Hello all,

I embarked on the P90X a month or so ago.
- 186lb
- Level 2 nutrition - portion meals
- P90X Classic



Things have gone good, with commitment to the programme and no variation, except for yesterday where I swithed Legs & Abs for Kempo, which my joints don't seem to like if done too early in the morning.

A few questions to the trainers here:
- My weight hasn't changed much, despite sticking to the diet and having passed the "Fat Shredder" phase. I'm 181 lb now. Body shape is transformed of course, but I sill have 15 lb too many if referring to BMI calculations. Any comments?

- My performance has tremendously improved in all areas, except pull-ups. Still barely can't do one without a chair. Is that normal? Should something be done about it?

- My belly / abs area seems to be the one that lossed the least fat. Things are starting to appear there, but its not much in comparison to other parts of the body, most of which pretty much melt, and for which changes were visible from one day to the next. Is that normal, or am I slacking off on the abs somehow? Maybe I'm just being impatient?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

1. 5 pounds in 5 weeks really isn't a bad result to be honest. You also have to take into consideration that muscle weighs more than fat does. If you've built any muscle, which you probably have, your weight won't seem to have dropped as drastically as you may expect, even though you've lost fat. You can technically lose fat without losing any weight, or even gaining some. I wouldn't rely on the scale as much as I would from the mirror and how your clothes fit. Also, as long as you feel better, I think it's an accomplishment.

2. If you're having problems with pullups and chinups and can really not do a single one, then I suggest you do them with a chair (assisted) during the routines. What I did throughout the program was crank out as many unassisted ones as I could, and then when I couldn't do any more I would throw my feet up and finish with as many assisted ones as I could do. You'll gain the most strength and results from doing unassisted pullups, but if you can't do a single one, you'll gain more from doing them assisted until you gain some strength in order to do them unassisted.

3. Most people store most of their fat around the waist area and in such it's the hardest and last place to gain definition. There is no way of losing fat in targeted areas, you lose fat all over when losing it. Patience, cardio and a good diet are the only things that'll get those abs out. As most people say, abs are made in the kitchen and not the gym. The only thing that'll get you definition there is burning the fat that is covering your abs. To really begin to see them you would have to get down to around 10% body fat, which may take quite some time for most people. More crunches will firm your abs up, but they aren't burning any of that stomach fat for you. I wouldn't worry about it, it'll come with time.

Hope this helped.
Cheers!

P.S. I'm sure you'll be MORE than happy with the results come 90 days if you stick to the diet and workouts with dedication!

I agree.

There's something else that you need to remember...many of us didn't see much in the way of results until Phase II. Then things really started to happen!!

As I've shared previously, I only lost about 12 pounds, but I lost two belt notches. Not much change since then. No big deal for me...I'm in this for the long haul. But I didn't lose my first belt notch until Phase II.

If you have results like the rest of us, the next 4-8 weeks should be really interesting!!

Hang on...

Kevin

You could also have major results, but psyching yourself out and second guessing whether you have made any progress or not. That's happened to me a few times when I look in the mirror, but then I go back to my before photos and I automatically see the changes. Also keep in mind that you are currently building muscle and muscle weights more than fat, so although you're burning body fat you're also building muscle which can keep your weight pretty stationary. Try not to focus on your weight so much and focus more on how much body fat you lose.

Thanks for all the replies !

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my results so far and motivation is pretty good. Having dropped close to 2 belt notches and being able to now do Kempo X at the pace of the DVD without needing to pause and even "bringing it" pretty intensely, I'm certainly not complaining.

The question came from reading Beachbody Coach Dennis Hardy's blog when I did my research. Dennis says that one should expect to loose weight "in layers" during P90X, ie homogeneously. My experience is alomost the opposite, haveing loset from the face to shoulders and down. My legs are nearing the "Amazing" range shape, and only the belly area, hips and lumbarian area are standing tall with their fat.

I tried to extend the Fat Shredder diet for an extra week, ie for week 5, but found myself hitting the wall pretty hard during the Plyometrics session. With carbs having to be back then, this may mean that it will take more time to loose weight and get my abs out.

One thing is true though: the level of intensity I'm now able to put into the P90X hour now, the calorie burn is likely to increase.

Alright then, let's trust the process. If there are any more comments, they will get undivided attention.

In the meantime, best to all,

FE,
He's a mad man, He's a cricket, He's a locust!!