I’ve been asked a number of times in the last few days how things have been going with P90X… and my Third Quarter Melt Down in general. That’s a pretty good indication that I need to work on my blogging frequency. Sorry about that – I’ll try to be better!

Even though I haven’t been very good about blogging, I’m pleased to report that I’ve been sticking to the P90X program without fail. In fact, I’ve completed the first three and a half weeks without missing a single workout! Some days, it was particularly difficult to ‘push play’ as they say, but I’m committed, and I’m doing this. So there.

I’ve been feeling pretty good, too! I can tell that I’m improving, which is great. I haven’t really lost much weight – only about 3 pounds since July 1 – but I know it will come. I can feel my body getting stronger and my balance and flexibility are improving. Noticing all these differences drives me to keep going and try harder and harder so that I can continue to make these positive changes.

It feels good… It feels really good.

How about the rest of you out there? It’s been a while since you’ve committed to kicking it up a notch; have you been working on reaching your goals? If you’re not proud of what you’ve been doing over the last three weeks, recommit: You can’t go backwards, but you can start again today. Right now. Do it with me!

I love that a number of you are with me on the Third Quarter Melt Down! It’s so important to have goals – long term and short term – so I think this will be good for everyone. I’d love to hear about your progress as the weeks go on, so please feel free to keep me updated in the comments, on Facebook, via Twitter (@_kimbolina), or send me an email if you prefer (kimberly@watermelonwaistline.com).

It’s now one week into the Third Quarter, which also means I’m one week into P90X. When I started, my weight was 177. This morning, I was 174.5. A 2.5 pound loss this week? I’ll take it!

While I’m sure that has a lot to do with the hour-long intense workouts I’ve been doing each day, I know the other part of that is my diet, which I’m thrilled to announce has been hugely improved over the last few days. I’m once again logging my food (thank you, My Food Diary), which really keeps me accountable for what I put in my mouth. I’ve found that much of what I’ve been eating has been fine, but definitely not everything. Also, many of my portion sizes have been out of whack in the last few months: I’ve reverted to eating as much as my 6’2″ husband. Not cool.

The Third Quarter Melt Down starts off with a bang! If this rate of loss keeps up (I don’t expect it to, but it would be a nice surprise!), I may have to up my goal! Right now, I’ll just enjoy the fact that I only have 10.5 more pounds to go.

How are the rest of you doing? Anyone else want in on this? I’m not staging a contest with rules or anything: The Third Quarter Melt Down is just a personal challenge to use the next 3 months to step up your weight-loss and/or training efforts. Set a goal for yourself and then take the necessary steps to reach them. For me, it’s lose 13 pounds by my birthday (October 5) and I’ll be focusing on my diet much more closely and continuing with P90X.

Let’s do this!

I’m five days into P90X. So far, so good! I was oh-so-very-sore after Day 1, which was astounding. It was a good workout, but I didn’t expect to feel it quite so much in the days that followed. By Day 3, when I had to do a 15-minute ab workout, it hurt just to get on the floor.

I stuck with it though, and even though it’s only been a few more days, I think my body is getting used to the more rigorous routine. My muscles are still achy, but it’s far more manageable. In fact, it’s kind of nice, actually – reminds me that I’m doing something. Pushing myself. I like it.

Here’s the thing though: I know it’s only been 5 days, and I typically recommend to folks (and myself) not to weigh yourself every day, but each day this week I’ve weighed exactly the same thing. I feel like it should have changed, at least a tiny bit, after doing an intense workout for roughly 60 minutes each day… on top of Kung Fu.

But no. Of course that’s not going to happen… Not with the way I’ve been eating.

I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t put much thought into how I’ve been eating over the last few months. I haven’t thrown everything out the window or anything – even my ‘reckless’ eating is far better than it was a few years ago – but I haven’t been eating in such a way that will cause me to lose weight.

In fact, you may have noticed that I haven’t posted my weight here in quite some time. That’s because I haven’t actively been working to lower it, and therefore, it has instead risen.

My current weight is 177.

*sigh*

At my lowest, I got down to 169 at the end of March. I guess I’ve slowly but surely tacked on 8 pounds. How ridiculous is that?! Clearly I don’t quite have the intuitive eating/maintenance thing down yet, and still need to pay some attention to what I’m putting in my mouth.

I know that doing P90X in addition to Kung Fu and occasional running will be a huge help. But I also need to focus more on what – and how much – I’m eating.

I need a goal. I’m very goal-oriented. And it’s been a long time since I’ve set a goal that had to do with the scale. (In some ways, I think that’s healthy, but clearly I’m not quite there yet as I’ve gained 8 pounds in 3 months…)

So: I started P90X on July 1. That will take me to the end of September, and my birthday is just a few days later on October 5. That got me to thinking that my birthday would be a great target date for this short-term goal.

After crunching the numbers and thinking realistically about what I can do if I really try, I’ve decided to set my goal for October 5 at 164 pounds. That’s 13 pounds in 3 months – more than doable. It seems so doable that I’m almost afraid I’m not challenging myself enough, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure, either.

Besides that, 164 is a significant number for me. When I was young – 14 maybe? – I remember going on a diet with this as my start weight. At 14, 164 is a lot. At 29, it’s a lot more reasonable!

Incidentally, who goes on a diet and then puts on nearly 100 pounds?! Crazy.

So wish me luck, people! I’m going to really put in the effort again. I know what works: Counting calories and exercising. I’ve got the exercise on track, so now it’s time to focus on the food and I know I can do it.

Anyone want to put it into high gear with me for the next 3 months? We can call it the Third Quarter Melt Down… or something :)

A while back – about 75 pounds into my weight-loss journey – I attempted Tony Horton’s P90X program. Sadly, I only lasted about 3 weeks of the 12.

If you’re not familiar, P90X is a 90-day system comprised of 12 different workouts that you alternate to keep your muscles “confused” so you don’t plateau or get bored.

It’s incredibly challenging. And time-consuming. And tiring.

And I’m ready to try it again.

When I tried it before, my husband did it with me. Committing to doing something with someone else can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. When the time commitment became too much for my husband with his work schedule, I just let it go too. (Even though since I have my own business and work from home, I have more time than most…) I didn’t stop because I felt bad that he couldn’t do it with me – he’s always incredibly supportive. I stopped because I wasn’t invested enough to do it on my own.

I’m further along in my journey now. I’m in better shape than I was then, and I’m mentally stronger, too. I’ve always secretly wanted to try this again (I hate feeling like a quitter!), but I’ve never taken the leap. After reading about how Rachel of (Body by Pizza fame) is about to give it a go and “get buff”, I was inspired to finally try it again.

Honestly, I’m still a little afraid that I’ll fail again. If this is going to beat me, though, it’s not going to be from lack of trying.

And so, starting tomorrow, July 1, I will restart P90X. I think the structure and the intensity and the challenge will be good for me. We all know how good I am at following schedules! And how good I am at doing nothing when I don’t have a schedule…

I’m actually a little excited :) Wish me luck!

Things have improved quite a bit this past week. And when I say “things” I’m really referring to just one thing: Motivation.

I realized, with the help of a very wise brother, that most people don’t work out because it’s fun. They do it because they should. Because it’s good for their bodies and minds. Because they are training to achieve goals they’ve set for themselves. Obviously, it’s ideal that you’d find workouts that you like because it makes it more enjoyable and easier to stick to, but working out just for the sake of working out is generally not fun for most people.

I am one of those people.

Sure, when I’m going to work out there are things that I like doing more than others – running, most notably – but as I’ve discovered this past month, I don’t like it enough to want to do it with the frequency needed to keep my fitness level where I want it. I now know I also need the… pressure, for lack of a better word… of training to reach a particular goal.

To that end, I’ve registered for a 5k on June 26, and my goal for this race is to finally break 30 minutes for a race of this distance. I believe I’ve done it once or twice during training for the half, but never for a precisely timed race, so I can’t say for sure. I was only about 30 seconds too slow at the Race for the Cure on May 9, so I think if I push a little more and do a bit of speedwork beforehand (which I’ve never really done) I should be able to make it.

I’ve also scheduled a weekly run with a new running buddy, N-Cat, which keeps me committed to running at the very least once a week. (And if I want to be able to keep up with her, I know I’ll have to get out there on my own a few times each week, too!)

Just talking about my troubles with motivation last week has helped me identify the problem and come up with possible solutions to help me get past it. So far, so good, too: I’ve already upped my run frequency by about 300% from the week before and I have to say that my outlook overall is significantly improved.

Maybe it’s because of all of the Vitamin D I’m making out there in the sun :)

Thanks to everyone for their input! And Rachel: I’m seriously considering your suggestion to attempt a change-up by doing P90X with you. We shall see!

Last night was the series premier of Jillian Michaels’ new show. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of hers, so obviously I watched it.

I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I actually cried at one point during the episode. Some touching moments there, folks.

If you missed it – or want to watch it again! – there’s an encore presentation (ie: rerun) of last night’s episode on tonight. You can also watch the entire episode on NBC’s website. If you’re a fan of The Biggest Loser, you’ll like this show. It’s different of course, but in a lot of ways, it’s actually more realistic. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean.

If you saw it, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on it. Love it? Hate it? Really miss Bob?

I use the loo a lot during the day… A lot. I think it’s mostly a mental thing due to my proximity to the bathroom. I work from home, and anytime I leave my office for anything – to get the mail, to get something to drink, to break for lunch – I have to pass by the commode. I see it, and I suddenly have to go.

At night or when I’m out, it’s not nearly an issue. In fact, I’m almost camelesque at times. But during the workday, I can go six or seven times. By the end of the day, that jumps to 8 or 10 times.

As insane as that is, it’s not the point of my story.

Since I’m in the ladies so much, and since I’ve been so busy lately – too busy to work out as much as I’d like – I figured I’d try to add a little exercise to my bathroom breaks.

For the last 4 days, following every single trip to the W.C., I’ve done 10 squats. Good squats, too – nice and low. By bedtime, that can add up to 80 or 100 squats! And it takes virtually no time out of my day.

I’m starting to feel some soreness in my quads from it, which tells me that it’s doing something! At some point, I think I’ll switch it up and do squats one day and another exercise the next, but for now, I’m sticking with squats.

Anyone else know squat?

I’m so excited: I bought a watermelon yesterday for just $3.99, which means it’s officially Watermelon Season in my book! Watermelon is one of my all-time favorite fruits… I don’t want to look like one, but I love to eat them!

I cut half of it up to enjoy with dinner tonight, and it was finger-licking, lip-smacking, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. When I fed a bite to my husband while he manned the grill, he said “Holy crap! That’s quite possibly the best watermelon I’ve ever had!” I couldn’t agree more. Sweet, juicy, bright pink – simply perfect.

Run out and buy yourself a watermelon – and then eat it. It’ll fill you up with its delicious fiberifficness!

How to Choose a Watermelon

• Look the watermelon over: You are looking for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
• Lift it up: The watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water; most of the weight is water.
• Turn it over: The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Health Benefits of Watermelon

• Watermelon is the Lycopene Leader in fresh produce, having higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes – a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains an average of 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg.
• Watermelon has heart healthy properties because it is naturally low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol.
• Watermelon is practically a multivitamin unto itself: A 2-cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin A (important for optimal eye health), Vitamin B6 (used by the body to manufacture brain chemicals [neurotransmitters], such as serotonin, melatonin and dopamine, which preliminary research shows may help the body cope with anxiety and panic), and Vitamin C (which helps bolster your immune system’s defenses against infections and viruses and is known to stimulate the immune system and protect against free radical damage.

For more information on watermelon’s health benefits – and all things watermelon! – visit www.watermelon.org.

My husband and I recently returned from a mini-vacation to Arizona. He won a big award at work (yay!), and his company flew him and “a guest” out for a banquet*. Since we have friends there, as well, we decided to stay a few extra days.

Much fun was had by all. However, the four days we were away were detrimental to both my eating habits and my half marathon training.

I didn’t run a single time we were gone. This means I missed 2 mid-week runs, and Sunday’s long run. I would have done the long run today, but I got terribly sick last night after getting back home, and – though I’m much better today – I was definitely not up for running 11 miles. Or any miles…

I have a sneaking suspicion that getting sick was my body’s way of telling me it was unhappy with the food I had been giving it. Obviously we ate out a lot – that’s what you do on vacation – but I didn’t even try to make good, healthy decisions. I ordered whatever I wanted, and then ate the entire thing. Every single time.

I don’t know why I was going so crazy with the food. It was like I couldn’t help myself. I gorged myself over and over again, to the point of feeling bloated and gross. And then I did the exact same thing at the next meal.

It bothers me that I could go so ridiculously overboard – and for so many days in a row. I’ve overindulged before, but typically that’s for a meal or a day, not 4 straight days. AND without much** exercise!

I’m happy to report that at least I’m back on track today. It feels good to eat food not prepared by a restaurant. I didn’t run today, but I went to hip hop, and that was good. Mostly.***

*This banquet required that I buy a fancy dress. More on that later.

**We did climb the to the top of Camelback Mountain on Friday, which was both difficult and tons of fun. Photos and story to come!

***More to come on that later, too.

Neither my husband nor I had to work on Friday. We had a lovely morning together, walking around our neighborhood to run some errands and get breakfast.

A BIG breakfast.

Too much food. Delicious, greasy food. Enough food to hold us over until about 3pm. When we went out for lunch.

A BIG lunch.

Too much food. Delicious, salty food. Enough food to hold us over until after 9pm. You know you ate too much for lunch when you’re still not hungry at 9pm…

Regardless of my cuisine carelessness, I had to run 5 miles that day. I was waiting for the food to settle before going out, but at 7, I had to reevaluate that plan, as the day’s food was still churning and the sun was preparing to go down. So I went out anyway.

It was a terrible run. I felt bloated and gross the entire time. I had a cramp for the first 3 miles. My overall pace was more than a minute slower than usual. I wanted it to end before it even started.

Learn from my mistakes, folks: Bad food = Bad workout.