P90X Assessment

Lots of people have asked, so I figured it would be a good idea to go ahead and post my thoughts on the P90X program now that I've finished one 90-day round. I guess I should caveat this by saying that during the last 3-4 weeks, I probably missed a total of maybe 8 or 9 workouts, though I did go running a few times in place of the DVD I was supposed to be doing. Between having Ted gone, traveling to Wisconsin, and then having guests visit, I just was not able to keep the every-day momentum toward the end that I started with. Still, I was WAY more consistent with this than I've ever been with any other exercise program!

Another disclaimer, I guess, is that while I started out with the best of intentions regarding my nutritional intake--and did quite well for 3-4 weeks--the reality is I simply ate normally during the majority of the 90-day period. "Normal" eating for me is a pretty healthy diet overall, but let's face it, I have kids, and I enjoy cooking and baking. We have desserts. A lot. And I like desserts! So, I did not follow the P90X nutritional recommendations, and honestly, I feel as if that really did make a difference. My results undoubtedly would have been much more marked if I had followed both the diet AND the exercise program. (Note: I say this as a 35-year-old. I'm fairly certain that if I had done this program a decade ago and ate the way I normally eat, I'd still be ridiculously ripped!)

OK, now that the confession time is over, let's talk numbers! I'm sorry, but I simply don't feel comfortable posting before and after pictures...honestly, I haven't even taken the "after" pictures yet, sorry, Jen! (Jen D is my Beachbody rep!) But here are the numbers, and I'll give them from 2 dates, the P90X period as well as since January. The beginning of 2010 is when I got off the couch after being a couch potato for several months and really started getting back into an exercise routine. As you can see, my January through April workouts really helped prepare me for P90X, and I feel that my overall results are attributable to changing my lifestyle, not simply the last 90 days. But undoubtedly I am much stronger and have more muscle mass than I would have if I had simply continued doing my own thing--I definitely needed the focus on muscle training that P90X provided!

Pounds lost: 5 during P90X; 13 since January. (Taking into account that muscle weighs more than fat, and I definitely have attained more muscle mass, the fact that I still lost 5 pounds during P90X is GREAT!)

Inches lost:
Waist-- 1/2" during P90X; 1 1/2" since January.
Hips--1" during P90X; 2" since January.
Thighs--1 1/2" on one side and 1 1/4" on the other during P90X. I didn't measure in January.

All in all, I've definitely noticed a difference physically! My arms are much more toned, I now am sporting a "two-pack," LOL, and I've had to buy smaller waisted shorts. Woohoo! I'm not sure a 6-pack is actually possible given the fact that I've had 5 children, but actually seeing that there ARE abdominal muscles under there is encouraging!

Other improvements that can't really be measured:
* My back is SO much stronger! I really haven't had any major issues with it. Sometimes I would tweak it during yoga (go figure), but my chiropractor has helped tremendously, and I can tell that between the chiro treatments and the exercise, I am definitely in much better shape in this area.
* Self-esteem! I feel like I can do anything now that I've completed this! Well, maybe not run a marathon this calendar year, but some depression I was feeling before the holidays is definitely a thing of the past.
* Flexibility--yoga and the stretching DVD were good for me. I don't always take care of myself this way. This probably goes along with the back strengthening that happened for me.

So, there you have it! Feel free to ask any questions if you have any.

Oh, one last thing, since some may be wondering, I AM continuing with the exercise program, just modified a bit. I want to run the Air Force 5K in September, so I've started running 3 times a week. I plan to continue the Ab Ripper 3 days a week and continue with the order of the strength training DVDs, since that is typically an area I ignore. When the weather gets bad, I will probably do another "official" round of P90X, either the Classic (which I just completed) or else the Lean.