B.R.B.

Just wanted to post and explain that i have been working on my thesis non stop.... so that's why this hasn't been updated... but SOON I will be back with more to say than ever!!

I also have made a goal to work out 5 days this week despite a very full research schedule. I'm working for Parks & Recreation for the entire end of the week... so how I will get in all 5 workouts, your guess is as good as mine... But I really want to meet this goal!

What are your goals for the week, loves?

Small Victories

Just wanted to give an update, but nothing big to report. I'm having lots of fun because my BFF, Casi came to visit. The bad news is, she spent much of her visit watching me work on my thesis because I'm down to the wire and feeling a little jagged about it! However, we did go to a Great Lakes Loons game. I really enjoy baseball, and we had a wonderful time! Here is a pic of us with the field in the background... it's a little hard to see the field...

Today, however, I am at home working on my thesis once again. I get s

uper hungry when I'm stressed *read as not actually hungry* ... but then my stomach started growling. I see this as an opportunity because if I'm genuinely hungry, anything sounds good. The stress, the tired, and the hunger has put me in a dark place, because the pic below actually happened. Yes, I ate lettuce out of a bag, but thought of chips the whole time. And you know what? It surprisingly hit the spot. It's all about re-evaluating what tastes good, and surprisingly, vegetables do.

So, the moral of this story: I've had a ton of fun lately, but I have had a ton of work, so I will be a much better person when this thesis is finished! I'm hoping to be early to bed and early to rise tomorrow-- it puts me in a much better place for church when I have gotten a good night sleep. I'm excited to spend time with the Lord tomorrow-- feels like I have been lacking in my walk with Him lately.

Have a super Saturday!

Get back up again.

I'm having a super hard time staying motivated lately! Sometimes you feel like you are chasing a goal, and other times it's like, "Hey, goal, just let me know where you're going to be, and I'll meet you later." The latter has been my week.

I have a big research project (that I can't really talk about on here because of IRB clearance) going on, so that has taken priority over eating right and exercising.

I woke up today totally disappointed in myself for having a hard time staying on track. I was beating myself up and saying all kinds of negative things to myself, and then I realized how unproductive that really is! If I'm going to live a healthy and happy lifestyle, I need to be my own cheerleader! Obviously, I want to be humble and avoid any kind of arrogance, but that doesn't mean beating myself up over and over. That's not glorifying to God, and that's what it's all about.

So instead of dwelling on how poorly things have gone the last couple of days for eating right, I am focusing on the fact that today is a new day with new opportunities. And above all must not forget:

Psalm 118:24 "This is the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

My plan is to restart, and keep reminding myself to rejoice and be glad. Have a good one, and beat the heat, y'all!

Beat the heat!

So, we are having a HEAT wave!!!! I love love love hot weather! Seriously, the hotter the better. Doesn't make much sense that I moved to Michigan when I was choosing a new state, but whatever works, I guess. Maybe next time a warmer climate.

In all this heat, though, it would be easy to seriously hurt yourself! Rule number one is to stay hydrated! (In case you don't remember my reason to stress this, just look back a couple of weeks to my tale of dehydration.) But seriously, when you are sweating so much, you need to drink so much more water!

So, in order to beat the heat, if you are normally an outdoor exerciser, try to be creative in ways to get activity. If you have stairs in your home, climb those for a bit. Or plant your feet on the floor, arms on your chair in a seated position and push yourself up and down. Little things like these activities add up. Of course, there is always mall walking!

Be careful and take care of yourself! And when you are getting in less activity, portion control and tracking what you eat become even more important!

So that is my sage advice for beating the heat. Fortunately, I'm spending most of my days in the library lately. My deadline for my research is quickly approaching! Eeek! Back to work!

Diversify! ...continued...

Thought I would give you all a little report on my attempt to diversify my food and exercise today!

Kickboxing was SO hard!!! I actually broke skin on my knuckle punching the bag. I feel pretty good about it. I don't think it is my new hobby, but I did have fun.

And since summer is a time for "burgers," I made this portabella mushroom cap burger for dinner. I got the idea from my Mom, and it was pretty delicious. I also put some avocado on it because everything is better with avocado! A super satisfying meal with no meat whatsoever! This would have been better on the grill, but I roasted it in the oven.

So, if you want a delicious "burger" but you're out of Boca Vegan Burgers (which are also amazing and only 2 points plus!!!), then roast yourself a mushroom cap. You will be surprisingly full and satisfied afterwards!

So those were my experiments in food and exercise today. I feel great. Now, then, actual work is calling my name, so I guess I had better cut this entry short!

Diversify!

It is so easy to fall into a rut in life, and this includes with diet and exercise! I have a bad habit of eating the same thing and doing the same workout routine repeatedly, but over time both mentally and physically, your body can grow tired of the same old things!

Lately I have had a hard time being nutritious, so going back to my old routine should feel like a change. My new/old routine, if you will. I have been feeling so much better the last few days by evaluating what kind of nutrients I'm having!

Exercise is a big need of change though! I LOVE walking, especially on the treadmill. But sometimes I need to change it up! My friend, Gabe, has invited me to a kickboxing class this afternoon, so I will be attending that today! I am excited for the chance to change things up. I am generally opposed to types of exercise that require rhythm and/or for me to follow a routine [some day I will tell about the Zhumba debacle], so I'm not sure how this is going to go.

How are you changing things up in your routine this week? Are you trying a different activity? Or just pushing yourself farther in your current activity?

Feeling Good!

Today I really pushed it at the gym... As in I felt I should apologize to the treadmill afterwards because I was so hard on it. Walking so fast, doing intense inclines, etc. ... glory to me, right? ... wait a minute...

Silly humanity, there are moments when I feel proud of MYSELF for working out. This perspective could not be more flawed! The glory is to God completely! This thought occurred to me today: God has created us in such a way that we have a stake for caring for our bodies. He could just as easily have run us as machines, but because He is such a loving God, He allows us to have a stake in keeping our bodies in shape. If we move our muscles in a certain pattern repeatedly, they become stronger and our general body runs better. How amazing is that! I know it's a simple thing, but really think about it for a minute. Stop to consider Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (NIV, emphasis added.)

Praise God who made us so carefully. Stop to be amazed by His glory.

The other thing making me feel good today is a little thing, but it really encouraged me. I went to a new doctor yesterday (I know, it took me 2 years to find a doctor in my new town), and he told me I am in excellent shape for my height and age. I am not trying to sound braggy, but the Sarah of 2005-2009 would NEVER have been told by a doctor she was in excellent shape! Perhaps the fast food industry would have told me I was in excellent shape, but that is it!

Now, I am off to continue writing my research!! Have a fantastic Thesis Thursday! ... and do something active, even if it's something small. You will feel good.

Like A Ton of Bricks...

Hello, lovies!

It has been a couple weeks since I have written-- because life has been CRAZY wonderful! 4th of July, socializing with friends, attempting to aid my trivia team to victory (No such luck. Sorry, Kenny Powers Fan Club.), and my dear friend's wedding last weekend! (To the left is a photo of the beautiful bride and myself!) Congratulations, Jessica and Jesse! Love you both!

I have had a fantastic couple of weeks, and tried with all my might to make it to the gym here and there, but no such luck most of the time. But let me back up-- in case it was not implied, it has been 2 very difficult weeks for eating healthy! Cook outs, movie popcorn, pizza and beer at trivia, wedding food (it was a Mexican theme), and breaking my own rule-- I drank quite a bit of soda!

I know, I myself shuddered as I read that list. So, trying to escape from this melee' with somewhat of a waistline, I went to the gym today for a hard work out, and guess what-- I felt like I was pulling bricks behind me the whole time I was walking/running! My chin ups felt like I had a small child holding onto each ankle! It was difficult to say the least!

The moral of this story: your body runs differently depending on how you fuel it. I don't think I really gained much (if any) weight during the last 2 weeks, but I sure do feel like a potato walking on toothpicks. If nothing else, I learned healthy food is healthy for a reason-- it makes you feel better! God was strategic in our design-- no detail of the Earth or our bodies created haphazardly -- but each detail with divine intricacy!

My plan for this week: no excess sugar, no white flour, no beer, and little/no trans fats. It's time to get back to basics! It's time to detox. Time for lots of water, and then sweating it all out!

So, enjoy the summer, make the most of it, but don't forget to fuel our bodies the way God designed us!