Thursday, September 24, 2009

Back on that success bandwagon....

Hey ladies-

So I ended up falling asleep earlier tonight when watching t.v. so I have too much energy now at 11:15pm. I'm going to do a little grading and obviously write this blog entry. Then I'll end up staying up too late reading a book...the vicious weird sleeping cycle continues.

I'm still not exercising regularly. I AM GOING TO START MY RUNNING PROGRAM ON SUNDAY! I currently feel very run down during parts of the day. If I start incorporating regular exercise, I just know my energy level will perk up. I got a rude awakening earlier in the week. I had to take paperwork to a main building on campus (Beardshear Hall) and holy crap the stairs kicked my ass. I had to go to the top floor and I usually take the stairs whenever possible. I was winded by the time I got up to the 3rd floor and I hated it. I'm 26....I should be able to bop around, take the stairs, and run errands without feeling super tired during the day.

On to our list of success...steps 8-10 to follow.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

I don't think I need to go into very much depth on this one. It's pretty self-explanatory. I need to keep in mind that I cannot take a step back or give up when things become challenging. We already know about weight loss plateaus and how those can cause people to fall off the wagon. Exercise can be come too routine and boring....causing people to fall off the wagon. A holiday or weekend eating experience can cause you to lose control with your diet and fall off the wagon. Fact of the matter is that you have to be aware that difficult times are always around the corner. One thing I tend to be naive about is that weight loss will always be a lifetime struggle. Yes, maybe I'll drop my full 80-100 desired pounds but I'll always have to be diligent about maintenance.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

I'm very excited to save money. I haven't been able to do it regularly since I was in high school working at a part time job. That savings didn't last long though because that money was needed when I moved and started out on my own in Ames in 2001. I really want to save a decent chunk of money each month when I'm paid. I know it will be difficult to save after my first paycheck this month though. ISU was screwy with my paperwork so I wasn't paid in August so I have extra credit card debt right now and a few extra bills that need to be paid off.

Anyway...I don't want my increase of pay to cause me to spend money that I shouldn't. We've already started eating out too much and I also feel we are running over to Hy-Vee too often. I'm going to create a monthly budget so I can pay my bills, control my grocery shopping, and other expenses that are luxury based. I want to be able to buy wholesome foods when it comes to creating recipes and eating better at home. Hopefully after September I can get all the finances in order so I can open a savings account and prepare for February. School loan repayment starts that month...yippee (eye roll). I'm also curious as to how my taxes will play out too since I will be working full time for part of the year and I have benefits to factor in. Meh.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

I work in a department where most people are physically fit or at least look like that are in very good shape. At times I do feel like I'm looked down upon based on my appearance and extra weight. I do make a strong effort to not judge or treat any of my heavier students different than the PE majors that have the desired physique. With so much discrimination in the world, it's sad that we have to have another realm of the issue with overweight/obese people. Sadly, I know I'll get more respect from people in the Kinesiology world when I start to lose weight again. At the same time though, I can understand why they want people to represent what health should look like...but at the same time people need to realize that being physical active doesn't look the same for everyone. Some people can run 10 miles a day, while some people get some great benefits from a 60 minute workout that isn't so hard core. I already know that it doesn't take to get my heart rate up so what I do to improve myself will look a lot different from my coworkers or friends in the Kinesiology area.

Basically I think some people forget that everyone is human. Everyone has their flaws. I struggle with my relationship with food and exercise is not habitual for me (yet). I'm not a perfect Kinesiologist but I know how to work towards improvement.

3 comments:

LeAnn said...

Thanks for the tip, Nicole, about seeing the blog as I comment. Big help. Anyway, it would be good if you jump on the ol'bandwagon. Wish I could say I was on it. I just can't believe how tired I am. Every night I feel like going to bed between 6 and 7. So as I am driving home, I think, "Should I go home or should I go work out?" Well, I'm usually pooped and I know I have a list of things to accomplish so I go home. I'm not sure how to counteract this problem. Working out before my day starts does not sound feasible since I already am getting up at 6 am. I think you should give me your treadmill for Christmas. It would be a great present. Lol. I know you need it just as I need it.
Yea, my room at the school is on the third floor and usually I feel winded when I get to the top. In my defense, I am carrying a heavy load as I climb stairs. I would have to say "persistence" is our worst problem. From when you guys started the blog til now, we've all had good shots at weight loss, but because we WEREN'T persistent, we've fallen off the bandwagon.
Ok, the money one is tricky. As I am making NO money and my savings are dwindling rather fast, I'll have to pass on this tip. I can't save what I don't have. I'm a huge fan of saving money so when the time is right (I am earning a salary) I will follow tip #9. I'm pretty good at treating others as I would like to be treated. The only people I don't feel that I am fair with is my parents. They still do a lot for me, but I don't know that I treat them as well as I should or could. I could help out more or even visit more but sometimes I'd rather just get or stay home. Good blog. Good luck starting on Sunday.

project.100.gone said...

yay for starting the running program on Sunday! I hope that it goes well for you!

I'd love to comment on the persistence thing but LeAnn is right, it's the area that I still struggle with.

Saving money is not always easy. I try my hardest but sometimes it's just not fesible. I do however, have my bank accounts set up so that the first of every month I have $25 withdrawn from checking and put into savings. It seems like I can ususally get a couple hundred bucks in there and then something comes up (trip home, new brakes for the car) but that's what it's there for I guess. Then I start building again. It's never a lot but it is nice to have there.

#10...it is the golden rule isn't it? I think that a lot of problems could be solved if only we would take the time to treat others decently. I think we get so caught up in what we're doing and how we're feeling that we neglect to look at things from anohter perspective. I'm really glad Jenny that you're in the position you are. You have shown that a woman who is not the stereotypical PE person can do the job and do the job well. The fact that you hold the position you do is testement to that.

project.100.gone said...

oh yeah, you're welcome LeAnn!