I tried it: P90X, month one
Updated: Feb. 03, 2011
With two bouts of the flu and a week of late nights at the office, it looks like my attempt
With two bouts of the flu and a week of late nights at the office, it looks like my attempt at P90X should be called P120X. (You’re supposed to do the workouts daily for 90 days.) My first month on the program is more like two. But life gets in the way, and I just have to truck on and blow off the hurdles to stay on track.
Most of my friends cringed when I started P90X because of its reputation as a crazy intense program. So it makes sense that after a month I’m asked about the results. I’ve seen changes just not the ones I was expecting. I have less lower back and neck pain from sitting during the day, at my desk, on the train, in my car, etc. My chest muscles have gotten stronger’I’ve been able to plough though the push-ups much faster, accruing more reps than when I started this program.
But my belly? I swear I was gaining weight by week four. I’m not one to weigh myself. I monitor the fit of my clothes to determine if I gain or lose any pounds. Concerned and confused, I would ask my boyfriend if I was gaining weight. A dreaded question, I know. He rolled his eyes and pretty much ignored me. A week later my round tummy was gone, and my period came. (Weight gain and bloating are signs of PMS.)
When you’re working out this often (six days a week), it’s hard to not get obsessed with how you look and the changes you want. It made me ignore the normal weight fluctuations, which can be caused by foods you eat or what part of your monthly cycle you’re in. In fact, your weight can go up or down a few pounds in a single day. If you, like me, are starting a new fitness program to tone up or lose weight, how often do you take your measurements or weigh yourself? Some experts recommend to do it daily. Others say monthly? Or should I continue to rely on the waistband of my favourite jeans?
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