Christmas Was Good!

Christmas was pretty good to each of us.... Jacob and Fiona loved all there gifts. I told Etsuko that our kids are pretty spoiled... Here are some picture from our Christmas.












Hope you had a Merry Christmas... Oh yea... A Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve First's

I was doing my legs back routine and realized there are a lot of first for my family... I decided to take a picture of each of the big ones....

1. P90X


2. iPad Games


3. Xbox Gaming


4. Fiona watching a the DVD player (she is getting really big)


5. Toffee and Fudge (I made them both)


6. Minnesota


7. Christmas in Minnesota


We don't have snow yet... This was suppose to be our first white Christmas as a family.... Well see. Maybe there will be a Christmas miracle.

Christmas is almost here and NO SNOW!!!

I still can't believe my eyes!!! No Snow...

It has been pretty damn cold here the last couple of weeks. We had one real snow storm (it brought about 4 or 5 inches), but it melted off within a week. Etsuko said if the winters are like this... They aren't so bad... I said just wait a month :)....

We are gearing up for Christmas. This is our first year away from family. Luckly we have stuff like iPhones, iPads, Computers, and probably 20 other things to communicate on... I made fudge for the first time today! It turned out really good. I am on vacation for the next couple of days. I plan on eating fudge, cookies, candy, and red meat... I plan on drinking a lot of homebrew also...

It will also be an Xbox weekend... I want to beat Gears of War 1 and 2... Well see if it happens.

Here are some pictures of the last month or so

Our Christmas Tree (Frasier Fir)


Jacob at his first school concert




Can't forget about my Cascadian Dark Ale



MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas....

Well...

The snow has not came yet.. It kinda feels like the PNW (Pacific Northwest). Jacob and Fiona are really looking forward to Christmas. This will be the first Christmas with no extended family.

We got our Christmas tree up. I was a little apprehensive about the type of tree they sell here (I am used to a Noble Fir or a Grand Fir), but we found a really nice tree. I believe it was a Fraser Fir... It's very full and has strong limbs. Overall, I am impressed.

They opened up another flag ship Northern Brewer store! I went there today. It was great! I almost spent a lot of money, but then I remembered that it's the gift giving season. By for someone else and not for yourself... Right?... I do plan on getting another beer recipe. I am thinking of doing a Cascadian Dark Ale.

Minneapolis has a parade called the Holidazzal (I believe that is what it is called). We are going this year. I will put up pictures as soon as I get them...

Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS

Holidays

The Holidays are here!!!!

We are looking forward to winter and Christmas. It is almost December and we have not go more than about 6 inches of snow. From what I hear, this is very abnormal. I like it!

We made a hard choice of not going home for the holidays... Our goal is to be out of debt by the end of 2012.

We had a great Thanksgiving! I cooked my first turkey and had a couple of friends over to enjoy it. It wasn't as good as being at home, but it was a close second.

I have brewed 4 beers since arriving in Minneapolis.
1. IPA Double (batch)
2. IPA (my own recipe)
3. Pumpkin Ale (Kit and I changed up the recipe significantly)
4. IPA Double (my own recipe)

I gave away the pumpkin ale and people have raved about it! I keep considering opening up a small brewery, but then I get back to reality.

I have got through 2 full rounds of P90X. For you that have kept up, I have made some significant changes. I feel a whole hell of a lot better about myself, and I look pretty damn good also. I just started a 3rd round. The goal this round is to but some mass on.

Hope all is well!!!

Cold

It is getting cold!!! I am looking forward to the winter for a couple of reasons... 1. I have never been around that much snow 2. I am ready for winter holidays to come.
Etsuko got her first iPhone. I think she likes it. She got the new iPhone 4s. Siri is pretty slick! I am happy that there is finally a messenger for iPhone. We also got an Xbox...
I am playing Gears of War. It is great. I have to play it a night. It is totally worth it.

P90X....

I haven't posted pictures in a long time. I thought I might show you guys where I started and where I am now.... It is actually pretty amazing. This is all in about 150 days. I have about 30 more to go...
Before P90X

After P90X

Before

After

Before

After


I am pretty happy with the results so far...

Just Got Some Free Time....

Hello Again!
I finally got some free time. It has been super busy over the last couple of months. Work is great but very challenging... I am almost into my third month of P90X. I am pretty proud of my achievements so far... I am a ton leaner now (Round 1 start 25% body fat and now I am 15% body fat). I am still looking for pop out abs, but those are hard to come by.

I brewed my first batch of beer... It was ok. I was not impressed. Last night we had neighbors over. We drank probably half of it. We also picked up an Xbox today. I am excited about some of the RPG and Jacob and Etusko are excited about Kenect.

Fiona is very very very sweet! She is extremely sensitive. She really loves her daddy (she has me wrapped around her little finger). She is able to string two to three words together. I can't believe how fast she is developing. We caught her in the pantry eating candy the other day. We need to start hiding the candy. She loves babies... She really likes when we go into the American Girl store.

Jacob is doing really good also. He is in Preschool... He brings some type of sickness home every week. I hope that stops sooner rather than later. I have been teaching him how to catch a football. I think he is going to be good at sports....

That all the time I have today. I will post pics soon.

First Week of P90X....

Well...
The first week of P90X round two is down. I am really sore. I think I am more sore that the first week I had on P90X. The good thing is I know what to expect. Yoga was not as bad.... It was still pretty terrible! I got through 90 minutes. My diet has been ok. I probably drink too much beer, but it is summer and I am going to drink beer.

My max pull ups/chin ups are 8.... I think week one of round one I did 1 regular and a couple modified (using a chair). I am expecting good things this go around.

Etsuko is having fun with her version. I am not going to get into any results... I promised I would reveal those. She has completed 2 weeks already. That is pretty freaking cool.... It is tough to get through one week.

Stats Next Round P90X

Like I said in the earlier post... I am going to do another round of P90X. This time, I am going to be in P90X shape. I am not saying that I didn't see great results, but I expect to see a lot more visible results this time. My muscles are built up enough to induce change... I am pretty excited about this round. Here is where I stand now.

Weight 157 lbs
Chest 39.5 inches
Waist 33.5 inches
Hips 37.5 inches
Right Leg 22 inches
Left Leg 22 inches
Right Arm 13.5 inches
Left Arm 13.5 inches
Body Fat 19.2% (taken with a caliper and I used the Suprailliac method)

P90X Round 2

Yep... It is that time again. On Monday I plan on starting another round of P90X. The first round went really good. I plan on getting the same or better results this go around also. I think I am finally in P90X shape.... I can actually do push ups, pull ups, and lift weights that are going to challenge me.

I will do measurements and pictures tomorrow. My main goal with this round is to lose body fat. I am somewhere around 17 to 18% body fat right now. I would like to get in the 12 to 15% body fate range.... Diet will be very important this go around.

Etusko started P90X Lean on Monday... She is doing really good so far. I don't know if it is as challenging as she initally thought, but it is tough for her. I gave her an incentive. I told her if she did 3 months of P90X, I would give her 300 dollars. I think she will finish it. I am starting a week after her, so I can coach her through it.

I don't think she is going to put any pictures up... Well... unless she has some amazing results.

Wish us luck!

Busy....

The last couple of weeks have been very busy.... I can't believe it is already Aug! The kids are really enjoying the summer and I think they are looking forward to the winter here. I can say that I am not looking forward to all the snow and negative weather. I have been doing a lot of traveling for work. We just got back from Pueblo Colorado. It was fun. I ate my first slopper. Basically, it is an open faced cheese burger with green chili over the top. It was really good..

Got done with one round of P90X. I am about ready to start another round. I got back into some of the routine and I am sore, so this should be another great challenge for me. I want to lose body fat this go around. I need to get some fat calipers to measure body fat more accurately. I haven't talked Etsuko into it yet...

We are refocusing on our bills again. We had renter in our home in Lebanon and they left... We just got another renter in there. Hopefully they stay for a while. I really want to buy my own home out here, but I don't see myself staying out here for the long run. I would like to get to the west coast. I wouldn't mind going to the Colorado area either. Well see...

Thought I would give an update. Expect pictures and updates on P90X soon... Round 2

Good Vacation!!!

We just completed a stay at home vacation.... Well it was busy! My mom came out for 4 nights. They were all packed. We enjoyed every moment. We ate out pretty much every night. I think the only meals we ate at the house was breakfast... The kids loved seeing grandma. Especially Jacob! He almost started crying as grandma left.

Day 1 we went to our favorite restaurant here in Maple Grove: 3 Squares

Day 2 we visited the Mall of America! I think mom liked it... We didn't end up buying all that much but it is the experience that counts right....

Day 3 we went down town. I got to show everybody around Minneapolis, and we saw the Twins beat the Tigers. This was the first for all of us at a professional baseball game. We loved it! Etsuko is already asking when we can go back to Target Field.

Day 4 we stayed at home for the first part and then for the second part we drove to MSP. I dropped Mom off at the airport at 1pm and recieved a call at about 1:30 saying that her flight got delayed for 5 to 6 hours. We turned around picked her up and went back the the Mall of America and had lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe. It was pretty fun.

All in all, it was a great time! I was really happy that she was able to take a little time away from her busy life and fly out to see us. I know Jessica, Derek, and the kids had to pick up some slack. Thanks!!

90 Days Done!!

Wow! I thought this day would never come. It is hard to believe that 90 days ago I was sooooo soft.... :) This has been a very good experience for me. I am in the best shape of my life, and I can do a hell of a lot of push ups, pull ups, and sit ups. Oh yea, I can also lift a lot of weight. My confidence is as high as it has ever been and I feel a lot better. My diet has changed for the better and my cholesterol is down. I got 3 people at the office to start P90X. One person has already lost 14 pounds and 4 inches of their waist. I would say this has been very successful venture for me. I am planning on doing one more round. Now that I can do more than 25 push ups and 2 pull ups, I figure I am in P90X shape. I think I am going to be a little more strict on my diet this go around. Well here are the final stats...

Beginning Results
1. Weight 163
2. Body Fat (did a basic calc that I got online) 24%
3. Waist 36"
4. Hips 24" (don't know if I did this one right)
5. Right Arm 12"
6. Left Arm 12.5"
7. Right Leg 20.5"
8. Left Leg 21"
9. Chest 38"

90 Day Results
1. Weight 157 (lost 6 pounds)
2. Body Fat 18% (dropped by 6 percentage points)
3. Waist is 33" (Lost 3 inches on my waist)
4. Hips 37 inches (gained 13 inches I am a little skeptical on this one)
5. Left Arm 13.5" (gained 1")
6. Right Arm 14" (gained 2")
8. Left Leg 22" (gained an 1")
9. Right Leg 22.5" (didn't record this on day one)
10. Chest 41" (gained 3")

Overall this is not bad!

Day 1 Front

Day 90 Front

Day 1 Side

Day 90 Side

Day 1 front Arms

Day 90 Arms

Day 1 Back

Day 90 Back


Well that is the first 90 days. I am looking forward to the next 90 days. Thanks for following!

Times almost up!!

Yep! That is right... P90X is almost up. I have one more week to go. The last couple of weeks have been very busy for me. We had a great 4th of July. We would have rather spent it with family, but we had a lot of fun with our friends here. The workouts have been good. the last week was tough for me because we came off a holiday weekend and I had the travel. I spent a couple of nights in Arizona. IT IS HOT THERE!!! 107 degrees all the time. I don't think it ever cools off. We rented a brand new Mazda and it took 1 hour! I said 1 hour for it to cool down.

Yesterday was legs and back. I hit another milestone. I am now able to do about 8 to 9 pull ups and chin ups in a row. When I started, I could only do 1. I don't know if I am going to hit my 32 inch waist goal... I am at 33 inches right now. I am pretty happy with the overall results.

The best part is it only took 90 days. I now have a great base to work off of. My next goal is to gain about 10 to 15 pounds of muscle weight.

Pictures and final results will be next week! Wish me luck....

60 Days Down!!!

60 Days officially was up on Sunday.... I am posting this a little late because we just got back from our family vacation to the Wisconsin Dells. It was great! I thought I might do something a little different. I took pictures of all the poses, but I wanted to show what I accomplished in 60 days. I think these two photos really paint a good picture. I am a whole lot stronger both mentally and physically. To give an example. On Day 1 Chest and Back (youtube the workout) I did a total of 65 push ups. I just completed this workout again today.... I did 177 (different and very hard variations) push ups. I also did about 44 assisted pull ups/chin ups and 9 regular pull up/chin ups. I almost got sick today doing all those push ups, but I was pretty proud of where I have came in the last 60 days.... Here are the stats.

Day 1 and Day 60

Weight
Day 1 163
Day 60 157

Waist
Day 1 36"
Day 60 34"

Chest
Day 1 38"
Day 60 40"

Arms
Day 1 12"
Day 60 13.5

Legs
Day 1 20.5"
Day 60 23"

Body Fat
Day 1 24%
Day 60 18.2% (both done online)

Day 1



Day 60



As you can see... There is some difference. I have decided to do another round of P90X. My goal will be to weight 165 with about 10 to 12% body fat... It is a ambitious goal, but I think I can pull it off.

Thanks for keeping up!

Week 7 Down

Wow! Week 7 is already done.... This was a transitional week for me. I finally noticed how strong I have gotten which is pretty cool. I can do 15 or more in each of the 11 ab ripper x exercises... If you haven't seen what ab ripper x is, just youtube it! It is really hard and I do not look forward to doing them. I am still losing inches off my waist. I am down to about 33.7 inches. My goal is 32. I can see pretty much a full six pack and my legs and hips have grown a lot.

Next week is my rest week. The workouts are still pretty hard... They are more focused on balance (Yoga X) and core work (core synergistics). Again youtube them if you want to know more about it. On the Wii Fit Plus I have excellence balance. I am playing golf today, so the real test is here to come.

Next week we go on vacation. I am going to bring P90X with me. I plan on putting it on my iPad. For me, this week is like the biggest loser's week off the ranch :).... There will be a lot of eating out and not a lot of time for working out.... I am not to worried about it. I have far surpassed my expectations at this point.

If you haven't gotten on a workout routine... You really don't know what you are missing.. Yea, it's hard. Yea, it takes up a lot of time. Yea, I don't always feel like doing it.... But! I feel really good after the fact. I am healthier. My kids are seeing a role model that eats good and works out. My kids join me on occasion, so they are healthier. Oh yea, the biggest benefit is I have a lot more energy. Thirty minutes to and hour a day... Each of us has that to spare (cut out one tv show a day).

Next Sunday will be official results for 60 days!

Week 6 is down....

It is going by fast... This will be the last week in this phase. I am noticing a lot of strength gain, but I am a little frustrated with the visual results. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of visual results that I am seeing, but they are not up to what I expected. I have lost a lot of body fat and gained a lot of muscle, but this last layer of fat is being very stubborn. I think most are doing P90X doubles... This is when you add a cardio in 6 days a week. I don't think I am up to that... I can barley handle the 2 cardio routines now.

The waist line went down about a 1/2 of an inch. My goal is 32.... My current waist is 34. I am pretty sore everywhere. My legs have taken a beating the last couple of weeks.

I ended up getting a set of dumbbells. They are the adjustable Soloflex weights. I really like them. The adjust up to 52 pounds. Maybe by the end of round two I will be curling those.

Here comes week 7.... I am over halfway done!!!

Week 5 is done

Week 5 is done... I thought this week went by faster than any other week. I am just as sore as week 1. I could barely lift my arms from so many bicep curls... Plyometrics really kicked my ass this week. I don't think I will ever get used to it. I think I burn about 900 calories each time I do it. If you want a good cardio workout and want to become more explosive do plyometrics.

I lost about another 1/2 inch on my waist line. Last week I was 34.5 and this week I am 34. My goal is to get my waist to 32 inches. I can see a 4 pack now. The bottom 2 abs are the hardest to get out. For some reason my body likes to store fat down there.... My weight loss has slowed down. I think I will start gaining weight here pretty soon.

The diet has been going really good. I pretty much cut all sugar out of my diet. I still sneak some candy every now and then, but it only happens every couple of week. I gave up soda completely. I have a 12 pack of coke in my pantry if anybody wants it. hahahaha... I am convinced that diet is everything. I feel better and I get at least 2 servings of veggies a day and at least 1 serving of fruit a day. Also, we only eat whole grains.

Etusko is on day 11 of power 90... She likes it and she is thinking about doing P90X after 90 days of Power 90. I told her that I would do another round with her.

Next week marks the halfway point!

30 Day Results

Here are the results of the first month. I am pretty happy with the results.

Day 1 Results

1. Weight 163
2. Body Fat (did a basic calc that I got online) 24%
3. Waist 36"
4. Hips 24" (don't know if I did this one right)
5. Right Arm 12"
6. Left Arm 12.5"
7. Right Leg 20.5"
8. Left Leg 21"
9. Chest 38"

Day 30 Results

1. Weight 157 (loss 6 pounds)
2. Body Fat 20.38 (lost 3.61% of body fat)
3. 34.5" (loss 1.5 inches)
4. Left arm 12.5" (same...)
5. Right arm12.5" (gained a half inch)
6. Right thigh 21" (gained a half of inch)
7. Left thigh 21" (same...)
8. Chest 39" (gained a inch)

BeforeAfter

BeforeAfter

BeforeAfter

BeforeAfter

BeforeAfter

Overall I am happy with the results that I got. I wish there was some more visual results, but it has only been a month. I am excited for phase 2.

One Month Down!!

It went by soooo fast!!! I can't believe I have done this for one month now. I feel a lot stronger and I feel much more healthier. Let's recap what I changed in my diet and exercise....

1. Woke up everyday at 4:45 AM to do major cardio and strength workouts. Don't let anybody tell you that P90X is not a very hard workout because it is. Even the day of stretching was hard. Yoga X.... Well lets say I sweat just as hard doing that as I do with the rest.

2. My diet was flipped upside down. I now eat more veggies, fruit, and lean proteins... I eat less complex carbs and almost no sugar. It was much easier than I thought....

3. I got three people I work directly with to get started. I expect that number to go up. Etsuko decided she wanted to get into shape as well, so we ordered her Power 90 which is very good. She likes the 30 minutes 6 days a week with no pull ups. Either way, she is going to like the way she feels at the end of the 90 days.

4. I feel like this is a life change. After this program I don't plan to stop...


I get to take pictures tomorrow. I will post them up so you can see. I expect to lose about 7-8 pounds, about an inch off of my waist, and a decrease in my body fat....

If any of you want to get start working out and want to use the program... I highly suggest it.

Phase 1 is done

21 days down!!! I heard somewhere that it takes 21 days to build a habit.... Yep, that means P90X is a habit now! It is weird.. I had dinner last night at Red Lobster and was really worried about my calories. I ended up eating grilled salmon, brown rice, a garden salad, and a biscuit... I also splurged on a dessert :(. I got home and added up all the calories and was shocked. About 2 months ago I wouldn't of thought twice about the calories and would do it all over again the next day. Not only am I aware of my calorie count, I am also putting good food into my body! Lean Proteins and Veggies...

I am almost at the month mark. I have lost about 7-8 pounds and feel much stronger. The 4th week is recovery week. There is 2 yoga session (it is just as hard as the rest of the routines and it is 90 minutes), core synergistic (haven't done this yet), Kempo X (kick boxing routine), and X stretch (haven't done this either).... This adds up to a pretty tough recovery week. Then it is off to phase 2. My diet changes also. I get to add carbs back into my diet. I am pretty excited about that.

I have been surprised with the amount of strength I have gained over the last 21 days. I can actually do a pull up (for a matter of fact I can do 5 regular pull ups in a row), my push ups have become better (can do more with better form), I take less breaks during the cardio routines.. Believe me the cardio routines (so far Plyometrics and Kempo) are extremely hard. My heart rate averages between 150 and 170 the whole workout. It is harder to get my heart rate up which is a good feeling.

Etsuko is temped to join me in the P90X workouts, but still thinks it is too extreme. I think I may order her the Power 90 routine (which is taught by the same trainer but not as intense). I have also seen a paradigm change in myself. I am much more assertive and look for opportunities instead of finding excuses on why I can't do something... And it has only been 3 weeks.. I can't wait until I hit the 90 day mark!!

Third week of phase 1

Week 1 = 65 push ups

Week 2 = 89 push ups

Week 3 = 117 push ups

I almost doubled week one!!! My arms are still jello right now, but I feel much stronger! I was pretty jazzed about 117 push ups today and thought I would share.

Week 2 down

Week 2 is already done... Tomorrow starts week 3 which is the last hard week in phase one. The fourth week is recovery week (meaning yoga, stretching, and some cardio). It should be interesting. I did some measurements and weights today.... I lost about 3 pounds and another 1/2 inch around my waist. If you are counting, that is about 6 pounds and 1 full inch around my waist. Not bad for two weeks!

The diet is hard. I a trying to stick as close as I can to the diet which is pretty much no carbs and all protein or veggies. So far I have done a good job with it, but I can't wait until phase 2 for more carbs.

Almost time for some more pictures!

Finished the First Week Today....

I just finished up my first week of P90X.... It was more extreme then I thought it would be, but I loved the workouts. I will be the first to admit how OUT OF SHAPE I AM!!! I figured since I was at a good weight and I was semi active; I would be able to stomach each routine.. I was WRONG. Everyday I was scratching and fighting to finish each workout session (1 hour to 1.5 hours each).

First Day Chest and Back:
This workout was all about push ups, pull ups, and weights (to work out the back). I was able to complete about 45 minutes of the 60 minute session. I told Etusko that my body almost shut down on me. Almost got sick twice during the routine.

Day 2 Plyometrics:
This it the mother of all P90X workouts.... Tony (the trainer) actually says to have a little bucket near by just in case you get sick. Plyo is all about jumping, so you can assume that I did a lot of jumping around. During the warm up, I was breathing really hard and my heart rate was sky high.... I made it (barley) through this routine.

Day 3 Shoulders and Arms:
This was the most familiar workout. Did a lot of bicep curls and worked out the triceps. I actually was able to move through this session pretty easily.

Day 4 Yoga X:
I went into this session saying "really... yoga". I don't want to be a granola eating hippy... Then I started. It was probably one of the toughest workouts I have ever done. I cleared my mind and held my poses. It was great. I felt really good at the end of the 90 minute routine. On my yoga mat there was a puddle of sweat.

Day 5 Legs and Back:
I did a ton of lunges, wall sits, squats, and pull ups. This was tough because throughout the whole time I was very very sore. Pushing through the pain is what is going to give me the results I want...

Day 6 Kempo:
I did this today. It was really fun. It was a intense cardio workout, but very fun. There was a lot of kicks, punches, blocks, jumping jacks, and X jumps (these were pretty hard at the end).

Overall, The first week has been very good. I could barely walk on Wed. I probably should have stayed home from work and just rested, but I pushed through. I got called an old lady most of the day. It was fun. I will post some week one measurements tomorrow. I just wanted to give you guys an idea on how week one went. Hopefully week 2 will be just as much fun. I will have this same routine for the next 2 weeks and then it get switched up....

P90X Time to Get Ripped!

Ok... I have declared it. I want to get in shape. I could have went a couple of routes. I chose P90X because 1. I could borrow the CD's for free 2. I have seen some dramatic changes on the the internet (I know... Don't believe everything that you see) 3. I wanted to give myself a challenge that everybody would say "That's just crazy" (maybe not quite like that but I want to keep it PG for mom :))

Those were the main reason for doing this... The other reason was for me. I haven't told many people, but I have a self confidence/self esteem issue. I didn't really realize to what extent it was until I moved to Minneapolis. I am ready for a change, so I am putting myself first and taking the P90X challenge. I thought it might be nice to include all of you also. Here are my stats and pictures.

1. Weight 163
2. Body Fat (did a basic calc that I got online) 24%
3. Waist 36"
4. Hips 24" (don't know if I did this one right)
5. Right Arm 12"
6. Left Arm 12.5"
7. Right Leg 20.5"
8. Left Leg 21"
9. Chest 38"

Front


Front Muscle


Side


Back


Back Muscle


I will post pictures and stats every 30 days. By day 30, I hope to enroll Etsuko in P90X (extreeeeeeme) workout. For now, it will be just me at 5am in the morning. I am also altering my diet. Etsuko and I have chosen to make every calorie and carbohydrate count towards our health. I think one of the tougher things for me is eliminating soda.... Wish me luck!