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Well, like my bio states, my CHI (energy) was all screwed up. Now, it's only slightly better, but I've only been at it for 21 days. Can anyone explain why I look worse now than when I began? I seem to be even more tired now than before. Hmmm.

My eating habits have dramatically radically changed. I give myself a '5' virtually every day. I no longer crave the poor high-carbohydrate foods, like sweets and breads. I hate eating any kind of saturated fat - if I can help it. Constant indigestion seems to be a thing of the past.

The lean me is in there somewhere, and I will starve him out if it kills me!

Day 31 Update

I finally got my before picture and 30-day picture posted online, and I must say that it truly is obvious that I am in the midst of a slow transformation. I am standing much more erect, my belly is diminishing, and my double chin is less noticeable.

Most importantly, though, is that my appetite has gone from craving to eat anything that doesn’t eat me first to desiring a much more healthy plate! In addition to the massive bacon-cheeseburgers, French fries covered with catsup, creamy salad dressings like Bleu Cheese and croutons, and oh yeah, all-u-care-to-eat Chinese food buffets, I used to scarf down Bavarian crème-filled pastries and breads slathered with butter sauce and sprinkled with sugared cinnamon. I have even been known to eat entire boxes of Samoa™ (or Tagalong™ or Thin Mint™) Girl Scout Cookies in one fell swoop! A late night snack might have consisted of a huge bowl of Raisin Bran Flakes™ drowning in whole milk and encrusted with a layer of sugar. I probably needn’t mention the exorbitantly extravagant homemade rocky road ice cream I used to concoct. Then there’s always that delicious bottle of wine or cold-filtered brewski. The funny thing is, I couldn’t care any less for these extravagancies any more. In fact, I prefer not to eat any of these kinds of things anymore.

The ‘seefood’ diet I was on, which consisted of eating mainly everything in sight, has now become one of refined discretion. I love baked fish, grilled chicken, any kind of salad, low-calorie vinaigrette salad dressings, fresh fruits, vegetables, whey protein drinks, Activit™ multi-vitamins, and the P90X™ Recovery Drink. Once I realized that this habit of eating so much high-fat high-carbohydrate foods had really caught up with me (and that it showed so prominently), I knew I had to do something about it sometime soon before I died.

Day 61 Update

Okay. Well, I’m actually writing this update on Day 66. That’s mostly because my P90X workouts are taking everything I’ve got to get them done in a timely fashion. For example, the Ab Ripper X routine, normally a 15 minutes regimen, takes me all of 25-30 minutes with all the breaks I feel that I need to take. Of course, Tony is constantly saying that if you need to take a break…. I’m not copping out. In fact, I’m bringing it to such an extent that in order for me to keep up the intensity, I need to recover my heart rate a bit or to give my mind and body a brief respite from the grueling demands of a P90X workout. The upside is that I actually keep my heart rate ‘in the zone’ for a much longer period of time.

Another good example would be the Plyometrics X workout routine. So much jumping has my quads shaking and quaking long before it’s over. In order for me to do the deepest possible squat or the best doable lunge each and every time, I need to let up at least between sets if not individual exercises! Tony says that anyone can do anything for a mere 30 seconds, but I can tell you that many times I have come within just a few – or even a couple – reps when my legs literally just give out, and I need some time to recover. Then, being obsessively compulsive about complete thoroughness (if not perfection), I drive myself to do extra reps to make up for the pause in my performance. Sometimes this translates into a 2 hour workout – or even more if I get interrupted. Has anyone else started a routine (like PLYO X) and felt the need to complete the last 20 or 30 minutes later in the day? Sometimes I think that maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but isn’t that what P90X demands? Remember my moniker ‘MaxTilt’? I feel that I’ve really earned it these last ten weeks.

I’ll let you in on a secret…I even reset the clock after the first 12 days because I didn’t feel like I had really been BRINGING IT! So technically, this is in actuality Day 78! In all fairness, though, I didn’t completely pass the Fit Test, so that first couple of weeks were spent getting myself quickly whipped into shape! I can’t complain about my progress, as P90X has done me proud – or have I done it proud? You tell me. I’ve lost ~20 pounds and ~18 inches thus far, but I’m still not satisfied. I still have flabby goop around my midsection and my chin is still too wobbly for my tastes. Oh well, is this when I say I’m going to keep crushing play? Some days I think that P90X is going to crush me!

That brings me to another issue I’ve had as this Phase III has begun. Boredom. Even though the routines are actually considerably different one from the other, I’ve never been good with constant repetition. I feel like a factory worker on a never-ending assembly line of activity. I can honestly say that I have mastered many of the moves, and even the YOGA X has become less of an intense challenge. Don’t get me wrong, as I see that as a good thing – a VERY good thing! I think my biggest problem is that the time commitment has really begun to take its toll on so many other things - things that aren’t getting done because it seems that I’m always working out. If I’m not working out, I’m getting ready preparing to work out, or I’m wrapping it up and cleaning up after working out!

In all fairness, I decided to do something about my health and fitness. I committed to do something about my health and fitness with the BeachBody tool P90X. And, to be sure, I am succeeding in numerous measurable ways. I’ve got no complaints – except to say – I am really looking forward to Day 91. Round 2 is inevitable, eventually - even sooner than later. I just need this Round 1 to complete successfully. What else can I say? I haven’t missed a single workout – and I BRING IT! I have even logged them all in WOWY. I take my supplements as directed. I sleep a lot. I drink some water, and then I drink some more. If it isn’t healthful and therefore good for me, I don’t eat it. It shows, and it feels too. Thank-you Tony. Thanks a lot!

I have often wondered if anyone actually reads these Bio/Transformation stories. I try to read as many as I have time for, always looking for some inspiration or golden nugget of sage advice or words of wisdom. If you have actually read this far, I’m impressed. My goal wasn’t to have the longest on MDB, but to just let it all out. I guess that’s why they call me ‘MaxTilt’!

If you would like to communicate with me on any level, please feel free to email me. I promise to respond A.S.A.P. after my workout!

tromico@comcast.net