Steps Forward

Monday, February 18, 2013

I just posted my goals. I am going to be journaling and not letting my emotions control me. I may incorporate yoga to my routine but don't want to do to many changes at once, so for now I'm going ot try to do the morning meditation and the 2 soulcycle workouts in the pm. One today! And then when I move and hopefully have a gym I won't have to spend as much on soul cycle. I don't need to thin k about that now though. One step at a time!

I am now reading an article on SP on how to destress in 3 minutes. I'm onto the last part about putting things in perspective. This is totally where i go way off track. for example, I'm so stressed about the CFA exam that I do no studying and think the world is going to come to an end if I fail. It's not! I don't know why I feel so much pressure. I have a lot of other stress in my life and I can't deal with all of it.

I moved, need to find a new apt for next month, am trying to turn my job permanent, and and having struggling with eating well and exercising which really stresses me out. Then i've got living in a new area and not really knowing a ton of people plus this exam. I need to figure out my priorities.

1. Mental health (I am officially putting myself first - eat better, exercise, sleep)
2. Focus on the job (I can always take the CFA later, the job is the priority)
3. CFA

On one hand with the exam I really do want to pass. But I get so nervous about it that i don't know what to do. I end up doing nothing. This is where I just have to suck it up and just do it. So what if i fail? I take it again? Is that really the end of the world? No. I want to feel good about myself. I will do the best I can and that is ok!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LAUUREENXO 2/18/2013 9:33PM

Good luck on reaching all of your goals! Report Inappropriate Comment

Stress levels - goals

Monday, February 18, 2013

I just joined the stress buster challenge. Here are my goals:

I want to be able to effectively handle my life and "just do it" rather than stressing about it and then getting exhausted. I want to be able to control my life rather than my stress controlling me. I often turn to food when Im stressed and I want to calm down but I'm realizing i would rather be healthy and happy with who I am than trying to be perfect at 100 things at once. I need to realize I am the priority and sometimes it's ok do not be perfect at everything.

For example, I'm studying (or should be studying) for the CFA right now. but I get so stressed thinking about it and all of the other uncertainty in my life that its debilitating. I am soo stressed right now. I know i need to start yoga or meditation but I'm too lazy. There are youtube videos but I think i need to buy something so I have it on my computer.

After a quick search I found a video on SP called 15 minute Qi Gong routine. Maybe I can do this every morning. I will try it later. I am also going to try to remember to start a stress journal. every day, whether it be at lunch or after dinner.

I can do this!!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

FITMARY 2/18/2013 10:00AM

The stress journal and other exercises from the challenge really helped me. We CAN learn to deal better with the craziness. Good luck! Report Inappropriate Comment

TRYINGHARD54 2/18/2013 8:56AM

your not lazy.. just need to get motivated. Your the only one who can do it.. now, get moving, you'll feel much better.... Report Inappropriate Comment

attempt 1...or 2

Monday, July 02, 2012

My schedule has been more hectic than I was planning on it being. Yesterday I went to my brothers house and ate a veggie burger with a salad with lots of avocado and beets with goat cheese and corn. No, it's not unhealthy but the portion was too big! Today my mom prepared dinner and of course i ate it. I realized that I need to make dinner for myself, even though I keep wanting it to work when my mom makes it, because I know I will get full by the meals I make, plus I will be able to control portion sizes. If I go over my daily limit by even 100 or 200 cals, it makes a big difference in terms of not losing weight. When i'm home I feel pressure (mostly from myself) to eat with the fam, but I need to just make myself cook dinner! Not that it's a big thing, but when my mom makes it I end up eating more because 1) i will eat before dinner when i get too hungry and 2) my portion sizes are bigger. Plus then I can't track calories and then i get nervous that I'm eating too much. But then if i don't eat enough i eat too much later.

tomorrow I wanted to go to spin class but i can't go anymore because I have a drs apt which i had to switch to the morning. And then wednesday is july fourth. ugh i feel like i'm never going to get on track with this! so frustrating.

I'm good once I have a routine established, but trying to establish one with all this stuff that I'm needing to work around is stressful and difficult!

sorry if it's repetitive, i have a million thoughts at once!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CHANGINGSAM 7/3/2012 12:00PM

You might want to try batch cooking. For example, make Sundays your day to cook a few dishes that you can freezer for the remainder of the week. This allows you to control the calorie count as well as make sure that you are full. Also, this prevents eating what they eat just because you don't feel like cooking. Just an idea. You can still eat dinner with them, but it would be something you make. Honestly, I am thinking about doing this as there have been times (especially on Fridays and Saturdays after work) that I don't feel like cooking, so I grab something out. Also, I know it's a bummer that you are going to miss your spin class, but you could always go for an early morning walk or run (beat the heat!). You could even go to a public pool for a swim! Report Inappropriate Comment

MISSCONSISTANCY 7/2/2012 8:32PM

yea, I mean they're healthy but I think for me to feel better I need to be able to control when i eat so i don't get too hungry and overeat and also so I know how many calories are in my dinner and I can track them. There's also the flip side when her dinners are tiny and i'm still hungry. Report Inappropriate Comment

TWEETYKC00 7/2/2012 8:25PM

Maybe if you talk to your mom about even helping with meals to get a better handle on what happens at the dinner table can help. Report Inappropriate Comment

BURNIN-UPTURTLE 7/2/2012 8:01PM

some time we just have to vent a little, i bet you feel better now. I think it is a good idea that you cook your owen meals sounds like it will help you stay on track. Report Inappropriate Comment

Back at home

Sunday, July 01, 2012

I have not been eating well by any means. I have gained a lot of weight back and am so sick of this process. I tried switching around my weight loss plan but have been unsuccessful, so I'm going back to (for the most part) what I did at school. However, i'm taking out my night snack and adding an extra day snack. pleaaaase work!

Here is my plan:
meal 1: (300 cals)
meal 2: (150 cals)
meal 3: (300 cals)
meal 4: (150 cals)
meal 5: (450 cals)

For the fitness part, next two weeks:
Mon. Yoga Workout
Tues. Spin Class
Wed. Yoga Workout + 20 mins cardio
Thurs. Spin Class
Fri. Yoga Workout + 20 mins cardio
Sat. Longer Run?
Sun.

When my monday morning meetings end in 2 weeks I can bump up spin to 3x per week. If I switch then I plan to do:
M - spin
T - yoga
W - Spin
R - yoga
F - Spin
S - yoga

I'm also going to start tracking all my food again. It hard being at home because there is all this other food around, but I can do it. I also was trying to work it out so I can eat my mom's dinners, but it just isn't working. It's not that her meals aren't healthy, because they are, but her dinners are served anywhere from like 5:30-7 and they're not always that filling, and I also feel self conscious sometimes when I eat them because i'm hungry and she serves these little dinners too late for me so then I'm really hungry and i don't know how many calories are in them.

I also realized I like journaling after I get up. So I want to start doing that. One thing that I wrote on my profile page when I just updated it was that when I feel in control of my physical health everything else falls into place. Like when I have a good workout and feel like i'm losing weight I have a lot of mental focus and can be really productive. I need to focus on that instead of the other way around. Recently i've been like well I need to find a job and then in my extra time I can figure out how to lose weight, but that has not been working because my mental focus has been so off. I need to make myself the priority and then once i'm there I have plenty of time to do everything else i need to do.

That's one of the reasons I think this yoga routine will be good for me. I did it at the beginning of the year when I lost weight. It's not the most challenging routine, but it should help calm me, which is necessary because i've been so stressed!

Coming home is always really challenging for me because I have a complicated relationship with my parents, and living at home just brings me down. But I think the yoga routine mixed with the high energy spin classes which always put me in a good mood should help!

So today is the first day of July.

Here are my goals:
- lose at least 6-7 lbs (120lbs)
- establish set routine that I feel happy continuing with
- be happy!!
- get back my mental focus!
- be able to work in fun activities while still eating well (feel comfortable going out to dinner, drinks, etc with friends and still lose weight)
- hopefully be closer to finding a job! or have one :)

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

CHANGINGSAM 7/2/2012 10:51AM

I think you have great goals. Ultimately, just find what works for you. I can't tell you how many times I have switched up my food and/or workout schedule. Ha. This journey is all about trying new things as well as alternating foods/workouts. No matter what - don't quit. You can do this! Report Inappropriate Comment

ANNE1123 7/1/2012 1:46PM

Very well thought out, organized and easy to follow. All the best and Happy 4th! Report Inappropriate Comment

Day 3

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Today was another successful day. I didn't get as much done on my take home final as I wanted to, but my brain is also dead and continuing to work on it is painful...so I'm stopping.

Aside from that though, I had a tough workout this morning and I ate well all day. Slight issue with going to the beach next weekend though, because the flights I found are super expensive and of course since i'm me i didn't buy the plane ticket any earlier...so I don't know what's going on with that and its stressing me out. I'm just ready to be done with this final. I also got my first grade! A- in portfolio management. yay! Too bad the class that is going to bring down my grade isn't required and isn't of any interest to me...although maybe that's why i'm doing the worse in that class, hah. I sort of wish I hard more time to relax before going to myrtle (if that works out due to the plane issues). I kind of just don't want to deal with it but i know i'll regret it if I don't go and everyone else does. I'm just not good and focusing on more than one thing at a time.

Now time to relax then onto day 4!