So I’m midway through my eighth week of P90X, and this is a recovery week.
Some observations:
- Nutrition is the easiest thing to slip for me. That’s because it takes as much or more planning than the workouts. I’ve slipped with my nutrition the past couple of weeks, and I’m going to get that back on track for the final phase that starts next week. I’m not eating tons of fried food or crap processed food or anything, but mostly I’m slipping on pre-preparing all my meals and snacks, so I might just get two or three meals a day instead of all the good calories I need.
- I may bite the bullet and try out Beachbody’s new “Shakeology” replacement drink. It’s expensive as hell for a supplement or replacement drink (around $130 (*GASP*, *SHRIEK*) after shipping and handling for 30 days) but not so crazy when I consider that I used to buy $2 or more of sodas a day. I don’t drink sodas now, and this drink is apparently incredibly nutritious. Plus breakfast has been the part of my nutrition plan that has slipped the most. If I do buy the drink, Beachbody should go ahead and put me on the payroll for how much profit I’m raking in for them!
- Frankly, setting aside an hour and a half a day for workouts and even more time in preparing lunches and suppers is about all I can do. I was great at getting up in time to fix breakfast as well, but I’d be more than happy to not have to think about that and substitute that with an uber-healthy shake instead. I would probably only use this shake during training periods with programs like P90X or (possibly in the future) Insanity. And mostly I’m just curious as this drink is just insanely nutrient rich compared to anything I could put together myself, so I’d like to see if it makes a noticeable difference in performance and even mood throughout the day, which have both overall improved since starting the program anyway.
- In the future I’ll detail out more about the things I have learned and what has and hasn’t worked for me. Every/body is different, so what works for me might not work for you and vice versa, but I think I can tease out some things that might help people struggling to jump into such a lifestyle shift avoid some of the hassles I’ve subjected myself to.
- Yet another investment I’m considering making is getting a GOOD yoga mat. The wife and I just grabbed what we saw at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $30, and while it has gotten the job done, it’s really a piece of crap. First of all, it’s a little too light-weight, so it slips around. It’s too small for me, so I have to make the choice of having my head touching beyond the mat or having my feet touch beyond the mat on certain routines. Not good. Finally, the thing gets way too slippery when I sweat. I would think a good mat is much more sweat resistant.
With all that said, for those on a budget, getting started with cheaper equipment and supplements might be the best (and sometimes only possible) thing. P90X really wasn’t designed to destroy your wallet; it was designed to SAVE you money in the long run. However, I’m finding that I have a perfectionist tendency when it comes to workouts, and I want to maximize my experience by giving myself the best equipment and supplements I can reasonably afford. I skimped on the mat, and my dumbbells don’t really add happiness to my life. For now I will probably stick with them, but in the future I might invest more in that sort of equipment.
Tags: equipment, nutrition, Pondering, Starting Beachbody Expenses, Supplements