What happened!?

I'm sure people are wondering if I've abandoned the blog, or forgotten about it, or given up on my workouts.

Here is what has happened in the past week and a half:
Thursday the 16th to December 25th were days in which I succumbed to the holiday season.  Thursday night and the following Monday night I did some partying, and took part in mostly unhealthy nutrition practices.  The rest of the week I kept my nutrition decent but lost motivation to keep with my workouts.  I also allowed myself to enjoy my Christmas with free eating habits (Prime rib, sweets, soda, wine, etc.)

Guess what?  I have found my motivation again.  Today I picked up a couple extra hours at work, got home and got a little food into me, drank 64oz of water and relaxed for about 2 hours to let everything settle.  I decided to do a complete restart of Phase II to make up for my week and a half of lax nutrition and exercise.

I would like to make this post a quick overview of my previous progress, and a photo of me today.  I know that in my first post I explained my success through the first 90 days of the program (which was more like 116 or so days, because I extended phases due to missing workouts and illness).  I figure it would be good to show some proof of the progress and where I'm at today.  Below are Day 1 versus Day 90 photos from my first round of the program.



 





Below is a couple of photos I took after doing my workout today.    
My skin has tightened up a lot and my clothing is feeling looser on a regular basis.  Something important that anyone who is working on their health and fitness and is worried about their progress should learn:  Progress is not found only on the scale, but in the way you feel and how your clothing fits.  Do not be discouraged if the scale isn't changing because a persons weight fluctuates so much that it often isn't an accurate reading of progress unless there is a drastic loss/gain (10 lbs is not drastic, that alone can be water weight).
It's hard sometimes to get motivated to start working out again, but once you start you feel good, and it makes you want to come back for more.  If you fall off track after keeping at it for a couple of weeks, you start missing it a little bit, and don't feel quite right without it, and that's why it's so important to start up and give yourself a chance to adjust.
So, what's next for me?  For Christmas I got the P90X Plus DVDs, and a new heart-rate monitor (Polar FT40).  I'll be trying to incorporate one of the cardio DVDs in each week to spice up the routine a little bit, and the HRM will help me better keep stable in a good fat burning zone or my cardiovascular strength based on what I feel like improving that day.
I have one final suggestion for anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on a home fitness DVD set (P90X, Insanity, P90), but want to get in shape, and learn what they can do at their fitness level and how to eat healthy.  Tony Horton's, "Bring It", (http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Revolutionary-Fitness-Levels-Builds/dp/1605293083)  I pre-ordered this as soon as it came up, because I wanted to see what Tony Horton's grand idea is for fitness and health, and it's literally all about keeping things simple, and working hard towards your goals.
In his book you'll get a basic fitness test where you can figure out what level you're at, and from there you are pointed on to a customized workout plan and nutrition plan that will help you meet your goals.  This book is a great jump start for people to start living a more fit and healthy life, because eating healthy and regular exercise isn't something that stops when you meet your goals - it's something that benefits you to continue on with throughout the rest of your life or you'll lose everything you've gained.