Day 93 - The Good, the bad, and the hungry

It's been 3 days since my Peak journey concluded, and I've been trying to wrap my head around it all. What a crazy trip this has been. I think the best way for me to summarize the past 90 days is by simply breaking it down.

I figure I want to end on a positive note so I'll start with...

The Hungry

- I realized I have a bit of something I like to call "Food Anxiety." It's basically me freaking out about hunger. Like I mentioned throughout, I don't just get hungry I get "HANGRY". I absolutely hate this feeling and try to avoid it at all costs. It was a bit difficult at times for me to control this because my food allotment was controlled by someone else. I found the 2-3 week period where I was only alloted an egg-white and a banana/ apple for dinner really, truly difficult. I was definitely hungry, but I can't help but think that some of it was just mental. Like I was anxious that it wasn't enough so, it wasn't. I wonder if my results would have been different if I had followed it more closely.

- On the other hand, there were many, many more times throughout that the amount of food I was alloted was much more than I thought I could consume. I learned that it's not really about quantity but quality. I found out I could eat a ton of food and not gain any weight, or better yet fat, if it was actually real FOOD (fresh veggies, fruit, lean meats, fish and brown carbs).

- In the end I came to love yogurt! Ok, ok... I still hate Greek yogurt but the regular plain kind is quite good if you add a chopped up strawberry and a tiny bit of honey.

- I go through about a 1/2 gallon of skim milk a day. I absolutely love, love, love milk!

- Even after 90 days of consuming a crap load of egg whites, the first thing I wanted the morning of day 91 was, you guessed it, an EGG. Breakfast might be my new favorite meal of the day.

The Bad

- Time, time, time, time and more time. If there was anything that I underestimated prior to starting this journey it would be time. Time to cook and prepare all the food. Time to workout. Time to blog. Time to prepare more food. Time to read and comment on everyone else's blogs. Time to train Capoeira. Time to go out with friends and we can't forget about work. The way I got through it all was by just putting my head down and trudge through it. I would try not to think about any of it in advanced. I became my own Nike commercial. Just do it. Like I didn't have a choice. It was 10:30 on a Monday night and I just worked like 12 hours or so and it was time to break out the rope and push through my workout. Ugh...those nights sucked! But, I am proud that I was able to get through it.

- T.I.R.E.D. Jesus, I'm still freaking tired, even after 3 days. I think it wouldn't have been so bad if my schedule and life style actually allowed 8 hours of sleep a night, like Patrick recommended, but unfortunately it was more like 6 or sometimes 5. My body never ever felt like I had enough sleep. People ask what I'm going to do now that the Peak is over and I say I'm going to sleep for the next 90 days. The SCP!!

The Good

- God, I have learned so much about myself and food. I thought I had a somewhat healthy lifestyle prior to this but it turns out I was just buying into a load of crap. America is infamous for selling us "food" with shinny, green labels on them touting "health" and "nutrition". Oh what a bunch of hooey. I could go on for another 80 posts about this, so all I'm going to say is that I have seen the light. I no longer shop the inside aisles in a supermarket. Everything I need is located on the outer perimeters, making my visits super quick. Which by the way is fantastic since I have always disliked food shopping.

- I learned that I do not need alcohol to go out, dance and have fun with friends on a Saturday night. This is HUGE! It's freeing and Sundays are so much more productive and enjoyable.

- I really enjoy cooking! And I'm so happy that the PCP has made me realize that I CAN JUST COOK FOR MYSELF.

- I really enjoy blogging. I think it's time I get my own site back up and running.

- I am stronger! Not only physically, that's right... I can hold a plank for 2.5 minutes and do like 50 pushups in a row, but mentally as well. Now I can have a starring contest with any cookie or glass of wine and win every time. I have willpower of steel and can do anything as long as I put my mind to it. Oh and my final workout...chose day 1...completed it in exactly 5 minutes. Woot!

I plan to continue on this path that the Peak has laid out for me from here on out.

I want to give a giant THANK YOU to Patrick and Chen. You guys have truly tapped into something great here. It has been a transforming experience in more ways than one. I will miss your inspirational and eye-opening emails. I'll miss how excited I got on Thursday afternoons when I knew our new exercises and diets were coming.

To my fellow Peakers. I want to say CONGRATULATIONS! I couldn't have gone through this without all of you. Reading your blogs and seeing your weekly photos have been such a joy and inspiration. You all rock and look amazing! You all should be extremely proud of yourself. I know I'm proud of you. I wish you all the best in the future.

And now....

for the moment we all been waiting for...

drum roll please...

little louder drumming....

but WAIT! First, the before...


(This is actually day 8, because day 1 was a really crappy quality taken with my phone.)

OK...

So now....

for the moment we all been waiting for...

let the drumming continue...

Boo-ya!

I didn't think that I would have the cahonies (sp?) to put up a bikini shot, but after 90 days of hard work and perseverance how could I not.

So here's another.

That's right. I'm a total ASS-KICKING HOTTIE! What, biatch? Kate you ain't got nothin on me. (haha, no just kidding) But, I am pretty damn happy with my results. Except I really, really could use a bit of a tan.

So now it's time for some shout-outs.

Thank you Erica for taking these photos for me. :) You're such a great friend and so amazingly talented.

Also, I want to thank my bff, Zoli, for being there for me and listening to me bitch and moan these past 90 days.

My girl Ginasta for all those nights you hung out with me PCP style and your encouraging words. You are a truly dedicated athlete and I find you so inspiring. Oh and this bikini that you bought me in Brasil. Still ain't wearing the bottoms but, damn those things are just way too tiny. haha

All my co-workers and bosses for dealing with all my hard boiled eggs and my moods. Thank you for not firing me :)

To Ana and Foca, you two are absolutely amazing people and inspiring teachers. I look forward to many, many, more years of learning from you.

And of course Pingo, aka Emily. I would have never of been able to go through this journey and learn so much if it wasn't for you. You really are the ORIGINAL BAD ASS! Da OB ya'll.

And now a little word for all of you out there...

Cancel that gym membership, stop starving yourself and throw out that scale. There is no miracle pill, or exercise DVD that is going to get you to your ultimate fitness goal. It will only come with hard work, sore muscles and a good wholesome diet with REAL food.