So, I feel much better this week; I think last week was just a hormonal super charge and everything was awful in every way. It really is hard to accept the fact that as a woman, your body is subject to fluctuations depending on the time of the month and so on. And nothing is worse than standing on that scale when you're already in a terrible mood and seeing that you've gained 4 pounds for no reason other than that of your gender. Lame pants.
But, I have been doing a lot of accepting this week. I've accepted the fact (I think) that I will never really weight what I want to, and that it may not be healthy for me to strive for that goal anyway. I looked up online, as well as in the Perfect Body Diet book, what my "ideal" weight should be, and it turns out that I am already there. I have lost about three pounds since I started this journey*, and it seems that I am not at a weight that is healthy and normal for me. Even though I haven't made my goal of losing 5-8 pounds, I've taught myself how to eat better and how to control my hunger and craving for sweets. I have two fulls days left in the "No Sweets This Month" challenge and while I am looking forward to being able to eat that food group again, I now know that I have the strength and will power to resist it, and have very clearly seen the results of not eating those things: I've hardly worked out at all for the past three weeks and yet I've continued to lost weight, all because I've cut out desserts!
Speaking of working out, I have admitted defeat to the school year business and am formulating a new plan that involves yoga twice a week and then slowly building up to lifting and then maybe to swimming. I don't feel the need to work out every day anymore, and I think if I tried to do that, it would negatively affect m job performance, but I do need some kind of activity on a regular basis. So we'll see how that goes.
So, I think the past 6 or so weeks have been an incredibly learning experience for me, and have really helped me figure out how to be a healthy, active adult. I just hope I can keep it up! I guess now I'll just have to blog about my regular life, but luckily for you, dear readers (if there actually are any of you!), my life has been pretty busy and fun lately, and will continue to be so into the foreseeable future. Be prepared for state fairs! new bars! new friends! and of course, the drama of being a high school teacher! :)
ciao
*In truth, I've actually lost about 6 pounds since May. I was very half assed about the whole thing until August, when I started being serious about eating right and exercising frequently. So, I guess it's not so bad... :)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Week Six
Basically nothing to report. Utter failure in getting a consistent workout regimen going and I've slowly been replacing sweets with various other things in excess, mostly just bread. I'm incredibly frustrated with just about everything right now, especially the fickleness of the female body. That being said, I'm hoping for some clarity and motivation in the next few days so I can get myself back in gear, but for right now, I'll just keep the couch down, thank you very much.
ciao
ciao
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week Five
Well, considering that I didn't work out at all this week. I had planned on working out in the afternoon, but honestly, I was just too exhausted when school was over. Looks like it'll have to be 5:45am. I did, however, do a lot of walking, so I guess that counts as some physical activity. This week I'll be starting the work-out week on Wednesday, making Tuesday my day off. My reasoning is that I'm on dorm duty Monday night, which is why I'm up so late now, and getting up at 5:45am after being up till midnight the night before is never fun. I do feel more settled work-wise at school, so I'm excited to re-incorporate the gym into my routine.
As for the second week of no sweets, it hasn't been a problem! Of course, I did have a few sweet drinks this weekend, but I figure those don't really count. I haven't had candy, cake, cookies, even muffins, for two whole weeks now, and I don't feel like I'm really missing out. It feels good to take ownership like this.
It's definitely paying off because...
Stats for Week Five:
yards swam: 0
time spent at gym: 0 min
weight change: -1.6 (YAY!)
ciao
As for the second week of no sweets, it hasn't been a problem! Of course, I did have a few sweet drinks this weekend, but I figure those don't really count. I haven't had candy, cake, cookies, even muffins, for two whole weeks now, and I don't feel like I'm really missing out. It feels good to take ownership like this.
It's definitely paying off because...
Stats for Week Five:
yards swam: 0
time spent at gym: 0 min
weight change: -1.6 (YAY!)
ciao
Awesomeness
I have to say, this weekend was pure magic. After not doing anything super social for a while, I managed to pack it all in this past weekend. Here's the lowdown:
Friday night: I'm not one for big events on Fridays, mostly because I'm so exhausted from the work week. This was true this past Friday, so we kept it low key and went to the 99 bar and restaurant nearby. Our party included The Boyfriend, my neighbor on campus who is one of my best friends here, a couple that she was friends with from her work, and another girl my age whom I met through her mother who works for the school. We were a merry little company, getting a booth and ordering some drinks and mozzarella sticks. As the DD, I only had one very weak frozen strawberry margarita, which is probably a violation of my no-sweets-this-month rule, but I decided one wasn't going to kill me. (The Boyfriend and I have actually talked about what kind of drinks I'm allowed to have since then, so that's all been covered; they are wine, G&Ts, and screwdrivers. They have the least amount of calories) The 99 isn't really anything special, but we had a nice time just chatting and relaxing after the work week.
Saturday: After taking a nice long walk in the morning, I came back home to shower and eat so that The Boyfriend and I could go to the parade celebrating Concord's 375th birthday. I'm not huge on American history (I much prefer the ancient variety) but since moving here I've definitely felt a deeper appreciation for our nation's earlier years. Concord is the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the country, having been settled in 1635, and played a big part in the Revolution (remember the battle of Lexington and Concord, anyone? Yeah.) So, curious to see the spectacle, The Boyfriend and I found ourselves on the side of the road cheering as men dressed up as Revolutionary militia walked by, complete with muskets and powder horns. It was pretty fun, especially since I love seeing people all dressed up in period clothes, and the bands were all very upbeat and cheerful, too.
That evening, I drove into the city to meet a friend for dinner in Chinatown. My mother had heard from a friend that this place had the best roast duck anywhere, so naturally I had to try. Chau Chow City definitely lived up to my expectations. I'm pretty picky about my Chinese food, and Asian food in general, being Thai and having traveled to China. I have a few places back home that I know are authentic and delicious, so I was hoping to discover something similar here. I am pleased to report that I did. I ordered the duck while my friend ordered the sole with black bean sauce, and both were terrific. I really want to go back with more people so we can try more things, so hopefully that happens soon. For the time being, I'm glad to have gotten a good duck fix.
After dinner, my friend and I headed into downtown to check out this bar called Drink. I had heard about it from a few people, all saying that they basically make you something on the spot based on what you like, so it sounded worthy of a night out. My friend and I were not disappointed! After a brief wait, the hostess showed us to a small space at the shelf since the bar was full then a few minutes later a bartender came up to us and asked us what he could do for us. My friend asked to see a menu and he just slapped his chest and said, "I'm it!" He told us that at Drink, they don't have menus and don't use pre-made mixes. They make all their syrups, bitters, and other mixes in house and create drinks based on recipes dating back to the 1800s. He then proceeded to ask us what we liked ("sweet, bitter, sour, citrus, berry...") and after getting the specifics, whisked off to mix up something magical. He returned with a raspberry gimlet for me and an Aqueduct for my friend. Both were delicious! They tasted so...authentic, with no overpowering sweetness that pre-made mixes usually have. The raspberry flavor was strong but not overly so and there was a nice aftertaste of gin. After a while, we were able to move to the bar and both ordered champagne cocktails. My friend received a French 75 while I got something with champagne, St. Germaine, grapefruit juice and something else. It was loud, so I couldn't hear the fourth ingredient or the name of the drink. (If anyone has any ideas, please post a comment!) Both were as equally delicious as the first drinks, and sitting there at the bar was fascinating since we got to watch the bartenders at work, whipping out several bottles at once to pour and mix and shake. I had a fabulous time, and even though the drinks were fairly expensive (about $11 each), it was worth it for both the atmosphere and the purity of the drinks they made. I can't wait to go back!
Sunday: Another busy day, to be sure. In the morning, I met some friends for brunch at Cafe Luna in Central Square, which was really fun. I had eggs benedict with bacon and was very happy both with the food and with the overall atmosphere of the place. After brunch, we watched the parade for the Cambridge Carnival International, which basically consisted of a bunch of groups dressed up in brightly colored feathers costumes. It was amazing. Lots of loud music, people dancing, and feathers everywhere! I think it was supposed to be a kind of Afro-Caribbean celebration. After the parade, there was a festival near Kendal, so my friends and I walked up and down the stalls, checking out all the food and items for sale. I was very tempted to try the curried goat, but had just spent all my cash on some beautiful jewelry made out of recycled paper by women in Uganda and sold through the Boston-based non profit, Project Have Hope. Check out the site; it's a wonderful cause and the jewelry they make is absolutely gorgeous, and really unique, too.
After the festival, I stopped by the Somerville Prospect Hill block party briefly to say hello to some friends and to climb to the top of the fort there, then headed home to feast on leftover duck. After dinner, I headed once more to Concord, to the public high school, for a fireworks show the conclude the weekend celebration. It was a great show, made better by the fact that I as sitting almost directly in front of the area where they were being launched. I love fireworks, and it was an awesome way to end a fabulous weekend.
ciao
Friday night: I'm not one for big events on Fridays, mostly because I'm so exhausted from the work week. This was true this past Friday, so we kept it low key and went to the 99 bar and restaurant nearby. Our party included The Boyfriend, my neighbor on campus who is one of my best friends here, a couple that she was friends with from her work, and another girl my age whom I met through her mother who works for the school. We were a merry little company, getting a booth and ordering some drinks and mozzarella sticks. As the DD, I only had one very weak frozen strawberry margarita, which is probably a violation of my no-sweets-this-month rule, but I decided one wasn't going to kill me. (The Boyfriend and I have actually talked about what kind of drinks I'm allowed to have since then, so that's all been covered; they are wine, G&Ts, and screwdrivers. They have the least amount of calories) The 99 isn't really anything special, but we had a nice time just chatting and relaxing after the work week.
Saturday: After taking a nice long walk in the morning, I came back home to shower and eat so that The Boyfriend and I could go to the parade celebrating Concord's 375th birthday. I'm not huge on American history (I much prefer the ancient variety) but since moving here I've definitely felt a deeper appreciation for our nation's earlier years. Concord is the oldest continually inhabited English settlement in the country, having been settled in 1635, and played a big part in the Revolution (remember the battle of Lexington and Concord, anyone? Yeah.) So, curious to see the spectacle, The Boyfriend and I found ourselves on the side of the road cheering as men dressed up as Revolutionary militia walked by, complete with muskets and powder horns. It was pretty fun, especially since I love seeing people all dressed up in period clothes, and the bands were all very upbeat and cheerful, too.
That evening, I drove into the city to meet a friend for dinner in Chinatown. My mother had heard from a friend that this place had the best roast duck anywhere, so naturally I had to try. Chau Chow City definitely lived up to my expectations. I'm pretty picky about my Chinese food, and Asian food in general, being Thai and having traveled to China. I have a few places back home that I know are authentic and delicious, so I was hoping to discover something similar here. I am pleased to report that I did. I ordered the duck while my friend ordered the sole with black bean sauce, and both were terrific. I really want to go back with more people so we can try more things, so hopefully that happens soon. For the time being, I'm glad to have gotten a good duck fix.
After dinner, my friend and I headed into downtown to check out this bar called Drink. I had heard about it from a few people, all saying that they basically make you something on the spot based on what you like, so it sounded worthy of a night out. My friend and I were not disappointed! After a brief wait, the hostess showed us to a small space at the shelf since the bar was full then a few minutes later a bartender came up to us and asked us what he could do for us. My friend asked to see a menu and he just slapped his chest and said, "I'm it!" He told us that at Drink, they don't have menus and don't use pre-made mixes. They make all their syrups, bitters, and other mixes in house and create drinks based on recipes dating back to the 1800s. He then proceeded to ask us what we liked ("sweet, bitter, sour, citrus, berry...") and after getting the specifics, whisked off to mix up something magical. He returned with a raspberry gimlet for me and an Aqueduct for my friend. Both were delicious! They tasted so...authentic, with no overpowering sweetness that pre-made mixes usually have. The raspberry flavor was strong but not overly so and there was a nice aftertaste of gin. After a while, we were able to move to the bar and both ordered champagne cocktails. My friend received a French 75 while I got something with champagne, St. Germaine, grapefruit juice and something else. It was loud, so I couldn't hear the fourth ingredient or the name of the drink. (If anyone has any ideas, please post a comment!) Both were as equally delicious as the first drinks, and sitting there at the bar was fascinating since we got to watch the bartenders at work, whipping out several bottles at once to pour and mix and shake. I had a fabulous time, and even though the drinks were fairly expensive (about $11 each), it was worth it for both the atmosphere and the purity of the drinks they made. I can't wait to go back!
Sunday: Another busy day, to be sure. In the morning, I met some friends for brunch at Cafe Luna in Central Square, which was really fun. I had eggs benedict with bacon and was very happy both with the food and with the overall atmosphere of the place. After brunch, we watched the parade for the Cambridge Carnival International, which basically consisted of a bunch of groups dressed up in brightly colored feathers costumes. It was amazing. Lots of loud music, people dancing, and feathers everywhere! I think it was supposed to be a kind of Afro-Caribbean celebration. After the parade, there was a festival near Kendal, so my friends and I walked up and down the stalls, checking out all the food and items for sale. I was very tempted to try the curried goat, but had just spent all my cash on some beautiful jewelry made out of recycled paper by women in Uganda and sold through the Boston-based non profit, Project Have Hope. Check out the site; it's a wonderful cause and the jewelry they make is absolutely gorgeous, and really unique, too.
After the festival, I stopped by the Somerville Prospect Hill block party briefly to say hello to some friends and to climb to the top of the fort there, then headed home to feast on leftover duck. After dinner, I headed once more to Concord, to the public high school, for a fireworks show the conclude the weekend celebration. It was a great show, made better by the fact that I as sitting almost directly in front of the area where they were being launched. I love fireworks, and it was an awesome way to end a fabulous weekend.
ciao
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Kids These Days...
Today, in my Latin 3 class, during an explanation of the Roman Forum, one kid said, "Oh, like the Roman version of Target?" Never did I think I would hear someone compare the Forum Romanum to Target. *sigh*
In my Latin 1 class, one kid had a shirt on with a picture of a glass of water with some water in it. Below the image, it said, "Optimist: the glass is half full; Pessimist: the glass if half empty; Engineer: the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."
I think it's going to be a good year.
ciao
In my Latin 1 class, one kid had a shirt on with a picture of a glass of water with some water in it. Below the image, it said, "Optimist: the glass is half full; Pessimist: the glass if half empty; Engineer: the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."
I think it's going to be a good year.
ciao
Monday, September 6, 2010
Week Four
I can't believe it has been four weeks already! I have to say, I'm doing pretty well considering everything that's happening in my life right now. Well, mostly just one thing: school starting. Week Four coincided with the first week of school, which meant that towards the end I didn't go to the gym as often as I should have. Trying to deal with getting back into school mode and getting to the gym the appropriate number of times simply became exhausting. For this week, I've decided to work out when I can (in the afternoon) while I settle into the rhythm of school, then the next week attempt to implement my 5:45 am schedule*.
As far as eating was concerned, I'm pretty pleased with my performance there as well. I've been cooking almost every night for myself and The Boyfriend, with healthier, tastier results than what I would get in the dining hall. I also just really enjoy cooking (and eating!) and am excited to try out some new recipes this week.
The Boyfriend and I also made an agreement: remember when I talked about my sweet tooth and lack of self control? Well, this month, we decided that I would give up sweets completely, cold turkey, with a system of rewards and punishments in place to help keep me on track. For those of you who are questioning my boyfriend's character right now, please be aware that he only wants to help me in my quest; none of this is fueled by derogatory remarks about my body or eating habits from him. He just knows that I can't help myself when it comes to anything with sugar. :) Anyway, if I go the week with no sweets, we get to go to the movies (or something else fun that we don't usually do, like check out a new exhibit at a museum or go to an Italian festival) and if I do succumb to my own longing, I have to run for 30 minutes. Anyone who knows me knows that running and I are like oil and water; we just don't mix. Thus, it is a fitting deterrent. This week I succeeded in abstaining from sugar so we went to see Inception (finally), which I very highly recommend.
Though some people might hate the "cold turkey" attitude, I know that for me, it's the best method. It's too easy for me to go from "one dessert a week" to "Oh, it's just a small piece of cake, no big deal" every day. I've even done something similar to this before. My senior year of college, I gave up alcohol for the entire swim season. I figured, it was my last season, why not do everything in my power to make sure it was the best one? Of course, I ended up busting my shoulder up, but despite that injury, which kept me out of the water until January, I stuck to my goal and made it. I actually cried while I had my first sip of wine in February, since I knew that it meant that my last competitive season was over. Anyway...no sweets until October 1st, and who knows? Maybe I'll carry it beyond September.
Stats for Week Four:
yards swum - 3,000
hours spent lifting - 50 min
weight change - -.4 (yay!!)
ciao
* 5:45am may sound terrible, but I think it might be the only good time for me to get a solid workout in. We'll see how this week goes.
As far as eating was concerned, I'm pretty pleased with my performance there as well. I've been cooking almost every night for myself and The Boyfriend, with healthier, tastier results than what I would get in the dining hall. I also just really enjoy cooking (and eating!) and am excited to try out some new recipes this week.
The Boyfriend and I also made an agreement: remember when I talked about my sweet tooth and lack of self control? Well, this month, we decided that I would give up sweets completely, cold turkey, with a system of rewards and punishments in place to help keep me on track. For those of you who are questioning my boyfriend's character right now, please be aware that he only wants to help me in my quest; none of this is fueled by derogatory remarks about my body or eating habits from him. He just knows that I can't help myself when it comes to anything with sugar. :) Anyway, if I go the week with no sweets, we get to go to the movies (or something else fun that we don't usually do, like check out a new exhibit at a museum or go to an Italian festival) and if I do succumb to my own longing, I have to run for 30 minutes. Anyone who knows me knows that running and I are like oil and water; we just don't mix. Thus, it is a fitting deterrent. This week I succeeded in abstaining from sugar so we went to see Inception (finally), which I very highly recommend.
Though some people might hate the "cold turkey" attitude, I know that for me, it's the best method. It's too easy for me to go from "one dessert a week" to "Oh, it's just a small piece of cake, no big deal" every day. I've even done something similar to this before. My senior year of college, I gave up alcohol for the entire swim season. I figured, it was my last season, why not do everything in my power to make sure it was the best one? Of course, I ended up busting my shoulder up, but despite that injury, which kept me out of the water until January, I stuck to my goal and made it. I actually cried while I had my first sip of wine in February, since I knew that it meant that my last competitive season was over. Anyway...no sweets until October 1st, and who knows? Maybe I'll carry it beyond September.
Stats for Week Four:
yards swum - 3,000
hours spent lifting - 50 min
weight change - -.4 (yay!!)
ciao
* 5:45am may sound terrible, but I think it might be the only good time for me to get a solid workout in. We'll see how this week goes.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Back in Session
Well, the school year is up and running! Thank goodness too; last week was spent mostly in meetings, while I tried to get ready for the year and cope with my grandfather's faltering health*. I never thought it would be so hard to get my brain back into gear after three long months of mental inactivity; I'm pretty sure I had a headache every day last week and the first few days of this week.
Anyway, after two and a half grueling days of meeting with the full faculty, after helping a new crop of freshmen boarder girls get settled, the first day of school arrived. The funny thing about it was that I didn't teach! I happen to have Tuesdays off this year, so I got to witness all the first day hoopla but not participate, which was a bit anti-climactic. Yesterday, however, I had all three of my classes: Latin 1, Latin 3, and Greek 1. All three went smoothly, especially Greek, which I had been fretting about all summer. I think I have a good group of kids in each class, and am really excited to see how it plays out as the semester progresses.
Two anecdotes:
When one of my Latin 1 students from last year saw me, she ran up to me practically screaming my name and went babbling on about how she was really sad that I wasn't teaching her this year in Latin 2 and how she'd be coming to see me soon for help.
One of the girls who lives in my house, who is also one of my Latin 3 students, forgot quite a bit of stuff the first few days, and when her mom came by to drop some of it off, she came to my apartment. I wasn't home at the time, so she caught The Boyfriend instead, thinking that he was a member of the school staff. Tonight she came to drop off yet more stuff for this student and dropped off a huge basket of fresh veggies for us, fresh picked from her own garden. It was incredibly sweet.
ciao
* My grandfather died last Friday. It has been very hard, but thanks to the wonderful support system I have and the distraction of school, I've been doing ok.
Anyway, after two and a half grueling days of meeting with the full faculty, after helping a new crop of freshmen boarder girls get settled, the first day of school arrived. The funny thing about it was that I didn't teach! I happen to have Tuesdays off this year, so I got to witness all the first day hoopla but not participate, which was a bit anti-climactic. Yesterday, however, I had all three of my classes: Latin 1, Latin 3, and Greek 1. All three went smoothly, especially Greek, which I had been fretting about all summer. I think I have a good group of kids in each class, and am really excited to see how it plays out as the semester progresses.
Two anecdotes:
When one of my Latin 1 students from last year saw me, she ran up to me practically screaming my name and went babbling on about how she was really sad that I wasn't teaching her this year in Latin 2 and how she'd be coming to see me soon for help.
One of the girls who lives in my house, who is also one of my Latin 3 students, forgot quite a bit of stuff the first few days, and when her mom came by to drop some of it off, she came to my apartment. I wasn't home at the time, so she caught The Boyfriend instead, thinking that he was a member of the school staff. Tonight she came to drop off yet more stuff for this student and dropped off a huge basket of fresh veggies for us, fresh picked from her own garden. It was incredibly sweet.
ciao
* My grandfather died last Friday. It has been very hard, but thanks to the wonderful support system I have and the distraction of school, I've been doing ok.
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