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The list Day 1

First off, how did I not know that this whole wonderful community existed? I started my DDPY journey in January & have just finished my first 13 week program.

After watching this weeks Motivational Monday, I decided to vamp up my journey & make my way through 'The list' on the app.

The Goals

I have a few goals in mind... Well, some are habits I want to establish really?

• Do at least 1 DDPY workout every day.
• Build my strength enough to do at least 1 push up.
• Take a 1 hour walk at least once per week.
• Lose weight, but focusing more on progress photos & measurements than the scale.

Although I don't follow the DDPY food plan 100%, I am starting to be more about wholefoods etc. Whilst calorie counting.

I am at the start of my Vegan journey too, so it's all a learning curve! 

BANG! 🙌💥💎

Hello, my fellow DDPY'ers. This is my first post to TeamDDPYoga. I also just finished week 1 of DDPY. Thus far I can tell this exercise program and community is different than other exercise programs I have tried in the past. It is easy to see the level of commitment and belief DDP and this community have in DDPY. 

Let me give you a brief background on why I started my DDPY journey. I was diagnosed with building discs in my L4 and L5 in 2017. Every year I aggravate the issue, which leads to extreme lower back pain where I can barely walk or sit and causes pain all the way down my legs and into my feet. I have tried going to a chiropractor, but have found that physical therapy has had the best short-term results.

I started running in March 2020 to lose a little weight and create a good habit. Though a great training program through the RunKeeper app I worked my way to running a 25:12 minute 5K in August 2020. Then in November 2020, I had another major flare-up with my building discs. My physical therapist said a big issue is my flexibility. She said my hamstrings and hip flexors are some of the tightest she has ever seen! I've never been flexible and have never been able to touch my toes. Yoga was definitely worth a shot. She recommended yoga and gave me the app she used. I tried her recommended app a few times in February but it wasn't for me. As a complete newbie to yoga, this app went far too fast, did not show how to do the poses except via pictures, and did not track progress. Yoga experiment failed. 

In February and March this year I finally felt my back was in a place where I could start running again. I started my training from scratch but in just a few weeks I tweaked my back again! While the pain is not as bad as it was in November, I knew I needed to find a way to fix this issue. I searched for exercise programs that helped with lower back pain and came across DDP Yoga and DDP's story. As a child of the 90's I watched WCW wrestling (huge Sting fan) and therefore was very aware of DDP. This wasn't the first time I came across DDP Yoga. I saw it on Shark Tank years ago and watched Arthur Boormans video after seeing Shark Tank. This was before my back issues so I never really considered purchasing the program. This time around, DDPYoga seems to be my best chance at improving my flexibility, strengthening my core, and finally healing my lower back. The fact that DDP blew out his L4 and L5 and healed himself it has given me hope. 

So that's my story in a nutshell. My primary goals are to improve flexibility and core strength to heal my lower back once and for all! My secondary goal is to lose 14 pounds and have a lean muscle frame. 

Goals

1. Improve flexibility to touch my toes by October 1, 2021. Lower back pain score from 4 to 1. 

2. Lose 14 lbs by October 1, 2021. Starting weight on March 28, 2021 = 186 lbs. Goal weigh on October 1, 2021 = 172 lbs. 

3. Complete "The List" by April 30, 2021.

It's one month since I took on the unstoppable challenge with my boyfriend, not for the win but for the motivation and accountability to push our goals to the next level and own our lives. It definitely has been one heck of a month, through pushing my body to stretch and gaining strength, to working on becoming more accepting of myself and aware of the value I have for myself. This journey has become more than a fitness weight-loss journey but a discovery of who I am who I was and who I want to become. I truly strive to become unstoppable and a force of nature that proves to people that this program works and it is more than yoga it is a challenge each time you hit the mat. 

In the month I have lost 5 pounds, but have also seen how my figure has changed and developed more muscular shape in my arms, legs, and core. I have been able to stretch myself to position forms that I could not at the beginning including completing a 5-second push-up with my knees off the ground (still working on the 10-sec with knees up). I will admit that I am envious of others' accomplishments thus far but took the time to reflect with my boyfriend and understand that we are all on different steps on our journey and have different ways of reaching each new step towards our goals. 

For my second month, I am sticking to my original goals with a new focus on nutrition and healthier habits to carry me through. I haven't chosen to stick to any meal plan however am sticking to fasting 16:8 with low carb intake and higher portions of fruits, veggies, and fat-free dairy. 

One month down, five more to go, and a lifetime to follow through!

S: lose 10lbs in 2 months or 20lbs in 4 months, gain upper body and core strength, build confidence and strength in self, complete positions in proper form, stay consistent and focus of control in self

M: non-scale victories in how my clothes fit, changing sizes, posture, reflection in mirror and pictures
scale weigh-ins twice a week 

A: absolutely achievable 

C: wake up early to do a 30-minute workout then shower to get ready for work, RHC after or before dinner + gratuity journalling every morning and night to reflect and meditate on my daily worth

K: wake-up calls with Dom (BF), daily check-ins with FB group, DDPY Goal Tracker Board in bedroom 

D: January 3rd, 2021 5:40 AM - every day 

O: FB Group progress sharing, Dom accountability 

W: pre-program weekly workouts on the app, set alarms for gratuity journal on phone, track goals on DDPY board in my room

N: DO IT ... again and again 

It's been a little while since I've posted a blog entry here.  I've been focusing on the facebook groups.  I don't have a working laptop outside of work and this site is kinda difficult to navigate on a phone or tablet. But anyway, I achieved my January SMACKDOWN goal of limiting my pop intake.  I was at the point of having 6+ cans/bottles a day.  I've been keeping myself to 1 can or 1 bottle per day.  If I am in the mood for something fizzy I've replaced the pop with LaCroix or Bubly but even those have been limited.  I've come to like the sparkling waters though.  The grapefruit bubly goes wonderfly with a shot of tequila and a splash of lime juice. 

But anyway,  onto my February SMACKDOWN goal.  SUGARRRRRRRRRR.  Damn sugar.  Candy bars, ice cream, chocolate bars.  mmmmm mmmmm.  Love em but it's time to break up with them.  I made the decision to take the smackdown sheets down to monthly goals.  One step at a time to reach my ultimate goal of getting into shape and living a healthy lifestyle.  This might be one of the bigger steps I take but it has to be done eventually.  I quit smoking 2 1/2 years ago and was finally successful.  I used a vape pen for the intended purpose of getting myself off the nicotine titty by gradually reducing the content.  I still get the urge to reach for that vape sometimes but no desire anymore to pick up a cigarette.   I have tried giving up sugar multiple times and honestly it was easier to kick the cancer sticks.  But maybe I need to take a different approach to giving up sugar.  A similar approach to giving up nicotine by gradually taking it out of my life.  While I've gotten better unintentionally with my sugar habit.... I still find myself going to the vending machine for some cookies or swiping a chocolate bar from my mom's stash.  I really have no control of removing that stuff from the house even if I talked to her about it.  She eats what she can with her condition which I won't get into and that's her one vice is chocolate.  So I can't really hold that against her.  It's gonna be willpower.  So here we go... SMACKDOWN time. 

S- I want to eventually take sugary treats out of my life
M- I'm going to measure my progress by paying closer attention to my food logs on myfitnesspal.  
A- Hell yes it's achievable.  I did it with changing my diet to include more non-gmo and organic foods and I can do it with this, even though it'll be a bit tougher with this. 
C- It's sure as hell compatible.  I have already changed my diet, I have to form different habits to keep myself from wandering off to the vanding machines or browsing the candy aisle.  
K- When I'm discouraged I will find something else to snack on.  Maybe a piece of fruit.  I'll also come back to this month's goal sheet and read it again.  I'll be inking it when I get home.
D- I'm seriously starting right now, even though I've already started with changing my diet last month. 
O- I will own it with my best friend keeping me accountable.  He doesn't really care for sweets.  
W- I'm going to write it down on the goal sheet I have printed for this month and hang it where I had January's
N- NOW!!!!! OK!

Goal #1 loose fat and tone midsection.

The main area of my body that I dislike is the “paunch” I have developed below my belly button. It is the sagging skin I hate next- the upper arms and double chin. And the spare tire I am carrying around my waist! I think all these areas would improve if I could tone and tighten my muscles to lift and support.

Goal #2 - I do have one difficulty in that if I stoop down to get something off of a low shelf, at the grocery store... or something from my lower kitchen cabinets- It is hard to stand  up right away again. Seems like it involves my knees? I am not sure if this is a joint misalignment or merely weak muscles in my legs? Although this is not painful I wish I could just spring back up again like I did just a few years ago even.

It is hardest when hiking with my backpack on. If I squat too low, I’ve already had to remove my pack to stand back up again.

That might be my one biggest goal! Then again maybe reaching goal #1 will help goal #2.

I have two goals that I am working on. They are:

1. By New Years Eve 2021, I will weigh 180 pounds.

2. By my birthday (July 15, 2021), I will be out of my wheelchair.

How will I get there:

1. Do DDPY/workout every day.
2. Eat healthy. Eat right
3. No excuses/No days off
4. Be accountable to myself/accountability partners.
5. Pay attention to what I put in my body.

Recommended by Diamond Dallas Page:

1. Food Inc. XXXX
2. Genetic Roulette XXXX
3. Fed Up XXXX
4. GMO OMG XXXX
5. Forks Over Knives XXXX
6. Resurrection of Jake the Snake XXXX
7. Relentless XXXX
8. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead XXXX
9. Living Life at 90% XXXX

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how YOU react!!!!

XXXX=Documentary Watched

I'm planning on updating my pictures and measurements tomorrow. The picture is from when I signed up for the app back in July. I'm now at an 83 day streak of doing at least workout on the app each day. But...my downfall is my eating. I just can't get my focus on the eating side. I've never laid out my goals before, so I'm going to lay those out now.

Weight loss wise

1) Get to 299.9 (Under 300)

2) Get to 283.4 (Down 100 Pounds from my highest)

3) Get to 233.4 (Down 150 Pounds)

4) Get to 199.9 (Under 200)

5) Get to 183.4 (Down 200 pounds)

6) Get to 160 (the lowest I was told that I would be able to be weight wise by one of those body analysis things)

Re-assess

Fitness Goals

1) Be able to complete a marathon

2) Keep up with my five year old and stop being a bystander in his life

3) Improve and master the poses that I struggle with because of my weight 

Whoa! How the heck did that just happen. I am a week into this and I totally missed step 2.

Goal 1: Loose Weight

• I can be 100 kg or less by November 13, my wife's B-day.
• I can be 90 kg or less by Jan. 6, my B-day.

Goal 2: Eat better food & JOURNAL it daily!

• I will use lowercase letters for healthy choices
• I will use CAPS for crap

Goal 3: Regain / improve flexiblity in my right knee

• I can get all the way down (butt to calfs / heels) into "safety zone" by Jan. 6.
• I can see a measured difference in "catcher" in my month to month photo(s)

I made a promise to myself that for my first "MAJOR" goal was going to lose one hundred pounds before my 41st birthday. Well, that day is coming up this Sunday and I am SO close that I can taste it.

Now I know that if I don't meet this goal that nothing bad will happen. Someone from the DDPY offices are going to come by, force me to do Black Diamond 2.0 for ten hours straight or anything but I do feel that I would have let myself down (and maybe I need to force myself to do Black Diamond 2.0 for ten hours straight..) and I'm somewhat tired of feeling that way about myself.

I started my weightloss journey at around 450 (I don't have scale verification but I know I was close enough to that) and losing one hundred pounds would be a great victory for me personally. I'm almost there, I can run but I'm not going to force this.
This will come. Maybe not when I WANT it to but it WILL come.

Just have to keep doing what I'm doing.....

Hello. My name is Lisa & I am mom to 3 kiddos, ages 7, 11 & 22. I have struggled with my body ever since I was pregnant with my oldest & gained 80+ pounds. Recently, I experienced that beautiful metabolism flip you get in your mid-40s. With no change in diet or activity, I gained about 20 pounds, putting me at a weight I have not seen unless I was pregnant. I am now 50ish pounds over weight for my height & feeling it in my hips & back. I am currently on Week 3.5 of Beginner. I am just starting to transition in the food plan, much to my family's chagrin. They are onboard with lots of fruit, but veggies are hit & miss with them, We just got back from a trip to Niagara Falls, where all the walking & lack of space in the hotel threw me behind in my workouts for the week.

I am trying to do goals that do not revolve around the scale as I tend to obsess with every pound up or down. So here are my non-scale goals.

1. No part of my back to touch another part of my back when standing straight.

2. Comfortably touch my toes. (This has never happened in my life, even when I was 5'7" & 125. I can't blame the belly)

3. Be able to do a push up, not on my knees.

Hello everyone! My name is Bryan and I live in Nampa, Idaho. I have a few goals that I want to accomplish with DDP Yoga. I have pretty bad back and knee pain from my time in the military. The pain has just got worse over the years. Because of the pain, I stopped being as active and gained a bunch of weight. At my heaviest, I was at 265 lbs. I have started to eat better and have lost 22 lbs in the past two months. So for my goals, I would like to eliminate or at least lessen my back and knee pain, lose weight, and get healthy. I have completed two DDP Yoga workouts and it has already helped with my back pain. I am looking forward to this journey and getting to know and learn from everyone.

I had planned on back tracking.  Not in a bad way...I had planned on starting with week one and transferring my paper pen journal to blog.  I had weeks 1 and 2 typed out but the page just didnt want them yesterday!  So, I'm starting here with my week 5 post.  Throughout the week I'll go back and do 1-4.  So...here we are 35 days.  What?!  I'm amazed with myself seeing how far I have come!  Lets start with the numbers for this week.

Weight 266.2   down 5 for the week 23.5 total!

Chest 49.5       down .5 for the week 4.7 total

Waist 45           down 2 for the week 9 total

Hips 56             down 2 for the week 8.5 total

R thigh 24.2      down .8 for the week 3.8 total

L thigh 24.5      down .5 for the week 3.5 total

R calf 15.2        up .2  my calves have turned from jellied fat to beautiful muscles!!!  I'm ok with this gain!

L calf 15.5         up .5 same as above.

R bicep 12.8      down .2 for the week 1.9 total

L bicep 13         same as last week.  Still .7 total

The measurments in my upper body alone bring in happy tears!  I'm doing this!!!  

I have continued my streak of excersize each and every day.  I have stayed away from sugar and gluten still, but have allowed myself (with no guilt) some cheese.  I allowed myself organic cheese.  Most importantly I allowed myself am actual serving...not an entire pound!  Its a victory.  

This week I got the audio version of Positively Unstoppable. The Art of Owning It.  By DDP.  Im so glad that I did!  As I've said, my husband is a huge wrestling fan so i was already aware of most of ddps story.  But to hear about the emotional gravity that he, and so many others have over come inorder to own their lives was inspiring.  Wednesday night this happened and I posted in the Facebook groups...

Sorry, in advance for the long post. Tonight was a huge NSV for me and I have to share!!

When I was in 7th grade we "ran" a mile and were timed in gym class. I completed a mile with the time of 15 minutes and 56 seconds. I'll never forget that time. I was so proud of myself. I had no idea what a good time was, I only knew that I did it. I was very excited when my mother picked me up from school. I couldnt wait for her to go though get though my siblings and finally ask ME about MY day. With all the pride in the world I told her that I ran a mile in 15 minutes and 56 seconds...and waited for her to be proud of me too. Instead she pulled over on the side of the interstate to yell at me. " You didnt run you crawled. I'm so embarrased that my daughter can't even run a mile." This was just one of the days that that woman broke me.

Fast forward to today....my day 32. her words have always followed me for 25 years. I dont get out with my kids and play. I dont walk further than I have to. 33 days ago I stuffed My body with whatever Crap I could find. Fast forward to Today I WANTED to work out....thats crazy enough on its own....but i wanted a change of pace. I asked my daughter if she would be my walking partner tonight. Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas, she was in!! I told my husband I was going to go walk. He has been my #1 cheerleader in this, so instead of just an "ok" he said great, whats your goal. I told him i was going to put my hrm on and walk until I had been in my target zone for 45 minutes. I went out and walked a mile and a half. I did that!! I didnt run, but I completed what I set out to do. I kept my heartrate up. I completed my goal. I'm so blessed to have a family that us supportive, not toxic. I'm blessed to have been given the opportunity to TAKE my second chance at life!

When i came I'm from that walk I could barely catch my breath.  Yes I had worked my ass of...but so many emotions were flooding in at that moment!  I posted this on Facebook.  I woke up the next morning to over 200 likes and over 50 comments.  I woke up to support.  I woke up to knowing that people were cheering me on.  Most important I woke up knowing that I wasn't alone.  Many comments were made expressing that they had been in my shoes.  They knew how it felt   this not only gave me the drive to keep going in weighloss abd just getting healthy...but it made me want to post more.  What if I could encourage others through this?  Yes I'm still at the beginning of my journey...but I could make a difference!  

Arthur's story is amazing.  I'm loving getting to follow Chase Greene's journey right now.  But I'm noticing that I dont see videos popping up about women who have reclaimed their lives.  I can do that!

Labels:  I found it ironic that this was discussed in the book.  This is a theme that has been consistant in my church this year.  Ive heard it week after week but it clicked this week.  Starting this week, I am writing my own labels.  I am not who my mother said I was.  I am who God and I say I am.  In not her daughter....I'm HIS.  Im not weak, I'm strong.  I am capable.  I'm not going to be fat forever...I AM working everyday to become healthy and an example for my kids.  

I'm going into this week with new goals.

1. Drink more water..  Why is this so flippin hard?  

2. Excersize everyday BUT find 2 days to walk.

3. Pick 2 mornings to set my alarm extra early and work out before work.

It was early January when I had a conversation with myself about my life. I was sitting in a doctor’s office waiting right after she said, let’s see if you have pneumonia. My immediate reaction was: “if I have pneumonia, I can rest. Justifiably rest.”

My next reaction was shock that I was entertaining wanting to be sick. What was that about? I realized in that moment that my life needed to change. I had to change how I was responding to the stress, conflicts and circumstances of my life. Me. 

What followed were 3 weeks of being sick, forced rest, time to face my life and own it, losing weight, realizing I could lose weight, and hope that I could change in other ways as well. And on the tail of that, in perfect timing, enter DDP. My husband ordered the DVDs for himself. I did 1 workout and was hooked. I loved it. I hadn’t found any workout routine that I’ve enjoyed since running. So...I committed and I inked:

Get back to MY body’s natural, healthy weight (140-144 range) from a starting point of 173

Change how I respond to stressful situations. I own my own responses, meditate, breathe, and practice choosing how I respond as well as setting boundaries. The nuances in this change is just as vital as the nuances I see in my body as I eat better and workout. I repeat often my mantra: i step out of my limitations and expand beyond my conditioning to infinite possibilities of new life.

Eat differently. My goal for eating has everything to do with a healthy lifestyle and aiding my body to be its best. I’m eating organic and getting rid of the glutton. My goal is to determine the triggers for me that cause acid reflux reactions and eliminate them permanently. I log what I eat. I star great meals I’d do again. I note the meals that cause reactions and adjust from there.

this year is the year of change: I seek a truer, better version of myself: spirit, mind and body. And so far, I’m moving forward. I like what I see -inside and out. And, I’m doing it for myself. How cool is that?