How to Survive P90X without Losing Your Mind.

During the past 10 months I have tried and failed P90X a couple of times.

Each time before I stopped I was doing really well, until I got sick, or something else would happen that prevented me from working out for a while, and then I just couldn’t get back into it. I also felt very impatient about the results I expected, and it’s needless to say that the results did not arrive instantly. After each workout I would come up to the mirror anxiously anticipating a finally flat belly, toned arms and thinner legs. And when I didn’t see those, I would get discouraged, and thought that workouts don’t work. Does anyone recognize themselves here? Anyone?

Well, I finally hit a point where I just couldn’t get any bigger (150lbs!!!), and decided that this summer I want to be able to show off my toned belly, and be able to go to the beach without embarrassing myself. I just had to do something about it.

It has been a few weeks since I have started working out consistently, and I have learned a few things that have helped me keep going no matter what. After all, you can’t fail until you quit.

I have narrowed down 10 main tips on how to get through a tough workout routine, especially as tough as P90X:

1. Ease into it. Sometimes when you decide to take on a high intensity workout routine, that you have to do 6 days a week, it might get a little overwhelming, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while. I think it’s better to start with 5-10/15-minute mini-workouts. It’s something that is easy enough to do for almost anyone. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and pleasure form the exercise without making you feel miserable, because you aren’t fit. Some people though, believe that it’s either all or nothing; my husband, for example. This strategy doesn’t work for him. However, I started with a few minutes of cardio on an elliptical every day, until I felt strong enough to graduate to the big dogs, i.e. P90X.

2. “Modify, modify, modify.” Here I am going to repeat the words of the P90X creator, Tony Horton. It’s better to do it half way, than not to do it at all. Many times in the past I found myself in the middle of a workout, when it would get really tough, I and wanted to stop half way in. What helps me through times like these is Modifying. Don’t feel like if you are not doing everything, your muscles aren’t working. They are, and very hard, trust me. Your body is going to thank you for every chance you give it. So, give it chance to get better with time. Getting to the end of a routine feels really good, compared to stopping in the middle and feeling crappy about yourself.

3. Pump up your nutrition. I’m sure it’s something that I don’t even have to talk about. But just for the sake of it, I am going to repeat this commandment: Thou shall not under nourish thy self while working out. Go for more nutritious food, like whole grains, sprouted bread, green leafy vegetables, fruit, lean meat (or if you are a vegetarian, more green leafy vegetables, like spinach), foods that speed up your metabolism, like coconut oil; etc. P90x is a very intense workout, so you are gonna need a lot of energy. I felt it on the second week, when my energy levels got really low. A simple recipe for a protein shake: blend together milk (cow, soy, or nut milk), almond butter (very good source of fiber), hemp seed butter (excellent source of protein), agave syrup, raw chocolate powder, coconut oil, a banana, and may be a strawberry, blueberries, or something else of your choice. Tastes great and is very healthy. There are also plenty of raw food recipes on my favorite website www.goneraw.com.

4. A little green help. Who knew, that a juicer is your new best friend? I actually think that this tip is one of the most important in this post. I personally don’t believe in taking vitamin pills. I am a juicer. Making fresh vegetable juice twice a day is going to give you so much more energy for your workouts than you can ever imagine. You are going to jump higher and move faster. A simple recipe: juice carrots, 1 apple, celery, ginger, and one more secret ingredient – liquid chlorophyll.  I can’t juice leafy vegetables on my juicer, so I just buy chlorophyll. You can come up with many recipes of your choice. I personally juice whatever I have in the house!

5. Chocolate Diet. Yeah, I have not gone crazy. Raw chocolate helps lose weight by decreasing your appetite, and giving you a lot of energy. In his book Naked Chocolate, David Wolfe says that he like to drink a lot of chocolate and do a lot of yoga. I have started doing the same, and guess what? It works. There are so many cool raw chocolate recipes online, like on www.goneraw.com, http://www.naked-chocolate.com/recipes/, and of course in the book Naked Chocolate, by David Wolfe.  The greatest thing about eating raw chocolate is that it’s really healthy, and it curbs your cravings for junk, by giving you the best nutrition ever and boosting your mood at the same time.

6. Fight Cravings with raw desserts. Like I said before, eating raw chocolate desserts helps to fight those nasty cravings. There are also so many other recipes for natural desserts online. All you need is a blender, and for some of them a dehydrator.

7. Do not Think Fat Thoughts. I learned it from the Secret book. Don’t think about all the things you are not supposed to eat, otherwise OMG, you are going to gain weight. Think: I can eat whatever I want and stay at my perfect weight.

8. Praise Yourself. It might not feel like a big of a feat to finish even 5 minutes of Core Synergistics instead of the whole thing. But it is! The fact that you have overcome yourself to do it is amazing. So give yourself a break, “do your best and forget the rest!”

9. Workout to Workout, not to Lose Weight. It might be hard at first, but as you move along, and start seeing the results on your body, you are hooked. Think about it, when you reach your ideal weight, you are going to need to keep it off, which means staying active for life.

10. Don’t Look in the Mirror. Don’t focus on your present looks, especially if you have a long way to go. Look at the beautiful pics of yourself from the past or pics of a person whose body you prefer. Keep them in sight all the time to motivate you. Imagine yourself the way you want to look, feel good about yourself. See yourself at your perfect weight, wearing beautiful clothes, and enjoying yourself. You are so beautiful, and so sexy! Positive attitude is the key. This is the Most Important tip.

What techniques help you to get through the workout?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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