What a lame-ass

This post is 2 weeks late...in more ways than one.

The above results were achieved by doing about 90% of the prescribed strength workouts and nutrition. I do admit that I completed only about 25% of the cardio sessions, so I assume my results would have been better if I kept up with the cardio.  Regardless of how I did with exercise and nutrition, I am genuinely happy with the results and would recommend the Xtremem Fat Loss Diet to anyone wanting to jump start their fat loss.

Now, the reason why this post is too late (other than me saying I would post this two weeks ago) is I've MAJORLY slacked off since then. In the last two weeks, I've worked out twice (once if you don't count this morning's session to get me back on track) and my healthy diet has gone to shit! I weighed myself this morning and I've gained about half of what I lost during XFLD. The good news is that it's only half the weight and it might be a little off because it's close to that "time of the month." The bad news is April's wedding is next weekend and the cruise to Ensenada is the weekend after that. I'm freaking out a little bit and I hear a little voice in my head that says, "This isn't going to go over very well." All I can do now is channel that freaking out energy into working out as hard as I can on top of eating right until the cruise. Alcohol is pretty much out of the question again (key words: pretty much).

After much consideration, I decided to go with the Cheat Your Way Thin (CYWT) meal plans and Truth About 6-Pack Abs (TA6PA) workouts. Albert is doing the same thing, which is what swayed me to follow. It's just easier when we're eating the same things and are on the same workout regimen. I have someone to keep me in check and push me to the limit. I hope to be back at 138lbs by the cruise and eventually get to 125lbs. - that's where I ultimately want to be and what I want to maintain. I know, I know, weight is not the ideal marker for your fitness goals because lean muscle weighs more than fat. According to TA6PA, women will show their defined abs (a.k.a. 6-pack abs) as long as they are under 20% body fat. So, I'm also shooting for 19% body fat by the end of the year.

I feel SO lame for not keeping up with everything this past two weeks...definitely have to step it up a notch if I want to FEEL good in a swimsuit for the cruise. I doubt I'll actually LOOK good (hahaha), but one can hope.

Spending two weeks eating whatever I want has obviously taken it's toll physically, but there is a silver lining! There are two places I HIGHLY recommend to visit in Las Vegas if you are looking to indulge in some sinfully delicious grubbin':

Aloha Kitchen: I went with the girls during April's Bachelorette Weekend and had the Adobo Fried Rice Omelette. It's a HUGE serving, so be sure to share. BUT, if you don't, it's perfect the next morning :) A nice added bonus: karaoke bar that's open until 4am!

Bachi Burger: Bev (my Alpha Phi Lil' Sis) and her boyfriend introduced me to this place just before I left town. I had the Kalbi Burger and we all shared the Truffle Parmesan Fries. So far, I'd have to say, it's the tastiest burger I've ever had (yes, moreso than Five Guys). And the fries...well, first off, truffles = special mushroom from France, not chocolate...didn't think it would be good combo, but I was pleasantly surprised and found myself craving it ever since then.

So yeah, if you're ever in Las Vegas and want something a little different from what The Strip has to offer...you gotta give those two a try.

Day 25 of 25

Xtreme Fat Loss Diet program - completed. I know the day isn't completely over, but I'm not doing the cardio session today and it's my protein-only day so the menu until I go to sleep tonight is protein shakes, tuna, and sardines. It's safe to say, I'm pretty much done with the program. Tomorrow would have been Cheat Day, so I'm going to take my final measurements then and post up the results.

Did I lose 25 pounds in 25 days? No. Is it possible to lose 25 pounds in 25 days? Mathematically, yes. I've read more of everyone's results posted on the Facebook forum and no one has achieved the 25 pound mark, which makes me feel good about what I've achieved. I know for sure I've lost inches and weight, so I'm really happy about that. Plus this is the first fitness program I've finished - EVER. I know I didn't do everything by the book and half-assed certain exercises, but the thought never crossed my mind to quit early - which is an achievement in itself since I usually give up when it comes to working out.

A nice little accomplishment I didn't expect was the change in attitude. I feel healthy and a little more confident about my body. It's not where I want it to look, but it's a reasonable start. I have a pretty good idea of what works for me, gets me motivated, and what I am willing to follow - apparently, I really like having structured workouts and am somewhat more willing to do cardio if it takes less than 30 minutes. I've learned to appreciate the gym more. I still absolutely hate it from 5:00pm to 9:00pm, but it turns into some kind of temple of health that my body can't resist at 5:00am (it probably has something to do with all the equipment being readily available and not having to suffer through douchebags/douche-ettes being, well, douches). As for the nutrition part, the Fast Days remained the worst part of the program but 24 hours of fasting every 5 days is doable for me. I have learned a little bit more of what I should be eating and when. I also know that (deliciously) bad food can be helpful in the whole process of getting in shape, but I just need to eat it at the right times and in the right portions.

I'd say a BIG part of what got me through the program was having Albert right there alongside me. To start off, this whole thing was his idea and he took the initiative to get all the supplements we needed for 25 days. Next, I know he HATES waking up early, but he was at the gym at 5:00am (sometimes earlier) ready to go over the exercises with me and make sure I did them right (actually, I'd say we did that for each other). Plus, I liked doing the lunges next to him because he HATED them while I LOVED them. I also tried to hold planks longer than he would. Sometimes I won, sometimes I didn't, but trying to beat Albert is always a good way to get me going. Lastly, there were a ton of times where I wanted to stuff my face with horrible food on non-Cheat Days. But on our second Fast Day, he went to poker night with our friends and had to eat 97 BCAA pills while everyone else ate fresh pizza from Masa. That showed me he was pretty committed to doing to the diet, so I decided to match it.

What's Next...
After the measurements tomorrow, I'm taking a break until Monday. It's April's Bachelorette Party in Vegas, so there's no way I'm going to turn down the food and alcohol. The creator of XFLD has a follow up program called Cheat Your Way Thin (CYWT). I've skimmed through the diet and workouts and I'm still undecided about whether to follow it or not. I'm going to go through it in more detail over the next couple of days and see what I come up with. If anything, I've already been through some of another program (The Truth About Six Pack Abs) and will stick with that if CYWT isn't what I'm looking for.

Day 23 of 25

Only 2 more days to go! We started the last cycle of the program this past Saturday. It was also the same day as my grandpa's 90th birthday party. Luckily each cycle BEGINS with a Cheat Day, so Albert and I were able to eat during the party. The indulgences for our last Cheat Day included Habit Burger (for Breakfast), Hooters (for Lunch), lots of Filipino food/desserts (at my grandpa's party), carne asada burrito from Mocha Salsa (late-evening snack), and Butterfinger and Peanuttles whenever possible.

Sadly, I could only eat 6 wings at Hooters and only a third of my burrito from Mocha Salsa :( It's probably a sign of progress that I can no longer eat as much as I used to, but it's kinda sad at the same time. My mind is telling me I should eat more, but my stomach is clearly saying its stuffed.

As we do at the beginning of each cycle, we took measurements to see how we've been doing. My bust, waist, and hips have gotten smaller, but my thigh and calf got bigger. I think those lunges have something to do with the increase in lower body measurements. Basically, I hope my thighs and calves are bigger because of muscle, not because of fat! I've lost a total of 10 pounds so far and I'm happy with that. I'm probably not going to hit my weight loss goal, but it's okay as long as I've built some muscle. I  haven't been able to peruse the Facebook Group for XFLD as much as I wanted to, but Albert says the most he's seen a person lose with this program is 17 pounds. Albert and I still have to take body fat measurements (which is a little more complicated), but I expect/hope to see a decrease there too. I'll post up the final measurements at the end of the program so you can see the actual results.

This weekend was also April's Bridal Shower. There was SO much food to eat: puff pastries, finger sandwiches, meatballs, chicken, fruit salad, cheese rolls from Porto's, red velvet cake, and homemade pistachio cake to name a few. Unfortunately, it landed on my Fast Day, so I couldn't have any of it. But you can bet I brought a bunch of it home for me to eat in a couple days. Some of it may not be as good by then, but I'm Ilocano so I'm going to eat it anyway...hahaha!

The good news is I finally feel comfortable in the bridesmaid's dress. I'm not able to zip it by myself, but I realize the zipper doesn't have a very good grip so no one can zip it themselves. April also wants to have them shortened, so it's going to look extra cute after everything is said and done. I do have a little over 3 weeks between when this program ends and the wedding (which is on July 4th). I have the next couple of days to figure out what I'm going to do to maintain what I've achieved so far. If anything, I can go back to the program I was on before but I'm still undecided on that one. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Day 16 of 25

In case you've been living under a rock, the Lakers made it to the Finals and will be playing against the Celtics - hence the change in blog colors :)

I'm currently sitting in bed writing this post with an ice cold glass of milk and red velvet cake. Yes, it's a Cheat Day, so this is perfectly allowed on the XFLD program. And, yes, I'm savoring every bite.

I've come to realize that Cheat Days are cock teases. There are no restrictions on these days. You can eat WHATEVER you want, but what you don't know is that your stomach can no longer pack in what it used to. I spend most of the previous cycle dreaming of what I'm going to eat on my Cheat Day. So you can imagine my disappointment when Cheat Day is finally here and I can only eat half of what I wanted to eat. Sometimes, I can't even eat what I want because it gives me a stomach ache - I think my body is basically rejecting crappy food at this point. 

Today's indulgences consisted of:

Brunch @ IHOP: International Passport with Swedish pancakes, a side of hash browns, and o.j.

Post-Work Out Meal: Lasagna and Albertson's Honey Chicken Wings (fresh from the Deli!)

Dinner @ Masa: Bacon & Mushroom thin crust pizza, French Fries, and Lotsa Meat Deep Dish Pizza

As you can see, even though I may not be able to eat everything I want, I definitely try my best to pack in as much as I can. To top it off, I started my day with Butterfinger fun size bars and had it as my dessert after dinner. My post-dessert snack is the cake...although I've only eaten a fourth of it and probably won't finish it.

The XFLD program has a Cheat Day built into each cycle in order to have this hormone (leptin) kick in and get the fat burning process jump started at the beginning of each cycle. Regardless of whether this is actually the case or not, it definitely helps motivate me during the cycle. As I'm swallowing 90 BCAA pills on a Fast Day, or doing a second workout session for the day, all I'm thinking about is what I'm going to indulge in once Cheat Day gets here. I spend so much time planning and thinking about that day, that I hardly realize I've completed another cycle. This Cheat Day marks the beginning of the Fourth Cycle, which means I only have one more cycle to go after this!

I'm not sure I'm going to hit my weight goal at the end of this, but I have lost some weight and my body measurements have already slimmed down more than I expected. All this working out has definitely made me a little stronger (I'm able to do dumbbell rows at 25lbs on each arm for a couple of reps...something I would have never thought possible before) and I think my body looks different in a good way - but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me since I've been living in the gym the past couple of weeks.

Tomorrow (actually today since it's past midnight ) is Fast Day - ugh! The first part of the day isn't so bad, but once the afternoon hits, I get pretty sick of eating pills all day and the crankiness comes out. I just want to get to bed as fast as possible so that I can wake up and start the Shake Day. We're trying something different for this Fast Day though - working out after work instead of before. I'm hoping this will turn the crankiness into fatigue.

Anyways...only 9 more days to go! Looking forward to finishing the program on a strong note :)

P.S. I'm planning to try on the bridesmaids dress this coming Saturday (a.k.a. Cheat Day = First Day of Last Cycle)! Hopefully, it'll zip up all the way...stay tuned!