Bring It: P90X Day 81

I know I have said it before and I will say it again. P90X is one tough workout. In fact, it is an extreme workout. Tony Horton created P90X based on the concept of muscle confusion. This means you give 110% effort everyday and he gives you enough programs to switch it up. This is to help you stay away from those dreaded plateaus.

If you would like to start from the beginning of this series, please click here. If you want to read about my previous day with P90X, click here.

Feel free to leave your comments below. We are coming to the end of this personal journey so not much left. Leave your comments and lets inspire and motivate the others around us!

Still fighting a cold, today was another difficult one to get my workout in. At least the motivation it requires to do an hour and half of yoga. Not just regular yoga, but extreme yoga. A workout where you start of stiff and become more flexible by the end of the pracitice.

I didn't do my workout when I first woke up; I waited until later in the morning. However, because it is the holiday, I also vowed that I would not finish anymore of my baking until after I have finished my workout. That meant I better get my butt in gear. I have a lot of stuff to finish and I wasn't starting any of it until after I finished.

So, feeling crummy and crappy and listening to my kids run around and scream (apparently they have no idea what quiet is), I finally decided to give it a go. Focusing was going to be difficult with all their screaming, but I threatened them with Santa if they didn't start using their inside voices. It didn't work.

However, I tried really hard and was strong enough with my focus to block out their screaming while they play their games. (I am sure I will miss this some day. Right now - it is giving me a headache. The cold doesn't help my grumpiness, obviously.

Then something happened. I had fallen into the greatest place I could with yoga. Extreme relaxation and focus. I drowned the kids screaming out and while they still played and ran around like crazy people, I focused and inside my head it was quiet. It was pure magic!

The holiday hustle and bustle is really on top of us now. There are only 3 days left until Christmas. Are you ready yet? I know I am not!

I haven't finished Christmas shopping yet, I still (obviously) have presents to wrap, the holiday baking is only halfway completed, and somewhere in their is laundry piling up, weekly household chores, and grocery shopping. Right now, I am not sure when I am going to get any sleep.

Yet, I am not going to stress about it. The holidays will come and go and all these stresses will seem like a waste of energy. Except of course that holiday baking. The goodies will still be there after the holidays. Unless of course I get everybody else to eat them....

When attending holiday parties, you are already aware you are going to be throwing your calorie budget out the window. Yet the appetizers will be calling out your name... and you will be tempted... and then dinner will begin... and your plate will be filled.... and by the time desert rolls around... well, you will be needing to be rolled away from the table.

So you are probably wondering, especially if you have already lost weight, how you are going to keep the weight off or at least maintain with all of these delicious goodies staring right at you. Don't despair... here are 3 things you can indulge in during the holidays.

1. Fruits and Veggies - I have never been to a party where there hasn't been a fruit or veggie platter, or both. These are great things to snack on. They will fill you up but they aren't completely useless calories. So stay away from the chips and dips and all the bad stuff and indulge on the fruit and veggie trays.
2. Meat - If you are going to overdo it, stick to the meats... like white pieces of chicken, ham or any other lean cuts. Proteins are a much better way to go then overindulging in all the carbs that will stick to your ribs.
3. Your favorite dessert - Now I am not suggesting that you eat the whole thing. However, I am suggesting that you don't deny yourself one tiny little piece. These are the holidays and they are meant to be enjoyed. You can sample just don't go overboard. If you don't allow yourself a tiny taste it could backfire later, causing you to overeat on everything else. So enjoy that little taste. And remember you are going to have to work it off tomorrow!

So there really isn't much time left before the holidays are upon us. Anyone who is a bit of a health nut, or maybe just trying to lose weight during this time of year, is going to feel the pressures and the stresses. Most importantly, remember what this time of year stands for. No one is going to judge you if you make bad decisions for one or two days. However, if you are on this journey like I am - do it if you must, don't feel guilty about it, and move on the next day.

These rundown of days is meant as a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. While some are filled with just holiday cheer, others are meant to get you prepared. If you have been putting in a lot of hardwork getting healthy, don't throw it all away in one day. But do try something if you want to, just remember to listen to your body. Not listening to your body is most likely what got you in this situation in the first place!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Click here to read about Day 82. Included are the two exercises you can do to feel a little extra burn during the holidays.