Day 78

CST & ARX this morning. Was not looking forward to ARX but once again, before I knew it, I was done! Mind over matter...

I started week 12 today, less than 2 weeks to go until the end of round 1.

Day 77

X Stretch this morning and was careful to not overdo the stretches. I think maybe a warmup before would help.

Day 76, Part 2

I volunteered my time today in support of the Tourette's Syndrome Foundation of Canada by participating in the 1st Annual Trek For Tourette's at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax. I got involved with this event after a friend of mine asked me if I would participate. A mutual friend of ours has two sons with Tourette's, so I said I would do it. Today was a very nice day, weather-wise, which made the Trek a nice five kilometre walk. I raised $430, many thanks to my family, friends and colleagues who supported the cause.

At the event, they announced that the ten Treks across Canada raised about $50,000. It is truly amazing how much people can accomplish, each doing their small part.

On an exercise level, I kept up a good pace and burned another 535 calories on top of the 701 calories during Kenpo this morning. Ahhh! Feels so good!

Day 76

Kenpo today, with music and cues for the first time. As much as Cardio X with only music and cues did nothing for me motivation-wise, the exact opposite is true for Kenpo! I found the music has the perfect tempo and actually made me work harder.

Day 75

Back on track with Core Syn this morning. Week 11 is almost finished and I really didn't get a lot done: 2.5 workouts because of injury and yesterday was crazy busy with no 90 minute period for Yoga.

I didn't do the strength work this week because of the pulled back muscle I sustained while doing the side stretch on Monday. Anyway, it feels good to sweat again.

I have found that form is a key component to exercise. Poor form leads to injuries. Other than my wrist and lower back, which are chronic, the 2 acute injuries I have sustained (knee and back) happened when I went past proper form in search of "feeling it more". Well, I felt it more, but not what I wanted to feel!

I am staring at the end of the first round with only a bit over 2 weeks to go, more aware of my eating habits, feeling better about my body image, and definitely motivated to continue after Round 1. I have missed the exercise on few days that I haven't done it over the past 11 weeks, which is a personal breakthrough for me.

Another lifestyle change that I have made is to not make all my social appointments around eating food. Last week, when my oldest son and I played basketball for an hour (after I did Kenpo in the morning), I realized that a few months ago, we would have just met for some carb-laden meal and both of us would have stuffed ourselves for no reason other than habit.

P90X has changed my life and while I may tumble and I may stumble along the way, there is no turning back for me now.

Thanks to everyone in EMX'ers for your support, your advice, the laughs and the poignant comments and life changes that you have shared with me and the rest of the members of this group.

I know this sounds like a good-bye, but it isn't. I am just writing contemplatively and feel the time to express myself is when I feel it.

Have a great day everyone and Keep Pressing Play!

Day 74

No workout today, was on the road early and back late. My workload is like that: somewhat busy for a time, then working way too many hours for a while. I wish I had more balance with work. Speaking of balance, my plantar fasciitis has been acting up the last couple of days and I don't think I could do the balance poses in Yoga X on my left leg anyway.

Day 73

No workout today, my back is not up to the challenge. This injury really bums me out, I can't believe I hurt myself while bringing one hand over my head while dropping the other hand to my side. Anyway, time to focus again on nutrition! I have started using a website called Fitday. It is really useful to keep track of how much you eat, with calorie calculation, as well as protein/carb/fat ratios. One drawback is that the inputting of food info is tedious. Maybe there are shortcuts to typing in the same foods day after day, but I haven't found it yet.

Day 72

Cardio X this AM. I did it with only the music and cues. It was weird since I am used to Tony's comments going throughout the DVD. I found it a bit harder to keep up the intensity, maybe because I didn't have the volume turned up as much as usual. I typically have it louder than normal TV, to pump me up.

Day 71

No P90X today. I was supposed to do Chest and Back, which is all push ups and pull ups, pretty much all back muscles for those exercises! I will try to get on the elliptical machine after work to get the cardio benefit without the upper body strain.

Day 70

On good days, we reach the top of the mountain; on bad days, we are in the shadow of the valley. I have been in both places this past week: reaching new personal bests earlier in the week, then I was laid low yesterday with stomach bug. This morning, I pulled a muscle in my back while transitioning from one side stretch to the other. Sigh.

It's funny, lately I have been doing great on fitness and not so great on nutrition, then I get back on track with nutrition and then pull a muscle. Trying to the lesson of perseverance here.

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other” ~ Walter Elliott

Time to start the next short race of today...

Day 69

Had a hectic morning with no time to do the workout before going to the early church service and then a Rainmen season ticket holder brunch before the game at 2 PM. Something didn't agree with me at the brunch, so I was pretty much bed-ridden for the evening once we got home.

Day 68

I did Yoga this AM and then played hoops for an hour with my oldest son at his university gym. Good fun, the reality of having a child in university is I don't get to see him very often, so we have to make time to get time together.

P90X has already made a difference in my life. I would not have been able to keep up with my son 6 months ago. As it was, we had a great time and I enjoyed having regained some of my old agility and speed thanks to P90X, although I had to work harder than I used to when I was younger!

Day 67

Had to work extra today so made that my rest day. Was planning to do Yoga as per schedule, but was too wiped to make it happen.

On another note, I am really noticing a change in my body this phase. I still have the spare tire, although it is more of a "donut" and not the full-size truck spare tire I used to have. I am getting lean on my limbs and starting to see it work on my torso now, too. This keeps me motivated to finish round 1 and continue on with another round after that. My third round I will try doubles.

Tony Horton on Recovery Week between rounds of P90X

"The aim of a recovery week is to heal muscular microtrauma and get your body ready for more intense exercise. The more intense the program you’ve completed, the more intense your recovery week can be. This is an example of a recovery week for P90X only. You should take a recovery week, or two or three, at the completion of every exercise program cycle.

Monday: 30 minutes of easy aerobic work followed by X Stretch
Tuesday: Yoga X
Wednesday: Cardio X
Thursday: Core Synergistics
Friday: 30 minutes of easy aerobic work followed by X Stretch
Saturday: Yoga X
Sunday: Off"

Day 66

Back & Biceps for the first time today. What a workout. Unfortunately, I am limited with the weights that I have. I need to get heavier ones but I am waiting until I finish Round 1 in 3.5 weeks to reward myself with some Powerblocks. Still had a good workout but didn't feel the burn so much for a lot of the exercises like lawnmowers. The corncob pull ups kicked me, though!

Day 65

Cardio this AM. Now I know why some people mix up the routines for variety. I think I will try to play this DVD with the cues only, I have memorized most of Tony's banter.

Day 64

CST and ARX today. CST: 10 new personal bests, 2 I fell a bit short on and 12 exercises the same as last time. The stretch at the end felt super awesome. ARX: was not looking forward to it, then all of a sudden, it was over! My arms were shaking while doing the cobra at the end, thanks CST!

I am back on track with nutrition and feeling great! Having the right foods in the house is key. Without them, how can I make proper meals? It's a simple step, but a necessary one.

Day 63

Wow, it's hard to believe I have done 9 weeks of P90X. Starting to get into a groove with the workouts, still finding them a challenge but now I am trying to outdo the peeps! I find it motivates me to push even harder, especially since I can do better than them sometimes. I keep hitting new personal bests in different routines, so I am feeling good about that.

There is another set of DVD's called P90X Plus. I don't have the Plus workouts, but after hearing so many people rave about them, I think I will have to get them. I think they could work well in place of certain workouts, like Kenpo, which does not have a very challenging pace in the P90X.

Tony Horton's Laws of Success

Law 1: VARIETY

Variety is the spice of life and fitness. A lifetime of health and fitness is achievable when you can think outside of the box. Mix it up, change it up, and turn it up all the time. Curiosity is a key reason why I’ve been able to sustain a high level of fitness for over 20 years. If I see something that looks fun and challenging, ill try it. Stay curious, be creative, and do the kids of workouts that you enjoy. A variety of exercises, workouts, and sports will allow you to avoid the evil fitness killers: plateaus and boredom.

Law 2: CONSISTENCY

Improvement and change occur when you do things often. Stopping and starting all the time will kill any momentum you need to succeed. You must find ways to stay in the game. Moderate forms of exercise, done consistently; provide far better results than the occasional full-body pummeling. A lifestyle that includes multiple forms of exercise 5 to 6 days a week guarantees results. There are key factors that are very important when it comes to staying consistent. One of them is staying motivated. “How,” you ask? Here are a couple of tricks that will help maintain your motivation:

1. Stop beating yourself up if you can’t maintain your “perfect” plan! It’s OK to miss a workout once in a while. It doesn’t mean that your process has gone to hell in a handcart.
2. On your most exhausted, overwhelmed, and lackluster days, PUSH PLAY ANYWAY! Except if you’re SORE. Movement is good-even when you feel that you’re not 100% up to it. Sometimes you have to “Forget Your Best and Do the Rest!”

Law 3: INTENSITY

You’re TOUGHER than you think! The avoidance of pain or focusing on the possibility of injury from working out is a mindset steeped in fear. You must learn to “Find the Line.” The “Line” is that special place you need to get to if you want any program to work. It’s the desire to do that extra push-up, to increase the depth and range of motion on your lunges and squats, and not being afraid to add more weight and resistance as you get stronger. It’s discovering your pain/discomfort threshold so you can get the job done-without jeopardizing good form and without injuring yourself. If you are under-train or just plain old “give up” because you “can’t” do something the first few times, then you’ll never know what it’s like to be fit and healthy. Find the “Line,” do the best you can, and maintain good form.

Law 4: PURPOSE

You are what you eat and what you do! If you choose to devote your time and energy to health and fitness with wisdom and courage, you become a beacon of energy so powerful it could change the lives of thousands of people. A healthy, fit body directly affects the mind and spirit. The brain and body are one. People reach for cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, and fast food because it makes them feel good…for now. These short-term pleasures deliver a long list of physiological and psychological disorders and diseases down the road. A steady dose of exercise, on the other hand, will guarantee the opposite result-a lifetime of good health, energy, self-reliance, and hope! Purpose is the driving force that moves you from here to there. Your purpose for taking care of yourself is based on intention and resolution. Let your purpose shine through what you do-every day. You’ll look better, feel better, act better. And let’s face it; you’ll become an all-around better person!

LAW 5: REALITY

If you want positive, long-term change in life, accept the truth of your situation. Let go of your ego and find ways to love who you are right now. Living in the past, the future, and for others destroys your ability to stay in the moment. Life has peaks and valleys, ups and downs, lessons and celebrations. This is how we grow and learn. The way to live in this world is to live in the real world. Lift the burden of having to “keep up with the Joneses” all the time. Stop lying to yourself and everyone else about what you’re doing, what you’ve done, and what you’re going to do. Stop telling others about your hard workouts and clean diet while pretending that what you’re saying it true. If it is true…guess what? We’ll know. Reality is about discovering the truth about the here and now. Reality is the ability to accept your present situation and love who you are through the process.

LAW 6: PLAY

Take your mind off of weight, inches, and body fat percentages, and put the focus on MOVING-dancing, rock climbing, in-line skating, running, team sports, mountain biking, etc. I personally happen to enjoy the graceful sport of table tennis. I don’t care what you say, it’s a sport! Think more in terms of “can do” and less in terms of “look like.” You’ll develop balance, coordination, and stamina-which helps accelerate and maintain your fitness. Go outside (or inside) and PLAY!
Every Sunday I head down to the original Muscle Beach in Santa Monica and meet a group of friends for a two-and-a-half hour fitness extravaganza. We do a crazy combination of pull-ups, handstands, swinging Plyometrics dips, 15-and 25-foot rope climbing (hands only and sometimes upside down), tons of wacky push-ups – we even throw in a back flip or two. I show up every Sunday morning to hang with the crew. As hard as the workout is, we’re there for the camaraderie, laughter, and encouragement.
I encourage you to get involved in SOMETHING athletic – anything what would be fun and enjoyable for you. Try to focus less on weight loss and more on accomplishment. Set a goal, take a class, sign up for a race, anything that gives you a reason to focus on what you “can do” and not so much on what you “look like.” If you shift to a mindset playing and having fun, you won’t obsess as much on calories, inches, and your weight.

LAW 7: PLAN

We’re pretty good at scheduling when to go to bed, when to eat, and when to watch our favorite show on the tube. We find ourselves trying to squeeze workouts in. The “fit in whenever” approach might work for a little while, but it never survives in the long run. You can’t have a fitness lifestyle if you don’t have a long-term plan. Stop winging it and schedule in advance when to Push Play. Move your workouts to the top of your priority list. Don’t think about doing them whenever. Schedule them as if they were very important meetings or appointments. BECAUSE THEY ARE! You can love what you’re doing and eat like a star, but if you don’t plan those workouts you won’t go far.

LAW 8: STRESS AND SLEEP

Stressed-out, sleep-deprived people don’t eat right and exercise regularly. Stress depletes energy, strength, and desire; while poor sleep habits affect your moods and immune function along with cognitive and motor performance. Burning the candle at both ends makes it impossible to be fit and healthy. Don’t waste your time on gossip, ridicule, envy, self-pity, anger, guilt, arrogance, impatience, regret, manipulation, jealousy, fear, worry, and anxiety. It’s too stressful, and it destroys the energy you need to stay healthy and fit. If you choose understanding, truth, clarity, patience, devotion, gratitude, acceptance, wisdom, and forgiveness, you will have peace of mind and all the energy in the world to do whatever you want.

LAW 9: LOVING IT

Your workouts involve commitment, determination, planning, consistency, and intensity. If you don’t like what you’re doing, then there’s no way on earth you’ll succeed. Enthusiasm is a huge piece of the puzzle. Get creative and stay curious. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t love something, then I don’t do it. Period. It boggles my mind why anyone would continue to do anything they don’t enjoy. If you’re anything like me, you’ll discover that the same thing over and over doesn’t work over time. FIND OUT WHAT YOU LOVE and do THAT. If you stay curious, try new things, abandon the exercises you dislike, and stick with the ones you love, then you’ll discover a fitness philosophy that you’ll stick with for a lifetime.

LAW 10: FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is the fountain of youth! Flexible people are much less prone to injury. Flexibility is the key component that allows you to bring more intensity to your workouts. Aging has a funny way of making everything we do harder. Staying limber and flexible is the way to prevent that from happening. People hate to stretch because they say it’s too boring. They don’t like it because it cuts into their workout time. I’m here to tell you that it’s time to rethink the importance of flexibility. Flexibility increases mental relaxation, greatly reduces the risk of various injuries, and slows the aging process in muscles and joints. Who wouldn’t want all that? Flexibility is the fountain of youth. Give yourself that amazing gift.

LAW 11: FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTATION

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! Food and supplements are your fuel. The right fuel supplies proper energy and recovery through balances brain chemistry. Healthy, nutritious food provides the energy you need to get through a hectic day. High-quality foods and supplements assist in lowing fat stores, weight loss, increasing energy, recovery from workouts, and maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Supplementation and eating well also reduce bouts of depression, sadness, and anxiety while promoting psychological well-being. Our bodies do not run on exercises; they run on the fuel we put in our mouths. You cannot substitute good exercise for a bad diet. A good diet and exercise have to happen at the same time. If you bring the same level of consistency and discipline to your daily fuel intake as you do the workouts, you’ll greatly reduce a lifetime of health risks, improve your overall quality of life, and see greater physical change in a shorter period of time.

Day 62

Kenpo today, feeling good, loving the sunshine outside! Other people have noticed this too: Wesley is dogging it all the way through. I am actually surprised he was in the DVD, considering how everyone else seems to bring it. I guess he was there because he introduced Tony to Kenpo? I have found that I have to not have breaks and go faster than the kids on this DVD to get my heartrate into my target zone.

Day 61

Core Syn this morning. Didn't get a great sleep last night, Natalie is sick, but pushed through the workout this morning.

I am participating in the 1st Annual Trek For Tourette on March 29. It is a 5k walk through Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, in support of the Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada. They are the only national voluntary non-profit organization assisting individuals affected by Tourette Syndrome (TS) and its associated disorders. They are dedicated to improving the quality of life for those with, or affected by, Tourette Syndrome through programs of education, advocacy, self-help and the promotion of research.

I was introduced to this event by a friend of mine, who was asked by a mutual friend of ours if she would co-ordinate the event in Halifax. Our mutual friend has two sons with TS. Honestly, I agreed to participate because now I know someone who is affected by TS and also because it is a good cause.

Click on this link to sponsor me in the Trek For Tourette.

Thanks to everyone for your support so far, and to anyone else who sponsors me or who is inspired to participate in this event.

Day 60

So: Day 60 measurements and photos. I dropped another inch on each of my measurements at chest and my waist and my hips as well as 3/4 inch on each of my thighs. My biceps stayed the same, which is fine. That's the good news. The bad news is my nutrition has caught up to me. I only lost about 2 pounds and about 1.5% BF since Day 30. I was actually less in both these figures a couple weeks ago when I weighed myself after my knee injury. Just goes to show that both exercise and nutrition are important.

As an EMX member once said (I am paraphrasing): Do P90X and get in the best shape of your life, do P90X and the nutrition and you will be in the best shape of your life and look it!

While I am back on track with nutrition, it isn't an instant fix. Be the tortoise, not the hare. My old problem was I always wanted to be the hare. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Anyway, have a great day everyone and get outside! It's almost spring!

Day 59

Shoulders and Arms today, 2 days after Chest and Back. So far, Phase 3 is my favourite! I feel like The Rock Obama (did you see the SNL skit on the weekend? The wrestler The Rock plays Obama when he gets mad, like The Hulk - very funny!).

Working on my "diamonds of gold" triceps like Tony calls Joe's arms in S & A. Is it just me, or is that a ridiculous saying? Diamonds are worth more than gold! Anyway...

Feeling pumped but also a bit anxious about tomorrow's weigh-in. I know I have fallen off the nutrition wagon more than I would like over the past few weeks. I think it will show up tomorrow. :( No one to blame but myself, but I won't let any setback stop me! Getting back to following the P90X nutrition plan is the best bet for me. I guess I haven't overcome all my diet hurdles yet. Still have to correct some old brain behaviours about food.

Day 58

Cardio this AM, feeling good soreness all over as my body recovers from the new exercise.

Probably the most effective thing about P90X is the variety. Just when I get complacent with the routine, BAM! it changes.

One thing I know for sure, I am glad I started with Lean, because Phase 3 is pretty much Phase 1 of Classic and I don't know if I would have stuck with it if Chest and Back had been my first workout!

Leading up to the weigh-in in 2 days, I have been working on weight indicators. Body Fat % seems to be the best indicator for my health in terms of weight. As for BMI, there are people that it just doesn't work for. According to BMI, I should be between 145 and 190+/-. Well, I was just under 190 when I was 17 years old. I was playing rugby and generally at the top of my fitness game. I think I was probably 145 some time in junior high school.

My goal is to get under 230, which happens to be at the top of overweight for my height, just under obese. Given that I expect to have about 20% BF or less by that time, I hardly think that is obese. We are all built differently. BMI does not work for me.

Day 57

Phase 3 started today! Chest & Back, ran out of time and had to take my youngest son to pre-school. Will do ARX tonight.

Oh man! Starting each new phase is like a birthday party, you don't know what you will get but it is always a nice surprise!

Doing pull-ups and push-ups for an hour really gets the pump going! I went all caveman for the last 8 dive bomber push-ups in round 2; good thing my kids didn't see me, they might have called animal control.

Discipline versus Regret

“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” ~ Jim Rohn

Here is an interesting article that talks about discipline and regret.

The author's definition of self-discipline is: Getting yourself to do the things you need to do when you need to do them whether you feel like it or not.

The key is to do things WHEN you need to do them, not later when it might even be too late. That means each time I eat something, I have to ask myself if that action is something I need to do to accomplish my long-term goal of becoming healthy. I haven't had much of a problem working out for the past eight weeks, but if there is anywhere that I have fallen short of my goals, it is with what I have been eating.

The past week or so has been really up and down for me making nutritious eating choices. I could blame stress from any number of sources, but in the end it comes down to me making a decision when I have food in front of me. Maybe the unhealthy food would initially taste good, but it would do nothing positive for my health and may not even be that satisfying after all.

I remember meeting a client at my job about 10 years ago who was filled with regret; at our first meeting, he told me -- a complete stranger -- about his remorse about never marrying his girlfriend after World War II. She ended up marrying someone else and he had remained single his entire life. He told me this 50 years after the war! I then promised myself to not live my life with regrets about the things I didn't do. While I have made some pretty extreme decisions since then, those who know me can probably guess those decisions, that philosophy has guided me fairly well.

I think the time has come to amend that vow to include eating in a healthy manner. I thought about it the other day, I have never really had healthy eating habits as an adult. Ever since I was a young adult, I have eaten junk food many times a week, often nearly every day. It is a wonder that I have not suffered a major health catastrophe or illness. My lack of self-discipline has caused me embarrassment and lowered my self-image, among a number of effects it has had on me. I would say it has also caused me regret, since the past 18 years of my being overweight cannot be re-lived. What I must do now is change before my regret weighs tons, rather than merely pounds (I am beyond ounces of regret).

That article was food for thought (no pun intended) as I work on changing my nutrition and eating habits for good.

Day 56

End of week 8 for me, onto Phase 3! Did Stretch this morning. Having done it twice this week during recovery week, I can see why there is the option to play the DVD without dialogue. It gets too familiar and I end up fast-forwarding through the little bits of downtime in between exercises, to get to the routines themselves. There is a fair bit of waiting time in that DVD in particular.

It was tough to get up in the dark again this morning after it being progessively brighter when I got out of bed over the last little while. However, Daylight Saving Time is a sign that summer is coming!

Day 55

Yoga this time, still a challenge at about halfway though, with a number of single leg balance postures. Late posting this because I don't usually turn the computer on during the weekends. Cheryl & I spent a fun evening with Dave & Lauren, I am ready for a re-match of Cranium!

Day 54

Cardio this AM, 622 calories burned. Less than a week until 60 day weigh-in and photos. Feeling that old anxiety that I felt leading up to the 30 day mark, although I am pretty sure my weight loss will be nowhere near Phase 1 level. I have missed 5 workouts in the past week or so and lately my nutrition has been off plan more than on plan. Still finding that balance of healthy eating and splurging. However, exercise-wise, I am back on track and feeling so much better! You know you're hooked on the endorphins from working out when you miss 2 days and you feel grumpy and irritable all day. I realize that a couple of days ago I felt like I used to feel every day before P90X.

Day 53

Back on track after missing a couple of days. I've been working late the past 2 night and I overslept yesterday, so that was an innocent missed day. Did Stretch X, but was very careful during the hamstring stretch. I worked on the distance past my toes rather than getting my head down to my knee. I can reach my entire hand past my foot, which is probably about 6 inches further than when I started. The changes are incredible!

Day 52

I slept in this morning, things are very busy at work and I didn't get home until late. It doesn't look good for me getting home anytime early tonight either, since I am supposed to attend a professional development course all day tomorrow, so any work that I can finish off for the week has to be done tonight. I wasn't looking forward to Kenpo with all its kicks and my knee still tender anyway.

Feeling a bit low as I have not done very many workouts in the past week: 2 in 7 days, to be exact. I have been tempted to start week 8 over again, but I want to stay on the 90 day program, with all that happens along the way. I do not intend to stop after 90 days, so missing a few workouts is not the end of the world. What bums me out is that I went seven weeks without missing a single day, then the past week has been so out of whack, with the Quebec trip, my knee injury on Monday, and working late for the last couple days.

Recipes from Tony Horton's chef

Missy Costello is advertised as Tony Horton's personal chef. Here are some recipes from her website.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

2 TBL Olive oil or Coconut Oil
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Medium Red Onion, diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large Garnet Yam, cut into cubes (1/2 inch)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-oz can of Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
3 cans Black Beans (or 4 cups freshly cooked)
1 TBL. cumin
1 TBL. Chili Powder (I use a Chili Blend)
1 tsp. Cocoa Powder
1 c. chopped Cilantro for garnish (optional)

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté garlic, onion, red pepper & sea salt until soft (about 4-5 min). Add the cumin & chili powder and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. Add chopped sweet potato & lime zest, cooking about 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, black beans, lime juice and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

Top with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired. Serve over brown rice or with corn bread


Missy’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 Large Butternut Squash Roasted (this can be done day before)
2 TBS. Olive Oil or Ghee
1 Large Shallot, diced small
1 Large Sweet Potato, peeled & cubed
2 stalks celery, diced
5 Carrots, peeled & chopped
4 C. Vegetable Broth
½ - 1 C. Unsweetened, Plain Almond Milk
½ tsp. Cumin Powder
1 inch piece of fresh Ginger – peeled & grated
dash cinnamon
dash of cloves
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Maple Syrup or Agave Syrup (Optional)
Water

Heat oven to 350. Cut Squash in half lengthwise. Line a baking dish or cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Place squash cut-side down on baking dish or sheet and poke holes in the squash with a sharp knife or fork, then spray squash with cooking oil spray. Bake for about 30-45minutes or until squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Take out of oven and let cool.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallot and ginger, and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft/translucent. Add sweet potato, celery & carrots. Saute for a few minutes and add cumin powder, stirring to incorporate. Add broth. Cover pot, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

While potato is cooking, remove seeds from squash and discard. Scoop out the flesh from the skin and put into a bowl. Discard the skin. Add Squash to pot and cook with potato for a couple minutes. Add more broth if necessary.

In batches, spoon mixture into blender and puree until very smooth or use a hand blender. Place back in soup pot on LOW heat and add maple syrup (optional), salt, pepper, cinnamon & cloves. Soup will be very thick. Start to stir Almond Milk little by little, and be careful not to let soup boil, as milk will curdle. Keep adding either water or milk until soup is consistency you want.

OPTIONS:
Add 2 medium pears, peeled and cubed and cook with sweet potato


Tony Horton’s Supreme Vegetarian Burrito
(Makes 6-8 Burritos)

1 cup dry Quinoa or Brown rice, cooked
1 Red Bell Pepper, de-seeded & sliced into thin strips
1 Green or Yellow Bell Pepper, de-seeded & sliced into thin strips
1 Red onion, sliced thinly
½ c. Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

½ small red onion, diced
1 - 15oz. can Organic Black Bean
3 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 TBL Chili Powder (Mexican style blend)
1 tsp Sea Salt
Pepper to taste
2 TBL. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Pkg. Sprouted or Whole Wheat Tortillas

Extras (optional):
Avocado
Cheese (preferably non-dairy)
Salsa
Tempeh Bacon (if you are using this, put it inside the burrito before rolling)

While quinoa/rice is cooking, heat 1 TBL of the Olive oil in a large skillet. Add peppers & onions and sauté until soft – about 3-5 minutes. Add 2 tsp. cumin, Chili Powder, ½ tsp. sea salt and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring to incorporate all the spices with the peppers & onions. Add Tomatoes and stir to mix. Lower heat and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes until peppers are really soft.

To prepare beans, heat remaining TBL of olive oil in a saucepan and add red onion. Saute the onion until soft. Add remaining 1 tsp of cumin and ½ tsp. salt, stir together. Add black beans and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Let cook for 1-2 minutes longer until beans are heated through. Add 1 cup of cooked quinoa or rice to the beans and stir together. Season with fresh ground pepper and remove from heat.

To Assemble:
Heat Tortilla shell over low open flame on stove to soften. Place the tortilla on a flat surface. Spread a very small amount of grated cheese over entire tortilla. Add 1 scoop of pepper & onion mixture to bottom 1/3 of tortilla. Top with 1 scoop of quinoa/bean mixture. Add avocado (optional) and Roll!!


Tony's Favorite VEGAN Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 c. Spelt Flour
3/4 c. Rolled Oats
1/2 c. chopped Walnuts
1 c. Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
3/4 tsp. Baking soda
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch Ground Cardamom
2/3 c. Agave Nectar
2/3 c. Grapeseed Oil
2 TBL Water or Almond Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Combine wet ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Add wet mixture to dry and stir well with wood spoon. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Place by the tablespoon on a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Enjoy with a glass of cold Almond Milk.

Day 51

Core Syn this AM, on Day 2 of Week 8. Week 8! Really? Still can't believe how fast time goes by. I guess it passes at the same rate, the difference is while 8 weeks passed by before, I wasn't doing anything about my weight. Now I am and I feel great!

Hmmm... rate, weight, great. "I can't see too good, is that Bill Shakespeare over there?" ~Chris Farley

Anyhoo... My knee is still tender, but I focused on form rather than using weights this time, to make sure the ligament was OK. I think it's good to go, but I am mindful of it now, and my wrist, and my lower spine, and..., and..., and...! Hahahaha!

I had to work on defeating my negative self-talk this morning. It's funny how quickly it sets in, miss one day and the enemy is telling you all the reasons why you can't do something! The hardest part is not our physical limits, but the mental barriers that we set up for ourselves. Telling yourself "I can't" or "I'll do it later" is the leading cause of quitting anything, be it working out, stopping a bad habit, whatever. I believe that I have cracked the code! What keeps me going is remembering that I have family and friends who want me to succeed!

I am glad that I am still exercising and blogging, despite the obstacles. I have noticed a change in my attitude since a few short weeks ago. The hardest place to change on your body is between one's ears. I know I have made that change. Until the switch clicked in my head, I was spinning my wheels: going on a fitness kick for a couple weeks, then giving up. How many times did I do this over the years?

The thing to remember is that yesterday is only a word, not a place you can go back to.

Now I focus on what I can do today. Tomorrow, I will focus on what I can do that day. Pretty soon, I sure I will surprise myself at what I have accomplished!

One thing that I have learned is to KPP and fast forward through the individual parts that I temporarily can't do because of injury. That way, I am still working out as much as possible and still getting the burn everywhere else. I have found that missing workouts gives me another excuse to miss another, then another, then I wake up with a mouth full of cake in front of the TV with a test pattern on. OK, maybe that was a little exaggerated, but you get the idea.

Day 50

Well, yesterday during Stretch X, I seem to have popped a ligament in my knee. I remember the pop when I was going for the single leg ham stretch and didn't think much of it since my joints are fairly musical anyway.

Unfortunately, my knee was sore last night before I went to bed. I took a couple Tylenol and hoped for the best. This morning, same pain so I wrapped it with a Tensor bandage and took a couple aspirin (supposed to be good for joint pain?).

I will try to go through Yoga this evening, but without the balance postures on my left leg. I guess the old bod ain't what it used to be.

While I hate missing workouts (Who said that? Certainly not the old Phil, ha!), I understand that a couple of days downtime is better than weeks. I will modify, modify, modify!

I weighed myself just in case this ends up being serious, so I have a benchmark. Down to 276.2 pounds and 37.8% body fat, on Day 50.

That means I am down to 104.4 pounds of body fat and 171.8 pounds of lean body mass. Since Day 30, I have lost 6 pounds overall, including a loss of 7.6 pounds of fat and a gain of 1.6 pounds of muscle. I am happy with those results, although they don't match my rate of the first 30 days. I am not surprised at that, however, since my nutrition was cleaner in Phase 1. Besides the addition of carbs in Phase 2, I was also eating protein bars every day for most of Phase 2 and have since stopped because I realized it was like eating a candy bar on top of all my other calories. I still have a few protein bars left and will save them for high calorie expenditure days.

So far, in 50 days, I have lost 27.3 pounds of fat and gained 12.7 pounds of muscle. I have a long way to go before I reach my weight goal, but P90X and the support of my family and friends like you guys will help me reach and maintain those targets. Thanks again, everyone.

Day 49

Really? Seven weeks finished already? I can't believe it.

Stretch X today. Felt good, surpassing my old limits and getting back to flexibility.

Small success, part 1: I touched my forehead to my straight leg on both of my single leg hamstring stretches! That is something I haven't done in at least 20 years!

Small success, part 2: On to the third notch on my old belt. Probably going to need to buy some new pants soon, I find they tend to bunch up around the waist and sometimes flap in the wind now.

Days 46, 47, 48

David Dawood and I flew to Ottawa for the first leg of our trip to watch the Halifax Rainmen play in Montreal. We stayed at Dave's parents' house in Ottawa after meeting up with Tim Jones, an old Sigma Chi friend of mine from university days. Friday afternoon, we flew to Montreal and made our way to Alistair and Kirsten's house. Friday night's game was cancelled and the team felt so bad for us not seeing a game that they asked us to continue along with them to Quebec to watch the game on Saturday, which we did. We watched the game in Quebec, being part of the handful of Rainmen fans in a crowd of 1,000. It was great fun, capped by the fact that the Rainmen had a great game and beat the Kebs 95-84.

In regards to P90X, I brought the DVD's but the time constraints of travelling to 3 cities and driving back home in 3 days did not permit me to do any workouts. I did do "Walk Around Montreal X" on Friday and Saturday, though. Nutrition was not great, but I am back in the saddle and will get in track once again on Monday with Stretch X.