December 20, 2011 11:08 PM EST

Finished!!

I'm just making the deadline to get my "complete" certification. I will keep this short. I am really glad I did this. I was hesitant to sign up, fearing I wouldn't have the will power to stick to a workout AND diet program for 90 days. Especially since I live in HK, where the temptation to booze and over-induldge on food is everywhere! I am happy with my results. I dropped 12 lbs in the end. I lost all of it in the first month but after that my clothes kept getting looser and I got more toned. I wish I did one of those body composition tests at the start of pcp so I could really see how much fat loss I achieved. But really all that matters is that I feel and look better. Am I in "peak condition"? Absolutely not. Still have a long way to go, but I've got a solid jumpstart and I'm going to continue the workout routine and try my best to eat a somewhat pcp-compliant diet (at least on the weekdays!). 

For anyone thinking of giving pcp a try, one thing is certain: it works. There is no way that if you follow the plan that you cannot reduce body fat and increase muscle mass. You will definitely look and feel better after pcp. The level of results will depend on how strictly you follow the diet and how hard you push yourself.  I definitely had cheat days here and there, skimped on the workouts on days I was just too tired. But the key for me was just getting back on track when I screwed up. 

Thanks to everyone that supported me. I couldn't have done it without you!

December 13, 2011 1:11 PM EST

Day 90

Sorry for slacking on the blogs...

Will have a more comprehensive one up soon, complete with final pic

Congrats everyone!!! We did it!!!

December 3, 2011 12:16 PM EST

Day 80

The end is in sight. Can't believe I've made it this far! Feeling very exhausted from the workouts. They are taking me well over an hour to complete these days. Gorgeous day in HK, going to replace today's skipping with a run on Bowen Rd. So excited to get pcp over with and start celebrating the holidays!

November 24, 2011 1:35 AM EST

Day 70

Approaching the home stretch now and finding it tough to be disciplined about the diet and exercise. Really bummed there won't be a Thanksgiving feast for me this year. And also just getting a bit bored with the workouts and diet to be honest. Need an attitude fix for these last 20 days. Been told from a friend who has completed pcp that I can expect my body to change a lot in the last few weeks. The scale hasn't moved for me since late October and while I know I shouldn't dwell on that I am really missing the excitement and sense of accomplishment that comes with seeing my weight go down.  Yes, clothes are getting looser and I feel like I'm getting more toned, but there's definitely still a decent amount of bodyfat that needs to go.  

November 15, 2011 9:47 PM EST

Day 62

Today has been rough. For the first time since I started pcp I really just wanted a day off from it. Few reasons.....I've injured my knee from all the skipping. Strained a tendon and it's a constant dull pain and I haven't been able to skip rope for a few days. Frustrated it will impede my progress especially given we only have 28 days left. I hope it heals soon. I'm also just feeling exhausted....waking up not just sore but super low on energy and needing another 4 hrs of sleep. Maybe it's mental exhaustion too, as it's not exactly fun times at work with industry wide cuts going on. I really just wanted to not think about eating the correct amount of grams and having the snacks when i was supposed to have them etc etc. Just wanted a normal day to not obsess about all things pcp. Off to do my workout now, completely dreading it but gotta push through it! 28 more days....

November 6, 2011 9:09 PM EST

Day 53

So last night I had my indulgence. Had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and tried not to go too overboard.....Started with a burrata cheese and tomato appetizer (ate only half since needed to make sure I stayed within the calorie limit for my meal) and for my main a lovely spaghetti vongole. Had only half a glass of red wine and skipped dessert. I wasn't full but satisfied and it felt nice to finally have a dinner out and feel somewhat normal again. However, this morning I woke up with a terrible headache! Felt like a hangover headache but couldn't have been from just half a glass of wine. Maybe it was the cheese and pasta? Been feeling groggy and lazy all day. Need to find the motivation to go do my workout now. Dreading the legs and bicycles!! 

November 3, 2011 1:33 AM EST

Day 49

Have been struggling with cravings lately. Reaching the halfway mark felt great and I'm really proud of the progress I've made so far. However, I've also slipped a few times since then (celebratory glass of champagne on day 45, sushi with soy sauce, lattes) and feeling very guilty about it. I can see it becoming a slippery slope if I keep cheating here and there so I'm really trying hard this week to get back on track and resist temptations around me. Successfully resisted having any of the Halloween candy that was leftover and also baked some chocolate chip banana bread for some colleagues at work and didn't even have a taste of it. Tonight had dinner with friends and had my milk/apple/egg white while they chowed down on Korean food. Ugh that was tough! Good news is that I haven't slacked at all with the workouts. Will keep chugging along and try to stay motivated. 

October 26, 2011 12:13 AM EST

Day 41

Feels like I'm getting worse at the jump roping....not sure if it's lack of sleep and thus lack of coordination, but today's skipping was an embarrassment. Could not go for more than 20 skips at a time without tripping on the rope. Terrible! And frustrating. I'm not sure how other ppl are getting the skipping done stopping only a few times. We're almost halfway through, I feel like I should be a pro by now. 

October 17, 2011 10:51 PM EST

Day 33 - Anyone else sick of egg whites?

Just had a eureka moment....if you're like me and are sick of the egg whites, try this for dinner:

Throw in a blender:
Raw egg white
Frozen banana
Peeled and cored apple
Lowfat milk
Bunch of ice cubes
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Tastes like a milkshake (well, sort of)!!! This is going to be my go-to dinner for as long as we need to do this apple-banana-milk-egg white thing.

Enjoy!

Photos

October 12, 2011 11:13 PM EST

Day 28

Wow, 28 days down...can't believe how quickly it has gone by! I've really surprised myself. I don't think I've ever stuck to a strict diet/exercise plan for this long. And I can honestly say that so far, I haven't struggled much. Not having many cravings...meal portions are satisfying enough...not missing alcohol...workouts not too challenging (yet!!). So I am pretty happy with PCP and with myself for sticking to it. I'm liking the results I'm seeing and feeling so far and looking forward to the harder workouts and stricter diet.

October 4, 2011 11:28 PM EST

Day 20

Discovering that skipping rope is the perfect mindless activity to help you forget about a crappy day at work. Did a few extra hundred jumps just because it felt good. Looking forward to a simplified workout tomorrow of just skipping. Thinking about doing a spin class tomorrow if I have the energy

September 29, 2011 8:33 PM EST

I love me some typhoon skipping!

Just finished my workout for today and had to jump rope on my rooftop in Typhoon 3 winds. Yahooooo that was fun! Workouts are def getting tougher but I'm liking the burn. Upgraded my bands to a set with 5 levels of resistance so I can really take it up a notch when I feel like the sets are too easy. I'm off to Seoul for the weekend tomorrow and packing my jump rope and bands. Gotta stay with it and keep the momentum going. Bit worried about the food though....will do my best to try to stick to the portions and rules. I will bring my new nifty little travel-sized food scale but worried my friends will take the piss out of me if I whip it out!

September 28, 2011 1:06 AM EST

Food ideas

For those that don't know me, I am a huge foodie. I mean, I live from meal to meal. I love to cook and experiment too. So figuring out pcp-compliant meals has been a fun challenge. Thought I'd share some of what I thought were yummy creations.....

Condiments for sandwiches....stuff I make ahead and have on standby: sliced portobello mushrooms sauteed in bit of olive oil, fresh thyme, and balsamic vinegar; caramelized onions (thinly sliced, slow cooked till golden brown); slow-roasted tomatoes (slice in half bunch of roma tomatoes place cut side up on baking sheet in oven for 3.5 hrs at 135 degrees till they look almost dried out....they get very sweet and have big flavor). 

Breakfast....Toasted sprouted grain bread sandwich w fried egg, sliced avocado, sliced tomato and a drizzle of lemon juice and fresh ground blk pepper 

Lunch/Dinner
Proteins....Marinate shrimp or scallops in minced garlic/ginger/sliced chiles/black pepper then grill or saute and squeeze fresh lime juice over for zip and top w fresh chopped cilantro. Marinate boneless skinless chx breast for a few hrs in ziploc bag with balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, black pepper, herbs, minced garlic...bake in a dish sealed tightly with foil in oven at 180 deg till cooked through (turns out very tender). 

Carbs....Cold soba noodle salad tossed with ginger-wasabi dressing (rice vinegar/wasabi paste/minced ginger) and sliced scallions. Whole wheat cous cous mixed w chopped tomatoes, red onions, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. Baked spiced sweet potato fries (cut sweet potatoes into thin fries toss in ziploc w bit of olive oil, chile seasoning and roast in oven on baking sheet till crispy

Any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

September 22, 2011 1:48 AM EST

Day 7 - Last hurrah

Day 7 began with reading Patrick's training message and my new diet plan at 6:30am. That set the tone for the day----which was basically I better eat what I love today bc I won't be able to have it for the next 83 days!! So I indulged a bit....half a Robuchon steak sandwich for lunch and dinner was sharing some flatbread, eggplant parm and pasta with my gf Kathy. Oh and my last glass of wine for a very long time as well. PCP workout was fine. Actually, I was feeling a bit guilty for all the calorific foods I was about to have so I did 2000 skips instead of 500. Was not as tough as I thought it would be. Off to bed now---just spent the past 45 mins planning and packing my meals and snacks for tomorrow.  I will need to get used to doing this and find a way to be more efficient. Think I'll need to get more organized on  weekends for food shopping and menu planning!

September 18, 2011 7:20 PM EST

I need to snack

Doing these half portions at meals is totally manageable however I realized that I need to have some small snacks in between meals or else I'll get really hungry, irritable and tired. I guess this is why they say it's best to eat small frequent meals instead of the normal breakfast/lunch/dinner. 

September 15, 2011 11:47 PM EST

And it begins

I am super excited to start PCP....after reading several blogs of past PCPers, I am very inspired and I know it's going to be a challenging but rewarding experience. I'm also glad that I roped my gf Jen into doing this with me. She'll probably hate me at times over the next 90 days but at the end I know we'll both be so happy we got through it together. Anyhoo....Day 1 was actually a breeze! The half-portion diet was not too bad. At first, it was tough to leave half of my meal untouched because I'm used to eating whatever is in front of me. But as soon as I tossed out the rest of the meal and went on with my day I wasn't too hungry. Out of sight, out of mind. It's a really good way of learning how much food your body really needs (and how easy it is to overeat!). As for the exercises, nothing was too challenging for me. I enjoy skipping rope and the squats/pushups/situps were not too challenging. I know the workouts are going to get much much harder so I'll enjoy this week while I can :) 

September 13, 2011 10:40 PM EST

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