P90X week 9

I got a little off of the P90X classic schedule this week, however I did not divert TOO far from it. I diligently stuck with the weight workouts of P90X, but I mixed up the cardio with a little more yoga, stretching, and One On One’s “Recovery 4 Results”.

The Tony Horton fitness camp refocused my approach towards fitness and nutrition. Instead of viewing my workouts as a “chore”, I now see each workout as another step on the road towards my goal.

I have been eating clean meals and I am seeing the physical changes to my body every single day.

I did not get a chance to ask Tony Horton one question at the fitness camp. In the P90X guide, it mentions that you can take whey protein as a supplement from weeks 1-8. It also says not to take any whey protein or supplemental protein for weeks 9-13.

The first three times that I did P90X, I took whey protein all the way through. I also didn’t eat well, nor did I stick with the program guide well enough.

Now, I am doing that. I admit, I was used to having the whey protein daily. My body became accustomed to it during this round of P90X (my fourth round). I started to “bonk” or lose energy.

So I changed my focus.

Instead of focusing on supplemental whey protein, I researched foods (not supplements) which naturally have protein in them. Now I’m a finicky eater and always have been. I know, you may be asking “how can you get in good shape if you’re finicky about the foods that you eat and you’re neglecting healthy foods?”

Well, I love vegetables both raw and cooked. Throughout my life, I’ve had a lactose intolerance making it difficult to digest any milk products (though I have tried). About a year ago, my body changed. I could eat ANY milk products that I wanted. Cheese, milk, ice cream – no problem. But I could no longer eat beef. Beef, steak, or any variation of it – ribs, pork. However I CAN eat chicken. If I have pasta, it has to be whole wheat pasta. I have pasta once a week and meat once a week.

I’m eating five smaller meals a day. Five meals a day for seven days, that’s thirty-five meals a week. I have meat/chicken/fish at a maximum of two meals a week, that 6% of my meals. I refuse to have a “cheat” meal because I know from experience that cheating once with meals turns into a bad habit, so I am avoiding that completely.

Now that I had my meals under control, I needed to find healthier snacks, and I received an excellent suggestion online – raw unsalted almonds. When I looked into it, this has 6ozof natural protein and NO sugar. In addition to this, a friend recommended adding a piece of string cheese to make “the perfect protein” (thank you Yami). I snack on the almonds daily and add a piece of string cheese every other day just to mix things up.

This morning, I worked out to P90X’s Chest/Shoulders/Triceps. My breakfast was ¾ cup of whole oats; ½ cup of unsweetened almond milk; two strawberries, two raspberries, two black berries (washed and cut finely); ½ a pack of Splenda for sweetness, and a dash of cinnamon on top.

When my girlfriend came downstairs, I made the same thing for her, but I changed it around. ¾ cup whole oats, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, four strawberries cut up, splenda, and a dash of cinnamon. She loved it!!

In addition, I am drinking 72oz of water daily, sometimes more. I am remaining as hydrated as possible.

I also changed up my resistance workouts. For weeks 1-8, I used the Bowflex Selecttech dumbbells, which worked great. But I hit a plateau at 30 pounds because I felt a twinge in my lower back whenever I lifted. So I started using fitness bands. I started with purple (20-25pounds), now I’m using red (30-40pounds). I’m sure I’ll use heavier bands soon, but I am enjoying using the bands because of the variation.

The weights are downstairs and the bands are in my room. I have a yoga mat and blocks both upstairs and downstairs. Now, there is no excuse for missing a workout. I do a resistance workout in the morning and vary between cardio, stretching, and yoga at night. It makes for a nice combination. I am seeing results quicker with the bands.

Week 9 is completed.

Today begins week 10.