Good Morning everyone!
What a whirlwind of a week since my last post! Work has been absolutely crazy, the job hunt has been on like mad with making linkedin connections, phone calls, writing cover letters and applying to jobs, and this weekend was the victory of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the NY JETS!! Pittsburghs going to the superbowl..here we go!!
I was lucky enough to have my wonderful boyfriend come up to Pittsburgh for the Steelers game and we got to spend the whole weekend together. I love these visits and its becoming so real that in less than 4 months (hopefully with a job) I will be heading down to Charlotte to start a new chapter in my life!
Classes started last week and let me tell you, I think this semester is going to be challenging but doable. I feel pretty comfortable with what we are working on in my classes. Its just a lot of reading.. but I have made a plan to start all my projects early so that I can get them out of the way and at the end of the semester only have to worry about my finals. If I can do this semester, I honestly can do anything!!
Lately, I have been noticing a little bit of difficulty in my workouts.. Last week I was running 3-4 miles a day and this week I am having leg cramps, getting winded and even feeling sick for overexerting myself. I will never understand why one day I can jump on a treadmill and knock out 4 miles at a 9 minute pace like its no big deal and then other days I can barely clear a mile without feeling bored, winded and weak. I always eat before I run, I get the same amount of sleep and I constantly drink water.. so what could it be?
I dont pretend to know everything about how my body uses energy.. I know that sugar (cookies, cakes, etc) makes me crash within an hour, caffeine does not wake me up, and eating an apple or a sandwhich an hour before my run usually makes me feel pretty good during my work out. Other than those principles, my body isnt very consistant with how it feels during work outs.. which is frustrating.
If you read my last post you heard me talk about how busy this next semester is going to be. It has the potential to be very stressful and I know that its so important to take care of myself during this time because after all, I cant even afford to take a sick day at the risk of missing class, work, time for homework or gym time and falling behind on something... or what happens if my dream job is posted that day and I miss it because I am too busy sleeping the day away, so someone else applies and gets it? I have to be on top of my game and so I have been thinking lately.. that I need to make sure I pay extra close attention to the place that I have been lacking lately.. EATING RIGHT!
True, I always pack a healthy lunch, my breakfast is always high fiber cereal, natural oatmeal w/ fruit, or eggs but its the little temptations that I've been letting myself splurge on lately. Office Birthday cake (Anyone listen to Mikey and Big Bob in Pittsburgh .. 96.1kiss?? THERES ALWAYS CAKE IN THE BREAKROOM!) People have been bringing in cookies.. there has even been an ice cream bar right next door in the past week. So I need to get back to refusing those things because the empty calories/processed sugar are not helping me attain any of the goals I have set for myself this semester.
I just have to keep pushing along!!
I think this blog is going to really help me to serve as a stress reliever too. I appreciate anyone that reads and listens to my ramblings about my life and trying to keep the balance.
Love you all!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The next 4 months and my friends Starbucks Choices!
Good Morning fellow fitness enthusiasts : ) I am in such a good mood this morning because its warm outside (40 degrees), the sun is shining (as much as it does in Pittsburgh in January) and I have sooo many exciting things on the horizon that I just cant stop thinking about! What are those things you ask?? WELL.. let me enlighten you!
I started classes last night for my LAST SEMESTER of my MBA : ) In just four (hopefully short) months I will be able to proudly put the letters MBA in all caps at the end of my name. Its going to be stressful because I am taking four courses at once to finish but when May 5th rolls around and I am taking my final final.. I will feel so amazing!
I am also moving once I graduate and get a job to much sunnier climates in the southern half of the United States to move in with my boyfriend. We've been doing long distance for over a year and a half now and so I am so pumped to not have to wait 3-4 weeks between visits but instead just walk into the living room.. haha : )
and speaking of that man O' mine.. Him and some friends are coming to visit this weekend! I am so excited.. the Steelers game this weekend is a big one and he is coming up to watch it with me. I cant wait to see him and to watch the game!!
ok, so onto the nitty gritty of this post. I posted a question to my facebook friends asking them what their favorite Starbucks drinks were in an effort to understand the good and the bad of the company. Americans get a larger percentage of their calories from drinks nowadays than they did 30 years ago. The invention of the fast food milkshake, 100 different types of soda and the emergence of a Starbucks on every corner has made it difficult to be able to weed through what is really harming your health. I would theorize that people are less likely to think of calories drank of a deterimental health move than calories eaten but this is a slippery slope my friends!
Restaurants in some states have now been forced by law to show their nutritional information in plain site of their customers. Places like McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have their nutritional information available to show the good, the bad and the ugly. So I asked some of my friends what their "go-to" drink usually is at Starbucks... so lets take a look shall we?
I went to http://www.starbucks.com/ and clicked on the Menu tab ..this is where you will find the link to the "nutrition section"
Here is the list that my friends so graciously provided! Thanks Guys!
Skinny Vanilla Latte - 110 Calories, 12 Carbs/ Sugars
Hot Chocolate - 230 Calories, 37 Carbs/sugars
White Chocolate Mocha - 470 calories, 78 Carbs/sugars
Black Coffee - 5 Calories
Carmel Machiatto - 240 Calories, 34 carbs/sugars
Soy Chai Tea Latte - 250 Calories, 36 carbs/sugars
Carmel Apple Spice and Frappacino- Calories and Carbs werent listed? suspicious
So as you can see, if you keep it on the skinny side you will be ok and it could be a nice little treat on a cold wintery day here in the burgh. Stay away from the drinks with heavy cream, added sugar, and whipped cream because they could pack a whole meals worth of calories and half your days worth of carbs.
Remember to think smart even when youre on the go! A coffee with a shot of flavor can be just as delicious as a sugary drink, it will give you more energy instead of crashing from sugar overload and you can feel good about the choice you made!
I give Starbucks and any other company that puts nutritional information at the fingertips of their customers a little kudos because you are at least giving people the tools to be able to make an informed decision. Whether they choose to use the tools or not is up to them but I strongly suggest you look up your favorite drink and see what you are really putting in your body!
Speaking of giving people the tools... Did anyone watch the show "Heavy" last night on A&E? I suspect it was the season premier and because I got out of class early (thanks pburgh freezing rain) I caught the majority of it. I have to admit I always get disappointed and a little angry when I see people come so far with their trainers and then when they are on their own, their addiction to food takes over. I would love to hear what other people have to say about this! Does it make you disappointed or angry? Do you wonder why they just cant stop doing it if its killing them?
Hmm.. maybe a post about this is in order!
I started classes last night for my LAST SEMESTER of my MBA : ) In just four (hopefully short) months I will be able to proudly put the letters MBA in all caps at the end of my name. Its going to be stressful because I am taking four courses at once to finish but when May 5th rolls around and I am taking my final final.. I will feel so amazing!
I am also moving once I graduate and get a job to much sunnier climates in the southern half of the United States to move in with my boyfriend. We've been doing long distance for over a year and a half now and so I am so pumped to not have to wait 3-4 weeks between visits but instead just walk into the living room.. haha : )
and speaking of that man O' mine.. Him and some friends are coming to visit this weekend! I am so excited.. the Steelers game this weekend is a big one and he is coming up to watch it with me. I cant wait to see him and to watch the game!!
ok, so onto the nitty gritty of this post. I posted a question to my facebook friends asking them what their favorite Starbucks drinks were in an effort to understand the good and the bad of the company. Americans get a larger percentage of their calories from drinks nowadays than they did 30 years ago. The invention of the fast food milkshake, 100 different types of soda and the emergence of a Starbucks on every corner has made it difficult to be able to weed through what is really harming your health. I would theorize that people are less likely to think of calories drank of a deterimental health move than calories eaten but this is a slippery slope my friends!
Restaurants in some states have now been forced by law to show their nutritional information in plain site of their customers. Places like McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have their nutritional information available to show the good, the bad and the ugly. So I asked some of my friends what their "go-to" drink usually is at Starbucks... so lets take a look shall we?
I went to http://www.starbucks.com/ and clicked on the Menu tab ..this is where you will find the link to the "nutrition section"
Here is the list that my friends so graciously provided! Thanks Guys!
Skinny Vanilla Latte - 110 Calories, 12 Carbs/ Sugars
Hot Chocolate - 230 Calories, 37 Carbs/sugars
White Chocolate Mocha - 470 calories, 78 Carbs/sugars
Black Coffee - 5 Calories
Carmel Machiatto - 240 Calories, 34 carbs/sugars
Soy Chai Tea Latte - 250 Calories, 36 carbs/sugars
Carmel Apple Spice and Frappacino- Calories and Carbs werent listed? suspicious
So as you can see, if you keep it on the skinny side you will be ok and it could be a nice little treat on a cold wintery day here in the burgh. Stay away from the drinks with heavy cream, added sugar, and whipped cream because they could pack a whole meals worth of calories and half your days worth of carbs.
Remember to think smart even when youre on the go! A coffee with a shot of flavor can be just as delicious as a sugary drink, it will give you more energy instead of crashing from sugar overload and you can feel good about the choice you made!
I give Starbucks and any other company that puts nutritional information at the fingertips of their customers a little kudos because you are at least giving people the tools to be able to make an informed decision. Whether they choose to use the tools or not is up to them but I strongly suggest you look up your favorite drink and see what you are really putting in your body!
Speaking of giving people the tools... Did anyone watch the show "Heavy" last night on A&E? I suspect it was the season premier and because I got out of class early (thanks pburgh freezing rain) I caught the majority of it. I have to admit I always get disappointed and a little angry when I see people come so far with their trainers and then when they are on their own, their addiction to food takes over. I would love to hear what other people have to say about this! Does it make you disappointed or angry? Do you wonder why they just cant stop doing it if its killing them?
Hmm.. maybe a post about this is in order!
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