katz

I've had the exact same experience, except mine came sealed in a plastic bag with a zip tie. I wondered about the quality/validity of the company as well. Wish there was a way to know for sure what you are getting, but I'm not sure there is really any way to verify it 100%...that's the world we live in, unfortunately...

I would like to do that, but there aren't enough available hours in my day for all that working out!

"Very cool! Go you on those power knees--I HATE that exercise, lol" I used to hate that one, but I have grown to like it now. I do them like Tonya - something like 10-15 at a shot then take a quick 3-5 second rest, then another round of them.

I dunno...I've seen transformations like that in the Bill Phillips's "Body for Life" program, and that is a 12 week plan. Anything is possible...unfortunately, my body won't respond like that.

Welcome aboard!

I did Monday's fit test today, 'cause I knew I wouldn't have time tomorrow. Here are the results of both tests for comparison. First Fit Test - week 3 Switch Kicks - 47 Squat Jacks - 40 Power Knees - 65 Power Jumps - 33 Globe Jumps - 7 Suicide Jumps - 8 Push Up Jacks - 32 Low Plank Obliques - 22 Second Fit Test - week 6 Switch Kicks – 108 Squat Jacks – 68 Power Knees – 110 Power Jumps – 36 Globe Jumps – 12 Suicide Jumps - 21 Push Up Jacks – 39 Low Plank Obliques - 38 I'm happy with those numbers. It is neat when you can see the results on paper & know you are making progress.

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

Welcome aboard! What do ya have against pea protein, lol. I always add it to my True protein custom mix. When I make my protein smoothies/shakes I always add so many other ingredients that the pea flavor kinda fades into the background.

When you select your protein mix you can add carbs as well. You should be able to work out a good ratio if you play with the mix. http://www.trueprotein.com/custom_product.aspx

just use this tag and put the link in the middle...make sure to add the other [ before the first y... youtube]... I can't do it, lol. I tried several times by using the youtube button in my post & pasting the link in middle...

Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy's Mom ...sorry - can't figure out how to make the youtube vid window appear in my post!

Fast forward to present; I am currently on week 6. I am a week behind, due to an unexpected situation that came up. Actually 2 weeks behind, because I did the recovery week twice, since I had to sit one week out with little to no physical activity. Anyway, it is a blast! I really love this program; I am the kind of person who likes to workout at max intensity, and this one does it for me. Because of my time constraints, I have only had time to do 2 fit tests; the initial one, which was a total bomb, not even worth listing, and then the second one, which was at the start of week 3. Fit test - week 3 Switch Kicks - 47 Squat Jacks - 40 Power Knees - 65 Power Jumps - 18/15 Globe Jumps - 7 Suicide Jumps - 8 Push Up Jacks - 12/20 Low Plank Obliques - 22 Numbers not that good at that time, I know. As you can see, my endurance was way down...I start off great, but quickly run out of steam. I am sure my present numbers are a lot better than that. I will schedule the next fit test in, which is next Monday & post the current numbers then. At this point, I am able to keep up with the vid. & not have to really take too many rest breaks - I just keep pushing it! If you are looking to get into great shape/increase endurance in a relatively short period of time, give Insanity a go - you won't regret it!

I thought this would be a neat idea, to list as many of the routines as you can think of. I will start off with a few. It will make for a quick reference for those of us who are looking for a program but are unsure of all that is out there. Also, add a description if it will require additional equipment to perform, i.e., resistance bands, weights, etc. Please feel free to add any/all you can think of. 1. Insanity 2. P90X - resistance bands, dumbbells, pull up bar 3. Doggcrapp training - Barbell/dumbbells

Wow, your fit test numbers are great! I am on week 6 right now, I need to update my thread. You are a machine, lol - doing all that hybrid work with P90X & Yoga, etc. What are your goals? Are you beating it like this for a marathon or something? I haven't read your whole thread, sorry. Great progress - you must really have a high motivation level!

All good replies ... I second the info. that I'm Your Man has posted. I feel that would be about the fastest way to drop the weight/cleansing at the same time, but it will be tough for you unless you are really committed to it & have a lot of willpower and/or a support group to work with. An extreme change of diet like that will cause extreme changes & detoxing that will result in you not feeling the best for awhile, but it will be effective.

Welcome aboard! Good luck with your fitness goals!

Well, I wanted to read the rest of the article, but they wanted me to pay $6.00 for it... no thanks... looked interesting though.

If that is the case, how would you explain the fecal matter that we always hear about that becomes impacted in a person's colon? (the famous John Wayne story) kidney stones, gall bladder stones, etc... or maybe you don't believe that occurs... After doing the "Master Cleanse" for a period of time, I am convinced. I heave heard many stories, watched youtube vids & such of folks that have flushed their body of kidney stones, etc. from doing different "natural" cleanses - not store bought detox products. I personally feel that an unhealthy diet can bring about conditions that may require cleanses/flushes over & above what the body can do on its' own through normal elimination actions... I'd rather be safe than sorry though - would much rather prevent it from occurring in the first place than have to go through the pain of a detox for an extended period of time...not fun...

Cool vids - wild colors as you mentioned. lol In the background of the deadlift vid., I believe I see Hulk Hogan walking around!

No, not exactly. I should have clarified it more. What I was getting at is a person who might eat raw/hi raw for a day or so, then "fall off" the wagon & pig out on a lot of cooked foods/sugar foods, whatever they may be craving for a few days. It is this type of going back & forth that makes the change to raw so hard to deal with, and also cause the body to detox hard. I believe it also highly depends on what your motivation is for going raw, your mindset. I was highly motivated after hearing a few radio shows on it & doing a bit of research, and I was determined in my mid to do it. I didn't look longingly at cooked foods/comfort foods which so many folks will continue to do, and that makes it additionally hard to break away from cooked. If a person is a "comfort food" type that reminisces a lot about what they used to enjoy and misses those foods terribly, then I would say they are not ready yet, emotionally. The mind will play tricks on a person, and you have to be committed to it if you are going to do this. BTW, I am not really trying to convince anyone to convert to raw, but simply sharing my own experiences/observances. I am not sure if you are being sarcastic...it is hard to determined in the two dimensional internet world... But...it definitely does exist...I went through severe detox symptoms during that first year. Even when I went from animal foods to being vegan, I was detoxing severely. It was not a pretty time, I would not want to go through any of it again, as I was highly toxic. To make matters worse, I really didn't understand it all fully at the time; I went completely "cold turkey" abruptly switching my diet, cutting out all foods I thought was bad, probably not replacing those foods with the proper nutrient dense foods that I should have, until I learned more. I also got into juicing very heavily, which many of you may know has quite a flushing effect on the body. It was a learning experience, to say the least.

You may be seeing many raw foodists in a state of detox. When I was detoxing, which took probably almost a year, I had an unhealthy color & felt bad. If a person "see-saws" back & forth between raw foods & cooked foods, it is thought that they are continually detoxing & therefore are not experiencing optimal health benefits that they could be on the raw food diet. They will most likely have a sallow complexion and a myriad of symptoms to boot. I've been raw for almost 2 yrs. now, and feel absolutely fantastic now that the detoxing is done with. A person really has to experience it for themselves in order to understand what it is all about and how they can feel so good. I can try and explain to a family member/friend how good I feel, but you can't really understand how sick you really are until you experience this level of health. I encourage you to continue your research, peruse the raw food forums...there is nothing like it!

Welcome aboard! The P90X will give you great results, I'm sure.

Lookin' good - great progress. Tummy fat always seems to be the most stubborn. I think a program like Insanity or P90X would hit it good for you.

Mary, Are you aware of Calcium Bentonite Clay? I don't know how much you are into alternative healing methods, but thought I would mention it. I have used it for a few years now. It works great on trauma/injuries like you are experiencing, as well as many other injuries/diseases. Check it out! http://www.aboutclay.com/

Welcome aboard! Good luck on your quest to better health & a higher fitness level. Slow and steady, as they say... Cheers, katz