Spring Semester 2014

Well this semester will test my limits for the first time in a while. I'm taking 15 credit hours along with running a GED Program for teenagers and adults every Wednesday, on top of my Teach for America Trip in March that I have to prepare for. I took a long break from working out and will be regretting it in the gym on Sunday. My goal is to have a body I can be proud of come summertime. I'm going to be focused more on weights than cardio because I feel like I don't have much more fat to burn off other than on my stomach which I will lose when I go back to eating healthier. I am very excited for this semester though and can't wait to see what I can get myself into!

Surviving Finals

Well I'm going through my first "Finals Week" and so far so good. However, coffee and a lot of carbs have helped me out this week. I average about 5 hours of sleep a night which is actually pretty good. I have finished two finals and think I did pretty well on both. The next one I have is just a presentation on my research project regarding common core. After that, I will be sleeping! Unfortunately though, that will only last a few hours seeing as my physical science final is Monday afternoon. That exam might be the death of me and my GPA. I will definitely keep updating more over Christmas break. The diet is out the window for this death week!

I am still managing to make it to the gym 3-4 times this week so I'm not completely losing it.

Goodluck and may the curve be ever in your favor!

Quote of the week!

"Measure her rights and duties by the sure, unerring standard of moral being, not by the false rights and measures of a mere circumstance of her human existence, and then will it become a self-evident truth, that whatever it is morally right for a man to do, it is morally right for a woman to do." 

My thoughts on diet pills

I think we've all thought about it at one point, diet pills. You see commercials on TV all the time advertising them as well as the constant reminder that you don't look like the girls promoting them. For those of you who don't know, I am a very impatient person. So when I first started working out and 2 weeks had gone by and I still felt like my body didn't look like a Victoria's Secret model, I was a little upset. One of my friends posts all the time advertising a diet pill. She says that you can eat all of the stuff you normally eat and just take this pill and drink this smoothie and you'll lose weight. In my opinion, unless you are unable to workout (i.e. injured) then there is no reason you should be taking diet pills. ESPECIALLY at the age of 18. Get your butt on the treadmill and to the gym and work for what you want. I think because I have made such drastic changes to my diet as well as working out at least 5 days a week, it really bothers me to see these girls my age taking this stuff and seeing results faster than I am. Seeing as I'm the one doing the work! If you don't like your body, do something about it. It doesn't matter if you can barely run a mile, you're still doing more than someone sitting on the couch. 

The End of Week Two

So I'm almost done with week two of exercising AND following a strict diet. So far so good, I definitely have midnight cravings whenever I'm up late finishing a paper or studying but I have a pretty good solution. I've disposed of anything that could potentially get me in trouble, so if I have that craving I'll eat some yogurt or eat an apple. Cutting out soda and pretty much all sweets has definitely not been an easy thing because of my sweet tooth but I'm making it work. I constantly find myself on pinterest looking for inspiration so I don't give into temptation. So two big accomplishments (for me) this week are dropping my mile time to 9:13 which is actually really good for me. As well as running the entire 15 minutes that on the fat-burner on the treadmill. It's our Homecoming game today so the gym closed early but I'll get back into it tomorrow to makeup for the day I missed. I've also decided to not eat carbs after three.... I'll let you know how that goes. And I also cut out regular milk and drink 1 cup of almond milk when I feel like I need it. I keep telling myself I can do it so hopefully all of my hard work will pay off come swimsuit season.

Week Two:

Surprisingly, I still feel really motivated! That could be because I spend hours on pinterest looking at the Health & Fitness tab to get inspiration. So last week for my meal plan I was following a routine that went a little like this: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, and Dinner. For my snacks, they mostly consist of fruit and nuts and lunch and dinner carries the majority of my vegetable intake. For dinner, I was rotating between chicken and fish but I realized that fish spoils way too quickly for me to continue doing that. So I think I'm just going to stick with chicken but mix up my marinades each week so I don't get too bored by it. Hopefully in the next 2 weeks I'll start seeing some toning in my stomach. The amount of fitness articles I've read is just outrageous but at least I know what I'm getting myself into.

Workout Plan

So unfortunately, as much as I wish all I would have to do is change my diet, being active is the next big thing. I plan on working out 5 days a week and giving myself the weekend to relax. I'll give you all an inside look at where I'll be spending the majority of my time. 

Monday: Run a mile on the treadmill, Walk half a mile on a 7% incline, Butt, Thighs, and Abs.

Tuesday: 20 minutes on the treadmill on the fat burner setting, 15 Minutes on the bike with a intensity level of 10.

Wednesday: Hip Hop Cardio Class,  Butt, Thighs, and Abs.

Thursday: 20 minutes on the treadmill using the fat burner setting, 15 Minutes on the bike with a intensity level of 10.

Friday:  Run a mile on the treadmill, Walk half a mile on a 7% incline, Butt, Thighs, and Abs.