Back to School

Well today is my end of the summer cleaning day. I am doing loads of laundry, washing my sheets, organizing my bookshelves, dusting, vacuuming, and clearing out any unnecessary stuff from my room and bathroom. School starts on Thursday and I am ready!

I woke up around 8:30 this morning and took care of some emails, browsed around lazily on Pinterest, and lounged in bed. I made some peaches and cream oatmeal for breakfast with some ginger peach tea- I guess I'm in a peachy mood! =)

I went to my weight watchers meeting yesterday and lost another 1.6 pounds- yay! I'm officially under 160! When I hit 155, I will have lost 10% of my body weight since February. I have set my goal weight as 145, but I'm not sure that is where I want to stop. I really just have no idea. But I'm going to try not to think about that too much. I'm just going to work in 5 pound increments and consult with my weight watchers leader.

Today I am going to cook dinner for Dustin- pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables. Yum! I will be working quite a bit less at the restaurant this week as compared to last week, so I will have to make up for that in exercise.

Well, I'm off to actually finish doing what I said I would be doing today. Perhaps I'll take another break later and blog about my new meal plan organization.

Pictures... for better or worse

I have decided to post some pictures of me in the last ten years- the height of my weight struggle and the road to a healthier lifestyle. Here they are!

2005- Natchitoches, LA. Me and my best friend Tony posing for a "prom picture" after dinner in Alexandria, LA. I weighed 203 pounds.

2005-Natchitoches, LA. During an SAI (honorary music sorority) function with my little sister, Ola.

2006- Munich, Germany. Kristian and I taking pictures of our reflections in the elevator mirror.

2007- New Orleans, LA. This is my old roommate, Sara, and I at our friend Heather's wedding. 6 months later I made a huge decision and joined Weight Watchers.

2009- Cadillac Ranch, TX- on our way to or from the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium. I was down to 180.

2009- Norman, OK- Heather and I posing in front of a dumpster?

2009- Albuquerque, NM- after concerto competition at the University of New Mexico

2009- Denton, TX: Me, Heather, and Charlie belting out Rent. With some fluctuations, I stayed around 180.

2011- After rejoining weight watchers and sticking to the diet plan, I was down 20 pounds

2012- Malibu, CA: Eating at a seafood restaurant right on the coast.  I was up a little in weight: 172.

2011- Houston, TX: finding an awesome new little black dress that I feel good in!

2012- Austin, TX: Spring Break back at home with Dustin =)

2012- Houston, TX: I recently got my wisdom teeth out. This picture is from just a few weeks ago- it's my mom and I trying on Kate Spade dresses. Weight: 160.

 So as you can see, things have changed over the years for me. I'm pretty proud of the change though!

I'm back!

So... it's been quite a while since I've posted. Over half a year actually. Here's some statistical things to keep in mind that have changed since my last post:

• As of my last post, my weight was 175. I am now down to 160! I would of course love to have lost more weight than that by now, but I know that this is a lifestyle change for me and there are ups and downs. I've adapted the mentality that slow and steady will win the race.


• I have completed yet another year of my degree. I have one year left of coursework, then a dissertation! YAY!


• A lot has changed in my personal life- maybe not on the outside, but I can certainly tell. Dustin and I are moving in together at the end of November. We've been dating for quite a while now- it feels right. And I'm pretty pumped about coming home to the man I love every night! 


• I've done a lot of personal work and have found that emotional eating is getting quite a bit better for me! It will always be something that I struggle with, but I am aware of the issue and more often than not do something to counteract it. 


• I turned 27 in July and didn't feel much older. Then I bought my own car insurance and purchased a car with air conditioning!!! (my old car was a 1996 Ford Taurus that had countless issues and no air conditioning). I now have my boyfriend's mother's old 2000 camry. Between that and moving in with Dustin, I'm beginning to finally feel like I'm in my late 20s (which is a good thing- I'm sick of feeling like a college student).


• I have not been fantastic about working out. Time is an issue some days, but other days my excuses get the better of me. I always do at least 20 minutes of light exercise a day such as walking, but I haven't been doing too much intense exercise. I miss it.


• I am working quite a bit less (as of next week) at the Italian restaurant. I will only have two shifts a week. This is because I've gotten two new teaching jobs! I'm pretty excited! I will be teaching at Argyle, McKamy MS, and Harpool MS. I will be taking two classes and lessons this semester, so I would say I have some pretty full days ahead. My plan is to be done with all school and teaching at 6:00 so I can have the rest of my evening for personal time (which includes time with Dustin). 


• I have also really gotten into researching skin care and make-up. YouTube is an endless fountain of knowledge. Between that and various articles, I'm beginning to get a better idea how to care for my oily skin as an adult and find make-up ideas that work for me.

That's all I can think of that has really changed since January. School technically starts this week although I won't be teaching yet and I only have class on Thursday. So this week I want to focus on a few things:

• schedule all of my commitments


• schedule all of my food and do the shopping for my meals today


• do the turbofire workout 3 times this week (scheduled in advance).


• drink more water- I was doing so well with that and for some reason I've been slacking lately.


• eat more fish this week


• be sure all of my finances are in order for school

I suppose that's enough of a post for the day. Dustin and I are spending the day together and I need to get going. We're going to skype with one of my favorite people, Heather, and her daughter Audrey. Heather and I have always been close- I was even in her wedding. We met in Louisiana and ended up doing our masters together in Albuquerque. I cannot believe that her daughter is over a year old and I still haven't met her in person! Oh well, it will be great to see them! I hope everybody has a fantastic day today!

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Fitness Tip: a little bit is better than nothing. If you don't have a time for a lengthy workout, then just do SOMETHING for a small amount of time. 5 minutes is better than 0 minutes, 10 is better than 5, etc... You might have an excuse not to go to the gym, but there is always time to be active.

Diet tip: when things get out of control and you feel like you're always hungry no matter what, control your salt intake and really stay on top of drinking water. I will bring water with me everywhere so that I don't get tempted by soda or junk food. 

Last night's belated post

I worked out last night! Forgot to post about it, but I did a core workout and the a rigorous yoga. It was perfect. The meditative part at the end really helped relax and focus me. Now I'm working my double shift at work. Think fat tips for me!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I hate cancer.

So... I have not been the best behaved person. I've eaten out two days in a row (Saturday and Sunday), and drank a few beers this weekend. The good news is that besides those events, I've been extremely healthy.

I worked a double shift today at the restaurant. When I got off work this evening, I spoke with my mom and found out that my grandmother has cancer. It was pretty upsetting. I didn't want to eat anything at all, but knew that I should. This is where it gets weird for me- sometimes when I get upset, I eat everything and sometimes I don't want to eat anything- either way, it messes up my metabolism. I made myself a bowl of healthy cereal with bananas and blueberries in it and had it with almond milk. This was my first step at not letting my emotions control my eating habits. Maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to anybody else, but it was a big accomplishment for me.

I teach all day tomorrow and am honestly kind of glad for the distraction. We'll start working on solo and ensemble music in their lessons. I will work out tomorrow after I get done teaching in the evening. After I work out, I will post on here to ensure that I didn't just lie to everybody (but most importantly, myself).

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Food tip of the day- With the cold weather moving in, I've decided to keep a few apples in my car at all times. It's really made a difference- I can grab one and eat it on my way to work, I can eat one before or while I'm grocery shopping, and it seriously fills me up for longer than I thought it would.

Emotional tip of the day: Don't take your family for granted. Love them while they're here, and love them unconditionally. 

Teacher's Pride =)

Today I got up and had a really fantastic breakfast! Eggwhite omelet with lean ham filled with a few avocado slices instead of cheese, half a grapefruit, and a slice of super fancy organic low sodium bread. I then sat down on the couch and browsed the web while my food settled. Just when I was beginning to feel extremely lazy and was searching for reasons not to get off my a$$ and work out, I got a message from an old friend that absolutely made my day. He just did his first day of P90X (wow) and inspired me to get up and do my workout. I did, and it was awesome! Today I was scheduled to do my least favorite of the turbofire workouts, 45 EZ (which as they say is anything but easy), and I actually really enjoyed doing it this time! I pushed myself pretty hard.

I then went to Argyle HS to teach a lesson to one of my students. He's an amazing player who got first chair in Region band auditions! He has area auditions tomorrow and I know he'll do really well. Naturally he's nervous about competing. Like most high school students, his diet consists of sugar, caffeine, more sugar, more caffeine, and processed foods. After having him play through some tricky spots at slower tempi, he ran both of his pieces. There were two main things that I discussed with him that I thought were really important and definitely don't relate to just music:

1) You have a big performance tomorrow and are susseptible to nerves. You have to treat your body well so that it can absorb your nervous energy and turn it to positive adrenaline. No sugar, no caffeine. Cut out caffeine and unnecessary sugar starting the day before. Have a good dinner and a substantial breakfast- lots of whole grains and lean proteins. Eat a little bit of fruit, too! I suggested a banana, but he's not a fan. Drink plenty of water and get lots of sleep!

2) Now that the diet is fixed, we have to focus on the fact of the matter: competing in any way is more mind games than anything else. I told my student that he's already done all of the hard work to get there, now it's time to really enjoy it! He's nervous that he'll mess up, so I remind him that we don't just wake up one day and automatically suck at something we've trained for. He's worried about how other people will play or think of how he plays, I tell him that for the next 24 hours, he is the most important person and deserves to treat himself as such. He's worked way too hard to not give himself the credit and attention he deserves! He's scared that he'll be playing and his mind will wander or he'll forget what he's supposed to do next. I tell him to make a list of goals and priorities. What does he expect from himself tomorrow? What is his priority focus for each piece that he'll be playing? I had him come up with those and write them on his music. Focus will no longer be an issue, because he has specific goals in mind and planned out priorities. I also explained to him that he's going to make mistakes, and that's more than okay. It's recovery time that matters- so start getting used to the idea that your human and cut yourself some slack ahead of time before it throws you off course.

After going through all of this with him, I texted his mother and told her the same things. Why? Because in 5 minutes he'll forget half the crap I told him for one, but mainly because he really needs the support of family right now. I remember going through that stuff- it was really scary! Why deal with that alone when you have friends and family willing to help? His mother was ecstatic that she had advice on how to make this easier on her son. Anyway, call me crazy, but I really think that all of this applies to more than just high school region band auditions.

After teaching, I made a quick shrimp and veggie stir fry and went to work. It was unnaturally busy for a Friday night which was fine with me! A job is always a way better experience when you like your coworkers and I pretty much lucked out with mine. I came home to watch the tail end of K State losing to Arkansas. Boo! I originally didn't care about the game, but my entire household tonight was K State fans- it rubs off. Good news is that I'm off tomorrow and plan on going to a health food store with my boyfriend. Saturdays just get more and more exciting with age, huh? I joke, but I'm really looking forward to it. My best friend just got back into town from spending the holidays with his family in California. I'm excited to see him soon, too!

Today I'm grateful for the amazing people in my life. It's pretty cool seeing how we all change- if you would have told me 7 years ago that my drinking buddy would soon inspire me to work out, I would say you're full of it. If you would have told me that my Dr. Pepper junkie student would be eating whole grains and protein for breakfast per my advice, I'd say you're sadly mistaken. It's been a pretty fantastic day today, I certainly wouldn't complain! =)

Exhausted at work

Well I'm working a double shift at the Italian restaurant I work at. It was a crazy lunch and the fresh baked garlic rolls smelled SO good! But I resisted... somehow... I find that drinking coffee at work really helps to keep me on track. It staves my hunger long enough to figure out what healthy option I'll eat when I get home. 


I had half a grapefruit for breakfast... I quickly learned that isn't enough. I never feel hungry enough to eat a high protein breakfast in the morning, but am famished by the time I'm able to eat again. Annoying! My friend at work, Amanda (in the picture with me at Halloween), and I have made deals with each other that we're going to work out 3 times this week and practice 3 times. I did a solid workout on Tuesday and burned 9 activity points, but I've found that I burn so much energy running around the restaurant and carrying heavy trays of food that I can't workout on days that I do a double shift. I'm going to accept this about myself and move on with my life, otherwise I'm setting myself up for failure and self disappointment. I mean, I'm talking about 2 days out of 7 here- I think I can cut myself a little slack! And I am still getting a workout! 


I'm about to go shopping during my break and buy a birthday present for a close friend of mine that turned 83 yesterday! What an amazing woman! Anyway, I hope all of you out there are having a good day today! My goals today are to drink enough water and to stay away from sweets! Good luck to all of you!


One day at a time! We can do this together! =)

Why do I struggle with my weight?

For years I've told myself that I make the wrong choices, that I love salty fried foods, my life wouldn't be the same without chocolate cake and cookies, that I just need to exercise more. 


It wasn't until just yesterday that I realized that you can't isolate just your eating habits and fix them.I don't struggle with my weight simply because I like food too much, it's a lot deeper than that. I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm sad, I deprive myself of food when I'm angry, I eat when I'm bored, I don't sleep enough and eat more as a result. I eat comfort food to get me through stressful times. I tell myself "just this once" way too often.


My food intake is so obviously aligned with my emotions and difficult lifestyle. One invaluable lesson that I've learned is that I HAVE to make healthy eating decisions and exercise a dual effort. They rely so much on one another! I find that if I work out, I make extremely healthy decisions because it's what my body needs. It's easier to pass up unnecessary fats and sugars and go for the more natural items that are packed with nutrients and vitamins. I love working out now that I've found a system for me! I do not go to the gym, but Turbofire brings the gym to my living room and pairs it with exciting music! I love it! My struggle is finding time to work out. 


This is the quick fix for me: work out everyday. As far as controlling my emotions and their now glaringly obvious attachment to my overeating- that's a work in progress. But I'm hoping figuring this out was a huge first step in the right direction!




PERSONAL GOAL AND ADVICE:: 
Schedule a time THE DAY BEFORE to workout for the following day. Don't think about it when the time comes, just do it! I know I'll feel SO much better afterward and make better decisions the rest of the day! Also, give myself one day off*, and treat myself to a walk through the park with my boyfriend, or a little bit of shopping therapy!




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*secret hint- my "day off" treat is actually going to incorporate some milder version of exercise. I don't know about you, but when I shop, I can tell I'm burning calories! And when I take a walk with my boyfriend, we get to talking and pretty soon we've been walking for 2 hours! 

my loves, my stressors- MY LIFE! =)

Hi! I'm a 26 year old Austin, TX native working on a doctorate in Music Performance at the University of North Texas in Denton. I've been a WW member for 14 months now and it has changed my life. Now, this doesn't mean that I'm a poster girl for the new campaign, but it means that I'm working on becoming a happy and healthy person and WW has undoubtedly helped! A few things you should know about me:

1) I'm in my third year of a rigorous doctoral program. It stresses me out, makes me cry and makes me go from wanting to starve myself to eating everything in sight. All things considered, I wouldn’t be anywhere else- it’s a great school and I have amazing friends and faculty. That being said, it is the number one stressor in my life!

2) I teach clarinet lessons to kids from grades 6-12 at Argyle Independent School District- great program! I love teaching, and I consider this active practicing for my career- teaching clarinet at the collegiate level.

3) I am a waitress in charge of the wait staff at a family owned Italian restaurant in Denton. This is the number two stressor in my life. The owners are great (but what boss doesn’t drive you crazy sometimes), 90% of the customers are lovely, and the food is SO tempting, but somehow I manage to do well there! Talk about implementing lessons learned in WW meetings- I do that everyday at work. I will definitely be talking about some of my methods!

4) I am in a relationship with an amazing guy. He’s not perfect, I’m not perfect, but we care a lot about each other and are both on slightly different paths toward the common goal of self-improvement. We met in school and are working on the same degree. We’ve been together for about 3 years and are constantly learning from one another.

5) I was raised in Austin, did my undergraduate in Natchitoches, Louisiana (Go Demons!), did my masters in Albuquerque, NM (Go Lobos!), and have lived in Denton for 3 years. Music has always been a huge part of my life. My dad is such a Texan and my mother is my role model. What an amazing woman. My older brother is starting his own family and I couldn’t be more happy or proud.

6) My cousin works for Beachbody and introduced me to the Turbofire workout. I love Chalene Johnson’s energy and the workout is awesome! In the last few months I’ve tried to mesh together nutrition and fitness tips I’ve learned from Beachbody and WW into my own personal guide. I love Shakeology, too! Check it out!

My life is about finding balance between all of these things. They’re all extremely important to me and I know it’s possible. It’s absolutely not been easy, but it’s my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!