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!

Emiko: Day 25, A Day in the Life Of My Tummy

Tonight my coworker Lauren said that she wondered what a PCP diet looks like compared to hers or a more average diet, and I realized that I have not posted anything about my daily eats in a while. Also, in the past I have used grams to explain my portions, but here I will try to make it a little more understandable for those who don't weigh all of their meals on a scale!

So, here we are! Today's Food:

Breakfast:
-A full bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk
-A medium-sized plate of broccoli (with a portion about as big as my hand if I held it over the plate)
-1 whole hard-boiled egg (side-note: Ma, those special-colored eggs are DELICIOUS)

Morning Snack:
-1/3 of a nectarine

Lunch:
-1 home-made (by my lovely BF & BFF Adrian!) turkey patty made with lean turkey, NF yogurt, green onions, cayenne pepper, whole-wheat bread and garlic.
-1 whole-wheat tortilla
-1/2 of an avocado
-3/4 of a tomato

Afternoon Snack:
-Tiny bowl of granola with a little LF milk
-Should have had some fruit (as much as morning snack) but forgot! Woops.

Dinner:
-16oz smoothie made with 1 banana, 3/4 of an apple, a dash of milk and some ice.

Evening Snack:
-1 hard-boiled egg (white only) sprinked with pepper
-A handful of broccoli


So, I think you will see that I truly am eating a lot of food, but that it is very low in fat, consists of almost no sugar (except the granola, and maybe a smidge of honey in the cereal), or empty calories. Carbohydrates are almost always something whole-wheat or whole-grain. We eat lots of stuff that comes right from the earth or from animals, such as fruit, eggs, veggies, beans, milk, meat, etc.

So there you have it! A random daily run-down of what goes into my body. Maybe I'll make more of an effort to post what I am eating every now and again.


Also, I still haven't decided what to indulge in this week! Patrick told us that we can have something non-PCP, as long as it is in moderation (equal to or less than 400 calories), but I don't know what I want yet! I am thinking it will be chocolatey, but I'd really like some suggestions if you've got any (go CRAZY...I wanna hear it!).

Thanks all! Can't wait to hear what you suggest. Good night.

Emiko: Day 24, Flapping My Chicken-wings

Hello folks! Thanks for reading this post. It is after midnight so I don't know how good it is, but I hope you like it.


Well, exercising was a little difficult for me today. After achieving my recent record of 600 jump-ropes in a row, I thought that my endurance while jump-roping would simply escalate from then on. Apparently not so! Today I was able to do sets of 100-300, but I struggled through each and every one. My body just seemed very resistant the the activity I was making it do, and I had to play some mental games in order to get the job done in a timely manner because I had to go to work soon, and of course I was still late (Sorry Sara, Terra, and Brian!).

The new exercises are also brought up a notch to give us more of a challenge. And it burned! The extra reps kept me working hard. Also this new exercise, the 'Chicken Wing' I know for sure that I am doing entirely wrong. Patrick, this means I need help! I was surely not a chicken in a past life, because right now I am not really engaging the shoulder muscles, I am just straining my shoulder joints. SOS!

One cool thing, though, was that I flexed my arm kind of randomly in the mirror and I was like WHAT! I can actually see some definition in there! Although I can't do the Chicken Wing for s***, some of those shoulder exercises must be working because there are now two separate shoulder and bicep muscles!


On another note, I emailed all of my coworkers yesterday with the link to this blog and a super brief explanation of what it is Adrian and I (and the other present PCPers) are doing. Tonight I worked with Sara, and she had looked at the blog so we started to talk about how the process is changing my routine, perspective, habits, etc. Later in the evening, I told all of my coworkers about the PCP at our monthly staff meeting. I thought it was going to be a lot more exciting, but people didn't seem too phased about it. Maybe in the coming weeks, as my body and energy changes more and more, it will pique people's interest. It is nice to have it out in the open nonetheless. Mostly I just want to have a broader community of people reading these blogs, commenting and maybe being inspired or influenced by our experiences.

Thus, I have taken another step in spilling the beans about the PCP! Now all of my coworkers know, and it's just time to contact friends that I don't see too often and clue them in to this exciting project we are all involved in.

Good night everyone. My kitty is meowing at me that it is bedtime, so off I go. Bye! Oh, and hello coworkers if you are reading this! Night night!

Emiko: Day 23, Life Comes Together

I mentioned yesterday how satisfying the days have been since we started the Project. I wanted to continue that thread, because I am feeling so thankful for it. It is such a beautiful thing!

I really feel like I am tackling life in every moment. Because of that, I am gaining so much sensitivity, becoming more aware of the present and more grateful for whatever it is that is happening in that present moment.

Like Adrian mentioned today, we had a pretty intense meltdown yesterday following a fight. Fighting hurts, and sometimes working it out can be painful, but I feel that my attitude has shifted and I can be appreciative of those moments.

Also, activities that used to slip past me without thought have now come into and equal focus with the rest of my life. I don't put such a heavy emphasis any one piece of my day, and totally ignore another because it is not 'important.'

Now, steaming broccoli at night is just as clear in my memory as making a drawing, hugging Adrian, or petting my cats. Of course of all of these I would love to hug Adrian the most, but you know what I mean. My day feels fuller because I am not sorting my experiences by 'worthy' and 'unworthy' of remembering or paying attention to, and I feel so much more balanced and, well, alive!

I am on a feel-good trip, and I can't stop listening to this song right now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H71Fv3PcQQY

I love you all! Good night and sweet dreams. <3 Emiko

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!