Adrian: Day 97, I'm Back

I'm wondering if the other PCPer's have been keeping up with the diet and maintenance exercise plans, because I sure haven't. I just kind of threw it out the window after day 90. But after a week of vegging out, I realize that I'm not exactly feeling too good about not working out and not paying attention to what I eat. So I decided to get back on it. I did the short work-out tonight, and it was pretty easy. Though my strength has definitely declined a bit. Or maybe just my idea of how much pain I'm willing to tolerate. Anyway, I'm going to keep posting here in an effort to keep myself motivated, and to stick to regular exercise and a healthy diet for as long as I can. So check back here every now and then for sporadic updates on my progress and backsliding.

Emiko: Day 90, A Peek Back At Day 1

OH MY GOSH IT'S DAY 90!!! I cannot believe that this Project is officially over. Congratulations Tim, Amy, Nate, and Adrian and meee! BIG big thanks to Patrick and Chen for guiding us along through the process. WOW!

Patrick had mentioned once in an email, "Tell yourself that after your 90 days you can eat all the stuff you want for the rest of your life.  But not now.  (The magic is of course that after 90 days you have little inclination to eat all the stuff you want)." At the time I felt like this was a lie, because at the time all I could think about was how much I craved all the yummy food I used to eat.

Today Adrian and I decided to celebrate by eating out for lunch and dinner, and overall it was really tasty. We shared a turkey sandwich and spinach salad for lunch. The sandwich was awesome, and the salad would have been too if it weren't drenched in vinaigrette. For dinner we had curry and naan, and even a little ice cream for dessert (left-over from our first PCP indulgence). We went kind of crazy, but it is nice to have that freedom. But we also know now that many prepared meals are not as healthy as they should be, and don't agree with our stomachs anymore. We decided to eat out only every so often, and to get quality meals when we do. Mostly we will probably be eating what we have been eating, but without weighing it all on the kitchen scale. Well, maybe sometimes :)

Our special assignment for our last day was to go back to square one, and go through an old work-out routine from the first couple of weeks. I decided to go back to Day 1. I did 688 jump-ropes just like my first night. I also did 5x20 squats, 4x8 push-ups, and 4x15 crunches. The jump-ropes and crunches both felt pretty good, and gave me the same burn that they do nowadays as they are incorporated in our current work-outs. But the push-ups were SO EASY! Doing them on the floor – as opposed to elevating our feet like we do now – made the movement feel wimpy. I used to really struggle to do push-ups, especially at the beginning. Getting through them with such ease tonight was a little way of showing myself how far I've come.

Like Adrian, I plan to write a little more and to post some photos of my new muscles! But that will probably be in a couple days, I need to recover from all that curry...!

Emiko: Day 88, I Like To Eat, Eat, Eat Apples and Bananas

A lot has changed in this last week! Our exercise routines are a different structure. We rotate between two workouts: a heavy routine focusing on complementary muscle-groups, and another that is shorter but more intensely focused on abs. The longer work-out is difficult and takes more time to complete than those in the past, but I think that I like it better. We used to focus on one muscle group at a time, trying to get a killer burn. Now we get to trade back and forth between muscle groups, and the burn feels different. The muscles get worked slowly, but eventually I can reach a really good burn. It's a cool change, and it feels nice to switch it up.

We also have new, bigger diets. I am finally back to eating "real dinner" rather than my old apple/banana/milk/egg-white combo. But, like Amy, I am surprised because after waiting for so long to have permission to eat "real dinner" again, I find that I don't really want to. Eating even my small portions of meat, carbs and vegetables feels kind of heavy for me. It's odd how fast things will turn around. I think that most of my cravings are now mental rather than a physical need for extra food. I think that I will return to my old dinner for my post-PCP diet.

Change, change, change! We also have a new President, which is really exciting and has returned some of my hope. We'll see what these next two, final PCP days bring. I can't believe that the Project will be over so soon!

Adrian: Day 71, Plans

I've been thinking a bit about some things I'd like to do post-PCP. I want to keep exercising regularly, and I came up with a few ideas of how to do that in the winter. Here's a partial list:

1.) Go for walks in the rain
2.) Go for jogs in the rain
3.) Ride my bike late at night
4.) Gardening


I don't have plans yet for when it's sunny. It's been a while since I went for long walks in the rain with an umbrella. I haven't done that since high school actually, when I used to sometimes walk to and from school. I hated waiting for the bus. I especially didn't like standing inside a crowded bus while dripping wet. People get uncomfortable when you're sopping wet and you're standing real close.

I remember a couple instances where I'd be driving somewhere and it would be raining out. I'd see joggers and I would think to myself that it was stupid or a waste of time to be running in the rain. I've seen people running in the rain wearing shorts, and sometimes no shirt. But I've gone jogging in the rain it since then, and I like it. In light rain at least. It cools you down and washes off the sweat.

As far as diet goes, I'm definitely gonna stay away from oil and sugar as much as possible. At least 90% of the time. I've been missing "Bake Sale Betty's" fried chicken sandwiches. I think I'm gonna have to get one of those for my last indulgence. I'm looking forward to that!

Adrian: Day 64, Jogging

Emiko and I just came back from a jog at the lake. We haven't been down there since the PCP started. In fact, we haven't been getting out much at all aside from doing chores. It felt good to be outside. It was also surprisingly hot. I tripped right at the beginning in front of a bunch of little kids. I almost fell flat on my face, but luckily I was able to catch myself with my hands. I jumped right back up and kept going. When I got up I expected to see the kids laughing, but instead they were just shocked.

Anyway, I noticed that it was a whole lot easier to jog than I thought it would be after such a long hiatus. Jumping rope really seems to have kept my lungs strong. I did a short sprint at the end, and I didn't feel like I was going to vomit afterward. That was nice.

After the jog, Emiko and I checked out the Botanical Garden right across the way. We were looking for brochures with volunteer information, but they were all out. We were about to leave when an old lady in Terminator sunglasses walked into the garden and headed our way. She told us that she was the volunteer coordinator. We exchanged our information, said our goodbyes, and then Emiko and I walked around the garden a bit more. It looks like we have jobs at the garden now, and I think it will be pretty fun.

Adrian: Day 61, Eating After a Workout

Something I'm supposed to do on the PCP is eat an egg white right after working out. But on some days, I also eat my dinner right after working out. I've been wondering lately if it's a good thing to eat all this food right after. My guess is that its better, because the body is burning more calories and using up more nutrients during and directly after a workout.

I did a bit of research on the internet, and I've found some strategies of what and how to eat after a work out. What I've learned is that the best time to eat is during the first 60 minutes after working out. This is called the Golden Hour and it's when muscles are most efficiently absorbing nutrients and replacing energy reserves. Taking in carbs and proteins during this time is the best way to speed up recovery. Proteins provide amino acids and increased muscle hydration. Amino acids help repair the muscles and also strengthen the immune system. Carbs are important for replacing glycogen - the energy reserves of the muscles.

The proportion of carbs, proteins and fats in the post-workout meal depends on the individual's fitness level and goals. In general, it seems to be recommended to have the post-workout meal in drink form. I guess this is so the body doesn't have to spend extra energy on digestion. I'll experiment with having my post-workout egg white, banana and milk in a shake. But, I'm still not entirely sure if it's okay to have a full dinner right after working out. I think it would be ideal though, if I could manage my time better and get my workouts done earlier in the day.

Emiko: Day 53, Already Tomorrow

It's almost 2am right now, and I have just finished my work out and am eating my post-work out egg white. This is the latest that I have been awake in a long time. Needless to say, this post will only last a few more sentences. Today was a really long day. I will go more into depth in tomorrow's post. Or should I say, today's post?! It is already tomorrow. Oh my.

Emiko: Day 47, When Drawing a Line

I have been thinking a lot lately about how I warp reality in my life, and specifically with the PCP. Adrian has noticed how obsessive I have become with my progress, and I am having to deal with that. I have been getting down on myself for not losing fat, and then pushing myself too hard during workouts. I do this as if it will make me change faster. Patrick has warned us against this mindset, but I still let myself fall into it.

I feel like this obsession is rooted in my low self-esteem regarding my body and ability. In the past, I have never had the will-power to follow a healthy diet or exercise with any regularity. This was probably mostly because I didn't believe that I could change myself. Now that my life is changing so much, my attitude has also changed. Or has it? I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed. Because I am not used to this amount of effort, I don't really know where my boundaries are. I don't know when to draw the line and say, "hey, maybe I should just stop." I don't know where that line belongs.

So that is where my challenge lies now, in learning my boundaries and respecting them. These past few days I have tried to be aware of my body and scale back on an exercise if I needed to. But I am also scared of using this search for boundaries as an excuse to ease up too much. I am still scared of falling back into my old lazy patterns, and doing only the minimum when I could do more. I am having trouble finding the middle way, feeling out where the line should be drawn. But I'm trying.

Adrian and Emiko: Day 40, Working Together

We tried out a new recipe for lunch today. We made chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots & onions in our slow cooker. The recipe also included a paste made of garlic, onion, honey, rosemary & pepper, and butter, which we made with our blender. (The full recipe is coming tomorrow, along with a sweet potato fries recipe we made yesterday.)

For dinner, Emiko made Adrian an apple & banana smoothie, but it had a garlicky after taste. We used honey to cover it up, but that just made it really sweet - with a garlicky after taste. Luckily, Adrian loves garlic.

Adrian was in a really bad mood this morning. He even cursed at the carrots and sweet potatoes as he was chopping them up for the chicken recipe. The mood followed him all the way into the evening. But, after going out to do jump-ropes, the negativity magically lifted. From then on it was all hugs, smiles and laughter. It's amazing how quickly these things can change.

Today we both really realized how much of an advantage we have because we can do things together. We have been able to help each other during our workouts in a bunch of different ways.

One thing we've been able to do is to point out mistakes the other person is making. For example, when Emiko was doing her tricep extensions, Adrian noticed that she was using her entire arm to get through the movement. After bringing this up, Emiko was able to correct herself and do the rest of the exercise properly. Later, while Adrian was doing his tricep dips, he mentioned to Emiko how easy they were. Emiko then pointed out that he was going through the exercises too quickly. After slowing down his pace, Adrian had a much harder time, but in the end got a better workout.

We are also big source of encouragement for each other. Today, while Emiko was doing her jump-ropes, she showed off some cool jump rope dance moves for Adrian which made him laugh. While she was fooling around, Emiko was able to do her first double-jump, and later Adrian did the same. It was lots of fun and broke up some of the monotony of jump-roping. Also, Emiko usually cheers Adrian on while he is struggling through a tough exercise like v-sits or tricep extensions, and it gives him an extra boost to go the extra mile.

These aspects are of course present in other parts of our relationship. We have decided to work together to put what we learn in school directly into use. Although we signed up for a Web Design class together this Fall, we decided today that our time would be best used if Emiko stays in the class and passes information along to Adrian, while he uses that time to create content for the website we are going to create. In this way, we are learning how to optimize our time, and to work together to complete tasks. It is exciting and motivating knowing that we are working as a team in order to move forward in our lives together.

Emiko: Day 36 & 37, A Birthday, Briefly

Good evening, everybody! Today was a bit of a special day, because it was my 20th birthday. Adrian made me the most wonderful present to wake up to... origami animals that filled our bedroom ceiling, all hanging down to greet me good morning. As I first awoke, I could see their silhouettes in the morning light, but didn't realize what they were until I turned the lamp on. Who knew that this was the surprise that Adrian had been working on in secret this whole time? So so so neat!


But that wasn't the only surprise he had in store for me! My first birthday surprise came yesterday, when Adrian took me for a drive down to Santa Clara. He wouldn't tell me where we were going, all he said was, "Don't dress up." When we arrived, I realized why. We were going to be jumping on trampolines!

At first I was a little embarrassed, because we were definitely the oldest people there besides parents supervising their children, and one old guy. The old guy was in a maroon jumpsuit with a matching headband, and was having extreme fun jumping and twirling in one little square of trampoline for an hour.

We only got to snap one photo before the attendants busted us and made us put our camera away.

I was also really scared to try anything ambitious on the trampolines. I attempted a few front-flips, but landed on my butt every time. I tried some old gymnastics moves before finally going for a back-flip, which I was almost positive I couldn't do anymore. But Adrian kept encouraging me, "Try it! Just try it!" And guess what? I did it! My body somehow remembered the movement from like 10 years ago when I could do all that flippy stuff. After that, I was able to do a bunch of back-flips, and I started to have a lot of fun.

Today I am a little sorry for getting overzealous with the back-flips, because I think I may have injured myself. My back just ain't used to this stuff no more! I suppose that this experience just reinforces the necessity of stretching before doing anything to your body. Also, Adrian and I both got tired out really fast because we had already done our exercises for the day. Made me feel old!

But still, Adrian and I do plan to go back for more jumping, and possibly use the space to practice parkour once we learn some moves at a beginner's class next Saturday. Even the walls are made of trampoline (your can see it in the photo), so that should be lots of fun to work with.

After getting all tired out from jumping, and then Adrian insisting that I go to bed early so that he could "set up" my present, I totally forgot to write a post last night! So I feel a little bad. But hey, it's my birthday so I gotta cut myself some slack.


Well, that's all I have to say. I had better go to sleep and rest up for a new day. I really hope that my back doesn't hurt as badly tomorrow!

Goodnight, lovely people!

Adrian: Day 35, Back in the Valley

We both got lots of sleep last night. 9.5 hours for me and 10.5 hours for Emiko. This was nice because of the lack of sleep we've been having, but we both ended up feeling groggy all day. I skipped my chores this morning, and I wasn't able to tackle the rest of my tasks throughout the day with any zest. The day seemed to float by as if I were vegging out in front of a T.V.

I kept my workout somewhat light because the knee is still bothering me, but I did the 8 minute ab routine again. I didn't enjoy the workout today; I went through them all like chores. I gave myself a couple nasty welts while doing my jump ropes too. I blamed the jump rope for hurting me and I threw it at the wall. The cats weren't happy about that move.

I feel like I'm back in the PCP valley. I keep thinking to myself, "Why don't I feel energetic all the time?" and, "Why don't I feel or look much stronger yet?"

We got an email from Patrick the other day talking about "visceral fat" - the lardy stuff that's really hard to get rid of. He says it's gonna stick to the 'bitter end' (it's definitely sticking to my bitter end), but if we keep on top of our diets, it will start to go around day 40. I can believe that after looking at Kazu's pictures. He made a really big change between week 5 and week 6. It's inspiring to see.

Adrian: Day 33, Some pain

I haven't been able to get much sleep for the past two days. I've been thinking too much at night and I've been completely unable to relax. I felt tired all day today. My right knee's been aching too - I hurt it yesterday during meditation. I could really feel it while doing jump ropes today, so I tried to keep most of the action on my left leg. I cut the jumps to 1200 instead of the usual 1600. I skipped the floor jumps altogether. I did manage to get through the rest of the exercises. I feel like I've gotten a little bit stronger, though Emiko says my muscles look a lot more defined.

She suggested that I skip the workout completely today, because of my hurt knee. That idea sounded pretty good to me. But, I've been feeling very motivated lately, and the idea of not working out for two days in a row (I took my rest day yesterday) just seemed wrong to me. I think I'm starting to like exercise... Weird.

I did the 8-minute abs video Patrick sent us for the second day in a row today. It's hilarious. Two or more people watching together in the same room will result in fits of laughter. But the workout really does burn. Some of the exercises feel like they put too much strain on my neck though, and that's not fun.





That's all for now. I'm gonna go cut my hair. Have a good night everybody!

Adrian

Adrian: Day 31, Parkour

I got excited about Parkour today after reading Nate's latest blog post. I've known about parkour peripherally for some time now, but I've never done anything except watch other people do it on youtube. Lately though, my confidence has been rising, and today I had the thought, "I want to do that!"

So I did a search on google, and I found this group based in the Bay Area who are giving a free class on parkour basics a couple weeks from now at the U.C. Berkeley campus. I'm planning on going. I know it's going to be fun, and I'll probably take some pictures so that I can post about it here. There seems to be a small community growing around here of people who do it, and right now it seems like a good idea to me to try and get in on the fun they're having.

The fundamental workouts for parkour seem to be pretty similar to what I'm doing now in the PCP, and it would be awesome if I could make it a part of my routine.

Thanks again for the inspiration Nate!

Emiko: Day 29, Untitled

I just got home from an emergency call in to work, so I don't have the time or energy to write much.

But, like Adrian, I set another new record for jump-ropes today, doing all of my 1,600 jumps in a single set! At first my body was like, "No, not again!" but stopped complaining soon after and it was fairly easy. The work out was hard because I was sore from yesterday's exercises, but it was good.

Man, today I am really feeling this equation in my life: optimism about life + caffeine + in love with Adrian + exercising my muscles = Awesome!

I feel a very humbled sense of happiness, because I am working to positively change my life, which is positively affecting other's lives. Adrian and I are learning a lot during this journey together, and are having to really work as a team both PCP-wise and in general with life. Things are changing for the better in so many ways. I will elaborate more later, but now....sleep!

Love to the world! G'night and sweet dreams.

Adrian: Day 29, Out of Body Exercise

I had the black tea again today and the caffeine boost I got from that one cup seemed to push my energy through the roof. After tea, Emiko and I had a really lucid talk about feeling excited about life. We both feel a lot clearer mentally these days, about where we are in life, and how to proceed together. Soon afterwards, I felt a rush of energy to start my workout. I ended up setting a new record for myself today - 1800 jumps in one set. I felt so good that I plowed through the rest of my exercises like Super Mario on mushrooms. I was listening to music the whole time, and during my leg ups I entered a transcendental state in which I felt the vibrations of the music going through me. Lesson for the day: Say yes to exercise.

Emiko: Day 28, Strong n Tough!

Today both Adrian and I were secretly daydreaming of naughty, un-PCP foods. I guessed a little that he was thinking similarly to myself, because while waiting in line at the grocery store he kept picking up the chocolates and candies and inspecting their nutritional facts. I found myself at one point craving something really greasy, something I used to indulge in growing up and up until a few months ago: KFC potato wedges.

It kind of grosses me out thinking how much of them I could eat. I would eat the entirety of a large box of these oily, squishy wedges. It would make me sick, but I was happy anyway. Why was I happy after being sickened by my food? Addiction. But now that I am (mostly) free of that, I can think about them, and maybe my thoughts will linger on them, but I don't have a physical need to turn the car around and head for the drive-thru anymore. Those days are over.

After returning home, eating lunch and drinking tea, Adrian and I settled in for a movie, but like he said that didn't work out (but did later, happily!). So Adrian started his work-out first, while I studied and waited for him to get through most of it. But then Adrian told me that he had just completed a set of 1,000 jumps and was ready for more, and I could not believe it! I was so proud of him and in awe of that number. That part of the routine usually takes me at least 6 or 7 sets to complete, bare minimum, and the most I had ever done in a set was 600, and that felt like a heck of a lot!

Near the end of his work-out, I jumped into my sweats and found I had a new bounce in my step. I was totally inspired to begin my work-out, and finally felt that "YES, I get to work out today!!" attitude, rather than saying "Aw man, I've still gotta do my work-out today."

My first set was 250, which is pretty okay for me. But my during my second set, I was determined to go for something much bigger. I wasn't sure what, but I wanted something impressive! After 4- or 5-hundred jumps, I realized that I was still breathing easily and I felt like I could do more. It kept going that way until I reached 900 jumps, and decided to just finish up my 1,600 jumps for the day. So I totalled at 1,350! That's more than twice my previous record of 600!! Woo!

I felt really strong and tough after that, which are not typical Emiko feelings. It was pretty cool. Those are two aspects that I admire in my PCP Hero, Michelle Rodriguez. She is an actress, and always plays those 'tough chick' roles. That is pretty much the opposite of my personality and character, and having a doughy body only complimented my easy-going, non-threatening appearance.

But now that I am getting stronger, I can at least pretend to be tough!

Here is a trailer from Girlfight, a film starring Michelle Rodriguez. She plays a young, aspiring female boxer who has to fight through a lot of barriers. So you can really see what I'm talking about!





Anyways, I'm pooped from all of the running around and jumping in place. My last note is that, after some calculations, I have discovered that right now Adrian and I have over 100 eggs in our fridge. Isn't that insane?? And they'll be gone quick, too, since tomorrow we start our new, eggier diets!

Until then, good night all!

Adrian: Day 28, Climbing a new Peak

As you know, Emiko and I have been kind of on a bum trip lately, both of us feeling low on energy and motivation. Today, while we were out running errands, I was feeling lethargic, and decided to be the passenger. I slumped in my seat, checking out all the ethnic food diversity that Oakland has to offer; passively daydreaming about quitting the PCP and eating out at different restaurants.

At the grocery store, I walked about in a hazy daydream candyland, stuffing my face with potato chips, chocolate bars, sugar-dried fruit, and even granola. When I came to, I was carrying a grocery bag full of grains, and loose-leaf tea.

Afterward, Emiko dropped me off at home so I could prepare lunch while she went out to do more groceries. I plopped down like a sack of steel cut oats in front of the kitchen table with a bowl of carbs to chow on. After the snack, I equipped myself with knife and cutting board and set off for battle with our vegetables.

At around 6 p.m., Emiko and I had a pot of black tea - vanilla almond and snacked on some fruit. We were trying to get a movie to work on our computer, but it took so long to set up that we decided to start our exercises before it got too dark.

I started the jump-ropes, while Emiko listened to some audio lectures for Buddhist Philosophy class. My first set was 400, which was about my previous record for jumps. My first set is usually 100-150, to warm up, but this time, I wasn't tired at all and I didn't need a warm-up. I felt strong, and ended up doing another 550 in the next two sets. For my third and final set, I hit my all-time record of 1000 jumps! I was able to do jumps on one leg, and also while alternating my legs. I didn't want to stop, and I felt like I could do 500 more, but I decided to end it there, fearing an adrenaline crash. So all in all, I did 1950 jumps today. I ended up nailing the rest of the work-out too, but still only hit the minimums on the shoulder raises. Still, this is the strongest I've felt this whole time.

I was glistening with pride after my jump ropes.

I felt a renewed sense of energy and inspiration during this work-out, and I think it was mainly because of the tea. I think I'm gonna have it before work-out from now on. As I type though, Emiko has just taken the wind out of my sails by doing 1350 jumps! That girl is crazy, yo.

Adrian: Day 25, A Semi-Lazy Day

I felt a bit sick when I went to bed last night. Had a feeling sort of like nausea. My mind was clear though; I didn't have the usual 'this sucks' kind of feelings that I tend to have while sick. And I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, and relaxed - to the point of not wanting to do anything but maneuver my body into different reclining positions. Gus was sitting on the bed however, staring me down intently. He was attempting with all his willpower to communicate with me telepathically that he wanted food, and he wanted it A.S.A.P.

After feeding the cats, I had a bowl of protein-enhanced cereal and a plate of broccoli for breakfast. Not too exciting. I felt sort of indifferent to being awake. I was reminded of this girl I used to know, Lorena, who used to say that eating vegetables made her feel bored. I never understood, until this morning, but only just a little bit.

For lunch, we were planning to cook up some fish that we bought at the Temescal Farmer's Market yesterday, but once we got back from school, Emiko pretty much had to rush off to work, so there was no time for us to have lunch together. Instead, we broiled up turkey patties, and Emiko packed her lunch. At around 8 p.m., I visited Emiko at work, and she made us banana & apple smoothies.

I decided to take my rest day today, because even by late afternoon, I felt pretty lazy. I started doing my jump ropes in the apartment (because my downstairs neighbor wasn't home) and I ended up getting a burst of energy and decided to do the rest of the exercises.

I kept Patrick's high school track & field story in mind. His coach told him that if he felt tired while running that he should at least try to make it to a tree some ways ahead, and when he made it to the tree, to keep going and to choose another tree further up ahead to stop at, and when he got to that tree, he would choose a new landmark to stop at, and to keep going this way until finished. Patrick also mentioned that he was overweight in high school, but that's hard to believe, because he looks like Spiderman now.


PCP senses tingling!

Anyhow, I'd better cut this post short. I still haven't finished dinner, and I've got some chores to do.

Goodnight!
Adrian

Emiko: Day 22, Drinkable Dinner!!

I just finished reading Adrian's post, and he got me a glass of water and it was yum.

Today is the official first day of Week 4! Can you believe it? By this time next week, a month will have past. Holy guacamole, y'all.

We did our last work outs for Week 3 today. And I was really groovin', as is always the case right before we receive new our new exercise routines every Friday! I did my all-time record for jump-ropes...*drum roll*.......

600 jumps in a single set!!!!!!!!

Of course, I must admit that I tripped sometimes in between, so it wasn't a consecutive run, but 600 nonetheless! Woohoo!

I also made smoothies tonight for the first time since Day 8. That first smoothie was a complete disaster, because I blended milk, banana, egg whites, and a whole apple (including peel, which is where things went foul) into a nasty-thick pint of yuck. Please never EVER make a smoothie like this. It was my first official 'PCP Dinner" smoothie, and good lordy was it a test of my devotion to the Project to drink/gag it all down.


But tonight's was a delight! Both Adrian and I had a smoothie made with milk, 1 banana, 1/2 an apple (peeled!), and ice. It was refreshing and much more filling than I was expecting. Our bellies reported that it felt like a real dinner, that's for sure. Finally full at dinner time again!

To the right, you can see me looking rather like someone spiked my smoothie, and also unquestionably like my mom...!

That is all I have to report today. I do want to make a quick comment that ever since the PCP began, not one day has passed where I thought "where did the day go?" I like that a lot. Even if the day sucked, I was there for every moment of it and it felt rightfully long and full. A lot happens in a week, and we have been changing! With that in mind, I am excited for Week 4 and to see what wondrous things we encounter!

I just remembered that I forgot to eat my nightly veggies! Dang. Better go steam up some cauliflower!

Night night!

Emiko: Day 21, Spoken Secrets, Broken Day

I told the first of many coworkers, Juliet, today about the PCP, and she had a really positive reaction. I showed her the blogs and told her briefly about the format of the Project. At slow moments in the shift (which were few) she stopped and read our blog, commenting out loud and laughing. She wanted me to send her the link so that she could keep following along, and assured me that when I was weighing out my food that she never thought that I was 'weird'. It was really great. We left the blog up on the staff computer, and my manager came in and happened to see it too. He said it looked awesome, and emailed the link to himself right there. So, we have two new witnesses to our PCP journey! And there are more to come!

I am enjoying having this little secret, and it is really really neat watching people's reactions, whatever they are, as Adrian and I let the secret slip out into the open.

So, after being at work from 6:30am-3pm, I biked home and collapsed next to Adrian on the couch. We talked and had a good time, knowing it was the only couple of hours we'd see each other today. Eventually I had to rush to start my exercises. Emphasis on start, because that's all I got to do before I left for class at 5:20pm. I only had time for 700 or so jump-ropes, and ended up finishing the rest of the work out after class (past 9pm).

I remember Patrick making a post about having to break up his work out during a very busy day, and for that reason I was afraid it was going to really suck. But I got a good sweat going pretty quick --probably helped quite a bit by crazy heat here in Oakland-- and felt like I got a good work out. So this rushed, broken-up exercise routine went alright, but in the future I will try to stay on track and do my jump-ropes and exercises all in the same period.

We also got our new diets today, and like Adrian said we will be drinking lots of tea. I am sad because I am eating less fruit and meat, which are really the best parts in my opinion. Adrian has come up with a KILLER cayenne-pepper doused turkey burger recipe (I think he put it in an earlier post), and I am in love. But moderation is continually emphasized and further enforced each week with smaller portions, and I am grateful for that reminder.

I am also really excited because it's almost time for the pounds to really start melting off, and boy am I ready!

And HEY! Keep yer eyes peeled! New Flickr photo coming tomorrow of me and Adrian posing like macho men (hopefully with some noticeable changes this time). Aren't you thrilled?!

Either way, good night all. I hope that you get some good rest and, for those of you like Tim and Patrick living halfway around the world and already well into your Friday, I hope you are having a lovely, lovely morning.