Final PCP Blog

I've taken a couple days off, well not completely, I did go to yoga during the first couple of post-day90 days.  But today I was back to eating the PCP breakfast and did one of the maintenance plan workouts.  Even in those two days off, I found that my mood and energy levels started to slip, so I'm continuing on with a level of PCP that I can maintain and keep progressing in, because I'm not truly done!  I hope to be one of those "check out me now" one year later folks, as it's hard to change a 12+ year old body blueprint.

PCP experience was a great adventure.  It definitely challenged my present and subconscious self (i.e. the cookie dreams).  It helped get my eating, taste buds and pH levels back on track.  It boosted my stunted metabolism.  It gave me unknown level of self confidence in my appearance.  It regulated and shortened my female reproduction cycle, making it tolerable and predictable.  It made me have to buy a new favorite pair of jeans.  But overall, it taught me to become self-aware.  That truly my body is greatly effected by what I put into it.  And such as Ian marked his body with "know thyself", I fall into the same lines of self awareness.

I hope I can continue this new found life style.  I know that my mind is in a better place when there is "less of me" around.

The new me

The old me

 Credits/Attributions:

Grace - thank you for inspiring me to join up and give PCP a go.  You've helped me more than you know.
Patrick - thanks for your guidance and timely answers to my various inquiries.  I will miss your daily emails, but hope to stay in touch and will be sending a one year later picture!
Chen - the mysterious Chen - I guess I owe you thanks for the diet.  Would've been nice to hear from you with some words of wisdom...but I guess that's the role that Patrick plays.

Team Cookie Monster
Sara - thank you for all the great recipes and fun-filled blogs throughout the program.  You were inspiring to read about as you juggled the multiple jobs that you have.
Ian and Susan - thank you for sharing your lives with us.  It's awesome that you got to do it together even there was a short stint where Ian was in Japan.  You both persevered and finished PCP.
Nicole - I hope PCP workouts became tolerable and possibly enjoyable as you finished.  It's a definite mood elevator!
Jack - Thanks for being a constant blogger.  It was nice to hear about the millions of other activities you balanced on top of PCP.
Brian - thank you for all your enjoyable blogs and motivation.  Even though you often thought you had nothing to blog about, my favorite quote is, "I have reasons for not blogging, but they aren't worth blogging about."
Erin and Alex - Sorry the full PCP challenge didn't work out for you this time around, but I enjoyed the time when you were both involved.

Be well and live long Team cookie Monster, Team Orange Crush, past PCPers and future PCPers!

Day 89: Happy

Just finished Day 89 Super Set workout and that was intense.  I took the advice of Patrick and just took it one exercise at a time.  Although a strange sadness came over me though as I got to super sets 4 and 5, I just felt sad that this was all ending - meaning the daily interaction of Patrick, the purpose and must-do workouts in the gym and the weighing out of all food.  As I finished my last plank to failure, and collapsed with exhaustion, I found myself thinking about how nice it feels to be in such good shape.  That I can see my hip bones (norm!) and now am beginning to see some changes in my waist line.  I've always felt comfortable in my own skin but now my outer shell is bringing another level of confidence in myself, which I never knew existed.

This past weekend I made it through a work Christmas party, the super set workouts and a twilight volleyball tournament.  On Friday night, my work Christmas party was pretty much a success PCP food wise, I ate all the raw veggies at the appetizer table and then continued with the veggie brigade - devouring two salads and some steamed veggies.  I passed up the filet and dessert table. When I came home I ate my protein portion and was very satisfied.  The only slip up I had was a glass of red wine.  Try as I may, my guard was down and I could just smell the red wine coming from my co-workers glass as we talked and I really wanted a glass.  So I debated a bit and then said JFD to the glass of wine.  And what was even more wonderful was that the one glass lasted me for the entire evening.  I didn't over do it, I had one glass and felt very happy.  My work Christmas party is always a nice event and it's good to socialize and catch up with co-workers out of work.

Saturday, started off with a bang as I dragged my friend Adam with me to go clothes shopping and buy some door buster sale items.  I got a sweet new pair of pants and a lovely scarf.  After that we went to the gym and I pounded out the Day 88 super set workout.  It was nice to have a friend push me on the ab exercises, I needed it especially for planks.  Then it was time to grocery shop and cook.  After that I had a personal volleyball training session to run.  Then it was time to go play in a twilight volleyball tournament.  26 highly competitive teams played from 6PM-4AM.  And my team ended up winning it all!  So exciting!!  So much fun!!  So happy am I.  I thought I would be tremendously sore, but I was OK.  Sleeping does wonders :)

Well Sunday happened and I got my 8 hours of sleep in but that meant I got up at 2PM.  Oh the repercussions of playing in a twilight tournament.  So I ate my PCP breakfast and then dinner as that's all I had time for and then it was time for bed again. 

All in all a good weekend.  Last blog to follow...

Day 87: Guilty as charged!

After reading Patrick's email of how the gym has all these TVs that distract you from focusing on your actual workout, well I am guilty for doing that.  I love American football and since I need to mix in different options in place of jump roping, I catch up on the football updates in the 30-45 minutes of fat-burning cardio I do.  During the exercise portion of the workouts, I am distracted very little, just focusing on the pain and getting through the exercises.  Man, that was a lot of reps today, but it's a really good sense of accomplishment especially if it's done before my work day.

Prior to PCP, I was also one of those gym bunnies who would workout soooo hard at the gym and then feel like I could have an extra slice of pizza for dinner because I worked so hard in the gym that day.  Oh how my thought patterns have shifted!

Day 85: I'm a machine

I went to the gym today and I made it through all the reps and sets.  I definitely am feeling it after, my body feels so heavy.  Good thing I have a 9-5 sit down at a desk kind of job!

I know I will keep up with the daily jump rope and/or other alternatives that burn the fat, but I'm a bit worried when PCP ends what about the exercises?  I guess I'm just used to following what the daily exercises are and I suppose I can work some sort of routine out.  Maybe even just repeating the past workout series would suffice.

I feel pretty good every day.  The hunger pangs have become ancient history and this new way of eating is easy to do.  Yep I said it!  Here's a story for ya, the other day I was at Subway getting a oven-roasted chicken breast sub on whole wheat and the dude at check out slipped a sugar cookie in my bag.  While I didn't notice at the time, I discovered it upon reaching for my sub.  I had two reactions - 1. awe, how nice he gave me a cookie!!  2. enabler!!!  I did not ask for a cookie!  Nonetheless, I threw it out cause I was emotionally torn on what to do.  Ugh!  I should have given it to a co-worker or something.  But I couldn't think straight and I threw it out!  I didn't want the temptation especially when I'm so close to the end of the PCP commitment.  I'm sad I don't heavily crave cookies anymore.  But at the same time, I am happier when there is "less" of me around.

Finally, this made me laugh! 'Cause now I think we are all on the right track to enjoying a piece of fruit over a cookie!!  Go Team Cookie Monster!

Day 84: Bring it!

Because of my volleyball tournament on Saturday, my workouts got shifted and I had to do the jumps and the full exercises today.  But I felt very good afterwards.  I felt very fit.  I can feel my abs when I sit-down now, engaging them when I please.  It's a neat feeling.

Day 81 & 82: Good Weekend

Good news is I played in a volleyball tournament all day Saturday and my team ended up going undefeated and won!  Bad news is after the tourney, I had no energy left to do the PCP exercises. 

This morning I woke up refreshed, went to the gym, knocked out the workout and it went really well.  I felt strong throughout the Day 81 workout.  For some reason the V-sits were a bit tougher than normal though, as I struggled to keep form on the last 5 reps of sets 3-5.

So it's only Sunday and I feel like I've got a whole day of no set plans and can finally have a day to do whatever I want.

Have a good day Team Cookie monster teammates!

Day 80: In the Zone

Today's workout was extremely tough.  One cool thing was, I really felt like I was in a zen state during jump rope, I found myself even when I tripped up, my body was still jumping to the rhythm.  The time went by fast and the sweat was pouring.  After maxing out on the pull-ups, lawn mowers and pull-downs, elevated tricep dips were a fail.  I started off elevated and then half way thru each set, they became bent knee tricep dips.  Man, are my triceps tired today!  I had a ton of leg energy today though, so the air bike abs were much more enjoyable than previous attempts.  Although, I have learned, planks or air bike are much easier when you have a buddy doing them with you.  Something about trying to outlast your partner, a competitive spirit arises and helps me maximize those ab exercises.  I didn't have that today, but I had a buddy over the Thanksgiving holiday, so I can say I miss my ab buddy!

A new season of volleyball coaching has started for me.  I'm the head coach for a local 12 year old and under team for the junior club season.  We had our first practice last night and boy, was it energizing.  Those players are so full of energy it's ridiculous and attempting to focus that energy is a challenge.  I look forward to seeing how much each player progresses as the season goes on.  At this age level, the improvements are always noticeable.

I am going to try to work in 8 minute abs everyday until the end.  Let's knock it out Team Cookie Monster!!

Also, I finally got a chance to connect my camera sooo new (and old) pics are posted - sorry for the delay!