Christmas Time is Here

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I'm spending time with family these next few days- so much fun!

I have been super busy the past week and a half which is why it's been really hard for me to take time to blog. I pretty much worked full time last week which was necessary for my bank account but also enjoyable because I work with such fun people!

Anyways, I have also been stalling because I didn't want to jinx some of my goals, but here we go ;)

So far (*knock on wood*) I have gone to the gym three times/week. Actually, a little more. My family got a membership to the Y in town and it is right on my way home from work. It's perfect because I leave work at 3, go to the gym for a while, then go pick everyone else up from work, school, etc... 

I have yet to step on a scale, I'm waiting until after New Year's so that I don't freak myself out. I've been eating well but also treating myself since I did just survive a stressful semester after all. 

Running outside--- hoping to tackle that goal within the next few days! There was one day this week that would of been perfect but I chickened out. I just need to grow up and do it already. Ugh. 

And finally, the one I have been putting off announcing: I ran for two miles straight! Actually, I have done it like 3 or 4 times now. I'm so dang happy about this! The first time at the Y I ran for a mile/walk for half mile/half mile then ran for a mile/walk for 5 mins/ran until I hit 30 minutes (when the treadmill turns off). After this, I decided to be determined to do the whole two miles and I did. It's the furthest I think I have ever run, as sad as that is. Officially, Week 5 of the Couch to 5K has been tackled and it's time to up the ante. I will start Week 6 later this week to work on the distance as well as adding in some shorter interval runs to work on my speed.
Hopefully all goes well and I'll keep you posted!

Time to go do some prep work for tomorrow's dinner. Enjoy the time with family, Merry Christmas!

Setting Goals

As a direct result of Sunday's fiasco, I decided to take this week a little slower and I repeated Day One yesterday. Today (Tuesday) I was feeling much more confident so I moved onto Day Two and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting! I still felt like a gooey mess after, but it's progress. Day 3 is supposed to be running 2 miles straight. I don't know if I will do that or do 1.5 miles for a couple of days, then 2. I'm just not a fan of it suddenly going from 2 different 3/4 mile intervals to nearly doubling. We'll see though because I'm definitely going to repeat Day Two another time or two first.

Tomorrow I leave for Christmas Break! Woohoo! I'm a little excited that the semester is over. I really think being as active as I have been helped me endure finals week. Sitting still for hours on end builds up so much energy that I use to get distracted on the computer. Taking a break to run relieved some of that. Fantastic. 

My advice for getting through break without falling off the horse is to set some goals. Write them down and put them where you can see them every day, like your mirror. And tell others about the goals you are setting too, that way you are less likely to avoid them. It's just another way of keeping yourself accountable. :)

If you don't like running outdoors then researching a gym back home might be a good idea as well. I found some back home that I'm interested in that have student discounts and memberships that you only need to get for a month. It's perfect for my situation and I plan on becoming a member by Friday. Boom, goal.

So here are my goals between now and January 13:

1. Go to the gym at least 3 times/week
Since I will be paying for a gym membership (something I'm not used to) I don't think it will be difficult to at least guilt myself  into going, I'm pretty frugal. It will be nice to stick to a routine though, which is the whole purpose of this goal, keeping to a form of routine. 

2. Be within 5 pounds of goal weight
Right now, I'm about 8 or so pounds from goal weight. I originally had to lose 5 pounds over break. That would be awesome but I'm just not so sure about that happening. Being within five pounds would make me very happy though because then I could (hopefully) hit goal next semester! It would be a great way to start 2013.  

3. Run OUTSIDE
I'm terrified of running outside, especially if it is cold out. I just think I look so dumb which is why I don't want to be running around others as much as possible. But it's something I need to get over and my neighborhood is quiet and has a nice loop to run around. So, I want to pick a nice day to run around the neighborhood. If I do get comfortable with that then I can save some money this summer on another gym membership! (fingers crossed!)

4. Run for 2 miles straight
I am so close to accomplishing this goal! Being able to run for 2 miles would not only be the furthest that I have run (as far as I'm aware at least) but it would mean that I'm towards the end of this Couch to 5K business and can start working on speed! I'm a little excited because having to slow down during my workouts (as a result of adding distance) has really bummed me out because I feel so S-L-O-W compared to how I was running with intervals. 

5. Indulge in some treats, but have a plan of attack
All this basically means is that I am going to be a-okay with enjoying myself at parties and get-togethers with some yummy food. But, I want to keep it under control and not just eat because there is food in front of me. If I go into a social situation while keeping in mind that I am trying not to be excessive, then I will enjoy the party more and not go home with regrets later on. This really might be my hardest goal because I love sweets so much which is why I'm going to indulge a little.

6. Enjoy time with family and friends
That's what the whole point of being home is for! I am so excited to see everyone for a whole month and I am going to really treasure this time and relax. 

So those are my goals! I will definitely share about them as I keep going. I will definitely post as much as I can over break. Safe travels everyone.

Week 5

Finals week really got the best of me, which is why I haven't posted in a good five days. But I'm on the other end of that madness now, just one last assignment to do for an online class. Thank goodness!

I had this really well put together post planned out for this evening, but I just got back from the gym a while ago and since I am trying to be as real with you guys as possible, I thought maybe I'd write about that and maybe cover that topic tomorrow or something. 

Tonight I began "Day 1" of Week 5 on the Couch to 5K program. I had read on another blog that Week 4 was the worst one and I really didn't have too many issues with that last week. So, I was super confident going in to tonight's run. Let me tell you, they lied. I completely died on that treadmill tonight, no joke. Towards the end of my run tonight, I was breathing the hardest I have in months. I felt like I was for real going to have an asthma attack and of course tonight was also the first time I have ever forgotten my inhaler. Sweet deal. But there was no asthma attack, I'll just have to take Week 5 a little slower than planned. Needless to say, I came home and took a long shower and did a facial and just relaxed. I feel like tonight's run was some sort of accomplishment and I really am proud that I stuck with it and just kept going. That's not something I would normally say about exercise so it was a big moment.

Over the weekend, I had my first "real" soda in a good 2-3 months (besides the gingerale I had when I was sick). For me, one soda is normally a trigger to have about 2 more so I have been avoiding them all together. I couldn't even finish the whole one the other night and I haven't felt tempted to get another. That was some definite progress. 

By the end of this week I am supposed to be able to run 2 miles straight, the longest I have ever run. I am very excited, even if I will have to go pretty slow at first!

Finals Week Madness

Yesterday I started doing something that I never thought would happen--training to run distance. I never ever thought I would become a "runner" but lately I've been looking forward to running and decided to give it a try. Since I did originally start the Couch to 5K program back before my lungs hated me, I'm gonna attempt to do that again now that I have given them time to get stronger. Asthma really is the worst. I picked a week that I was most comfortable with while still challenging myself and that was week 4. The run itself wasn't too bad, I didn't feel out of breath or that my lungs were going to burst, so it was definitely a comfortable place to start. Of course I'm not going to push myself, if I have to stretch out some weeks more than others then I'll just listen to my body but it'll be so exciting to get to the end of this! Maybe I'll even run a 5K in the spring, we'll see. 
                                                                                                                                                               
Of course, the finals week stress is slowly (or quickly in some cases) falling on us all. And it's totally overwhelming and just so miserable at such a joyful time of year. Normally I'm all kinds of stressed out, but I don't feel so bad this year and I think some of it might be working the stress out of my system at the gym. But seriously, take some of that time that you spent freaking out over a test and bring that stress to the gym. You'll feel so much better after, I promise. Exercise brings the stress down and that time away from the books will help you approach it in a healthier and more focused manner. 

Also, not loading yourself up on junk will keep you more alert during this crazy week. I normally load up on chips and energy drinks but that makes me feel so much more sluggish. Some better options would be to have a yogurt, have toast and peanut butter, drink some water or even some coffee. You'll feel more awake and less sluggish by making better food choices this week too, even if they may not be the easiest ones. 

Good luck on finals everyone! I have a couple on Friday that are gonna drive me crazy, but you can only do your best with what you've got and that's how I plan on approaching this week. 

Christmas Parties

Well I managed to lose 4 pounds this week. Which is not healthy, but I was pretty sick at the end of the week which is why that came about. That's what I hate about living on campus is how easy it is to get sick. I did reach my end of the semester goal though, a solid 2 weeks early. I was a little bummed about that because it wasn't as a result of working hard, it was a result of getting sick. Oh well, I still worked hard the rest of the semester and that's all that matters.

Anyways, it's officially my favorite time of year. Aside from finals, the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the best. It's exciting and honestly people are so much nicer. With this season comes Christmas parties which are equally awesome. Last night was my first one of the season and I was the co-host of it! Lots of fun to see friends that I do not see every day and eat some yummy snacks. So how do you eat right at a Christmas party? Honestly, it requires a lot of planning so here are a few little tips I discovered.

Plan ahead of time
If you know what food is going to be offered, great. Decide what you want to eat and stick to it. As the case often is though, you won't know what food will be offered. In that case it may be more ideal to give yourself some limits. Like, only one glass of punch and water the rest of the time. Or only a few cookies. Something you can plan ahead of time and be expected to stick to.

Don't fill up the whole plate
When you pick up a plate, it is so tempting just to fill the whole thing up with food. For some reason, our brain just sees something empty and decides it needs to be filled. And then we obviously have to eat everything on that whole plate. Not a good idea. It's difficult, but try to fight the compulsion to fill up the plate. Try to consciously pick a fraction of the plate to fill up, and stick to that.

Choose a small plate
I have been to parties where they have large plates as the appetizer plates to accommodate the food there. Pick the smaller plate, for the same logic as above. 

Everything in moderation
It's almost Christmas, so enjoy this time. In moderation, having some sweets to celebrate this season is not a bad idea at all. Don't be too hard on yourself about what you can or cannot eat. Have some cookies, drink some hot cocoa, and have fun.