not drinking coffee

Another Beginning

2010-08-30T13:58:00.002-04:00

Here I am and Labor Day's right around the corner. The past three years passed in a blur. I feel like I just moved to Carlisle and started law school and here I am three years later, a law school graduate who just took the bar, is jobless, and back living in East Tennessee with my mama. Life is great!

Now, most people, when they hear I am jobless, get one of two expressions on their face. 1) The sympathetic but hopeful look, which goes along with the "I'm sure something will turn up soon" words of comfort. 2) The panicked look of astonishment, especially when I give them my total nonchalance shrug. The first group goes without saying. The second group tends to be other law students - half of whom are lucky enough to have procured employment (either by luck or sending out hundreds of resumes) and the other half are in the same boat, but can't fathom my calmness. Heehee. Not that I haven't looked and applied, but I'm just very picky. I quit a pretty comfy job to come back to law school to do something specific. I have no intentions of caving into the panic and getting a job just to have a job. If I need money, Walmart is always hiring. ;-)

So here I am, hanging out with no money and actually happier and more content that I ever was when I made the big bucks. In fact, I'm going through my stuff and downsizing even more. I had to downsize when I moved to Dallas. I moved from a two bedroom, three story townhouse to a 1 bedroom/1 office apartment. Then I moved from that apartment into an even smaller apartment in Carlisle. All along the way I've been sloughing off the excess, but I still held onto a lot (all of which is in my mom's basement). After living for the past year out of a suitcase in other people's homes, I've finally realized what I really did know, but never accepted - I don't need the majority of this stuff. In fact, I'd say at least 3/4 of what I have needs to go. All those articles about living simply, downsizing your life, cutting out the excess are true. I've already increased my eBay usage, but as a seller instead of a buyer.

As I slowly filter out the crap, I actually feel better and better. I had already pulled myself out of consumer debt and had given up credit cards (except for the emergency only one), then I got out from under a car payment, and now the discarding of the excess. Now, if I could just find someway to make the law school loans disappear... but overall, life is pretty good.

Live simply and simply live.

Back in the Saddle Again

2010-06-21T10:57:00.001-04:00

I got kinda lazy at the end of the semester. The week of debauchery (mainly drinking & eating yummy, but bad for you, bar food) was the week leading up to graduation. Then I spent the next two weeks at my mom's, which means I did okay in the eating department, but hardly any exercise, except the walking around the outlets in Pigeon Forge, TN. So, a bit of weight gain, but nothing impossible to fix. I came back to PA resolved to work out like a maniac - not only to continue my getting in shape journey, but as a major stress relief for all this bar studying.

But to back up a bit... before graduation, my friends Rachel & Sarah got me to go to a spin class at the gym. (For non-gym folks, spin class is basically stationary bicycling with an instructor who tells you what to do.) Prior to them dragging me, I had always been afraid of spin classes. I would always see the most in shape people go in and the few times I peeked in, it looked really intense. I was intimidated. But one class & I was hooked. When I got back I started hitting the 6am Mon/Wed/Fri spin class, plus going at least once on either Saturday or Sunday. Like Dennis says in Run Fat Boy, Run, spin class is a life changing experience. And boy, oh boy, how it has upped my fitness.

So, I hit spin class at least 4-5 times a week. It's a 50 minute class and you burn around 700 calories. Amazing. Then I've been lifting weights 3-4 times per week for 30 minutes. On strength training days, I usually aim for 60-75 minutes of cardio. On non-strength days, I aim for 75-90 minutes of cardio.

Another thing I've been religious about is tracking calories. I was doing just the food journal, but not really keeping a calorie count. That all changed with the free LoseIt app for iPhones & Touches (http://www.loseit.com/). It's such an easy way to keep track of both your calories & exercise. Similar to the WeightWatchers program, except instead of points, you actually track calories. You set up your goal - where you are now & where you want to be, and then you select how fast you want to get there (no more than 2 pounds per week). Every day, I enter my current weight, then throughout the day I enter my food & exercise. My goal is 40 pounds, so I can eat approximately 1284 calories per day. Oh but wait, if you exercise, that's negative calories, so that's more you can eat! Here's a typical day for me:

268 calories for breakfast
+ 584 calories for lunch
+ 311 calories for dinner
+ 790 calories in snacks
Total 1952 calories for the day

Yep, that's well over the 1284 budget for the day (went a little overboard on snacks), but wait! I did 50 minutes of spinning that day. So.

1952 total food calories
- 675 calories burned during spin class
Total 1277 - which means I was under budget by 7 calories.

Awesome, huh? You can also track fat, carbs & protein. Right now, I only track protein, because I've noticed on days I feel hungry more often, those are days I haven't had a lot of protein. It'd be smart to track fats & carbs too, but that's just a bit too much data for me right now. You can also go on LoseIt's website (see above) and do all sorts of reports & graphs.

A couple things to note. 1) Calorie budgets will change based on your current weight. 2) I use LoseIt's approximation of calories burned during exercise, but from what I've researched, I think they're a little low - but rather low than too high. 3) The exercise calories burned do not take extraneous things into account. For instance, did you know that you burn MORE calories doing cardio AFTER a strength training session? Yep. The best time to do cardio is the 90 minutes AFTER doing strength. So on strength days, I warm up for 10-15 minutes, do strength, THEN do the bulk of my cardio. Plus, for every pound of muscle you build, you burn 400 more calories just sitting. So many reasons to strength train.

Anyway, back to my original purpose of this post - spinning. I highly recommend it. Not only does it burn an incredible amount of calories, it has been most beneficial in my marathon training. My endurance has definitely increased and my legs are looking much leaner - always a good thing.

So, my challenge to you for the month - try something you've never done before. Whether that be a new class, like spinning, or a new machine. Remember, mixing it up is the way to counteract plateaus.

Staying Motivated

2010-04-16T12:49:00.002-04:00

So, I've been feeling pretty good about myself. Getting lots of compliments from folks, fitting better in clothes, moving down clothing sizes, more energy, etc. But I realized this has made me slack off - both with cardio (which I always hate) and with food & my food journal. I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. So this week, I took a hard look in the mirror and am renewing my commitment to my health. Because this isn't about fitting into a certain size or seeing a certain number on the scale. This is about getting as healthy as I can and then staying healthy. I've made great strides to that goal, but I still have a ways to go.

So how to stay motivated?

Well, taking a hard look in the mirror helps. Yes, like most women, I'm overly critical on myself. But at the same time, I can't just think oh, I'm doing so good because my clothes are baggy. I have to appreciate my success, but then acknowledge I have many miles to go. For me, taking a hard look in the mirror sans clothes helps with this. I see areas that I'm still not happy with, which makes me put on the shoes and move, even if I don't want to.

I've also set up some rewards - both short and long term. First, if I do the cardio I need to do during the week and stick with that schedule for the month, then I'll reward myself with a new pair of shoes. Ahh... new shoes. Is there any better reward? Then, if I get to where I want by August (which is bathing suit ready), I'll go shopping for a new outfit PLUS shoes (always have to have the shoes & I'm thinking a really good pair, like Badgley Mischkas). Then my long term reward is a shopping spree for a new wardrobe. Because if WHEN I get to where I want, I'm gonna need them. ;-)

I want to encourage two things. First, in previous attempts to get healthy, I used certain foods as rewards (like ice cream). Clearly, this never worked for me and is almost counter-productive to my long term goals. I recommend using non-food rewards - whatever works for you. For me, it's shopping and shoes. Second, take out the "can't" and "ifs" in your vocabulary (notice I stuck out the "if" in the previous paragraph). Be like Yoda - do or do not, there is no try. It is amazing how changing your vocabulary will effect your mental state. I WILL do my cardio and WHEN I meet my goals, I get new shoes!
So, that's my plan for staying motivated.

Results at the end of Month 2

2010-03-31T15:37:00.002-04:00

Today ended Month 2. At the end of the second month, I've lost 7.5 pounds and 7 total inches. Although the body fat % didn't go down that much, Jovonn was quite pleased to see I'm still losing significant inches, especially in the waist & hips, which is a difficult place to lose.

So only 6 more weeks to go, as I leave Carlisle on May 16. At the end of month 3, I'm hoping for another significant loss to rocket me into summer where I'll be doing this all on my own. With the days getting longer and warmer and my increased energy, I am trying to stay focused on my long term goals and not get discouraged by where I think I should be versus where I am. Let's just hope I can keep up this trend until I take the bar at the end of July.

One Step at a Time

2010-03-25T11:52:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks, so here's the update.

Spring Break was the week of March 7. I went back to Tennessee with good intentions of getting out everyday & at least walking 30 minutes. Well... that just didn't happen. First, I was mentally exhausted. Second, it rained the majority of the week. But, I did keep to my goo eating habits and when I got back to Pennsylvania, I had lost a pound. A week off sometimes does you good.

Then back to working out regularly... well... again that didn't happen so well. The first week back, I did have 3 strength training session (an extra one to make up for my week gone). But I didn't make it into the gym on the other 2 days to just do cardio. But no worries. I still lost another 1.5 pounds.

So this week has been back on the bandwagon. I didn't make it Tuesday because of meetings and errands, and I hate going after 4:00pm because it gets so crowded. But I did go today and did my 75 minutes. The best part is I ran a 1/2 mile without stopping - and that's saying something since I run slow. Yep, I felt pretty darn awesome, especially considering 2 months ago I could barely run one minute. Plus, I'm doing low, mid & high incline intervals now. Here's what I did:

0-4 minute: 3.7 mph @ 5% incline
4-9 & change minute: 5.3 mph @ 1% (my 1/2 mile)
10-15: 3.7 mph @ 5%
15-20: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
20-25: 3.7 mph @ 2.5%
25-30: 5.3 mph @ 1%
30-35: 3.7mph @ 2.5%
35-40: 3.7 @ 5%
40-45: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
45-47.30: 3.7 @ 2.5%
47.30-50: 5.2 @ 1%

Then I did 20 min on the eliptical. And although incredibly sweaty (I don't glisten, I sweat), I have felt fantastic since - almost hyper. It's incredible how much energy I have lately, then you add a runner's high on top of that. Oh man, what a great feeling.

Next Wednesday is my 2 month measurement. I'm a little nervous, but at least this time, the scale is starting to reflect my hard work. If you remember, my first month, the scale didn't move AT ALL! But I still lost 15 total inches and 2% body fat. So never go by the scale alone. But it is nice to see the scale move.

Until next Wednesday...

Triggers and Motivations

2010-03-04T18:39:00.004-05:00

Two post day!

First, a hooray moment - I've made it to 90 minutes of cardio (20 eliptical, 50 treadmill, 20 eliptical). I started at 60, worked up to 75, and now 90. And the runner's high kicked in very nicely today.

Second, just a quick stat in case anyone is interested. I'm doing a 5K (~3.1 miles) in 44.04 doing the intervals (walk, 2 min run, walk, 2 min hills).

Okay, so now for the real topic, triggers and motivation. I thought a lot about this while on the treadmill today. When folks normally talk about triggers, usually it's food related and a negative thing (sugar, caffeine, etc.). But triggers for me, or at least how I've started thinking about them, are things that trigger me to feel better - about myself, about exercising, about life in general. Today I was triggered by my runner's high and completing 90 minutes of cardio. I felt fantastic and ended up happy, even though earlier in the day had been crummy. The Legally Blonde quote came to mind (slightly modified: "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot [people], they just don't." Heehee. YAY for endorphins! So what triggers you?

And even if you give in to a negative trigger, so what? It's not the end, just a road bump. Like today, I had a really crummy morning - 2 job rejections, to add to the growing list of rejections. To make myself feel better, I went to my fave Italian restaurant for lunch and had a calzone with sausage and a large mountain dew. Later, I started feeling guilty. But I stopped. I did nothing wrong to feel guilty for. Should I have choosen a salad over a calzon? Probably. But I thoroughly enjoyed the calzone. It was one meal on one day when the rest of the week I have eaten very healthy. So, what's the big deal? NADA. So my advice is allow yourself to give in once in a while. It made me feel better, I'm less likely to binge later on (if I keep denying myself), and it was a one meal deal. So enjoy your calzone or whatever floats your boat (yum, floats).

I also use music as a trigger. My playlist is all music that typically makes me smile or start tapping my foot. So between that and the BPM are the main reasons I picked those songs. Think Pavlov's bell - use the same songs over and over again for your cardio routine. Sooner or later, when you hear those songs outside the gym, you'll instantly want to start moving.

As far as motivation, the sky's the limit. Anything can be a motivation, as demonstrated by the 10001 books on motivation, dieting, working-out, etc. I think the key is to figure out what motivates you and then tap into when are you motivated. Many people view working out as a chore. It takes time out of your day, time that you could be doing something else. When I had my very first session, I had to rate on a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very) how motivated I was. If you're not motivated, you won't do it. It's just that simple. For some reason, this time around I was motivated. And for me, working out with a trainer helps that - I have a specific appointment 2x a week that I'm paying for, so I'm super motivated to show up. Then I'm not only showing up, I'm putting 110% effort into that work-out because I like getting my money's worth. For some folks, weighing on the scale every day or every other day is motivation. For me, weighing does the exact opposite - I see the scale and it doesn't tell me what I want, so I say forgedaboudit and then go back to bad habits. But when I'm working, I can see the changes even if the scale isn't currently reflecting it. Then I love to strength train, so that helps my motivation. But if you don't, then maybe look into other options.

So find out what motivates you and tap into it. Then get some good tunes and get off the couch and join me at Disney World January 2011 for the marathon weekend!

New Cardio Playlist

2010-03-02T22:05:00.007-05:00

So back in December, I had to reinstall the operating system on my Mac, which meant I had to do a complete wipe and reinstall. I thought I had everything backed up on my external harddrive. Well, I plugged in the HD and it started smoking. Not a good sign - it was fried. I lost almost everything, including all my music, which meant I had to recreate my running playlist. I took this as an opportunity to improve it. I did keep many of the original songs, but I've changed some out. This one is the 60 minute list.

Just to quickly explain - I do mine by the beats per minute (BPM). I start off low and gradually pick up until I peak at 160 BPM, then slowly come back down. I also include 2 dialogue clips from the movie Run Fat Boy Run. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I love Simon Pegg, but moreover, the movie just really inspires me. So the first clip is just for fun and the second one indicates the 10 min mark, so you can stretch if you so choose before getting into the higher BPM songs. The (#) indicates the BPM.

1. Dialogue Clip
2. Girls & Boys In Love by The Rumple Strips (95)
3. Single Ladies by Beyonce (98)
4. Story Problem by The Envy Corps (103)
5. Move Along by The All-American Rejects (113)
6. Dialogue Clip: Motivation
7. SexyBack by Justin Timberlake (120)
8. Get The Party Started by Pink (130)
9. According To You by Orianthi (132)
10. Viva La Vida by Coldplay (136)
11. Little Of Your Time by Maroon 5 (144)
12. Chelsea Dagger by the Fratellis (152)
13. Everyday I Love You Less & Less by the Kaiser Chiefs (160)
14. I Like That by Air Traffic (160)
15. Perfect Day by Hoku (155)
16. The Magic Position by Patrick Wolf (133)
17. Keep on Running by Goldspot (131)
18. Clocks by Coldplay (129)
19. Everybody's Changing by Keane (96)
20. Sugar Water by Cibo Water - cool down

I tried it out today and it works pretty well. There are a couple of places where the song ends, but the track has a few extra seconds on it... I'm going to try to fix that. Also, there's one or two songs I'm not completely happy with, but they do work. If you'd like a copy of it, just send me your mailing address & I'll mail you a copy.

I'm working on a 90 minute version that will increase, then slack back off, then increase again. I'll let you know when it's ready.

Month 2

2010-03-02T15:55:00.002-05:00

This week officially started Month 2 of the Get In Shape extravaganza. And we have kicked it up a notch . . . or three. Apparently my 15 inches have motivated Jovonn as much as it motivated me, because he was no-holds-bar, kicking butt yesterday. I did like 6 different types of squats, plus the leg extension and seated leg curl. Then, at the end, I had to do 2-45 sec. wall squats - one with feet shoulder length apart, then one with feet together. My legs were already jello - I tell ya, he's showing no mercy.

So, this morning I went to do my regular cardio (75 min). Oh man did my legs feel heavy. So heavy, in fact, I only did 2-min fun intervals. By the end, my legs felt like lead. But hey, I was there & working it & that's what counts. I did my 75 minutes, stretched & went home. Now, when I sit too long, it's hard to get up! My tushie & quads are definitely feeling it, but I keep thinking that it's all good - pain just means things are getting tight & small!

While I was at the gym today, I ran into my friend Noff, who's such a total gym rat (he has beautiful arms - I mean, really, really gorgeous, big, strong arms). He congratulated me on the lost inches & body fat. He told me that a lot of trainers & health nuts are following The Abs Diet. Apparently it's the new cool thing. Amazon also has one that's specifically for women. I don't know if it's any better/worse than anything else. But it seems reasonable. I think the key is portion control and moderation. Americans have just gotten out of control with portions - we think bigger = better. Yet that's not necessarily true with food (unless you're talking about having more veggies). I read that the average Italian restaurant plate is really equal to 4 servings. Plus, free bread, salads, free re-fills - it adds up, quickly.

Then Noff told me the best news ever - for every pound of muscle you add, you burn like extra 400 calories. Isn't that fabulous motivation? And the reason why I don't look at the scale. In fact, this time around, the scale didn't move down that much - only about 5 pounds. But that's because my body is balancing out between fat & muscle. So I refuse to weigh every day - I might weigh once a week. Always in the morning and never after working-out.

So keep in mind when you hop on the scale, muscle weighs more than fat and the number on the scale isn't the best measure of how healthy you are. The number you really want to see is your body fat %. I aim to lose 12% body fat. I've already lost 2% and Jovonn figures I'll lose more than 2% this month, so I could be close to half-way to my goal at the end of this month. That gives me even more motivation to eat better. Nutrition is 70% of the battle.

Now, I'm more motivated than ever. And I'm looking at doing the Virgina Beach Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in early September - who's with me?

Results! and What I'm Doing to Get There

2010-02-28T21:47:00.004-05:00

Friday, Feb. 26, was truth day - had I accomplished anything in my month of eating better and regular work-outs. I was fairly nervous. I wanted good results, but at the same time, didn't want to get my hopes up too much. I had been weighing myself and the numbers on the scale had moved - just not that much. But I thought I had seen some differences in my face and calves. And my clothes seemed to fit better. Plus, my energy has skyrocketed. But I had just had a rough week. First, on the previous Friday (2/19) I found out I didn't get extended an interview for a job I had wanted. And as a good southerner, I turned to fried food for comfort. Bad, bad. I know better, but I just caved. Then I developed an awful head cold. Sunday, I had gone to the gym to do a cardio workout, but I felt like snot (literally) and didn't really push myself. Then Monday and Tuesday I didn't even bother because between the sneezing and the nose blowing, I figured it was better to rest. I did go to my session on Wed, but again was weak and got dizzy at the very end, so I skipped cardio once again. So by Friday, I was definitely in the "ignorance is bliss" camp.

Before my session, Jovonn, my trainer, measured me - neck, both arms, chest, waist, hips, both thighs and both calves. Then, he made me go through my ENTIRE work-out before telling me the results. He had estimated I'd lose 7 total inches and 2-3% body fat. Well, I did lose 2% body fat, but the inches were incredible. I LOST 15 INCHES! That's right double what he had estimated. He said he's never had a client to lose that many total inches in one month. I lost 3" from my waist alone! And even an inch from my neck. Needless to say, I was walking on sunshine. Jovonn estimates that next month, the scale loss will be bigger and the body fat % loss will also be bigger, but the inches will be lower. I'm okay with that. Any loss is a good loss.

So, I'm well on my way to losing 12% body fat and lots of inches.

For those of you wanting to know what I'm doing, here it is:

1) Food Journal.
In a basic excel spreadsheet, I right down what I eat, how much, what time it is, and how hungry I was on a scale of 1-5 (5 = I'm going to die in 5 secs if I don't eat and 1 = I am so full I'm going to explode, but I keep stuffing it in anyway). And yes, Jovonn looks at this weekly. He has given me a lot of advice based on my goals and my activity level. Nutrition is 70% of the battle. And as a picky eater, I can attest to how hard it is, but I have made changes. I make small changes, stick with that for a while, then change something else. For me, I've learned the hard way to never make drastic changes and to never completely cut out anything. Here's where I am now on a typical day:

Breakfast: scrambled egg whites (equivilant to 2 large eggs) w/swiss cheese & 6 oz. skim milk OR Kashi Go Lean w/skim milk (great cereal w/loads of fiber & protein)
Snack: Fiber One Bar (because I'm usually sitting at class at this point) and/or banana or other fruit
Lunch: sliced turkey breast sandwich on whole wheat bread w/swiss cheese, baby carrots, apple
Post Work-out snack: vanilla greek yogurt w/fresh fruit (typically blueberries)
Dinner: 6 oz. salmon or tilapia (I try to eat fish 5 days a week) or 6 oz. baked turkey breast, 1-2 cups of veggies (frozen veggies, especially the ones in the individual servings).
Snack: apple or orange or banana and maybe a piece of chocolate (♥)

I'm trying to eat every 3-4 hours to keep my blood sugar and metabolism from crashing. I drink a lot of water and then some kind of juice. My faves are diet cranberry juice and Simply Orange orange juice.

2) Cardio
3 days a week I just do cardio - my days are Mon, Tues, and Thurs. I aim for 75 min., which typically breaks down to 15 min eliptical, 45 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical. If I'm having an off day, then it's 15 eliptical, 30 min treadmill, 15 min eliptical

On the treadmill I do intervals and switch between speed and hills & it goes like this:
warm-up (do not count towards min)
0:00 - 2:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
2:00 - 5:00: 5.3MPH at 1% incline
5:00 - 7:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
7:00 - 9:00: 3.7MPH at 7.5% incline
9:00-12:00: 4.0MPH at 1% incline
REPEAT

Now, I didn't start out running for 3 minutes or climbing at 7.5% incline. I started running for 1 minute and climbing at 2.5%. As I got stronger & my recovery time decreased, I increased the running time and the incline.

I picked 4.0MPH as my walking speed because that's what I'm most comfortable with and it's a speed I can keep my heart rate around 140-145, which is the ideal fat burning rate for my age/weight (per my trainer).

When I'm on the eliptical, I also try to do speed sessions for 2 minutes every 5 minutes or so.

3) Strength Training
On my strength training days with Jovonn, he picks what we do. I love strength training. In fact, life would be perfect if I never had to do cardio again. But Jovonn is really good and has me do a variety of exercises, from free weights and the circuit machines to plyometric exercises and isometric exercises. For instance, on core days, he might have me do as many sit-ups as I can in 45 secs, and then back extensions - 2 sets of each. Then he'll have me do plank for 45 secs (although, he's now bumped it up to 60 secs). Then do 2 more exercises, and plank again. Then two more exercises, and plank again. By the 3d time, I can't hold plank for a straight 45 secs. So, at whatever time I fall, he lets me rest a sec, then I hold again for however much time is remaining - so I'm still doing a total of 45 secs. He also has me do some isolation exercises - where you just work the muscle by itself (for instance, put your elbow against the inside of your leg & do bicep curls - you'll only be using the bicep), but then he'll have me use the muscles together (so, bicep curl again, except this time, starting with my palms facing my sides, then rotating my arm to where my palms are facing up). Oh we have all sorts of fun like that.

Why I chose to pay for a trainer? Yes, it is expensive. But I had gotten to the point where I knew I couldn't do it on my own. I looked at a variety of programs - Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Jillian Michaels, etc. They are all good programs and all fit someone, but just not me. I know myself. I needed the accountability and going to a meeting just wasn't enough. And standing on a scale does not motivate me - in fact, it does the exact opposite. Plus, I have specific fitness goals and wanted the exercise benefit and not just the food focus. I love strength training, but I knew I wouldn't stick with it and wouldn't push myself. Hence, the trainer. As with any program, you do have to be fairly motivated to stick with it. I am. In fact, Jovonn has complimented me on my commitment and determination because he said I am one of the few clients who will actually tell him when a weight is too light. ;-)

So we started right at the end of January and did initial measurements. Friday, Feb. 26, first measurements - so far so good. We'll do the same at the end of Mar and Apr. Then my last day with Jovonn will be May 14 (graduation is May 15). By then, I hope to have made some great progress, enough to keep me going on my own this summer because I have some big goals to meet!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! ☺

One Month Measurements & Goals

2010-02-26T08:28:00.005-05:00

So I've been working out with a trainer for a bit over a month now. During one of my first sessions, my trainer did my body fat % and measured everything (calves, thighs, hips, waist, arms, chest). Today I see how far I've progressed in a month. My trainer has high expectations - he's estimating a loss of 3% body fat and 7 total inches. I know I've lost some - some I didn't want to lose, like in the tatas. But, I can tell my calves are definitely tighter and more defined and my arms have more definition. I guess I'll see what the actual outcome is. And of course, this is only the 1st checkpoint - 3 more to go before the end of the semester. My overall goal is to lose 12% body fat and 50 pounds.

In fitness, I know I've gotten stronger/more endurance. I can run longer intervals and overall time, and my recovery is quicker. My fitness goals are to run 2 miles without stopping (then 4, then finally 6), 10 pull-ups unassisted, standing back-bend, and plank to crocodile back to plank 10 times.

My first event of the year, a 5K, is in April. I aiming to do it in less than 30 minutes (so I will consider 29 minutes and 59 seconds a victory). Then I'm trying to find a 10K to do sometime this summer, a 1/2 in the fall, then Goofy Challenge next January. I'm registered, and I'll sign up for Team in Training in late summer.

So, here's to thinking light & airy thoughts!

Job Hunting

2010-02-25T20:39:00.002-05:00

With 78 days until graduation, the job search has become an all-consuming effort. An absolutely rotten year to be hunting for a position & creativity with a side of flexibility has become the key. It will be nice when the law profession decides to catch-up with the real world and develops a national bar exam instead of individual state exams. But I digress...

So far, I've applied to 33 jobs and have gotten 13 official rejects. I say official because I have no idea if some will ever give me any kind of reply. The creativity comes in that I've applied to non-law specific jobs. The flexibility enters in the fact that I will move anywhere - I've applied to jobs from coast to coast and even overseas.

Anyway, I keep searching, keep asking and keep plugging away. Hopefully, this will pay off (before graduation). Fingers crossed.

And in the meantime, if anyone needs a former MBA, soon-to-be law grad focused on environmental law, well, give me a call.

Until then

2009-08-17T22:35:00.003-04:00

I'm back from Europe, living in good ole East TN again, until Saturday when I move (temporarily) to D.C. Europe was fantastic. If you haven't been, I highly recommend going. Great food, interesting history & architecture, good music, fantastic wines & beers - I had a fabulous time & didn't want to come home. But I'm here... enjoying my last few days of summer vacay.

So to all, I say, have a drink & enjoy the last few days of summer, as fall is quickly approaching.

New addition

2009-02-01T13:12:00.002-05:00

One thing you may notice new on my website is the addition of Google’s AdSense. It’s a program that can give you advertising revenue from each page on your website by placing relevant text ads. When folks click on those ads from my website, then I get some money. I decided to do this to raise a bit of money for my mission trip (see the previous post, Philippines Mission - Summer 2009).

If you see an ad that interests you, please click on it! And if you have a blog, type “AdSense” into Google & check it out for yourself! Also, check out my law school blog (the link's in the "Cool Sites" list on the right). I'm also using AdSense there too.

Philippines Mission - Summer 2009

2009-01-29T11:41:00.003-05:00

This year, my 2L year, I'm working in the Children's Advocacy Clinic of my law school. Children's advocacy, along with environmental law and health care law, are important areas of law for me. So the opportunity has arisen to do some international mission work and get a taste of children's issues in a third world country.

In May 2009, I'll be traveling with a group to the Philippines to provide relief to the indigent children of Mandaue City, Cebu and provide rehabilitative care and education to those forced to scavenge for survival in the dumps and through prostitution. Many of the Filipino children, some of them now orphaned, work by necessity in the fields, scavenging in garbage dumps, selling in the streets, and prostituting themselves. They are exposed to pesticides, dangerous chemicals, and get diseases from insects, parasites, and sexual contact. Many suffer from malnutrition.

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment reports in every 10 Filipino families, three have children working to help feed the family. That means, of the 25 million children in the country, 4 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 work. It is impossible to count their total numbers, for they are unregistered, often invisible children. They grow up illiterate, abused, exploited and cannot break the cycle of poverty without intervention.

If you're interested in learning more about our trip or even making a small contribution, visit our blog at http://firstumcjcpm.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-to-donate.html.

Is It Wrong?

2009-01-28T14:55:00.003-05:00

On Facebook in the People You May Know section, I noticed a woman I knew back in high school. In high school, this woman was always nice to me, but she was thin, pretty, and fairly popular. And did I mention she was thin in high school? So on facebook, her photo, which looked somewhat professional, made me laugh with evil glee. She has gotten fat. Now I'm a bit on the curvy side and could stand to lose a few, but I mean she's just fat. Even though there could be a million explanations (pregnancy, thyroid issues, etc.), I don't care. Somehow just knowing makes everything right with the world.

Not really a slacker

2009-01-24T00:16:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it appears that I haven't written a post in over a year. This isn't entirely true. Certainly, I haven't written a post here in over a year. But I have written many a posts on my other blog "The {New} Life & Times", which I maintain through iWeb on my MacBook. That blog has been all about my law school experience.

The other reason is I've just had a horrible case of writer's block. I've written some poetry, but the longer stuff just hasn't been cooperative. But I think the writer's block is over, and I will once again start posting some "Not Drinking Coffee" posts, as I should have a lot of them stored up by now.

Stay tuned...

Surfin' Safari

2007-07-30T22:30:00.001-04:00

It's now been two whole months since I gladly viewed Texas in my rear view mirror (hey, isn't that a song?). And this summer has gone by in a flash as I count down in single-digit days moving day to Pennsylvania. At times, it almost seems that I just dreamed the whole living in Texas thing. Then again, sometimes it seems that I musta been crazy to quit my job, uproot, and move back across country to go $100K+ in debt for a dream. And at other times, it doesn't seem like I should even be 31, but maybe 25, 26. Hmmm...

My other thoughts include:

wondering if which emotion, anxiety or excitement, is winning;
calculating expenses, and going mad by the thoughts of a terribly tight budget;
determining if one can actually do nothing and make a living;
wishing my powerball numbers would magically win an excessively large jackpot;
and, reflecting on what life will be like without my cats for 12 months, then getting depressed about the thought.

So, with all this mumbo jumbo swirling around the ole gray matter, I stay amazed that I get any sleep at all.

IE frustration...

2007-06-28T14:01:00.002-04:00

Since I'm at home for the summer, I have to use mom's MS PC which has IE on it instead of my beloved Mac. YUK! IE totally blows. I've tried for weeks to log into Blogger with no success. Nothing I did fixed the problem. Finally, unbeknown to my mother, I installed Foxfire and once again happiness rules the kingdom. Now, the only problem will be explaining to my mother what this icon is and what it means. That should only take a few weeks...

Anyhoo, the good news is, I can once again access blogger and finally get down some of these blog thoughts that have been circulating around my noodle. Stay tuned for more...

Join me...

2007-06-16T18:05:00.001-04:00

Join me & become a member of the ASPCA and help the ASPCA fight animal cruelty.

The ASPCA was founded in 1866 as the first humane organization in the Western Hemisphere. The Society was formed to alleviate the injustices animals faced then, and we continue to battle cruelty today. Whether it’s saving a pet who has been accidentally poisoned, fighting to pass humane laws, rescuing animals from abuse or sharing resources with shelters across the country, we work toward the day in which no animal will live in pain or fear.

Ciao Dallas

2007-05-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of this month, I turned in my notice. I had no idea how liberated I'd feel. Just peachy with a side of keen.

To backtrack a bit ... spring semester 2001 I began working for my current company. After graduation, I accepted a full-time position. Moved into a "better" position in the spring of 2002. Then in 2005, I moved halfway across the country... by myself ... to a new position at headquarters. (Oh glorious headquarters with all the VPs and SVPs.)

Anyway, away from family and friends, I settled into a new life. Adapting to this large metroplex with its flat land and hot, triple-digit weather (summer 9 months a year), I made new friends, and learned a lot about myself. The main lesson I learned: I have no place in corporate america. A good 6 years of solid effort, I can no longer play the internal political games, no longer work to put another penny in a stockholder's pocket, and no longer tolerate the de-empowering BS. So, after two years and change, I will finally say goodbye to Dallas.

In celebration of my impending departure, some work friends decided to throw a Happy Hour, or what I call the "Goodbye or Good Riddance" party (depends on your point of view). And on this note, I finally say Ciao Dallas, hello East Coast!

paranoia and lacking confidence

2007-04-12T21:44:00.001-04:00

I've had a major case of writer's block. Or maybe more precisely, writer's intimidation. I read other blogs and think, wow.... how creative, funny, insightful. And then I think how blah mine is in comparison. Then if I actually had some topic or thought to write about, I think why would anyone want to read this. After debating this internally for a half hour, I end up staring at a blank blog and writing nothing. So in four or so months, I've only written 11 posts & one is still a draft. Pathetic really.

The novel I started is also suffering this same fate, as well as my poetry. I think I have great thoughts until I actually start attempting to write them down, then the doubt comes, then the paranoia. The first few years, I blamed the block on working in corporate america - soul sucking, creativity draining, corporate america. I still think this is partially to blame, but I've realized I'm just panicky & scared. Then I get paranoid that when others have previously complimented my work, they were just being nice to spare my feelings. This line of thought quickly turns circular, and I'm back to panic, doubt, and paranoia until I just walk away and zone out zombie-like in front of the idiot tube. (At least TV has one useful aspect.)

Anyway, I'm going to a poetry weekend in May and I'm hoping that will help instill some confidence, or at least some good feedback.

Anyway, not that you cared, but here it is.

back to blogging

2007-01-23T16:31:00.001-05:00

After a month or so of not blogging, I have returned - not that anyone really cares, but hey, I gotta do something at work.

fashion unfairness

2006-12-08T13:49:00.000-05:00

This morning on GMA (Good Morning America), the fashion topic was the oversized bags that women carry and the potential shoulder and back problems resulting from carrying these oversized purses or handbags. Why do they carry these giant bags? Mainly because that’s the fashion trend. If Hollywood carries something and deems it cool, so must the average Jill. That got me thinking about the unfairness of genders and fashion.

First, let’s look at purses. Why do women carry purses, especially these oversized ones that can cause a variety of issues? When interviewed, some women pulled out everything but their bathroom sink – make-up bags, massive wallets, checkbooks, paperwork, books, lunch (someone had a ziploc bag of broccoli soup), various kids things, photos, all sorts of hair products (some even full-sized), etc. Good grief! I have a smaller gym bag!

Historically, men carried purses. A man’s purse consisted of a leather drawstring pouch to carry coins, and was often looped through men’s girdles or belts for safety. Not until much later did women begin carrying bags, and then still for practical purposes. Now women carry handbags like they won’t be home for days. Plus they complain about all the stuff their lugging and how heavy it is! My theory: the bigger the bag, the more crap you’ll find to stuff in it. So, just buy a small bag and make the kids put their stuff in a kid-sized backpack. A small wallet with money, driver’s license, and insurance card; a small antibacterial hand sanitizer; a small pack of tissues; a pen; a few coupons – that’s all in my purse. What more do I need? If I'm going out of town, I have a suitcase (on wheels).

But men, what do they have? Wallets - a wallet in their back pocket - that's it. So simple and practical. Do they feel the need to carry an extra pair of socks "just in case"? No. Of course, the fashion industry preys on women, convincing them they need the latest trend. I say take a stand, carry a smaller purse or go all out and don't even carry a purse. Why do you need a $500+ handbag anyway that looks like you live out of it? Unless it can do alot more other than carry my wallet, I have better things to do with $500 and I won't look like a bag lady.

Much more on this topic later...

brainwashing, conspiracies, and UPS Trucks

2006-12-07T11:57:00.000-05:00

An unmarked white, UPS-like truck pulls up outside with only a blue stripe down the side. Across the top, right about the windows, 5 red safety lights in a one-three-one pattern, although the fifth one is missing. It has the look of having been painted, as if white was not the original color. Rust adorns the driver's side top mirror. The dual windows show a small red plastic cup nestled in a cup holder, and blue notebook placed just outside the driver's reach on the passenger side. This truck only includes a driver's seat in blue plastic covering. The driver, looking remarkably like Kevin James from the King of Queens, emerges wearing a non-descript navy jacket with a white patch on the pocket, a white button-down shirt (untucked) navy pants, and black sneakers carrying his black baseball hat.. From the third floor, I watch as he enters the building, exiting my view. Moments later, he reappears, walks north toward the second building, and enters. His cargo and purpose, unknown.

In today's society of bombings, shootings, and just all-outcraziness, I have to wonder his purpose. Could this person and truck be up to no good? He parked (versus ramming his vehicle into the building), but maybe that's part of the ploy Or have I read too many David Baldacci books? Maybe I've just watched the news too much, and now I see conspiracy and doom behind every door. Maybe the news in brainwashing us to believe in water on Mars, global warming, and the Middle East. Maybe I have imagined the whie, unmarked UPS-like truck parked below. Heck, maybe I'm not even at work, but dreaming, or worse, in some kind of experimentally induced coma and all of this is simply a delusion. Maybe I don't even exist, but am simply a figment of someone else's imagination. In that case, I think I'll sign off and go to lunch. Ciao!

pet peeves & driving

2006-12-06T22:30:00.000-05:00

Driving home yesterday evening, a car pulled out in front of me. Why is that a pet peeve? Because I was in the center lane, so this car completely missed the right lane & pulled directly into the center lane, in front of me, causing me to have to suddenly brake. Luckily, no one was immediately behind me. I started wondering why people can't pull out in the lane nearest them. If your entering traffic from the right side (on a multi-lane road), then pull into the right lane. Why is that such a difficult concept? I also wondered why people are in such a hurry that they could endanger not only their lives, but the lives of other drivers. Come on. In the evening, I am just as anxious as the next person to get as far away from work as possible, but not at the expense of other people (or at minimum, my car). After having my car in the shop for a week and a half from another hurried person rear-ending me, I can honestly say I fully support taking time and enjoying the drive. This time of year it's especially great (if you get off the highways and interstates). Last night, I took a new route home just because I wanted to see where that road ended. Sure, it put me out above where I live, but the time difference wasn't that great - plus I got to see an area I had never seen. And this time of year browsing neighborhoods is especially rewarding - I got to see all sorts of houses decorated in many different fashions (although some people need to learn that less can be more). I even saw one house that had their lights as a giant smiley face.

This got me thinking about other driving pet peeves that range from just nuisance to life endangering risks.

Driving with your turn signal on for miles. Okay, this can happen to the best of us, but come on people, pay attention. After 5 miles, figure it out.

Not using a turn signal. I don't know where you're going. So if you don't indicate your lane change or exit, I can't adjust my speed accordingly.

Driving too slow. I'm all for obeying speed limits, but on a major highway or especially the interstate, slow drivers can be more dangerous that fast ones, especially when they drive in the middle or left lanes.

Driving at a reasonable speed, but not passing (i.e., going the same speed as the car to your right). Alright already, just press the gas down a little more and pass the other car, then get back over to the slow lane to decrease your speed.

Tailgating. Numero uno reason why my car spent the past week and a half in the shop. And a new police device that looks like a radar detector is actually a distance detector. Police in your area may be cracking down on tailgaters soon. My advice, don't do it. It causes unnecessary road rage and serves no purpose.

Changing lanes when there's barely a car length between the two cars in the lane. Arg, I don't know how many times another car has forced me to tailgate because they assume the space I've left between me and the car in front of me is an invitation for them to get over.

Constantly changing lanes, especially in traffic. The only rational I can assume is that the driver assumes it will get ahead of others and therefore will get to his destination sooner. If you're in that much of a hurry, leave earlier or accept being late.

I’m sure there are more, but these top my list. Bad drivers exist everywhere, but the south has more than it’s fair share. I blame it on NASCAR.

not wearing pajamas

2006-12-04T14:55:00.000-05:00

As the holiday season approaches, I face the dilemma that so many travelers face when visiting family – the pajama debate. Typically, I only sleep in a tee-shirt. That’s it. No socks, no bottoms, no undies. Just a big, soft tee. In my house, we have not problems with this sleeping gear. And in we, I mean me and my cats. No one cares if a bit of bare fanny is showing, because let’s face it, cats are always in their birthday suits and as long as you pet and feed them, they could care less about everything else. But at mom’s house, this sleeping attire, or lack thereof, may cause issues. These issues include, mom rising early, the dog, grandkids running around, and various other family members popping in through the two weeks I’ll be home, combined with I have to use the guest bathroom – which is the main bathroom located in the hall – very easy viewing right around the corner from the living room.

I could just keep a bathrobe or sweatpants near the bed to use when the case arises for me to make way from the bedroom to the bath. But that doesn’t eliminate the problem of the grandkids. My niece, while adorable, doesn’t people close doors for a reason. And sleeping late with her around … not an option. Add the dog in with the niece and no pjs … you’ve just created a recipe for disaster.

With these thoughts in mind, I debate on exactly what to wear. My mom encourages nightgowns. Me, I can’t stand gowns because they wrap and twist around my legs. That’s no good. Another consideration, I could go with a pj set (top with matching bottoms), but again, the pant legs twist and ride up. Then I have the short option instead of the pants. But no one wants to see me in shorts, especially me, and besides, talk about riding up. . That just doesn’t make for a nice morning picture. In essence, I toss and turn way too much and sleep way to hot which is why I went commando in the first place. But in the spirit of holiday travel, I guess I have to go with the lightweight pj pants.

Now… where to buy some…

not using not

2006-12-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

When I started this blog, I lacked a title… and well, really a purpose. Although, in all fairness I don’t think a blog needs a “purpose” per say, but you see my point. Anyway, I really just started using Blogger just to see what it was like. I got to the title part, and thought, oh shit, I have to have a title. Now, if you knew me, you’d know that I over analyze and agonize over things like names. To me, a name, whether it be for a website or character, should give a feel to the piece. I never just randomly name things. Come on, I spent 3 weeks debating acceptable titles for my website.

Trying not to think about it, I focused on my blog’s purpose. I decided to focus on my short writing – using the blog to encourage myself to write a little bit every day, and hopefully, use some of it towards a story I’m writing. With that in mind, I decided to use a short piece I wrote one morning in the coffee house part of a local bookstore (how I love Moleskine pocket notebooks!). Hence, the first blog became “not drinking coffee”. I then decided that was a fun title for my blog, and voila! Blog titled.

Now, this may have inadvertently caused a domino effect. I used the “not” in my second post, entitled “not going to the gym”. Now two is just coincidental – not a pattern. But then, I used it for a third post and now a fourth time (and I already know what the fifth post title is). So, after four, almost five times, a definite pattern has emerged. The question has not become, do I continue using the “not” and become entrapped and potentially stuck. Or do I go ahead and break out of the model now?

This I agonize over. Forget world hunger, genocide in Darfur, civil war in Iraq, or any one of the many problems afflicting the world. I guess that’s how people continue to live their lives without going insane.

not going to work

2006-12-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Most days I wake up and wonder why. Why bother getting up? Will anyone notice if I don't go to work? Probably not. Of course the day I don't go will be the one day my boss calls - unlike the days where I expect her to call and she never does. But I digress... I mainly wonder why I bother getting up because I don't want to go to work. I don't like my job (now there's a surprise - someone in corporate america who does NOT like their job). So every morning I have the same debate with myself about going to work or not.

How did I get to this point? I’ve worked for the same company for five years. While not a long time in the relative scope of things, it feels like an eternity when I allow myself to think that I do not want to continue on this path. I took this latest position deluding myself that it would provide a resume boost and alleviate the boredom. While many aspects of this role can help the ole resume, I can honestly say deluding yourself can only last so long. The aforementioned boredom directly resulted from my previous position consisting of periods of mind-numbingly busy work intermingled with short bursts of chaos. However, I can honestly say I’d rather be bored. Why? Two main reasons – the coolness of my former manager combined with his smarts (yes, some managers do use logic!) and I’m still bored. Not only that, for a serious increase in responsibilities, I seriously got screwed on the paycheck. Again, that’s one of those things I attempted to delude myself after the HR person made me drink the kool-aid.

So after five years, I finally come to the realization (for the 500th time) that I do not want to do this. But the question is, what is it that I want to do. Ah, the million dollar question. Obviously, if I had known what I wanted to do, then I would be doing it. Right? You would think so, but herein lies the problem. Arg.

Oh well. Off to bed to once again debate in the morning whether or not to go to work.

not going to the gym

2006-11-28T16:11:00.000-05:00

I really am trying to get in better shape. Every few months I make a renewed effort to eat healthier and get to the gym more often... but as we know, the best intentions...blah, blah, blah. I have two main issues with the whole health craze:

Healthy eating takes too long to fix.
Working out goes against my natural state of doing nothing.

Okay, so I could make the effort to prepare healthy food. Nuking veggies doesn't take that long. But fresh are better for you than frozen, which is better for you than canned. Okay, but fresh veggies add time - you have to go through the whole hassle of picking them out, then they must be washed because they either have pesticides or just pests. Plus, who knows how many peoples grubby, dirty hands have touched them. Plus, I'm not big on cooking. If you can't slap it together in less than 5 minutes, then it's just taking too long. And this mentality leads to some basic foods: canned soup, sandwiches, cereal, and frozen prepared foods (read Lean Cuisine).

On the gym front, I can go consistently for about 6-8 weeks, then I just start finding excuses. And when I say consistently, I'm talking about cardio 4-6x/week for at least 45 minutes, at least 1 stretching class (usually yoga), and weight training 2x/week for 30 minutes. After about 8 weeks, I apparently get bored, because the excuses get easier and easier. Like today, I actually made it to pilates at lunch with full intentions of going back after work to do cardio. I even left my bag and sunglasses in a locker just to make myself go back. But with now 5 o'clock looming on the horizon, part of me says, I did pilates and can do cardio tomorrow... And so it goes.

And once again, the progress I've made is starting to go down the tubes. It's not like I'm obese or have any serious health issues, but I could stand to drop a pant size or two, slim down the middle, and firm up those arms. Of course my biggest enemy is the media. I'm over seeing too-skinny actresses talking about their battle with eating disorders and the pressure to be thin in Hollywood. Here's a thought ladies, don't take it! For once, stop being catty to each other, and band together and say enough! Force Hollywood execs to accept the fact that women should have curves, not be a flat-chested-could-pass-for-an-adolescent-boy. If we have to see 60 year old, not looking too hot, shirtless Sly Stallone in the new Rocky movie, then we can certainly demand more realistic looking women. Besides, I hate to break it to you Hollywood, but thin does not necessarily equal good actor. Thank you Kate Winslet.

So on that note, I will just head home to comfy sweatpants. Love me, love my curves. At least I have a chest (and it wasn't purchased). I hate to sweat anyway...

not drinking coffee...

2006-11-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

I've never gotten the hang of drinking coffee. Lattes, cappuchinos, mochas, espressos. Tall or grande. Whipped, cinn, cream, sugar, low-fat, non-fat, steamed... Nope, just never have been able to do the coffee house thing. As a result, my life is tragically unhip as I look back at my failed coffee drinking college years and my decent into mediocrity.

Oh, it's not for lack of trying. I've sat in the French Quarter and ordered a cafe ole and beignets. I traveled to Nice on a train and ordered an espresso. I jived at the local coffee house with a latte. I even attempted coolness with a sumatra. But I still just don't get it. So I, the lone tea drinker, stick out like a sore thorn among the roses.

Now, I can no longer face going into the coffee houses. Friends talk and laugh as they enter discussing what brew to try today while I stand alone outside, waiting. And unlike parties or bars, carrying around a cup of coffee doesn't work. My life as an outcast, non-coffee drinker has been set.