Diary of The Average Girl

I can't decide if it's a choice, getting swept away.

[april2005]

Trial, Tribulations, & Regret

This past week has been very stressful for me. And stress=stress eating for me. Therefore, I am dreading hopping on the scale this Monday morning :(

Intern hours were cut this week. I was actually sent home 2 hours into my shift last Friday. Apparently some quota somewhere wasn't met and so they decided interns weren't important anymore. So I went from 35 hours/week to 22 hours this week, which is over a 10 hour difference if you aren't good at math. Which might not seem like a lot but when you look at the money, it is. So this week I was planning on having all this time on my hands, but then I was called Tuesday evening and asked to pick up hours because a technician in a store walked out, so then I ended up with a 12 hour day Thursday and 8 hours today. Yippee!

But then I was hit with a bunch of "food suprises" and it all went downhill. Something important to know about me: I plan all of my meals out to a T, because when my blood sugar drops too low and I don't have an idea of what I'm going to eat for my next meal, I make really really bad decisions. Like, I pick the most high fat, high caloric meal and binge on it. Or a variety of high fat, high caloric things and binge on them. And God forbid I get hangry, then on top of that I get nasty. So... that happened this week. I waited too long to eat lunch Wednesday and then was offered free pizza, so I ate it. Then we didn't have anything planned for dinner that night. I went into hangry mode and when my mom ordered chinese, I went for the deliciously fried sweet & sour chicken, and tried to rationalize it by getting white rice instead of fried (it's still carbs...). Thursday was my 12 hour day and it was split between two different stores. So I did a 6 hour shift at one, then had to drive an hour to the next, then worked another 6 hour shift. And in between I barely had time to drive through the Burger King drive-thru and eat it on the way. Of course I didn't plan ahead and pack a lunch to eat on the road because someone forgot to go grocery shopping this week (who, me??) So I had a wonderfully fattening and tastey whopper and fries. Then when I got to the next store, the pharmacist had bought a BBQ chicken pizza with ranch crust (who knew that was even a thing??) & of course because it was free & he was highly pressuring me to eat it, I had two slices of that for dinner. Omg, my stomach is starting to hurt just thinking about all of the bad eating I did this week. While we're still doing confessions though, I guess I have one more thing I have to confess. Oh God, this is so embarassing, I can't believe I'm sharing this. So then on top of all of that horrible, disgusting, delicious, fried, processed food, I ate an entire container of vanilla frosting by myself in a week's time. There, I said it. I had no Special K snack bars or cocoa roasted almonds to satisfy my sweet tooth, so I would sit down each night and eat a few spoonfuls of icing instead. So pathetic.

So that was my week. If you have a food confession you'd like to share to not make me feel so bad, I say go for it. I'm all ears.

The good news is that I started over today and had a great day. I stayed within my limits and I plan to do so the rest of the week as well, now that all temptations have been eliminated and I FINALLY went grocery shopping.

I'm sharing my fitness progress/goals a little early because last week changed due to my work schedule changes, but I will still probably share my progress on check-in day as well (Which is in two days - eeekkkk!!!!). So since I've (almost) hit all of my goals for this week, I am progressing to more concentrated strength training goals. I am switching DVDs so I can advance to the next step up & we'll see what happens in a few weeks! I still can't seem to get over the 2 mile run mark... I always get bored and a little tired so I can't force myself to keep going. But maybe this week will be the week!

Tomorrow I'm going to prepare my lunches for the week so stay tuned for some of those new recipes, I'm super pumped(:

[april2005]

Better late than never, right? Right! Happy belated fab Friday! (Hey now there's still 7 minutes left!) I know I've been MIA lately but I promise I have lots of new recipes to try this week that I'm so pumped to share! Meanwhile, bob your head around to THIS this weekend. I dare ya to try not to(;

[april2005]

Ok so I think maybe I stretched the truth about my feelings about running in a previous post. I love the idea of running, because I used to physically not be able to run. Therefore, now I love that I actually can run. It makes me feel empowered and free. But that still doesn't mean it's easy, because it's like any other exercise: its exercise, it's physical exertion, and it's hard. Probably the most strenuous form of physical exercise I do.

So while I am running, the whole time I don't go very fast so I don't tire out and want to give up. I make sure I have a killer playlist that's uplifting or even slightly angry (because I actually run faster when I'm angry and it's generally more rewarding when I'm relieving stress). And last but not least, I look forward to my slightly odd but super exciting favorite post-run ritual. And that is... laying on the floor with the fan blowing in my face for at least a solid 10 minutes. Yeah, that simple but relaxing reward is sometimes what pushes me through that last half mile or so, I'm not even gonna lie. Because I get so hot sometimes that even talking off my clothes to shower afterwards is too much to fathom until I've taken my time on the floor, just laying there in the cool breeze, for a while.

So do what works for you. Come up with some silly but super rewarding thing to promise yourself post-workout. Whether it's running or otherwise. Sometimes that's all you need(:

[waifesque]

[one-twenty-five]

For all my Starbucks Lovin’ Friends out there.  I usually get a grande Skinny Latte [add cinnamon sprinkles on top] for 130 calories.

Delicious and Ass-Enhancing-Friendly. Win-Win!

[april2005]

Life-changing! Keeping this list on hand for the fall when I'm back at school! Thanks E!!! (:

[bendoeslife]

[one-twenty-five]

bendoeslife:

A run will never cheat on you.

A run will never borrow your car and return it with no gas.

A run will never get drunk and throw up on you.

A run will never text in your face while you tell it a story.

A run will never make you work overtime.

A run will never say it’ll be there and then not show up.

A run will never give you an “our servers are over capacity” error message.

A run will never set a drink on your coffee table without a coaster.

A run will never update its Facebook status telling you how wonderful its spouse is.

A run will never leave the toilet seat up.

A run will never get into the express lane with 25 items.

A run will never read over your shoulder on the subway.

A run will never pronounce it “supposebly.”

A run will never use caps lock.

A run will never deal you a 7 when you have 15.

A run will never leave its Christmas lights up until February.

A run will never put an orange and an apple in your stocking to take up space. (I love you mom.)

A run will never charge you a service fee for paying with credit card.

A run will just be there for you and kick your ass when you need it. And when it does, you will thank it.

Co-Signed, 

E

[one-twenty-five]

[april2005]

One More Thing!

Earlier, I forgot to mention the yoga I added to my routine last Friday. Like I said before, the gym I go to has yoga at really inconvenient times (like 10am on a Tuesday... who goes to yoga midmorning on a Tuesday?? Who's not at work midmorning on a Tuesday?!) But the only thing I was really feeling Friday morning was... yoga.

Until this point, I hadn't tried internet youtube workouts before. I don't know why I thought they were any different than putting Denise Austin on my television. But I have all of these internet workouts pinned to my pinterest fitness board that I've never tried. Sooo I went on over there and found: this 20 min youtube yoga workout for begninners. I didn't love it, but it was ok and got the job done on Friday! So I think this is the beginning of a beautiful new friendship(:

[april2005]

Check-in & Week 3

Well I was right, my numbers didn't really budge since the last time I stepped on the scale. But I have maintained my 19 lb. loss since last week. & that's ok because I tried some super yummy food in Philly when I was there and I feel like all I did was eat lol. Still 16 lbs. away from my end of summer goal weight.

So this is what happened last week:

Yay! I finally managed 4 active days last week & met my goal! I switched my workouts around a little bit based off what I was feeling that day, but I am ok with that, as long as I completed my workout goals: check!

Based off my work schedule & my new goal of 5 active days this week, I've added my workout schedule for this week. I've scheduled strength training every other day for increasing muscle tone and to aid in fat loss, as well as a run/yoga in between to stay active/burn calories, yet give my muscles a chance to rest, and the weekend days are my rest days(:

Back to dieting, back to counting. Today is a new day so no more worrying about this past weekend.

Make sure you're drinking lots of water! It's officially summer now and it's very hot & sunny outside today (or at lease it is here!) & while you're at it, put on your SPF!

[april2005]

So long Philadelphia

So Philly smells. Like a lot. It's a very gritty city, there's no other word for it. I'll stick to pittsburgh, thanks, but I'm glad I got to visit my best friend(: I'm on the bus back home now and I've got this sinking feeling in my stomach. And that's not just because I went out last night & drank like there's no tomorrow then nursed my hangover with a cheesesteak today... I haven't been counting AT ALL since I left. I was doing so well before and probably lost another couple pounds this week before this weekend hit. But now, I'll be lucky if I break even. In my world of dieting, as well as in general, I live by the mantra that you can't change the past, you can't uneat that donut or gelato or whatever. What's done is done. You can only make better choices moving forward. So tonight I'm going to have some soup and carrot sticks when I get home, continue gorging on water because you can never be too hydrated, not have anymore sweets today, and start over tomorrow. It's another day and another chance. Stay tuned for my fitness eval for last week and plan for this week!(;

[april2005]

Filthadelphia

A Pittsburgh girl in a Philadelphia world. I'm in Philly this weekend visiting my best friend. Wish me luck xo

[april2005]

It's Fab Friday, bitches! Have some fun today and do your happy dance for a few minutes to some paramore... because it's FRIDAY!!!!(;

[april2005]

Most of the time you're moving a million miles an hour and not really going anywhere. This summer, try something new. Relax, allow yourself to drift a bit, & see where the current takes you. Sometimes, when you stop chasing whatever you're looking for, it comes right to you.

Self Magazine, June 2014

[april2005]

It's raining, it's pouring

Which I guess means no running, but I'm feeling rather lazy today anyways so that's ok. My cat has also made it blatantly clear he doesn't want me to leave the house. Another cardio sesh with Denise Austin then. Certainly no strength training today because my abs are killingggg me from yesterday! (:

[april2005]

Workout 6/18 & 6/19

So remember how I previously said that I deliberately don't run on days I work because it literally leaves me dead afterwards? Well I worked yesterday so I don't know why I scheduled myself to run. So I switched yesterday and today's workouts.

Yesterday, I thought I'd mix & match my own workout for body barre, so I did:

5 minute warm-up from Denise Austin's Fat Burning Dance Mix

15 minute Ballet Sculpt from the same DVD

10 minute Personal Training System Abs from Denise Austin's 7 Fat Burning Ab Workouts DVD

10 minute Get Fit Fast Abs from the same DVD

12 minute Yoga Stretch from Denise Austin's Get Fit Daily Dozen DVD.

I estimated that to be about 209 calories burned, using MyFitnessPal app for iphone. I felt really sick though towards the end and wasn't able to give the ab exercises my all, though I would have liked to.

I really love Denise Austin's workout DVDs, in case you couldn't already tell. She's really good for beginners, but she also progresses each exercise to make it more difficult as well. It's amazing because sometimes I'll be doing an exercise for a while and she'll say something like "press your hips forward just a little bit," or "hold your tummy tight to engage the abs," & I won't realize I'm making the exact mistakes she mentions, until she actually mentions them. She's just been doing it for so long that she knows what mistakes in form we're prone to make I guess.

I know the music and her affirmations and facial expressions are silly sometimes, but at least it gives you something to smile about while you're exercising. And she's actually surprisingly motivating(;

[april2005]

This song is several years old and I've decided I'm bringing it back lol. So whether you're feeling a little irritated that Friday is still two days away, or your boss has been getting on your last nerve all morning, spend the next 6 minutes listening to this song & hopefully you'll feel a little better. Dare them to hate you today!

[april2005]

Foot Update: ProFoot Pedi-Rock

I take great pride in my appearance, including my nails, toenails, feet, etc. I got a pedicure several weeks ago, and my next one isn't scheduled until the second week of July, but unfortunately I probably won't have much time to spend on them in between.

So from Influenster I received ProFoot's Pedi-Rock, which is basically a glorified soft pumice, or at least that's what I perceived it as when it arrived. It's now been two weeks since my last pedicure, I noticed that while the polish still looked ok, my feet were starting to peel and feel a little rough, and I remembered the pedi-rock I had yet to try. So after my shower, I sat on my bed, with my trash can strategically placed below (because these things always make a mess), and I started to work in hopes that this could salvage my feet until my next appointment.

Surprisingly, the thing really didn't make a mess. And it was a lot more effective & easier to use than any pumice I've ever owned before. When I was satisfied with my feet, I finished off with Aqua Spa Body Creme, which smelled divine, and I was very happy with the end result.

Afterwards, you have to rinse the rock out with water so it's clean for next time, though even after rinsing it for a long time, I still questioned its cleanliness (only because of the concept... it did look clean).

If I had to rate it, I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars, only because I am a tough critic. It's the best pumice I've ever used, I just still question how sanitary it is. #GOProFoot

[april2005]

My Fitness Routine

After posting my workout routine, I realized that I never really explained the rationale behind why I choose the workouts that I do and the frequency. So if anyone is interested in how I workout or the things I have found helpful, that's what this post is about.

I used to suffer from really bad knee pain when I was in high school. I was a dancer for 11 years, and after a bad hamstring injury, I lost a lot of my leg/hip strength from babying it while it healed. When I started dancing again, I supposedly jumped back in too fast and got frustrated when I didn't have the strength to do the things I used to do. Ultimately, this ended up in a diagnosis called "patella femural syndrome," which has something to do with strain on the muscles surrounding the patella due to weakened muscles surrounding the femur. And it hurt like a bitch. Nothing really helped and dancing well was nearly impossible. I completed my senior solo when I graduated high school but I still to this day am not happy with the way things turned out. After I stopped dancing fall my sophomore year of college, the pain finally went away. It makes me sad that I had to give it up, and I still think about it, but I had to make room for other things in my life.

In college, I had a severe case of mono my sophomore year and missed over a month of class and ended up in the hospital for a week. Months later, I suffered from what I deduce to be a temporary form of RA, that doctor after doctor could not diagnose. After seeing a chiropractor, I started a strict vitamin regimen and adopted clean eating habits. Within two months, my symptoms vanished and ever since I have been eternally grateful, though I worry someday it might return.

My point in telling this story is to say that I know pain. I know what it feels like to physically hurt just to move through your daily life... getting out of bed in the morning, walking up steps, working a job that requires you to be on your feet 8 hrs+ per day. And now that I have moved past those points in my life, I no longer take my mobility for granted.

I hated running my entire life, mostly because of the pain I experienced, but I have always wanted to be able to do it. So, a little over 6 months ago, I decided I was going to. It started on the treadmill. Just a mile at a time. I had horrible shoes that gave me shin splints at first, but I bought better ones. Then this spring I started running outside and I discovered that I could do it! And I love it!

I try to incorporate running in my routine at least once per week, because I enjoy it, but it leaves me completely exhausted so I plan it on days I don't work and I never do strength training the same day.

Supposedly even after you complete a cardio workout, you still continue to burn fat and calories. I don't really know the science behind this or how it works, and I don't even remember where I read this from. But because of this, I always try to do cardio before strength training. So some days I will do just cardio, and others I will do cardio and strength.

The dancer in me loves doing body barre (which if you don't know what that is, it's strength training incorporating a lot of the exercises ballerinas do to get strong), but I often can't make it to the class at the gym I utilize due to my work schedule, so I have a Denise Austin workout DVD version I do sometimes.

When I don't have much energy or time, I do a 10 minute warm-up + 20 minute dance cardio section from my favorite Denise Austin DVD that I could probably do in my sleep. It's probably not the most effective because I've done it a million times but it gets me moving on days I don't want to because I'm comfortable with it.

Other days, I have like 10 other Denise Austin DVDs I choose from. I'm not as familiar with these, so I try to stick to one for about 4 weeks before I switch.

I love yoga. I think it's very important part of a fitness routine, but again I can rarely make it to the classes at my gym. So from time to time you might see me try to go, but this is the only reason it's not a regular thing for me. I have a yoga DVD too, but it's not as much fun as the class.

So that's the method to my madness. I try to keep things interesting by not doing the same thing all the time, yet try to incorporate workouts that  motivate me. I'm looking into buying a bike soon, because I love biking, more on that later(;