Day 61 going back to normal

Jetlag is almost over, last night everyone was sleeping relatively OK.

Today we met with Israeli Friends who visit Japan. They are a couple with 1 kid, the guy is an Aikido teacher and writer of a great blog (Sorry in Hebrew) about Aikido and Japan. He is the one on the top of my blog titles Aikido. He lived in Japan for 10 years and practiced Aikido in Kyoto. there he met his wife, and now they live in Israel.

I read his blog that helped me allot in my Aikido practice, i contacted him with some questions and we became very good friends a year ago when he visited Tokyo, every time I am in Israel I try to visit his dojo and practice with his group.

We had a great lunch with the kids and than a great time in the park. I miss Friends like that here in Japan.

I know we will have lunch together, and we woke up late, so i combined breakfast and lunch and we eat at a great! pasta place. that place is soo good that Al Italia crow eats there every day (go figure flying all the way from Italy to Japan and eating pasta?)

Got back home and went through the workout. done 16 minutes of jumps only, as I plan to do morning workout tomorrow. pull ups were hard and this time even harder than before. done only 5,3,3,2,1, later I added some more, but helped myself up with a slight jump and slowly got down. today was my 4th day to do 8Min abs, I am doing that in replacement of the abs workout in our sheets. getting the hang of it, I think

As Haley wrote we need to better our blogging, I will try to post pics the coming day or so.

Tomorrow the kids are off to their first day of school. I hope to restart my morning workouts after I drop them at the school bus. I also hope (pending on work ) to restart my Aikido pracice.

Ilan

Day 60

Yet another good day. It is easier doing PCP when you are at home and under control

Stepped on the weight today, and I saw I lost all the water from the flight. when we came back I was 1.5-2 Kg heavier than usually, I was afraid I eat too much in Israel....but it was just water, now I am back to normal self.

Happy to be back on the wagon. good workout today and food wise life is the same as before.

This week the kids will start school again and I plan to change my workout routine. I plan to take them to the bus in the mornings than back home by 08:10 do the workout, shower and go to work. Than Aikido int he evenings, fun ca not wait to start.

Strange for me to see our team at the top, it is windy and lonely up here. but we made it so far we can finish this in a bad ass with a smile

Ilan

Day 59 Back in PCP land

Hi

Today was all PCP just as it was before. jet lag is ON in a major way, we just got tomorrow to adjust and than back to work/school.

Work out was hard, i was so bumped from the flight I almost gave it up, but managed to pull myself together, done 20 minuets of jumps, pull ups were a challenge. i was able to do sets of 9,8,6,5,5 only

Today I also had a chance to do the 8 min abs. ouch but I like it. hope to do that every day from now on.

out to have apple dinner
Ilan

Day 58 falling of the PCP wagon and back again

We arrived late last night to Japan and spend most of the night trying to get to sleep. not go to happen.

The 24 hours before the flight were off the PCP wagon. I eat things I should not have (not too much but) but I knew what I was doing and controlled it. (it was israeli dishes as Humus, Tahini, Pita bread, and before departing to the air port 3 small white flower and suger cakes (small ones)) the flight was long but we finished it, eat teh vegiterian meal on the flights (vigiretian does not meed too many vegi...)

Today woke up in PCP mode again (after 3 hours of sleep only) done the shopping and off to steam my breakfast.

Workout will be later

Day 56 we fly tomorrow

Tomorrow we will fly back to Japan. I can not believe it will be a month (almost) since I got here. this time it is very hard to go back to Japan. my contract will be renewed for additional 2 years, and it will make 8 years in Japan. I love Japan. I think it is an amazimg place to be in, but somehow home is calling a bit harder now....

I am sure I will sign a difirent tune after I am back to Japan.

On the other side it is hard to beleive that we finished 8 weeks of PCP, another 4 days and we will be promoted to the top group of PCPers. I recall looking at the 2 groups above us when we started and thinking no way I will make it.

Today I extended the jump rope to be 20 minutes, it just felt right.

On the other side, tonight we took our patents and kids for a walk and coffee near the old city of Jerusalem. My dad a retiered doctor spent alot of time in his retierment doing art showing his momories from the holacost and the death camps. One if his work is showm at the Mall near the old city and we went to see it. This is my parents and kids, my tough coach is in the black pants and pink/white.

After we saw it and how people relate to it we sat for coffee and food near by. I did not have lunch so i decided to have the Burecas I was so envy of a month ago.

Day 55

Hi

We have 2 days left before we fly back to Japan Thursday night.

Today we saw a wonderful movie, called Land of Genesis, it is a 20 years work of a nature photographer about wild life in Israel. He raised and follow a pair of wolf, followed the life of Jungle cats and a clan of Ibex. It is all within the natural parks of Israel and it is amazing.

We took the kids to see it and they want to have more field trips next vacation, so next year I will need to run even more than this vacation, good job for me....

Tonight my 8 year daughter joined my workout. I done 18 minutes of jump rope, down in the parking and when I went out to do the rest of the workout she wanted to see it, and eventually she decided to become the coach. so she took the workout program, the watch, and timed my sets.

For Triceps I failed at 7 in the last set, I wanted to move on to push ups but no, she said "dad you have 3 more to go, finish them..." and I did. few times she said "I will be kind to you and give you 5 more sec to rest". Boy I did not know I raised such a tough kid. it was a wonderful workout.

We will be back to Japan within 2 days. one side I am really waiting to get back. Back to my controlled PCP environment where I have things scheduled and under control ready for the last push. On the other side I do not want to go back, the work waiting for me, the problems with customers, sales Vs quota issues , I try not to think of them....

Ilan

Day 53 back on line

Hi

It is almost a week since last post. Been running all across Israel (that is not that big).

Yesterday I was able to get myself on the scale and I dropped almost another 1Kg. I cannot remember when I was at that number so many years ago.

The past 8 days we were on 3 locations. Up north to a Kibutz on the border between Israel and Lebanon http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=34586299383 , to my bother-in-law - in Tel Aviv, and last to a resort http://www.isrotel.co.il/carmel_forest/ just my wife and me.

The workout were hard and I think only twice I was only jumping rope. I am having hard time with the pistol squats and replacing them with regular sets of squats. Today it was hard for me to do the bicycle sets, so I replaced them with sit ups and leg ups.

Jumping rope is getting better and better and I enjoy them more and more. I just do 1 set of 15 minutes instead of 3x5.

I find myself enjoy more the food I prepare and compare it to the food I get in the places we visited. The vegi I eat in the PCP are steamed, mainly carrot, garlic, zucchini, broccoli. In the places we been in it was mostly fresh vegi salads. I found it hard to eat the sizes we should eat within the PCP guideline, it is easier for me to eat it with my vegi. My steam vegi were better than the steams ones we got n some of the places. I think it is also connected to the issue that I am a bit of a control addict, so I like to be in control of what I eat. For now PCP is what I enjoy and keep.

The indulgence was right on time, I did not have anything specific but last night dinner at the resort I decided to simply eat it freely. including dessert and wine. I did not over do it. in the past PCP life I could go for 2-3 serving of salads, 1-2 main course, and 2-3 desserts. this time it was 1 of each and in reasonable size.

I hope to have PIC of progress soon and post it.

Ilan

day 45 Stuck

today was a bad day, all energy level is at low I never experienced before ever.

I think it is not just PCP related, we are half way on our vacation here in Israel, in 2 weeks we are due back, and I have a huge challenge at work to close the year sales as much as possible,

My body did not cooperate with me for the workout and I did not do it today. I am angry with myself, although I know it is to be expected.

Food wise was also not good today, I gave in, my brother and family was there for lunch, and i eat some of my mom usual cooking, the quantities was PCP size but not the cooking my body is used to, I do not feel 100%.

Tomorrow we go for a trip up north to get together with friends of our that used to live also in Japan. I hope to be better tomorrow and be back on track

Day 44 the good and the bad

I was able to weigh myself today, I am 64.6Kg. The day before my flight to Israel I was 66.4. Before that I hoped to be 65Kg. and it was a nice number, and I am very happy with it and the progress.

On the other hand tonight doing the workout my shin were burning like hell during the jumps. It hurt so much that it was hard to walk after, and I was able to do only part of the rest of the workout. I hope to recover by tomorrow.

Food wise all is great,

Ilan

Day 43

Patrick e-mail was right on time and on subject.

While my motivation is still high, I was feeling that the workouts fall into a routine, and that is a danger zone to be in, easy to cut corners.

I found it hard to get to the workout today, but I know once I start it will be OK. starting is a challenge. I managed to drag my corps from bed and start jumping in the afternoon, it was great to do that for 15 minutes straight. the rest of the workout was OK, but today’s motivation was low. it took me more time than usual.

Tomorrow is another day....

Ilan

Day 41 dreams

I had a strange dream the other day. it was about a steak restaurant in Japan, not a specific one but a Japanese style. I woke up at 03:00 from that dream very hungry. I eat a fruit and went back to sleep, but that dream was so real I could see my mind playing tricks on me.

The next day we had took a trip to Friends who rented a new house in the north of Israel. there I went out of the PCP reservation and had a cheese cake for desert. Just could not help it, so I decided to have it but kept eye on the size to be small.

Workout side all is going well, some sets are challenging, and pain full till the end.

Surprisingly I am OK with the downsize of food and dinner being an apple only without the banana. some Cinnamon and yogurt and I am great. The overall feeling is very good.

My mom who was worried at my past situation and was always asking me to lose weight, is very happy, but she keeps on offering me ice cream, and foods. I think you can not overpower the DNA of a mother, i promised her that the next visit I will be more open to her cooking.

Ilan

Day 37 temptations

Today we took my parents to see the apartment we bought to use when we will move back to Israel form Japan (who knows when....) it is 1 hour from Jerusalem. After the visit we sat at a local coffee shop called "Aroma Cafe". it was one of the first to bring in the quality coffee revolution to Jerusalem about 18 years ago.

They have a dish that I used to consume called "Bourikas" it is a pastry with cheese and sesame seeds on top. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6rek Aroma cafe also adds inside Egg, pickle, tomato slice and Tahini sauce. it is a calorie and cholesterol boom and I love it.

My dad did not know what to get so we recommended him to try one. He was sitting just in front of me eating it, and I was thinking all the time "I hope he does not finish it all and I can have a bite" but he did finish it all. I think it is the first time I felt real craving and temptation. I think that is he finished just a half I would take the other half and forgo lunch instead, but I am happy he liked it and eat it all.

Tonight instead of jumprope my wife and I walked for an hour together. that was very nice in the cool Jerusalem breeze, I done most of the workout apart from 2 sets, my mother-in-law apartment does not have all the space to do standing ovation and Fly. I done extra push ups instead.

Ilan

Day 35 replacement

Yesterday was a very long day, the afternoon we met with friend and toured the old City of Jerusalem. we visited a small museum showing the way of life in the old city from 18th till early 20th century.

After that we went to the western wall the holiest place to Jewish people. It is said that if you put a note within the cracks of the wall it will reach god. they have a fax service as well..:-)

We continued back to the city entrance via the old market. and at night we saw a show in old tower of David.

Got back home late and decided to do 35 day workout yesterday and Today to do 34th day instead. The legs up were hell, 2 sets I could do with stright legs but the final 2 I stopped few times and was very hard.

Cannt wait to see week 6 menu and workout plan

Day 33 back to usual

Hi Team BadA..

my leg was less sensitive so I tried to do the jumps and it was OK. after about a week without it, finally workout felt like a workout.

Food wise we have been having a few outing to lunch/dinners with family and friends, I try to keep the size and composition of th meal to PCP guideline and seems to be OK.

Ilan