I have had a lot of friends ask me about what the P90x program entails. I will preface this entry with this: This is not a fad or a resolution, this is and will be a permanent lifestyle change! I refuse to enter my 30s without a head start on father time. I want my future children to always know their father as healthy and fit. It's critical in this day in age that they learn good eating habits early on.
Here is a short precursor: I am 29 years old and was easily in the worst shape of my life as of two weeks ago before I started this program (thank goodness that's in the past already!). I've never been big enough to be labeled "fat". I've always been involved in formal athletics since I was as young as I can remember through college. Once college was over and "life" began, I learned quickly that you metabolize food differently at 23, 24, and 25 than you did at 17, 18, and 19. That was a tough lesson, and by the time I got married, I was hovering around 220, but never thought much of it because I didn't "look" fat.
Fast forward to two years ago when I started noticing myself in pictures and thinking that I was looking fairly big for me. This is when, at the age of 27, I decided that I was going to make a change, simply because I didn't like the way I looked. Somewhere around April, I began to count calories (using the iPhone's LoseIt App, which I highly recommend), monitor my weight, and go running. I also was only working one job at the time, so when the days got longer, I would work on my golf game and walk 18-holes (burning over 2,000 calories in the process) quite frequently. I should mention that I am a PGA Professional, so working at a course made doing this extremely easy.
By the time we were on vacation in August of 2009, I had been very close to my written goal of being under 200 lbs. before my 28th birthday. When I looked at those pictures, I became satisfied and settled for where I was - especially since getting under 200 lbs. seemed to be extremely difficult. Without a real plan, there was nothing for me to fall back on. By the end of this period, I had also incorporated the very basic, yet extreme Navy Seal Workout I used to do in college. I began to gain muscle mass and my weight loss stopped... so did I.
As the fall passed, I maintained a fairly healthy lifestyle - eating better and enjoying all of the compliments from friends and family I hadn't seen in awhile. Once the days got shorter in late October / early November, I began what I like to refer to as "video game season". Normally, with long summer days, I make sure to stay outside and work on my game. I always walk - almost religiously (I never understand why young, able-bodied people insist on riding in golf carts, but they almost always do), so I get a great workout each time I play, burning thousands of calories all summer long. Now that the days were shorter and it was impossible to play golf after work, I would spend more time indoors playing PS3, much to the dismay of my wife.
I spent the last year and a half settling. My mom always told me to never "just settle", but I did. I knew I didn't like my lifestyle, but I gave excuses - I worked too much, there was not enough time, I'm not in that bad of shape, etc. I played in a basketball league and was absolutely dragging myself around the court. It was embarassing! My clothes began to fit tighter and tighter and I bought the largest pants I ever had in my life, a size 40! That was enough, and that's when I looked into P90X. When I told my wife about it, she said she'd do it with me.
The package came on Thursday, March 3, 2011, not a moment too soon. The set of DVDs, fitness and nutritional guides, and calendar were all included. We spent the next two days planning our meals, buying the necessary (and minimal) equipment. We were preparing mentally as well. Anxious and a excited, we began the program with Chest & Back the following Saturday. I had already purchased a pull-up bar about a year ago when I originally had the thought of getting P90x, and it was finally being put to use. I found the workout to be fairly difficult, but I didn't think it was too extreme - that was until Ab-Ripper X came on at the end of the workout! Intense doesn't even begin to describe it. I've never had the strongest abs even at my physical peak, but when I can do the moves on that workout, I know I'll have the strongest abs of my life without question!
Many people understand that P90x is about extreme fitness, but what you don't see a lot of online and in reviews is information about the nutrition aspect. This is critical for success as it feeds your body exactly what it needs to be successful and supplements the workouts exactly.
Two weeks in, we have stuck to the plan, gotten up at 4:30 AM every day except our stretch days, and committed to our goals. We both feel better than we have in a long time after cleansing our bodies of all of the bad food. Finally, with each other's support, we have already began to notice results both in the way we feel and our bodies. After two weeks, we are exponentially better at all of the moves. I can't wait until I can get all the way through Ab Ripper X. This is going to be a lot of fun.
The most encouraging thing two weeks in is that this feels a lot like the last time I was successful with significant weight loss and fitness, the bonus is that now I have my wife by my side and as excited about our program as I am, if not more so. God is good all the time! This is going to be fun, and I can't wait until we really start reaping the benefits of this life-changing decision.
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