Team in Training

I went to a Team in Training info session the other day and it was INSPIRING!!!  I heard about it through a family member and have wanted to get re-involved in running for the past two years but never followed through.  Honestly, besides doing something awesome for charity, I saw that family member slim WAAAAY down after being a committed runner and thought it would be a great way to get into shape.  I really want to do one of the Disney runs (I LOVE DISNEY!!!) and walked into the meeting beaming with optimism!

Well, the best part was that everyone that I met was so nice and passionate about fighting cancer!  At first it was cheesy, but I walked away from the meeting at REI thinking, "wow I really want to connect with other people like that!"  I am not planning on signing up until April because that is when training for the Disney half marathon begins, but I already have so many ideas for fundraising! 

Team in Training would be the cherry on top of my year of trying new things!!! 

Check out their website here!

Just an average week...

I've been thinking a lot about my blog over the past few days and it has been a source of motivation!  I'm not overly busy now that my internship is over and I'm preparing for a week-long trip to Reno.  I have an orientation to attend tomorrow, so I'll be leaving bright and early at 5 a.m. to make it on time.  Packing a "small" bag is rough!  I feel like I'm bringing WAAAAAAY too much (because I probably am!).

Getting swoll with it brotha!

I think that because my gym doesn't have a location in Reno, maybe I'll hit up some other gyms for their no-strings-attached trial periods...  I'll truly have nothing better to do!  I actually weighed myself this morning since I won't be in town this weekend to weigh myself and post the results and I'm pretty pleased!  My weight is honestly a small miracle because I'm pretty sure I ate enough carbs yesterday to feed a football team.

One pound lighter!

There are some people in my life that harp on my about my weight; their advice and "concerns" are unwelcome and unsolicited (as will be yours if you post them in the comments).  It makes me extremely angry that there are people in this world that force their ideas about "the perfect body" onto other people, meaning well or not.  What drives me nuts is the idea they have that I can't possibly be happy the way I am.  I don't care what your motive is for "informing" me about my health, it will never warrant telling me how to live my life.

I have made it clear to these folks that I am not interested in talking about my weight, going to the gym, or anything else related to my health anymore.  I have tried being polite and listening, but at the beginning of this year I felt like crap about myself because I felt pressure from other people to be something I just can't be right now.  I realized that these people were making me feel so negative when what I needed was positivity.  Don't get me wrong, if you know me, you know I'm not someone who beats around any bush, but I felt like I was being bullied apposed to cared for.  You can tell me I'm fat, but do something about it!

Unless you are a personal trainer or my physician, do not make me feel like a bad person because I'm eating dessert or because I didn't go to the gym today.  The choices I make are none of your business and there is nothing you can tell me about my personal fitness and health that I haven't read about or seen on Dr. Oz.  I will pay the consequences, not you.

Now, I understand that this might sound a little strange considering the fact that I'm posting my weight and sometimes body issues on the internet for the world to see, but I am doing it on my terms.  There are times that I am 100% happy with the way I look/feel, and there are times when I feel a little disappointed, but never depressed and never hopeless (well, unless I'm looking at pictures of supermodels because even if I starved myself for years I could never have a body like that haha!).

This whole rant is brought to you by the fact that I had a physical yesterday at Kaiser.  The doctor said I was in damn good health for a 24 year old and when I shared this information with my "haters," they responded with, "well, can you run 5 miles?"  Not yet, Asshole.

Mean

I remember sitting in the doctor's office with my stepmother in fifth grade.  I cannot remember why I was at the doctor, but he had just weighed me and I was sitting in silence while the paper on the bench crinkled and crackled beneath me.  While the doctor was away, my stepmother used the moment to say, "Wow, Jessie, you weigh 100 pounds?  That's how much I weighed in college." 

This is a memory that has stuck with me since that day, it is the first time I remember thinking about my weight and being embarrassed because of it.  It's also an example of the extremely toxic relationship I had with my stepmother. 

I'm sorry if you don't like Taylor Swift, but this song really resonates with me at this stage in my life.  Things are looking up for me and they have ever since I left home.

 

Tastebuds

For my birthday, I received Suffering Succotash, a book about picky eaters.  I've been a picky eater my whole life, so it's an interesting read.  Actually, I wouldn't call myself a picky eater anymore because my eating habits have changed a lot over the last four years.  If you know me now and disagree, trust me I was WAY worse.  Yes, I avoid all foods that contain mayonnaise (or "Miracle Whip" because it's the same thing to me!), but my food horizons have become much more broad.  In fact, I enjoy trying new foods and have become a wine fanatic!

Last night, I went out to dinner with my boyfriend to Back Bistro, a wine bar in Folsom.  My boyfriend made all of the plans, which is nice because I like taking a break from planning and making decisions (plus, it's romantic!).  Anyway, we walk in while being greeted by the host.  While being scolded for not making reservations for a half-empty restaurant on a Saturday night, we are told that we could only sit at the bar, but we're later seated at a two-top.  We ordered a Chardonnay flight, Hawaiian Ahi Poke, Baby Arugula Salad, and the Gnocchi.  In case you're wondering, the restaurant remained half empty.

First of all, this is the most sophisticated meal we have ever ordered on our own (we have NEVER purchased wine at a restaurant, let alone a beer- we typically try weird mixed drinks that we've never heard of!).  When looking at the menu, I was a little nervous.  I have never really been a fan of Tuna, but decided I would re-try Poke, telling myself that the worst case scenario would be that my boyfriend would eat the majority of the appetizer.  Well, I was pleasantly surprised when the dish came out and I LOVED IT!  The rest of our meal was delicious, also! 

This boring story of what I ate last night is brought to you by the age-old claim (brought up by my parents many times throughout my childhood) that your tastebuds change over time.  I always thought, "oh that's a load of bologna, I'll always hate green beans!" and actually, I still do.  How do I explain this change in taste for Tuna?  As a stubborn individual, I hate to admit when my parents have been right throughout my childhood, but is this yet another instance of their infinite wisdom?

I'm definitely successful with resolution #2... it's almost TOO easy!

Yoga Groupon

I've been slacking on writing in my blog, but I've been writing in my personal journal.  It's okay though because I've been busy finishing up my internship and transforming into a bonafied adult. 

An update for resolution #1!  I'm chugging along :)

So remember how I was posting pics of all of my trips to the gym?  I haven't gone back since that week.  I just got lazy and then earlier this week came down with a head cold and opted out for rest (ironically after I resolved to get my butt back into gear).  Today I am going back and I'll post about it to prove it!

I've been working on some of my resolutions, bit by bit.  For instance, I sent a message to some of my friends on Facebook that I would like to keep in touch with like a normal person asking for their contact info and birthdate.  I went to Barnes & Noble and bought a cute little address book and everything!  It took a lot of consideration; I didn't want lines too small to write on and I needed something small enough to throw into my purse while traveling.

My address book!

I am planning on sending out some serious birthday cards this year, folks!  Hopefully I follow through.  My problem with cards is that I send them typically the week after the birthday occurs... or mother's day, father's day, you get the picture!

I'm 60% forgetful and 30% lazy.

I actually downloaded the Tango app to connect with my mom.  It's like Facetime and Skype, but with a different name.  I prefer skype, but my mom can only use Tango because of her phone.  As soon as I downloaded it, we called each other and I got to see her new apartment!  Technology is awesome!

Today, while remembering that I needed to update my blog, I hopped onto Groupon hoping to find something neat to try.  I've always wanted to get serious about yoga, so I've been keeping my eye out for a local yoga deal and guess what!  There was a great one with one month unlimited yoga classes for just $29!  I called the studio, asked a few questions (I haven't done yoga since 2008 and I've gained a considerable amount of weight since then) and bought the groupon.  I hope it's awesome, but I'm worried I'll like it- it's expensive to subscribe to yoga studios!  I'll be starting my month-long membership in February, I think.  Or, tomorrow?  I'm unemployed, I have nothing better to do!

Shrimp & Crab Linguine

Man, I am seriously soaring with resolution #4 (Try something new at least ONCE a month)!  I've tried so many new things slash switched up the way I regularly do things since I started this blog.  Yesterday, for instance, I went out to dinner with family.  We went to Zio Fraedos, which is one of our faves.  When it comes to Italian restaurants, my boyfriend is an Alfredo guy and I'm a Chicken Parm girl.  Not last night!  I passed on my regular choice of Chicken Parmesan and ordered the Shrimp and Crab Linguine. 

WHY is that important and HOW does it matter?  Well, let me share with you the fact that I am an extremely EXTREMELY picky eater.  I could go into details, but people usually find that annoying.  When it comes to Italian food, I'll be found ordering things off the menu that strictly include red sauce only.  None of that white stuff for me!    Well, although this may counteract resolution #1 (Lose ONE pound per week.) because red sauces are typically lower in calories than white, for the first time in my life I ordered a dish with alfredo sauce.... And I LOVED it!  

My dad always nagged, "...broaden your horizons, try new things!" while I grew up on a farm in Southwestern Ohio (see the irony?).  I hated almost everything they served and had many a late night at the dinner table (anybody else hear the challenge in, "you're going to sit here all night until you eat that!"?).  Well, flashforward several years later to my college graduation.  My dad, stepmother, and mom visited and I took them on a tour of Reno/Sacramento/San Francisco.  They ate the most plain food possible on every menu (fish and chips, hamburgers, you get the picture) that you could find ANYWHERE in America and would even order TWO of the same thing instead of sharing and ordering two different things.  Crazy!  Anyway, by the end of the trip, my dad said he just wanted a steak and was tired of the "California experience" (what me and my boyfriend were referring to when we would take them to weird restaurants or local joints).  That when the ultimate revenge statement came out of my mouth, "But Dad, don't you want to broaden your horizons and try new things?"  

My taste-bud horizons have significantly broadened in the last four years.  I have tried lots of weird stuff and grown to love the three S's:  seafood, salad/salad dressing, and Sushi!  I'm really excited to see how much more growth I experience this year while following through with my resolutions!

You get what you give...

When I'm out in public, say at a restaurant or at the grocery store, I think about people's feelings a lot.  It happens the most when I'm mad or dissatisfied with something and I usually think, "well geez, maybe they're having a crappy day and if I say something rude or mean it might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back and they might just go off and kill themselves later."  That is SO crazy and I don't mean to sound so egotistical, but there are so many stories now of people being bullied and everything else; what if the person that spilled the drink on me (hypothetical) really is on the brink of a breakdown and a smile from me keeps it at bay?  

Think about all of the negative interactions you have daily...  Do they change anything about your life or those around you in a positive way?  Are they worth it?

I recently read this article about the traits that likable people have.  While what I wrote above doesn't seem like it would align with this article, think about the people you like or care about.  Usually they do not hold grudges (out loud!), say mean things, and they probably treat everyone with kindness whether they deserve it or not.  If we were all walking around the world like we had nothing to prove, then wouldn't we all be likeable?  Or happy?

I'm not 100% sure what sparked this post, but it is something that I think about quite often, especially when I regret interactions that I've had with people throughout the day.

Another day, another ____

Today I did two loads of laundry, went to the gym, had sushi for lunch at Taka's, and then got adjusted at Corner Chiropractic.  Overall a pretty productive day!

Flattering pics of me & my work-out buddy at the gym!

Yesterday I attended the new member orientation meeting for the 20-30 Club of Greater Sacramento.  I was originally going to go with someone, but they opted to go to another region's orientation and I didn't want to go there because the group is co-ed.  Now, before you think it's weird that it even matters, let me explain that I'm joining to make friends in my area and I'm not really interested in making friends with any dudes.  Sorry, dudes.  Anyway, it was okay... I have six months to decide whether I like it/whether it's a good fit for me, which is good.  Their website doesn't really have a lot of information about the club, which I found to be irritating, considering that the Sacramento women's club only holds 2 orientations per year (you cannot join without attending).  I guess this is because there are about 100 members, so they have to control the amount of people coming/going.  

Here's what I found out by attending the orientation yesterday:  
1.  It costs $185 per year, plus a one time initiation fee of $64.  Not too bad, I guess.  There are other fees throughout the year, but most are optional.
2.  There are a lot of fun things to do as a member that help contribute to local charities (for kids, yay!). 
3.  The Sacramento women's group is one of the largest and oldest groups in the area.  That is cool because I guess some of the other groups aren't as active/stable as the group I may be joining.  

There was more, but honestly, the money was the most important to me.  I'm going to stick with it for a little while, after all, I don't think attending an info-sesh really counts as "trying."  The funny thing is that I sat at a table of teachers without even knowing they were teachers!    

Resolution 1: Step One Complete!

So today (as in a few minutes ago) I signed up for a gym pass.  It's to some local gym called Fitness 19 and it was offering some pretty good rates.  I planned on shopping around a little bit to make some comparisons between the gyms in my area, but I'm a sucker once a salesperson sits me down!  Anyway, it looks just like Lombardi at Nevada, so I figured I'll be okay.  My rate is only $9 a month and it's unlimited access; other gyms that charge around $10 per month only give you access M-W-F or some crazy three day schedules like that. 

I actually quit Weight Watchers this morning before getting my gym pass.  I determined that the $40 a month just wasn't worth it when I could actually put that money towards a monthly gym pass and work out.  I never tracked points, I hadn't gone to a meeting in the last two weeks (my meeting day was Tuesday, but Christmas and New Year's Day both fell on a Tuesday), and I just didn't care about progress with WW.  I think that it's a great program for some, but I just wasn't as into it.  I do plan on continuing to apply what I learned through WW to my every day life, but not for forty bucks a month! 

This stint with Weight Watchers was actually my second try.  Last year I did Weight Watchers between October and January and lost 15 pounds.  Then, because of the stress of my final semester in college, I just stopped tracking points and staying faithful to the program.  I was only doing the online portion at that time.  This time, I rejoined in November and didn't really see any success because I was manipulating the system and throwing caution to the wind.  I signed up for the monthly pass and attended meetings regularly, but didn't fully invest myself into what they were selling.  Yeah, I bought all the crap they told me to buy (except the food, who wants to buy overpriced processed foods when there's plenty of that at the supermarket for less?) and bought a few cookbooks, but it wasn't like I was truly devoted and tracking every little morsel that entered my gob.  The worst part was that there were no members in my area in my age group.  You might say, "oh that's not important!" but it was to me; I had no connections to the people in my meetings and I wanted to relate to someone my age experiencing things like I was experiencing too. 

I think another key factor that contributed to my lack of success (besides dedication) is that I was a secret member.  I didn't tell any of my friends or family because I was embarrassed.  I am still a little embarrassed.  Why?  Because I'm so out of control that I have to pay a service to help me get to where I'd like to be, how lame is that?  For all of you out there who are members of Weight Watchers, I hope you don't take that the wrong way- it was my own self talk and it has a lot to do with self-esteem.  Nobody wants to say they're fat.  If I asked my friends right now if they thought I was fat, they would never say, "Oh yeah!" even if they did.  That being said, I'm not saying I want to hear the truth, so just know that I'm working on it!

Basically, the point of this post is not to provide excuses for why I'm not doing Weight Watchers anymore, it's to say that before I purchased a gym membership, I was just focusing on what I ate.  Now I'll be creating a more balanced life style for myself in order to succeed in losing one pound a week.  Yay!

Bubble bath + Blog Logistics

Blogs take a lot of work and I'd like to think that I'll post something every day this year.  To make that easier on myself and my crazy life, I'll post whatever the heck I find to be relevant to my life this year.  Maybe I'll post pictures of my day, maybe I'll write an award winning piece of literature revealing my inner conflicts with life, and maybe I'll post a youtube video.  Whatever gets me to December 31, 2013 and beyond, people!

Today, in order to get a proper head start in 2013, I prepared a bubble bath.  I scrubbed myself squeaky clean (I hadn't properly bathed in a few days since I was traveling over the New Year holiday) and relaxed.  It was awesome!  While bathing, I even shaped my hair while shampooing it and blew bubbles out of my hands after making myself a Santa beard.  I also contemplated the content of my current blog post and how to make witty conversations or jokes with myself... Is it working?

Key components to my bath... sorry, no photo of the hair sculpture!

Today I spent the day traveling back home from Reno, so no progress to report on my resolutions (aside from writing a blog post- check plus for me in that column!).  The two-hour trip between Sacramento and Reno does not count as a road trip, by the way. 

Resolutions

Over the past couple of days while visiting friends in Reno, I tried making small talk by asking, "any resolutions?"  Most people thought for a moment and answered with a simple response, or, none at all.  There were also some friends who provided lengthy responses and asked about my own plans for resolutions.  Until the first person returned the question, I didn't realize how revealing and intimidating an answer could be... Think about it!  Usually resolutions involve change, which can be hard for people according to human nature.  If I tell you that I want to lose weight, do I want you to know that I am vulnerable in some way or that I might possibly have body image issues?  Or maybe would I rather tell you some fluff that doesn't really reveal as much about myself like, "be awesome"?  FYI, I told everyone that I want to plan a big road trip because I just bought a new car.

I'm not too terrible at following through with resolutions, in fact, I'm incredibly proud of the fact that during 2011 I read at least one book a month as promised.  Whenever I resolve to quit drinking soda, eating out, or eliminating some other thing from my life, I usually cave around April.  Not intentionally, I just don't care by that time or remember to try!  I've always been someone who lives for now without a thought about long-term anything, which greatly contributes to my lack of follow through sometimes (and my dwindling bank account).  Call it a lack of will-power, call it laziness, call it what you want; it is whatever it is. 

So, without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2013:

1.  Lose ONE pound per week.  This is totally do-able and broken down in such small chunks that there's NO REASON I cannot achieve it.  I've tried to lose weight before and found success, too, but loosey-goosey diets and mind sets just don't work for very long.  I actually do like myself the way I am, but I am overweight and would like to be able to find my size in every store (among other reasons, I'll definitely talk about it more later).

2.  Make a better effort to keep in touch with family/friends.  I've lived away from home for about 4 years now and honestly, I'm a crappy long-distance communicator.  A lot of things are influencing this resolution and I think the first step to success is purchasing an address book.

3.  Plan a road trip to break in my new car.  I've always wanted to visit the following places on the West Coast:  Death Valley, Red Woods National Forrest/Park, Grand Canyon, Four Corners, Portland, Seattle, Yosemite, Yellowstone... the list goes on and on!  The best part is that I have a tent and 2 person sleeping bag.  Bring it on!

4.  Try something new at least ONCE a month (a.k.a. twelve new experiences).  Tomorrow I'm attending the Sacramento 20/30 club new member orientation.  I'm really nervous, but excited because they are a philanthropy based organization.  I think this category will be pretty easy.

5.  Write for fun at least once a week.  I used to write all of the time (and actually started a blog in late 2012 about my student teaching experience; it's ironic that this blog is titled "Jessica Following Through" because I definitely failed at that with my last blog!).  Not sure what happened... College really sucks you dry, I guess.  I bought a journal at Marshall's in case I have private thoughts I don't find appropriate for the internet ;)

6.  ?  I'm leaving number six blank because I feel that resolutions sometimes find you.  It's possible that one or more of these resolutions aren't right for me in this time of my life and maybe in the process of figuring that out, I'll find a better one!

NYE firework display downtown