Thanks PCP!

Well, Day 90 is finally here and this will be my final post of the journey.  A quick "thank you" to Patrick and a "gokurou-sama desu" to Team Echo.  And to all my friends and relatives who've given me words of encouragement along the way, it's been appreciated - thx. Yup, still lacking the six-pack / definition around the abs, but feeling a whole, hella lot better than when I start out 90-days ago!  The weight has fallen 10kg or 13% of my total body-mass to 66kg at this point.  More importantly, the healthy diet has really done wonders cleaning out the system and I feel lean and much stronger.  For example, I've gone from barely eking out two pull-ups to today 10, arms fully extended explosive pull-up.  Most happy about feeling more strength in the lower back, abs and entire core.  Haven't gotten my body-fat re-checked but suspect somewhere in the mid-teen levels.  But from a health perspective, I would fathom a guess that PCP has probably added several years to my life-span and saved me from an almost certain onslaught of diabetes a few years down the road - can't beat that.

To those thinking of taking the plunge:  the best part of Patrick's strategy for those looking to do PCP has been the gradual nature of it.  Starting of slowing, not plunging into no-carbs from the get go, and then building off that base in a week's time.  What better excuse to get off the booze and focus for a few weeks.  I will say though, the one thing you realize as you start to get in slightly better shape is how HARD it is really to get in awesome shape.  Well I don't know if I'll ever "arrive" at say 12% body fat, it's nice at least getting a step closer and keeps you motivated on the self-improvement front.

Elsewhere, I've never blogged in my life up to this point in time but really found the practice to be almost therapeutic at some level.  The weekly questions from the group and video round-up were great.  

Finally, not to be overly gushy, but in twenty years since college, I struggled to lose so much as a pound and wasn't successful in keeping it off once I got there.  I do think much of the program will remain embedded in my lifestyle for now, certainly the healthier eating habits. I'll also incorporate more than a handful of exercises (Kung-Fu sit-ups, you are a killer!) into the routine, will scale-back the number of workouts slightly but add some stretching / yoga and a bit more running in as well.  Again, well done to the team - it's been fun and motivating getting killer results together.  Good luck and stay healthy.  -Robby P 

And thanks finally to my lovely wife Yumi and my two little munchkins for putting up with "Papa" during the training.  xo

The Plank, Super-Set Me

Two days to go, feeling OK but the body a bit worn.  Really good work-out yesterday with the super-sets kicking in and sticking with healthy food.  Trying out the plank this morning (one of my favorite PCP exercises), with the invariable pile-on by the little guys.  Good luck heading to the finish line. -rp

PCP?! Just one thing to say...

8 days left...so bang it out fellow mutha fukkas -)

Ugly Mugs and Iwashi Burgers

Less than two weeks left now.  I've been able to bounce gradually from my cold of last week and felt about 90% of my regular strength yesterday.  I'll be back to full-power this weekend which I'll need to tackle the longer jump-rope sessions and greater number of reps.  Uploading this week's pic into Flickr.

Even for a stubborn curmudgeon like myself who's been working out "his way" for years, I've really taken a liking to some of the new exercises introduced to us throughout the course of PCP.  Specifically, the Lunges, V-Sits and Plank are three I plan to continue and make a permanent part of my workout.  While there's always much attention on "six-pack abs"by many in the gym, I realize how important the entire CORE is to one's well-being, especially keeping the lower-back and muscles around the vertabrae strong.

Was out last night for the first time in a while - bunch of friends and clients watching the All Blacks vs. Japan rugby match.  I've taken small pride in the fact that I haven't touched a beer during the past 10-weeks so wanted to keep the trend alive and contented myself with two tonic waters with lime.  Lots of comments from guys I haven't seen in a while, "Man, have you lost a lot of weight or something?"... or "Wow, you're looking pretty buff."  Funny word, buff, sort of makes you feel like you're in a cartoon.

after the match we had some Thai food.  tasted good when I was eating it but realized just how salty it was (or how sensitive the palatte has gotten to excess salt) after I got home.  Woke up at 3am and needed to brush my teeth again and guzzle half a liter of water.

Off to eat Yumi's healthy breakfast (below)...  On a funny note, a couple nights ago I got back from the gym and saw what looked like three min-hamburgers on the dinner plate.  was pretty psyched as I really haven't eaten much red-meat at all the past 10 weeks.  Took one bite to discover that they were really Iwashi (sardine) burgers that looked like chop-meat.  What a buzz-kill...healthy maybe, but wouldn't advocate that to those at home...  Weekend is here, enjoy your sessions guys.  -Rob

Three Weeks Left - Bouncing bAck

I've been very careful, and a bit lucky, not to have gotten sick in a very long time.  Perhaps because of the season change (cooler at night) and the fact that I've really been trying to push myself in the workouts during the final phase, I felt like I had been run-over by a freight train two days ago.  Symptoms:  runny nose, sore throat and a weak and achey body.  Disappointing in light of what Patrick has been saying - with our diets and cravings under control now, this last month is a great time to make a big improvement in our conditioning.  Very restless sleep on Friday night, on Saturday I tried to give the exercises a go and found could only get through the first few sets with no strength left for jump-roping.  Decided not to push it as the last thing I want is to be out now for three or four days during this final leg of PCP....

Saturday dinner, took a Vitamin C tablet, one egg and a Japanese nashi pear for dinner washed down with a full glass of a golden 2008 Meursault, Premier Cru.  This seems to have done the trick; knocked me out for a full ten hours in full REM mode.  Early Sunday morning, already a bit warm but with a nice breeze, the rest had me feeling better and allowed for a very slow-paced 12km jog around town.  Felt many of the sick toxins exit my body; feels like I'm about 75% recovered at this point.  Hopefully I've turned the corner and like our 8-min ab dude says,"Ease on it to these routines people..." which will be my goal \ for the next couple of days.  Recent family pic after a tofu-lunch by the Tokyo Tower.  -RP

Off to Never Never Land...Enter Sandman

Actually, enter the new "Transtherm" atsuryoku-nabe / pressure kicker (German design) which arrived this morning at my doorstep.  This thing is a B-E-A-S-T - can't wait to check it out.  My wife Yumi also ordered three huge boxes of organic vegetables...corn, squash, white onions, red-onions, a variety of beans.  So with less than 3 1/2 weeks to in my PCP, we're dancing down the final stretch now.  Motivational weekly video by Patrick I thought a few days back...once you're into the 60-day range and the early results start coming in, it's easy to get complacent with both the diet and the workout.  I can understand this as I've found myself cheating small here and there on the diet thinking that I've basically hit my targets.  It's my task now to step it up...

My weight has stabilized at 68kg and I feel like I'm adding muscle back now.  I've hit the jump-roping and gym hard this week, two-hours each the past couple of days.  Today I plan to go for a hot-yoga workout after my exercises - every three days or so I think a good deep stretch is really warranted - it seems to recalibrate my body after getting run-down from the workouts.  Have forgotten about the 8-minute abs past four of five days...plan to bang-out a bout today with my little guy at my side... background by Lars and the boys for much needed adrenaline.  Cheers Team Echo, stay strong. -rp

Day 63 - Thoughts

Hot bucket of sweat
Prone I lie, panting, burning
Cool yogurt, sweet dream