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.

Day 90 - The numbers are in. We did it!

It's day 90 people. Day freaking 90. Can you believe it? I can't.

What a journey. What an amazing sense of accomplishment. Well technically I have one more workout to do tonight. Patrick has asked us to choose one from the first two weeks. I'm dying to see how fast I'll be able to get through it. If I remember correctly it took me about 10 min the first time. This time I'll be shooting for 5 :)

No final photo's just yet, and no final parting words. But, I do have some numbers to share.

I'll be back later with some final words and pictures.

Day 89 - Time Differences

I was so SHOCKED when I visited thepeakconditionproject.com this morning and found this:

COMPLETE!

Yay! Well, not just yet, we still have today and tomorrow. I'm guessing that since Patrick is technically located on the other side of this planet that for him and the server in which the Peak is housed it might actually be day 90. But, for me in NY it is only the morning of day 89.

Everyone keeps asking me, how are you going to celebrate your completion? What are you going to eat? Drink?

Seriously, at the moment, and I swear this is the truth, all I'm craving are egg whites, fresh veggies, baked sweet potatoes and an Amy's Bread whole wheat baguette. Haha...who would have thunk it?

I truly feel that the lessons I have learned through this process will stick with me for life.

We are almost there fellow Peakers. Let's finish strong!

Day 87 - Final Countdown

We had a 2 hour long Capoeira song workshop today. It was great, however I'm finding it hard to sing them in my head because every time I start a song it gets interrupted with Europe's 1986 hit, "Final Countdown."

I'll be all like...

Pula por cima do pau o piaba

Que a mare ta cheia

It's the final countdown...do do do do, dodo do do do,

or

Ai, ai, aide

O joga bonito que eu quero ver

Ai, ai, aide

It's the final countdown...do do do do, dodo do do do,

It's driving me bonkers. I think Pingo (aka Emily) had this same problem when she was in the last week of the Peak. So I'm just going to give into it.

do do do do, dodo do do do, do do do do, dodo do do do, do do do do, dodo do do do, do do do do, dodo do do do, do do do do, dodo do do do...

Day 84 - Let the count down begin

Alrighty folks, 6 more days to go.

The last couple of days have been quite exhausting with work, and teaching and capoeira, oh and of course, PCP.

Tuesday night I trained capoeira for the first time in over a week. The academy was closed for spring break. Anyway, I had such an amazing class. I felt so strong and confident and on point. I was able to take down 2 girls, who by the way are much taller than me, with a queda. (It's that leg grabbing take down I talked about before.) They both happened so quickly. Foca said my timing was perfect. I was pretty much shocked myself.

Patrick assigned us the task of checking out a gym. Well, I haven't belonged to one in years. I thought I could take a look at Equinox because it was in the same building as my PT, but turns out my shitty ass healthcare won't cover my appointments until they speak directly to my doctor even though I had a prescription, so I had to cancel all my sessions this week. God damn bastards. Crappy American healthcare system.

Anyway, I don't belong to a gym because years ago I came to the conclusion that they are a rip off. That I could get the same results at home, outdoors, etc. I also, find them dark, stuffy, smelly and covered with germs. All those people sweating all over the machines. Running, biking, climbing to nowhere. Seems a little too depressing for me. I would much rather spend my money on capoeira each month. So much more worth it. And now with everything that I have learned through my Peak experience, I know that my at home workouts are much more productive.

Patrick also asked us to share an ab exercise. Well I have always loved Gilad, ever since his Bodies in Motion days. I used to work out to this dvd a lot before the peak. It's more about toning the core. Here is a clip of it.

Also, the P90x Ab Ripper is pretty awesome too. Going to have to start throwing that back into the mix. Here is part 1 of a 16min routine.

P90X Ab Ripper X Part 1

Day 81 - Progress

The orange progress bar is touching my foot. Woohoo, we are so close. The end is near. I'm so excited!

Day 79 - Indulgence

8:00 am

Woke up to the glorious sunshine

8:30 am

PCP work out. (I jumped last night even tho my PT said not to, so I did the elliptical today)

9:30 am

Cleaned the kitchen

10:00 am

Ran to Natural Land for milk, eggs, broccoli, fresh whole wheat baguette from Amy's bread, etc

10:30 am

Breakfast

11:00 am

Vacuumed and cleaned the rest of the apartment

12:30 pm

Unloaded car filled with 4 bags of topsoil, 3 bags of grass seed, 7 wooden fences, etc

1:00 - 5:30 pm

Dug up flower beds, turned over the soil for the entire back yard, planted bulbs, dug up slate pathway, planted grass seed, etc. Somewhere in there I had my tea time snack.

5:30 pm

lunch - I was STARVING!

6:00 pm nap

7:30 pm plumber came and installed new bathroom sink. Woohoo! About 2 months ago a perfume bottle fell out of my medicine cabinet and left a giant hole in the sink.

8:00 pm snack #2

8:30 pm

Shoulders and back were killing me from the workout and all the gardening. I went and got a 1 hr massage. Ah...as I was laying on the massage table I to started to day dream about my indulgence. (A glass of red wine and Haagen-Daz Chocolate Peanut butter ice cream.)

9:30pm

Ran to 3 different stores looking for the ice cream. (I HAD TO HAVE IT) Nothing else would do. I ended up having to mix my own concoction.

9:30 pm

Drank glass of wine, ate bowl of ice cream while watching Precious. (Amazing movie by the way. So messed up. It made me so made. I just wanted to punch her mother in the face.)

10:30 pm

Went back for seconds. Ate the ENTIRE pint of ice cream. (Never, in my 34 years have I ever eaten an entire pint of ice cream. I usually don't even like all that much. But it was just so good. And since I didn't eat dinner and did a crap load of manual labor all day I was pretty hungry. I knew it wouldn't fill me up, but secretly hoped it would.) The old me would have went for another glass of wine instead of the ice cream. So wierd...it's like I don't even know who I am anymore.

12:00 am

Feeling a bit nauseous but, hungry. I think I might have some milk and an apple. I don't know. Maybe just some water. I am quite thristy. Damn I missed peanut butter. So delicious.

12:30 am

Blog and bed

All in all it was a great day. I wonder if I'll feel sick in the morning. I hope not. I plan on working in the yard again.

Day 77 - Bye, bye jump rope

Physical therapy update take 2.

This new place was WAY more professional then the last. It was recommended to me by a good friend of mine. Thanks G! Anyway, turns out my doctor was right and it is my sacroiliac joint that is causing me problems. Lindsay, my new PT. Had me do all sorts of bends, and walks and what not. Then she began to push at my hips, pull on my leg, etc. At the time it didn't really seem like much. I hardly felt a thing. But, then a couple hours later I noticed that my back wasn't throbbing as much anymore. In fact it hardly hurt. Woohoo this Lindsay is a miracle worker. I am scheduled to go every Tuesday and Thursday until the 29th. There is one little snaffu though, she says I should stay away from jumping rope. That the pounds will undo the good things we are trying to do in our sessions. So tonight I did the elliptical for a half hour. I definitely felt the pain again afterward but it's not as bad as it was.

So, only 2 weeks left and I'm told to hang up the rope. Patrick, what should I do? Is the elliptical a viable fallback?

Day 75 - Huh

A little physical therapy update.

Last week my doctor recommended I see a PT. He said there was one in his office that was great. I thought about making an appointment with him, but it's a bit too far up-town and I figured if I have to go like 2-3x a week, I'd prefer one closer to my office. So I disregard his recommendation and begin my search.

I went to my insurance company's provider search and found a couple close ones. I took a look at each of there websites. And decided to call the one with the best site. (Being an interactive creative director I have issues trusting organizations with crappy sites) The receptionist who answered my call didn't have the professional sound I expected. She was an extremely loud talker, kind of crass and a little too um, something. I tend to pass judgements too quickly sometimes so I decided to ignore my gut and schedule an appointment.

So today at noon I began my 6 block trek down to their office in a crazy typhoon like rain storm with 20 mile/hr winds. Every now and then I had to dodge a flying broken umbrella. 5th ave was littered with them. Anyway, I finally get to the office.

The lobby is a bit shady and shoddy looking and as it turns out — they are located on a 6th floor walk up!

HUH?? What the hell? Who the hell thought it was a good idea to open up a PT office at the top of a walk up?

Once again, I should have trusted my gut, but I choose to give them a shot.

I finally make my way to the top and that's when I just had enough. The office was shabby and dirty looking. Exercise equipment was placed in the waiting room along with ripped seats that were taped up. There was no one in the waiting room except for some weirdo wearing pink scrubs. Who, by the way, I would never let touch me. Not even for a billion dollars.

The receptionist asked if she could help me and all I could say was...

Did you guys really think it was a good idea to rent space at the top of a 6th floor walk up? I mean seriously. How do your patients even make it up here?

I was definitely a bit snotty and um bitchy.

She smiled and said, oh I'm sorry I never asked what was wrong with you on the phone. I told her don't worry about it because I will not be staying for my appointment. Thanks anyway. And I ran the hell outta there.

Lessons learned:

follow recommendations

trust your gut

don't trust a book by it's website

Day 74 - Believe it!

Catching you all up.

I can't believe we are so close to the end. Not that it's really the end. I plan to take all that I have learned through this process and keep moving forward. I am however looking forward to enjoying a glass of wine and maybe something sinfully sweet. Also, I know my body is looking forward to having a day off. My back has still been bothering me so I finally went to the doctor. He believes it might be Sacroiliac joint dysfunction. I went for x-rays on Friday to rule out a stress fracture and he prescribed me physical therapy 2-3x a week for 6-8 weeks. I'm hoping to get in with someone this week.

Patrick emailed us the other day about people who become obsessed with trying to perfect their bodies. I have to say I think I have a healthy vision of myself. I am completely satisfied with how my body looks today. And if it wasn't for my need to finish what I started I would be ok with going into sustain mode from here on in. However, not completely happy with the size of my arms right now. They each have grown a half inch. I don't know about you all but a 12 inch bicep on a 5.1 girl is a bit much. I decided to only do the low number of reps for our bicep and tricep exercises even though I still have the strength to do more. Is that terrible?

Day 68 - Update

Nothing too new to report here. Just wanted to check in.

New day 67 photo's are up. I think not much has changed since last week.

I'm pushing through the large sets/ reps handed to us this week. I'm hanging in there with the diet. I'm tired, I'm sore, but I'm still going.

Dreaming of day 90... I'd love to be able to be as kick ass as this guy.

hmm...fat chance though. This guy is in a league of his own. haha

Day 65 - Sunshine

photo by Joel Zimmer

First, I have no idea why I am up at 7:30 on a Saturday. I was really hoping to sleep in. Oh well...

So a quick update...I totally think Orbit and Trident were the cause of my severe gum and/or tooth pain. I only chewed 1 little piece yesterday and the day before and I am feeling so much better. So bye-bye gum. I'll miss you Strawberry Mint and Passionberry Twist.

Onto today...the weather forecast calls for 71 and sunny. Woohoo, I have a pretty big day planned. Since I'm up early I think I'm going to go to the 10:30 am Capoeira class. That way I can get out early because later I want to clean up my backyard a bit and head over to Lowes or Home Depot for a ton of flowers and other goodies to plant. I also have a little balcony that I that I want to beautify with some hanging window boxes. I'm hoping they have some cheap ones.

Yay. I love Spring!!

ps...have any of you noticed how long our orange process bar is? It's officially behind the Day!! Great job fellow Peakers. Hang strong!

Day 63 - Oi vey the pain

My mouth is killing me!



My gums and teeth have become ridiculously sensitive over the past month. I'm not exactly sure what the hell is going on. It used to be just the right side of my mouth, but starting last night, it is now both. I can't can even chew lettuce or egg whites without excruciating pain. I see a periodontist every 3 months for a deep cleaning because my gums are receding. My next appointment isn't until April. Ugh!

I looked up causes of tooth sensitivity and one of them is acidic foods. Have I been eating too many acidic foods? Is it the pack a day gum habit I started since starting the Peak? I can't take it anymore. I've been popping Advil like it is candy and it doesn't seem to be helping anymore. I just ran out to the Pharmacy and bought some Ambosal so I can eat my lunch, but all it did was make my mouth numb and as soon as I started eating the pain returned.

I'm hungry god damn it and I want to eat my lunch!!!! I'm hoping my periodontist is available next week. Otherwise I might have to start pureeing my meals. Ill gross, the thought of that just made my stomach turn.

Day 60 - Thank you Dr. Zizmor

About a month ago Patrick mentioned that after a while on the Peak we might see some breakouts on our skin. He said not to worry too much about it, that it's just our body getting rid of the last bit of toxins in our system. Well, I must be a little behind schedule because we are 2 months into this program and I'm breaking out like a hormonal 6th grader. It's been like 2 weeks now and I'm growing very tired of these zits. When will it end? I seriously do not want to have to call Dr. Zizmor!!

Day 58 - FCP

Went to capoeira class this afternoon. I knew my body was already tired and hurtin from last nights work out but I had no idea just how bad it was going to be. I was basically at complete muscle failure 10 min into the start of the class. Today, Foca had us do Capoeira circuit training. It basically was the FCP, " The Foca Condition Project", and that sh*t was no joke. 7 stations about 1.5 - 2 min each.

1. pisão rodando

2. Queda take down

3. Step up Jinga on a stack of really high mats

4. Jump rope

5. Jinga with 10lb weights in your arms

6. Down to push up, jump back up martelo kick

7. Same thing

And do it again...

Then a 1/2 hr of floreios. Headsprings, sdobrados, macacu...

Oh and before all that was warm up, consisting of running, push-ups, jumping jack like things, etc.

There were points where I really thought I was going to die or at the very least pass the hell out. So needless to say I am SPENT.

Foca did tell me that I did a really good job in class at the end though and that just made it all worth it. Trying my best to keep up and do PCP at the same time. It's seriously a difficult task.

Gonna eat lunch take a nap and hope to have energy for my PCP workout. Not too sure how that is going to go after an hour and a half of FCP. Obrigada Foca!!

Day 57 - Wouldn't it be crazy...

Wouldn't it be crazy...

If I ate a cookie right now.

Wouldn't it be crazy...

If I went to happy hour after work and had a glass of wine.

Wouldn't it be crazy...

If I went home, skipped my workout, put on my PJ's and curled up on the couch with a giant bowl of popcorn and a movie.

Good thing I'm not crazy.

54 - Update

Patrick emailed me after my last posting. He reminded me that PCP is a two way street and that if I'm feeling like something is off in my diet that I should just email him and they will try to find something that works more for me. He explained why my portions were so lean and reassured me that by the end of this I will be eating like a normal person again. Needless to say, I'm feeling much better about the Peak today. I'm still extremely tired and weak feeling, but I have a new hope and I am beginning to see the light at the end. It's a very, very, teeny tiny spot of light, but a light none-the-less.

So here's another update. I measured myself around day 1 and haven't again until today. I was worried that I was beginning to bulk up, a worry all of us women are having but it was exactly the opposite. Check out these numbers:

Total inches lost: 7.5

Now check out these tape measuring skillz!!

Day 52 - Indulgence

I had my 2nd indulgence last night. It was my friend and co-worker, Jenn's birthday and we met her out. Both her and my other friend, Ginasta were so excited when I told them that I decided to use up my indulgence and have a couple drinks. I went for my old staple, Goose and soda with a slice of lemon. So refreshing. I estimated that each drink was probably around 140 calories, since 1 ounce of vodka is around 70 calories. Club soda has 0 and a squeeze of lemon, well who cares. By my 3rd one I started to feel a pretty good buzz. I stopped at 3-3.5. ...Some stupid ass drunk girl grabbed one of my drinks thinking it was hers and when I told her to put it down she rolled her eyes, left it on a ledge and it spilt. I obviously yelled "WTFB" but she took off so quickly into the crowd, and that is where we left it. I think she might have gotten sight on my guns. Anyway...I am way too old to be fighting in a bar, so I'm glad that was the end of it.

Sorry I diverge, back to the indulgence. I expected to feel ill today, but in fact I feel great. I did however notice that my face was red and my pores were enlarged when I woke up. Another thing was that the alcohol left me starving, so when I got home last night I ate the following: 2 cups of air popped popcorn, sm banana, sm apple, and a whole wheat English muffin with sugar free jelly. I know that the drink had something to do with my voracious appetite but I also think that a huge part of it is my diet. I seriously do not think it is healthy to only eat a small banana and an egg white for dinner. And to tell you the truth, I haven't followed that or last week's version with an added small apple once. I always try to, but by 10pm or so I am extremely hungry and that makes my angry and I end up eating something else. It's always something with in the PCP diet but it's always outside my allotted grams.

Lately I find myself not trusting this process. I do not want my abs to look like some sort of quilt or like Poca mentioned, "Madonna's disgusting arms." What drew me here was the idea of eating real food and feeling the healthy effects of a no sugar, no salt diet. I have a pretty positive body image and in fact, this might sound cocky, but I know I am hot just as I am. What I was looking for was just a more improved version of myself, healthier, more fit, stronger in my Capoeira game. When in fact, I feel exhausted, stiff, weak and cranky all the time. Plus, my Capoeira game is totally suffering. Because of the PCP workout I can only find the strength to train 2x a week. So when I go to class I come in far behind the rest who have already been working on a sequence or move the rest of the week.

I'm not going to quit this, if any of you had that idea enter your mind. I always finish what I start, but I will say I am not a true believer.

PS...my friend still hasn't come for a visit and I'm pretty sure that time has come and went.

Day 49

Men, I'm warning you right now this post is all about women stuff.

So the last couple of days have been really hard. One thing I have never mentioned is that about 3 years ago I was diagnosed with PMDD. One of my initial hopes was that with a healthy PCP lifestyle my symptoms would decrease. Well in fact this month it's here with a vengance. Some months are better than others, but when it's bad it's really bad. I have every single highlighted item on the list below and the ones in red are the ones that really interfere with my daily life.

These usually last about a week to two weeks a month and subside after, you know after my friend comes. But, that little bastard doesn't seem to want to come this month. This has happened the last time I trained hard and lost some weight. I didn't get it for like 6-8months.

It really sucks because I am so cranky, I just hate everything and everyone right now, I am completely EXHAUSTED all the time, my back is KILLING ME, I want to eat everything in the house. And by the way that's just what I did the other night. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, all I have in the house are healthy things so I ended up downing the following; 6 pitted dates, an extra apple, an extra egg white, 5 dried pineapple rings, cup of Kashi 7 whole grain cereal puffs with skim, 30 grams of a whole wheat baguette, I think there might have been some cold yams and I'm sure there is some other things I can't think of now...anyway this was after my evening snack so I already had consumed all my food for the day. Even after that I was still hungry but I made myself go to bed. I really want to eat something else tonight but right now I am just too tired to move.

I trained Capoeira tonight and my lack of coordination, focus, extreme fatigue and backache made it really freaking difficult. I had to fight hard not to just pick up and walk out of class. Then I came home and had to do my timed jumps. That sucked even more. My shins are so sore and I couldn't keep a rhythm to save my life. Ugh...I think I'm done for the night. Going to bed. Can't wait till this time next week when I can feel like myself again.

Day 47 - I got couscous on my keyboard

Today started out pretty rough. Monday's kill me. Have I said that before? Once again after working all day and teaching I didn't get home until 10:30pm or so. It was too late to jump rope and do my full PCP workout so I did the elliptical and 8 min abs. Working out that late makes it really hard to fall asleep. So after only about 4-5hrs of sleep I woke up pretty damn grumpy. My mood lightened after I had a successful design presentation with a client.

I took Patrick's advice on switching up my food more so today I made couscous, with broccoli, carrots, and all sorts of other mixed veggies and baked chicken breast for lunch. I'm shocked that I actually like the granular little carb. The last time I tried it I pretty much hated it. I did end up spilling some on my keyboard. Those little suckers are quite sticky and are really hard to get out between the keys. I advise not eating them at your desk.

Another thing that cheered me up is this video that a fellow Capoeirista posted on Facebook. It might be the best Capoeira video ever!!!

Day 45 - Woohoo Half Way There!!

1. I can't believe we are half way through our journey. Congratulations to all my fellow Peakers.

2. A giant THANK YOU to Patrick for eliminating yogurt from my diet this week. I heart you!

3. There's nothing like a swift kick to the head to get you to esquiva or querda correctly. Yesterday we were training querda, a Capoeira take down. And for some stupid reason I froze and Ana got me real nice in my left ear. I'm not going to lie, that s**t hurt but, you better believe I learned that move real quick after that. Thanks Ana for not taking it easy on me :)

4. Jeebus, I slept forever today. Went to bed at 12 last night, woke up a 10am, ate breakfast and then went back to bed at 12 and woke up at 5pm. I guess my body needed it.

5. I love egg whites.

6. If I don't have a rockin badonk-a-donk after 160 lunges I give up.

7. Starting to see some more definition and I really don't care if the scale isn't moving.

8. Found out we are having another Capoeira retreat in June. So excited because I know I'll be in great shape for it and bikini weather.

9. Stretching is my best friend.

10. I think I have to break up with dried fruit. It's going to be sad. I hope it doesn't take it too hard.

Day 41

I'm still not getting used to all this damn yogurt. My taste buds absolutely hate it and I think my body does too. I've been feeling pretty nauseous lately and I feel like I have heart burn all the time. I can't think of anything else that might be causing it because I've been eating the same stuff that I was eating before, minus the yogurt of course. I switched to the regular kind because the greek really truly tastes like puke. It's better, but still nasty. I put in like 5 blueberries today to help kill the nastiness but I'm still not feeling it. I'm hoping I won't have to eat it 3x a day for much longer.

Teaching ran late on Monday. I didn't get home until around 10:30 pm and I wasn't able to get my workout in. So, I ended up doing the exercises for both day 39 and 40 yesterday. I thought it would kill me but it actually wasn't so bad. Today my upper back and shoulders are feeling a bit sore but I guess that is to be expected.

Hmm...what else? I'm feeling super tired at the moment and wish I could take a nap. I wish my bosses would allow us 1 hour a day for nap time. Studies show that nap time not only refreshes the mind, but can make you smarter.

Day 39

Just sayin...plain Greek yogurt tastes like VOMIT!! Ugh, so nasty.

Day 38

Hmm...nothing too new to report here. This past Friday I went out dancing with a bunch of friends to celebrate Carnaval! Everyone was drinking and having a great time and I'm really proud to say that I did not have the tinniest sip of alcohol. I had some seltzer with lemon instead :) We danced and we watched another Capoeira group preform capoeira and maculele. (the picture here is actually a performance my group did last summer, I think that might be a part of me cut off all the way to the left) The group's floreios we pretty freaking sweet. (floreios are the acrobatic movements in Capoeira) I would love to be able to do this move.

hmm...I'm going to set a goal for myself. By the end of this summer I will have the first part this trick down. haha ok ready set go.

Day 34

Dried fruit is the devil!

Yesterday I found these all natural, organic, dried pineapple and apple rings. No added sugar, no salt, just pure deliciousness. Once I started eating them I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. My brain kept telling me, it's OK Mickey. It's fruit. It's all natural. It's following the rules. Well, maybe if I had weighed out my fruit portion and then only ate that. Which is totally not what I did. I definitely ate much more than I should have and I'm feeling a bit ill this morning. I feel like my belly has tripled in size. I think I might have to outlaw dried fruit for the rest of my Peak.

I also feel like I am not seeing the results that I should be at this point. Is it the baked Oriental yams for breakfast? Do yams count as a veggie or carb? Is it my 1 pack of sugar-free gum a day habit? Or is it the extra piece of fruit that I have been sneaking almost everyday? Probably all three.

Well from now on, I am going to try much harder to follow my portion sizes. I mean what the hell is the point of abstaining from alcohol, sugar and salt if I'm just going to fatten myself up with approved foods.

Day 32

A lot of my fellow Peakers have talked about the music they listen to while doing their workout. Personally, I don't listen to music while I work out, I watch TV instead. I usually find inspiration for my workout by watching, dvr'ed episodes of Lost (of course), Make it or Break It (a really cheesy show that's about a bunch of teen gymnasts) and lately the Olympics. I came across this clip that shows the German ski team doing their "Rocky-style" training in this make shift barn gymnasium. I can totally see Patrick incorporating some of these balance/ strength exercises into the PCP.

I like to pretend that I am training for the next summer Olympics in 2012. Or better yet the 2016 one that will be held in Brasil. I'm betting there will be a ton of Capoeira performed in the opening ceremonies. How freaking awesome it would be to be a apart of that!!

Day 30

Alright boys and girls. 30 days down, 60 to go!

I think I'v found a new strength and focus. I trained Capoeira this morning and then came home and did my PCP exercises. Um...holy cow, talk about muscle failure. My legs were shaking after my squats and creeps.

I'm trying to hold strong with my new portions. My dinner consists only of 1 egg white and 120 grams of veggies. At first I was like how the hell am I supposed to fill up on that. But, since I ate dinner last night after my workout I was able to add another egg white to the mix. I also tried to choose veggies that were light in weight so I can have more of them. I came up with an arugula salad with raw white mushrooms, a little sliced tomato, 2 egg whites and red wine vinegar. It was quite delicious. Might be my new dinner all week.

I've also realized one of the main reasons I've been so grouchy and blah is simply that I haven't been getting enough rest and sleep. So, I'm going to take Foca's advice and turn off everything for the next 30mins and just chill. I'll probably end up taking a nap but that works too.

I want to say thanks to my fellow Peakers and friends for all your encouragement. It really helps to know that I have people rooting for me and on my side.

Day 28

Coming clean...
It snowed like crazy here yesterday. I woke up a little earlier to shovel my back steps and a porch so that Chewie wouldn't break her leg going out in the morning. Here are some snow pics.
Chewie in the snow, AM.
The yard in the PM.

I was so sluggish at work. I even fell asleep at my desk for about 2 minutes. I as awaken by that startling head nod that happens when you fall asleep sitting up. I wanted to make it to Capoeira that night but by the time I got home from work all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and watch a good movie as the snow fell outside. So that's exactly what I did. Instead of going to class or doing my PCP work out, I put on my PJs. I ate my PCP dinner and then I curled up on the couch with Chewie and my indulgence. A giant bowl of air popped popcorn with a little spray butter on it. Once the bowl was gone I still felt like I didn't do my indulgence any justice so I had a piece of a whole wheat baguette with some sugar-free strawberry jelly and a little more spray butter. I know it probably sounds lame to you but I liked it. I never made it through the movie. I passed out at 8:30. I woke up this morning still feeling like I could have slept another 6 hours, but I had to go to work. I'm feeling a little better but still in a pissy mood. I saw Patrick's email with the new portions and I am not happy about it. Even smaller than last week. I'm really really worried that my Capoeira training will have to take a back seat if I have to stick with these new exercises. There is no way my body will be able to handle both. I'm feeling very conflicted right now and rethinking if this program is even worth it.

Why the hell did I decide to sign up for this????