*Before anything else, I have to say that I am NOT affiliated with Beachbody or any other commercial organization. I’m not a company coach. The ads you see on the site are generated by Google ads based on what I write (and since the bulk of the blog deals with P90x and Insanity, most of the ads are thus Beachbody related. However, again, I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH ANY COMPANY!!)
Having said that, I am currently in my mid thirties, trying to get in the best shape of my life. I have a wonderful wife and new born baby boy that I thank God for everyday. I have a terrific family (mom and dad and two younger siblings, a brother and sister). Got on this fitness journey to see what my body could do and just feel better about myself. As for the blog, I keep it to make myself accountable to my fitness goals as well as writing for myself (I used to love writing as a kid) and any family and friends who might be interested in what I am up to.
This post is a more extended history of who I was prior to discovering fitness as a hobby and why I started working out out again. This post, meanwhile, explains the fitness experiment that led me to Tony Horton and P90x (and consequently Shaun T’s Insanity). And this post is the rationale for actually choosing P90x.
This is actually a pretty accurate image of me.
Seriously though… I don’t have any ‘Before’ pictures of myself without my shirt on like most other fitness transformation sites so I dug this one out and cropped the other people out of it. This was taken in August of 2008 and I believe I am clocking the scale here at or close to 175. I’m only 5′4″ [163 cm] so that’s pretty heavy for someone so short. And, yeah, I have the most horrible, goofiest smile ever in this picture! I know it!
Goofy smile.
After little over a year of working out, I lost about 40 pounds or so and hit my normal BMI. I’ve been able to keep most of the weight off and maintain my strength gains. Currently, I’m still working to get stronger and fitter. This most recent photo was taken of me on April 2nd 2010 and I weigh about 137-138.
Same goofy smile... but a bit fitter and slimmer.
And because a lot of the P90x blogs I was viewing at the time I started writing here had “before / after” photos of participants without their shirts, I figure I would too. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), I didn’t have any shirtless pics taken when I was at my heaviest. I was very self-conscious back then of my body. I still am to a degree. I did, however, take a pic after I had lost quite a bit of weight but before I start P90x in October. Note the crappy camera skills.
This next one is of me after my initial P90x Classic routine and a round of Insanity taken at the start of March 2010 I think.
Now that I look at these pics side by side, I realize there isn’t that huge of a difference. Maybe a little more definition and a touch more size in the shoulders and arms. Still, I acknowledge it’s a slow process and despite having come a long way, I have longer still to go (ironically, the destination is unknown even to myself). I also realize that much of the work in building a better body doesn’t so much have to do with finding the will or desire to exercise anymore and more with my nutrition and what I do / don’t eat. That is a constant battle I face daily along with everyone else trying to lead a healthier lifestyle. It’s fairly easy enough to take an hour out of the day and bust my chops in a workout routine… it’s another thing altogether to turn down every delicacy / indulgence / temptation that comes my way 24/7. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don’t, sometimes it’s a totally mixed bag. The important thing, I think, is to be aware of it and constantly try and improve my eating habits (Fun Fact: I didn’t eat salad at all until I was in my 30s!).
It’s a lifetime journey I hope to stay on for as long as I have the strength and will power to continue!
Peace out and hope you enjoy my fitness and crazy, life related ramblings on the blog!
