Day 59: Pics for my Brother-in-law...He deserves it!

Today was a busy day as I had an add on case at the hospital. Emergency situation where the guy almost lost his limb. Thankfully, by God's grace the man's limb was salvageable. Later came home and ate a good combo of food items: egg whites, spinach, string beans, black beans, two grilled salmon, and a smoothie. Afterwards, I was able to do my workout. I am noticing I am able to do more reps with slightly increased weights.

As many of you know, due to my bashfulness I am somewhat hesitant posting pictures. My brother-in-law has been pretty persistent with me posting pics and so I decided to post something with the help of my friend Ryan. Thanks Ryan! So this is a special showcase just for you Bhavin :) Enjoy!!!

Day 56: Phase 2 complete..Now let's Bring It

What a journey it has been so far. With phase 2 complete I am ready for phase 3. Time to push it to the limits! So far I have achieved my target weight of 135 lbs by losing close to 20 lbs as I am still looking to become more cut.

On Friday, Ryan, Kevin, Eric, and I went to "Breakout", a volunteer service to provide respite to parents who have children with Down's syndrome, Autism, and other disorders. It was quite a task and fun to keep the children busy. Playing freeze tag to jumping in the moon bounce was fun for the kids. The night ended with a movie for the children as the parents arrived at 10 pm to pick them up. Well, the night was still young, so we decided to head to Clarendon to get some protein at a Peruvian chicken restaurant. After inhaling half a pound of chicken with the guys, we decided to hang out until 1:00 am. Mind you I still needed to workout. Ryan stuck around to get me started for about 1/2 hour and left me to complete Core Synergistics. I was done around 2 am and headed straight to bed.

The next day, I slept in to recoup from the previous night. Stayed indoors most of the day as it was very hot outside. I accomplished to get some chores done around the house. Ryan came by later at 7 pm and we decided to get some grocery shopping done and tried to pick up a movie but Redbox was out of order. We went to Blockbuster and picked up "When the Day Stood Still" or something like that. I was dosing off during the movie as it was quite a bore. Well, again it was 1 am and I had to workout. I am not really sure why I didn't workout earlier besides the fact it was another hot day and I waited for it to cool down. Ryan this time waited until I put the DVD in before he left. I was by myself and kept going until my last drop of sweat hit the floor.

The next morning, I woke up and ate breakfast. Eric comes around 11:30, picks me up as we head to Ryan's place to have my Day 56 pictures to be taken. We took several round of pictures and I was happy to be able to compare my Day 28 and Day 56 pictures. Noticeable differences but hoping to take it to the next level at Phase 3. It is now or never!

So all of us decided to meet up with Eric's friends at Baja Fresh to have lunch. Following lunch we visited some more friends at the basketball courts. It was still another blistering hot day. As Ryan headed home, Eric and I went to Tyson's Mall. We just walked around and exchanged stories as it was time to head to Mclean Bible Church. Service was great as always!

Thankfully, today was a day of rest both biblically speaking and for my P90x exercise routine. I can't wait to get started on Phase 3. Muscle confusion here we come as I am ready to get my butt kicked! Thanks for all your support.

Day 50: Bringing P90X to NYC

This past weekend seven of my friends and I went down to NYC. What a great weekend it was to relax and enjoy the sun. After work on Friday, we all met up at Pete and Kevin's place to depart to my house in NJ. Pete who also recently decided to start P90X suggested I do my exercise in HAN's Gym (their basement named after Kevin Han) before we left since it would be late by the time we arrived in NJ. As the guys went out for a bite to eat, I started my workout in the basement. It was a nice and spacious place where there was a projector to view the DVD. Quite different from my routine hole in the wall narrow space I am used to working out when traveling afar.



After 5 minutes into warm ups, Mike who is the infamous "lock" dancer decides to work out with me. He was surprisingly able to keep up for a while. I was happy that at least he tried. The two others who worked out with me during Easter weekend were my mother who lasted 5 minutes and my brother about 20 minutes. It is always great to see their efforts which always motivates and inspires me to work even harder.



So we finally arrived in NJ around midnight as I arrived with a bouquet of flowers for my wife. She was happy with the pleasant gift and card. Some of my friends were meeting Ami for the first time. After a few hours of rambling we all hit the sack and retired for the night.



Saturday morning we all awoke and had breakfast. Mike comes up to me and tells me he wants to give P90x another try. This time he said he was mentally prepared. We decided we would workout in the living room and put in the DVD. It was Kenpo X DVD and I am proud to say that Mike kept up with me the whole 60 minutes from warm up to cool down! I was very impressed by his determination and willingness to try again. It just goes to show you that if you put your mind to something you can achieve greatness.

See Video of Mike and I workout (taken by our very own Mr. Nichols) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABJr88fxsfE



We finally drove into NYC! We initially headed to Time Square and purchased tickets at TKTS for Phantom of the Opera and Chicago. Since we had time to kill before the show we went to Chinatown and ate at Joe's Shanghai. We had Kevin demonstrate once gain the "Double Han" (Video coming soon) After a an incredible dinner we went to Wall street taking some hilarious pictures. I will tell you some of my friends have creative minds when it comes to taking pictures at the rear of a statue of a bull. Well after a night out and a Broadway show we came back to NJ staying up a few more hours playing cards.



We all awoke Sunday morning pretty late. We connected our laptop to the TV and watched live stream at 10:45 am to www.mcleanbible.org/internetcampus to listen to a sermon given by Pastor Lon Solomon. It was a great message that spoke to all us.

It was soon approaching lunch time and what better way to end the weekend but to drive into Philly to get Pat's and Geno's steaks. It was special for a few who came into Philly for the first time and especially for Pete who went all out by ordering steak and cheese fries before he was to start his P90x program the next day. It was his last feast before he started on his 90 day nutrition plan. I remember my "last meal" being at Maggiono's the day before I started P90X.

This journey thus far has been fun and exciting. I have been able to have fun and workout at the same time. Balancing time for everything that comes your way is KEY! I am close to achieving my ideal weight at 135. I have lost close to 15 pounds already.

Will keep you guys posted!

Day 42: Happy Easter!!!

As many of you know, Easter has many meanings depending on who you talk to. For me it is a special celebration of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to forgive man of sin and who was resurrected from the dead on the third day. It is an amazing price He paid and I am so thankful. Many of you are familiar with a verse seen at football games: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." So why did He do this you may ask? John 10:10 "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly." (that it might be full and meaningful)

People ask me how is that I am able to keep going with my P90x program, even to the late night hours even when I am down and out. My discipline and focus comes from my life experiences. I have gone through some tough times and because I had Christ in my life I was able to persevere and have faith in Him to get me through. When you have God in your life and have a personal intimate relationship like a father and son, you can overcome anything and do anything. My friends in college know my motto: "Anything is possible" Try pouring down hot sauce for 30 seconds in your mouth. (By the way I did pay for it the next day)

For many God is out there somewhere busy doing his own thing and to others he just doesn't exist. God is out of reach to some. So why can't we all have this relationship or abundant life? It is because of sin and it separates us from God. We can't know or experience God's love and plan for our life. I am first to admit I am a sinner. Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

I have never really opened up to people and it one of my flaws in life. I put up a wall and I am letting it down slowly as I have been disappointed too many times. Trusting someone has been a hard thing for me and I am learning to open up. Even blogging is a new concept that I am only trying only because Nir my "manager" suggested I do it...lol

So we were meant to have fellowship with God, but because we have our own free will and we chose to go our own independent way, our relationship with God was broken. So how do we bridge this gap? Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Christ we can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. I Corithians 15:3-6 "Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day... He appeared to Peter then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than five hundred.." Romans 5:8 "God demonstrates his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth , and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."

Growing up, I was expected to be this perfect child getting good grades and behaving well in the eyes of others. Growing up in a Christian family wasn't easy especially when the first New Testament Church in Philadelphia started in our very own home. I remember just a few families gathering at our house for services and now it has grown to over 350 members. You can imagine the pressure I was under. I felt like I was living a life that was just a show and going through the motions. I didn't feel like there was a true and meaningful relationship between God and I. I couldn't really fully express myself or even share my thoughts as I felt I might be judged or embarrassed.

I later understood one day at an outside church meeting in Camden, NJ (rough neighborhood)meant for drug addicts, homeless, and those whose lives were in complete shambles. God was calling me to live a life that was completely honest before him. I understood that I had to individually receive Christ as my Saviour for me to personally experience God's love and plan for my life. It was not by my own merit or good deeds that I did. Ephesians 2:8,9 "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as result of works that one should boast." Revelations 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him."

Even as a Christian growing up with all the Bible knowledge, it meant nothing until I made a personal decision. Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self and trusting Christ to forgive our sins and make us what he wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Christ died for our sins or having an emotional experience is not enough as I once thought. We receive Christ by Faith, as an act of the will.

You also can receive Christ right now by Faith by talking to God. God knows your heart which is the most important thing and is not concerned so much about how you pray but more importantly the attitude of your heart. Here is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

As one who had lived a hypocritical life but changed after I truly accepted Christ, I now experience life from a whole new perspective. I understand my purpose in life and I hope one day you do too. For me to share this about myself has been difficult, but I hope that Christ can make an impression in your life that will last a lifetime. Let me know if you have any questions or if would like to listen live online to a typical service that I attend you can go to www.frontlineic.com on Sunday at 5:30 pm eastern time. God Bless.

By the way, I have another friend, Pete, who saw my results and just bought the P90x program for himself and will be starting soon. I have some funny stories to share that happened this past Easter weekend. I fill you guys in hopefully tomorrow:) Thanks for all your support!


stan

Day 35: P90x and Locking?

This week has been quite interesting. This past Friday, I was introduced to a new style of dancing called Locking which is a style of funk dance and street dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. A group of us assembled and went to a dance studio at GMU. There were several people broken down into 3 sections relating to the style of dance you wanted to learn: Popping, Locking, and Break Dancing. My friend Mike, who is a "Locker", took us out there and showed us some basic moves to get us started. It was quite the experience and after 3 hours of intense practice I was able to get the hang of it.

By the time I got home, it was 11:30 pm and I had to workout. I think my friends have officially declared me insane for my late night workouts. It is great to be able to balance my social life, family, exercise,work, and my faith which are all important facets of my life. I think with p90x I have developed more strength and stamina to be able to physically and mentally to do the things I enjoy.

On Saturday, my boys and I went to Champps to watch Uconn and Michigan St play in the final four NCAA basketball game. After the game, I was offered to go Line dancing, but I had to do my P90x, so I respectfully declined. I think the last time I heard country music was when I lived in Ohio during my residency. Well, I hope those who went had a good time! I think I will stick to Locking for now...lol

By the way, my cousin is starting the P90x program. We talked for about an hour and I was able to give my complete outline of what needed to be done before, during, and after the program. It is awesome to see people jumping aboard the P90x program. If there is anyone out there reading this blog that wants to start, I will motivate you and give you the quips and pearls to get started.

Day 28: Phase 1 complete...Time to take pics !

Today was a busy day as I went to Mclean Bible Church to participate in a workshop that was quite exciting and interesting. God has really dealt with me in a wondrous way during my time at the church and I can't wait to share the good news with others.

Well, I can't believe that I have completed phase 1 of P90x. So far the meal plan and exercises have all been completed as planned. There has been a few shortcomings with the food when I missed my snacks, but faithfully all the exercises have been completed during the first phase. I feel refreshed and energized.

My stamina and endurance has increased tremendously. I have lost fat and dropped my weight while gaining muscle mass slowly. Initially, during my workout secessions I thought of gaining bulk, but I have decided to become more tone with this program.

My wife is in California this weekend visiting her brother and was not around to take my pictures. Luckily, with some prodding, my friend was able to take my pictures with his camera. I can't wait to compare my pictures from day 1 until now to see the difference. I still have 62 more days left in the program and it only gets harder from this point. My muscles are ready to get confused!!!

Thanks for all your support. Wish me luck.

Day 23: Last week of Phase 1

It has been quite a journey these past weeks as I am slowly starting to notice transformations even though I have a long way to go. Staff at the office is now starting to comment how much weight I have lost and how I am starting to swim in my clothes. I wonder if this is my chance to get a whole new wardrobe...lol. My body is starting to become somewhat defined. I have always tried to bulk up in the past but this time around I am trying to become lean to some degree.

Today, I was able to go to the Wizards' basketball game at the Verizon Center with a few of my friends. By the time we got back it was 10:30 pm. Another late night of workout and I just got done. I am ready to retire for the night!

After hyping up the program and keeping up with it so far, I have a few who now want to start the P90X program. It is great to see people coming out to join the battle in getting their bodies into shape and at least eating right. If I can make a difference not only for myself but also the people around me, then I have an accomplished something more than I expected to do in the first place.

As I end my first phase (fat shredding phase) this week, I see that the schedule ahead of me will become more intense. My diet will also change as the servings in each food group will be modified according to the nutritional manual.

P.S. Wish me luck. For those of you asking for pictures, I have to admit I am a bit bashful :)