Bring it, Y'all... P90X and Running

I am about to eat fried pickles for dinner, along with many other fried delights. I will probably have a coke or coffee (with milk and sugar), and dessert... and I will NOT feel guilty for one second.

Why?

Tomorrow morning Scott and I are beginning the P90X program, and I will be doing this along with my running schedule. P90X is a vigorous strength training program that incorporates circuit training and operates on the premise of "muscle confusion." I have read the science of it all, but I am not going to bore you with it here. Check out the website if you are interested!

The fact is, running is a great way to burn calories and get into shape. However, it is not the best for gaining overall muscle tone. Strength training boosts metabolism, tones muscle, helps prevent injuries, and will hopefully benefit my running in the grand scheme of things.

Sounds great!? Yes, but... there is always a but... BUT, there is a serious double whammy for me having nothing to do with the exercise:

1. We are going to be doing the P90X workouts at 5:15AM.
2. We are actually going to do the diet that goes along with the program.

1. If you know me at all, you have heard me talk about "those crazy people" who exercise before the roosters are crowing! I do not wake up gracefully- I stumble around, not seeing straight or able to get my eyes open all the way, and like to sit down with my coffee and Bible for a while before anyone else is stirring. Exercising as soon as I wake up seems like some type of cruel and unusual punishment to me.

Why do it?

Pragmatism has won out over my love for my down comforter. Scott and I will be able to workout together this way. I can work out in the morning and still be finished before my children are awake. They are old enough now to fix their own breakfast and get started on their Bible reading if I am not through with mine. So, as much as it pains me--- literally, the actual act of getting up is often painful-- We are going to "bring it" before the sun comes up.

2. The diet...

Many people assume that just because we eat fresh bread made from home-ground wheat, and because I cook mostly from scratch that I am a "healthy eater." To some extent that is true... Compared to other obese Mississippians, my diet is not bad at all. BUT, I exercise a lot of the junk I eat away... For example, most people can not even fathom eating a king size Milky Way with a Coke... and then having a whole piece of chocolate cheesecake for dessert later! Yikes- I know, but I suppose things like that are why my husband refers to me as garbage belly! Please, no comments on that... I have read all of the stuff about sugar... that's why I am trying the diet!

I will mention, though, that we are not going to be able to do the diet to a "T." We call our version the "Po Man's P90X diet." I just can't see throwing away perfectly good egg yolks and using up 6 egg whites to make one omelet, when I can make a 2 egg omelet for a whole lot cheaper! (Besides, I don't want to hurt my chickens' feelings! Their yolks have lots of vitamins!) We CAN cut out sugar, and follow the plan in general. The first 3 weeks have a low carb emphasis, and then it moves into a more balanced, healthy eating plan.

So, the workouts are going to be tough. No doubt. Waking up at 4:45 to do them is going to be tougher. Going off sugar and soda and everything I love is going to kill me... or help me develop some new life long healthy habits. (I am hoping for the second option!)

Why do it?

Well, I figure if I am going to go so far as to do strength training 5 days per week and run 4, I might as well see results. I might not get ripped in these 90 days, but hopefully I will get rid of some of my under-the-clothes ripples!

I wrote this post on Sunday night, and now it is Tuesday morning. Yesterday was spent stumbling around in a sleep-deprived state and trying to figure out exactly what I was going to feed us all. (I am trying to do this for the whole family... just letting the kids have more bread.) I made it through the day, sticking to the plan, even though the chocolate chips in my freezer were calling my name last night around 8:00!

This morning, waking up was a little easier, but the Plyometrics workout kicked my tail! Literally- I am going to be sore tomorrow! Today the diet will be a little more of a challenge, because I am going to be gone all day. We will see how it goes!

I found a person online, Taryn Perry, who has been super helpful in all of this. She trained for a marathon while doing P90x, and she helped me figure out which afternoons to run, etc. She also answered many other questions very willingly and sent me some helpful worksheets to use. If you are interested in P90X, other strength programs, or any of the nutrition supplements, she can save you money on shipping! If you have any questions, check out her site or send her an email: taryn@choose2befit.com.