Day 47 - Gratuitous shot of Barbara Stanwyck and some remarks on motivation

Isn't she just fabulous!


I'm going to a dance class at FAB Academy, Roppongi in about five minutes. It's a five week course leading to a fashion shoot with choreography, 'glamour' shots, and poses given by Kiki. This kind of thing is a bit scary, but the group are all very cool (all ladies) and the instructor, (a gay guy) tells us how to be feminine, drawing on his experience as a drag artist. It was pretty interesting advice - find what it is that makes you as an individual feel sexy. For example, he could never get his hands to move like a woman unless he had gorgeous nails on. It might be how you tie your hair, how a garment sits on you, a colour, a smell, a favourite accessory. This advice is good in so far as it means you explore what is personal to you and claim it as part of your own original sass factor.  Individuality combined with pleasure is very sexy. 


For PCP-ers though this call to individuality is much much deeper. We are not just exploring how to adorn our bodies here. This project is graft: breaking down, rebuilding, using, restoring, nourishing. Every time we weigh food, get off the couch, say no to fake food, and yes to real food, go to bed early, decline something. There are rules that are tough, but - on the individuality theme - we all find our own way to make them work for us. Some people work out early, others late, some while children sleep, others like Molly in the group ahead, with their family. Some people eat out, others at home, others make PCP boxed meals and eat them on the fly. We all have different MOs - it's SO interesting to read everyone's blogs. 


I love the fact that I can choose so much of what I get to do, but also that the framework is a proven one. Moreover, it is working for me. I am losing fat, toning up, and feeling quietly stronger each day. This process has been mostly good days, but there is usually a bit of time in every day when I have to remind myself of the bigger picture. Today's low was around after lunch which was the time I'd set aside for muscle workouts. I really did not want to do it and I did want to eat the remaining rice from my bento. (Half the bento remained!)  I was tired and that vinegary rice was tasty, dammit. 


Point for the Valley Dwellers: We don't have to feel 'ra-ra-rah!' Just put one foot in front of the other. 

Day 42 - Another one down

That was the week that was...Week 6. I don't feel that I really pushed myself with the exercises as they were pushing me. I've had some real highs with feeling strong and powerful. And tired too, especially at the weekend. I'm determined to jump early tomorrow.

I think the main places I can get stronger with all this is being more on top of the diet in terms of prepping even more at home so I don't eat the salty fish that is delicious, but not strictly PCP. I also want to have a stronger week with my form, posture, and really making every exercise count. Compared to a couple of weeks back when I felt searing tiredness and soreness in my shoulders and legs, this week has been easier.

Today when I got home and got changed I saw a real change around my middle. Like I am starting to have a middle!

Gambatte minnasan!

Day 31 - Come train with me

Trained with Paul, Patrick, and Kazue. Feeling stronger and enjoyed
the weigh-in, feedback, and fun of training with someone, especially
mirror image tricep dips. Go Paul!
Results are on track - the nasty wetsuit fat is on it's way out.
I've still got a spare tire, muffin top, and saddle bags if anyone
wants them. No takers? Okay, I'll just sacrifice them to the burrrrn
then!
Bit of a low having yogurt, banana, and apple on station platform with
smell of hot savoury noodles nearby.
Anyone noticed heightened sense of smell? I'm starting to tell from
people's skin what they ate. This is not a blessing on a Tokyo train
at night...Maybe I'm becoming a vampire.
As long as it's a lean and strong one, it's all good.

Day 28 - Early start, salt

Anyone else finding getting up earlier easier? It starts with getting
an earlier evening meal if you can. I had my main meal about 30 min
before my evening class. I used to think that eating later was an incentive, but it doesn't work like that anymore.

Failed again on the salt because I didn't take in pre-prepped protein and got mackeral grilled with salt for both lunch and dinner. I think it's hard to say no to something so delicious and good for you in many ways.
The other option is a sashimi plate at the shop near me, but that's going to mean taking scales into the restaurant, and I'm not brave enough to do that yet.

Realized today that I'm not really trying hard enough on all sets of the exercises especially the ones in the middle. Something to work on.

If you haven't had breakfast eggs yet, may I recommend grinding in some nutmeg? It'll make your home smell lovely all day.

Day 2 - Skipping is for girls

にわとぶは女の子の運動ではないでっしょう！

When I was a kid the boys in the playground used to laugh at the girls doing skipping or 'rope jumping' or whatever it's called to differentiate it from 'skipping'. I used to skip as a girl, but it was usually in a group with singing or with a friend. It was strange to be skipping, boxer style in the courtyard by my apartment.

The tip about finding a softer surface was dead right. Even going from concrete outside my block to a tarmacked road made a difference.

So far, I've only managed one complete set of 50 consecutive skips. When I started yesterday, I was a bit scared of the whippy sound and wondered if I was going to wake anyone as it was about 7 am.
When I get it right I notice a few things are also happening.

1. I'm looking up, not down. 
2. My wrists are doing the work and I'm not throwing my shoulders around. 
3. The jump is low and springy, not high and flouncy.
4. The count is by numbers one to ten, e.g., get to twenty, then go 'one, two, three...'　not, 'twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three'
5. As my capoeira teacher Cacapa says, do it with a smile! 

However, saying this and doing it are two different things. When I lose focus or just get puffed out I revert to a steppy skip or a double bounce. 

The mat exercises are not great. Lunging after skipping is harder than just lunging. And my ab. pull down things are pretty poor because my torso is weak. Only one way to fix that and it's practice!

Does anyone have any advice for better form for the ab work?