Day 62: Mind vs.Stomach and Leaving Medicine Behind.

Hey all,

Something interesting happened to me today. After my morning workout, I was filled with a craving for greasy pizza. Of course, I didn't have any and went straight for my PCP breakfast, but the craving stayed. Of course, in the past, when I had a craving, I just went and satisfied it or planned to satisfy it sometime during the day, and did so. But, now, after I finished my PCP breakfast, I was so full that my stomach and mind were in conflict. My mind said, "I want pizza." My stomach said, "Hell, no! You put anything more in here and I'll blow apart, I promise you!" And, of course, the part of my brain that is pro-PCP was busy reminding me of what would happen to me if I ate greasy pizza.

It was so wierd. Pre-PCP, when my mind craved something, my stomach did not even require consideration. I just ate the junk food and that was that. But now, well, it's like a part of my mind hasn't realized I'm not a big junk eater anymore. I had to spend some time telling the craving part of my mind that this isn't how we do things in Sean-land anymore, and I have the stomach and body now to prove it.

The craving for pizza persists as I write this, but my stomach and pro-PCP mind still say no. Man, what a wacky feeling.

In other news, since my health has improved I've been working to get off my allergy and post-pneumonia medication. I had a word with my doctor today, and he said if my condition is as good as it was today, I can stop the post-pneumonia medication. As for my allergy medicine, I've ceased appointments with my doctor, and use the remaining medicine I have only if I really need it. And, I haven't needed it for quite some time.

Pre-PCP, when my allegies ran wild hindered only by medication. The most annoying part of it all, besides the sneezing and runny nose, was my sinuses draining into my throat. This draining resulted in me clearing my throat every thirty seconds or less. It happened so much, I just got used to it. And, while I eventually just did it without noticing, it sure bothered the people around me. However, a couple of weeks ago, my father and I were talking on the phone and he commented I hadn't clearned my throat much at all during our conversation. I was shocked.

I still get a bit of an allergic reaction when the sun comes out after a rainy day and all the flowers get happy, but nowhere near what I used to experience.

So, there are lots of great things happening on the PCP, but I just wish the cravings for junky foods would quit for good. Post PCP, I want to eat fun food for fun and the decision to eat it to be completely my choice, not because my mind thinks I need it to feel good.

As for medicine, while I'm beyond grateful it exists, post-PCP, I hope to do without it for as long as I can.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 61: Home Sweet Home

Hey all,

The rest of my company's English camp was a success. However, if there is one thing I would wish for it would be a volume control remote for my students on the last day. They get noisy as all heck and it can grate on the nerves a little. Other then that, the camp was alot of fun. I'll maybe talk about the camp in more detail down the road, we'll see, but, right now, I'm just happy to be home where I can get back to normal on the PCP, rest, and be with my family.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 60 Come’on, It’s only Once a Year.

Hey all,

Well, as I knew would happen when I worked at my company’s English camp, today, my PCP diet got really messed up. For our first dinner, we went to a Chinese restaurant where we had a pre-ordered course meal. So, I ended up eating Ramen with two geoza. Fortunately, there were a lot of veggies in the Ramen, but a lot of oil too. Not exactly the apple, banana and milk I’m supposed to have.

The next day, I got to my PCP workout, and all went fine. I could even jump rope in my big room. However, when I was doing my shoulder-flies, my band came loose from the door and smacked me just above my boys leaving a nice read mark. Sweat shorts aren’t much for protection when a tension band is looking to smack you.

Breakfast after my workout was doable, since we ate at a buffet, but I had to have sausage for my meat ration. I also piled on the scrambled eggs because there was no way I was going to be able to get any of my seven egg whites today except that way. Oh, and I really wanted some greasy hash-browns, but I didn’t touch them. And, my bosses were surprised at how little I ate at breakfast compared to the camp last year. Score!

At lunch time, we went to Wendy’s. So, I just ordered two Caesar salads with no dressing and had some water to drink. My bosses couldn’t believe it.

For dinner, we went to Sizzler. No Apple and Banana there. So, I settled for some pineapple…with a bit of soft cream ice cream on top… after I ate two small veggie-meat burritos and some corn chips with salsa. Yeah, I know. I can hear you all gasping, but I decided to take these hits because I really wanted to have them. I only go to Sizzler once a year, and it’s during this camp, so it was truly a treat. Also, I left Sizzler hungry, and I absolutely did not pig out. A definite first for me.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings,

Sean

Day 59: Almost there, and off to Camp.

Due to a very tight schedule with an English camp that starts today, and my only chance to watch my son at swimming school, I was unable to go to Patrick's Yoga studio today for my workout and super-scale stats. I do, however, have my new weight: 86.5 kg (-00.8)

Only a little more to go, and I'm officially at my wedding weight. It looks like I'm going to make it. I blame the slow weight loss on having a bit of a downer week (see last post).

Well, I'm off to my English camp for the next couple of days. I'l be teaching nine kids intensive English while spending my nights in the luxurious Yokohama Panpacific Hotel. Woo-hoo! I'll be writing my blog entires on my laptop computer and will post them all when I return in a couple of days.

More ASAP,

Sean

Day 58: FWAAABOOOOOM!

There, I feel better. Boy, venting on the blog yesterday really helped me get through a rough patch. I had a tough day at work the Monday before last, and it set me on another downward spiral. I'm glad it's over with, for the most part.

My workout was good today, even the J-ropes seemed to want to play along. There were trips of course, but I handled it. Sometimes you just need to let off some steam or, in my case, some hot scorching lava.

Now for a tidbit from Patrick's e-mail today, I found rather inspiring:


Do not worry at all about looking cool. This kind of training will have you gnashing your teeth and screaming at times, even though you're just moving a few inches. That's ok. That means you're really working. Don't be shy about it. A cool dude pumping iron without breaking a sweat isn't doing anything. At the end of the day you're the cool one!

Nice eh? It's funny how Patrick's e-mails almost always tell me what I need to hear.



More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 57: A New Low

Today was hell. There's just no other way to describe it. I had trouble getting out of bed and the thought of working out made me want to stay there. My subconscious joined in and made me forget things like my timer and key, so I had to go back when I got half way to my park.

Once I got started on my workout, my J-ropes were garbage. 5 jumps--trip, 29 jumps--trip, 2 jumps--trip. It was sixteen minutes of patience-challenging hell. Twice I came close to snapping my jumprope in two. I would have hated myself afterwards, but boy it would have felt good to do so.

I had to claw my way through my lunges and pistol squats, and after them I was going to do my floor jumps, but a bunch of junior highschool boys had gathered in the park then and the thought of being embarassed jumping in front of them won out for the first time ever...Grrrr! I skipped the exercise. I tried to go back to them later, but after seven jumps I threw in the towel. I managed to get through everything else, but, god, it was horrible. I felt like my adult self was trying to drag my whinning crying kicking screaming junk food addicted, couch-potato inner child self through a busy shopping mall and everyone was staring at me and laughing. I absolutely hated my workout today.

Replace "go to school" with "exercise"

Well, you can't win 'em all, and I'm glad I have this blog to vent. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

Sigh...

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 56: Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter!

Hey all,

I got to the J-ropes right away this morning, and I had some smooth patches in the hodge podge, but they was not as smooth as i would have liked. I have yet to be able to zone-out as I jump. The second I do, I trip. Sigh. It seems I'm back in a love hate relationship with my jump rope, but I just keep reminding myself how much better I am from when I started.

And now, because I'm totally out of stuff to talk about, Ryu vs.Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat at it's finest! This one's for you Shelby. Enjoy the story! Enjoy the fight! Oh, and while I don't agree with the Ryu Sakura pairing. If it helps, Ryu is only nine years older than Sakura.




And the sequel!!!!!



And now, Ken & Chun-li vs. Raiden!



More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 55: A Gentle Rain

Hey all,

My workout went okay today for the most part. My J-ropes were hodge-podge again. I just couldn't straighten myselfself out, even after a good stretch. Of course, I have to keep in mind I get up and go straight to my workout, so I begin my stretching and jumpropes in a bit of a zombie state and every muscle is a bit stiff. My workout did have a nice little ending though. As I began my third set of Sit-ups (the last exercise on the workout sheet today) a very gentle rain began to fall. It gave me the little cool down I needed to finish up. Sweet.

In other news, today I thought about a couple of things I really love about the PCP. First, I love the fact we don't need to go to the gym. I've been to the gym a number of times and, to be honest, I didn't enjoy it very much, except of course when I went with my good friend. I love my park. And, I love that the only weight we work with is our own body weight. In terms of fitness, I've always thought a man needs to be able to lift himself before he starts lifting anything else.

And now, the next one of Patrick's questions:

Why do you steam vegetables? They taste yummier if you fry them in a pan!

What the hell are you talking about? I don't steam anything. I eat my veggies raw. And, I'm not about to start frying them either--at least while I'm on the PCP. When you cook something, particularly veggies, they start to lose their nutrients. So, if you really want to get top nutrition from your veggies keep them as far away from cooking heat as you can. Oh, and if you're worried about taste, a little low callorie dressing can help with that.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 54: Exercise Victories and Indulgenge #2

Hey all,

I woke up this morning with a star in my spirit. You know, that little something extra that tells you can work a little harder today than you have before and still feel good afterwards? Anyway, with this little bit of joy inside, I headed out into the rain to begin my workout.

Today, my J-ropes were...wait for it... AWESOME! Why? Because, I stretched! Ever since my shoulder trouble a while back, my left trapezius muscle has been extra stiff in the morning. So, I spent the first five minutes of my workout stretching my trapezius muscles and my calves to see if the stretching would make a difference. Boy, did it ever. I was blasting through my sets today. Now, of course, my sets aren't perfect. There are still trip-ups. So, I've added an additional 30 seconds to all my J-rope sets to make up for these trip-ups (and moments when I need to catch my breath). This way, I make sure I get my full three minutes jumping--give or take.

Also today, I did two and a half sets of standard push-ups! Do you hear me? No knees on the ground! What a victory. I finsished 25 push-ups with no knees on the ground! WOW! Yipee! I'm so pleased. The rest I wrapped up on my knees, but this is definitely the start of something better.

The last exercise on the list today was The Plank, but by the time I got to it, it was raining pretty hard, so I went in the house to finish up. Do you have any idea how much harder the plank is to do with my three year old son crawling under me and then climbing on my back and laughing? I was laughing too, which didn't help matters. Heh, what a good time.

And now, to indulgence #2.

Again, I stayed awy from the junkfood I've loved over the years. Instead, I joined my wife, son and mother in law for an Italian course-lunch at our favorite Itallian restaurant, Mokichi--which, incidentally is a five minute walk from my house.

First up on the menu was a seafood salad with an oil-based dressing. It was pretty tasty, but something interesting happened when I finished. I reached for my bread intending to mop up the dressing with it, but I remembered my oil-trouble when I ate geoza a while back and stopped. I left the dressing alone on the plate and just ate my bread. That's a definite first for a sauce/dressing lover like me.



Next up was a fire-baked, thin-crust, pumpkin, eggplant, tomato pizza. This was devine, and a pretty far cry from the large thick crust pepperoni and double cheese pizzas I used to eat. This pizza was oily too, but wow what a tasty main course.



Dessert was a small piece of fruit cake with a touch of whipped cream and a cup of panacota (sp?) pudding, both were subtly sweet and tasty.

My beverages were iced tea and water.

A tasty indulgence indeed, but not as junky as one would expect. As for side effects, I had some of the runny shits afterwards, and was a bit tired, but that's all. To my suprise, I wasn't sweating oil in my workout this morning as I thought I would be considering my geoza experience. And, after consuming this feast, my weight only jumped up 00.1 of a kg, so that was nice too.



Now, as a contrast, I offer the Mokichi kids plate. This was the meal my son had. Note his hand in the picture. On the plate, there is one fried breaded shrimp, french fry wedges, a salad with a dressing my son doesn't like (so he gave the salad to me). Two korokes full of potato and some mystery meat, a sausage, and some ketchup-white rice. I felt weird watching my son eat this. Before the PCP, I wouldn't have given it a second thought, but now, for some reason , I felt a bit guilty. Why am I letting all this fried food and oil go into my son's system? Why does Mokichi offer such a dish to children? Kai eats very healthy food at home, but this Mokichi meal made me think. Team, any thoughts?

Well, that's all for today.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 53: A little more Weight Gone.

Hey all,

I've been doing my best to do my workouts before breakfast in the morning, and today was no exception. Unfortunately, since Patrick was out of his studio today, I had to settle for my house scale. So, my new weight is: 87.3 kg (-1.3). Another drop, WoooHooo! Once I reach the 86.0 mark, everything from there will be bonus.

J-ropes were a little hodgepodge on the third and fourth sets. Sometimes, I get in my groove. Other times, I'm crooked.

I look like a tired old man trying to be a Rockette when I'm doing the pistol squats. I still can't get back up without two hands on my support bar. And, it's a challenge to keep my foot perpendicular with the bar. Oi!

They make it look so easy.

And, again, the side crunches gave me trouble. I got dizzy after a couple of sets. So, I wrapped-up my workout when I couldn't stand it anymore. Thank goodness the side-crunches are the last exercise on the list.

I'm going out for Itallian food this afternoon. My second indulgence. I'll give a full report in my next blog entry.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 52: Rained Out, Sorta

Hey all,

I remember one of my students telling me her husband bought a telescope because he wanted to see the eclipse today. Well, I think he's out of luck because there sure are alot of clouds in the way, not to mention a bunch of rain.

I got up this morning and headed right outside into the pouring rain to get my work out done. There's a small gazeebo/bench in my park, so it gave me some cover during my J-rope and tension band exercises. However, my pull-ups were almost a washout. I had to settle for sets of inclined pull-ups on the side of the drinking fountain at the end of my workout. The area where I usually do my pull-ups was flooded with ankle deep water, so I was kind of out of luck. Currently, I have no where to do my Kung-fu pull-ups, so I've been doing extra sets of push-ups and inclined pull-ups in their place. I've talked with my family regarding a portable pull-up bar, but they fear the house doorways wouldn't be able to take it. So, I do what I can outside. In short, inclined pull-ups.

Here's a good question. A while back, Patrick sent us an e-mail which told us what exercises we could do in place of the J-ropes if necessary. What about the pull ups? Is there an exercise that can take their place? Anyone know? Everone's life is different, we can't always accomodate everything. If my family was more pro-fitness, perhaps they would take more chances and reap the rewards of things like pull-up bars, but, for now, I'll just have to make do with the ol' incline pull-ups.

Okay, now on to Patrick's third e-mail question.

Why don't you eat more spaghetti at dinner? Why so many veggies?

The callories from veggies are easier to burn than the callories from pasta. Also, the energy you get from vegetables is released slowly in small bursts over the course of your day, whereas pasta energy is released in larger amounts more quickly. If you need energy for a full day, which includes a regular workout, eat alot of veggies. They will keep you going. If you need alot of energy to do something intense but short like running a race or fighting a saber-tooth tiger, eat alot of pasta before hand. Oh, and veggies help clean out your system too, Pass the corn, would you?

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 51: Old Exercises and an Old Story

Hey all,

My workout this morning went well. It was nice to see an old exercise like leg-ups on the list again, but boy, was there a lot of reps and sets in each exercise today. It took me an hour and a half to get through everything.

My jumprope form continues to be off. I feel like my arms are some kind of jammed see-saw with my left arm stuck down and my right arm stuck up. It get's better in the later sets, but the first couple of sets try my patience as my rope hits my left side. Oh well, at least I'm not getting smacked in the head so much anymore--knock on wood.

I got a nice little compliment yesterday, nothing to do with the PCP mind you. Last year, I wrote the first book of a Justice League Unlimited Fanfic. I've had to leave the second book on the back burner because of my current 1st novel project, but the work is still floating around on a couple of sites. Anyway, I got the follwing comment in my e-mail:

Oh, please do continue! I'm dying to see what becomes of Chimera. Not tomention that pesky situation with Huntress. This is one of the best JLU stories I've ever read, and I hope you decide tocontinue it (and soon!)!


It's nice to know my work is appreciated. Any JLU fans reading this blog, you can read the novel here:


http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3365635/1/A_Temporal_Anomoly



More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 50: Another Golden Key and other Stuff

Save keys to open doors!

Hey all,

I had a real wierd experience. After a nice afternoon of shopping (I got my new and proper tension band) and video games with one of my good friends and my son. We three went to Denny's for lunch where I ordered a tuna salad and some rice to meet my PCP requirements. But, after I left, my cravings started to kick in. I wanted ice cream, cake, anything! I managed to work through this craving gauntlet, and, when I got home, I found out my family had just feasted on ice cream. Sob! Feeling kinda bad I had to miss out on the first ice cream feast of the summer, I went upstairs to read my Patrick Mail for the day and found out I could have another indulgence--another golden key was in my pocket! Talk about timing! There was still some Cookies and Cream ice cream in the fridge, so I went downstairs to have some. But, after one tiny pink spoon full, I couldn't eat anymore. It was just too damn sweet. I couldn't believe it. I used to be able to put away at least three cups of this stuff and now???? I handed the rest over to my son and marveled. So, I'm still thinking what I want to have for my indulgence, and it sure as heck isn't ice cream. What a wacky PCP world.

In other news, my workout went fine today save at the end (Although J-ropes were still a bit crappy). I started to do the side crunches and began to get nauseous. I tried to fight it, but in the end, I did just one more set and called it quits lest I tossed my cookies all over the park lawn. What the hell? I think maybe I was just dehydrated or something. I did my workout right after getting out of bed from a hot night's sleep, so I could be right.

Now, for Patrick Question #2

Why do you have to do the jumprope everyday? Why only a few minutes? If you jump for an hour you'll be even stronger right?

Jump rope is the number one fat burning exercise on the program, but your body gives up it's fat better if you do this exercise everyday in small amounts instead of pushing yourself to exaustion. Consistencey with your exercise and not overexertion is the key!

Okay, just a few more exercises, then I'm going home. I don't want to overdo it!

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 49: Bad Jumprope Day

Hey all,

This morning I was suprised to see our jumprope reps listed as 2 mins x 7 sets, instead of a solid number. Oh well, change is good.

I got right out of bed and to my J-ropes, and boy did I suck ass. It was like being back on day five. I tripped up after as little as four reps. I was groggy and, of course, I didn't sleep at all the night before last. It all adds up to poor jumprope performance. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. One good thing though: Since I was under the clock today I pushed my self harder during the J-rope sets. In the long run, I think this will reap benefits. Sorry, no time for one of Patrick's questions today. I have an appointment with a friend.



All the best.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 48: No Sleep

Hey all,

I didn't sleep a wink last night because of an air conditioner induced sore throat, so I ended up getting to my work out at 5:00 AM. My leg muscles felt a little gummy during the squats. Otherwise, I got through my workout today faster than expected. I bought some surgarless throat candy. I hope it will help.

And, now here is the first question Patrick gave us and my 8-year-old appropriate answer (I'll do one every day):

1. Why do you eat so much fish and chicken and hard-boiled eggs and stuff?

Fish, chicken, and egg whites all have what's called protien. Protien is what your body uses to build muscle. Fish, Chicken and Eggs have little or no fat. And, when you're trying to lose fat, the last thing you want to do is put something with alot of fat in your mouth. Right?

Homer sleep now.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 47: Ryu, Rain, and Bad Crack

Hey all,

Well, today and on Day 45, I did my workouts pretty much after breakfast. I found this to be a good move. While, as Patrick says, this timing doesn't burn as much fat, my morale was much better and both workouts were more enjoyable.

Now to the news. It decided to rain today, so I was outside pounding out my J-ropes and guess what? I actually managed to do several sets of 100 without messing up. I contribute my success to my after breakfast timing and this song I added to my PCP sound track. I had it set on repeat for all of my 1500 jumps. The song is called "The Road". It's Ryu's theme from Street Fighter Alpha 3. Have a listen below.



Ryu had a hand in helping me get through another part of my workout today. I've been having trouble getting through all my lunges lately because, of course, I've been doing J-ropes and Floor Jumps before them. Usually my form in all over the place, or I end up putting my hands on my knee to help me up. Well, today, to get through my lunges, I started using Ryu's hadoken pose. We did a bit of this during our squats at Patrick's studio yesterday and it made the exercise fun for a fanboy like me.

Of course, I went lower to the ground than Ryu here, but focusing on the hand movements really helped me to push past the burn in my legs. keep my hands off my knees, and finish the lunge sets. I was very happy. Whatever works right? I am such a geek.

Who says you can't be a geek and fit too?

And finally, a little trip to the place where the sun doesn't shine. My sit ups have caused somre rawness at the top of the crack of my ass. The skin is peeling and it's rather red. Ouch. So, it's messing with my form a bit. Anybody else having similar problems?

Sorry to end on ass, but, well, it is an ending.

Man, my ass burns!

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 46: I'm a Child of the 80's again!

Since it's Thursday, I headed out to Patrick's studio and look at the suprises I got!

Weight: 88.6 kg (-2.2 kg) WOW!

Body Fat: 23.7% (-1.6%)

Visceral Fat: 10.5% (-1%) Going down!

Basal: 1927 (-24)

Muscle Mass: 34.4% (+0.9) Looks like I kicked the 0.6 muscle growth limit in the can!

Subcantaneous Fat: 14.4 (-1) This is another big drop!

BMI: 26.5 (-0.6)

Body Age: 44 (-3 years) A three year drop in one week! Can you believe it!

I did it! I'm down in the eighties again. I'm only 2.6 kg away from the weight I was at when I was married. Of course, I'm in much better shape. I was actually sick for a week or so before my wedding. I had an EB virus. It's a cold virus that, if you get tired enough, will attack your liver and mascarade as hepatitis. It drained me. I went into the hospital at 100 kg and came out a day or so before my wedding at 86 kg.

If I get below 86 on the PCP, I will set a new personal best in so many areas!

Thanks, Patrick! Thanks Team! This Rose is for you!

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 45: Broken Katanas and Thunder Thighs

Hey all,

They just don't make katanas like they used to.

Broken before its Time

I forgot to mention, on day 35, my tension band came apart during my Double Katana exercise. The plastic ball inside the tubing shot out and the washer flew off. The latter got lost in the park somewhere. Fortunately, my mother in law had a replacement washer and was able to fix it. So, the band was holding together fine until, today, once again, during the Double Katana, it broke for good. This time the tubing broke, so the whole band needed to be replaced. I went and got a heavy and a medium tension band, or so I thought, before work today. However, when I got home, I found out i got a heavy tension band, and something else. I don't know what it is, but it's damn small. So, this weekend, I'll be making a trip back to the store to return it and get the medium tension band I intended to buy in the first place. Dumb. Stupid broken Katana.

In other news, I was thinking about what Patrick told us: big strong leg muscles burn alot of fat. If you've ever doubted this information, I direct you to the picture below Note her figure.

Any questions?

And now, for all you Street Fighter Fans out there. A cool little Chun-Li video with kick-ass music! Enjoy!

Day 44: Struggling ever Onward

Hey all,

Weeks ago, when I would finish a PCP workout, I felt refreshed, but these days I feel like I'm enduring a ten mile hike every day. My aching muscles are back, especially in my legs. Although nowhere near as bad as day four, I am back to no longer looking forward to climbing or descending stairs. In short, I feel I'm enduring the exercises, not enjoying them.

I'm trying real hard, but with exercises like the floor jumps and the creep, I end up having to argue with myself to get crouched down to get sets started, which results in too long of a rest. The voice that wants to go home and relax is a bit stronger these days than my 'Com'on let's exercise!' voice. The former voice hasn't won a battle, but it definitely slows me down, and my workouts from start to shower end up being close to two hours.

My jump rope form is off. I rarely have an uninterrupted set of 100 these days. It's a bit disheartening after having set a record of 300 uninterrupted. I'm thinking maybe my aching and stiff left-side trapezius muscle may have something to do with this. I think I'm protecting my left arm too much, not raising it as high as I need to do. I'll have Patrick check my form on Thursday when I hit the studio.

Also, I seem to have less energy during the workouts then before. Maybe I need more sleep? But, I've always had problems going to bed early. I just lie there and end up thinking until midnight and beyond. I'm not one of those guys who can just fall asleep when I hit the pillow. My father was. My brother was. But, my mother and I--no way.

Also, I've been coming up a bit short on the fruit portions of my diet. This may have something to do with my low energy during exercises. It's just, I get so full so quick now, I don't feel like shoving another apple, orange, peach, or whatever down my throat. Of course, it doesn't help that I've never been a big fruit fan to begin with. To be honest,I have yet to find my perfect fruit in life. They're either too sour, or too sweet, the list goes on. Maybe someday. I've never found a fruit I can just munch on happily. There's always a bit of mental effort required to get it down. Although, now that I think about it, bananas and I get on pretty well. But, they are not a part of my PCP diet, so the quest goes on.

What really sucks is I can't seem to use my postive experiences on the PCP to give me enough extra juice. Yesterday, I got a flash flood of the greatest compliments I could have asked for. My junior high school students gushed over how good I looked. They repeatedly said the Japanese words for cool and good-looking while commenting on how uniform my body looked. I also got an ego boost when I told them I do 1500 J-ropes in sets of 100 every day now and other exercises. They couldn't believe it, and I felt great knowing it was all true. And, I thought, as I listened to it all, I was going to use this high for my workout the next day. But, all I eneded up focusing on today was. "Com'on, one more set." "Com'on one more set." over and over again. This mind set of setting small goals to finish the big ones works, but it doesn't do much for the exercise's entertainment value.

But I will endure. I'm sure this is just my body and mind getting used to a tougher regime. Soon, I'll be feeling like a new man all over again. I hope.

Day 43: Not my Best Day, but Not my Worst Day Either

My exercises today were so so. J-ropes were completed, but it took a a while to get into the rhythm. Getting through one set of 100 has become a bit of a challenge again, but that's only because I'm really working hard on getting my wrists to work their best during my jumps. There was not too much trouble from my left leg today.

I came up half a set short on my lunges today, and my form was all over the place on my last complete set. You'd think with all the leg exercises I've been doing, my legs could handle a few more lunges. But, these did come after my J-ropes and floor jumps, so I don't feel too bad.

Chest dips were fine. I miscounted and did one more in each set than the number on the sheet.

Push-ups were good, but still on my knees. They are going much smoother now though. I always start my first set without my knees to assist, but I always end up on them.

Standing ovation went okay, with just a bit of fail in the third set. I didn't get to the ovation right after my push-ups. It was time to walk my son to the school bus, so I got to the ovation right afterward.

Shoulder press was a complete fail, which is too bad because I like this exercise. I've nicknamed it "The Superman" because it's like Superman taking to the sky from a standing position. My back left trapezius muscle, which had been aching the entire workout and I've mistaken for shoulder problems the last few days, just wouldn't let me do it. My right side was all for it, so I tried, but I just couldn't make it happen without my left side complaning and stiffening up. So, moving on.

Plank was fine, but again my trapezius muscle treatened to drop me to the ground on the last two sets.

And the side crunches,well, I did them, and I probably got more out of them today than any other, but I still look and feel like a fat suffocating fish on the park grass. I hope that changes soon.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 42: Oil Slick

Well, I got to my jump ropes today. My left leg is still giving me trouble, not being as springy as my right, but it'll get there. I can do about fifty jumps without messing up on my right leg alone. I can do about eight on my left. Also, I helped my mother in law out in the garden today--hot, sticky, buggy, work.

Last night, my mother in law made geoza. A Japanese food like fried perogies, except they are stuffed with vegetable and pork. It was stupid, I know, but my mother in law had worked so hard making them, and we only have them like once every three months, so I had four of them in place of my carbs and meat.

And, boy did I pay. A half hour after I ate them, I felt oily all over. And, when I did my jump ropes today,the oil was just coming out of me. my sweat tasted like geoza. It was icky. I felt like a toxic waste dump. Sorry for the fall guys, but sometimes it's hard to say no to people, especially when they've worked so hard to make a nice dinner for everyone. On the upside, this meal had tons of fresh vegetables, so I put back about two tomatoes and half a cucumber with this meal, so it wasn't all bad.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 41: Exercise, Diet, and Robin?

I got up early this morning and got right to my workout. J-ropes were better today, but still hodge-podgy. It's my left leg. I haven't been getting as much spring power out of it lately. There's no pain, just weakness and it trips me up. Also, my left arm with my aching tricep muscle hasn't helped either. But, this too will pass. I need to do more stretching, I think, but it's hard to fit in stretching and the workout in the same time window, especially since the workouts have been getting longer.

My diet goes well--basic and boring: raw eggs, raw vegetables, condimentless whole-wheat bread, egg whites, apples and peaches. I say this with a smile because, like I've said before, I want to not make food such a big deal in my life. I'm still trying to put together the ingredients for Shelby's Doritoes recepie, but I haven't been able to find salt-free Mexican spice as of yet. I've got a store a friend of mine recommended to try yet. If that fails, I'm going on-line shopping. On the up side, if and when the time comes for another indulgence, all this bland food is priming me for another taste explosion. I do have a little fun though. On Thursdays, after Patrick's Yoga studio, I treat myself to a sushi lunch,which is quite nice. God, I love tuna norimaki.

And now, something completely off topic. While I was doing my V-sits, I remebered my first fictional hero when I was little was Robin--you know, Burt Ward from the old 1960'S Batman show. "Holy flashbacks, Batman!" Strange what occurs to you when you workout. I remebered a friend of mine used to have a full Robin costume, and I was so jealous. Anyway, here's a video where the rest of the Teen Titans dress up like Robin. They say imitation is the best form of flattery. See for yourself.



Well, that's all for today.

Love to all.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 40: Hard Work

Hey all,

It sure was hard work today to get through the PCP exercises. I needed to use two hands on the bar to get myself back up after each pistol squat. My push-ups are still on my knees. I had to use my toes like emergency landing gear during the chest dips, and I really felt like a rag doll after the Da Vinci. Plus my shoulder ached. As for my J-ropes, they were a major hodge-podge. I just couldn't get my rhythm, and the wind didn't help. And, while I did managed to do some of my J-ropes hopping just on my right foot, my left foot just wouldn't get in the game. I find my left leg to be considerably weaker than my right.

Oh well, they can't all be great days.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 39: There's Abs in Them Thar Mounds!

I went to Patrick's yoga studio today for my workout. Here are the stats from the super techno-scale:

Weight: 90.8 kg (Look at that weight fall!)

Body Fat: 23.7%

Visceral Fat: 11.5%

Basal: 1951

Muscle Mass: 33.5%

Subcantaneous Fat: 15.4

BMI: 27.1

Body Age: 47 (Another year down! I'm getting younger by the tick!)

Also, today, for the first time someone saw, and I felt my abs. My topmost abs below my ribcage have started to show ever so slightly. Patrick pointed them out ot me today. I couldn't believe it, but when I touched them they actually had some hardness to them. God, there has been nothing but soft fat there for so long. I was elated. There might actually be some muscle under my mounds of tummy fat after all.

Well, it's getting late. I'm off to bed. I need to power up for tomorrow's workout. Look out abs! Sean's about to get serious!

Oh, and by the way, one of my complaining students called to comment on her lesson the other day. She said it was really good. Yeesh, what a world. ;-)


Love to all.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 38: A Shower of Compliments, and Little Victories

Yesterday, after my last class of adult students, the students stayed behind to comment on how healthy I looked. They were really impressed with how much weight I had lost and started looking with frowns at their own guts. I reminded them I still have a spare tire for a compact car and need to keep working on it. Just like me to blow off compliments. I take criticism to heart, but I blow off compliments. Something wrong there.

I woke and spent most of last night with a sore throat, but it died down considerably during my workout today. J-ropes were a hodgepodge, but my side crunches were much better because they did not follow V-sits today. I still fit the whale on the beach metaphor, but I felt better about it and actually had the energy to twist during the exercise. All that said, my best exercise today was the tricep dip. The last two sets fell three reps short, but the second set was amazing. I actually felt my triceps wanting to work and not wanting to quit. They didn't want to just shut down like before. It was so great!

In other news, I finally finished the homework I was assigned after the English Teacher's Training Seminar I attended on June 14th, 2009. In the end, it was an eleven page document consisting of four individual reports and a bibiliograpy. I learned alot of things during the exercise, but I am glad it is done so I can get back to my novel. I mailed the report to the sponsoring organization this morning before my workout. Yay!

Also, yesterday marked the first day of teaching the students who complained about my lesson quality last week, feedback that sent me into a downward spiral for a few days. And, you know what I did. I worked to give them the best lesson ever with some time consuming homework for them to do! I had to go against a number of things I've learned about meeting English as a Foreign Language student needs (e.g. communicative tasks, high student talk time with low instructor talk time, etc), but what the students want, the students get. And, to be honest, this "new" lesson execution method is a lot less preparation than my usual methods, which is fine by me. Although, now that I think about it, since I had to talk more than usual in this lesson, this method was likely responsible for my sore throat last night and this morning. Oh well, no pain, no gain.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 37: Whale on the Beach! Or, rather, in the Park

Hey all,

Lately, I've been really trying to move from one exercise to another quickly. However, as a result, I meet with more failure. Today, I started with the jumprope and managed to complete a run of 300! without messing up (new record) so, I felt pretty good. Then I got to the creep and it went fine.

Call me...The Creeper!

But then I got to the chest dip and I eneded up having to let my toes touch the ground for all but the first set, and knees down for the push-ups.

Everything else went fine until I got to the side crunches. After the V-sit, I had so little power for the side crunches, I ended up only doing a set of the crunches because I was basically pulling on my neck and looked like a suffocating fat fish on the park grass. I know. It's a funky image.

Yeah, I know. Whales are mammals and not fish. You get the idea.

I guess what I need to focus on is the fact I am working out. Sure, I may not get through all my sets or to the maximum number all the time, but I am working to that point where my body feels it's been worked hard--I think. :-) I've come a long way from the couch potato I used to be. I'll just keep pushing along.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 36: We're not Leaving Until this Christmas Ham gives me a Pull-up!

The title of this post is a line from the Kamp Krusty Episode of The Simpsons. One of the characters, a fat kid named Martin, has been sent to the camp to lose weight and finds himself danglish from the pull-up bar at the mercy of a drill sergeant camp counseller.

Pull-ups have replaced push-ups as my nemesis on the PCP. I'm still doing pull-ups with my feet on the ground. My latissimus dorsi in my back seem to have only two modes: on and off. there is no setting for struggle and burn. I keep at it, but, boy, does it seem like I have a long way to go. I think back to high school when I could not even climb a rope under my own power.

I do have some good news to report today. I did my first set of two hundred straight with my jump rope. God, it was a boost. Below is 'Sakura Kiss', the song from my PCP soundtrack that was playing when I completed the two hundred. It's the intro theme of a manga based anime called 'Ouran High School Host Club'.

The anime focuses on Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student, who is immediately mistaken for a boy when she arrives at elite private school Ouran Academy. Searching for a quiet place to study, she stumbles across the Host Club, and, in an attempt to escape, accidentally breaks a ¥8 million vase. To pay back the debt, Haruhi becomes a member—needing to be "requested" by at least one thousand customers before she can leave. However, one by one the Host Club members discover her true gender; all except Tamaki, who has to see her in her underwear before he gets the hint. The anime basically spoofs everything that makes manga directed at female audiences popular.

It's a great show. I loved every second of it. And, in my opinion, Ouran is a must see for any anime fan. Below is a taste, enjoy.



More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 35 Feeling a bit better

Hey all,

I did my jump ropes today and threw in the leg exercises I missed yesterday. I'm feeling better and my head is clearing. I'm going to get some work I have to do out of the way tonight, so I can do some long overdue writing this week.

I saw Slumdog Millionaire last night on the big screen. I'll talk about that in a future post.

Right now, I have to get ready to go to a conversation lounge. I work there once or twice a month for a little extra money, a chance to get out of teacher mode for a while, and just talk with people. It's a nice change.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 34: Anger will get you Nowhere Fast

After a year of success at work at my new job, I became complacent. Consequently, I messed up, and it cost my school a couple of adult students. I learned about this during a meeting at work on Wednesday, and it's been eating me since then. I've been so angry at myself, it has infected everthing I do, even the PCP. My cravings are up--although they are not specific. My urges to just quit and go hide under some coats until I feel better are up as well. My bosses were disappointed, but still support me. Me, I feel like dirt.

I know we all mess up sometimes, and I think it's necessary, but it doesn't make it hurt any less. I've never been good at taking criticism or accepting my imperfections as a human being. Who is? But for me, screwing up like this and finding out my shit stinks as much as the next guy is a poison that takes so long to get out of my system. I haven't been hungry. I haven't had the focus I had prior to the incident. It all sucks. Plus, I have to teach these students until the end of the month all the time carrying the knowledge I failed them.

My wife came to my rescue yesterday, and helped me slow down and get out of the angry place I was in for a while. However, my PCP efforts are or at least feel substandard. I couldn't finsih my leg lifts today or yesterday. However, I find some peace in my jump rope. The rhythm, the counting, and the music, gives me some temporary calm.

Am I giving up on the PCP? No way. But this is definitely a low point for me. I'm just glad the PCP has nothing to do with it.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 33: Need to chill out

I'm tired. I need to chill. I'm going to do just that.

More tomorrow,

Sean

Day 32: Maximum Muscle!

Hey all,

I went to Patrick's Yoga studio today, and I got to meet some of the other PCP members here in Japan. They were very nice ladies, indeed. I've only got a few minutes tonight, so here are my stats from Patrick's super cool scale.

Weight: 93.0 kg

Body Fat: 23.9%

Visceral Fat: 12.0%

Basal: 1986

Muscle Mass: 33.6%

Subcantaneous Fat: 15.7

BMI: 27.8

Body Age: 48

I only lost 0.5 kgs this time because I had some good muscle growth this time out. Patrick said the new muscle (0.6%)is the maximun amount of muscle the body can grow without steroids. Cool huh?

And, team, just wondering, but during the 'creep' exercise we do now, does anyone else feel like one of those AT-ST's (All Terrain Scout Transport) from Return of the Jedi? Just asking. I keep expecting a couple of logs to come out of nowhere and crush me.



More tomorrow,

Sean