Getting in Shape in 2012: Eating Right + P90X

D and I are going to Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in t-minus 120 days (but who's really counting).  This will be our first major vacation together so we are beyond stoked.

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I've already bought my first bathing suit for our trip:

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Can they also throw in her body please?!

D and I have made the commitment to get (in his case, back) into shape!  Up until about a year ago, he was still active.  He played soccer in high school and then for years after that, he played with friends in a few recreational leagues.  He was always in the best of shape until a knee injury about 2 1/2 years ago and our move to the south side of Indianapolis put a damper on that.

Me, on the other hand, I gave up active sports when I got into high school and instead played varsity golf.  I did minimal activity and managed not to balloon up until about the age of 26 when I started my notice my flailing metabolism.  So over the past couple years, I've done my best watching what I ate and for the most part, when I was really dedicated, I was able to keep my weight down.  At my heaviest, I weighed about 136lbs.   I put myself on a strict eating regiment and over about a year and a half, lost almost 20 lbs, which was just in time for my best friend's wedding last Fall.  But after that, when the cold weather started coming in, I resorted to the comfort food and the convenience of fast food (what idiot decided to put a McDonald's in my place of employment?).  I was lucky and only managed to put on about 8lbs, considering the junk that I was consuming.  It was in January that I really started to notice how "squishy" I appeared.  Most people would say to me, "you're pretty tiny, why do you need to lose weight?" and while yes, I'll agree that I'm petite, I'm also lacking tone or definition.

In February, I started to get back into my strict diet.  I call it a strict diet because I am absolutely anal about recording my food.  I still eat delicious food, I just focus on healthy choices and portion control.  I used to use Spark People but the MyFitnessPal app for iPhone is just so awesome and easy to use.

For a couple months, I was in a bit of a cooking lull but I've bounced back.  I really enjoy cooking because it's fun and relaxing but also because I love knowing exactly what I'm eating.

Here's a preview of what I've been whipping up lately.  My plan is to post all the recipes on Friday (the 13th dun dun dunnnn!)

Green Monster Smoothie

Baked Orange Salmon with Citrus Salad 

Tofu Stir Fry

Curried Carrot and Ginger Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Turkey Chili Blanc

Mixed Greens Salad with Grapefruit, Artichoke Hearts, Cranberries and Toasted Pine Nuts

A couple years ago, I got sucked into the continuous replay of the P90X infomercials and on an impulse, I went ahead and purchased the program.  You can't help but be amazed at the testimonials from the people who have done it.  But when I got it, I did it 2 times, decided it was too hard, and packed it away.  What a ween-wad!

Flash forward to now, with the support and combined participation, D and I have decided to give it another try.  We're in a much more conducive place in our lives.  We have the desire, the time, and the space to do it.  We're starting our 4th week today!!  I really enjoy the Plyometrics and the Yoga X.  I've never really been able to do pull ups, ever, so instead I do a modified version using a chair.  Hopefully, by the end of the first round of P90X, I'm able to do a few without.

ME WEEK 1 (not fun to post):

NOT ME (but what I'd ultimately like to get to):

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I am already seeing results (I'll post a new body picture once we complete Week 4) which really are the best motivation.  I'm not so focused on the scale because the number isn't going down as fast as I'd like but I'm seeing definition in my arms, legs and stomach.  Not only that, I am over that initial 2 weeks where every muscle in your body aches and it seems nearly impossible to do simple things like pull a shirt over your head or walk up a flight of stairs, I'm excited to workout and constantly looking for new inspirations.  I even squeeze in exercises while D is at work or at my work by taking the stairs (all 9 stories up to my unit).  I have begun doing them 2-3 times a shift.  I've also begun easing myself into running which I despise with every morsel of my being.  It doesn't help that I haven't quit smoking yet which is a MAJOR goal of 2012 (I know, feel free to smack me).

Here are some websites and tools that have been insanely helpful:
Pinterest.com - A great way to find endless amounts of health and fitness blogs
Tone It Up - I love the girls of Tone It Up but not really able to invest $ into their program, yet.  They send out emails with very helpful tips and tricks.  They also are working with Self.com which is just as useful.
Self.com - Great articles and reads on fitness and health.  Also, great healthy recipes.
SkinnyTaste.com - Delicious recipes with nutritional info
EatingWell.com  - Another site chock full of healthy options
MyFitnessPal - I had the app on my iPhone for forever but never used it until a couple weeks ago.  Now, it's my go-to app to log and track everything that I eat which is key (I think) to the weight loss aspect of my body transformation.  I love that you can scan the bar code of the foods you eat and it will automatically pull up the nutritional information.

What do you use to keep motivation or what have you tried that has delivered results?

I feel like I'm getting into the best shape of my adult life and couldn't be happier.  Jamaica here we come!