Yesterday was the last day of the P90X2 program. I completed each phase in 4 weeks without using a single recovery week. I feel like I pushed myself throughout this program and if my goal was to tone and strengthen I can definitely say I achieved my goal. However, after taking final measurements today I was really disappointed. I expected to have lost a lot of weight and inches in every area. After all, if you've come from no physical activity to intense workouts 5 days a week and a strict diet, you're bound to lose weight and inches, right? Well, not in my case. I was really bummed to discover that I had only lost 2 lbs in this 90 day journey and a total of 2.75 inches overall, most noticeably in my waist, hips and legs. I guess I was expecting extreme results like Damien has had. I've completed the same ab workouts as him 3 separate times and I have yet to sport a 6-pack like him. Maybe I shouldn't compare my results to his, as we all know that men lose weight quicker and easier than women do. However, it is still disappointing nonetheless.
So, being in quite a funk this morning I decided to pull up pictures from Day 1, Day 30 and Day 90. The proof is in the pictures! I was amazed at how much my body has transformed since Day 1 and started to feel better about my completion of the program. I noticed the most weight loss after Day 30, which makes sense because it is a fat shredding phase. Between Day 30 and Day 90 I haven't noticed much difference although I can say according to the photos it looks as though I've built up my shoulders and arms. I think if I had taken measurements at Day 30 I would have been more impressed with my results, because I truly believe that is when I lost the most weight and inches. However, since then, I feel that I have built more muscle as demonstrated in the Day 90 photos, which also explains why I haven't lost much on the scale. My fat shredded after the first 30 days and since then I've built muscle along the way. Naturally, that would reflect in no weight loss on the scale since muscle weighs more than fat. And since my final measurements do show inches lost, I have to believe that the inches lost has turned into muscle gained on the scale.
Overall, I can say that my clothes fit more comfortably, my core feels a lot tighter and I've impressed myself with the upper body strength I've gained. Although, I failed to lose much weight, I have lost inches. So, I can't say that this program was a compete failure. I'm still a firm believer that daily activity and healthy eating habits do contribute to overall fitness. So, in that regard, I suppose I can say I'm as healthy and as fit as I've ever been.
For inspirational purposes, I want to post some pictures so you can nitpick my results. If you thought that taking pictures was just a waste of time, I suggest you rethink your position. If it weren't for the pictures I've taken on this journey I would have felt completely defeated. It just goes to show that the scale doesn't always tell the whole truth. Believe in the pictures!
This blog is intended to serve as both a resource and support through the P90X2 program. As P90X graduates, we've decided to continue to include helpful links, articles and recipes to those who are working through the P90X programs. Although we will mostly focus on the new program, we will keep all links and articles pertaining to P90X on our blog. As always, we welcome comments, questions and any other inspiring words to others who might be reading this and seeking encouragement themselves.