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!

Day 10 of 25

Today is the last day of the second cycle; only 3 more cycles to go! 

I can definitely say this program is a roller coaster. The Fast Days are the WORST. It's tough only having water and 90 pills of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) on top of doing an intense workout. The BCAAs work to keep your muscle in tact while you're fasting to create a calorie deficit. It was the first time we had to do a Fast Day on a weekend and that was killer because it's usually the time we spend with family and friends - mainly eating and/or drinking. I'm cranky on those days too, so it wasn't ideal for some quality time with my brother and my mom. But it had been so long since I've hung out with them, I figured I should go (cranky or not) instead of putting it off again. Luckily, I gave my mom the heads up about the program and she took us to the movies. I don't have try that hard to be pleasant when we're sitting in the dark.

The BEST day of the cycle is the Cheat Day. I played hookie to go to Magic Wok and feast on some crispy pata, lumpia, pancit canton, rice, and sago at gulaman (basically a brown sugar drink). That night Albert and I planned to go to Curry House, but we didn't make it in time. Where did we end up? Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. MMMM. My mouth is watering thinking of all that yummy food! We also had to do a workout on this day, but it isn't as intense as the other days so it wasn't a big deal.

I've learned A LOT of new exercises because of XFLD. I've also learned that my lower body is a bit stronger than my upper body (not that my lower body is super strong or anything). I absolutely LOVE any of the lunge exercises, especially the swing lunge. I'm also diggin' the Bulgarian Split Squat. They hurt, but I love 'em because they keep my ass from being saggy...and we all know, no one loves a saggy ass. The hardest exercises for me to do usually involve any kind of push-up. I just suck at those.

I took my measurements after the first cycle and I've lost half an inch here and there. I've also lost some weight, but I'm thinking some of it is water weight too so my end weight after all the cycles will probably be more accurate. I'm happy with my progress so far and it's keeping me motivated. Albert has been a great motivator too, especially when I get too lazy to do the follow up cardio session (we usually have to do a cardio workout in the afternoons). With the exception of Fast Days, I have tons of energy throughout the day. I think this is freaking out my coworkers because I'm so chatty now - I'm usually really quiet in the office and don't speak unless someone starts the convo. I do ramp down a little bit by early evening, but that's normal for me (unless I'm in Vegas).

Tomorrow is the beginning of the third cycle, which means it's a Cheat Day!! Curry House, here I come...don't be closed, don't be closed....

Day 4 of 25

I joined the Facebook group for Xtreme Fat Loss Diet (XFLD) today. It's nice to see that everyone else on this  program has a love-hate relationship with it too!

Our first day on the program was this past Sunday (not Saturday like I planned because we were too hungover from our drinking binge the night before). The first day was a Cheat Day, where we could eat whatever we wanted, but we had to take initial body measurements, record body fat percentage, and start the workouts.  Albert remeasured my body fat percentage for me and it ranged anywhere from 26% to 32%, so  we went with 29% body fat to calculate how many calories and macronutrients I'd need for the 25 days. The exercises seemed really simple, but they've made me sweat the most so far out of all the workouts - and yes, we work out EVERY DAY.

The Cheat Day is followed by a Fast Day and a Shake day. It's basically 48 hours without solid food. The Fast Day means no food at all - just water and supplements. The Shake Day is a little easier because we get to have shakes instead of pills all day. Either way, my stomach was pretty miserable, especially on the Fast Day. We also have to work out on those days and we've been getting to the gym by 5:00am to do the recommended workouts. Despite how miserable my stomach feels, the rest of my body feels pretty fantastic! I'm completely energized throughout the  work day even though I haven't had any real food. My body is sore, but I like it - no pain, no gain, right? Today, we finally got to eat solid food- I don't think I've ever looked forward to eating a cup of tuna so bad in my life!

It feels different being on this program. I don't feel like I'm dieting because I'm not really denying myself anything. I feel like I'm just pacing myself. I guess that's a good thing because I have no intention of quitting or "slipping up" and eating junk. Trust me, it's tough opening the fridge and seeing the pizzas, the fried chicken, and whatever yummy goodness is in there. But, I just remind myself I can eat it - all of it - in a couple days, then it becomes no biggie!

Tomorrow is a protein only day. Chicken and Broccoli - ALL DAY. That was my usual lunch when I was on the other fitness program and I was sick of it toward the end, but it sounds SO good right now...especially when it's been heavily powdered with cayenne pepper - YUM! The next Cheat Day is Friday...what to eat, what to eat? Any suggestions???