I Jiggle, but not as much as I use to - Week 5

 It’s that day of the week… I’m linking up with Lindsey at Mr. and Mrs. Smith for the weight loss challenge.  

It’s a great group that helps encourage each other on one of the hardest roads to undertake. Weight loss and fitness are essential to a healthy lifestyle and I am a strong believe that strong and encouraging support groups are the key to staying on track and meeting goals.

These were my initial stats:

I am 5’7’’

I weigh somewhere around 146 pounds during week 1

I’d like to be at about a 125-130

My goal is to lose about 15 to 20 pounds

Last week I was at 141.5, today I weighed in at 139.6, this is a 1.9 pound loss. Last week, I spent two days at the gym, then was home for the rest of the week with a bum knee. This week I was at the gym on Monday and Tuesday with yesterday as a rest day, since I had to work and had no way of actually getting to the gym. I’m attributing my loss to the lack of soda for the past month and the muscle that I’ve been building. When you build muscle, it starts to eat away at the fat even when you are sitting around. How cool is that?! 

My goal for this month is to cut out all fast food including restaurants. I’m hoping that this will help force me into healthier eating habits as well as be budget friendly.

 

Hope y’all have a great Thursday and a fantastic weekend!

A Month of Goals – May Edition

 

In April, I started setting mini-goals to accomplish throughout the month that will help me in my journey of a healthier, happier and overall more positive life.

My goals included sleeping for 8 hours a day, cutting out soda and junk food, exercising daily and regularly, writing more, planning and cooking meals at home, reading at least 2 books, and organizing my closet. While, I didn’t get to all of them, I feel that I’ve made some progress.

Successes:

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I’ve cut out all soda and fruit juice consumption from my diet. I can tell you that I crave Dr. Pepper, especially when the Mister sits in front of me with a big glass of it, but I’ve been super good about avoiding all soda. I have seen a difference in my energy level, as well as my weight. I’ve lost a solid 5 pounds in the month, and I am attributing a good portion to the lack of soda in my diet.

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I’ve tried to be good about going to bed early and getting up on time with 8 hours of sleep under my belt. On most nights, about 80%, I did get my 8 hours of sleep. There were a few days here and there that I had to stay up doing homework and studying, as well as a few days where I stayed up with the Mister just because.

I sure felt the difference between getting 8 hours of sleep compared to my usual 5 to 6 hours of sleep. So this will be going on my goals for May… get 8 hours of sleep daily, no excuses.

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I’ve been super good about going to the gym, Body Pump classes, and working out at home. I had a few bad days due to my knee, but I got down to the gym at least 3 times a week. The 25 Days of Fitness was also fantastic and really kept me motivated and accountable. I also, read a ton about nutrition and exercise and increased my knowledge and obsession. Next up is clean eating!!!

Failures:

This list is a bit longer. I defiantly did not cook as much as I would have liked to, and we indulged in take out and fast food, less then usual but some non the less. My closet was completely ignored, and I’m still living in two pairs of jeans, handful of t-shirts and gym clothes. It was quite a disaster when both of my jeans were dirty… not a good day in the this household!

I also put my reading goal on hold due to the amount of homework and studying being forced upon me by Chemistry. BUT… today was my last class… Monday is my final… so this is the last push before I can read whatever the heck I’d like

May is going to be a big month!!!

Not only am I done with school but I have had several exciting opportunities come my way, including a research project that I get to work on on my own, with the Anxiety Clinical Director as my Supervisor. This is super exciting because the study is regarding eating disorders and anxiety. When the research is analyzed and papers published my name will be on them, which means I will be armed with an admissions ticket to almost any PhD program in my field. WOO!

Aside from this bit of news, here are my goals that I will be working on this month!

1. Drink more water
2. Eat at least 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of veggies a day
3. Drink protein, and take my vitamins daily
4. Sleep 8 hours a day
5. Cut out fast food. All of it. No excuses.
6. Catch up on my reading
7. Organize my closet

For now I am going to stick to these lovely 7 goals, which should be pretty easy without the extra worry of school!

Time to head to the hospital! I’ll be back later for the link up with Lindsey at Mr. and Mrs. Smith regarding the weight loss challenge.

What I’m Loving Wednesday!

 

I had so much fun linking up with Jamie over at This Kind of Love, last Wednesday and reading all the fabulous posts from everyone that I am doing it again today. 

First and foremost, I am loving the fact that today is my last chemistry lectures, hopefully forever. Yup, one more quiz to do today, a homework assignment due by Friday and a final on Monday and I will be done. Keep your fingers crossed that I actually pass the class, and am done for … well … forever!!!

For those of you who know my shoe obsession, this will come as no surprise…

I am absolutely in love with these Naughty Monkey Mish Mash Ankle-Strap Pumps. Aren’t they fantastic? I love the bright yellow as well. It is such a perfect summer color. Not to mention, that Naughty Monkey shoes are probably some of the most comfortable heels I have ever owned. These beauties might be added to my list of graduation gifts… HINT HINT*** Mom!!!

I am back to a daily visit to the gym, now that my knee is feeling better. I am loving it. There really isn’t a better high then getting all the yuck out of your system with a good workout! I especially love going to the gym in the morning, because it gets me up and going with lots of energy for the rest of the day.

I am very much loving myfitnesspal.com which has been the most fantastic tool for me thus far in my new journey to find a balanced life that is both healthy and fit. I have never been able to count calories, but this little guy helps keep track of everything, and the best part is I can do it all from my phone!

Today is also my grandfather’s 79th birthday. I cannot tell you how happy I am that he is here with us to celebrate. He has had quite an eventful year (78) with being hit by a car, several other biking accidents, getting diagnosed with TB to only be told that he didn’t have TB and to top it off be diagnosed with lung cancer and survive a surgery that people half his age would barely have a chance to. Now,5 weeks after his surgery my grandfather is back on his bike doing 50 to 70 mile trips, lugging books around and running around just like his old self.

Happy 79th Birthday!!!

And of course, I am loving my fantastic hubby who has been nothing but supportive, loving and understanding through our 4 years of dating and a year and a half of marriage.

Love you Mister!

 

What are you loving today?! Head over to Jamie’s and link up!

Z

Tuesday Travels – Cruisin’ Away Part III

 

You can read all about our Cruise Part I where I talk about the excursions we took and Part II where you can find out all about the things to do on board while at sea.

When it comes to vacations money seems to be a key factor that determines where you can go, what you can do and so on. I know quite a few people who believe that Mexico is the only affordable vacation, since you can get an all-inclusive hotel and a flight for under a $1000 a person for 7 days. However, I’m here to tell you that cruises are quite affordable as well, especially if you keep your eye’s peeled for a great deal.

This are some of the current deals on Royal Caribbean

On our last cruise we decided to splurge a little, since it was our first anniversary, however we could have done the whole thing for half of what we paid.

Here are a few tips…

Don’t be hesitate about inside cabins – while they are dark with no windows, these cabins are very, very affordable. You can find deals for as low as $350 a person for a 7 night cruise. My brother shared an inside cabin with my brother-in-law this past trip, and they barely spent any time there, other then to sleep. There are so many things to do on the ship, that you spend maybe 8 hours in the room, and all 8 hours are devoted to getting your beautify sleep. Aside from the lack of windows, these rooms were the same size our our balcony room and had the same exact shower, couch and dresser. hence you really aren’t loosing out on anything by getting an inside cabin, but saving a TON of money.

Our balcony room cost us about $1250 each, so a total of $2500, but the brothers’ room was $600 each, which was a grand total of $1200. Also, keep in mind that our cruise was during Thanksgiving, which is one of the most popular cruise times, add in the holiday and the prices double.

Here is the basic layout of an inside cabin. The bed’s can be pushed apart, and the couch usually opens up into a sleeper.

The more people in one room, the cheaper the cruise!!! – Cruises are an awful deal if you are going by yourself, unless you’re working on the ship. The cabins are almost always priced for double occupancy, hence if you are alone, you have to pick up the coast of that second person. Hence, if you are going with some girlfriends try to get 4 of you to share a cabin. The 4th person will be practically free, and the 3rd is at half cost (usually).

This was a picture from our last trip to Cancun with a couple that we met there. After we met them our trip was much more entertaining, and full of funny stories that we laugh about now.

So if you have a room that will cost $700 for the first two people, the third person will pay $350, and the fourth less then that. And BOOM, you have a trip with all meals included for 4 people at the cost of under $2000. Split this 4 ways and it is $500 a person.

Preorder your alcohol – it’s very true that drinks aren’t cheap, however they are also not ridiculous like some people think. On average a cocktail cost us anywhere from $4.00 to $7.00, which is a pretty rational price. However, if you want to drink wine at dinner, it is a better deal to order one of the wine packages which are anywhere from $50 to a $200. This way you can have a bottle to enjoy at a bit of a discount, rather then paying per glass or bottle while at dinner.

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Make sure to plan your excursions a head of time – when you book the excursions before you live on your cruise, you can insure that you have a spot as well as paying up front. The costs of excursions varies, but they range anywhere from $20 to $100 (on average). When you book these ahead, you pay them and can keep it within a budget, unlike when you are on the cruise and book a last minute excursion. The price may be the same as booking it ahead of time, but it really is an unexpected expense that added to your sea card.

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Finally, bring cash with you – bring a bit of cash is a great idea, because you don’t have to pay the “set” tip, and can simply put the appropriate amount of cash in the envelope and hand it to your waiter, your room Stuart and so on.

    

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Do you have any other tips for taking a cruise? Do you have questions? Please feel free to leave them in the comments section.

Gratitude Monday

 

I hate Mondays, they are the worst day of the week. I hate having to get up early to go to class, I hate having to spend the afternoon in an office with a million fills. I hate the Monday morning drive downtown… and above all I hate that I have to wait five days before I can sleep in again.

However, today I’m going to try a different approach. Today, I’m going to try out The Gratitude Experiment that I came across on Kristin’s blog.

I’m grateful:

• that this is the last Monday of chemistry, hopefully forever.
• for the amazing Sunday evening, filled with great friends, great food and fantastic conversation.
• that my knee is not in lot of pain, and hope to keep it that way.
• for having completed a good chunk of my Fiction Writing Assignments for the semester.
• this blog, and the purpose that it has given me
• for the exciting new opportunity that came my way, and those that are still to come
• the family and friends that support me no matter what

Above all, I’m grateful for the fantastic life that the Mister and I have been able to create, and the opportunities that are knocking on our door.

 

I hope that you all have a phenomenal Monday, and that you count your blessings.

****Note****

I may be gone for this week trying to cram my little brain with chemistry for the final. I sort of need at C or better to pass the class, so that’s taking priority right now. If I am gone, I will make sure to have lots of updates for y’all when I am back. There are a few fun and exciting things on my drawing table.

xxxxx

Z