Just go! Gettout out the door is the hardest part.

Well hello there! :) Long time no read. I have a bit of time on my hands ( I relocated across the country and am now jobless) so I thought I'd do a bit of blogging! Yeah, I've turned my blog into a fitness blog and I haven't been updating. Well, the truth is, I haven't been doing too well in the fitness category. But good news is here! I am beginning again (and this time it will be for good) and I hope to be inspirational to all of you! So, to tell you a little bit about what I'm doing... it's not really a diet of any sort or a magic exercise program that will make you fit quick. It's just me and my boyfriend trying to live long happy lives. This is day two of going to the gym in the morning. We have been getting up to run but it's been so hot outside (107!) that I thought it was best to step back from that. So, today we woke up around 9:30 ish and walked to the gym. Lucky for us it's in our housing development! But lemme tell you, I was not into working out! I was/am extremely sore form the last workout and I wanted to lay around the house and sleep all day. But I have a loving boyfriend who pushed me into getting my workout clothes and going out into the heat! When we got to the gym I warmed up with a little bicycling (.7 of a mile) and then did some weight training. I worked on my legs a little with a leg press machine and  something I really do not recall the name of. But either way they both worked out my legs, which I now know are really strong. After that I did a little bit of free weights (10lbs go me!) to get  my arms in shape. Then we went on to do abs but I could only do 5! I was so sore from the 30 I had done two days before I could barely even get up! After that we decided to go into the pool and cool off, which was really nice. I know I don't do everything in my workout perfect or "the right way" but I'm learning and any tips would be appreciated. As for my diet, I haven't really changed anything yet. I am trying to eat more fruits and veggies but I'm really working on getting into the habit of exercising on a regular basis before I change eating. Lets face it, that will probably be a huge challenge. For all of you out there who think you can't get out there and exercise (walking, running, bicycling, or anything really) you can. I did even though I'd rather be laying in my bed till noon and then watch tv all day. Just remember, no matter how slow you go you're still lapping everybody on the couch.

Take a bow.

Yesterday was a challenging day, as I thought it would be. I ate a cinnamon toast crunch breakfast bar (wasn't do good) and waited till I got to work to eat lunch. I had a chicken cup of noodles (I should have made a smarter choice) and a package of light spam. After working for a bit I got a really bad headache and was scared it was because I wasn't getting enough food so on my break I ate some tuna salad. I was craving something sweet so I bough a pez and ate on those. They're surprisingly low in calories. And for dinner I had mini pizzas that my boyfriend and I made. Overall the day was okay but instead of eating tuna and sweets I wish I would have chosen to eat some veggies or fruits. I ended my day with 31 calories left over and so far I've lost zero pounds. Today I'm looking to make healthier choices to get my calories in the best way and hopefully incorporate a little exercise into the mix!! Live with no regrets.

Today's a new day.

Yesterday was my first official day eating healthier and I'm pretty proud of myself. I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast because I took my brother tithe doctor and were there alllll morning. By the time we got home I was starving and really wanted to just pick up the ramen noodles I saw in the kitchen. I thought about it for a minute and decided making something would be much better for me. So, I cooked a chicken breast and brown rice and put lawry's Hawaiian sauce on top of it. Turned out to be a yummy and filling lunch! Most of my day was boring so I took a nap to prevent myself from grazing (I know should have exercised or something but one step at a time!) . That night my boyfriend and I went to chili's where I ate most of my calories for the day. I got a sweet tea and a water and for appetizer I had a bowl of chicken enchilada soup (if you've ever had it, it's amazing) and for dinner I ordered off of their lighter menu. I had the lighter chicken salad, which I thought was going to be okay and probably bland but it was AWESOME! I really liked the dressing they used (I think it's called honey lime vinaigrette) and it had black beans and corn. It was just yum. I will definitely get it again if we go back. I ended my day 91 calories under my goal and I learned that eating healthy can be satisfying and delicious. It just takes a lot of work!! Today I have to go to work and I work in a grocery store so I just have to keep reminding me self of my goals!!!!!! Live with no regrets.

Mind over matter.

As you can tell, things didn't quite go as planned. I gave up way to easy but starting tomorrow I'm completely serious. Hold me to that! I ate a lot today and kind of overindulged so I'm expecting to be sluggish tomorrow but hopefully with eating better I can see a change in that! I have a pretty empty schedule tomorrow so a goal of mine is NOT to eat when I get bored. I think I might try drinking a glass of water every time I feel I want to eat. Of course I won't deprive myself and between lunch and dinner I will have a snack but nothing big! I'm looking forward to trying to find an exercise routine I enjoy tomorrow. I don't usually enjoy exercise at all but hopefully I can find something fun so it doesn't feel like I'm exercising. Well I'll update tomorrow. Live with no regrets! :D

You wouldn't worry so much about what other people thought if you realised how seldom they do.

As you can tell by my new blog template and information, I'm working on becoming a healthier person... for life. Most people just want to lose weight but I want to learn how to be healthy for life. In this blog I'll put what I eat, goals I have, good recipies I find, struggles, and exercise. I think it's healpful for me to write everything down to document it and for people of the world to know that they're not alone. As for my schedule... I'm busy most of the time. I'm a full time College student usually going to class from 8-12:15. I work between 24 and 32 hours a week. So, of course I have homework and I want to spend plenty of time with my boyfirend. Let's just say that there is plenty of room for excuses. I'm starting out at 165 lbs 5'5 and I don't exercise. My goals for this week are to go shopping for healthier food, to pack my lunch everyday, eat a fruit with breakfast, and start waking up at 5:30 so that by next week I'll be ready to begin exercising. :)

A note of music gains significance from the silence on either side.

It is nights like these, when I see my friends pictures from universities, that I wish I was in marching band. Or even considering joining marching band. While I loved it in high school I'm just not sure if it would be the best move for me when I transfer to university. It's fun, energetic, a great way of exercising. a way to see different places, to get to see football games for free, to have spend time and bond with all your closest friend. I mean those are the pros for me, the things that I loved in high school but in turn this is a different chapter of my life. I know that if I join marching band I'll have a blast and expand my musical capability but on the other hand I won't be living at home. Marching band is expensive and takes up a lot of time. Not only that but you also travel for a lot of games. If I'm working and trying to make a living my boss wouldn't appreciate it if I was asking for all this time off to go to games and things like that and I sure wouldn't like spending so much time away from my boyfriend. Time that really isn't necessary. I think it would be a ton of fun but I think it will be just as much fun to join ensembles and nothing compares to the rush you get on that field but if I can get a big solo or something like that in an ensemble it would all be worth it. And I wouldn't have to worry about relearning mellophone every year. If I would have gone to University straight out of high school and wouldn't have bills to pay or a boyfriend to love then I would take marching band. I know there are tons of people who probably think I'm crazy but as much as I would think I would have fun in marching band, just as much fun can be achieved in a concert setting. Enough about marching band, for now. I haven't gotten to play much since last Wednesday because I have come down with strep throat :( Hopefully this crap will be gone soon so I can get on with practicing my solo and improving my skills with a lessons. I hate that I finally got things rolling with my teacher and then.. BAM! Strep throat hits me and I have to cancel. Just my luck. But I'm hoping by Friday I'll be all better and be able to practice my little heart out. On french horn and sax. It's really true that if you don't practice everyday you go backwards. Sometimes I wish playing were like riding a bike... you could put it down for a year and when you pick it back up it would be like you never stopped. Unfortunately it doesn't happen that way and all us musicians (at least wind) have to practice out butts of everyday of the year. No breaks for us. Well I'm going to hit the hay, 6 am comes early! Until next time, live with no regrets.

Philosophy is the highest music

So I haven't gotten to practice horn in a few days but it has been crazy around here. Of course I hung out with my boyfriend over the weekend and worked ( I really need to make time for practice on weekeneds though), and today I was with my parents because we finally bought a house :). And as soon as I got home I got to slaving away at my theory homework ( I even forgot to do my laundry) and now it's to late to practice. I fear of waking my neighbors and them complaining. I was supposed to have lessons today.. but of course that got cancelled because he says he has a stomach virus. It's not that I don't believe him, I don't understand why it is so hard to give just one hour a week to me... maybe if he doesn't have time for me he shouldn't have offered the class at the college, don't cha think? I know he's sick but something always comes up! Well I'm trying to get that straightened out and practicing this super hard solo, Adagio and Allegro. It's going alright so far but it just doesn't sound like the recording to me. I'm thinking maybe I'm just playing it to fast of something. But on a more depressing note, I really wish I could practice right now because I feel super stressed and that always helps me feel better, doesn't it you?? I just found out my grade on a test I took today... not so good and I studied my heart out for it. You know, I always try to look at the positive side of things but this has really got me down.I know I have like 4 other tests but I really want to make honor roll again this semester and that is not a good start! That means every other test I have to work twice as hard. Oh, how I wish everything came as easily  to me as music does. I like how even when you think you know it all about music, there's always something more to learn. It's like in high school I thought I knew it all and here I am in college learning about part writing and all that junk. There is a lot that goes into music and you never really realize it. While I know not all music is written by the rules it's pretty cool to see how the great composeres all seemed to write the same way or in similarly ways. Similarly enough that we can study about it and call it "the rules". I just think music is fascinating in so many ways and the fact that people come up with these combinations and things that sound so good and complicated and amazing. I just don't know how they do it. I try to compose things and it comes out sounding like Jungle Bells. I FAIL. But  I really need to start watching less tv and devoting more time to studying. Last week I had the excuse that I was working all the time but this week I have nothing to do and a math test coming up so I really need to get studying because I don't understand any of it... I'm sure there are a lot of people out there that are with me. They say musicians are supposed to be good at math... sure 2 + 2 but give me this logic stuff and algebra and all that and I am lost. The numbers just don't speak to me. Well I guess I should get off here and go to bed.. 6:00 am comes pretty early. Until next time, live with no regrets. (and practice french horn)!