I’m back in blog land and thought I would take a minute to make you all aware of my newest obsession:  RICE DREAM!

As most of you know I’ve been a soy milk drinker for quite some time.  

But for some reason, lately that distinct “soy” taste has really been getting to me. 

So I decided I would finally take the plunge and try Vanilla Rice Milk.

When I poured it onto my cereal this morning I was delighted to see that it looks like milk.  It’s WHITE!

I always had issues with the yellowish tint you find in soy milk. 

The second thing I noticed was that it’s not nearly as thick as soy milk. 

It has the consistency of skim milk.  YES!

But how is this going to taste?

It tastes like vanilla! 

It has a bit of a unique taste that’s difficult to describe, but it’s fairly subtle. 

I love it!  I think I’ve found my new go-to milk substitute.

I’m thinking it would probably be great to bake with!

Have any of you tried to bake with Rice Dream?

And on a completely unrelated topic,

 I just found out about…..

 No Limits Canada: Health, Wellness and Fitness Conference! 

How EXCITING!  

Are any of you going to attend?

Day 8:  Chest & Back, Ab Ripper

Wow! 

I just can’t seem to get through Ab Ripper X after a full hour workout. 

Perhaps I need to start putting it before the other workout?  I start it with the intention of sticking it out but as soon as I reach the half way point, something in my brain says NO MORE!

Surely I can do this.  I’m convinced that if I do it before the long workout for the day I will be able to get through it. 

As far as Chest and Back goes I felt really good through out.  I feel stronger already and although I didn’t really pay attention to my last week reps I did what I could and felt that my form was better and as an added bonus – I actually increased reps for some of the exercises.

At the end of this workout I’m feeling a bit worn out, but motivated to keep going!

Day 9: Plyometrics

The X in P90X!  Aint that the truth!  

Although my body was feeling a bit tired and sluggish I was able to pick it up and really “Bring It” for this one!

I love this workout!  It’s so intense but so much fun!  The time just flies and I can feel all the good I’m doing my body. 

I can’t wait to slap on my HRM for this one next week! 

I know I must be burning some serious calories!  At least I hope I am!

Day 10:  Arm & Shoulders, Ab Ripper X

I noticed today that I’m really starting to take comfort in the structure of this program.  I enjoy having a strict schedule to follow and I feel motivated to check another day off of my calendar each and every day!

Although I’m still using my 5lb and 10lb weights I felt stronger!  For some of the exercised my reps increased and for some they stayed the same or decreased.  I’m not getting hung up on the numbers or I will lose my motivation.  I just do my very best that day and walk away satisfied. 

I forgot to put Ab Ripper first today and could again only finish a portion of it.  This time I completed about 3/4 of it.  A small improvement.  At this point I’ll take it!

Day 11:  Stretch X

Today I just couldn’t bear the thought of doing Yoga X for an hour and a half so I substituted Stretch X. 

My body needed to rest a little bit and this was a great way to keep my muscles loose and working, without as much intensity. 

I really enjoy Stretch X and think it would be a great addition to any fitness routine!

Day 12:  Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

I finally got thought an entire Ab Ripper session!   When I was getting ready for my vacation back in February I was able to do every single exercise and every single rep.  I even did the difficult versions.  Isn’t it amazing how quickly muscles can weaken when they aren’t engaged?!  I was happy to make it through today! 

On another note,  wall squats killed me again!  Wow those things are difficult.  But obviously very effective! 

I’ve probably notice the biggest difference in my lower body since starting P90X.  My legs feel stronger, and my butt feels like it’s a bit higher and fuller.  Probably wishful thinking at this point.  Either way, my motivation to finish the entire 90 days remains!

Day 13:  Kenpo

I still feel like a complete disaster during Kenpo. 

Today I worked out before work and found that I didn’t push myself as hard as I probably could have. 

This is probably the video I slack the most on because I just can’t get coordinated. 

I make sure I’m sweating like crazy by the end but I’m sure I’m not getting the maximum benefits because my form is terrible.  Oh well.  Something to focus on!

And there it is! 

2 Weeks of P90X complete!   

I feel great!  I even had enough energy to go for a 40 minute trail run on my rest day this week!  I may regret that later.

Last Monday marked the start of a full cycle of P90X for me.  In the past I have used the P90X routines to supplement my regular workout, but I was never ready to commit to a full cycle.  However, the realization that I wasn’t really working out as hard as I could or feeling that great about myself was the push I needed to marry myself to Tony Horton for the next 90 days.

An old friend of mine who is now living a few provinces away from me has also committed to doing the P90X Classic Program at the same time.  Having a virtual training partner has really helped motivate me.  I look forward to chatting with her every morning about our struggles, successes, how entertaining/insane Tony can be and how we’re feeling pain in muscles we didn’t know we had.

Since I’m doing this anyway I thought I might as well blog about it!  Hopefully is motivates some of you to join me and motivates me to keep on going!   

Week 1

Day 1:  Chest & Back , Ab Ripper X

I was feeling exceptionally motivated to get this program started so the 55 or so minutes of Chest & Back seemed to fly by!

I used 10lb weights for the few exercises that require weights. 

It is important to note that I do not have a pull up bar at this point so I used bands for the exercises that required the bar.  This I’m sure made the workout a bit less intense than it should be. 

Here is a list of the exercises included in this routine:

Standard Push-Ups, Wide Front Pull-Ups, Military Push-Ups, Reverse Grip Chin-Ups, Wide Fly Push-Ups

Closed Grip Overhand Pull-Ups, Decline Push- Ups, Heavy Pants, Diamond Push-Ups, Lawnmowers, Dive-Bomber Push-Ups, Back Flys  

This workout left me feeling spent, and humbled at my lack of upper body strength. 

By the time Ab Ripper rolled around I was only able to complete about half of it before I started to feel a little bit sick.  I called it a day at that point!

 Day 2:  Plyometrics

Let me first start by saying that I have done this routine many times before and love it each and every time.  It is very challenging but also very fun!

There is no recording of reps or weights which pleases me and I get such a great sweat going.  I was feeling a little sore in my lower belly today but was more than capable and motivated to get through this entire video. 

Again, this hour absolutely flew by!  

Here is a list of the exercises included in this video:

Jump Squat, Run Stance Squat, Double Airborne Heisman, Circle Run, Squat Reach Jump, Run Stance Squat Direction Switch

Double Airborne Heisman, Circle Run, Jump Knee Tuck, Jumping Lunge, Leapfrog Squat, Twist Combo

Rock star Hop, Gap Jump, Squat Jack, Military March, Run Squat 180 Jump, Lateral Leapfrog

Monster Truck Tire, Hot Foot, Pitch & Catch, Jump Shot

This routine left me weak in the knees – literally.  I had a hard time going down the stairs directly after and felt it ALL OVER the next day! 

I’m looking forward to doing Plyometrics again next week!  Does that make me crazy? 

Day 3: Shoulders and Arms, Ab Ripper X

This routine wasn’t new to me either.  I had done it a few times before and found it fairly enjoyable. 

However, I had never done it after two days of P90X before and boy was it more difficult.  My entire body was hurting at this point but I somehow managed to get through it. 

I used only two sets of weights:

5lbs – Triceps

10lbs - Biceps

Here is a list of the exercises included in this routine:

Alternating Shoulder Presses, In & Out Bicep Curls, Two-Arm Tricep Kickbacks, Deep Swimmer’s Presses

Full Supination Concentration Curls, Chair Dips, Upright Rows, Static Arm Curls, Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Kickbacks

Two Angel Shoulder Fly, Crouching Cohen Curls, Lying-Down Tricep Extensions

In & Out Straight-Arm Shoulder Fly, Congdon Curls, Side Tri-Raises

Day 4: Yoga X

Yoga!  Yes, I need a break is what I thought to myself before starting this workout. 

Ok, this workout was anything but a break.  There are some seriously advanced moves in this routine and I found the movement poses exceptionally challenging. 

It was much more repetitive than I like and I almost felt bored through most of it. 

I did work up a great sweat and felt the poses challenging my muscles.  I know that Yoga is an important part of the program I just wish they had made the workout shorter. 

At 92:24 this routine challenged my attention span as much as my form!

I made it through.  Thankfully I don’t have to do it again for another week.  

Day 5:  Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Ok, at this point, I can barely move.  But I’m going to get through this!  Wall squats?  Are you kidding me? 

 I actually really enjoyed this routine I just found it painful.  My body is pretty sore all over and this is challenging my legs for sure.  I found my self shaking like a leaf during many of the exercises. 

And they expect me to do Ab Ripper X after this?  How can that be?

 I’m not going to lie to you guys – There were a few points during this that I wanted to hit STOP!  I wanted to quit.  My body was tired and I really just didn’t want to do this anymore.  However, I stuck it out and I’m glad I did.  The pain I felt in my  hamstrings and butt they day after must have been an indication of a solid workout.  I did fall a bit short though and once again only made it through half of Ab Ripper X. 

Day 6: Kenpo

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so uncoordinated or silly.  I have taken a kick boxing class a few times in the past and never really could get the hang of it.  This workout was challenging for me because I just couldn’t get the moves right.  However, I did sweat buckets so I must have been doing something right. Right? 

I think this is the type of thing that will get easier with time.  I hope. 

I did enjoy the blocking section and felt that the workout did a great job of keeping me interested. 

I felt like stopping a few times but found myself wondering what was coming next.  So I stuck it out!   My legs are pretty sore today so I’m hoping that proves that my lack of skill didn’t ruin the workout for me.

So there you have it. 

One week down. 

So far I’m still feeling really motivated to keep going! 

I think I need to revisit how I work Ab Ripper in to the routine as I seem to be neglecting it.  Next week I will post pictures of my worksheets so we can see the (if any) progress I have made in just one week.

Anyone else out there doing P90X right now?  Do any of you have any tips or tricks?  I’d love to hear from you!

We’re expecting FANTASTIC weather over the next few days! 

Warm and Sunny!

Of course we’re going to do what most of you would do …

Cottage, BBQ, Kayak, Tan!

We don’t often see temperatures in the 20′s in April so I’m sure everyone will be out washing their cars, cleaning their garages and enjoying the sun!  

I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to get outside for a few runs.

Speaking of RUNNING.  You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been doing that much lately.

Well, that’s all about to change because I’m planning on running the Ottawa Race Weekend 5K again this year!

I have exactly 58 Days and 21 Hours to train for it.  I started last night with a 40 minute treadmill run. 

Wish me luck!

So as always after a vacation I seem to be having a difficult time getting back in the swing of things.  I want to be on the beach!  But I also want to get back to a healthier lifestyle.  I only managed to make it to the gym once while I was in Punta Cana.  I haven’t been since I got back either, and I’m feeling it.  I have made plans to go tomorrow night…FINALLY!

Tonight we’re off to the bf’s parent’s house!  We’re lighting the BBQ for the first time this year and grilling steak!  It’s the least we can do considering they “puppysat” for us while we were away. 

Since I’m not feeling particularly motivated or enthusiastic today I thought I would re-enter the blog world with a few pictures of our trip!  I have HUNDREDS still left to go through.  This certainly won’t be the last Punta Cana themed post on the blog!

Enjoy!

I’ll be back soon with a review of our vacation and my plans for Ottawa Race Weekend!

I bet you’re all wondering how my 20 Times Challenge shaped up?  Ok, maybe you’re not.  I’m going to tell you anyway! 

I dropped the ball!  And can you imagine?  I only had 2 more scheduled dates with Tony Horton and Ab Ripper X.  I just couldn’t do it. 

I think the anticipation/stress of my upcoming vacation is getting to me and my last two days of the challenge were accompanied by a terrible headache.  I managed to make it to the gym on Sunday because I had made a commitment to a friend.  The plan was to complete Ab Ripper twice when I got home.  Instead I walked the doggy and fell asleep on the couch.  

I felt so guilty about not completing the challenge and am majorly disappointed in myself.

However, it’s MARCH now, and instead of looking back, I’m looking forward to a new month and new goals! 

I recognize the fact that completing Ab Ripper eighteen times in a month is quite a feat and am proud of the progress I have made in my core strength. 

Now, what to focus on in March?  Check it out …

I’m also super thrilled about the fact that I only have 4 days left of… The 20 Times Challenge! 

I’m really enjoying this challenge and think I may continue using the Ab Ripper X video regularly from now on!

I will admit though, that doing the video on days that I also go to the gym wipes my right out!  

Yesterday I hit the gym for an hour and fifty minutes and completed Ab Ripper when I got home. 

Getting up today was torture! 

My body was craving more sleep.  Oh well.  I only have a few days left in the challenge and I am determined to complete it -  exhausted or not!  

Tonight I’m headed home right after work so hopefully I can get some packing done, get a short workout in, walk the puppy and get to bed EARLY! 

Talk to all you bloggies later! 

Or maybe on Twitter - my newest addiction!

Thought I’d pop on and give you an updated Workout Summary! 

As you can see below – I haven’t been to the gym many times this month.  However, when I do go I spend at least 2 hours and I workout pretty intensely.  I’m still on track to complete my 20 Times Challenge! 

Finally – the home stretch! 

6 more days of 20 Times Challenge and at least 3 gym days this week!

That’s the plan anyway! 

The bf took a puck to the foot in hockey last night and is currently sitting in the ER.  We’ll see how that goes and then I’ll decide if I’m able to spend so much time at the gym this week.

Now that we’re almost 2 months into 2010, how are you all doing with your goals and resolutions?

Did you have realistic expectations of yourself? 

Have you achieved what you thought you would or have you had to adjust your plans?  

I always seem to forget how stressful they are to prepare for.

Today I realized that I have only 4 days off between now and lift off!? 

My suitcase is still in storage.

I have lists of lists of list of things that need to be done….

Baskets and piles of possible day, evening, beach, workout combinations….

And lots of medication to start….All in the name of staying healthy on vacation!

Today I have decided to tackle the following tasks:

1.  Put together a First Aid Kit

2.  Put together a Snack Kit

As you can see I have packed our snack kit.  I choose foods easy to pack and eat.  I packed Lara Bars for myself and Rice Krispie Treats for the bf.  We both enjoy Cliff Bars so we will have to fight over those.  Although the resort we are going to is super inclusive I want to make sure that I always have a healthy treat just in case!   

3.  Bring the suitcase up from the basement

4.  Narrow down clothing options

Wish me luck!  Especially with #4. 

As you can see in the title of this post, I will be back with a second installment to show you all of my progress! 

I hope to also post a SUCCESSFUL VACATION REVIEW when we return!

I have a confession to make – I can’t believe I’m posting this for all of you to see. 

For years I have been embarrassed of this.  I dread hearing it, using it or letting other people see it.

If you haven’t guessed yet – I’m talking about my phone.  I’m not an early adopter of technology and have just lived with this phone because it works, and I know how to use it. 

But lets face it -   Time to upgrade! 

Take a look and see for yourself.

See what I’m saying?  Look at the chips around that poor excuse for a screen!

And speaking of terrible screens.  Check out that beauty!

And a keypad to match!

I feel better now that I have shared with you my phone shame.

I think you’ll all agree that buying a new phone was necessary.  So I did!

And it arrived yesterday.  Here she is in all her glory.

Isn’t it pretty?

And pretty confusing too. 

As I sit here trying to figure out how to use it, I am reminded of why I kept my old one for so long.  It was simple.

Oh well, I’m sure as soon as I figure this one out I’ll be glad I have it.  

I haven’t decided if this phone will increase, or drastically decrease my productivity?! 

What do you think?