Giving 100% all the time

Lately I have been extremely stressed out. I had to miss days of school and work being gone with my Grandma and it just gave me the feeling of being behind. I hate that feeling and I am the type of person who has to always give 100% in whatever I am doing. I set very high standards for myself and absolutely hate the feeling of failing. Although I might not be failing in other peoples eyes, I fail in mine and that is the worst feeling ever.  Lately, I have a lot of things to give my 100% and it isn't really working!  I am trying to come to the realization that I don't need to get perfect A's in all of my classes. I will graduate with a B, and it will be just fine. If i don't finish the end of the month at 200% to goal, things will be just fine. I only need to get to 100%. If I have to put down the medicine ball and just do crunches during my workouts, I will still be exercising.

Today I have really learned that lesson as I feel myself getting more and more stressed out. I have realized that the only thing stressing me out is myself and the pressure that I place on my self. So from now on I am going to try to lower my 100% standard and see how that works. I don't think by doing this I will lose who I am at all, I will just be a less stressed version of me, which could be fun!

How to Make Eating Healthy Easy!

When I first heard about Farrell's I was so excited about the work out part, but not so excited about the eating part. See, I don't really like food. I know, hard to believe with those stats I posted earlier. But I really don't. I was maybe eating 1 meal a day before and drinking about 5 20oz Mt Dews a day. I was essentially starving my body and filling it with pop. Great combo right?  Well when I heard that I would have to eat 6 meals a day, I was thinking how am I ever going to do this? Between work, school, working out and all the other things I have to do in a day where am I ever going to get the time to eat 6 meals a day?  Then I realized that a big part of the reason that I don't eat during the day is because I don't have the time to stop and making something. So, if all of my meals are pre-prepared then that would be very easy. So that is what I did. I am only on my 3rd day of this, but its a breeze! On Sunday night I prepared all of my meals (excluding my lunch sandwich) and placed them in Tupperware containers. I labeled them dinner, morning snack, evening snack and so on.  It has been so easy to just put those items in my lunch box in the morning and be on my way for the day.  Since I start my day now at 6:30 and don't get home until 10:30, I had to get a bigger lunch box! :)

Here is a list of some of the things that I am eating, they were all super easy to prepare.

Breakfast:
Protein Shake (vanilla powder and orange juice)
Banana

Morning Snack
Hard boiled egg
1/2 Whole Wheat Muffin

Lunch
Turkey Sandwich on flat bread
Carrots or Cucumbers

Afternoon Snack
Protein Shake
Grapes or Strawberries

Dinner
Baked Chicken Breast
Whole wheat pasta
red sauce
Green Beans

Night Snack
Cottage Cheese
Fruit cup in light syrup

All of my sides are measured out to 1/4 cup servings and they really are the perfect size. I feel myself getting hungry sometimes, but I have pretty much kept to the schedule of:

Breakfast 8:00
Snack 11:00
Lunch 1:00
Snack 3:30
Dinner 5:45
Snack 7:45

Sometimes at night when I get off work I get a little hungry, so last night I just grabbed a hand full of grapes and I was good to go. I have also found water to be a great meal filler. I am really trying to drink a full glass of water with each of my main meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So, I know I'm not a professional, I am far far from it, but I have made it work. I love how I am eating now and can't imagine going back to the way it was before. And the best thing of all, NO MOUNTAIN DEW!! I am so proud of myself!! :)

Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, for everyone reading these, here we go!!!!!!

Today, September 28 2010, I turned 24 years old. Wow! I know to a lot of people that isn't old, but it is kind of a scary feeling.  I feel like I am getting farther and farther away from that "young and free" mentality and closer to the "responsibility only" mentality. I mean i feel like i have always been a responsible person, but I have also had my care-free fun days.

So, today was the day. I woke up, and of course Eric needed a little coaxing to remember that it was my birthday, but hey at 6:30, I wouldn't expect anyone to remember! :)  Went to work out, got in a great workout, got very frustrated with myself for letting myself get this out of shape, and then let myself realize that I need to be pissed off to really want this. And trust me, I was PISSED OFF!! I then called my mother, who usually calls me by 9am on my birthday to sing to me in a hideous voice "happy birthday", as her mother did to her, and as her mother did to her. Well, I had a normal conversation with her and tried to nudge her at the end of the call to remember that it was my birthday. No such luck. We got off the phone and within 10 seconds she called back singing to me, remembering that it was my birthday! I was a little down at this point that the 2 people closest to me at both forgotten my birthday, so I did what any girl does, I called my Grandma! :)  Well of course as soon as I got on the phone she started singing Happy Birthday to me, and at that point, no matter what else happened the rest of the day (like being rear ended on the way to school), my day was complete! My Grandma sang Happy Birthday to me, and my Grandpa told me that these last 24 years with me have been the best of his life. At that moment, I couldn't have been happier.

So, the lesson I learned today?  No matter how old I get, my birthday will always be important to me. It doesn't matter if people remember right away or if they need a little coaxing.: It doesn't matter if I have to get up at 6:30am to go to a hard work out and cry the whole time, or if I get rear ended by some broad on the way to school, or that I have to work an 8 hour shift because I've used up all of my vacation time being with my Grandma. Its the traditions that matter most to me. I understand that this will probably be the last birthday that my Grandma will ever sing to me, but thats OK. I will keep her alive inside as me I will always sing  a little tune to myself on my birthday! :)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! I did indeed have a GREAT day!!

Farrell's Extreme BodyShaping First Evaluation

Ok, so I know I said I wasnt going to start blogging until the 28th, but I have decided that public embarrasment is probably the best way for me to lose the most weight! So, I am going to blog my process.

Today, I started my 10 week challenge. I went into this not being in shape, scared for my life and knowing that I need to make some major changes in my life if I want to continue to live my life and be a healthy person. It is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done, but I am ready!!

Here are my beginning marks--please be kind :)

Body Part Measurements
Chest 36.5 inches
Waist 39.5 inches
Thighs 25.5 inches
Hips 45.5 inches
Arms 11.5 inches

Body weight 168 lbs
Body Fat      33.8%

Four Minute Step Test
heart beats per minute
resting  74
active  138

Push ups  7
Sit ups  19
Sit and reach 19.5 inches
Mile Run  13:46 minutes


I have a lot of things to work on and to get better, but I know with hard work and determination I can do it! :)