I’m On My Way!

This week was good and bad… The good news is that I stuck to my workouts every day and ran my best 5K time yet on Saturday!  24:48!  My 5K goal was 25 minutes but since I hadn’t been running much lately I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it, especially since it was about 20 degrees out!  I’m running the Run for Life 5K for breast cancer research on March 28th.  Hopefully it will be warmer then.  I’m starting my 10K training when I get back from the cruise, so I’m hoping my stamina improves enough so I can break 24 minutes by then!

Unfortunately I didn’t stick to my diet as much as I’d have liked to.  I was good until Thursday, when I went to my grandfather’s burial service.  I had a few too many of the desserts at the reception.  Then when I was with my family that night I snacked way too much on cheese and crackers… and ice cream cake… and wine.  Then on Saturday I drank a little too much at my date function, which lowered my inhibitions and I ate some of the yummy bread my room mate’s mom brought us that night.  So, I weighed the exact same as I did the week before yesterday.

Luckily, Lent starts on Wednesday.  I’m giving up sugar.  My room mate was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras over the weekend and brought back a king cake.  I’m going to let myself cheat a little on Tuesday to have my last hoorah before I can’t have sweets for 40 days!  Plus we’re having a girls night out that night downtown We’re leaving for Miami on Friday and then our cruise starts on Sunday!  I’m going to try to work out somewhat consistently.  While I know that I won’t eat as well as I normally do, I think not letting myself have sugar will definitely keep me from going overboard!  

I signed up for an account on CalorieKing.com this weekend.  It’s similar to thedailyplate.com, only they have a stricter diet plan to go along with it and the database seems more trustworthy!  I’m going to get hardcore about sticking to it after I get back from Spring break.  After the trip, I’ll have about two months to get down to my goal weight of 115 lbs before graduation!

This week has been so hectic but also very rewarding!  I’ve been working all week with a choreographer from Chicago to put together a piece for a show in April.  Since she was only available to work with us for a week we had to rehearse every night during the week and pretty much all day yesterday!  It was definitely worth the long hours, though.  Putting this piece together was such a phenomenal process and I’ve learned so much.  I can’t wait to actually perform it!

The diet ended on Tuesday.  I had a really difficult paper due on Thursday, so although I was good most of the day on Wednesday, the stress kind of pushed me over the edge and I ate a few too many of the peanut butter cookies my room mate’s mom made during the late hours I pulled.  They were so good but I feel pretty guilty about it still.  After I turned in my paper, I discovered that instead of double spacing it I accidentally made it 1.5!!!  Not only does that mean that I put more work into the paper than I needed to, but I’m worried that I’ll lose points for not following directions and going over the limit

My Valentines Day dinner was lovely, even though I cheated BIG TIME!  It was delicious, though, and totally worth it!  Pete got me some Versace perfume which smells fabulous!  Unfortunately I gained a pound this week .  I really need to stick to my diet and training plans this week!  It might be a little difficult this week, though.  My grandfather’s burial service is on Thursday and being around my family makes being healthy hard!  Plus I have a date function on Saturday night.  It’s Disney themed which I’m so excited about!!!  I’ve decided that if I stick to my diet until then I’ll let myself buy a fun costume instead of borrowing my room mate’s Minnie Mouse dress.  I better stick to it, too, since I totally love Alice in Wonderland and Pete would make a great Rabbit

I only have two days left of Jillian Michael’s Making the Cut Diet.  As of Saturday morning I was down six pounds from when I started.  I’m not quite where I hoped I’d be at this point, but I am feeling a lot better than I was in early January.  I’m definitely back to the shape I was in at the end of Summer!

I only took two cheat days the whole time.  The first was on Super Bowl Sunday and the second was last night at Pete’s cousin’s engagement party.  I had enough on my plate meeting the family I may be joining one day and I wasn’t about to be rude and pass up all the delicious gourmet food!  

I think 30 days is just too long to go without a cheat meal.  Even if I wouldn’t eat junk normally, events happen that I can’t not go to.  I’ve decided my new goal is to get down to 115 lbs and 15% body fat by graduation.  I think I need to do it my own way.  I’m still going to count calories and eat healthy during the week, but I’m going to allow myself one cheat meal a week.  That way I’ll only cheat in moderation and not binge like I did the two times on this program!  

Even if I didn’t stick to the plan exactly, I’ve learned a lot from doing it.  For one, I never realized how much better I’d feel without all the processed food I used to eat!  I’m going to continue eating 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.  I’ve also learned a LOT about fitness from Jillian!  I’ve really enjoyed her workout plan and I know so many more moves to vary my workouts now!  I think I’ve officially made working out a habit since I haven’t missed a workout in so long!  I’m also starting my 10k training after Spring Break!

So, I’m going to be really good these next two days and hopefully I’ll lose a little more!  This week is going to SUCK though.  I have dance rehearsal from 7-11 every night plus 9 am-8 pm on Saturday!  Pete and I don’t get to go on our Valentine’s Day date until 9:00 .  Plus I have a huge paper due on Thursday that I’ve barely started working on.  Wish me luck and have a good week!

Week two of the diet is finally over.  I weighed myself this morning and I’ve lost exactly five pounds and went down 2% body fat!  I’m so proud of myself for sticking with it this long and my progress has only motivated me to work harder!  I need to look hot in that bikini in just over a month!

Rush is FINALLY over.  While the whole thing was really exhausting (as always) I did enjoy spending more time with my sisters and meeting the girls who might be carrying on the Sigma Sigma Sigma legacy.  I’m excited to see our bid list tomorrow!  Unfortunately I can’t be at the bid day celebration because I have to go watch a movie for class, but that’s probably for the best since there’s always a ton of free junk food there at the bar and so much drinking later that night!  

I went home for my sister’s birthday dinner last night which was so nice   I miss my family so much when I’m at school.  I don’t know what I’ll do when I eventually move south.  They might just have to come with me!  I didn’t really cheat… except for some cream in my decaf coffee (I asked for skim milk but they didn’t have any!).  I ate the fruit off my sister’s cake for dessert and didn’t wipe the frosting off quite as well as I could.  Today I was good, too, which was hard since we get to eat all of the leftover food from the prefs ceremony.  I stuck to fruit and veggies, except for two mini tuna sandwiches (with wheat bread!) and one mini spanikopita.  I drank way too much coffee today… but I’m learning to drink coffee black with splenda!  It’s not that different than when I drink it with skim milk, although I do love my half and half every now and then.

This week should be much more laid back now that rush is over.  I have to catch up on some work and prepare for my job interview next week.  This weekend is going to be a test.  Pete and I are going to the Wizards game on Saturday and then his house is having a Super Bowl party on Sunday.  I’m probably going to cook for it, though, so I’ll whip up some healthy stuff and make sure we have plenty of veggies so I don’t cave and eat the wings I know they’re having.  And no drinking!  I’m sticking to it!

Have a good week, everyone!  And GO CARDINALS!

It’s been quite a week!  I started class last Tuesday and already have a ton of work.  I’m pretty on top of it right now, though.  I also had a job interview in DC on Friday!  I’m keeping my fingers crossed… I really want this job!  I think my interview went well.  I still need to write my thank you notes tonight, which is difficult when I had five different interviewers!  

Rush started on Saturday.  I’m really uninvested in the process at this point.  It’s not that I don’t care that it goes well or that I won’t want to help, but I’m a fourth year.  Realistically, I’m not going to get to know our new pledge class well at all.  I’ve kind of been taking the back seat during rounds.  It’s so exhausting, too!  Saturday and Sunday I was at the house for twelve hours straight both days.  I was glad to have a break today.  I went with my friend out to lunch (I just got a salad!) and then went to see "Bride Wars".  It was so good!  One of my classes is cancelled tomorrow, too, for the inauguration.  I’m excited to watch!  I know a bunch of people in DC for it right now.  I’m hoping it goes well.  I’m a little worried about the District’s population DOUBLING!  I hope everyone stays safe!

I finished week one of the new diet/workout plan.  I’ve been successful staying under 1,450 calories a day and staying away from alcohol and refined carbs/sugars.  It’s been hard to keep my percentage of carbs, fats, and proteins right and keeping my sodium down.  I haven’t skipped any workouts yet.  Her plan is definitely hard.  I’ve had to modify it a bit, but I can already feel my endurance improving.

Unfortunately, I didn’t lose any weight this week and my body fat percentage actually increased .1%.  I’m going to try to work out a lot harder this week and try even harder to keep my sodium intake down.  I’m confident it will get better.

Here’s to another week!  I can’t wait for rush to be over.  I hate not having evenings free!  Plus it’s impossible to eat at normal hours.  I try to eat every four hours, which I can’t do during rush.  I keep telling myself it’ll all be over soon!  There’s a lot to look forward to after that

My boyfriend and I just got back from Las Vegas on Friday and had SO much fun.  I’ve visited a lot of cool places, but to date this is the only city where I HAVE to go see again.  It’s really not like any other place on earth.  It’s always buzzing and exciting yet I didn’t think it was overwhelming the way New York is.  We did gambled but ended up making money!  On top of the free drinks, it was a pretty sweet deal.  We saw all the cool sites, rode "Insanity" the ride on top of our hotel which dangles you 1,000 ft over the strip (terrifying but AMAZING), ate at some incredible restaurants (including one that revolved slowly so you got a full view of the Vegas skyline), and saw the Cirque Du Soleil show "Zumanity" which was incredible.  It’s the "sensual side of Cirque", meaning that it still had all the cool acrobatics but everybody was naked.  I have to say, I wish I looked like some of those women.  Gymnasts and the like always have the best bodies!

I didn’t eat TOO badly and skipped dessert at my meals.  I also lifted for half an hour on Wednesday and did the elliptical for 25 minutes on Thursday.  Unfortunately the cool fitness center and indoor pool were being renovated, but this one wasn’t so bad.  I didn’t get my usual hour-hour and a half workout in, but I figured something is better than nothing when I’m on vacay!  Plus we did a TON of walking.  However, I drank horribly!  All those free drinks really got to me.  I tried to stick to wine or clear liquor with no calorie mixers and bloody marys, but I had a couple margaritas and white russians… free is a hard word to pass up!  I weighed myself today and I’ve gained about .7 pounds and .5% body fat since last week. Yuck.  I know it could have been a lot worse, though.  

I went to the gym as soon as I got back to Charlottesville yesterday.  I love my gym here!  Then I went grocery shopping and bought lots of healthy foods for my diet that starts tomorrow.  A couple friends came over last night and we caught up about our breaks and went through two bottles of red wine!  It goes so quickly when you’re having fun.  I have a recruitment workshop at my sorority house today that they’re providing lunch for and then we have a case race tonight.  I don’t mind beer, but I probably won’t drink that much because I drank WAY too much last night.  It’s bad for you anyways, right?!  It’ll be a good way to splurge before my diet starts though.

Starting tomorrow, it’s 1450 calories a day, 1,000 mg of sodium a day, and no alcohol, refined sugars, or white flour for 30 days.  I’m actually excited!  I can’t wait to be back at my healthy weight again!!!

I’m finally done with the GREs!  I took them on Tuesday and got a 570 in verbal and a 760 in quantitative, which is strange since I’m an English major who always thought she sucked at math!  I guess I was wrong.  My verbal was lower than I wanted it to be, but I’m not going to take them again until I know for sure I’m applying to grad schools- hopefully I’ll do well on my LSATs and won’t have to!  I get my writing score sent to me soon.  I expect I did well since I was really comfortable with both topics but I don’t want to jump the gun.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

On Wednesday I rode up to DC with two of my girlfriends.  We went out with my boyfriend, two of his roommates, and one of his roommates’ girlfriend for New Years Eve on the Washington Harbor in Georgetown.  Overall, it was a good night.  The only draw back was that because it was SO cold outside (particularly bad even for the waterfront this time of year!) no one was in the heated tents outside because the wind just blew all of the heat away.  So, everyone stayed inside which made it really crowded and the lines for the bar were ridiculous.  Plus, since everybody was inside there wasn’t any room to dance which was really disappointing.  I love to dance!  Plus, I don’t feel quite so bad doing all that awful eating and drinking if I’m burning off some of the calories in the process!  

The next day the New Years Resolutions went into effect.  My boyfriend and I went out to brunch with my friends and I just drank water and got the steak and eggs breakfast with wheat toast and didn’t eat my home fries.  After my friends left we went to the gym and ran errands.  We had "date night express" by eating a quick dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s and going bowling- I forget how quickly two games goes by when it’s just the two of us playing!  But I’m glad I got some activity, regardless!  Pete won.  He’s much better than me lol.  But we didn’t do any drinking and I stayed under my calorie limit!

On Friday we went to the gym and then had to run home and shower before my grandfather’s wake.  It was good seeing all of my extended family that I haven’t seen in a while, but wakes are so awkward.  I know they’re supposed to help the healing process but I just think they’re weird.  It’s a bunch of people hanging out in a room with a dead body.  Gosh at least put some music on.  I was very uncomfortable.  The man in the casket wasn’t my Pop Pop.  My Pop Pop was so handsome.  This body was waxy and lifeless.  It was hard.  We got home and unwound a bit.  We went to the grocery store and bought wheat pizza crust, part skim mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, olives, peppers, and turkey pepperoni to make a "healthy pizza".  It was pretty yummy!  I limited myself to one glass of red wine.  We watched "Revenge of the Nerds" with his room mate and girlfriend before we headed to bed early.

Yesterday was the funeral.  It was so much harder than I expected.  I hadn’t really grieved up to this point, so it shocked me when it all came out during the service.  My Dad said the eulogy and did such a wonderful job.  He told so many good stories that even though most of them we’ve all heard before, it was so great to hear them again.  Pete was so wonderful during the whole thing.  He held me the entire time and made me feel so much better.  The reception was nice.  I didn’t eat too badly then.  The dessert tray consisted of store-bought cookies and brownies so I wasn’t too tempted as it was lol.  It was nice to catch up with my cousins who live far away whom I haven’t seen since my grandmother’s funeral.  That night we went to my step-grandfather’s house with my Dad’s family.  I definitely went over my drink limit last night!  I should have known that wouldn’t have been feasible with my family!  The Irish drinking habits are in our bones!  My uncles just kept refilling my glass of wine!  We ate dinner there- the only thing they had was lasagna.  I ate lots of veggies and hummus and sliced turkey and roast beef, though!  I did eat three cookies though   My aunt makes the best cookies in the world.  I couldn’t help myself!  I think last night was a reasonable night to make a cheat night, though.  I so rarely get to see those family members.  I wanted to live it up.  I’m so glad that my family liked Pete, too.  He was so great with everyone!  I think he’s definitely in and I can’t wait until he’s truly a part of my family.

I’ve done much better today.  I had Kashi Go Lean cereal with skim milk for breakfast.  My family stopped by McDonald’s for lunch on the way home but I just got a grilled chicken ceasar salad without croutons and was light on the dressing.  I went to the gym when I got home and walked on an incline for 45 minutes and did back exercises.  I’m definitely back on track!

I can’t believe we leave for Vegas in TWO days!  I have a lot to do before then!  I just got some more birthday money which I’m gonna take to the casinos with me   I know I’m going to be cheating on my diet some, but luckily our hotel has an indoor pool and a great fitness center so I can still get my workouts in!  Then it’s back to school on Saturday to get ready for rush

I’ve been reading "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.  I’d definitely recommend it to all you fitness gurus!  It’s about the power of positivity and believing that you can get what you desire.  It’s really helped with my motivation lately!  Some of it is difficult to rationalize with my faith, however if you understand the "Universe" as God, it’s not too far off.  I’ve always believed that in order for your prayers to be answered, you must actually believe that they will come true.  It also talks about the importance of loving others and wishing good things to happen to them if you want good things to happen to yourself.  I’m almost done-it’s quite the page turner!  I’ll give a full review when I finish it but at this point I’d definitely recommend it.

Alright- I’m off to take my first practice LSAT test.  Let’s hope it doesn’t ruin my evening   Have a good week everyone!  AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My birthday was so great.  I just love the concept of birthdays.  I love having that one day of the year to really make it all about you and love yourself.  You should love yourself every day of the year, of course, but I think your birthday is the one day that you’re expected to be deliciously self-indulgent.  And believe me, I was!  I went shopping with my best friend during the day.  I got some cute undies from Victoria’s Secret, some hot brown suede knee-high boots, and a pretty navy jersey dress from Macy’s.  We went out to lunch at Tara Thai and I actually let myself get the Pad Thai this time (instead of my usual spicy thai chicken no rice) and had a yummy pomegranate martini.  Hopefully the power shopping burned off some of those calories!  We came back to my parents house and got ready for dinner.  My boyfriend and my roommate came over and my parents and sister took us out to dinner.  My mom surprised me with a cake that she had snuck to the manager early on!  Then my boyfriend and friends stayed downtown and went to my friend’s apartment, drank, and then met a bunch of friends at a bar. I had a great time (well what I remember at least)!  

I gotta say, though, that I wasn’t feeling so great this morning.  My boyfriend told me that I got really sick last night.  I don’t remember it .  It’s been almost a year since I’ve gotten sick from drinking!  Not so fun!  I got my boyfriend to take me to McDonald’s for lunch because I was craving a big mac (hangovers always do that to me!).  When I got there I wised up a little bit and remembered that it’s NOT my birthday anymore.  The calories are actually going to count today lol.  So, I got a grilled chicken sandwich without mayonnaise and shared the fries with my boyfriend.  Not the best, I know, but definitely better than the alternative!  After Pete left to go back to DC I crawled back into bed for a bit but was awakened when my phone rang and I made myself go to the gym.  It wasn’t the most productive workout.  I just trained my chest and biceps and didn’t really make any progressive from last time.  I’m glad I went at all though, especially since I can tell how much weight I’ve gained over the holidays and it’s NOT pretty.  My jeans are feeling pretty tight about now!  I hate going to my gym in Richmond.  Everyone there is so pretentious and snooty and I feel judged by them all the time!  It’s partly because I’m the only woman ever in the weight room and all the guys make me feel pretty uncomfortable.

I’ve started to craft my new year’s resolutions for 2009.  I’ve broken them down into a couple categories.  They are:

Health and Fitness-
Consistently workout, only missing workouts for illness or injuries (but be realistic and only modify my workouts if I think that’s all I need to do), emergencies, and the occasional out of town trip, but try to fit in my workouts in other ways even if there’s not a gym available.  Do Jillian Michael’s Making the Cut plan and weigh 115 pounds or less and have a maximum 15% body fat by February 14.  Give up sweets for lent.  Maintain my weight from that point on by recording everything I eat on thedailyplate.com and consistently working out and increasing the intensity of my workouts regularly.  Change my routine every 4-6 weeks.  Run a 10k before the year is over.  Limit my alcohol intake to four drinks a week of clear liquor and healthy mixers or red wine.  Have cheat days/meals rarely, only on certain holidays and special occasions, and cheat in moderation.  Drink at least 10 glasses of water a day, more if I’m working out intensely or if I’m consuming caffeine or alcohol.  Be more active in my everyday life and find leisure activities to enjoy that don’t involve food or alcohol!

Professional:
Get all A and A- grades next semester (but shoot for all As!).  Find a job that interests me and fits into my personal and professional goals by April.  Take the LSATs in June and figure out what law schools I’m applying to and make a timeline for applying schools.  

Spiritual:
Go to church and fellowship regularly, treating it with the same importance that I do my career and health obligations.  Try to introduce Pete to the Jesus that I know and love without being overbearing or condescending about it.  Keep Him in mind throughout my days and let Him guide my decision making.

Financial:
Break down my income into: 10% savings, 10% stays in checking for misc. expenses/emergencies, 10% church or other charities/causes, 40% food, 10% fun, 10% clothes/beauty products.  Pay of my credit card bill every month.

Personal:
Make my family more of a priority.  Call home every Sunday and keep them informed about what’s happening in my life.  Start bringing Pete to family functions.  Be a better listener.  Take more time for my friends, but remember to make alone time for myself a priority.  Start crossing things off my life list!  Most importantly, enjoy my last semester of college, treasure this period in my life, and don’t take anything too seriously.  I know that there are times when I will fail, but those failures are learning experiences that will make me a better person.  I will love myself regardless of what that number on the scale is!  I am God’s creation above all else and all of God’s creations are perfect.

So, there you have it folks!  I hope I’m not leaving anything out.  This is a big year for me coming up, graduating college.  Another one of my friends got engaged over Christmas!  Everyone is growing up so fast.  I hope I remember to enjoy myself once and a while as we travel this long path of life

Well… about two hours early.  But I’ve gotten a little bored and have decided to start celebrating a little early.  Plus, we have a ton of leftover hot toddy mix.  I know it’s pathetic.  You try being born the day after Christmas, OK!

Anyways, Christmas was great.  I got some good books that I’ve been wanting to read, a bathroom scale that also tells me body fat percentage (been putting off stepping on that thing…), and a MACBOOK!  That’s what I’m the most excited about.  This this is so cool!!!  I love it!  The screen looks so good and it’s so sleek!  I’m obsessed!  Also, my sister got a wii and a wii fit for Christmas so we’ve spent most of the day playing on it!  It’s so fun!  I rock at bowling and boxing.  I’m glad it helped me stay somewhat active today!  I think it helped ward off some of those unnecessary Christmas calories!  

So, 22 isn’t a very excited age (or at least not as exciting as last year’s birthday!).  It is interesting to reflect on how I’ve changed since last year, though.  While the time has flown by, I’ve grown up and changed a lot.  While I’m not discounting all the amazing things in my life last year, things have definitely improved for the better.  I’m so much more comfortable in my own skin than I used to be and I look so much better.  I lead a much healthier life style.  I have a much clearer view of my goals (both related to and not related to fitness) and I’m more confident that I can attain them.  I have an amazing family, a wonderful boyfriend, and fabulous, supportive friends who are always there for me.  

While I feel like I’m aging like crazy, I’m happy that I’m still young and have my whole life ahead of me.  This is a comforting thought, since I’m still stressing that I haven’t found a job for after graduation yet.  I’m not in any rush to get anywhere.  I want 22 to be there year to enjoy living my life and enjoy my health and energy!  Hey, I’m only 22 once!  This time next year I’ll be graduated with a grown-up job and (hopefully) be accepted into law school.  I might as well savour the process of getting there.

I’m pretty excited about tomorrow!  My best friend came down with a little flu today, but we’re supposed to go shopping together!  We’ve been doing it every year since we were 12, so this will be the ten year anniversary!  Then, my boyfriend is driving down from DC and he and my roomate are coming out to dinner with my family. Then we’re going to my friend’s apartment to pregaming before heading out to bars for the night!  I’m in the mood to go crazy .  

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!  Enjoy the holidays and don’t diet too hard!  A little eggnog won’t hurt too badly

So, I was having a conversation with my boyfriend the other day about what we would do if we could retire now.  I don’t think I would necessarily want to retire right now since I still have so many things I want to accomplish, yet it would be amazing to have an expendable income and free time all the time to do whatever I wanted.  So we both came up with lists to things that we’ve always wanted to do but have never had the time for, but are determined to do one day.  My list is below:

1. Go back-packing through Europe
2. Learn to shoot a gun
3. Read the entire Bible
4. Go skydiving
5. Learn to play golf
6. Go camping (for real camping, not the sissy kind where I end up sleeping in the car)
7. Run a marathon
8. Buy a house
9. Learn to surf
10. Go wine tasting in Napa
11. Learn to grow a garden
12. Get a dog
13. Get married in the church my parents were married in to the man I love and raise a family
14. Get my Juris Doctorate
15. Become a certified personal trainer
16. Write a novel
17. Take up hiking

This list is ongoing, but that’s all that I could think of for now.  What I’ve realized is that while many of these goals are in fact fitness related, many aren’t.  I think I’ve become a little obsessed with diet and exercise in the past year and not always in the healthiest way.  I want it to stay a large part of my life, but I don’t think it should be the main thing I focus on.  There are so many other things that are important to me.  If I’m going to start crossing things off this list, I need to pay attention to those as well.

Let me know if you have any fun ideas to add to my list or if you have lists of your own!  Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!  Have a safe and happy holiday!