Tips and Pointers for You

I've had many a person ask me for tips or wonder how I did the P90X program. What I write in this article will focus on what P90X is, how I did it, and how you can take the steps to do it. It is a somewhat lengthy read, so please, eliminate all distractions so that you can read everything I have to say.

How I Heard About P90X

I heard about P90X from watching TV. TV is something that I don't watch very often, but I saw an ad come up where Tony Horton (the creator of P90X), was speaking and showing what P90X was. There were stories of people who completed P90X, in addition to Tony Horton going over the muscle confusion and an overview of the program. The idea of the program stuck in my head.

Why I Was Ready to Start P90X

Since about two years ago, I continue to learn about myself. I realize that when I was younger, I did a lot of counter productive things to my growth and happiness. I was negative when I spoke, and I anguished over mistakes made and trying to not hurt other people's feelings.

A person I consider a friend showed me a self talk book which I read. This helped get my mind going in the right direction. I realized that my mental image of myself was completely backwards. It used to be natural for me to say that I was dumb, inadequate, ugly, and useless. I cannot believe at the present day that I thought those things. Now I know I am smart, talented, handsome, and my worth is beyond measure. This is not ego, this is the reality about myself.

In short, I was ready to start P90X, because it was the next natural step for me. Because I value myself very highly (including my body), I knew that a change was in order. P90X is the tool I use to get my body in the physical condition it needs to be. The main purpose for this is that I will now have a longer, happier, more full and abundant life. My chance of illness, injury, and health problems as I get older is greatly decreased.

For Those of You Wanting Tips

I've thought long and hard about the people around me who inquire about P90X and want tips and pointers. I cannot stress enough to you how important it is for you to get your mind right. This is something Tony Horton stresses in the DVD workouts. You must be prepared to work hard and make a life-long commitment. But before that, you must get the right picture of yourself.

The right picture of yourself means you begin to cleanse yourself of all negativity, doubt, and the idea that things are just too hard or challenging. I've heard it over and over from people. I hear some of the following:

• Losing weight is so frustrating.
• I just can't give up the foods I like.
• Why do I look so fat?
• What is my problem?
• It's never easy, but it is worth it.

I sometimes wish I could just transfer the knowledge I have in my brain to people so that they could realize how backwards their thinking is.  But I do realize that most people think the way they do because that's how they've always done it.  Nobody has given them the tools or training to change, so why would they?  Some people may say, "but you are already so fit, you have it easy."

No I do not have it easy.  I was fifty pounds over weight a few years ago.  I made a change.  It is as simple as that.  Now my thoughts are like this:

• Losing weight is irrelevant.  I am in shape and have the energy to be happy and productive.
• I only put food into my body that is beneficial.  With only the occasional fun splurge, there is no comprimise.
• I have a fine, fit, and trim body.  My hard work continues to improve upon this.
• Thought I am imperfect and make mistakes, I always move forward and find success.
• There is no easy or hard.  There is only choice.

It seems like a common obstacle for people is that they don't know where to start, and don't want to take the effort to get their bodies healthy.  I understand this.  If you are overweight and have not exercised for a while, then you know it is going to be painful to make change.  You know that you will struggle at first.  And after a week or two, it will all end because you didn't see enough results.

Have a little faith.  Get your mental picture right and stick with it as a life long thing.  There is no losing weight and then you are done.  There is no getting in shape and then you are done.  There is a life long decision of being active and having your mind and body in tip top shape.  It is as simple as making a choice each and every day, I cannot stress this enough.

What P90X Is

P90X is a tool.  You need a dvd player, the P90X DVDs, dumb-bells (20 to 30 pounds), workout clothes, including shoes, a room with some space to workout, push up bars, pull up bar, and around an hour a day.  If you can spare these things (which will cost you about $200), then you can begin.  P90X provides you with a schedule to start your first 90 days.  It tells you which DVD to put in each day, as well as a nutrition guide to help you get your eating right - five meals a day, with a mid morning and mid afternoon snack as part of that.

It is as easy as that.  You put in your P90X DVD for the day, and you do what Tony Horton says to do.  He shows you very easily what to do and you just follow it.  When you are done, you are tired and feel great.  That is all you do each and every day, it is not rocket science.  This is how I did it.  I got up each morning (and waiting until evening some days), put in the DVD for the day, and went to work.  I pushed myself in the workouts and was not afraid.

And I canont stress this enough: I DID NOT MISS ANY WORKOUTS NO MATTER WHAT!  Even if I had a basketball game that day, I still did my workout.  Do not let yourself get into the mode that you can relax and miss workouts.  This is a life changing decision, and you must be committed.

You Can Do It Too

I know that those of you reading can find the success I did.  I am in Hawaii right now and walked on the beach, very proud of how I look and feel.  You will know you are ready for a change like this once you have the right mental picture of yourself.  There will be no worries about how hard things are or that you don't feel like it.  You will have the desire to make the change, and I am so happy for those of you who get to this point.  It is a wonderful thing to realize you are special and worth the effort to shape and sculpt your body and begin a very healthy life.

There's not much more I can say to all of you.  P90X.com has all the tools you will need.  They will ship you the DVDs - or you can search for them on Amazon.com for a cheaper cost.  You can buy dumb bells at most sports stores, and P90X.com has the bands for sale.  Amazon.com has many pull up bars, and you can read a review of the bands and other products on this blog as well.  You can do it.  Replace the time you are watching TV, playing video games, eating garbage, or lounging around with an hour or so of doing P90X.  It will be so worth it and your life will be changed forever.

Why, thank you!

Jeremy and I have received several compliments on how our bodies have improved since doing P90X. (We also have more energy and just plain feel better, too!) It has been wonderful to hear the support and encouragement that we have received. Almost everyone who knows us has commented on the difference.

But you know what the best compliment is? It is when people ask about P90X and say that they want to start doing it, too, because they see how it has worked for us. Friends and family are seeing the difference that P90X has made for us and they want to experience that positive change for themselves—i.e., they want to be more fit like us!

So I want to say "thank you." Thank you to Tony Horton. Thank you to friends and family. And thank you to Jeremy for wanting to get P90X in the first place! :)

P90X Is Done, Now What?

I've been asked what I am going to do now that I completed P90X - over a week ago now. The answer is I am going to continue a life long habit of fitness, health, and activity. This means I will continue to do the P90X workouts, and perhaps come up with my own set of them I want to do.

Now a couple comments, and these are mostly for my family, but they may help other people as well. I will speak as if you were sitting across from me. And I speak plainly so please, put on your I can take it hats now. This is a LONG read, so please be in a position to take some time without distractions before you continue.

I've seen your struggles with weight, depression, and the idea that life is hard and you just have to accept things as "That's Life". I am part of your family. I am here to tell you that this is a broken mindset. It is simply a habit that has formed over a life time and can be eliminated. There idea that exercising and eating right is hard is just one issue and is a symptom of a broken mindset, not just weight loss.

First and foremost, the mindset of 'why is this so hard'? You think this because of your habits. For you, there are many things, big and small, which make things hard. Perhaps you slept on the bed wrong, or had a kid who woke up during the night, or you had a headache one day, or any other thing. The point I am making is that it is easy to form a habit of making excuses to stop you from your desires. Many people do it. If any little (or big) thing happens out of the ordinary, it creates a road block and you crawl into your shell.

A small part of you may even want things to be hard. You may want things to be hard so that you can get comfort from others. You value your security very highly, and you feel trapped with anything that threatens that security. You are used to a certain way of living, which may involve comfort, eating what you want, whenever you want, and relaxing as often as possible. When tasks outside of relaxing present themselves, you view it as some great challenge that you hope you can overcome.

So what is the point of all of this? I have shown that a member of our family can change their physical life around, and even greatly enhance it. I was once 50 pounds over weight. I've been there. The issue is not being over weight or the amount you are over weight. That is a symptom of a larger problem. I was depressed, insecure, unhappy, and not confident. I worried too much about what other people thought, and not about my progress in life. I agonized over my mistakes.

Things have changed. I know I make mistakes, say or do things that just don't make sense, but I accept my imperfections. I'm not bothered what other people think, for good or for ill. I am only concerned about my progress and if I am on the right track. My mindset is one of proactivity. I do not seek security, I seek learning, growth, and opportunity. I began a mindset change a couple years ago. I changed how I look at myself. There is no 'this is hard'. My vocabulary rejects such statements. I can accomplish anything I try and I do not complain when challenges present themselves.

As I've continued on, I am still learning and growing. Every day I worked out doing P90X. I changed to a healthy eatying lifestyle. Sure I splurge every once in a while (like mother's day yesterday). But it's a rare thing, and for fun. Things do not have to be hard. But you need the tools to be successful. I cannot just say 'change your mindset' and all of a sudden you will be a changed person. That is why I created drjerm.com so that I could combine all the information in my brain about better living. Please visit there and read what I have to say as it pertains to life.

You are my family. I care a great deal for you. Your health, well being, and happiness are of great concern to me. I have shown that it can be done. I have created the tools at drjerm.com for you to read and follow. But I wonder if this is not enough. I wonder if there is something more that I can do. Perhaps there is. But ultimately, we are all in control of our own destiny. And I believe the changes we make in this life will carry over to the next. If we stay stagnant here, that will carry over. I know you can do it, and I am here to talk to if you ever need to.

Your brother,

Jeremy N. Johnson

90-day pictures!!

Wow, do we feel great! I feel kind of cheeky, though, for having gone to the tanning salon, but Jeremy and I are getting ready to go to Hawaii in two weeks and we didn't want to fry while down there. (I feel "cheeky" because it seems like people are always tan in their "after" pictures and so, of course, their results always look better.) We are normally pretty vigilant about applying sunblock and so we don't normally get much of a tan—as you can tell by our blinding white skin—so it's kind of fun to see us all tan; however, our "tan" is still just a darker white. :P

Anyhow, for what you really want to see: the P90X results!

Me (I have lost 11.5 pounds):

Jeremy (lost .2 pounds, he he):

Jeremy Finishing Up - Day 90

Tommorow, we will be taking our 90 day pictures for the P90X program. It seems like a short time ago that I started, yet I can see the results of many days of hard work.

I am thinking about what I can say that will be of value to those looking to change their lives through more healthy eating and getting in top notch physical condition. Day after day I have spent time putting in the P90X DVD's and working my butt off. I've changed to pretty good eating habits (which still need some work). Even so, when I take my pictures tomorrow, you will be blown away. I have made incredible progress since day 1.

So, I will answer the following questions now.

Is P90X worth the money?

Yes, P90X is worth the money if you are willing to follow the schedule to the tee and change to a more healthy eating lifestyle. If you put the DVD in your TV/computer, and work your tail off each time, and take the advice Tony Horton gives during the workouts, P90X is worth the money.

P90X is not worth the money if you are stagnant and not looking to progress in your life. If you are lazy, P90X is not worth the money. If you don't want to work for what you get in life, P90X is not worth the money. If you are not persistent, dedicated, or diligent, P90X is not worth the money. Simply put, if you have not gotten your mind right about yourself and that you are worth it, P90X is not worth the money.

Does P90X really work?

Yes P90X absolutely does work. I am living proof of this. I've made incredible progress. Am I as cut and ripped as I could be. No I am not. I could have eaten a little better, but I still did pretty good. I worked extremely hard in the workouts and every day I put them in and did them. I was dedicated and the results will show for themselves tomorrow when I take my pictures.

P90X will not work if you eat whenever and whatever you want constantly. P90X will not work if you slack off and do not follow the workouts properly. There is wiggle room for eating things that are 'fun', but it should not be normal. Yesterday I went to a movie and had some popcorn. I've had pizza as well. But normally I am eating the right kinds of food.

Is P90X hard?

P90X is all about working out around an hour a day, six days a week, eating healthy meals 5 times a day, and pushing yourself. It is about dedication and perseverance. Is it hard? Sometimes it is, if I am tired during the day, or have a lot going on. But in the mornings, I always have an hour if I get up and put the DVD in and get busy.

P90X has you squatting, jumping, punching, kicking, doing push ups, pull ups, lifting weights, stretching, working your abs, doing yoga, and much more. There is a lot of variety in the workouts and if you do them right, you will be sweaty and tired at the end. I've been able to do them. You can take breaks during them when you reach your failing point. I am proof that you can do the workouts every day for 90 days.

What do you need for P90X?

You need dedication, motivation, a change in your eating habits (if you are not eating four or five healthy meals a day already), and the following materials:

* Resistance bands or dumb-bells (up to 40 or 50 pounds, or 20 to 30 pounds if you are looking for a more tone look - for women mostly)
* Refrigerator and cupboard full of proper foods (if not done already)
* A chair
* A pull up bar, which you can put in a doorway, or in a workout room
* Workouts clothes
* Good pair of shoes
* A computer/TV that can play DVDs
* A good yoga mat

You can do it. I've shown that it can be done. I will be posting more resources on this blog for you, including places to purchase items that will help you. Tomorrow my pictures will blow you away.