New week, new start! I'm not sure why we always wait until a week starts to begin any type of workout or diet program, I guess psychologically it gives us a sense of "one last horrah" before we begin. Last week I started to do Insanity again, while I made it through the workout I realized after that I was not in any type of shape to do Insanity and that I would need to start out with something less intense. That's what happens when you stop working out for nearly 2 months!
Yesterday I decided that I needed to do some type of workout and I reached into my vaults and found "Bob Harpers Cardio Max." This workout starts out with a 30 minute cardio routine and over 6 weeks builds into a 50 minute workout. Now the cardio workout while it made me sweat was a breeze compared to Shaun T! But then again (as Matt said yesterday) anything is a breeze after Shaun T! Incidentally several of the moves that were in Bob's video were similar to Shaun T's, however less intense. I did enjoy the workout, but it was over before I really got into it. I may add on the additional workouts before the weeks are up and see how I fare.
I'm not really doing this for the program itself, more so to have some form of workout to do each day that has some level of structure. I find when I leave it to myself, not much gets accomplished so having a structured workout in place assures I actually get up and do something constructive with my time and burn calories! We will see how this goes and if I feel like I see any difference after a week or so. If all else fails, there's always Jillian and her videos right? (I'd rather slit my wrists.....) My hope is that after I get back into a routine of working out and build up my fitness level again, I can get back into Insanity.
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Is skinny really a goal? I almost died, again!
Yesterday I finally bit the bullet and decided to get back into Insanity. Yeah, I'm not really sure what I was thinking or why but it was all the hellish torture I remembered from before and it was the day 1 workout! As I forced myself through the craziness, I had about 15 minutes left and almost decided to turn it off. Then I thought to myself (as I lay on the floor, heaving for breath and writhing in agony) "You only have 15 minutes left, and 4 of those minutes are for stretching and cool down! You can do it!" So I got up, hit the play button and pushed through the final minutes of day 1. I almost died, again!
After the workout was over, I lay there thinking...why am I doing this? Is it to feel better about myself, is it just to be able to gloat that I can wear size Small? Is it just so I can say I'm skinny? And it hit me...is being skinny really a goal? And if so, how do we measure when we've hit said goal. I've lost nearly 40lbs since I began this journey last November. I said to myself then, once I've lost 40lbs that was my goal and I would be satisfied. Now, staring that 40lb loss in the face, I'm still not happy. I still feel fat and overweight and unattractive, chunky, husky, pudgy, soft, stocky, heavy etc. I realize there are people out there that are far bigger than I am, but they aren't me and I'm not them. We are our own worst critics and no one knows how we feel but ourselves. I know I'm not fat (maybe a lil chunky?) but I'm still not super happy about how I look in the mirror.
I entitled my blog as such because this really is a NEVER ENDING quest. Even when you hit what you think is your "goal", then you spend your life working to maintain. Most of time when we hit our "goals" then we want to set new goals and go even further. It's non-stop. We obsess over this so much that we drive ourselves crazy trying any and everything we can to lose weight. We count points, we pop pills, we run, we lift weights, we starve ourselves, we "shake our Sensa".... there isn't anything that we won't do if it helps us lose weight. I'm going to try and stop obsessing over my weight so much and just work toward feeling better about me. In my mind I feel like I need to lose 15-20 more pounds to "look good", but there's no way to know that. What if I look good after 10lbs or what if I lose 20lbs and still think I look fat? I'm over setting a goal of a specific weight and I'm going to focus on how I look and feel. If I look and feel good at 170lbs then that is great!
With all that said, I still haven't decided if I'm going to attempt to continue Insanity or just go into general workout mode, maybe daily walk/runs, or using Insanity as a workout a couple of times per week vs. a full 9 week routine. Trial and error. Onward we go. No looking back, only forward....
That's all I have for today.
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
After the workout was over, I lay there thinking...why am I doing this? Is it to feel better about myself, is it just to be able to gloat that I can wear size Small? Is it just so I can say I'm skinny? And it hit me...is being skinny really a goal? And if so, how do we measure when we've hit said goal. I've lost nearly 40lbs since I began this journey last November. I said to myself then, once I've lost 40lbs that was my goal and I would be satisfied. Now, staring that 40lb loss in the face, I'm still not happy. I still feel fat and overweight and unattractive, chunky, husky, pudgy, soft, stocky, heavy etc. I realize there are people out there that are far bigger than I am, but they aren't me and I'm not them. We are our own worst critics and no one knows how we feel but ourselves. I know I'm not fat (maybe a lil chunky?) but I'm still not super happy about how I look in the mirror.
I entitled my blog as such because this really is a NEVER ENDING quest. Even when you hit what you think is your "goal", then you spend your life working to maintain. Most of time when we hit our "goals" then we want to set new goals and go even further. It's non-stop. We obsess over this so much that we drive ourselves crazy trying any and everything we can to lose weight. We count points, we pop pills, we run, we lift weights, we starve ourselves, we "shake our Sensa".... there isn't anything that we won't do if it helps us lose weight. I'm going to try and stop obsessing over my weight so much and just work toward feeling better about me. In my mind I feel like I need to lose 15-20 more pounds to "look good", but there's no way to know that. What if I look good after 10lbs or what if I lose 20lbs and still think I look fat? I'm over setting a goal of a specific weight and I'm going to focus on how I look and feel. If I look and feel good at 170lbs then that is great!
With all that said, I still haven't decided if I'm going to attempt to continue Insanity or just go into general workout mode, maybe daily walk/runs, or using Insanity as a workout a couple of times per week vs. a full 9 week routine. Trial and error. Onward we go. No looking back, only forward....
That's all I have for today.
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Monday, July 30, 2012
Nothing lost, nothing gained....a rebirth of sorts.
Life certainly can throw you some curve balls once in a while. And when it does it can derail even the most stable of plans. You may or may not know but about a month ago I packed up my life and moved from St. Louis, MO to Lexington, KY after 12 years of living there. It just so happened that the move came right at the end of my Insanity Workouts, I had 2 week left. After I made the move it was difficult to find time to workout. The job I had was an hour away from my home and was about 125 miles round trip each day. That required getting up and leaving early and getting home rather late.
Certainly it probably was more of an excuse than anything (you find time to do the things you want to do kind of thing) but trying to transition your life into a new job, a new home environment, a new relationship, trust me when I say it isn't easy. That's a whole lot of new for one person!
Needless to say it is time to get back in the saddle and into a routine of working out and eating healthier. I did attempt to pick up Insanity where I left off after a month and a half of being off, I'll tell you that it was unwise to try such. Month 2 was insane enough being in the routine, but take yourself out of the routine for that long and try to hit the ground running, MISTAKE. I turned it off after the second warm-up round! LOL.
I haven't yet decided if I am going to try and restart Insanity and see it through to the end or if I am just going to go into general workout mode. The issue I have with Insanity isn't that it's too difficult, because I survived the workouts, but the time commitment. Even the shorter month 1 workouts ended up being close to an hour after you paused to recover and try not to die during the workout. I'm totally not a morning person and I have to eat something before I workout or else I almost pass out and can't make it through the workout, which requires getting up almost an hour before you want to workout to eat, then the actual workout and have time to shower and get ready for work. One would need to get up around 530am or so and that just isn't me! The evening is almost just as difficult to find time to workout without holding everyone else up for dinner or watching prime time TV! Alas, more excuses which I usually don't have an issue with, but I've been out of routine for so long it seems the excuses are getting the best of me.
On a positive note I have not gained a single pound since I've been out of my routine. Which is surprising because as Colene would say I've "eaten hell off the cross". LOL. Between Matt's fantastic culinary skills and being in a group of friends who are hardcore foodies, it's not easy to eat healthy, but the food is oh so delicious! :-) I attribute my lack of weight gain partially to a loss in muscle mass, which is NOT a good thing to trade off. While I may be the same size weight wise, I'm much "softer" than I was while doing Insanity and it's not cute! So nothing lost, but nothing gained.
I'll definitely keep you posted on what I decide to do as far as workouts go. My heart says to restart Insanity and see it through to the end, but my mind recalls the torture and fights the thought of it tooth and nail! LOL. At any regard I promise to get back to blogging and back into some sort of fitness routine and will keep you, my public, loyal fans and readers informed! We're almost to 3500 views! :-)
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Certainly it probably was more of an excuse than anything (you find time to do the things you want to do kind of thing) but trying to transition your life into a new job, a new home environment, a new relationship, trust me when I say it isn't easy. That's a whole lot of new for one person!
Needless to say it is time to get back in the saddle and into a routine of working out and eating healthier. I did attempt to pick up Insanity where I left off after a month and a half of being off, I'll tell you that it was unwise to try such. Month 2 was insane enough being in the routine, but take yourself out of the routine for that long and try to hit the ground running, MISTAKE. I turned it off after the second warm-up round! LOL.
I haven't yet decided if I am going to try and restart Insanity and see it through to the end or if I am just going to go into general workout mode. The issue I have with Insanity isn't that it's too difficult, because I survived the workouts, but the time commitment. Even the shorter month 1 workouts ended up being close to an hour after you paused to recover and try not to die during the workout. I'm totally not a morning person and I have to eat something before I workout or else I almost pass out and can't make it through the workout, which requires getting up almost an hour before you want to workout to eat, then the actual workout and have time to shower and get ready for work. One would need to get up around 530am or so and that just isn't me! The evening is almost just as difficult to find time to workout without holding everyone else up for dinner or watching prime time TV! Alas, more excuses which I usually don't have an issue with, but I've been out of routine for so long it seems the excuses are getting the best of me.
On a positive note I have not gained a single pound since I've been out of my routine. Which is surprising because as Colene would say I've "eaten hell off the cross". LOL. Between Matt's fantastic culinary skills and being in a group of friends who are hardcore foodies, it's not easy to eat healthy, but the food is oh so delicious! :-) I attribute my lack of weight gain partially to a loss in muscle mass, which is NOT a good thing to trade off. While I may be the same size weight wise, I'm much "softer" than I was while doing Insanity and it's not cute! So nothing lost, but nothing gained.
I'll definitely keep you posted on what I decide to do as far as workouts go. My heart says to restart Insanity and see it through to the end, but my mind recalls the torture and fights the thought of it tooth and nail! LOL. At any regard I promise to get back to blogging and back into some sort of fitness routine and will keep you, my public, loyal fans and readers informed! We're almost to 3500 views! :-)
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Is this thing even on.....(Insanity Recap)
So as you have noticed I have gotten way super behind in updating my blog post and my Insanity journey and I apologize! For those who do not know, I just moved from St. Louis back to Kentucky this past week and it has been a crazy time. However, I do have some Fit Test results to post from a couple of weeks back that I skipped on and can tell you that I will finish up Month 2 this week and next to get back on track!
I don't have any weigh-in results for you because I was banned from using the scale this past week by a certain someone (he knows who he is! LOL) but am hoping to see my damage tomorrow when I get back on the scale! I'll keep you posted!
Here are my Fit Test #4 results:
Exercise #1 #2 #3 #4
Switch Kicks 108 120 146 147
Power Jacks 57 67 61 67
Power Knees 83 113 114 123
Power Jumps 30 45 60 65
Globe Jumps 7 10 12 9
Suicide Jumps 13 18 21 22
Push-up Jacks 29 44 49 51
Low Plank Oblique 41 56 66 70
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
I don't have any weigh-in results for you because I was banned from using the scale this past week by a certain someone (he knows who he is! LOL) but am hoping to see my damage tomorrow when I get back on the scale! I'll keep you posted!
Here are my Fit Test #4 results:
Exercise #1 #2 #3 #4
Switch Kicks 108 120 146 147
Power Jacks 57 67 61 67
Power Knees 83 113 114 123
Power Jumps 30 45 60 65
Globe Jumps 7 10 12 9
Suicide Jumps 13 18 21 22
Push-up Jacks 29 44 49 51
Low Plank Oblique 41 56 66 70
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Saturday, June 2, 2012
I can't believe I'm going to say this.....(Insanity Month 2 Week 2 Day 5)
I'll regret this later, and I can't believe I'm even going to say this out loud....but......Max Cardio.....isn't really all that bad! (waits for lightning bolt)
I mean don't get me wrong, it kicks your a$$, and you sweat to high heaven, but here are the plus sides to Max Cardio and why it really isn't as bad as the other workouts.
1. It's only 47 minutes. Take out the 15 minute warm-up and the 8 minutes of stretching and it's really only 24 minutes of the actual workout.
2. You never have to repeat an exercise! There are no circuits in Max Cardio, you do one exercise for 1 minute and move on! That's a huge plus especially on those exercises that you just despise (like in and out abs with ab pushups...)
3. While there aren't any breaks built into the workout except after the warm-up, you get some downtime as Shaun T explains the next exercise.
These factors alone make Max Cardio a cake walk in comparison to the other workouts!
I was disappointed to see that Cardio Abs was the same workout as before in Month 1....I was hoping for something more extreme. I actually hate Cardio Abs from month 1 because the exercises are ridiculous and I don't feel like it really works my abs...it feels more like a leg workout than anything.
Today will wrap up Week 2 of Month 2 with Core Cardio and Balance. The only unfortunate side to that is, I left the DVD with Matt because I didn't think I needed it anymore after the Recovery Week.....hmmmm..LOL....perhaps it's on YouTube somewhere!? I can always do Max Cardio Recovery instead (#whatajoke) Core Cardio and Balance is much easier than Max Cardio Recovery...trust! I'll figure it out!
That's all I have for today! I hope your weekend is productive and fun! Keep it safe!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
I mean don't get me wrong, it kicks your a$$, and you sweat to high heaven, but here are the plus sides to Max Cardio and why it really isn't as bad as the other workouts.
1. It's only 47 minutes. Take out the 15 minute warm-up and the 8 minutes of stretching and it's really only 24 minutes of the actual workout.
2. You never have to repeat an exercise! There are no circuits in Max Cardio, you do one exercise for 1 minute and move on! That's a huge plus especially on those exercises that you just despise (like in and out abs with ab pushups...)
3. While there aren't any breaks built into the workout except after the warm-up, you get some downtime as Shaun T explains the next exercise.
These factors alone make Max Cardio a cake walk in comparison to the other workouts!
I was disappointed to see that Cardio Abs was the same workout as before in Month 1....I was hoping for something more extreme. I actually hate Cardio Abs from month 1 because the exercises are ridiculous and I don't feel like it really works my abs...it feels more like a leg workout than anything.
Today will wrap up Week 2 of Month 2 with Core Cardio and Balance. The only unfortunate side to that is, I left the DVD with Matt because I didn't think I needed it anymore after the Recovery Week.....hmmmm..LOL....perhaps it's on YouTube somewhere!? I can always do Max Cardio Recovery instead (#whatajoke) Core Cardio and Balance is much easier than Max Cardio Recovery...trust! I'll figure it out!
That's all I have for today! I hope your weekend is productive and fun! Keep it safe!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Are you crying or is that sweat in your eyes? (Insanity Month 2 Week 2 Day 4)
What can I say about Day 4? Oh I know....I HATE YOU SHAUN T! Hate is a strong word but it fits so easily here. I have never sweat so much in my entire life, my shirt had completely changed colors by the end of the workout! Today was Max Interval Plyo day and let me just say that it was no bueno from the beginning.
Now we do pretty much the same warm-up each workout but for some reason after today's warm up (which is 15 minutes...yes you heard me..the WARM-UP is 15 minutes) I was already pouring sweat and my lungs were screaming for air. I knew at that point that I was in for a fight and that today's workout was not going to go well. As I had assumed it did not! LOL. That's not to say that I punked out...oh no...I pushed through the workout, but it was pure hell the entire way. It had been a week since I had done this workout and I had forgotten all the stunts he has us do. Does the term "Squat Pushup" make you shudder? Well it should because they are straight up non-sense. You first get deep into a squat and put your hands out in front of you, elbows at your side. Then you allow yourself to fall forward onto your hands and into a full push up, then you have to push yourself back up into the squat position and repeat for 45 seconds. Torture. This among Level 3 drills which literally had me in tears screaming. You have to do 16 push ups followed by 16 floor sprints in plank, stand up and repeat. I was dying. If anyone saw me, it was a combination of sweat and tears on my face! LOL
I know I say it about every Insanity workout, but today's workout was no joke! My arms and abs were the victims of this crazy workout today, but fear not my poor legs got their fair share of beat down! Tomorrow is Max Cardio Conditioning followed up with Max Cardio Abs....I hate those workouts....you get your a$$ handed to you in the full workout and then are expected to put on a smile and workout your abs. UGH! Someone shoot me! Or better yet...shoot Tanya.
If you are thinking about starting Insanity, please let me know. I'm here to support anyone through this process and believe me, when you have support it makes the world of difference! It's tough, please know that it is way super tough, but you can do it if you have the determination to push through! The results far outweigh the pain, and if you stick with it, you will see results! My first week of Insanity I was so sore and got really sick actually because it was such a shock to my body, but after that it gets better (the soreness and fatigue) and you find a way to get through. Once you start seeing your body change, you won't be able to stop! :-)
Speaking of...I think Matt is almost fully recovered from his Day 2 beat down! LOL. Are you ready for Pure Cardio!? :-) (followed by evil laughter!)
That's all I have for today. The weekend approaches...have you earned a break this week?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Now we do pretty much the same warm-up each workout but for some reason after today's warm up (which is 15 minutes...yes you heard me..the WARM-UP is 15 minutes) I was already pouring sweat and my lungs were screaming for air. I knew at that point that I was in for a fight and that today's workout was not going to go well. As I had assumed it did not! LOL. That's not to say that I punked out...oh no...I pushed through the workout, but it was pure hell the entire way. It had been a week since I had done this workout and I had forgotten all the stunts he has us do. Does the term "Squat Pushup" make you shudder? Well it should because they are straight up non-sense. You first get deep into a squat and put your hands out in front of you, elbows at your side. Then you allow yourself to fall forward onto your hands and into a full push up, then you have to push yourself back up into the squat position and repeat for 45 seconds. Torture. This among Level 3 drills which literally had me in tears screaming. You have to do 16 push ups followed by 16 floor sprints in plank, stand up and repeat. I was dying. If anyone saw me, it was a combination of sweat and tears on my face! LOL
I know I say it about every Insanity workout, but today's workout was no joke! My arms and abs were the victims of this crazy workout today, but fear not my poor legs got their fair share of beat down! Tomorrow is Max Cardio Conditioning followed up with Max Cardio Abs....I hate those workouts....you get your a$$ handed to you in the full workout and then are expected to put on a smile and workout your abs. UGH! Someone shoot me! Or better yet...shoot Tanya.
If you are thinking about starting Insanity, please let me know. I'm here to support anyone through this process and believe me, when you have support it makes the world of difference! It's tough, please know that it is way super tough, but you can do it if you have the determination to push through! The results far outweigh the pain, and if you stick with it, you will see results! My first week of Insanity I was so sore and got really sick actually because it was such a shock to my body, but after that it gets better (the soreness and fatigue) and you find a way to get through. Once you start seeing your body change, you won't be able to stop! :-)
Speaking of...I think Matt is almost fully recovered from his Day 2 beat down! LOL. Are you ready for Pure Cardio!? :-) (followed by evil laughter!)
That's all I have for today. The weekend approaches...have you earned a break this week?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
How does one recover from this? (Insanity Month 2 Week 2 Day 3)
I'd like to start today's post off with a confession. If you know me I am usually very honest and up front, so here goes. I switched up my recovery day and Max Interval Plyo day so I could do my recovery day today. ONLY because I thought it was going to be an easy workout and I had less than an hour to get in a workout this evening.
M-I-S-T-A-K-E. This is where the word "assume" gets you into trouble. Once again I keep forgetting that when it starts with the word MAX, there will be nothing easy about it!
With that out of the way....let me tell you a bit about Max Cardio Recovery. It's some straight up bull is what it is. You start off with a bunch of breathing and stretching exercises, so you think....ok...this is kind of like the Cardio Recovery from Month 1 only a little faster. WRONG. Then you get blasted into 4 different workout circuits that can only be described as evil. At one point I actually yelled at the screen "OK, I freakin get it, my core has to be tight and I'm supposed to watch my form, let's just freakin wrap up this set already!" This was amid us doing a one arm body balance where your entire body is on its side and being supported by one arm, the other arm stretched out to the ceiling. Then you return the arm to the ground in plank position and do 8 pushups and repeat. Ridiculous.
The absolute worst part of the workout today was the end where once again Shaun T seems to think that my legs are made of steel and that my quads have no feeling in them. We have to maintain a plie squat pose, do 8-16 pulses, then bend to one side and hold, back to squat, pulse, other side and repeat. Mixed in with all sorts of other crazy stunts like keeping your heels off the floor the entire time. My quads felt like someone had set them on fire with gasoline and turned a fan on. INSANITY!
I've got 3 days left of Week 2 and then we are really in the home stretch with 2 weeks remaining. I'll be curious to see how the 4th Fit Test turns out. Monday the truth will out! Tomorrow is Interval Plyo....I'm already getting sick to my stomach.
Matt text this morning to say that he was barely able to walk after his beat down from yesterday! My words of encouragment are: This too shall pass! LOL. Colene recommends taking some Tylenol before bed to help with the soreness. I empathize and sympathize because I've been there and if you can push through the Week 1 soreness, it will go away in Week 2! :-) Hang in there...as Shaun T says....you can freakin do it! Dig deeper! LOL.
That's all I have for today. Other than the fact that I am craving a McDonald's Coke like CRAZY for some reason. I haven't had a drop of soda since I started Insanity and I don't plan on starting now, but for some reason that craving was strong this evening. Instead I am enjoying a Sobe Strawberry Dragonfruit Life Water. Yum! LOL.
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
M-I-S-T-A-K-E. This is where the word "assume" gets you into trouble. Once again I keep forgetting that when it starts with the word MAX, there will be nothing easy about it!
With that out of the way....let me tell you a bit about Max Cardio Recovery. It's some straight up bull is what it is. You start off with a bunch of breathing and stretching exercises, so you think....ok...this is kind of like the Cardio Recovery from Month 1 only a little faster. WRONG. Then you get blasted into 4 different workout circuits that can only be described as evil. At one point I actually yelled at the screen "OK, I freakin get it, my core has to be tight and I'm supposed to watch my form, let's just freakin wrap up this set already!" This was amid us doing a one arm body balance where your entire body is on its side and being supported by one arm, the other arm stretched out to the ceiling. Then you return the arm to the ground in plank position and do 8 pushups and repeat. Ridiculous.
The absolute worst part of the workout today was the end where once again Shaun T seems to think that my legs are made of steel and that my quads have no feeling in them. We have to maintain a plie squat pose, do 8-16 pulses, then bend to one side and hold, back to squat, pulse, other side and repeat. Mixed in with all sorts of other crazy stunts like keeping your heels off the floor the entire time. My quads felt like someone had set them on fire with gasoline and turned a fan on. INSANITY!
I've got 3 days left of Week 2 and then we are really in the home stretch with 2 weeks remaining. I'll be curious to see how the 4th Fit Test turns out. Monday the truth will out! Tomorrow is Interval Plyo....I'm already getting sick to my stomach.
Matt text this morning to say that he was barely able to walk after his beat down from yesterday! My words of encouragment are: This too shall pass! LOL. Colene recommends taking some Tylenol before bed to help with the soreness. I empathize and sympathize because I've been there and if you can push through the Week 1 soreness, it will go away in Week 2! :-) Hang in there...as Shaun T says....you can freakin do it! Dig deeper! LOL.
That's all I have for today. Other than the fact that I am craving a McDonald's Coke like CRAZY for some reason. I haven't had a drop of soda since I started Insanity and I don't plan on starting now, but for some reason that craving was strong this evening. Instead I am enjoying a Sobe Strawberry Dragonfruit Life Water. Yum! LOL.
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Holy Switchkicks Batman! (Insanity Month 2 Week 2 Day 2)
Max Interval Circuit is from the devil. Full Body Drills are a form of witchcraft. Floor switch kicks are of the underworld.
Do you see where I'm going with this? This workout is unholy! I don't think I stopped screaming for more than a few seconds and that's while we were switching workouts or on a water break. If you don't know what switch kicks are (as most probably do not) I need for you to look it up on You Tube and then imagine doing those on the floor holding yourself up on your arms. Re-dang-diculous! Full body drills are where you jump down into plank position, run sprints for 8 count, do 4 moving push-ups across the room, then do 8 count wide sprint runs, jump up and repeat to the other side. These are only 2 of 12 different exercises that were repeated in 3 circuits, sets of 3 during this 60 minute beat down.
Shaun T says...."You may wonder why I'm smiling.....because I love it!" I seriously think he is some sort of Sadist and enjoys watching other people suffer. I also want to go on record saying that Shaun T does NOT know how to count. I swear he says we have 10 seconds left every 30 seconds and the 10 seconds never run out. That or he starts a 5 second countdown and it goes like this...."5 seconds.....................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................4...........................3....................2.................1"
So the 5 second count ends up being more like a 10 second count! UGH! Then at the end of a set where you normally would get a 30 second break, he makes you get up and do another minute of hell before you get your break. Hate him.
Month 2 is definitely proving to be intense and insane. I'm halfway through Week 2 and will only have 2 weeks left after this. I'm too committed at this point to give up, but I'm here to tell you this is definitely starting to get to me to the point where I physically get ill thinking about the workouts to come! There is light at the end of the tunnel friends.....2 1/2 more weeks............I got this!!! DTF DTV! (haha, who remembers that from high school football? Anyone? LOL)
Kudos again to Matt who blasted through his day 2 workout of Insanity! I remember day 1 and I also remember the day after when I too could not walk! Colene says to take some Tylenol before bedtime and that helps with the soreness? Never tried it...I just muscled through. The soreness goes away in Week 2! Keep up the awesome work! :-)
That's all I have for today. Looking forward to recovery day tomorrow, but not before I get the crap beat out of me during tonight's Max Cardio Plyo! May God have mercy on my soul!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Do you see where I'm going with this? This workout is unholy! I don't think I stopped screaming for more than a few seconds and that's while we were switching workouts or on a water break. If you don't know what switch kicks are (as most probably do not) I need for you to look it up on You Tube and then imagine doing those on the floor holding yourself up on your arms. Re-dang-diculous! Full body drills are where you jump down into plank position, run sprints for 8 count, do 4 moving push-ups across the room, then do 8 count wide sprint runs, jump up and repeat to the other side. These are only 2 of 12 different exercises that were repeated in 3 circuits, sets of 3 during this 60 minute beat down.
Shaun T says...."You may wonder why I'm smiling.....because I love it!" I seriously think he is some sort of Sadist and enjoys watching other people suffer. I also want to go on record saying that Shaun T does NOT know how to count. I swear he says we have 10 seconds left every 30 seconds and the 10 seconds never run out. That or he starts a 5 second countdown and it goes like this...."5 seconds.....................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
.....................................4...........................3....................2.................1"
So the 5 second count ends up being more like a 10 second count! UGH! Then at the end of a set where you normally would get a 30 second break, he makes you get up and do another minute of hell before you get your break. Hate him.
Month 2 is definitely proving to be intense and insane. I'm halfway through Week 2 and will only have 2 weeks left after this. I'm too committed at this point to give up, but I'm here to tell you this is definitely starting to get to me to the point where I physically get ill thinking about the workouts to come! There is light at the end of the tunnel friends.....2 1/2 more weeks............I got this!!! DTF DTV! (haha, who remembers that from high school football? Anyone? LOL)
Kudos again to Matt who blasted through his day 2 workout of Insanity! I remember day 1 and I also remember the day after when I too could not walk! Colene says to take some Tylenol before bedtime and that helps with the soreness? Never tried it...I just muscled through. The soreness goes away in Week 2! Keep up the awesome work! :-)
That's all I have for today. Looking forward to recovery day tomorrow, but not before I get the crap beat out of me during tonight's Max Cardio Plyo! May God have mercy on my soul!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Me and my good friend Max....(Insanity Month 2 Week 2 Day 1)
Yesterday we started repeating the Month 2 workouts and let me just go on record saying....over it! LOL. As I mentioned previously all of the Month 2 workouts begin with the word "MAX" and me and my good friend Max are about to part ways! LOL. Yesterday's workout was MAX Cardio Conditioning. I think that is Portuguese for Crazy A$$ Workout from hell! Yet another non-stop beat down and by non-stop I mean there are no scheduled breaks. Of course I slotted my own breaks thanks to my other good friend "Pause" but other than that it's a straight up 47 minute torture session. Alas, I survived.
I've decided that I'm going to stop using the scale to measure my success. What I've learned from Insanity is that it's not a real "Weight Loss" program, but more of a "get more fit" program. I haven't lost huge numbers on Insanity but I can definitely see a difference in my body and my fitness level. I've definitely lost inches around my body and am much leaner. Although I have a ways to go, because my midsection is just not wanting to let go, I am confident that by the end of month 2 I will be looking much better than I was at day 1! :-)
In other exciting related news, I think I have converted another over to the Insane side! LOL. Matt completed his fit test yesterday and kicked a$$! So super proud that you have taken the first step to 2 months of hell! LOL. Just know that while you will hate every minute of it....it's worth it in the end! You have my full support! Take those before and after pics so we can get you your free t-shirt!! :-) Perhaps together we can take down that B Tanya! HAHAHA!
That's all I have for today! I hope everyone had a great weekend and had fun!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
I've decided that I'm going to stop using the scale to measure my success. What I've learned from Insanity is that it's not a real "Weight Loss" program, but more of a "get more fit" program. I haven't lost huge numbers on Insanity but I can definitely see a difference in my body and my fitness level. I've definitely lost inches around my body and am much leaner. Although I have a ways to go, because my midsection is just not wanting to let go, I am confident that by the end of month 2 I will be looking much better than I was at day 1! :-)
In other exciting related news, I think I have converted another over to the Insane side! LOL. Matt completed his fit test yesterday and kicked a$$! So super proud that you have taken the first step to 2 months of hell! LOL. Just know that while you will hate every minute of it....it's worth it in the end! You have my full support! Take those before and after pics so we can get you your free t-shirt!! :-) Perhaps together we can take down that B Tanya! HAHAHA!
That's all I have for today! I hope everyone had a great weekend and had fun!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Friday, May 25, 2012
I know how to ski....Are you Kidding Me? (Insanity Month 2 Day 3)
Well as expected last nights workout was Max Cardio Conditioning. I'll start by saying that I think Pure Cardio from Month 1 was actually more intense than this. With that said, don't be fooled into thinking that it wasn't insane or that I didn't get my A$$ kicked because I certainly did! The difference I think with Max Cardio vs. Pure Cardio is that we actually got a few seconds of rest between sets with Max Cardio whereas in Pure Cardio it was non stop beat down! Also I felt like Max Cardio focused a lot more on legs so there was more of "my quads are dying" vs. "I can't breathe!" :-)
One thing I can say about Max Cardio, it taught me how to ski! Between downard ski jumps and ski abs I think I could totally make the Olympic Team and become a gold medalist! I'm just sayin! LOL
Today is the Max Recovery, which I'm not sure what to expect. Month 1 Recovery was a lot of balance and core work, I imagine Max Recovery will be similar, but turned up a notch. I can report that the soreness in my muscles is finally subsiding and I can walk normally again! LOL.
On the downside, I don't know what has happened but I have gained 2lbs since Wednesdays weigh-in!! I almost threw the scale through the wall this morning! I'm hoping it's either muscle gain or some weird glitch with my body (water retention or the sort, can you drink TOO much water?) and that it will all remedy itself before Monday's weigh-in! I haven't changed my diet at all and haven't eaten any crazy meals the past couple of days. The only thing I did have was a 1000 calorie smoothie from Smoothie King, but it was my breakfast and snack yesterday morning, which those two normally add up to 1000 calories separately. I guess we shall see what happens Monday. Everyone keeps telling me to stop using the scale as a term of success measurement, and I really try hard not to, but I've been fixated on my goal weight of 165lbs that it is hard not to look at the numbers every day and not get frustrated when things like this happen. (Take a deep breath, relax, it will all be ok!)
3 more days and I will be finished with Week 1 of Month 2 and then it's the downward slope to the end. Can you handle it? Or better yet, can I handle it? Stay tuned to find out!
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
One thing I can say about Max Cardio, it taught me how to ski! Between downard ski jumps and ski abs I think I could totally make the Olympic Team and become a gold medalist! I'm just sayin! LOL
Today is the Max Recovery, which I'm not sure what to expect. Month 1 Recovery was a lot of balance and core work, I imagine Max Recovery will be similar, but turned up a notch. I can report that the soreness in my muscles is finally subsiding and I can walk normally again! LOL.
On the downside, I don't know what has happened but I have gained 2lbs since Wednesdays weigh-in!! I almost threw the scale through the wall this morning! I'm hoping it's either muscle gain or some weird glitch with my body (water retention or the sort, can you drink TOO much water?) and that it will all remedy itself before Monday's weigh-in! I haven't changed my diet at all and haven't eaten any crazy meals the past couple of days. The only thing I did have was a 1000 calorie smoothie from Smoothie King, but it was my breakfast and snack yesterday morning, which those two normally add up to 1000 calories separately. I guess we shall see what happens Monday. Everyone keeps telling me to stop using the scale as a term of success measurement, and I really try hard not to, but I've been fixated on my goal weight of 165lbs that it is hard not to look at the numbers every day and not get frustrated when things like this happen. (Take a deep breath, relax, it will all be ok!)
3 more days and I will be finished with Week 1 of Month 2 and then it's the downward slope to the end. Can you handle it? Or better yet, can I handle it? Stay tuned to find out!
That's all I have for today!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Homicide at Bennett Springs Ct....(Insanity Month 2 Day 2)
Reporter: "I'm here on scene at Bennett Springs Ct. where a young man has reportedly been murdered by a popular nighttime infomercial celebrity. Police at this time are not releasing any details other than the young man was found covered in sweat lying on his living room floor. We will keep you updated as details of this tragic event emerge."
This is how I envision the reports coming out concerning my death after tonight's workout. I have not clue what exactly Shaun T thought he was doing, but this is getting beyond insane. My body has never felt so fatigued or worn out in my entire life. I've done workouts by Jillian Michaels, Debbie Siebers, Julie James, Travis Steffen, Billy Blanks, Bob Harper and none of them have even come close to scratching the surface to the level of intensity of these workouts. The even sadder part is, I take several breaks during the workouts because I push my body to the brink of burn out and it just collapses when it can't go any further. I have to literally FORCE my mind into fueling my muscles for the last 10-15 seconds of a workout to keep going. This my friends is no joke. My entire shirt is soaked and I look like I just jumped in the pool and climbed out. Tonight was by far the worst workout thus far, and the Max Cardio is still to come!
I know I have tried encouraging folks to get on the Insane Train, but let me retract that only to preface it with this.....THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS! If you are new to working out, meaning you are inactive currently and are more than 30lbs overweight, you may want to try a more casual approach to your weight loss efforts starting out. Before I began Insanity, I had been working out at the gym 4 days/week for 5 months. It's not to say that I was in top physical shape at that point, but the amount of cardio I had been doing, combined with the strength training it gave me a decent foundation to start with on Insanity. Don't get me wrong....Insanity has still kicked my A$$ every day! I'm on Week 6 and I still have quite a ways to go before I'm in top shape. My point is that while Insanity has given me some great results, it comes at a high price and I don't recommend you investing your money into this program if it's your first step into working out.
I'm 2 days into Month 2 and I have no idea how I'm going to keep going at this pace. These workouts are brutal and my body is saying STOP! But I am quick to remember that on Week 1 of Month 1 I felt the same way and wanted to give up, but I pushed through and here I am with only 4.5 weeks left! I'm drawing on all of my inner strength and determination to keep going. Seeing my body change and the scale drop helps motivate me to not give up. Along with the support of all of you!
I just can't wait to see how Day 3 turns out! Max Cardio is gonna be some straight up Bull Ish fo sho!
That's all I have today. Stay tuned.....
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
This is how I envision the reports coming out concerning my death after tonight's workout. I have not clue what exactly Shaun T thought he was doing, but this is getting beyond insane. My body has never felt so fatigued or worn out in my entire life. I've done workouts by Jillian Michaels, Debbie Siebers, Julie James, Travis Steffen, Billy Blanks, Bob Harper and none of them have even come close to scratching the surface to the level of intensity of these workouts. The even sadder part is, I take several breaks during the workouts because I push my body to the brink of burn out and it just collapses when it can't go any further. I have to literally FORCE my mind into fueling my muscles for the last 10-15 seconds of a workout to keep going. This my friends is no joke. My entire shirt is soaked and I look like I just jumped in the pool and climbed out. Tonight was by far the worst workout thus far, and the Max Cardio is still to come!
I know I have tried encouraging folks to get on the Insane Train, but let me retract that only to preface it with this.....THIS IS NOT FOR BEGINNERS! If you are new to working out, meaning you are inactive currently and are more than 30lbs overweight, you may want to try a more casual approach to your weight loss efforts starting out. Before I began Insanity, I had been working out at the gym 4 days/week for 5 months. It's not to say that I was in top physical shape at that point, but the amount of cardio I had been doing, combined with the strength training it gave me a decent foundation to start with on Insanity. Don't get me wrong....Insanity has still kicked my A$$ every day! I'm on Week 6 and I still have quite a ways to go before I'm in top shape. My point is that while Insanity has given me some great results, it comes at a high price and I don't recommend you investing your money into this program if it's your first step into working out.
I'm 2 days into Month 2 and I have no idea how I'm going to keep going at this pace. These workouts are brutal and my body is saying STOP! But I am quick to remember that on Week 1 of Month 1 I felt the same way and wanted to give up, but I pushed through and here I am with only 4.5 weeks left! I'm drawing on all of my inner strength and determination to keep going. Seeing my body change and the scale drop helps motivate me to not give up. Along with the support of all of you!
I just can't wait to see how Day 3 turns out! Max Cardio is gonna be some straight up Bull Ish fo sho!
That's all I have today. Stay tuned.....
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
And in this corner weighing in at.......(Weigh-in Results)
Just a quick update to give you this weeks weigh-in results! Enjoy!
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 178.8lbs
Today's Weight: 177.2lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total lost on Insanity: -8.4lbs
Only 12lbs to go to hit my goal weight! At the rate Month 2 is going I should lose 12lbs by the end of the week! LOL!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 178.8lbs
Today's Weight: 177.2lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total lost on Insanity: -8.4lbs
Only 12lbs to go to hit my goal weight! At the rate Month 2 is going I should lose 12lbs by the end of the week! LOL!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
It's not a coffee break people! (Insanity Month 2 Day 1)
Shaun T can be a real smart mouth sometimes! Tonight during one of the 30 second rest periods...he screams "Let's go! It's not a coffee break people!" Oh really Shaun T? Cuz I thought we were all on lunch break up in this! What the!?
Tonight's workout was indeed certifiably crazy! First I had to complete my 3rd Fit Test which is 25 minutes, THEN I had to complete the Day 1 workout Max Interval Circuit which is 60 minutes! Let me just tell you....it took me nearly 2.5 hours to complete this because I was dying and had to take A LOT of breaks!! These workouts just got kicked up about 50 notches and the moves got more insane! I'm not sure what Shaun T was thinking but he got me mixed up with someone who can do all that craziness! Well needless to say I pushed through and finally finished day 1! I literally shed a pound of water weight during the workout! WHEW! Interested to see how the scale looks tomorrow!
After a couple of days off from Insanity and then being killed today, I am definitely beat down! Ready for a good long sleep tonight! But before I part, here are the results from Fit Test # 3 with #1 and #2 Comparisons:
Exercise Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Switch Kicks 108 120 146
Power Jacks 57 67 61 (This was my own fault...see below)
Power Knees 83 113 114
Power Jumps 30 45 60
Globe Jumps 7 10 12
Suicide Jumps 13 18 21
Push-up Jacks 29 44 49
Low Plank Oblique 41 56 66
So on the Power Jacks, when I looked at the prior weeks numbers I got mixed up from the 2 in the 120 of Switch Kicks and thought it said 27, so when I got to around 50 I started slowing down thinking I had BLOWN UP my previous results, time ran out at 61 and when I saw the prior test was actually 67 I was so ticked off at myself! I could have done more but oh well...that's what happens when you aren't paying attention and start slacking! Geezo! I think I had some great improvements on the other exercises however so I was still proud of my overall results!
That's all I have for today, look for weigh-in results tomorrow!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tonight's workout was indeed certifiably crazy! First I had to complete my 3rd Fit Test which is 25 minutes, THEN I had to complete the Day 1 workout Max Interval Circuit which is 60 minutes! Let me just tell you....it took me nearly 2.5 hours to complete this because I was dying and had to take A LOT of breaks!! These workouts just got kicked up about 50 notches and the moves got more insane! I'm not sure what Shaun T was thinking but he got me mixed up with someone who can do all that craziness! Well needless to say I pushed through and finally finished day 1! I literally shed a pound of water weight during the workout! WHEW! Interested to see how the scale looks tomorrow!
After a couple of days off from Insanity and then being killed today, I am definitely beat down! Ready for a good long sleep tonight! But before I part, here are the results from Fit Test # 3 with #1 and #2 Comparisons:
Exercise Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Switch Kicks 108 120 146
Power Jacks 57 67 61 (This was my own fault...see below)
Power Knees 83 113 114
Power Jumps 30 45 60
Globe Jumps 7 10 12
Suicide Jumps 13 18 21
Push-up Jacks 29 44 49
Low Plank Oblique 41 56 66
So on the Power Jacks, when I looked at the prior weeks numbers I got mixed up from the 2 in the 120 of Switch Kicks and thought it said 27, so when I got to around 50 I started slowing down thinking I had BLOWN UP my previous results, time ran out at 61 and when I saw the prior test was actually 67 I was so ticked off at myself! I could have done more but oh well...that's what happens when you aren't paying attention and start slacking! Geezo! I think I had some great improvements on the other exercises however so I was still proud of my overall results!
That's all I have for today, look for weigh-in results tomorrow!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Friday, May 18, 2012
Skinny Fat @ 30lbs....(Insanity, Recovery Week)
I apologize for the delay in blog updates on my Insanity journey but I have been traveling this week for work and was unable to blog. I did however keep up with my Insanity workouts as this week is the "Recovery Week".
Let me explain what Recovery means in the Insanity world. Normally to recover would mean to recoup or renew ones self from an exhausting activity. In the Insanity world, Recovery means a slightly less punishing beat down. I'll give it to Shaun T that this workout is not nearly the death inviting workout that Month 1 workouts were, but it still kicks my butt. Mainly because it is largely about balance and getting your core in shape and focus a great deal on legs and abs and trying to maintain a plie pose for 5 minutes while doing shoulder work after having done 8+ minutes of leg workouts is just wrong! Only 1 day left of Week 5 and then we head into Month 2....I'd almost rather be chased by Michael Meyers in the woods barefoot! LOL.
I totally skipped on updating you on the weigh-in results so I will give them to you here as of today!
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 180.4lbs
Today's Weight: 178.8lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total lost on Insanity: -6.8lbs
Total lost since November: -30.2lbs
So excited to have finally broken the 30lb mark!! I have about 13lbs to get to a comfortable goal weight of 165lbs. Now I don't think I will hit 13lbs in the next month, but the closer I can get the better! I was looking in the mirror the other day, and I can definitely tell a difference in my body since I've started Insanity but at this point I feel "Skinny Fat". For those who may not know what Skinny Fat is....it's the point of weight loss when you look a lot skinnier than you used to and those who know where you came from can definitely see a difference, but to someone who sees you for the first time, you look like you could stand to lose 10-15lbs! LOL. They don't know I've lost 30lbs! Additionally, I"m skinny(er) in most places, but my midsection is being somewhat stubborn, as is customary. Belly fat is the last to go and while my love handles have DEFINITELY gotten much smaller, they are still holding on for dear life! I'm hoping the hellish torture coming in Month 2 will unleash all out war on my midsection and just devour the last bit of fat I have left! (A boy can wish, right?) I'm also in an awkward clothing state....mediums are getting a bit "blousy" on me but smalls are a smidgen too snug so I can't make that leap quite yet. I did slip into a size 30 pair of shorts the other day at the store and they were a bit...um...fitting. LOL. So I'll stick with the 32's for now....but I'll forewarn you, if I get into a size 30" waist and small shirt by the end of month 2, I will personally find Shaun T and kiss him!!! LOL
OK I am done rambling for the day! Sorry we had a bit to catch up on. That's all I have for today! How are you doing in your journey to get fit?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Let me explain what Recovery means in the Insanity world. Normally to recover would mean to recoup or renew ones self from an exhausting activity. In the Insanity world, Recovery means a slightly less punishing beat down. I'll give it to Shaun T that this workout is not nearly the death inviting workout that Month 1 workouts were, but it still kicks my butt. Mainly because it is largely about balance and getting your core in shape and focus a great deal on legs and abs and trying to maintain a plie pose for 5 minutes while doing shoulder work after having done 8+ minutes of leg workouts is just wrong! Only 1 day left of Week 5 and then we head into Month 2....I'd almost rather be chased by Michael Meyers in the woods barefoot! LOL.
I totally skipped on updating you on the weigh-in results so I will give them to you here as of today!
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 180.4lbs
Today's Weight: 178.8lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total lost on Insanity: -6.8lbs
Total lost since November: -30.2lbs
So excited to have finally broken the 30lb mark!! I have about 13lbs to get to a comfortable goal weight of 165lbs. Now I don't think I will hit 13lbs in the next month, but the closer I can get the better! I was looking in the mirror the other day, and I can definitely tell a difference in my body since I've started Insanity but at this point I feel "Skinny Fat". For those who may not know what Skinny Fat is....it's the point of weight loss when you look a lot skinnier than you used to and those who know where you came from can definitely see a difference, but to someone who sees you for the first time, you look like you could stand to lose 10-15lbs! LOL. They don't know I've lost 30lbs! Additionally, I"m skinny(er) in most places, but my midsection is being somewhat stubborn, as is customary. Belly fat is the last to go and while my love handles have DEFINITELY gotten much smaller, they are still holding on for dear life! I'm hoping the hellish torture coming in Month 2 will unleash all out war on my midsection and just devour the last bit of fat I have left! (A boy can wish, right?) I'm also in an awkward clothing state....mediums are getting a bit "blousy" on me but smalls are a smidgen too snug so I can't make that leap quite yet. I did slip into a size 30 pair of shorts the other day at the store and they were a bit...um...fitting. LOL. So I'll stick with the 32's for now....but I'll forewarn you, if I get into a size 30" waist and small shirt by the end of month 2, I will personally find Shaun T and kiss him!!! LOL
OK I am done rambling for the day! Sorry we had a bit to catch up on. That's all I have for today! How are you doing in your journey to get fit?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Is it over yet? (Insanity Week 4 Day 6)
Unfortunately no it is not over yet, we have 5 weeks left! Can you believe it's been 4 weeks since I began Insanity!? Time has certainly flown by! And I haven't enjoyed one minute of it either. LOL. We are officially through Month 1 of Insanity and I have to admit, it was pure hell, but I feel awesome that I've made it through the first half.
I've definitely seen a change in my body. Nothing TV style dramatic or anything like that, but I'm seeing some definition in my arms and legs, my waist is definitely smaller and physically I feel stronger. It's been a tough road so far, but it's also been worth it!
This week is what they call the "Recovery Week" and you do the same DVD every day called "Core Cardio & Balance". I've been told it's still a workout but not nearly as intense as the regular workouts. Shaun T psych's you out in this week and gives you a break from the craziness only to open up a can of certifiable craziness in month 2. I think Colene said she got through 4 days and was done and went back to repeat Month 1. That's a little scary to think about. LOL. I've purposely not viewed the videos for Month 2 so as not to turn myself totally off from doing them. I can say that I am looking forward to the change because as hellish and rough as Month 1 workouts are, I'm kind of over them and ready to move forward. (I say that now.....check back with me in Week 1 of Month 2 and let's see how that attitude may have changed! LOL)
Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm a little afraid of what that will result in. I had a vacation style weekend and while I didn't eat completely asinine and ridiculous, I did indulge and it may affect the immediate weigh in results. I am going to try and post my Day 1 before pic next to my Day 30 pic and see if there is a difference visually, you be the judge!
That's all I have today. Crossing my fingers for a loss on the scale tomorrow! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
I've definitely seen a change in my body. Nothing TV style dramatic or anything like that, but I'm seeing some definition in my arms and legs, my waist is definitely smaller and physically I feel stronger. It's been a tough road so far, but it's also been worth it!
This week is what they call the "Recovery Week" and you do the same DVD every day called "Core Cardio & Balance". I've been told it's still a workout but not nearly as intense as the regular workouts. Shaun T psych's you out in this week and gives you a break from the craziness only to open up a can of certifiable craziness in month 2. I think Colene said she got through 4 days and was done and went back to repeat Month 1. That's a little scary to think about. LOL. I've purposely not viewed the videos for Month 2 so as not to turn myself totally off from doing them. I can say that I am looking forward to the change because as hellish and rough as Month 1 workouts are, I'm kind of over them and ready to move forward. (I say that now.....check back with me in Week 1 of Month 2 and let's see how that attitude may have changed! LOL)
Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I'm a little afraid of what that will result in. I had a vacation style weekend and while I didn't eat completely asinine and ridiculous, I did indulge and it may affect the immediate weigh in results. I am going to try and post my Day 1 before pic next to my Day 30 pic and see if there is a difference visually, you be the judge!
That's all I have today. Crossing my fingers for a loss on the scale tomorrow! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
"I'm not trying to hurt you, just make you better!" (Insanity Week 4 Day 1)
From the title...this was a quote by Shaun T in today's workout. I have to question the legitimacy of this statement because I was definitely hurting today! Frog jumps, suicide jumps, power jacks, push-up jacks, oh my! It was non-stop fun today! If you couldn't guess today was PURE CARDIO day and what follows PURE CARDIO........PURE CARDIO ABS!
Now surprisingly enough, the worst part of today's workout was that my legs were on fire from all the squats and jumping! Butt kicks and high knees were killing my calves today too! But of course just when I am all good and stretched out, cooled off and breathing normal, here come the stupid Pure Cardio Abs! UGH! My least favorite of this video are the last 2 exercises, high plank, low plank oblique. It hurts my hips more than anything and then he follows it all up with this ab pulsing workout that you do from both high and low plank position in 4 sets. Let me tell you, it will have your lower abs SCREAMING like they have been set on fire!! The ab workout is hard for me to get through because of the position he makes me sit in is very awkward and uncomfortable and I usually end up feeling it in my back or legs more than my abs. But alas, I push through and do as I am told.
How's about some results, shall we?
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 181.6lbs
Todays Weight: 180.4lbs
Difference: -1.2lbs
Total Lost on Insanity: -5.2lbs (in 3 weeks)
Total Lost Since November: -28.6lbs
I think losing 1.2lbs in a week is acceptable to me. I realize that I am gaining a little bit of muscle in the process and clearly judging by my clothes my body is shrinking. I look forward to hitting the 30lb mark! I haven't been in the 170's since 2001! I won't know what to do with myself! LOL. One final week of Month 1 and we will be in Recovery Week, only to gear up for absolute hell in Month 2. I'm afraid to even watch the DVD's because I think it may scare me out of doing them! LOL. Perseverance and determination!
That's all I have today! What have you done to get healthy in 2012?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Now surprisingly enough, the worst part of today's workout was that my legs were on fire from all the squats and jumping! Butt kicks and high knees were killing my calves today too! But of course just when I am all good and stretched out, cooled off and breathing normal, here come the stupid Pure Cardio Abs! UGH! My least favorite of this video are the last 2 exercises, high plank, low plank oblique. It hurts my hips more than anything and then he follows it all up with this ab pulsing workout that you do from both high and low plank position in 4 sets. Let me tell you, it will have your lower abs SCREAMING like they have been set on fire!! The ab workout is hard for me to get through because of the position he makes me sit in is very awkward and uncomfortable and I usually end up feeling it in my back or legs more than my abs. But alas, I push through and do as I am told.
How's about some results, shall we?
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 181.6lbs
Todays Weight: 180.4lbs
Difference: -1.2lbs
Total Lost on Insanity: -5.2lbs (in 3 weeks)
Total Lost Since November: -28.6lbs
I think losing 1.2lbs in a week is acceptable to me. I realize that I am gaining a little bit of muscle in the process and clearly judging by my clothes my body is shrinking. I look forward to hitting the 30lb mark! I haven't been in the 170's since 2001! I won't know what to do with myself! LOL. One final week of Month 1 and we will be in Recovery Week, only to gear up for absolute hell in Month 2. I'm afraid to even watch the DVD's because I think it may scare me out of doing them! LOL. Perseverance and determination!
That's all I have today! What have you done to get healthy in 2012?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Tricep Dips Hurt! (Insanity Week 3 Day 5)
So now that I'm about to close out Week 3 of Insanity and I've done these workouts a few times I'm getting more familiar with the routine and what to expect. However yesterday in my workout I had somehow forgotten about what they call "Tricep Dips" and let me tell you...they HURT!
Yesterday's workout was "Power Cardio and Resistance". Incidentally another least favorite of mine. I find it ironic how every DVD is a least favorite of mine. Well. LOL. It's a lot of push ups and squats and jumps and then some pretty torturous tricep and arm work! Yet again I stood drenched in sweat wondering why I keep doing this to myself. Then I go to take a shower, look in the mirro and I think...oh yeah...this is why! I say that because I'm definitely starting to see results in my chest, arms and legs. I can tell I've gotten stronger both physically and cardio wise.
Some friends asked me last night what I do to keep myself motivated to keep doing Insanity every day and not give up. I told them that I come home from work and the first thing I do is my Insanity workout. I don't give myself a chance to settle in or unwind. I power through the workouts and every day when I look in the mirror and I see my body changing and every week I step on the scale and see the pounds dropping off, that is what keeps me motivated to keep going. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that Insanity is not fun, it is not easy, it is not for the lazy. It takes not only strength, but will power and a mental determination to power through the workouts. I literally find myself almost in tears at the end of some of the workouts because I am pushing my body to the ultimate limit and when I want to collapse I find just a bit more ability to push through to the end. When you finish an Insanity workout you KNOW you worked for it!
Today I will complete Week 3 and move into Week 4, then it's Recovery Week and get geared up for Month 2! Can you handle it?!
That's all I have today! All aboard the Insane Train!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Yesterday's workout was "Power Cardio and Resistance". Incidentally another least favorite of mine. I find it ironic how every DVD is a least favorite of mine. Well. LOL. It's a lot of push ups and squats and jumps and then some pretty torturous tricep and arm work! Yet again I stood drenched in sweat wondering why I keep doing this to myself. Then I go to take a shower, look in the mirro and I think...oh yeah...this is why! I say that because I'm definitely starting to see results in my chest, arms and legs. I can tell I've gotten stronger both physically and cardio wise.
Some friends asked me last night what I do to keep myself motivated to keep doing Insanity every day and not give up. I told them that I come home from work and the first thing I do is my Insanity workout. I don't give myself a chance to settle in or unwind. I power through the workouts and every day when I look in the mirror and I see my body changing and every week I step on the scale and see the pounds dropping off, that is what keeps me motivated to keep going. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that Insanity is not fun, it is not easy, it is not for the lazy. It takes not only strength, but will power and a mental determination to power through the workouts. I literally find myself almost in tears at the end of some of the workouts because I am pushing my body to the ultimate limit and when I want to collapse I find just a bit more ability to push through to the end. When you finish an Insanity workout you KNOW you worked for it!
Today I will complete Week 3 and move into Week 4, then it's Recovery Week and get geared up for Month 2! Can you handle it?!
That's all I have today! All aboard the Insane Train!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Losing your lunch! (Insanity Week 3 Day 4)
So today I had plans to do dinner right after work, not wanting to miss out on my Insanity schedule I went home on lunch to do my work out. Why anyone would think this is a good idea is beyond me, but it sounded like the perfect "pick me up" for the day.
Today was "Pure Cardio" and "Cardio Abs", yes the day that they make you do two workouts back to back! The total time is around 55 minutes, needless to say I had to take an hour and a half lunch break today! LOL. I hate Pure Cardio days. Normally on the DVD's during the workout you get a 30 second rest between each set of craziness. Now that doesn't sound like much, but trust me when I say you look real forward to that 30 seconds! On the Pure Cardio video you get 1 30 second break in the very beginning set and then nothing after that, so you are on your own for taking a break. Believe me, I made sure to take mine! It's straigh up 28 minutes of torture. Then you get to go BACK to the menu screen, after being beaten down, and click on "Cardio Abs" and work over your core real good until you want to vomit. Repeat....I hate Pure Cardio day.
I have 2 days remaining in Week 3, then it's a home stretch to ending Month 1! I'm kind of excited, but super nervous about month 2. Anything that has the word "max" in the title can't be fun, and EVERY DVD in month 2 is named "Max....." something.
One of our residents came in today to pick up a package and I saw that she had just ordered the Insanity series. I had to have a come to Jesus meeting with her and let her know that this was going to be the beat down of a lifetime and to get prepared. I told her to take the weekend and live it up, and start on Monday and then, life as you know will be over! LOL. She looked a little panicked when she left my office. Whoops! :-)
Well that is all I have for today. If anyone wants to get on this Insane Train...please let me know, I'd love to support you and see your progress!! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Today was "Pure Cardio" and "Cardio Abs", yes the day that they make you do two workouts back to back! The total time is around 55 minutes, needless to say I had to take an hour and a half lunch break today! LOL. I hate Pure Cardio days. Normally on the DVD's during the workout you get a 30 second rest between each set of craziness. Now that doesn't sound like much, but trust me when I say you look real forward to that 30 seconds! On the Pure Cardio video you get 1 30 second break in the very beginning set and then nothing after that, so you are on your own for taking a break. Believe me, I made sure to take mine! It's straigh up 28 minutes of torture. Then you get to go BACK to the menu screen, after being beaten down, and click on "Cardio Abs" and work over your core real good until you want to vomit. Repeat....I hate Pure Cardio day.
I have 2 days remaining in Week 3, then it's a home stretch to ending Month 1! I'm kind of excited, but super nervous about month 2. Anything that has the word "max" in the title can't be fun, and EVERY DVD in month 2 is named "Max....." something.
One of our residents came in today to pick up a package and I saw that she had just ordered the Insanity series. I had to have a come to Jesus meeting with her and let her know that this was going to be the beat down of a lifetime and to get prepared. I told her to take the weekend and live it up, and start on Monday and then, life as you know will be over! LOL. She looked a little panicked when she left my office. Whoops! :-)
Well that is all I have for today. If anyone wants to get on this Insane Train...please let me know, I'd love to support you and see your progress!! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
"Excuse me sir....sir....are you ok sir?" (Insanity Week 3 Day 2)
I don't know how to describe it other than pure hell! Tonight's workout was so brutal that when I was done, I literally fell (no, collapsed) onto the floor and just laid there. I assumed this must be what dying feels like.
Here's the funny thing....I have done this workout at least twice before (but I think 3 times before) but it never felt like this. I think what is happening is as I am getting stronger and my endurance is building, I'm able to push myself harder and further than before and by so doing I am pushing my body to its breaking point. The workout tonight was so intense I actually had to remove my shirt and workout in just shorts! LOL. Now this isn't because I have an insane body now and I wanted to show off to my neighbors, but I was sweating so profusely that my shirt was actually beginning to weigh me down as it absorbed all of the sweat from my body and was hindering my workout. The floor beneath me was wet after my workout as the water I was sweating out just poured onto the floor. I've never worked out so hard in my life! The worst part is, the most intense of the DVD's is still to come this week! And they say that month 2 is Insanity times 10! I don't know how it could get worse, but apparently it is going to! Pray for me!
To those out there who have begun Insanity, I implore you to stick with it no matter how much you might feel like giving up. It's called Insanity for a reason, but if you stick with it, you will see the results and it will be worth it! If a fat kid like me can stick with it, anyone can! For those who are looking for a way to get back into shape and lose the weight you've been holding onto and you've tried everything else....I encourage you to look into Insanity. Yes it is crazy, yes you will feel like you are dying, yes you will want to give up and yes you might even throw up a time or two, but when you start looking in the mirror and seeing a body you are proud of, all of those things make it worth the effort! Are you dedicated to yourself enough to try Insanity!? Give me a shout out if you are! :-)
That's all I have for today! Looking forward to recovery day tomorrow! WOOT!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Here's the funny thing....I have done this workout at least twice before (but I think 3 times before) but it never felt like this. I think what is happening is as I am getting stronger and my endurance is building, I'm able to push myself harder and further than before and by so doing I am pushing my body to its breaking point. The workout tonight was so intense I actually had to remove my shirt and workout in just shorts! LOL. Now this isn't because I have an insane body now and I wanted to show off to my neighbors, but I was sweating so profusely that my shirt was actually beginning to weigh me down as it absorbed all of the sweat from my body and was hindering my workout. The floor beneath me was wet after my workout as the water I was sweating out just poured onto the floor. I've never worked out so hard in my life! The worst part is, the most intense of the DVD's is still to come this week! And they say that month 2 is Insanity times 10! I don't know how it could get worse, but apparently it is going to! Pray for me!
To those out there who have begun Insanity, I implore you to stick with it no matter how much you might feel like giving up. It's called Insanity for a reason, but if you stick with it, you will see the results and it will be worth it! If a fat kid like me can stick with it, anyone can! For those who are looking for a way to get back into shape and lose the weight you've been holding onto and you've tried everything else....I encourage you to look into Insanity. Yes it is crazy, yes you will feel like you are dying, yes you will want to give up and yes you might even throw up a time or two, but when you start looking in the mirror and seeing a body you are proud of, all of those things make it worth the effort! Are you dedicated to yourself enough to try Insanity!? Give me a shout out if you are! :-)
That's all I have for today! Looking forward to recovery day tomorrow! WOOT!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Monday, April 30, 2012
I GOT YOU BEAT!! Insanity Fit Test #2 and Weigh-In Results
WOW! Is all I have to say. Week 2 of Insanity is over and I just completed my second fit test. It was killer! The fit test is almost as tough as the actual workout...it in itself is 25 minutes long! WHEW!
I know you're all dying for the results so here we go! I've posted Week 1 results first then Week 2 so you can see the difference. Following the results are my weigh-in numbers from this week! Awesome Job! :-)
Fit Test #2 Results:
Exercise Week 1 Week 2
Switch Kicks 108 120
Power Jacks 57 67
Power Knees 83 113
Power Jumps 30 45
Globe Jumps 7 10 (Note: 4 Jumps = 1 rotation so 10 rotations = 40 Jumps)
Suicide Jumps 13 18
Push-up Jacks 29 44
Low Plank Oblique 41 56
Weigh In Results:
Starting Weight: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 183.0lbs
Today's Weight: 181.6lbs
Difference: -1.4lbs
Total Weight Loss: -4.0lbs
Weight Loss Since November: -27.4lbs
I'm feeling pretty amazing about these results! Knowing that I am just a mere 1.7lbs from saying goodbye to the 180's is super exciting! I've been working so hard at losing weight and to see some light at the end of the tunnel is beyond words!
I also gave up soda when I began the Insanity Workout series and have been drinking nothing but water products (plain water, Sobe Life Water, Vitamin Water Zero etc.) and I am feeling really good about it! I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but after 2 weeks I'm done with the cravings for soda and quite enjoy seeking out new types of water based beverages to consume. It's also helped curb my appetite so I don't get a desire to overeat during the day. I highly recommend ditching the soda if you're looking to get into shape. It's not for everyone and I am not swearing it off forever, but at least while I complete Insanity.
That's all I have for now. I am pretty beat down from that fit test and am going to relax in a nice hot shower! :-) Week 2 is officially complete, bring on Week 3! 48 days remaining!
Wishing you success in your goals! Make 2012 about you!
Keith
I know you're all dying for the results so here we go! I've posted Week 1 results first then Week 2 so you can see the difference. Following the results are my weigh-in numbers from this week! Awesome Job! :-)
Fit Test #2 Results:
Exercise Week 1 Week 2
Switch Kicks 108 120
Power Jacks 57 67
Power Knees 83 113
Power Jumps 30 45
Globe Jumps 7 10 (Note: 4 Jumps = 1 rotation so 10 rotations = 40 Jumps)
Suicide Jumps 13 18
Push-up Jacks 29 44
Low Plank Oblique 41 56
Weigh In Results:
Starting Weight: 185.6lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 183.0lbs
Today's Weight: 181.6lbs
Difference: -1.4lbs
Total Weight Loss: -4.0lbs
Weight Loss Since November: -27.4lbs
I'm feeling pretty amazing about these results! Knowing that I am just a mere 1.7lbs from saying goodbye to the 180's is super exciting! I've been working so hard at losing weight and to see some light at the end of the tunnel is beyond words!
I also gave up soda when I began the Insanity Workout series and have been drinking nothing but water products (plain water, Sobe Life Water, Vitamin Water Zero etc.) and I am feeling really good about it! I wasn't sure how it was going to go, but after 2 weeks I'm done with the cravings for soda and quite enjoy seeking out new types of water based beverages to consume. It's also helped curb my appetite so I don't get a desire to overeat during the day. I highly recommend ditching the soda if you're looking to get into shape. It's not for everyone and I am not swearing it off forever, but at least while I complete Insanity.
That's all I have for now. I am pretty beat down from that fit test and am going to relax in a nice hot shower! :-) Week 2 is officially complete, bring on Week 3! 48 days remaining!
Wishing you success in your goals! Make 2012 about you!
Keith
Sunday, April 29, 2012
AWE HAIL NO! ABS TOO!?! (The End of Insanity Week 2)
Heaven help us! Today was the end of Week 2 of Insanity and it was KILLER!
Last night I was working out and just as I ended our area got pummelled with a HUGE hail storm! Here I am, drenched in sweat, tired and beat down from Insanity, and now I may have to round up the dogs and run for shelter?! OH MY! Luckily the hail was the worst part and the dogs and I were safe in the apartment. Admittedly I was a little scared for a bit! However, it was quite funny that at the exact moment I ended my workout, that's when it hit! Someone was watching out for me and was telling me that I HAD to finish this workout! LOL. Just sayin!
Today I wrapped up week 2 by doing the Pure Cardio workout (my least favorite and by far the most intense of the series so far) which now is followed up by Cardio Abs! Holy stars! Those workouts had my abs SCREAMIN! I'm looking forward to seeing what day 63 holds because those workouts are insane and are bound to produce some kind of flatter abdomen for me! :-)
No official weigh-in results yet. Tomorrow is my weigh-in day. Incidentally tomorrow is also the 2nd fit test of the series, so I will post my prior results along with tomorrow's results and my weigh-in results altogether! Stay tuned! I'm hoping for some exciting stuff tomorrow!!
That's all I have for today! Stay safe and keep pushing toward your goals!!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Last night I was working out and just as I ended our area got pummelled with a HUGE hail storm! Here I am, drenched in sweat, tired and beat down from Insanity, and now I may have to round up the dogs and run for shelter?! OH MY! Luckily the hail was the worst part and the dogs and I were safe in the apartment. Admittedly I was a little scared for a bit! However, it was quite funny that at the exact moment I ended my workout, that's when it hit! Someone was watching out for me and was telling me that I HAD to finish this workout! LOL. Just sayin!
Today I wrapped up week 2 by doing the Pure Cardio workout (my least favorite and by far the most intense of the series so far) which now is followed up by Cardio Abs! Holy stars! Those workouts had my abs SCREAMIN! I'm looking forward to seeing what day 63 holds because those workouts are insane and are bound to produce some kind of flatter abdomen for me! :-)
No official weigh-in results yet. Tomorrow is my weigh-in day. Incidentally tomorrow is also the 2nd fit test of the series, so I will post my prior results along with tomorrow's results and my weigh-in results altogether! Stay tuned! I'm hoping for some exciting stuff tomorrow!!
That's all I have for today! Stay safe and keep pushing toward your goals!!
Wishing you success in your goals.
Keith
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Insanity, Insanity oh how you torture me! (Week 2 Day 4)
On Week 2 of Insanity and now they are starting to rotate the workout DVD's. Even though I am repeating the workouts they still kick my butt every time!! I will say that I have noticed a slight increase in my stamina and endurance. I almost made it through the entire warm-up without having to stop! I only stopped once on the 3rd set, which is huge because on day 1 I was stopping after every exercise! LOL.
The one thing I am not looking forward to is on the "Pure Cardio" days going forward they then follow it up with "Cardio Abs". Now I am here to tell you, that while I can muscle through an Insanity workout, it's only because I know when it's over....it's over and I pretty much collapse onto my living room floor. To even THINK about starting up ANOTHER workout immediately following a beat down is mind boggling. What's even worse...the Pure Cardio workout is by far the most intense and insane of the workouts thus far, I barely have strength to shower after that one let alone bust out some more ab exercises! Oh my word! I guess we shall see how that goes, that workout is coming up tomorrow! YIKES
Not sure how the scale is going to look this week. I had a huge loss last week at 2.6lbs. I got off the nutrition plan for a couple of days, nothing too horrendous, but I think once my body gets in a groove, if I throw it off sometimes it jacks with my weigh-in results....but either way I am powering through! Monday will be the tell-all!
That's all I have for today! I had some other friends tell me that they have decided to get on board the Insanity Train with me, all I can say is, WELCOME ABOARD and GOOD LUCK! You will need it! :-)
If anyone else is interested in this madness, hit me up! Let's get fit before the summer!
Wishing you all the success in your goals!
Keith
The one thing I am not looking forward to is on the "Pure Cardio" days going forward they then follow it up with "Cardio Abs". Now I am here to tell you, that while I can muscle through an Insanity workout, it's only because I know when it's over....it's over and I pretty much collapse onto my living room floor. To even THINK about starting up ANOTHER workout immediately following a beat down is mind boggling. What's even worse...the Pure Cardio workout is by far the most intense and insane of the workouts thus far, I barely have strength to shower after that one let alone bust out some more ab exercises! Oh my word! I guess we shall see how that goes, that workout is coming up tomorrow! YIKES
Not sure how the scale is going to look this week. I had a huge loss last week at 2.6lbs. I got off the nutrition plan for a couple of days, nothing too horrendous, but I think once my body gets in a groove, if I throw it off sometimes it jacks with my weigh-in results....but either way I am powering through! Monday will be the tell-all!
That's all I have for today! I had some other friends tell me that they have decided to get on board the Insanity Train with me, all I can say is, WELCOME ABOARD and GOOD LUCK! You will need it! :-)
If anyone else is interested in this madness, hit me up! Let's get fit before the summer!
Wishing you all the success in your goals!
Keith
Monday, April 23, 2012
Come on ya'll....LET'S GO!!!!! Insanity Day 8 (Week 2)
Holy ice cream He-man! Today's workout was a blow out! I had done it last week, but somehow had forgotten just how intense it was. My body feels like jell-o! I literally almost cried toward the end because I was in complete body burnout mode and Shaun T kept telling me I had to keep going! LOL. 30 seconds of rest in between these crazy sets is not enough! Thank goodness for pause buttons! Don't judge me....you try doing one of these workouts and let's see you not hit pause! LOL. As Colene says, I'd rather hit pause and still complete the whole workout, than lay on the floor while the workout goes on without me! :-)
All in all, I'm glad to be done with Day 8! However, looking at tomorrow it is Pure Cardio which is another one of my absolute least favorites!
Let's start talking some results shall we!?
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Today's Weight: 183.0lbs
Difference: -2.6lbs
I felt so amazing when I got on that scale and saw I had lost 2.6lbs! I haven't lost that much in a week since the first week of my weight loss journey back in November! That in conjunction with my achievement of 32" waist shorts, it's been an awesome week! I've never worked so hard for something in my life and knowing that I am getting some awesome results makes it totally worth it.
I'll add my sentiment to the infomercial and other statements about Insanity....it's not easy, it's not fun, it's not for the weak or lazy. It takes total determination and will power and a drive to keep going even when your entire body wants to stop....even when you think you can't go on you find the strength inside to do more. At the end of the day, when you look in the mirror and finally see a body you are proud of, you'll know you earned it and you will never look back!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in you goals!
Keith
All in all, I'm glad to be done with Day 8! However, looking at tomorrow it is Pure Cardio which is another one of my absolute least favorites!
Let's start talking some results shall we!?
Starting Weight on Insanity: 185.6lbs
Today's Weight: 183.0lbs
Difference: -2.6lbs
I felt so amazing when I got on that scale and saw I had lost 2.6lbs! I haven't lost that much in a week since the first week of my weight loss journey back in November! That in conjunction with my achievement of 32" waist shorts, it's been an awesome week! I've never worked so hard for something in my life and knowing that I am getting some awesome results makes it totally worth it.
I'll add my sentiment to the infomercial and other statements about Insanity....it's not easy, it's not fun, it's not for the weak or lazy. It takes total determination and will power and a drive to keep going even when your entire body wants to stop....even when you think you can't go on you find the strength inside to do more. At the end of the day, when you look in the mirror and finally see a body you are proud of, you'll know you earned it and you will never look back!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in you goals!
Keith
Saturday, April 21, 2012
32 and 32 Finally Meet! Insanity Day 6, End of Week 1!
This post is very special because two miraculous things have happened.
1. I have completed 1 full week of Insanity and am still alive to tell the story!
2. My age and my waist size have finally met!!
Let's start off with #2 because it is really the most exciting!! I went into Macy's today hoping for a miracle. My 34's have been fitting me rather loosely and so I was crossing my fingers that I was down to a 32" waist finally. I browsed and browsed until I found some shorts that I wanted to try on, I grabbed the 32 and the 34 (just in case). Knowing that the 34's would fit I decided to start off with the 32's. I began to put them on and my muscular thighs :-) put up a little resistance, but I pulled them on with no problem, zipped them and buttoned them with no issue. No sucking in, no extra tugging...just zip and button. TA-DA! I almost cried looking in the mirror! I was SO freakin excited!! After I left the dressing room, I found a second pair to try on and just to be sure it wasn't the particular brand I had tried before I went to try on those too and they also fit without issue!! I think it is safe to say, HELLO WORLD I AM A 32" WAIST AGAIN!!!!
Now about #1. Today was the end of Week 1 of Insanity. Once again I was DRENCHED by the end of the workout! But surprisingly...it wasn't as HORRENDOUS as it had been in the beginning of the week. Don't misunderstand, I was dying, just not to the degree as I did on day 1! I will be honest and tell you that on day 1 I really thought I had gotten myself into something I wasn't going to be able to commit too, but I have found the inner strength to continue and hope that my perseverance holds out through the next 8 weeks! I have a ton of support, and buying some new clothes in smaller sizes today is DEFINITELY motivation for me!!
I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE out there who has put up with all my fitness and health crap over the past 5 months! Many of you have been such an inspiration to me to keep going and reach my goals! I appreciate all of your feedback and kind words of encouragement! It really does help!!! I hope in some way my success and determination has also helped you to reach further for your goals as well! 8 more weeks of Insanity and I should be ready for my big debut! Shirtless to the world! LOL. Look out world, cuz I'm comin!!!!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in your goals!!
Keith
1. I have completed 1 full week of Insanity and am still alive to tell the story!
2. My age and my waist size have finally met!!
Let's start off with #2 because it is really the most exciting!! I went into Macy's today hoping for a miracle. My 34's have been fitting me rather loosely and so I was crossing my fingers that I was down to a 32" waist finally. I browsed and browsed until I found some shorts that I wanted to try on, I grabbed the 32 and the 34 (just in case). Knowing that the 34's would fit I decided to start off with the 32's. I began to put them on and my muscular thighs :-) put up a little resistance, but I pulled them on with no problem, zipped them and buttoned them with no issue. No sucking in, no extra tugging...just zip and button. TA-DA! I almost cried looking in the mirror! I was SO freakin excited!! After I left the dressing room, I found a second pair to try on and just to be sure it wasn't the particular brand I had tried before I went to try on those too and they also fit without issue!! I think it is safe to say, HELLO WORLD I AM A 32" WAIST AGAIN!!!!
Now about #1. Today was the end of Week 1 of Insanity. Once again I was DRENCHED by the end of the workout! But surprisingly...it wasn't as HORRENDOUS as it had been in the beginning of the week. Don't misunderstand, I was dying, just not to the degree as I did on day 1! I will be honest and tell you that on day 1 I really thought I had gotten myself into something I wasn't going to be able to commit too, but I have found the inner strength to continue and hope that my perseverance holds out through the next 8 weeks! I have a ton of support, and buying some new clothes in smaller sizes today is DEFINITELY motivation for me!!
I just want to say thank you to EVERYONE out there who has put up with all my fitness and health crap over the past 5 months! Many of you have been such an inspiration to me to keep going and reach my goals! I appreciate all of your feedback and kind words of encouragement! It really does help!!! I hope in some way my success and determination has also helped you to reach further for your goals as well! 8 more weeks of Insanity and I should be ready for my big debut! Shirtless to the world! LOL. Look out world, cuz I'm comin!!!!
That's all I have today!
Wishing you success in your goals!!
Keith
That S#IT Is Ba-nanas yo! Insanity Day 5!
Now I realize that the past few days that I have been writing about Insanity, it seems like everyday is like the apocalypse. The truth is.....IT IS! LOL. Each day has been a challenge unlike anything I have ever gone through before and I've done some crazy things. Have you ever tried a Jillian Michaels workout? I hate her.
That being said, today's Insanity workout was the most extreme to date. I should have known it was going to be brutal when Shaun T said during the stretching phase "I'm really nervous about what's coming up in this workout!" Ummmm....you're the trainer and you are in PHENOMENAL shape....if you're nervous, what should I be? Terrified?? Well, I should have been because it was nothing less than torture. The DVD was called "Pure Cardio" and it was nothing but Cardio for 38 minutes. I did have a short conversation with my grandmother while working out during a rest period. Did I mention she died in 1986? :-)
At the end of the video Shaun T is on the floor and says "That s#it is ba-nanas yo!" and I couldn't agree more! Nonetheless, day 5 is complete and we have 58 days remaining!
If you have never looked into Insanity and are curious as to what exactly it is that I am going through, I encourage you to get on YouTube and look for Insanity videos. You'll find some of the workouts and videos of people doing them in their home and you can see first hand just how ridiculous these workouts are! LOL. I am however definitely feeling and seeing results already in my arms and legs and we are only 5 days in. I can't imagine what day 63 will look like, but I can't wait! Let the beatings continue! :-)
That's all I have for today! How are your goals coming? Remember 2012 is about you and getting healthy, even if you haven't started it's not too late! Get up from the couch and get going!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
That being said, today's Insanity workout was the most extreme to date. I should have known it was going to be brutal when Shaun T said during the stretching phase "I'm really nervous about what's coming up in this workout!" Ummmm....you're the trainer and you are in PHENOMENAL shape....if you're nervous, what should I be? Terrified?? Well, I should have been because it was nothing less than torture. The DVD was called "Pure Cardio" and it was nothing but Cardio for 38 minutes. I did have a short conversation with my grandmother while working out during a rest period. Did I mention she died in 1986? :-)
At the end of the video Shaun T is on the floor and says "That s#it is ba-nanas yo!" and I couldn't agree more! Nonetheless, day 5 is complete and we have 58 days remaining!
If you have never looked into Insanity and are curious as to what exactly it is that I am going through, I encourage you to get on YouTube and look for Insanity videos. You'll find some of the workouts and videos of people doing them in their home and you can see first hand just how ridiculous these workouts are! LOL. I am however definitely feeling and seeing results already in my arms and legs and we are only 5 days in. I can't imagine what day 63 will look like, but I can't wait! Let the beatings continue! :-)
That's all I have for today! How are your goals coming? Remember 2012 is about you and getting healthy, even if you haven't started it's not too late! Get up from the couch and get going!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Insanity? Hmmmm...Day 4...Recovery
So I pop in the DVD today called "Cardio Recovery"....fully prepared for the "fatal blow" to put me out of my misery. My body was so tight and sore today, I barely made it to work!! While I physically and mentally was in no mood to put up a fight today, I was very SHOCKED when I heard Shaun T say "We're going to be moving slow today and recovering from your insane workouts."
HUH?
Now don't get me wrong, there were some tough moves, but I think it was mainly difficult because I was extremely sore and any slight stretching made my muscles feel like someone had set them on fire. But today's workout was a walk in the park compared to the past 3 days. That gives me new hope, because prior to today, I thought we basically got killed for 6 days straight and got 1 day to recover. Well thank you Shaun T...that's the best thing you've given me all week! LOL.
It was back to the insane diet today though. Stuffing my face until I couldn't eat anymore! I honestly think after this first week, depending on how the weigh-in turns out, I may scale back the reccommended portions just a touch. I'm seriously downing like 2300 calories per day which is easily 500-600 more than I am used to! Most people would think.....well why is that bad? There are a lot of bad ways to get to 2300 calories. You could easily pull into a fast food joint for breakfast and rack up calories without feeling STUFFED. But my calories are built on large portions of healthy, fresh ingredients. Downing a Turkey BLT and a pear just 3 hours after eating 2 eggs, 2 egg whites with mushrooms and cheese and orange juice is daunting! :-) I suppose there could be worse things in the world.....
Alas, Insanity Day 4 is done. 59 days remaining of this madness and we should be looking at a whole new me. I'll wait to post my before pic until I'm done, and then you can see the side by side comparison and tell me what you think.
Just for the records:
Starting Weight as of Monday was: 185.6lbs
That's all I have for now. Stay tuned kids, I'm sure this will get even better!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
HUH?
Now don't get me wrong, there were some tough moves, but I think it was mainly difficult because I was extremely sore and any slight stretching made my muscles feel like someone had set them on fire. But today's workout was a walk in the park compared to the past 3 days. That gives me new hope, because prior to today, I thought we basically got killed for 6 days straight and got 1 day to recover. Well thank you Shaun T...that's the best thing you've given me all week! LOL.
It was back to the insane diet today though. Stuffing my face until I couldn't eat anymore! I honestly think after this first week, depending on how the weigh-in turns out, I may scale back the reccommended portions just a touch. I'm seriously downing like 2300 calories per day which is easily 500-600 more than I am used to! Most people would think.....well why is that bad? There are a lot of bad ways to get to 2300 calories. You could easily pull into a fast food joint for breakfast and rack up calories without feeling STUFFED. But my calories are built on large portions of healthy, fresh ingredients. Downing a Turkey BLT and a pear just 3 hours after eating 2 eggs, 2 egg whites with mushrooms and cheese and orange juice is daunting! :-) I suppose there could be worse things in the world.....
Alas, Insanity Day 4 is done. 59 days remaining of this madness and we should be looking at a whole new me. I'll wait to post my before pic until I'm done, and then you can see the side by side comparison and tell me what you think.
Just for the records:
Starting Weight as of Monday was: 185.6lbs
That's all I have for now. Stay tuned kids, I'm sure this will get even better!!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Somebody Call 9-1-1...or Massage Envy...Insanity Day 3!
I am here to tell you that my entire body is sore! I can barely even walk my legs are in such a state! I need a full body massage STAT! Anyone? :-)
Today was day 3 of Insanity! I literally almost had to dial 9-1-1 because I thought I was going to die! Shaun T has done lost his daggone mind with these workouts! Just when he had us at the brink of death he says "We have one more workout to do"....HUH? Child I can't even get up anymore, my legs feel like jello, my lungs have collapsed and I'm pretty sure my liver has exploded! What do you mean one more workout!? But he was for real, and like any real trooper, I got myself up off that floor, drenched in sweat, heaving and fighting for air and found the strength from inside to finish strong. A little screamin' will help you push through anything! LOL.
I didn't get to stuff my face with all kinds of food today as I was traveling on a road trip, but I did keep it healthy and ate an Insanity recipe salad for dinner following my workout, that actually was QUITE tasty and filling!!
That's all I have today. Insanity has lived up to its hype and name thus far. These people aren't playin', so all I'm sayin' after all this is, I BETTER BE LOOKIN THE PART WHEN I'M DONE! Don't get cut Shaun T!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Today was day 3 of Insanity! I literally almost had to dial 9-1-1 because I thought I was going to die! Shaun T has done lost his daggone mind with these workouts! Just when he had us at the brink of death he says "We have one more workout to do"....HUH? Child I can't even get up anymore, my legs feel like jello, my lungs have collapsed and I'm pretty sure my liver has exploded! What do you mean one more workout!? But he was for real, and like any real trooper, I got myself up off that floor, drenched in sweat, heaving and fighting for air and found the strength from inside to finish strong. A little screamin' will help you push through anything! LOL.
I didn't get to stuff my face with all kinds of food today as I was traveling on a road trip, but I did keep it healthy and ate an Insanity recipe salad for dinner following my workout, that actually was QUITE tasty and filling!!
That's all I have today. Insanity has lived up to its hype and name thus far. These people aren't playin', so all I'm sayin' after all this is, I BETTER BE LOOKIN THE PART WHEN I'M DONE! Don't get cut Shaun T!
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Cardio Plyometrics...INSANE..Day 2 of Insanity!
Are you freakin' kidding me with this? I thought I was literally going to die tonight. This workout was a beat down from the first second it started! I was drenched in sweat and my neighbors probably thought I was being murdered. What they didn't know is that I was being murdered! LOL.
Something else about this Insanity program is the nutrition plan they send you. Now I have done a lot of diet plans and this is by far the one with the most food! I ate until I could not eat anymore!!! In fact I am just NOW eating my 5th meal because I couldn't force anything else down at dinner time! For example, one of my snacks was 3oz of Turkey, 3oz of Ham, 4 whole wheat crackers, 1 cup of grapes, 1oz of swiss cheese and a tomatoe slice! What the? Needless to say I was NOT hugry throughout the day! LOL. I guess that's kind of a good thing in that it's hard to fall off the wagon because you stay full all day. The only way to fall off is to not finish your food! LOL. Insane!
Needless to say I have survived Day 2 of Insanity and my BFF Colene is working right along with me, which makes it so much easier to tackle, knowing someone else shares my pain! LOL.
That's all for today. I'm off to finish my yogurt w/ walnuts and a pear! WOOT! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Something else about this Insanity program is the nutrition plan they send you. Now I have done a lot of diet plans and this is by far the one with the most food! I ate until I could not eat anymore!!! In fact I am just NOW eating my 5th meal because I couldn't force anything else down at dinner time! For example, one of my snacks was 3oz of Turkey, 3oz of Ham, 4 whole wheat crackers, 1 cup of grapes, 1oz of swiss cheese and a tomatoe slice! What the? Needless to say I was NOT hugry throughout the day! LOL. I guess that's kind of a good thing in that it's hard to fall off the wagon because you stay full all day. The only way to fall off is to not finish your food! LOL. Insane!
Needless to say I have survived Day 2 of Insanity and my BFF Colene is working right along with me, which makes it so much easier to tackle, knowing someone else shares my pain! LOL.
That's all for today. I'm off to finish my yogurt w/ walnuts and a pear! WOOT! :-)
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Monday, April 16, 2012
This really is Insanity!!!! Day 1 (and it begins....)
So remember before I left for the weekend I said I would be starting something INSANE on Monday, well it's finally here! I have begun the Insanity Workout series! That's right, for the next 62 days in conjunction with my BFF Colene, I will be challenging myself to the Insanity Workout program!
Let me start by saying that it definitely lives up to its name thus far! Today was Day 1 and all I had to complete was the Fit Test. For those not familiar, the Fit Test is something you complete every 15 days to gauge your progress through the program. You complete 8 exercises and are given 1 minute per exercise to complete as many repetitions as you can. For the over achiever such as myself, this is no easy task!
Here are my results:
Switch kicks: 108
Power jacks: 57
Power knees: 83
Power Jumps: 30
Globe Jumps: 7
Suicide Jumps: 13
Push up Jacks: 29
Low plank obliques: 41
After the exercises you do a few minutes of stretching which believe me is needed as your legs are SORE the next day. (I did a test run of this a few weeks ago when Colene was in town! LOL) At the end of the 25 minutes I was DONE! Covered in sweat and feeling the life fade from my body, I mustered my final bit of strength to get into the shower and relax. The sad part is that this is MILD compared to the actual workouts which begin tomorrow!!! I keep thinking....what have I got myself into! However, all of the reviews I have read have been stellar. They were all honest in that they stated this is NOT for the lazy or weak and that it is NOT easy or fun, but the results are just as insane as the workouts, so we shall see what happens!
So while I am closing one chapter in this journey as I say goodbye to Workoutbox.com after 17 weeks, I am opening a new and even more exciting one with the Insanity Series. I am going to ATTEMPT to keep you updated day by day, but please don't hold me to that as we know life happens and sometimes I just don't get around to blogging. But as is customary you know I will keep you well informed!
That's all I have for now. How are your goals coming for 2012? Are you making this year about you and getting healthier?
Wishing you nothing but success!
Keith
Let me start by saying that it definitely lives up to its name thus far! Today was Day 1 and all I had to complete was the Fit Test. For those not familiar, the Fit Test is something you complete every 15 days to gauge your progress through the program. You complete 8 exercises and are given 1 minute per exercise to complete as many repetitions as you can. For the over achiever such as myself, this is no easy task!
Here are my results:
Switch kicks: 108
Power jacks: 57
Power knees: 83
Power Jumps: 30
Globe Jumps: 7
Suicide Jumps: 13
Push up Jacks: 29
Low plank obliques: 41
After the exercises you do a few minutes of stretching which believe me is needed as your legs are SORE the next day. (I did a test run of this a few weeks ago when Colene was in town! LOL) At the end of the 25 minutes I was DONE! Covered in sweat and feeling the life fade from my body, I mustered my final bit of strength to get into the shower and relax. The sad part is that this is MILD compared to the actual workouts which begin tomorrow!!! I keep thinking....what have I got myself into! However, all of the reviews I have read have been stellar. They were all honest in that they stated this is NOT for the lazy or weak and that it is NOT easy or fun, but the results are just as insane as the workouts, so we shall see what happens!
So while I am closing one chapter in this journey as I say goodbye to Workoutbox.com after 17 weeks, I am opening a new and even more exciting one with the Insanity Series. I am going to ATTEMPT to keep you updated day by day, but please don't hold me to that as we know life happens and sometimes I just don't get around to blogging. But as is customary you know I will keep you well informed!
That's all I have for now. How are your goals coming for 2012? Are you making this year about you and getting healthier?
Wishing you nothing but success!
Keith
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Stay Tuned......
Just a short note to let you know I will be traveling this weekend until Monday to visit family, so I will not be blogging. However, stay tuned because come Monday when I return I will be starting something truly....INSANE! (hint hint)
Are you ready for it? I don't even think I am ready for it...but here we go!! LOL. It's time to ramp up this weight loss, give it everything I have and "dig deeper"!
Stay tuned folks........comin at ya' MONDAY!
Wishing you all the success in your weight loss journey!
Keith
Are you ready for it? I don't even think I am ready for it...but here we go!! LOL. It's time to ramp up this weight loss, give it everything I have and "dig deeper"!
Stay tuned folks........comin at ya' MONDAY!
Wishing you all the success in your weight loss journey!
Keith
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Derailment leads to Insanity......
Well hello there! Fancy meeting you here! I admit it has been quite sometime since we have seen one another. I'm sure you have been wondering....what happened to that one guy who was blogging about his weight loss and was all jazzed up and then just dropped off the planet!? Well, I'M STILL HERE!
I got into a traveling stint with work and it kept me pretty busy and I neglected the blogging side of my life for a while. It also cut into my workout routine as I was traveling 3-4 days per week and there was not a decent gym around, save the hotel gym which had outdated cardio equipment and some free weights. I did my best to eat decently and do SOME kind of workout and not derail my whole plan. I was semi-successful....by that I mean not very. LOL. I did over indulge a few times and skipped my workouts for over a week. The end result was a halt in my weight loss.
In all I think I only gained about 1.5lbs, which trust me when I say is not horrible considering what I was eating! LOL.
Nonetheless, I feel the need to get back on track and press forward to my goal! I said many blogs ago when I first started that this was not going to be easy, and it hasn't been. I've been pretty up front and honest about my roadblocks and set backs, so that you have a true vision of what it takes to effectively lose weight. Every day or week isn't a success and no matter what those people in the infomercials tell you, you can have all the determination in the world, you are going to derail sometimes. It doesn't mean you are weak or incapable, it means you are human. Life happens.
So all of this time off has given me some time to think about how I want to proceed to reach my goal. Technically speaking I have 8 weeks left on my Workout Box program. It's a 26 week program, so knowing that I have completed 16 weeks gives me a great deal of satisfaction. The problem is that I've gotten out of routine for a couple of weeks and I feel like I've lost my momentum to continue with that program. The other half of me wants to finish to say that I did it!
Here's where we get to the "Insanity" part of my title. I've been reading a lot about the Insanity workout series. If you aren't familiar, it is a 60-day EXTREME body conditioning program that lives up to its name. The workouts are SUPER intense and you work out 6 days a week for about 35-60 minutes per workout. The program promises great results within the 60 days, and I've read a lot of reviews and before and after pictures from actual people who have done it (not just the infomercial people) and it seems legit, just insane! Along with it comes an eating plan that actually makes you eat 5-6 times per day which is what I do now. Some people have lost up to 40lbs within the 60 days. Now I don't have 40lbs to lose, but if I could drop another 10-15lbs that would be awesome! I haven't had the nerve to pull the trigger and order it yet, I'm nervous that it will be too extreme for me and I won't commit. But if you do finish it they send you a free t-shirt that says "I earned it" on the back. LOL. How can you pass that up!!? :-)
I will share with you that a few weeks ago, my best friend in crime came to visit me in St. Louis and brought with her the Insanity "Fit Test" dvd. Now the Fit Test is something you do in the very beginning of Insanity to gauge your level of preparedness before you begin. You then do the Fit Test every 15 days to measure your progress on the program. The Fit Test consists of about 8 exercises that are done during Insanity. You get 1 minute per exercise to do as many as you can do. Once you are done, you get a short break to rest and record your results, and by short I mean like 30-45 seconds and then it's on to the next exercise. So Colene is on the couch watching me do this Fit Test and writing down my results and I'm trying to "give it all I got" from the gate. I'm here to tell you that this Fit Test was NO JOKE! I was pouring sweat just a minute in and was ready to be done! After a few exercises we got to one that I can't even remember what it was, but I watched the demo and looked at Colene and told her to just write down a 0 for that one because I was not even going to attempt it! LOL By the time the Fit Test was over (about 25 minutes) I was so tired and beat down, I couldn't even stand up. I ended up curled up on the bathroom floor, praying to my Father in Heaven to save me from this torture! LOL. Colene claims I did really good, but it hurt nonetheless. But the flip side of that is that you know you WORKED OUT. There's no phoning it in during Insanity, that's for sure!
So that's where I am at right now. I cancelled my Weight Watchers and calorie counter didn't really work out for me too well, so I"m kind of in limbo with my nutrition as well. I'm going to continue my Workoutbox workouts until I decide if Insanity is for me, and then we shall see what happens!
That's all I have for now, I apologize again for my long delay in blogging, but hope to keep caught up now that I am done traveling for a while! :-) How are things your way? Are you keeping on track?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
I got into a traveling stint with work and it kept me pretty busy and I neglected the blogging side of my life for a while. It also cut into my workout routine as I was traveling 3-4 days per week and there was not a decent gym around, save the hotel gym which had outdated cardio equipment and some free weights. I did my best to eat decently and do SOME kind of workout and not derail my whole plan. I was semi-successful....by that I mean not very. LOL. I did over indulge a few times and skipped my workouts for over a week. The end result was a halt in my weight loss.
In all I think I only gained about 1.5lbs, which trust me when I say is not horrible considering what I was eating! LOL.
Nonetheless, I feel the need to get back on track and press forward to my goal! I said many blogs ago when I first started that this was not going to be easy, and it hasn't been. I've been pretty up front and honest about my roadblocks and set backs, so that you have a true vision of what it takes to effectively lose weight. Every day or week isn't a success and no matter what those people in the infomercials tell you, you can have all the determination in the world, you are going to derail sometimes. It doesn't mean you are weak or incapable, it means you are human. Life happens.
So all of this time off has given me some time to think about how I want to proceed to reach my goal. Technically speaking I have 8 weeks left on my Workout Box program. It's a 26 week program, so knowing that I have completed 16 weeks gives me a great deal of satisfaction. The problem is that I've gotten out of routine for a couple of weeks and I feel like I've lost my momentum to continue with that program. The other half of me wants to finish to say that I did it!
Here's where we get to the "Insanity" part of my title. I've been reading a lot about the Insanity workout series. If you aren't familiar, it is a 60-day EXTREME body conditioning program that lives up to its name. The workouts are SUPER intense and you work out 6 days a week for about 35-60 minutes per workout. The program promises great results within the 60 days, and I've read a lot of reviews and before and after pictures from actual people who have done it (not just the infomercial people) and it seems legit, just insane! Along with it comes an eating plan that actually makes you eat 5-6 times per day which is what I do now. Some people have lost up to 40lbs within the 60 days. Now I don't have 40lbs to lose, but if I could drop another 10-15lbs that would be awesome! I haven't had the nerve to pull the trigger and order it yet, I'm nervous that it will be too extreme for me and I won't commit. But if you do finish it they send you a free t-shirt that says "I earned it" on the back. LOL. How can you pass that up!!? :-)
I will share with you that a few weeks ago, my best friend in crime came to visit me in St. Louis and brought with her the Insanity "Fit Test" dvd. Now the Fit Test is something you do in the very beginning of Insanity to gauge your level of preparedness before you begin. You then do the Fit Test every 15 days to measure your progress on the program. The Fit Test consists of about 8 exercises that are done during Insanity. You get 1 minute per exercise to do as many as you can do. Once you are done, you get a short break to rest and record your results, and by short I mean like 30-45 seconds and then it's on to the next exercise. So Colene is on the couch watching me do this Fit Test and writing down my results and I'm trying to "give it all I got" from the gate. I'm here to tell you that this Fit Test was NO JOKE! I was pouring sweat just a minute in and was ready to be done! After a few exercises we got to one that I can't even remember what it was, but I watched the demo and looked at Colene and told her to just write down a 0 for that one because I was not even going to attempt it! LOL By the time the Fit Test was over (about 25 minutes) I was so tired and beat down, I couldn't even stand up. I ended up curled up on the bathroom floor, praying to my Father in Heaven to save me from this torture! LOL. Colene claims I did really good, but it hurt nonetheless. But the flip side of that is that you know you WORKED OUT. There's no phoning it in during Insanity, that's for sure!
So that's where I am at right now. I cancelled my Weight Watchers and calorie counter didn't really work out for me too well, so I"m kind of in limbo with my nutrition as well. I'm going to continue my Workoutbox workouts until I decide if Insanity is for me, and then we shall see what happens!
That's all I have for now, I apologize again for my long delay in blogging, but hope to keep caught up now that I am done traveling for a while! :-) How are things your way? Are you keeping on track?
Wishing you success in your goals!
Keith
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Back to the grind.....
It's been a while since we've chatted! I've been busy with work and other things and haven't had a lot to report by way of weight loss.
This past week I was traveling for work and it was my first trip since I began my weight loss journey. The hotel I stayed at had a small gym but I did not take advantage of it. Luckily week 18 was a rest week, so I switched out my week 17 and 18. I did my best to eat somewhat healthy and stay within my calorie count for the week and I think I did fairly well.
My prior weeks weight was 186.6lbs
Last Monday's weight: 187.2lbs
I gained a little bit in the prior week. Tomorrow will be my weigh in for this past week and we'll see how my no workout, eat decent week turned out! A zero gain would be nice. That would mean I know how to eat in order to maintain and not overdo it.
This week I'll finish week 17 and skip back to week 19 next week. That will put me at 8 weeks left in my program. It is flying by!!! I've got to give it my all this next 8 weeks and try to finish strong! I have roughly 17lbs to lose in order to hit my goal weight of 169lbs. That would give me a total weight loss of 40lbs! This means I need to lose about 2lbs per week in order to hit my goal....so I'll need to be super diligent in my diet/nutrition and making my workouts count!
Keeping my fingers crossed and getting geared up for the weeks to come! I am traveling 2 days this week so I am going to try and do my best to stay on track and get in some workouts while I am away!!!
Stay tuned.....
Keith
This past week I was traveling for work and it was my first trip since I began my weight loss journey. The hotel I stayed at had a small gym but I did not take advantage of it. Luckily week 18 was a rest week, so I switched out my week 17 and 18. I did my best to eat somewhat healthy and stay within my calorie count for the week and I think I did fairly well.
My prior weeks weight was 186.6lbs
Last Monday's weight: 187.2lbs
I gained a little bit in the prior week. Tomorrow will be my weigh in for this past week and we'll see how my no workout, eat decent week turned out! A zero gain would be nice. That would mean I know how to eat in order to maintain and not overdo it.
This week I'll finish week 17 and skip back to week 19 next week. That will put me at 8 weeks left in my program. It is flying by!!! I've got to give it my all this next 8 weeks and try to finish strong! I have roughly 17lbs to lose in order to hit my goal weight of 169lbs. That would give me a total weight loss of 40lbs! This means I need to lose about 2lbs per week in order to hit my goal....so I'll need to be super diligent in my diet/nutrition and making my workouts count!
Keeping my fingers crossed and getting geared up for the weeks to come! I am traveling 2 days this week so I am going to try and do my best to stay on track and get in some workouts while I am away!!!
Stay tuned.....
Keith
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
"For $5 I will guess your weight!, step right up!"
I know you've seen them at the carnival or amusement park somewhere, that annoying person who tries to get you to pay them money to tell you how fat you are. Why on earth would anyone ever do that? I think they have to be within like 5lbs +/- or you win a prize. I actually did it once because people always tell me that I never look as big as I actually am. At the time I weighed around 195lbs I think and this lady at Six Flags asked me to step on the scale. Prior to me getting on the scale she had written down a weight that she thought I was. Do you know what this fool wrote down? 165lbs! Now ma'am...I may not look like 195lbs but I sure as he** don't look like 165lbs! Needless to say I won a stuffed animal and walked on with my big self! LOL.
I kind of feel like that every week when I get on the scale. Wondering what the "lady" is going to tell me I weigh that day and hoping she tells me less and less each week! Well yesterday (Monday) was weigh-in day and although I didn't have to pay $5 I did get my results and here they are for you now....
Starting Weight: 209lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 188.2lbs
This Weeks Weight: 186.6lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total Weight Lost: -22.4lbs
While I was hoping for a 2lb loss, I will take 1.6lbs! That is certainly better than the 1lb I lost last week and brings my total to -22.4lbs lost! Amazing!! I can definitely see it in my body and my clothes. As I keep repeating, I still have quite a ways to go but I am very happy at the progress I am seeing in the mirror!
So as it turns out, counting calories garnered similar results to doing Weight Watchers. For the time being I'm going to keep my WW plan but I think I might be slightly addicted to counting calories! LOL. It's actually kind of fun when you are figuring it all out and finding all sorts of foods that you can work into your day is exciting! I try to keep my calories good calories and not eat too much processed sugar and things like that, but I certainly allow myself to indulge once in a while, just like on Weight Watchers. The great thing about counting calories though, if you over eat your calories, you just work a little harder at the gym and burn them off. On WW even though we get activity points when you work out, sometimes for 30 minutes of effort you only get 1-2 points when you needed 10, whereas with calorie counting 30 minutes of effort can result in 300+ calories burned which might allow you to have that cup of ice cream or piece of cake if you want it! :-)
It is another successful weigh-in and even though my WW app told me yesterday that I was losing weight too quickly (whatever!) I am very pleased at the results and the success that I have had! I will begin Week 16 this evening and am officially on the downward slope of finishing my program, 10 weeks to go after this week! How is your progress coming along? Is anyone out there? :-)
That's all I have today!
Keith
I kind of feel like that every week when I get on the scale. Wondering what the "lady" is going to tell me I weigh that day and hoping she tells me less and less each week! Well yesterday (Monday) was weigh-in day and although I didn't have to pay $5 I did get my results and here they are for you now....
Starting Weight: 209lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 188.2lbs
This Weeks Weight: 186.6lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total Weight Lost: -22.4lbs
While I was hoping for a 2lb loss, I will take 1.6lbs! That is certainly better than the 1lb I lost last week and brings my total to -22.4lbs lost! Amazing!! I can definitely see it in my body and my clothes. As I keep repeating, I still have quite a ways to go but I am very happy at the progress I am seeing in the mirror!
So as it turns out, counting calories garnered similar results to doing Weight Watchers. For the time being I'm going to keep my WW plan but I think I might be slightly addicted to counting calories! LOL. It's actually kind of fun when you are figuring it all out and finding all sorts of foods that you can work into your day is exciting! I try to keep my calories good calories and not eat too much processed sugar and things like that, but I certainly allow myself to indulge once in a while, just like on Weight Watchers. The great thing about counting calories though, if you over eat your calories, you just work a little harder at the gym and burn them off. On WW even though we get activity points when you work out, sometimes for 30 minutes of effort you only get 1-2 points when you needed 10, whereas with calorie counting 30 minutes of effort can result in 300+ calories burned which might allow you to have that cup of ice cream or piece of cake if you want it! :-)
It is another successful weigh-in and even though my WW app told me yesterday that I was losing weight too quickly (whatever!) I am very pleased at the results and the success that I have had! I will begin Week 16 this evening and am officially on the downward slope of finishing my program, 10 weeks to go after this week! How is your progress coming along? Is anyone out there? :-)
That's all I have today!
Keith
Monday, March 5, 2012
Where them bloggers at...where them bloggers at...where they at, where they at, where they at?
Finally an homage' to Rhianna! LOL.
Where are them bloggers indeed!!!? I'm sure you have been wondering if I have given up on blogging and I am here to tell you I have not!! I've just been busy with other things and haven't had too terribly much to report! In fact I think I even forgot to do a weigh-in blog last week! WHOOPS! To catch you up, I lost 1lb last week and was down to 188.2lbs!
The past week I changed things up a bit. I felt like I was hitting a plateau on Weight Watchers and decided I'd switch over to counting calories to see what worked better for me. Afterall, if I could do the same or better with counting calories, I'd save $18.95/month! LOL It's been an interesting week. With a calorie budget of 1900 calories a day I've had a little more freedom in my food choices. I've also had a few more restrictions at the same time. Where as fruits and most vegetables are 0 WW points they have calories in them, which means what I would usually eat for a snack or to bulk up my breakfast or dinner, now it cost me so I couldn't "free load" on fruits and veggies so to speak. But on the flip side, things that I normally wouldn't touch on Weight Watchers (like peanut butter and almonds) I've been able to work into my calorie count. Even graham crackers and marshmallow creme!! LOL.
The only thing I've found to be difficult, which I ran into on WW too was eating all my calories. I would usually eat the required amount but then when I factored in the work outs I'd be under my daily requirements. I've never fully understood if I'm supposed to eat those calories or leave the deficit. The 1900 calories was calculated with a built-in deficit not including exercise, so my exercise just created a larger deficit. I had that issue with WW and the activity points. I never wanted to eat all of my bonus/activity points and the time that I did, I gained a pound and a half (fortunately it all came off the next day! LOL)
Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I guess we will see how I fared on my calorie counting adventure. If it turns out to be about the same as Weight Watchers, I may just switch to calorie counting from here on out and save the $$. I've found that I can do just about any type of work out they throw at me, but the nutritional part is the true challenge. I feel like you can't keep doing the same thing over and over because your body adapts to your eating habits and eventually stalls out. But I can't keep switching it up every few weeks because then I get confused on what I'm doing! I'll be glad when I hit my goal weight and can get into a maintenance phase, then eating will be much easier. Trying to learn how to eat in order to effectively lose weight is a task!
Alas, onward we press my friends! I wrapped up week 15 this evening and will begin week 16 on Monday. I'm excited because week 18 is a rest week, can't wait!!! :-)
That's all I have for today. Sorry for the delay in updating you, stay tuned for the weigh-in results tomorrow, cross your fingers for big numbers!! 2lbs would be AMAZING!
Have a great week everyone!
Keith
Where are them bloggers indeed!!!? I'm sure you have been wondering if I have given up on blogging and I am here to tell you I have not!! I've just been busy with other things and haven't had too terribly much to report! In fact I think I even forgot to do a weigh-in blog last week! WHOOPS! To catch you up, I lost 1lb last week and was down to 188.2lbs!
The past week I changed things up a bit. I felt like I was hitting a plateau on Weight Watchers and decided I'd switch over to counting calories to see what worked better for me. Afterall, if I could do the same or better with counting calories, I'd save $18.95/month! LOL It's been an interesting week. With a calorie budget of 1900 calories a day I've had a little more freedom in my food choices. I've also had a few more restrictions at the same time. Where as fruits and most vegetables are 0 WW points they have calories in them, which means what I would usually eat for a snack or to bulk up my breakfast or dinner, now it cost me so I couldn't "free load" on fruits and veggies so to speak. But on the flip side, things that I normally wouldn't touch on Weight Watchers (like peanut butter and almonds) I've been able to work into my calorie count. Even graham crackers and marshmallow creme!! LOL.
The only thing I've found to be difficult, which I ran into on WW too was eating all my calories. I would usually eat the required amount but then when I factored in the work outs I'd be under my daily requirements. I've never fully understood if I'm supposed to eat those calories or leave the deficit. The 1900 calories was calculated with a built-in deficit not including exercise, so my exercise just created a larger deficit. I had that issue with WW and the activity points. I never wanted to eat all of my bonus/activity points and the time that I did, I gained a pound and a half (fortunately it all came off the next day! LOL)
Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I guess we will see how I fared on my calorie counting adventure. If it turns out to be about the same as Weight Watchers, I may just switch to calorie counting from here on out and save the $$. I've found that I can do just about any type of work out they throw at me, but the nutritional part is the true challenge. I feel like you can't keep doing the same thing over and over because your body adapts to your eating habits and eventually stalls out. But I can't keep switching it up every few weeks because then I get confused on what I'm doing! I'll be glad when I hit my goal weight and can get into a maintenance phase, then eating will be much easier. Trying to learn how to eat in order to effectively lose weight is a task!
Alas, onward we press my friends! I wrapped up week 15 this evening and will begin week 16 on Monday. I'm excited because week 18 is a rest week, can't wait!!! :-)
That's all I have for today. Sorry for the delay in updating you, stay tuned for the weigh-in results tomorrow, cross your fingers for big numbers!! 2lbs would be AMAZING!
Have a great week everyone!
Keith
Saturday, February 25, 2012
This is almost maddening!
I look back on the past 3 months and think....you've lost over 20lbs and look at you! How great of a job you are doing! And then I think.....it's been 3 months and you've only lost 20lbs....and look at you. What's the hold up?
Self perpetuated negativity can be real damaging to your progress and success. It's difficult to look at yourself and think that while you look much better than you used to, you still don't look as great as you want. I found myself being glad to reach my first goal, but frustrated that I have such a ways to go. This type of frustration is dangerous and I don't like it!
I've been reading so much stuff on eating healthy, how to ramp up your metabolism, things that work and don't work. Counting calories vs. Weight Watchers, wondering if I'm doing enough cardio, am I lifting the right amount of weights during strength training. Could I be doing more? Am I eating enough? Am I eating the right things? Should I be losing more weight? Why aren't these love handles going away?
IT IS MADDENING!!!!!
I can definitely understand why people get overwhelmed, confused and frustrated. It's like you try and try and try but your best never seems like enough and you're left wondering, 1. Is it worth it? 2. Am I doing enough?
As I've wrestled through these emotions the past few weeks I've talked myself off of the ledge a few times! I can tell you that it definitely IS worth it in the end. Even if the progress is slow and I'm not seeing the OVERNIGHT results that I've been hoping for, I know that I am making progress and that I'm giving it 110%. I've analyzed a few things and I am certain that my workouts are on point, but my diet could use a little tweaking. I think I rely a great deal on pre-packaged foods and processed meals instead of creating my own from fresh, wholesome ingredients. I am almost always within my daily points target on WW and typically NEVER use all of my weekly bonus points, but I realize that sometimes the choices I make in using those points may not be the best. Trust me when I say that it is a science and it takes some work to get into a healthy eating style.
I have 19lbs to go to reach my goal weight of 169lbs. Some may say, what an odd number to shoot for. It's 40lbs from my starting weight, so it was more about the amount of weight I wanted to lose rather than the actual weight itself. What I find even more intriguing, based on my height even at my goal weight of 169lbs. by medical standards I will still be considered overweight! In order to be in the "normal" range, I would need to hit 150lbs. Um, I'm pretty sure at 150lbs I'd look like a starving child! LOL. Eventually I will try to program myself to look more at my body fat % and measurements vs. how much I actually weigh. If I'm a muscular 175lbs, I'm ok with that! :-)
That's my rant for the day! I hope that if you ever hit a point where you feel like giving up, you will look at how far you have come and where you are wanting to be and realize that you CAN do it! It will take dedication, persistence and consistency. It won't always be easy, and you may have to try a few different methods along the way to find what works best for you and keep going!! Any progress is better than no progress!
That's all I have for today!
Keith
Self perpetuated negativity can be real damaging to your progress and success. It's difficult to look at yourself and think that while you look much better than you used to, you still don't look as great as you want. I found myself being glad to reach my first goal, but frustrated that I have such a ways to go. This type of frustration is dangerous and I don't like it!
I've been reading so much stuff on eating healthy, how to ramp up your metabolism, things that work and don't work. Counting calories vs. Weight Watchers, wondering if I'm doing enough cardio, am I lifting the right amount of weights during strength training. Could I be doing more? Am I eating enough? Am I eating the right things? Should I be losing more weight? Why aren't these love handles going away?
IT IS MADDENING!!!!!
I can definitely understand why people get overwhelmed, confused and frustrated. It's like you try and try and try but your best never seems like enough and you're left wondering, 1. Is it worth it? 2. Am I doing enough?
As I've wrestled through these emotions the past few weeks I've talked myself off of the ledge a few times! I can tell you that it definitely IS worth it in the end. Even if the progress is slow and I'm not seeing the OVERNIGHT results that I've been hoping for, I know that I am making progress and that I'm giving it 110%. I've analyzed a few things and I am certain that my workouts are on point, but my diet could use a little tweaking. I think I rely a great deal on pre-packaged foods and processed meals instead of creating my own from fresh, wholesome ingredients. I am almost always within my daily points target on WW and typically NEVER use all of my weekly bonus points, but I realize that sometimes the choices I make in using those points may not be the best. Trust me when I say that it is a science and it takes some work to get into a healthy eating style.
I have 19lbs to go to reach my goal weight of 169lbs. Some may say, what an odd number to shoot for. It's 40lbs from my starting weight, so it was more about the amount of weight I wanted to lose rather than the actual weight itself. What I find even more intriguing, based on my height even at my goal weight of 169lbs. by medical standards I will still be considered overweight! In order to be in the "normal" range, I would need to hit 150lbs. Um, I'm pretty sure at 150lbs I'd look like a starving child! LOL. Eventually I will try to program myself to look more at my body fat % and measurements vs. how much I actually weigh. If I'm a muscular 175lbs, I'm ok with that! :-)
That's my rant for the day! I hope that if you ever hit a point where you feel like giving up, you will look at how far you have come and where you are wanting to be and realize that you CAN do it! It will take dedication, persistence and consistency. It won't always be easy, and you may have to try a few different methods along the way to find what works best for you and keep going!! Any progress is better than no progress!
That's all I have for today!
Keith
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
100 Days And Counting.......
Can you believe that it has been 100 days since I began this journey? That is incredible! I can remember starting Week 1 Day 1 and thinking....26 weeks that's a heck of a long way away! And here we are 100 days later!
Officially this morning I was down 20.20lbs and feeling fantastic! My clothes don't fit me anymore and pants I bought just 2 weeks ago are already too big! What a great problem to have!
I can't even begin to say what a journey this has been so far. I've had ups and downs and plateaus. It has not been easy but I have kept pushing myself forward, always looking toward my goal! I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends and family who have been encouraging me and motivating me the whole time! Even when I didn't want to go on, they kept pushing me to do more!
When I started this journey my goal was to change my lifestyle, not just to lose weight. To look at food in a different light and learn how to eat normal portions and make healthier choices. At this point I know I have accomplished that. With recent events that have brought on a great deal of emotional distress, instead of turning to food to comfort me I have turned to exercise and other activities to de-stress. Knowing that you have power over food instead of the food having power over you is an incredible feeling! I can eat just ONE cookie, or stop at 2-3 pieces of pizza vs. having a whole bag of cookies or eating an entire large pizza on my own! I feel like a whole new person!
What I don't want to happen however is to get comfortable with the results I have achieved. While 20lbs is definitely commendable, I have quite a bit of work left to do and I plan on finishing strong! These next 13 weeks I want to give it my all and make them count! When I get on that scale for the last time I want to see a number that I can be proud of and that I can reasonable maintain and never return to my old self or habits again!
Thank you to each and every one of you who read this blog and who have offered me support in my journey so far. To those of you who were inspired by my journey to start your own I say good luck and keep going, you can and you WILL do it and we will achieve our goals together! Summertime approaches and I plan on looking HOT at the pool this year! How about you?!
Here's to the next 100 days and getting healthy in 2012!
Wishing you all the best
Keith
Officially this morning I was down 20.20lbs and feeling fantastic! My clothes don't fit me anymore and pants I bought just 2 weeks ago are already too big! What a great problem to have!
I can't even begin to say what a journey this has been so far. I've had ups and downs and plateaus. It has not been easy but I have kept pushing myself forward, always looking toward my goal! I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends and family who have been encouraging me and motivating me the whole time! Even when I didn't want to go on, they kept pushing me to do more!
When I started this journey my goal was to change my lifestyle, not just to lose weight. To look at food in a different light and learn how to eat normal portions and make healthier choices. At this point I know I have accomplished that. With recent events that have brought on a great deal of emotional distress, instead of turning to food to comfort me I have turned to exercise and other activities to de-stress. Knowing that you have power over food instead of the food having power over you is an incredible feeling! I can eat just ONE cookie, or stop at 2-3 pieces of pizza vs. having a whole bag of cookies or eating an entire large pizza on my own! I feel like a whole new person!
What I don't want to happen however is to get comfortable with the results I have achieved. While 20lbs is definitely commendable, I have quite a bit of work left to do and I plan on finishing strong! These next 13 weeks I want to give it my all and make them count! When I get on that scale for the last time I want to see a number that I can be proud of and that I can reasonable maintain and never return to my old self or habits again!
Thank you to each and every one of you who read this blog and who have offered me support in my journey so far. To those of you who were inspired by my journey to start your own I say good luck and keep going, you can and you WILL do it and we will achieve our goals together! Summertime approaches and I plan on looking HOT at the pool this year! How about you?!
Here's to the next 100 days and getting healthy in 2012!
Wishing you all the best
Keith
Monday, February 20, 2012
Say Goodbye.......
Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye to certain things. Friends, relatives, jobs, a home. One thing I have no trouble saying goodbye to is weight! Today was weigh-in day and here are the results!
Starting Weight: 209.0lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 190.8lbs
Today's Weight: 189.2lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total Weight Lost: -19.8lbs
GOODBYE 190's! I hope (or better yet, I know) I will never see you again!!
I was a bit miffed at the scale today because I was .20lbs from an even 20lb weight loss! GRRRR! Oh well, I am going to destroy that number next week!!!
This week we begin Week 14, the start of phase 4 of Inferno Standard. Now some of you might be wondering what happened to the end of Week 13 Day 4. Allow me to fill you in! I skipped it! LOL. Now I didn't actually skip it intentionally but it was skipped nonetheless. As you might recall the weather put me behind in wrapping up Week 12 Day 4 and so I jammed 4 days of workouts back to back. My body was literally beat down and wore out! Saturday and Sunday night I passed out right after dinner and was asleep well into the wee morning hours, thus having missed my opportunity for working out.
I'm not sad or upset about it. Day 4 of that phase actually was relatively easy and I still pulled off a 1.6lb weight loss this week so I was happy. I'm excited to start Week 14 and do some different exercises again. I'd like to say I was done with the weekly 5k's but I think every week here on out has a 5k built in. BLAH! Oh well...at least it burns off a lot of calories!
Speaking of calories...I started tracking my calories to see where I needed to be and where I actually was based on my activity level. Let me tell you I was a bit off! The calculator tells me I should be eating around 1900-2000 calories to meet my goal weight by mid-May and I was eating around 1500-1700/day. Now you would think this would cause me to lose weight faster but that's not true. So I think I have possibly (hopefully) found the reason behind my plateau and can break through and start dropping some more of this fat! 20lbs to go to reach my goal of 169lbs!
That's all I have for today! We say goodbye to the pounds and to the Phase 3 of Inferno Standard! YES!
How are your goals coming along? I hope you are succeeding in everything you are trying to accomplish!
Keith
Starting Weight: 209.0lbs
Last Weeks Weight: 190.8lbs
Today's Weight: 189.2lbs
Difference: -1.6lbs
Total Weight Lost: -19.8lbs
GOODBYE 190's! I hope (or better yet, I know) I will never see you again!!
I was a bit miffed at the scale today because I was .20lbs from an even 20lb weight loss! GRRRR! Oh well, I am going to destroy that number next week!!!
This week we begin Week 14, the start of phase 4 of Inferno Standard. Now some of you might be wondering what happened to the end of Week 13 Day 4. Allow me to fill you in! I skipped it! LOL. Now I didn't actually skip it intentionally but it was skipped nonetheless. As you might recall the weather put me behind in wrapping up Week 12 Day 4 and so I jammed 4 days of workouts back to back. My body was literally beat down and wore out! Saturday and Sunday night I passed out right after dinner and was asleep well into the wee morning hours, thus having missed my opportunity for working out.
I'm not sad or upset about it. Day 4 of that phase actually was relatively easy and I still pulled off a 1.6lb weight loss this week so I was happy. I'm excited to start Week 14 and do some different exercises again. I'd like to say I was done with the weekly 5k's but I think every week here on out has a 5k built in. BLAH! Oh well...at least it burns off a lot of calories!
Speaking of calories...I started tracking my calories to see where I needed to be and where I actually was based on my activity level. Let me tell you I was a bit off! The calculator tells me I should be eating around 1900-2000 calories to meet my goal weight by mid-May and I was eating around 1500-1700/day. Now you would think this would cause me to lose weight faster but that's not true. So I think I have possibly (hopefully) found the reason behind my plateau and can break through and start dropping some more of this fat! 20lbs to go to reach my goal of 169lbs!
That's all I have for today! We say goodbye to the pounds and to the Phase 3 of Inferno Standard! YES!
How are your goals coming along? I hope you are succeeding in everything you are trying to accomplish!
Keith
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Sir, You can't have the fish and the chinese together....
Oh my stars what was I thinking!!? Yesterday I had convinced myself that since I had built up all kinds of Activity Points and still hadn't touched my bonus points for the week that it would be a good idea to indulge a bit on lunch. So where do we go to? Long John Silvers of course! Now I have not been here in probably over a year but it sounded DELICIOUS! Here's the trick, I only had 1 piece of fish and 1 piece of chicken, 2 hush puppies, NO tartar sauce, NO cole slaw and had fries. Overall the meal was like 18pts. Surprisingly NOT bad at all, considering it's FRIED! LOL. Well my stomach was not having it and started throwing a fit the minute I choked down the last fry.
As if this torture wasn't enough I was so un-motivated last night to cook anything, we ordered Chinese food. Are you kidding me?! So I shovel that in on top of the fish and chicken and let me tell you....not a good thing! LOL. Then I actually convinced myself to get up off the couch and go to the gym and workout AND it was 5k run day!! OH my word! Never again will I do anything like that! LOL.
Let me explain my rationale. I've been hitting a plateau on the scale this past week or two and I couldn't really figure out why. I hadn't changed my diet and I was keeping up with my workouts. Well I determined that I possibly wasn't eating enough to cover the calories I was burning at the gym in addition to my normal daily calorie burn. This can cause your body to shut down and prevent weight loss. So, my thinking was that I needed to feed my body, shock it back into burn mode and get things up and going again. Maybe I jumped in a little too close to the deep end! LOL. At any rate I am still trying to tinker with my calorie intake and deciding exactly what is holding up my progress on the scale. I seriously doubt however that eating like that is going to help my cause at all! (It was worth a shot though, right? LOL)
While my body is beat down and tired, tonight I will officially close out Day 4 Week 13 and phase 3 of Inferno Standard. Can you freakin' believe it? We are halfway there! This is the longest I have stuck with anything and I have amazed myself that I have kept it going. It's downhill to the home stretch from here so there is no quitting or turning back now! Looking in the mirror and not seeing a gut hanging over my pants anymore and knowing that a size 34 pant is loose on me is motivation enough for me to keep going!
How are you doing in your journey? I know a lot of people read these blogs (because I have a stat tracker that tells me so! LOL) but no one ever comments! I want to know what you are doing to lose weight and how you are doing. Has my blog been helpful to you? Is there anything you have a question about or would like me to talk about in a blog? Hit me up...let's make this a bit more interactive! :-)
I hope everyone is doing great and that you are exceeding your weight loss goals! I am here to support you in any way I can! YOU CAN DO IT! That's all I have for today....
Keith
As if this torture wasn't enough I was so un-motivated last night to cook anything, we ordered Chinese food. Are you kidding me?! So I shovel that in on top of the fish and chicken and let me tell you....not a good thing! LOL. Then I actually convinced myself to get up off the couch and go to the gym and workout AND it was 5k run day!! OH my word! Never again will I do anything like that! LOL.
Let me explain my rationale. I've been hitting a plateau on the scale this past week or two and I couldn't really figure out why. I hadn't changed my diet and I was keeping up with my workouts. Well I determined that I possibly wasn't eating enough to cover the calories I was burning at the gym in addition to my normal daily calorie burn. This can cause your body to shut down and prevent weight loss. So, my thinking was that I needed to feed my body, shock it back into burn mode and get things up and going again. Maybe I jumped in a little too close to the deep end! LOL. At any rate I am still trying to tinker with my calorie intake and deciding exactly what is holding up my progress on the scale. I seriously doubt however that eating like that is going to help my cause at all! (It was worth a shot though, right? LOL)
While my body is beat down and tired, tonight I will officially close out Day 4 Week 13 and phase 3 of Inferno Standard. Can you freakin' believe it? We are halfway there! This is the longest I have stuck with anything and I have amazed myself that I have kept it going. It's downhill to the home stretch from here so there is no quitting or turning back now! Looking in the mirror and not seeing a gut hanging over my pants anymore and knowing that a size 34 pant is loose on me is motivation enough for me to keep going!
How are you doing in your journey? I know a lot of people read these blogs (because I have a stat tracker that tells me so! LOL) but no one ever comments! I want to know what you are doing to lose weight and how you are doing. Has my blog been helpful to you? Is there anything you have a question about or would like me to talk about in a blog? Hit me up...let's make this a bit more interactive! :-)
I hope everyone is doing great and that you are exceeding your weight loss goals! I am here to support you in any way I can! YOU CAN DO IT! That's all I have for today....
Keith
Friday, February 17, 2012
Dear Stair Climber, With Love!
Well today was Week 13 Day 2 and the focus was all on cardio. The goal was to burn 365 calories and I trumped the goal by burning 450! All in all I climbed 160 floors in 32:00 minutes. It was quite exhausting yet invigorating at the same time if that makes any sense? I felt like I gave it my all and felt like I had worked out when I was done and that always feels good!
Afterwards I took some time to sit in the steam room and relax and then a refreshing shower! Let me tell you, I do feel relaxed!! However, driving home I realized that I was BEYOND starving! Even though I had eaten dinner less than 5 hours ago. This is how I know that my metabolism is just torching everything I'm putting in because I am ALWAYS wanting to eat something! I mentioned before but just have never gotten around to it that I wanted to evaluate my caloric intake vs. what I should be taking in given my level of activity. If I'm not eating enough that could be slowing down my weight loss. That sounds kind of odd doesn't it? If I'm not eating enough I won't lose weight. However it is very true and it is very important to ensure we are fueling our bodies enough to push them through the day, otherwise they hold on to whatever we do give them instead of burning it!
Anyway, I won't ramble on again about caloric burn and food intake. I have 2 more days of working out in Week 13 and I can't wait to be finished! Of course tomorrow is Day 3 which is the 5k run day and I will admit I am NOT looking forward to it at all! Day 3 in this phase is SO ridiculous and exhausting but I know I have to push through it! I just keep thinking that the body I will have when I am done is worth it!
That's all I have for now! I hope everyone is keeping up their hard work and that you are meeting and exceeding your goals! You have my support!
Keith
Afterwards I took some time to sit in the steam room and relax and then a refreshing shower! Let me tell you, I do feel relaxed!! However, driving home I realized that I was BEYOND starving! Even though I had eaten dinner less than 5 hours ago. This is how I know that my metabolism is just torching everything I'm putting in because I am ALWAYS wanting to eat something! I mentioned before but just have never gotten around to it that I wanted to evaluate my caloric intake vs. what I should be taking in given my level of activity. If I'm not eating enough that could be slowing down my weight loss. That sounds kind of odd doesn't it? If I'm not eating enough I won't lose weight. However it is very true and it is very important to ensure we are fueling our bodies enough to push them through the day, otherwise they hold on to whatever we do give them instead of burning it!
Anyway, I won't ramble on again about caloric burn and food intake. I have 2 more days of working out in Week 13 and I can't wait to be finished! Of course tomorrow is Day 3 which is the 5k run day and I will admit I am NOT looking forward to it at all! Day 3 in this phase is SO ridiculous and exhausting but I know I have to push through it! I just keep thinking that the body I will have when I am done is worth it!
That's all I have for now! I hope everyone is keeping up their hard work and that you are meeting and exceeding your goals! You have my support!
Keith
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I'm back....and have I got something to tell!
Ok so I don't want to over hype anything by my catchy title but I do offer my apologies for taking such a long break from my blog! I've had some events that have kept me otherwise occupied! But fear not because I have not gotten off track from my goal! Since we missed a weigh-in let me catch you up!
Starting Weight: 209lbs
Last Weigh-in: 191.8lbs
Current Weight: 190.8lbs
Difference: -1.0lbs
Total Weight Lost: -18.2lbs
I am getting VERY close to my 20lb goal! Well it is my first goal. My ultimate goal is 170lbs which is another 20.8lbs away! I am going to get there!!
Yesterday I completed Week 12 Day 4. I now have an intimate love affair going on with the Stair Climber. I remember when we first joined the gym I tried the Stair Climber and lasted about 5 minutes. Now I can blaze through 35 minutes with ease! Ok, maybe not with ease but it's definitely a great deal easier than day 1! Yesterday I did 35 minutes and burned 467 calories!! It will definitely make you sweat!
Here is the link to the blog that I do for my work in case you are interested in following along. There will be another post coming to that page soon! Currently I have 2 entries but I think you will enjoy them both!
http://millsapartments.net/neighborhoods/author/keith-moore/
I'm so excited about all of the people I see starting to take control of their lives and getting in shape! I know that it's never easy and that there are days that you want to give up but you can't, you have to keep moving forward! It may take time to get to your goal but I promise as you keep working toward it you will reach it and the new body you will have will make it all worth it!
Tonight I will start Week 13 Day 1. Week 13 is the end of phase 3 and halfway to the end of the program. I remember when I started Week 1 Day 1 and I thought about how far away 26 weeks seemed. Now that I'm going to close out Week 13, it seems so much closer and I can't believe how time has flown! The changes I've seen in my body are amazing and I have increased my endurance and overall fitness. Can't wait to run that 5k in April!
When I had the gym do another body analysis and compared it from July when we first joined, I had lost 3% of my starting body fat! I can't tell you how that felt! Even a size 34 feels loose on me! :)
That's all I have for now. I'm glad to be back on the blog track and hope you are glad to be reading about my life again! :-) Good luck to you in your journey and may you meet all of your goals!
Have a great week!
Keith
Starting Weight: 209lbs
Last Weigh-in: 191.8lbs
Current Weight: 190.8lbs
Difference: -1.0lbs
Total Weight Lost: -18.2lbs
I am getting VERY close to my 20lb goal! Well it is my first goal. My ultimate goal is 170lbs which is another 20.8lbs away! I am going to get there!!
Yesterday I completed Week 12 Day 4. I now have an intimate love affair going on with the Stair Climber. I remember when we first joined the gym I tried the Stair Climber and lasted about 5 minutes. Now I can blaze through 35 minutes with ease! Ok, maybe not with ease but it's definitely a great deal easier than day 1! Yesterday I did 35 minutes and burned 467 calories!! It will definitely make you sweat!
Here is the link to the blog that I do for my work in case you are interested in following along. There will be another post coming to that page soon! Currently I have 2 entries but I think you will enjoy them both!
http://millsapartments.net/neighborhoods/author/keith-moore/
I'm so excited about all of the people I see starting to take control of their lives and getting in shape! I know that it's never easy and that there are days that you want to give up but you can't, you have to keep moving forward! It may take time to get to your goal but I promise as you keep working toward it you will reach it and the new body you will have will make it all worth it!
Tonight I will start Week 13 Day 1. Week 13 is the end of phase 3 and halfway to the end of the program. I remember when I started Week 1 Day 1 and I thought about how far away 26 weeks seemed. Now that I'm going to close out Week 13, it seems so much closer and I can't believe how time has flown! The changes I've seen in my body are amazing and I have increased my endurance and overall fitness. Can't wait to run that 5k in April!
When I had the gym do another body analysis and compared it from July when we first joined, I had lost 3% of my starting body fat! I can't tell you how that felt! Even a size 34 feels loose on me! :)
That's all I have for now. I'm glad to be back on the blog track and hope you are glad to be reading about my life again! :-) Good luck to you in your journey and may you meet all of your goals!
Have a great week!
Keith
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