December 15, 2011 10:47 AM MST

Day 92 - It's all good

I'm unsure how to write this final post...will just see how it goes. I was planning to do this in the morning, Friday morning, but I'm just back from a celebratory dinner with my fellow PCPers, Jenn and Rob, along with their better halves and our friends, and I'm either energized by a very nice evening or buzzing from drinking!  I also decided to have the pics taken for this final post....they turned out alright, but I'm wearing wine-goggles right now...

Congrats to all and thank you to Patrick, Sarah and the rest of the trainers for getting us through the program.  This experience really has been all good.  I signed up at Jenn's urging and shelled out the fee, hoping to myself that I'd see it through and make every cent worth it.  This is truly my first diet/exercise program.  I found the diet reasonably easy to comply with and am happy with the renewed sense of taste. The workouts were manageable and I only wish I was able to progress further, and I plan to do so post-PCP.  I haven't exercised so consistently since I was a child and I've never been on a diet except for that week-long Master Cleanse many years back.  Despite my repeated postings about how I haven't worked hard enough throughout the program, I am pretty happy with what I've achieved.  The surprising thing is, compared to most PCPers, I have lost a negligible amount of weight--at most 8-10 pounds during the middle of the program, and just a 3-pound difference between Day 3 and Day 90.  But the consistent comment I've gotten from everyone is that I'm still the same shape but I've shrunk.  So was it all water, blubber, wobbly whatever?  Whatever it was, because I can see real results despite my less-than-perfect effort, I am looking forward to not only maintaining the results on day 90 but to continue working to get to that still-elusive peak condition.  Push-ups, pull-ups, chest dips, elevated this and that.......will the day finally come when I can manage them with ease and confidence?

I started this program feeling very self-conscious and nervous about letting people know.  Apart from the concrete results I've gained from this program, I'm also much more appreciative of the people I have around me.  Of course there are plenty who are disinterested, as they are with most everything that doesn't concern them, but I am grateful to be surrounded by so many supportive and caring friends and family.  Now that they've seen a fitter me, it would be a letdown if I don't maintain it!!!  Pressure!!!

And some superficial side-effects of PCP...getting compliments left and right from men at work, and leers, the odd catcall, whistles, it's all highly amusing.  I think it's partially because I've put a little more effort to dress up as I'm feeling more confident with my body that I'm getting the added attention.  It makes me wonder what I looked like before???  But the comments I get are mostly, "You're looking very lovely," and not, "You look different, what have you been doing?"  so I'm taking it as a gradual change for the better and not a, "Ummm, something's different, is it the hair, the shoes, the clothes?"  I'm still very awkward when it comes to compliments, but I'm learning to accept them with a smile and satisfaction that I made a concerted effort to deserve them.

And speaking of effort, I want to make this a habit, this conscious and ongoing attempt to make myself healthier, stronger and happier.  I have ways to go to improve my cardiovascular health, get leaner and feel all-round healthier.  Years of neglect have broken my body down.  I'm fortunate to have been blessed with genes that didn't result in obesity or other serious illnesses as my lifestyle in the last 20 years would have easily done that.  In gratitude to that, I must take better care of my health.  And PCP has helped jumpstart this.  What happens next is all up to me.  I have proven to myself by sticking with PCP, though not perfectly, that I am able to focus and take care of my health and I am optimistic I will continue to do so.

Photos

December 10, 2011 9:20 AM MST

Day 87 - Good thing I work out at home

The twin shoulder sets were cuss-out-loud ridiculous.  I somehow got through them, but it took some serious focus and mental strength.  I had to double up today because I only had time for jumprope yesterday.  Did the training in the morning, and waited till early evening to do today's workout.  My V-sits are more like w's, and my plank times went 2min, 30sec, 2min, 60sec, 90sec.  The moment I look at the time, I start failing.

Just two more days of these crazy sets!!!

December 8, 2011 10:11 AM MST

Day 85 - Still going

Final week!!!  Trying desperately not to slip!  Also trying to push myself as hard as possible these last few days.  I've been slacking on the exercise front the last few weeks, often giving up too quickly because my energy levels see-saw quite a bit day to day.  But I will try my best to go to the max this last week.

Today's workout was alright.  First time in a long while that I was able to complete the full reps for each of the shoulder exercises, which have always been one of my weaker areas.  I bet I'm gonna feel it tomorrow....but it will be satisfying!  Hoping to sustain this till the very end.

I'm really curious to see what's in the maintenance pack as I can't see beyond day 90.  Feeling a bit lost already.  Funny how that is.  I'm off to visit my cousin and her family in the States over the holidays and will want to keep up with the workouts.  Looking forward to jumping rope in a different setting as I'm getting a bit tired of staring at the same four spots in the garage these last three months.  Then again, the constancy of this activity is also comforting in a way.  Have I really developed a long-term habit?!?!

On the diet front, I've had a few meals that haven't been completely compliant as my goddaughter is in town and we've been going around having some of her favorite foods.  Otherwise, I've been having very no-frills PCP-compliant meals to balance it out a bit.

Last night was a bit of a clothing highlight since that "these pants fit" day a while back.  I borrowed a friend's fitted black dress, put on some heels and braved it to work.  Thought I might as well do it now before I bounce back to my pre-PCP self come next week!!!  It was a highly amusing day to say the least.  I was very self-conscious and was quite bemused by people's reactions, but truth be told I couldn't help but be pleased by all the compliments.  I haven't "showed off" this slimmer version as I generally don't wear clothes that are too clingy and the weight loss really hasn't been so drastic to show through my regular clothes.  So I guess it was a bit dramatic even for people who see me regularly.  It might've been a one-off.  We'll see what happens from day 91 onwards.

December 1, 2011 4:56 AM MST

Day 78 - Really? Just 12 more days?!?

I don't think I'm ready...for so much food!  Still flabby.  My mom and aunts just commented yesterday when they asked me how many days I have left, told them 12, and they pointed at my gut and said I still have a belly and still thick around my hips.  So do they have tunnel vision too?  Haha!

I was quite excited during the middle of the program when I started seeing obvious physical change.  The past few weeks have been uneventful and I've just been trudging along.  Patrick and others mentioned that women see more obvious changes, including weight loss, towards the end of the program.  We're at the end of the program.

Anyway, I am slimmer, pants are looser, feel less like a lump, got more energy, but far from the results of some other fellow PCPers.  You get what you give, and I obviously didn't work hard enough.  I haven't skipped any rope work, but I haven't pushed the strength training each time till I collapse on the floor.  All in all, I'm somewhat satisfied with what I've achieved so far.  I wish I could get more bang for the buck, literally, but as I said, I haven't worked hard enough.  Still, it's been a positive experience.  Will keep at it till Day 90 and look forward to sustaining this long after.

November 27, 2011 8:42 PM MST

Day 75 - Perfect timing

This last indulgence comes at a perfect time.  And yes, I barely reacted to the news.  Compared to the first one when I literally broke out into a smile and started counting off the things I wanted to eat, this is a non-event.  I just thought, oh good, I can eat a bit more at dinner tonight.  Strange.

We're celebrating my aunt's birthday tonight at a Chinese restaurant that serves traditional New Territories walled village cuisine.  I think I might've mentioned this before as we had gone there last month for my cousin's birthday.  I was prepared to abstain, but it'll be really nice to enjoy the meal with the rest of the family.

Then again, I probably should skip this indulgence as I gave myself one this past Saturday.  We had a belated Thanksgiving dinner at my friends' place.  I had already prepared for it by eating my dinner portions at lunch and skipping the afternoon snack, but I went overboard at dinner.  I ate less than I would've in the past, but it was still too much, but I enjoyed every single bite.  It was all freshly prepared food and my friend had lightened up on the butter and cream in all the dishes for my sake and without me even asking--I was gonna go for full fat!  It was very considerate and supportive of her.  I'm still thinking about the apple pie with cinnamon ice cream that I helped make and the chocolate and pecan pie!

The workouts have been alright, but as usual, I know I'm not pushing myself hard enough.  My energy levels go up and down and as Sarah mentioned earlier, it's normal as my body is repairing itself, but I feel like I'm in repair mode every day.  The first half an hour when I get out of bed is the worst.  I ache all over, no matter what muscle groups we worked on the previous day.  The soreness does go away after the morning jumprope and I'm good the rest of the day.  I'm still surprising myself every day when I manage to crawling out of bed each morning to go jumprope downstairs.  This really is a new me.

November 23, 2011 1:36 AM MST

Day 70 - I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but afraid of what's out there

Twenty days to go!  Shocking!  I can't believe I've stuck to this for so long.  I've been pretty good with the diet.  Apart from a few manic episodes of snacking, I haven't cheated.  However, my meal times have been all over the place and I often have dinner and the evening snack quite late at night and I do go to sleep really late, so I'm sure my results have suffered because of that.  The killer mainly is the workouts.  I've done well with the jumprope; even on days when I'm really low on energy, I get the jumprope done.  My muscle training, however, is way below par.  I've had occasional good days where I power through them and feel absolutely beat afterwards, a safe sign that I really pushed myself.  On most days, however, I feel quite defeated as I can barely manage some of the exercises with good form after the first two or three sets.  I'm still having a hard time with the chest and shoulder work, and on some days, I just lose it in the middle of the ab work and get terribly frustrated and upset with myself.

My performance today was acceptable.  I am curious, however, about why I didn't sweat as much as I usually do or was as winded after the rope work.  I trip a lot, but not more than usual, and I didn't take breaks in between the sets given that I would trip every so often.  Maybe today was a high energy day, dunno.  The rest of the workout went relatively smoothly.  One thing that hasn't happened in a while is that I haven't had those "hot-flashes" in a while, perhaps an indication that I haven't been working intensely enough.  Anyway, that's that.  I'm still flabby all over, but this is definitely the trimmest I've been in years.  We'll be done in 20 days, and I'm wondering how I'll be able to keep working at slimming down and getting stronger.  We run right into the holidays after PCP and I'm already foreseeing jumproping daily to burn off the feasting.

November 20, 2011 9:11 AM MST

Day 67 - Early jumprope keeps me going all day

Been having really busy days this past week with family in town, but I've been able to get the jumprope done first thing in the morning.  It's mainly because I want to get it out of the way as I have less energy at the end of the day, and of course, I want to burn that extra fat.  This morning I even managed to do the leg exercises too, but the last set of the creeps got me seeing stars.  Maybe a bit too intense on an empty stomach.

A real bonus of jumping rope in the morning is that it really keeps my energy up throughout the day.  I do the rest of the workout in the evening and am able to get through them properly than if I had to also do the jumprope.  Of course, once I'm back on track schedule-wise, I'd prefer to do the whole workout in one go, but splitting it up when I'm pressed for time has worked well.

Did the lunch and dinner swap yesterday because I had a wedding to attend.  People there don't know I'm doing PCP, so good thing it was a buffet and I was able to stick to the diet...steamed fish with lemongrass, grilled lamb chops, whole wheat rolls, roasted cauliflower, and salad leaves.  I wanted a glass of Champagne....but just stuck with water.  I think it was the first time ever I didn't have a drink at a wedding.  It was a 45-minute drive home, so no one thought it too odd I wasn't drinking.  I did have a small slice of cake, it's a wedding after all.  But I skipped my afternoon and evening snacks of yogurt in anticipation and compensation for those extra calories.  And made sure I did early jump rope this morning!

November 15, 2011 10:24 PM MST

Day 63 - Sleep is critical

I had a good workout today as I got a good 7-8 hours of sleep.  It really makes a huge difference.  In the past week I'd been running on fumes, going to bed late and not getting enough hours of good quality sleep.  The workouts have suffered as I'm so low on energy.  I had friends visiting the week before, then family in town for a week. My days are constantly in flux and I have to fit in the exercising wherever I can.  I exercise best in the morning, but I've had to do it later in the evening on a few nights and that just isn't optimal.  I'm a little wired after the workout although my body is tired, so I end of going to sleep later than usual, then I'm more sore when I wake up than I would be if I exercised in the morning.  Well well, I hope things will settle down a bit in the next few days.  Just a few more weeks and I really want to be more disciplined about this and get the most out of this program.

November 14, 2011 2:24 AM MST

Day 61 - Perhaps I need another three months

I'm thinking that I might need to do this for a whole year or for the rest of my life and cut all the carbs out and just jumprope day and night.  I try to remember the tunnel vision note when I think like this, but I feel like I've hit a plateau.

Nevertheless, it is amazing that we're two-thirds done and I've actually stuck to it, albeit at times some of the muscle training has been done poorly, but I do make it through the jumprope every day, and I've cheated more frequently in the last two weeks.  I barely ate anything non-PCP-compliant in the first few weeks and I didn't stray from the diet, but I've been having snack attacks recently.  It's nothing too serious (I hope) but I'm not sure what it is that I'm feeling or thinking when I'm doing it.  It's almost manic.  I feel like a chipmunk.  There were these nut clusters and a jar of macadamia nuts at home....I just gobbled a bunch of them one night for no good reason.  And cheese, I've snacked on a bit of cheese four times the last two weeks because there's a buffet spread at work and I just had to have some...those "occurrences" coincided with my afternoon and evening snacks, so I would (sensibly) cut the yogurt from the snacks when I ate the cheese.  There's still the salt factor.  Well well, I don't know what's going on but I'm going to have to get a handle on it, NOW.

As for the training, I'm still having a tough time with some of the exercises, no changes there.  So I am officially resigned to the fact that I won't get that perfect awe-inspiring PCP physique at the end of the program.  I feel more energetic, gotten a bit slimmer and lost a few pounds, and that's quite a big change for me.  Friends and family who are in the know do notice that I've slimmed down, but sometimes I think they're just being very supportive and cheering me on.  A few people here and there have commented that I seem to have lost weight, but in general it hasn't been a drastic change.  You get what you put in, and I haven't worked hard enough and I haven't managed my time well.....eating really late dinners and staying up late....can't be good.

Got less than 30 days to do it better.

November 8, 2011 3:47 AM MST

Day 55 - Becoming a lightweight

Spent my indulgence at dinner on Sunday, tapas and pizza.  The portions were ok, I didn't overeat at all, but I went straight to bed when I got home and woke up with a very heavy head.  It must have been the Bellini and two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc.  I definitely went beyond the 500-700 limit because of the drinks and paid for it the next day.  Made it through the exercises but definitely had a rough time with the jump rope...leaden limbs and all.

November 5, 2011 11:27 PM MDT

Day 53 - Lows, more lows, and a bit of a high

Today's training note came at a very timely moment.  I rolled out of bed and went straight to jumping rope as I was intent on making up for the cookies and chocolate I gobbled up in a frenzy last night.  I've had cravings these last few nights.  It's been a dark dark time.  It wasn't hunger, I just lost my mind.

So, early jumprope to hopefully minimize the damage.  Had breakfast afterwards then onto the rest of the workout.  Squats are usually my strongest leg work, but I was shaky and aching all over today.  The rest of the leg exercises weren't any better, and I was thinking....must be all that fat and sugar I had last night!!!  Started on the forward shoulder raise and could barely get through the first set when I remembered a Q&A about whether it'd be alright rest a little longer in order to make it through the sets.  Logged on right away to check and and saw Patrick's note.

I guess that must be it, I'm have a low energy day!  It also doesn't help that I had only done the previous day's workout last night, just 12 hours before working out again.  But it was comforting to read the note, to know that it might just be one of those days.  And knowing I could try as hard as I can and shorten the reps to get through the sets was a boost.  I made it through most of the exercises doing the full sets.

I'll remember this when I'm having rough days and try not to feel too defeated.

Photos

November 4, 2011 8:04 AM MDT

Day 51 - Indulgence warm-up

I ate out at lunch today and was able to order something that was PCP
compliant.  I only needed half the sandwich I got, but I couldn't
resist the toasted ciabatta and kept nibbling on the rest of the bread. 
Finally stopped myself after that extra quarter but it was too late.  I
had already overeaten and was wiped out in the afternoon.  It was
quite strange how my body reacted, or perhaps I was just tired.  I wonder what would happen after the planned indulgence on Sunday night.  Going for Shanghainese with my friends who are visiting, but not before having a a drink or two.  500-700 calories are going to vanish before I even get to dinner, and Shanghainese is my favorite Chinese cuisine....how shall I spread out the calories?!

November 3, 2011 6:51 AM MDT

Day 50 - Sweat much?

Never knew I could sweat so much.  The workouts have more than just ramped up from last week, I feel like I've skipped way ahead and gone to a whole new level.  I got lightheaded during the floor jumps, something I haven't felt for a long time, and took more than the allotted time to catch my breath and see straight again.  The shoulders weren't as bad as I feared because I switched to a slightly longer band as Patrick suggested, but five sets of Davinci?  The last reps of each set were done in mega slow motion, brows knitted and a voice screaming in my head going, yes, I like the way my shoulders look with these new muscles so KEEP GOING.  The shoulder press was a nice relief, but my shoulders were on fire by the end of the third set and I needed a LONG breather to do the last.  My V-sits have been pathetic, but for some reason I think I did them pretty well today.  Dunno where that came from but it was pretty satisfying.

I now understand the need for that banana before the workout, but it's quite a bit of food to fit into a day, worse if I'm running around and not spacing the meals out properly.  Will have to work on that.

Perfect timing for the indulgence as I have friends visiting from Germany.  They want Peking duck, a tapas place we used to go to when they lived here and I want Italian???  Or should I just blow it all on wine???  Ah, decision decision decision!

October 30, 2011 9:36 PM MDT

Day 47 - Panic--my food scale died

Batteries died when weighing out breakfast portions, none at home.  The new rechargeable ones that I bought that are supposedly charged and ready to use are not.  And the charger is nowhere to be found.  That's what counts for drama in my life these days, as it's been devoid of normal social interaction that would usually involve a meal or drinks, neither of which I can partake in.  I'm enjoying the quiet, but probably going a little stir-crazy.

October 26, 2011 3:00 AM MDT

Day 42 - Spot on about entering the valley

Not that my enthusiasm is waning...I'm just worn out and feeling like I'm in a rut.  I haven't felt those bursts of enthusiasm and energy to work out in a while.  That being said, it didn't take much to get downstairs for the jumproping today--jumproping day is now my favorite day of the week!!!  I'm finding the chest and shoulder days my toughest.  I have yet to attempt a pull-up or chest dip...still struggling with the easier ones.  And I have yet to really test that willpower of mine to push through the pain and go to the max.  I've often collapsed in frustration and surrender, but not always to the point of muscle failure.  I know I've got more in there somewhere.

October 24, 2011 7:47 AM MDT

Day 40 - Can I start over?

The workouts are getting tougher for me and I still haven't even attempted the more advanced exercises.  After reading yesterday's note, I felt terribly guilty and foolish.  I felt like I've wasted 40 days because I've almost always had some TV sitcom or podcast playing, something funny like Wait Wait Don't Tell Me or The Moth.  It's my way of distracting myself from the pain and difficulty of the workout.  There are times I've done it without anything playing, not even music, and it is true that I've had more focused workouts.  I should've known.  Anyway.

October 20, 2011 6:41 AM MDT

Day 36 - The pants fit!

Yesterday was a highlight.  I fit into a pair of dress pants I bought a few years ago that still had the tags on.  Almost threw them out several months ago, but left them in the closet thinking I'll get in shape some day.  Well, that day has come!  Ha!  I still have a long way to go, but it felt good.  I was walking tall yesterday.

On a different note, I want to share this pic of the egg white I had this afternoon.  I think I'm overdoing it on the mustard!

Photos

October 17, 2011 4:02 AM MDT

Day 33 - Worn out

What a difference a few poorly planned days can make.  I was still feeling rather positive in my last two posts, but today is probably the first time since the beginning of the program that I've felt completely worn out.  It might be a cold I feel I've caught or just general fatigue, can't be sure.  But I woke up around five this morning feeling dehydrated and slightly congested and couldn't fall back asleep till after seven.  Called in sick today.

Yesterday started out alright, but I had forgotten about a dinner I had to attend.  Couldn't get all my foods in for the evening and didn't get home till close to midnight.  Went straight to bed and had planned on getting up early to make up for the exercises.  That didn't happen.  Finally managed to get up shortly before noon, felt a little better, had lunch, then forced myself to get through the workout, attempted to double up on the jumping, but gave up at 1,800.  The rest of the exercises went alright, albeit a little sloppy at times.  I'm still planning to do today's workout later this evening, maybe not the full sets, but at least get through most of them.

This is the second time I've skipped a day's workout and had to double up the next day because of poor time management.  I should probably just move on and try to do a better job with the day's exercises, but I feel guilty if I didn't make up for it....

I'm wondering if the indulgences I had on Saturday have any bearing on this.  A glass of champagne, a bit of red wine, some canapes and a rather large piece of rich chocolate cake that had too much liquor in it.  I did feel a bit off throughout the evening because of the extra food and alcohol, but was quite happy to enjoy myself at my friend's birthday party.  Two of my fellow PCPers were also at the party and some of  the other guests were really curious about what we were doing, so we ended up spending quite a considerable amount of time discussing various diet and exercise programs people were doing.  People are really into diets....

October 14, 2011 10:30 AM MDT

Day 30 - One-third done!

Thirty is a nice round number.  It's quite amazing we're a third of the way through.  This month has gone by really quickly.  I'm hoping the rest of the program will also move along smoothly and swiftly.  Tomorrow is my periodic weighing and measuring day--I'm doing it every 15 days now after I got a little discouraged when the scale didn't move back in week 2-3.  I'm so curious to see what the numbers will be!  They must've changed.  They must.

One thing I want more is to become stronger.  I really want to advance and get better at some of the exercises.  I always thought I had a pretty high pain threshold, but I guess when it comes to proactively stretching my body to the max is different from withstanding pain of the usual kind.  Must toughen up a bit more and push myself harder.

Joined a bunch of girlfriends at a Spanish restaurant tonight.  I ate dinner on the way there and was hoping I'd stay full for a least a good hour or two.  But as the evening wore on, I got increasingly hungry, so I just kept busy with chatting and kept drinking water.  They were all quite supportive, saying I look slimmer and more energetic.  One or two did question what would happen after day 90, saying I'd probably just slip back into pre-PCP conditions.  I immediately thought of Patrick's note about dealing with negativity and just brushed off the comments.  We'll see.

Indulgence day tomorrow!  Going to a friend's birthday party.  I'm thinking a glass or two of champagne and a small slice of cake.  Been planning this all week!

October 12, 2011 11:31 AM MDT

Day 28 - Still feeling positive

So the workouts are getting more intense...but I'm still struggling with many of the ones we've been doing, especially the chest and shoulder exercises.  For some of them, I can only manage the less intense versions.  I'm somewhat worried of falling behind and still working on the basics, and hence won't get the optimal results.  Nevertheless, I'm alright with that so far.  I started from being extremely unfit and weak and never having done any type of training or diet like this, so I'm not aiming for the phenomenal results I've seen in some past PCPers.  This is mainly an attempt to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle with regular exercising and more conscious eating.

Right now, I'm quite happy being able to stick to exercising every day, to the extent that my body and willpower can handle.  As for the diet, I feel I have enough discipline to tolerate being without my usual indulgences for two more months--those food and drinks will still be there come December.  The workouts, on the other hand, will be a major test.  I simply am not fit and strong, and am only able/willing to push through the pain when I'm feeling particularly strong and energetic.  I guess I can only try my best and see what happens.

October 9, 2011 11:00 PM MDT

Day 26 - Indulgence!?!?

I didn't know about this indulgence thing till I was reading some blogs from previous participants, then I saw the training note.  I literally broke into a smile and started naming foods out loud.  But here I am around lunch time and I don't know what I want.  200-400 calories.  Don't even know what that means.  Hmmm.....will have to put some thought into this and savor it well.  Patrick said the next few days, meaning, the rest of the this week I assume.  Yay!

Haha, I knew it was too good to be true.  I read the training note wrong.  Just one indulgence!  Now that's going really take some considering.

October 8, 2011 10:34 AM MDT

Day 24 - PCP Day

Had a thoroughly enjoyable PCP day today with Jenn!  We started with the workout and I got some really useful pointers from Jenn on a lot of the exercises.  I haven't been squatting properly, for one, and usually would slacken my posture for some of the other exercises.  Workouts are going to be way tougher now that I know how to do them properly......aaaarrrgghhhhh

Lunch was chicken fajitas!!!  Jenn cooked up some wonderfully marinated chicken with the works to load up on our veggies.  We went for an hour-long foot massage later in the afternoon that really helped with our sore calves.  Dinner was another hit--simple pan-fried barramundi.

A big thank you to Jenn for coaching me and feeding me so well!  If only I can eat like this every day, PCP would not be as daunting.

Photos

October 5, 2011 10:20 AM MDT

Day 21 - Change of Scenery

I was really looking forward to the jumps-only day as I packed my rope for an overnight trip to Lantau.  The fresh air and peaceful view of the sea this morning really made the 1,000 jumps go by quicker than usual.  It was a wonderful change of scenery.  My friends got all nostalgic about jumping rope and were all quite keen to hop around.  A few even said they might start jumping rope to get fit!

The diet hasn't been a problem when I'm preparing food and eating home.  But apart from having a bit of alcohol and two small slices of cake the other day, I've stuck to the diet.  However, I completely indulged at dinner tonight.  I hadn't planned on it, but the food was really quite interesting and too good to pass up....it was at a Chinese restaurant to celebrate my cousin's birthday.  They serve "walled village cuisine" from the New Territories of Hong Kong.  Not quite the right preparation for the new tougher workouts...which I haven't dared look at.  I've also done exactly what Patrick said not to do in his training note about letting yourself slide after a bit of progress.  I guess all the positive comments I got this afternoon about looking trimmer and less bloated subconsciously allowed me to pig out at dinner.  Terrible.

I've gotten into a habit of not looking at the workout sheet until I'm ready to do it on the day as I know I might obsess over it beforehand.  Hmmm, will I really be in a for a surprise tomorrow?!

Photos

October 2, 2011 10:44 AM MDT

Day 18 - Confession

Just finished packing my lunch for tomorrow, weighing everything as accurately as possible and shaving off a few grams here or there.  That is to make up for my big cheat day today--two birthday celebrations.  I've been pretty good so far.  No alcohol or sweets since the start of week 2.  This afternoon at my friend's "tea" party, I had champagne and a thin slice of rich chocolate cake.  I brought the bottles to the party with the full intention to indulge and instead of the usual endless flow of both conversation and alcohol, I was able to limit myself to just under two glasses.  Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday.  No trouble abstaining from the wine and I adhered reasonably to the diet, but a small piece of chocolate mousse cake was a must.  How often do you celebrate at 90th birthday?!

The jumps are going up to 900 tomorrow, and I'm going to have to tag on a few more to make up for today!

I see that a lot of people have dropped quite a few pounds.  My weight has only fallen by at most 2 pounds.  Either I'm eating too heavily (choosing the wrong foods) or I'm not exercising intensely enough.  I'm waiting to see if that dramatic change will ever happen to me.  A couple of friends did say today that I look a little slimmer, but I think they're being very supportive and willing me to shrink after hearing that I'm doing PCP.  Thank you girls!!!  I hope I can really show you a fitter me soon.

September 29, 2011 8:27 AM MDT

Day 15 - Day off from PCP during a T8?

That did cross my mind.  But then I went down to the car park to jumprope.  The winds whipped up dramatically a few times and I had vivid images of flying debris slicing towards me like in some disaster movie.  I looked around for cover just in case...but I wouldn't have been quick enough before the deadly hit.  So, I just went on jumping and got through the 800 jumps in one piece.

Cooking is becoming a bit of a drag.  I'm just eating to fulfill my quota.  I was so unmotivated at the supermarket today that I just bought some roast chicken, boiled pasta and had some cucumbers dressed with cilantro and vinegar to go with it.  Thank goodness for herbs.

September 26, 2011 11:16 PM MDT

Day 13 - Shopping & Cooking

Had a hectic weekend so I ended up eating like I was on a raw food diet--no fun at all.  Finally went for some serious food shopping last night, got a whole load of veggies and some good fish.  Had a nice piece of ocean trout last night with some very tender Chinese spinach.  Day off today, so I made a big pot of Spanish rice.  Not sure how I'll weigh the serving as there's quite a bit of vegetables in it.  Hmmm....  I still have to streamline the food prep and get more creative or else this diet will easily get real tedious.

My jumping is getting better, surprisingly.  I'm able to last longer before getting winded.  Looking forward to extending my stamina day by day.  After reading today's training note, it turns out I haven't been doing the exercises properly.  I was aware that I was resting too long between exercises, but didn't know it would so detrimental to the targeted results.  I'll work at being more diligent!

Photos

September 23, 2011 12:53 AM MDT

Day 9 - Off track on Day 2 of diet

Yesterday, day one of the new diet, took a bit of improvising as I wasn't home and had to make do with what was available at my aunt's house.  Did alright and was quite surprised at the amount I had to eat.  I kept thinking I was weighing things incorrectly.  I then went shopping for groceries and was quite looking forward to preparing my meals for the next day.

I got up early this morning to cook.  Had a red bell pepper omelet with bread and my glass of milk.  Made beef and veggie stir-fry and some whole wheat pasta for both lunch and dinner as I'd be out all day (the portions still look quite big...I truly think I'm not weighing this properly).  Packed everything up along with a banana and an apple.  Felt organized and committed, then came another work-related lunch...dim sum again...unplanned.  I wanted to run away but didn't have much of a choice.  I thought I did pretty well.  Barely any carbs (do I have to make up for it by eating some pasta?), mostly good protein in the form of prawns, but not enough veggies.  I'll have to eat some of my own broccoli and peppers.

If this is going to work, I'll have to find a way around eating out.

Photos

September 20, 2011 1:25 AM MDT

Day 6 - Getting nervous

I've been pretty enthusiastic about PCP in the first few days.  The exercises were tough but I enjoyed doing them and was constantly reminding myself how I've been so bad to my body and that all this pain was a good thing.  Eating half portions was difficult, but I've definitely cut down on my total input each day.

This morning, however, was rough.  I lumped together my emotions about a change in my family life, my tired and sore body and the prospect of changing my whole way of eating from Thursday onwards.  I was beginning to dread the next 80-plus days and wondered why I signed up for this.

It's later in the day now...I'm feeling a little more positive.  Still anxious about how much tougher the exercising will be and how I can stay disciplined with the eating.  Really glad I'm doing this with Jenn and having our friend Kathy cheering us on.  It'd be impossible to go at it alone.

September 17, 2011 10:22 AM MDT

Day 3 - Can't keep eating out

Got the workout done this morning before leaving the house.  I'm surprised I had the discipline to do it after only completing the Day 2 exercises before going to bed the previous night.  I'm sore all over, especially my legs, but with every wince I know I did something good for my body.

The workouts are certainly challenging, but worse is managing half portions when eating out.  I can't imagine what it'd be like when the real diet begins.  Had dim sum for a work lunch yesterday and couldn't really leave half-eaten dumplings on my plate.  My colleague gave me a third of this giant bun and while I was protesting, the thing fell out of my spoon, bounced off the table and landed on the floor.  He knew I was doing PCP and I swore I didn't drop it on purpose!

Lunch today wasn't too bad, but dinner proved a little difficult.  It was Peking, and the food just kept coming.  We were celebrating several birthdays, so I felt compelled to indulge.  However, instead of my usual multiple servings of Peking duck, I had only one.  What a serious display of self-restraint!  Haha!

Photos

September 14, 2011 10:13 PM MDT

Day 1 - This is it

This is the first diet & exercise program I have ever attempted and I am doing it with great trepidation.  I'm glad my friend Jen K. got me to join her.  I'm excited to have something to focus on and it will be interesting to see how I fare in the coming weeks.  So far only a few people know I'm doing this and they've all been very supportive.  I'm confident the rest of my friends and family will also be cheering me on.  I'm lucky to have them around to help me get through this.

So Day 1!  I like that we're allowed to eat normally this first week as I had made lunch and dinner plans with friends this weekend before signing up.  I was getting anxious about having to stick to the diet while dining out.  But having only a half portion is tough.  Like Patrick, I was brought up to always clear my plate.  I was feeling plenty guilty leaving all that food to waste this morning.  Then again, I did indulge, knowing it was my last chance in a long time to have that sort of breakfast.  Scrambled eggs, buttered toast and macaroni in soup.  Your typical fat-laden Hong Kong cafe meal.  I'll try to be better the rest of the day.

Gonna go buy the equipment later and do the workout this evening!  Where am I gonna go skip rope?

September 13, 2011 10:01 AM MDT

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