Diet Fails and Triumphs: Update 1

I'm not sure what the secret is to following all dieting rules all the time, but I think it's pretty clear that I have NOT found it... 

I've made myself some "food rules" in addition to my 1200 net calories per day limit. Basically things like only one soda a day, only one treat a day, work out at least three days a week, etc. One huge change I have made to my diet came about after watching a documentary called "Forks Over Knives." It turns out that meat has way more protein than we actually need, and that societies who eat a ton of meat have much higher prevalence of heart disease, cancer, and other major health problems. They advocate for a completely plant-based, whole foods diet. I can't go that far, but I have completely cut meat out of my diet. I still eat fish, but (unless it's all in my head and, like, the placebo effect), I feel so much better. Meat makes me feel full and bloated and I haven't felt that way in the past month or so (which is how long I've been eating vegetarian meals).

Based on the last time I stepped on the scale, things are actually going pretty well. I've lost 4.5 pounds which is actually super impressive. I did pretty well for a while. I went to the gym, I followed my food rules, and I was feeling great. 

Last week, all started going to hell. A new week's assignment started for my "Couch to 5K" running program and it KICKED MY ASS. I went the first day and barely made it through the workout. The second day, it was even more rough so I just walked until I burned a couple hundred calories. Then I skipped the third day and haven't gone since. My excuse is that it's midterm week and "I have no time." UGH.

Then... a ridiculous two-day, 20-hour speech tournament happened. They provide all food for coaches/judges. All the sweets/treats were so yummy and they didn't really have low-cal options. I was all ready to get back into the groove when... let's just say I got to the point in the month where I want to EAT ALL OF THE FOOD. And that happened. Also, stress from midterms.

Here's to getting back on track and getting the courage to step back on the scale and assess the damage... 

Weight Loss

My mom is a damn good cook.

Which can be dangerous.

Actually, the meals she cooks us are mostly very healthy, but they're so good, I normally want second and third helpings. Also, all the snack food she buys for my dad and brother taunts me 24/7. I'm a choco-maniac, so the cookies, doughnuts, etc. ALWAYS find their way into my mouth.

When I was at my apartment, I was doing a pretty decent job at dieting. I ended up losing somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds because, if I wasn't supposed to eat it, I just didn't have it in the kitchen. I was in full control over what foods I made available to me. Now that I'm living at home, I can't just not have junk food in the house. My mom buys a TON of healthy things- all fresh vegetables, tons of fruit, whole wheat bread... But that stuff doesn't sound very good when there's a cupboard full of chocolate.

I joined a gym and did pretty well at going three to four times a week... for about a month. Then the last couple weeks I've sort of fell off the wagon. Last week, I went once or twice. This week, I haven't gone at all. It's so easy to say "forget it." It's funny how quickly I forget how good it makes me feel after even just 30 minutes on the treadmill.

I need to get better at both these things. I can't just eat tons of junk food and not go to a gym I'm paying for for the next five or so months I live here. I would really like to feel great about my health this summer (when one has to wear less clothing).

So, as a last-ditch effort, I will be blogging about my workouts and dieting once a week as an attempt to feel perhaps some accountability. And maybe blogging about The Struggle (because it will be one) will help too? Wishful thinking.

So here we go- maybe my next post will have good news!

Paper Towns

So, like, I'm pretty much super-student.

I have a busy ass schedule. I'm a full time student, I work two jobs, I volunteer a few hours a week, AND I DRIVE ALL OVER THE DAMN PLACE TO GET EVERYWHERE.

Those are things I have to do. The following are things I still miraculously find time to do:

-Go to the gym three days a week (like, OMG, that's impressive considering RUNNING SUCKS)
-Do all the assigned (yet completely unnecessary) textbook readings for my classes that "ain't nobody got time for"
-Go to most of the not-required-of-me Speech tournaments to support those angsty teens (and basically live vicariously through them when they earn lots of shiny ribbons/medals/trophies)
-READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For fun!

I have just finished my fifth book of 2013, Paper Towns by John Green, and I am so totally on track for my goal of 30 this year.

It was pretty good and John Green-ish. I mean, it was more teenagery than TFiOS, which annoyed me at times. In fact, a lot of the middle was annoying basically because I feel like he was making gooshy themes/lessons superobvious and spoon feeding them to me. I do not want to be spoon fed those types of things while I'm reading. I just want the feel them, you know?

But. BUT. The ending, as always in John Green style, was wonderful. I actually enjoy reading about teen characters that aren't sucky and bratty all the time because, guys, they exist in real life.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that I pretty much rock at balancing my life, but one area of my life that is a GHOST TOWN at the moment (like, I won't even use the word lacking because it's nonexistent) is my social life. NO SOCIAL LIFE WHATSOEVER. That needs to change because I have a feeling that the older I get, the more difficult this will be. I think I am already an old lady at heart.

#4... Strong start!

I am proud to report that, upon the end of month #1, I've plowed through book #4. Although I still have many months to stay on this track, I'm glad I've found time for leisure reading. Which is no small feat considering the fact that I'm two weeks into my LAST semester at the University of Minnesota.

Anyway, the fourth book I've read in 2013 is one that most people have read for school, but I never did.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

It was pretty good. I didn't realize how long Christopher McCandless spent "living off the land." Pretty impressive and I could/would never do it. I hate nature. Also the cold. It wasn't amazing or my favorite book of all time by no means, but it was definitely worth reading.

Other things I have impressively accomplished in the past two weeks:

1. Actually completing all the assigned textbook readings on schedule. The classes in my major are notorious for useless required textbooks that never actually help you when it comes to the tests. The professors literally say that they will not test you on the information in the textbook and that all questions will be based solely on lecture. Is this a motivator for taking the time to read the textbooks? No way. I still don't think it's necessary. But I guess I decided that it can't actually HURT and that one extra repetition of the intake of information might actually cause a small boost when it comes to testing time. And let's face it, I don't always give lectures my undivided attention anyway. We'll see if I follow through.

2. Discovering my own speech coaching strategies. No matter how involved you've been with high school speech/debate, there's always a learning curve involved when you start coaching. It takes a couple years to figure out what works for you and what makes the kids better. I've come to a place where every practice seems really productive and it's showing in their performances, which is cool to see.

3. Getting a gym membership and GOING TO THE GYM. This is probably my best recent accomplishment. I went three days in a row this week! I hate running... hate it. But I've actually come to enjoy going to the gym because it's the one part of the day that I get to have "me time." Also, I'm totally doing the Color Run, so I clearly need to get in shape.

#3

After finally having finished and submitted my graduate school applications, I finished my third book this year.

Considering the awesomeness that is TFiOS, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan was completely mediocre.

Cool writing style, as always, relatively cool characters, and it has it's cool moments.

But.

The story was BORING. And the ending was ridiculously cheesy. A ton of Will Graysons telling Tiny they appreciate him? Come on! Unlike some other Green titles, this one was just WAY too young adult.

You've done better, Mr. Green.

Books and Brothers

So it's halfway through January and I've already finished book #2, so it's looking pretty promising thus far. I just love having the time to read, and it helps that this one was good.

I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, by the way. It was actually amazing. I would probably give it like 4.5 stars. Which is a lot for me. It might be in my top ten. What was really interesting, was that it kind of reminded me of a deeper, modern-day Catcher in the Rye.

The kid, Charlie, is so likable, lovable actually, I would say. He likes a lot of cool books and movies, and loves listening to records and making mixed tapes for people. He hangs out with a lot of cool, really great people. Not to mention he has a really mature view of the world. I love when I read a book and feel like I would be friends with the protagonist if he/she was real.

Also, there were a few shockers. And it ended absolutely beautifully. Now I have to see the movie, which, undoubtedly, will pale in comparison to the book, since I read the book first and everything.

My weekend was nice, not just because of the awesome book. My brother and I are fighting less and less frequently and he's turning into a pretty cool kid (though he certainly has his teenagery, douchey moments). The thing though, is that he doesn't read. He's very uncool like that. Also, he never wants to hang out with me, which is normally fine, but sometimes isn't.

This weekend, my brother asked me two things:

"What book should I read?" and

"Do you wanna go ice skating with me?"

Okay, so he asked about the book because he had to read something for his English class, but it was fun finding a book he'd enjoy. I told him to read The Fault in Our Stars which is one of the greatest books of all time, in my opinion.

He started reading it, while I was reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and it was kind of a cool moment. He was apparently 17 pages in and he said, "I'm kind of interested in this book," which made me smile and which is also when he asked if I wanted to go ice skating with him. It was nice that he wanted to do something with me so we went and it was fun. Yay, brothers. :)

The Casual Vacancy

The first book of 2013 is hereby completed!

This morning, I finished The Casual Vacancy by the brilliant J.K. Rowling. This was the first ebook I purchased on my new Kindle Fire HD that I got for Christmas and I bought it with high hopes.

I'm really disappointed that it didn't meet my expectations or live up to the legendary Harry Potter series. It's possible that, had it been written by another author, I would have been more impressed. But, because of everyone's high expectations, I kind of feel indifferent about it.

It was alright. A million characters and tons of plots and storylines to keep track of. It was hard to get through the first half. The second half was much better, but I still did not mind putting it down... 

Three stars. Sorry, Jo.

In other news: CAN I BE DONE WITH GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICATIONS YET? MY GOSH.