Still Hanging In There

Update

Well, it’s been three weeks, and it’s great to be back! I’ve been hanging out with Jillian Michaels more than with Tony Horton these days, reading Jillian’s book Unlimited, listening to her podcast (which, unlike the Beachbody podcast, is NOT a wholesale infomercial), and revisiting the 30 Day Shred workout DVD. I’m even looking at the new Rip 60 workout system, which Jillian developed with MMA fighter Georges St. Pierre as an obvious “Rip-off” (ha ha, I mean “alternative”) to P90X. I want to write a blog post comparing the two, but I can’t afford the $120 (familiar price) for Rip 60, so it will have to be a feature comparison. Time will tell if my next fitness purchase will be this or P90X: MC2. Since Georges is a French Canadian like I am, maybe it’s my dessstinyyyy…

Workouts

I really haven’t been working out too hard, to be honest. Well, I guess I should put that in relative terms. I have been doing Jillian’s 30 Day Shred, as mentioned above, and tacking on a 30-minute-or-less treadmill session. On the treadmill, I am not really focused on a goal, just alternating walking and running with not too much incline. In that context, of course 30 Day Shred (level 2 and 3) is an intense 25-minute workout, and I am still feeling it when I hit the treadmill. It’s certainly not a one hour or more P90X workout, but it gets the job done for now. At the end of 30 days, I think I will go back to Tony Horton’s Bring It! for another month.

Nutrition

A 30 day snapshot of my Calorie Count shows that I was at a calorie deficit for 13 days, pretty close to breaking even on 10 days (give or take), and for the rest, anywhere from 200 to 1000 calories over my daily calorie burn. Those days were spread out, with two really high ones about two weeks apart. Overall, not so bad. I have been maintaining my weight and waist size, as the “ripped” physique continues to elude me. At least I can proudly say that I am being honest about what I eat, and there’s always room for improvement.

Health and well-being

True confession time… About a week ago, I was really tired after a bad night’s sleep followed by a workout, and I lashed out at my wife (verbally) during breakfast. It was undeserved on her part, and it was a clear indication to both of us that my poor sleeping habits have come to a new low. I have renewed my determination to get a good night’s sleep most of the time, which for me seems to be a difficult task. Often I am in bed at the right hour, but something will awaken me at 3 AM, for example, and I will lie there unable to get back to sleep. That’s the primary reason I have cut back on my workouts. I am trying several approaches to improve my sleep habits, such as a melatonin supplement, covering my eyes and ears, doing my best to relax after I wake up during the night, etc. I think my next step will be a sleep journal to track my progress, so I can measure it objectively.

My shoulder pain is diminished, if not totally eliminated, after several sessions of the Shoulder Pain Solved program from Rick Kaselj. I need to fit this into my routine several times a week, or at least do what I can while watching TV or standing at my desk. Many of the stretches require no equipment and can help relieve stress in the neck, shoulders, and back. I have stopped visiting the chiropractor for now, too. I am generally pain-free, with the occasional twinge, but I haven’t gone back to a pushup-intensive program like P90X yet. The plank poses and other core exercises in 30 Day Shred haven’t been a problem for me.