Final Fall Quarter

Before I started this school year, I thought I was going to graduate in the spring.

I met with my advisor a few weeks ago to make sure I was on track to graduate and had all of my classes planned out.

Unfortunately, two of the classes I had been planning to take my senior are no longer being taught because one professor quit, and the other is so ill they can't teach right now.

So, I may not be able to graduate by Spring after all.

I can't tell you how bummed I am about this. I am 26. I'm ready to be done. I want my degree. I want a big girl job, I want to be able to enjoy my life and not feel guilty when I am not using every moment I am not in class spent on reading, studying or doing homework. I want to be able to come home from work, and just relax, watch a show on hulu, talk with my b/f, hang out with friends or family, and not feel that guilt feeling in my gut that I should be home working on something for school.

Most people in my classes are much younger than me but for a couple of older adult students.

I'm just at a different place in my life than most of them.

I'm not a big drinker or anything, but some of them are not even old enough to drink!

They just make me feel old and out of touch. Many of them are so fresh out of High School that I feel so rusty is so many subjects. It's really frustrating.

The people who sit around me have an influence on me too, and I hate that.

In almost all of my classes you get participation points for giving answers and opinions in class, but I only seem able to do it if the people around me do it too.

I need to be more brave and care about myself because 1) those people won't matter after my class is over, or I'm out of school. 2) My grade is more important to my future than what some random strangers think about me that I will never speak to again once we no longer have classes together. But yet, I care.

I want to sound smart when I answer a question in class, and sometimes I am afraid to speak because I will be wrong, and that's mostly in my spanish class because I should have studied more over the summer.

I guess that's the thing that's really bothering me now. I wish I would have applied myself more when I was younger.

I have this habit of memorizing things in the short term and forgetting them later. Not very helpful once you get to College.

But all I can do now is study as hard as I can to make up for lost time.

So for finals next week and completing my papers this week, I am scheduling a plan of attack. After this post, I spend the rest of the night working on my research paper, and maybe throw a few spanish flash cards in there in between. Tomorrow, I will finish my research paper and take it to the writing center for editing before I turn it in. If I get far enough tonight, I might even take my paper in tomorrow for editing. Why not right?

Thursday I have a presentation for my research paper, so that's why I want to be done if possible by then. I was given an extension so I can use some alternate research that I had trouble locating before that I find pertinent to my topic. I am writing about Virginia Woolf and Three Guineas.  I have to say it's hard to feel motivated today when  I only got 4 hours of sleep last night.

It takes me to be extremely tired in the morning to be willing to skip a day of washing my hair. I'll get to that more in a future post. Possibly after finals.

My weekend will be spent reading over old material, studying flash cards, and preparing writing my essays. Then my long awaited x-mas break. I can't wait!

It will be so nice to finally spend some guilt free time with my friends and family!

There is a chance I may go to a study abroad seminar next week to see if I can complete my remaining english credits through a study abroad program.

No better way to be brave than to travel all by myself. Not sure what my options are, but I should find out next week!

I hope you are keeping up with your healthy living! I am putting Yoga on my to do list today to keep my work out going and get some much need stress relief!

Visiting my Dad on Thanksgiving.

Progress Report

Today is the day after, the day after Thanksgiving. I have been too busy spending time with family and friends to write a Thanksgiving post, so I have a minute before I begin working on my Virginia Woolf research paper that I should have written about two weeks ago.

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about my goals for studying and living a healthy lifestyle. Here's how I am doing.

Procrastination-

-Would it be cliché if I said I will do better tomorrow? Ha.

-I have been studying for thins earlier. (Better grades are my reward!) ((Of course they are!))

-I still resort to cleaning my entire apartment before sitting down to study or start working on homework or my reading. (So that's the key to having a clean apt.?)

-My new cat has forced me to keep up on the dishes more because she has jumped up on the counter and cats will basically become ill if they have any people food at all.

-I am still in my pajamas and it's 11:16a.m. Hmm I never rush getting ready on the weekends because I have to rush every morning to get ready for school.

I will give myself a NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

Goals? Well, I only have two weeks left in Fall quarter, so I will set new goals to start now, and take with me into Winter quarter. They are....

1. Complete homework assignments as soon as I get home from school.

Consequence of not doing so- Staying up too late, being too tired to remember what I read for complete my homework well, causing in lower grades and having trouble concentrating in my classes the next day because I stayed up too late getting things done the night before.

This is the biggest habit I need to break!

Exercise-


-So far this work, I only worked out three days. I was hoping for 5 days, but that is still far better than I have been doing, which is one day if I'm lucky.

-I actually brought work out clothes home with me this time which makes it much easier to work out. However I forgot my shoes and socks. (Yes I have work out socks.)

Goal: Always write a list of things to bring home with me so I have everything with me. Pack using the list, and include work out clothes so I can keep up when I come home for the weekends.

Consequence: I will not feel as good if I stop working out, and the hard work I have been doing will go down the drain. (Oh and my body gets stiff when I don't work out.)

-Keep up with the 5 days a week goal.

This week I:

-Did the Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 2x.

-Improvised when I forgot the DVD at home and did a dance work out instead. (I sweat way more!)

-Found out I did well on my last spanish test because I studied more than last time. (Imagine that!)

-Kept my weight right where I want it to be.

Goal: Tone more by sticking to the 5x a week work outs.

Overall, I get a big NEEDS IMPROVEMENT. However, I am making big progress. I worked out the morning of Thanksgiving because I knew I would eat a ton.

I was given advice that sharing my goals on my blog would be a way to hold myself accountable and have to stick to them. So I'm going to give this a try. I have to say that it has made me want to work out more this week. Now if I could only start all of my assignments sooner. This research paper I have to complete by tuesday is stressing me out! Sigh.

Now, I have to start writing my research paper and work on my final project for my spanish class. I can't wait for Christmas break!

P.S. I enjoy writing my blog to be read by others. SO please don't be shy, leave me a comment! What are your goals for the rest of the month? Next few months? Share your work out stories and goals. I would love to hear what helps you stay on track!

P.P.S. I am looking to change my blog name. Any suggestions?

Eating our 3rd Thanksgiving dinner. 

Oh the foods that burn my heart.

http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/features/top-10-heartburn-foods?page=3

The healthy life.

So far this school year, I have hardly been exercising.

For those of you who know me and know of my thin frame, you may be thinking, "Oh big deal, you're skinny! You don't need to exercise!" 

Well let me just tell you, that is simply not true. 

Being "thin" does not make me in shape. I would rather be physically fit and weigh more, (muscle weighs more than fat, in case you didn't know) than just skinny. 

If being thin implied that me or other "thin" people are automatically in good physical condition, then why do I feel like I'm dying when I attempt to run one mile?

Why am I out of breath when I walk up the stairs at my school to the 4th floor?

Why can't I easily touch my toes and do certain yoga poses?

Because being thin doesn't just make you in shape. Just like everyone else, even thin people have to work to be in good physical condition. 

It's about balancing your lifestyle.

You need at least 8 or 9 hours of sleep every night, a well-balanced diet, and plenty for exercise.

Easier said than done right? 

So what are some of my personal excuses for not following this seemingly easy enough lifestyle?

-I always feel like I have too much studying to do and can't take time away from my school work.

-I shower in the morning and get all dolled up for school and don't want to have to shower and get ready all over again later.

- I procrastinate too long during the day, causing me to stay up late at night completing homework assignments and studying. 

Sure, you can say, yeah, well plenty of college students do that, so what?

Well, then I just feel exhausted the next day, leaving me even less motivation "tomorrow" to work out, and spend more time cooking a healthier meal. 

When I'm tired, I am far less likely to want to take the time to cook up some great healthy meal.

But can't healthy meals also be quick? Yes, it's all about finding the right recipes. 

I bought a Vegan and Vegetarian cookbook for quick meals on a College budget from Amazon. 

My b/f and I try to cook healthy as much as possible. But eating healthy is not all one needs to do be in good health.

Because this just isn't some petty desire to be pretty.

Being healthy is a lifestyle choice. It goes far beyond looks. Taking care of your body will help you live longer, and feel better. 

So if we know that exercising and eating right will help us live longer, and feel better, which I am sure we all want, why don't we all take the time to do it?

-Well, it's takes time and money for one, and discipline and dedication.

You have to have self control when you're at the grocery store. I'm not going to lie, I just bought thanksgiving sugar cookies the last time I was at the store. I'm not saying you can never indulge, but I am saying that sugar turns into fat, and rots your teeth. 

You are what you eat. If you eat healthy, you will be healthy. If you eat junk food, how well do you think your body is going to respond to processed foods filled with chemicals and preservatives? Not as great as it would respond if you were buying fresh healthy food. 

If it comes in a box, watch out. I have read in many fitness and health magazines to stick to the outside of the grocery store.

Buy fresh produce, lots of fruits and veggies. Lots of protein. I am a bit of a vegetarian myself, so I love fruits and veggies. 

I do eat seafood, but I am not a big fan of red and white meat. I will on rare occasion eat a hot dog or a cheeseburger. Yes, I know. A hot dog? Yes, I have watched videos. I know what's in there. Like I said, it's an every now and then thing. But mostly, I eat turkey bacon, turkey hotdogs, or meat alternatives in general. (As in, it's not really meat). 

On occasion I will eat meat with my b/f because he cannot live on a vegetarian diet alone. So we compromise. 

But eating right is not the only thing he and I find important to a healthy lifestyle. My b/f loves to run and work out at the gym with his buddy. 

-The gym he works out at is at his school, and since I don't go there, I can't get in. So, I bought myself some work out dvds to do at home. 

Yesterday I started Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30. I have completed two days of her work out. 

I am definitely sore today, but I pushed through the second work out.

See? I had to push through it. Being thin for me actually means I have wimpy muscles. I admire women with more defined physics. That is my goal. Physical fitness and health, not being super thin. 

I want to do it the healthy way. I love food, I could never be one to deprive myself of it to be thin. You just have to choose the right choices. Eating small meals a day actually helps you have a faster metabolism anyways. So don't ever skip meals to help lose weight. It will only backfire.

For me, the key is finding healthy food and exercises you love. Ask yourself this. Why would it be good for YOU to work out? What's in it for you? 

Here are my reasons:

-I feel better about my body when I exercise.

-I feel good in general after a work out.

-Working out gives me energy.

-I feel more confident in my clothes.

-I have more endurance when I exercise on a regular basis. 

-I don't want to be out of breath climbing stairs to my classes.

-I want to prolong my life by being in good health, and exercise is one way to do that.

-Exercising is something fun to do with a friend or significant other.

Those are just some of my reasons for staying fit. 

What are some of yours? 

Some tips I have for making exercise more fun.

-Change up your work outs. 

I buy multiple dvds to switch up my work outs so I don't get bored and stop working out. I do Yoga, Pilates, Kick boxing, Cardio, Dance, Abs, kettle bell, weights, exercise ball exercises, and more. 

-find what you love.

There are so many types of exercises you can do. If you sign up at a gym, see what classes they offer. You may be more likely to go if you pay for a class.

-work out with a friend. 

Let friends motivate you. When I worked out with a friend, I went to the gym more often. Get a running buddy if love to run. Find a friend to take a Zumba class with you. (I love Zumba!)

-Get a great pair of running or exercise shoes.

I just sent back to pairs of Nike shoes to find out I just don't like the cut of their shoe. I have a pair of K-Swiss shoes now. (The picture is above.) I love my K-Swiss shoes. For running (when I do actually run) I have a pair of Aasics. It's important to get fitted and try on many shoes to find the best one for you and the activity you like to do. 

This sounds so elementary, but I give myself stickers on the calendar when I work out. It reminds me how many days I have worked out in the month. Who really remembers what they did last week? Mark it down. 

-Start small

Just ask yourself to do 10 min one day, then slowly progress. Whenever I tell myself I'm going to only do 10 min of Pilates, I end up doing more. 

But most importantly, talk to your doctor to make sure you are in the right physical health to eat a certain diet and exercise. Everyone's body is different and you have to find out what is right for you. 

-Subscribe to fitness magazines

I love getting fitness tips and workouts from the magazines I subscribe to. My favorites are Self, and Fitness. 

I plan to blog through my progress of the Ripped in 30 and work out 5 days a week at the min. 6 at the max. I need a day for rest for my muscles to recoup. 

But always listen to your body. If something hurts, don't do it. Now, that doesn't mean exercise isn't hard work. Sometimes you have to push through a hard work out, but pains and strains should be avoided. If you injure yourself, it will only put you back. So always be careful. Make sure you are doing the work outs correctly.

If I am feeling too sore one day, I might to pilates or Yoga instead.

 I figure, what better way to keep off those holiday pounds than to exercise through the holidays? 

Do you have any motivating health advice for eating right or exercising? Do you have a website that you like to go to to get healthy recipes or work outs? Leave a comment below! 

I challenge you who are able to work out along with me. Do 5 days a week of your favorite work out and share it with me. Let's motivate each other!

Happy exercising!