What I learned from P90X

First off, BRING IT!!! I am super proud to call myself a P90X graduate as of 11:56am Friday morning.

My wife was a super huge cheerleader in the process, and without her support this challenging process would have been a lot tougher.

Though I did lose weight, my particular P90X journey was not about weight loss or getting a "Beach Body". I have done many diets from Atkins to low calorie diets. All have had some success and after a period of time I would go back to who I was and how I looked.

I wanted to take a moment to make sure I actually learned something from this process, thus this post.

I don't have one of those crazy cool success stories like you see from people that make videos on their MAC about their journey of losing 200 lbs, or being scrawny and then getting ripped.

Here is what my story is about:

"CLEAR PATH"
I grew up hearing things like you can't do "X", or you should be like "Y". But rarely did the people that said those things every show me the path to achieve them.

I have had the pleasure working with High School students through a ministry called Young Life. It rocks. In the process I realized I wasn't the only one that had these pathless things thrown at me. It became a passion to help clear the path for them. Like me they wanted to be better at something or quit doing another thing, but had absolutely no clue how.

This is what P90X does. It says, "I know you want to be in the best shape of your life, and I can give you the clear path to do it." Unless you were a high school, college or pro athlete your chances of knowing how to get into the best shape of your life (notice I didn't say drop 7 pounds in 5 days) are very slim.

I have worked out 3-4 times a week in some capacity for the last 10 years, but it was more of a check list thing. "Well I did that because I'm suppose to....check!" What I didn't know was what would really work. P90X is proven a zillion times over. There are so many compelling success stories from former ripped dudes getting more ripped to people being 400 lbs and getting jacked out of their mind.

You have to have a clear path to achieve your goals.

"You have to have a GAME PLAN"
You have to have goals. Goals lead to plans, plans lead to motivation, and motivation leads to Action.

Action leads to BRINGING IT!

"It's about FEELING BETTER not being a certain weight"

Senior in College - The blood is
from falling off of a pier in Bahamas

Here is the irony of life. When I was in college I weighed 192 lbs. I am 6' 2". This was a great weight to be, but at the time I just kept thinking I needed to be a lesser weight or have more muscles. I was never pleased.

Now I look a those pics and think, "REALLY?! I was unsatisfied? I'd kill for that!"

This is the cycle we live in. We have a million things coming our way telling us to look chiseled, or that the standard body weight for 6'2" is 175 lbs. I love Tony Horton's motto of getting in the "Best shape of your life". This is a noble motto. It says nothing about your weight, your curves, your muscles or otherwise.

Now I feel more flexible, I don't have back pain in the morning, and I'm more confident in my physical abilities than ever before.

"PERSONAL CHALLENGE"
I like to push myself. Challenge is adventure and I don't have enough in my life.

Can I climb that mountain? Can I jump off this cliff into the lake? Can I take a job in a field that I know nothing about? Can I be a parent when I've never been one before? Can I workout for an hour+ six times  a week for 90 days?

I need to stay challenged to stay sharp. I need to know I can do "it" whatever "it" is when the time comes.

This has been a challenge beyond what I knew possible and I came through it. The confidence in that statement alone is worth it.

"Do your best and forget the rest"
This is something Tony says a lot throughout the 90 days. At one point during the Plyometrics DVD he challenges one guy to do the hardest version of a particular workout. The guy says, "I'll do my best." Tony responds with, "Did you hear that? He said he'll do his best. That's always enough."

It wasn't scripted, it was real and it was a powerful moment you relive 10 times throughout the 90 days.

When I was gearing up for doing P90X, I told a lot of people that I was about to do it and they would ask, "So did you start yet?" and I would answer by saying, "I'm still researching everything. I'm not sure how I"m going to be able to do everything they recommend." Then I talked to my father-in-law about it and he basically said, "Only do what you can do." So I did.

The makers of P90X did a fantastic job of giving you incredibly delicious recipes that are healthy, and diet guides, and, and, and. However, if you've ever tried to eat super healthy it is (not "can"), but is very expensive. Like I said before, I've done many diets only to end up where I was before. So I decided to do only what I could.

Here's what I changed about my food intake:

1. Tried not to eat after 7:30pm. I did this really well for the first month and so so from then on. But I never ate after 9pm. (I got to bed between 10-10:30p) I know myself well enough that after 7:30p is when I really eat junk.
2. Drank 85-100 oz. of water a day. This wasn't that big of a challenge because the first 26 oz. came during my workouts in the wee hours of the morning. And trust me you drink all of it without thinking. Then I would drink another 26 oz. between 8a-12p, 26 oz. between 1-5p and then have at minimum one to two 12 oz. glasses of water at dinner and after. It adds up pretty quick. If you have a desk job keep the bottle by the keyboard (lids for the bottles are recommended)
3. Added 30 grams of protein in the hour after my workout. I used a Gold Standard Whey chocolate shake at $60 from GNC. It had 77 servings in it. This was to help my muscles recover faster and keep soreness to a minimum. It is delicious and I highly recommend it.
4. Stopped drinking coffee. If you're actually reading this you probably just gasped. I was a Starbucks barista, so trust me this wasn't an easy decision. However, the caffeine was having bad affects on me. I was drinking 2-3 cups a day. Around the 6th week I started getting really light headed about 75% through the workouts. I felt weak for a few hours after the workouts. This happened for a week, and it wasn't good. So I tried cutting it out as an experiment and the light headedness went away. I still drink it on the weekends, but its one cup here or there. There is actually studies that show caffeine's benefits for working out, but I laid off and it helped me. Could be blood pressure related.

I know there are a million other things I could do, but these felt achievable and things I could pretty easily do for the rest of my life. I figure if I can do these and add one good thing a year or so on to the list then I am headed in the right direction.

MY P90X BEFORE & AFTER STATS

Start Date: April 4, 2011

End Date: July 1, 2011 (Today)

Weight & Size Stats:

Weight Start: 230 lbs.

Weight Finish: 217 lbs.

Waist Start: 41.5"

Waist Finish: 39.5" 

Hips Start: 44.5"

Hips Finish: 42.75"

R Thigh Start: 25.5"
R Thigh Finish: 25.5"
L Thigh Start: 25.5"
L Thigh Finish: 25.5"
R Arm Start: 12.25"
R Arm Finish: 15.25"
L Arm Start: 12.25"
L Arm Finish: 15"

If I can do P90X so can you. Take this kids advice...

Chuck Norris Quotes

It's been awhile. I thought I'd share some of my favorite Chuck Norris Quotes that I stumbled upon recently.

• M.C. Hammer learned the hard way that Chuck Norris can touch this.

• Chuck Norris can build a snowman out of rain.

• In 1991, Chuck Norris shot a 14 on an 18 hole golf course, falling short of his personal best by 2 strokes.

• Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.

• Giraffes were created when Chuck Norris uppercutted a horse.

• Chuck Norris can slam revolving doors.

• Chuck Norris can do a wheelie on a unicycle.

• Chuck Norris can delete the Windows Recycling Bin.

• Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; no one fools Chuck Norris.

• Chuck Norris can speak braille.

• Chuck Norris can blow bubbles with beef jerky.

• Chuck Norris and lead a horse to water...aaaand make it drink.

• Chuck Norris can play Twister with himself...and win.

An my favorite:

• If you spell Chuck Norris wrong on Google it doesn't say, "Did you mean Chuck Norris?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the chance."

You just got Ninja'd

Notice the way he kicks the "B" to keep it from falling.

Sweet Action.

Holla!!!

Wal-Mart: The Right Price...at what price?

Let me start this post by saying that I am a Wal-Mart shopper. Its convenient, I can trust that they'll have almost anything I'm looking for, and let's face it they're cheap. My budget needs Wal-Mart. I still remember the name of the greeter at the store in Farmington, NM. His name was James and my family always felt like we were expected. He knew our names and we knew his.

Wal-Mart, as we all know, is stupid huge. They're everywhere. Try going on a road trip and not find one in a city over 5,000 population. You'll find 'em, but its rare. That being said shouldn't they be the leaders in convenience? They are a bloated convenience store as it is. Shouldn't they make all the little convenience stores want to grow up to be them?

What I'm about to say is not isolated to Wal-Mart, but I pick on them because I think they should get it right. Watch this post and you'll get where I'm coming from.
1> The receipts!
The blasted receipts!!! My wife and I may be the last people on the planet that keeps their receipts, but for Pete's sake what's with the scroll of parchment!? Do I look like Harry Potter with a feather pin and ink jar?
Now I get what they're trying to do with the extra six inches of paper attached to my receipt, but guess what? No one wants that. Again, if we're the last couple on the planet keeping receipts think about how much paper is being wasted. I rip off the extra every time and throw it away.

If the scroll is going to continue let's get toothpicks at each register so that I can reel it up proper. I digress. Honestly if it is going to continue, which I think it is, let's get something useful on there. Does anyone remember Coke and Sprite's "win 1 in every 6 bottle tops" campaign? That was amazing! I never bought so much soda. Not only the hope of getting something for free, but I knew people that won and I won a few times myself. If that's what Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc are going for...I hate to break it to ya, but huh uh. Not happening.

Why not collect 5 of these and get a free box of whatever is new like a new Cheerio's spin off, or even something old.

"Collect 5 and get 2 lbs of bananas for free"

We all know we need banana's, but we don't eat enough...or any. Being reminded to eat them, but for free could encourage more banana buying, which could lead to more fruit eating, which could lead...oh you get the point. There are possibilities.

2> The credit card terminal!
I've swiped a debit or credit card a few thousand times in my life, and yet there are still occasions when I have to ask myself, "Do I press CANCEL for credit?" And I ALWAYS ask myself, "Shouldn't there just be a CREDIT key?"

Is there a mandate out there that every credit card terminal is not allowed to have the word Credit so that we subliminally want to choose Debit? Is Debit cheaper on the store than Credit? There's nothing like a disgusted look from a cashier because you are having the internal dialog of logic vs. reality.

I realize both of these things are petty, but I think of them for one reason or another everytime I'm in a Wal-Mart, Kroger, or any store with receipts and credit card terminals. Which by the way is most every store. I fear that someone said this is the way it should be done and no one spoke up after they realized it was broken.

What little things do you still have broken that could easily be fixed?

Holla!!!

Design your own Flip Mino Camcorder

If you are reading this blog go to the following site to create your own or check mine out here. Even if you don't buy one today MAN you'll have fun just creating one. The flash on the sight is brilliant.

You can also put your own picture on the camera or choose from a "go-zillion" different designs.

Flip, in the words of the luggage sales man from Joe vs. the Volcano (one of my favorite movies) "May you live to be a thousand years old."

Holla!!!

This little piggy went Wii, Wii, Wii all the way home...

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. But I know this, this video will change you. How it changes you I don't know, but I'd love to hear what you think.

Holla!!!

Subway Rockstars!!!

If you are ever in Nashville and you happen to accidentally stumble upon the Subway restaurant in Elm Hill Pike go in. Even if you just ate, go buy a cookie or a soda and let them take care of you. I work two minutes from the location and I usually bring my own lunch, but I've been twice now and I enjoyed my experience so much I wrote in to Subway to let them know.
I use to work in Customer Service and good feedback only encourages and energizes good performance. I recommend whether you have a good or bad experience to give that feedback. You make them even better and sometimes especially with bad news. I will say if you give bad feedback, do it graciously and diplomatically. You never know how you would act in their shoes.

Holla!!!

Here is the letter I wrote:
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Hooray!

I have now been to this location twice. The first time I noticed the good service and passed it off as the workers just having a good day. Now that I have gone twice I can tell that the management is doing something very very right.

I realize that my prejudice about the location does bear some weight on my feelings, but these workers outshine almost any waiter or waitress working for a tip. Its unfortunate that a smile, looking someone in the eye, and well wishing would stand out, but they do.

Not only were they the example, but in my opinion they are the standard. The manager deserves credit for obviously creating a good atmosphere, but also for hiring people that will uphold that atmosphere.

Thanks for your time.

Jerad Burkhart
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