anywho, jumping rope was good, my legs are already getting used to the routine, felt easier than the last couple of days.  Also, push-ups felt much easier than the last couple of days.  Ab workout felt harder (technically the reps and time was the same, though).  It will be interesting to see how different exercises change on a daily/weekly/monthly basis throughout the program.  Maybe we'll all be so much better in touch with our bodies that we can even predict when it will happen.  Well, looks like everyone is making this work, we got a good team, keep it up!

Dieciseis de Septiembre!

Just a friendly reminder to everyone that today is Mexico's bicentennial.  So celebrate!  By jump roping!  Anywho, another early morning workout, no trip-ups on jump rope.  And my lower abs have not been worked out in a while, as could be felt this morning, but it felt good to burn.  Cheers to day two everyone.

Uno!!!

Well, woke up early and did the exercises.  Gotta say, jumping rope is not bad, I guess all that Jump Rope for Heart in elementary school is paying huge dividends ~20 years later.  The best part is I feel better at work knowing I got up and did something, but maybe I'm just excited about day one.  We'll see how this is feeling in a couple of weeks.

Day 0

PCP officially starts tomorrow.  I am officially excited.  I have no idea how difficult this will be, but not feeling any anticipation or nervousness, so let's all just take the challenges and breakthroughs as they come.

Brian is HERE

And he's going to RULE the PCP!

Check one, two.  What Patrick said.