Moooooooving next weekend!!!

I really enjoyed my day off today! I was really excited about getting to sleep in. Unfortunately, I woke up at 9 am, but it wasn't to an alarm clock and I felt fully rested! Since I was up early, I decided to go running. I ran in the parking garage because it was shady in there and not as hot as outside. I really wasn't feeling it though... I just really didn't feel like running. I thought that was going to be the start to an unproductive day, but I actually got a lot accomplished. I went to the housing office and signed the lease for my new apartment.... and then I got to see it. It is definitely old and the building needs to be renovated badly, but it has a living room, a kitchen, and a real closet!.... all of which I'm very excited about... so excited in fact that I went to the UHaul place and bought boxes and tape and then packed up half of my room! Then, I packed for Portland. I'm definitely looking forward to this weekend.... 80 degrees during the day and 65 at night... aaaand we may go to the Pacific coast or the mountains. I'll be sure to take tons of pictures! Well, gotta rest up... My flight's at 7:30 am and I need to leave here at 5:30.

Adios, Calories!

I'm feeling pretty good about the way things are going right now :). I worked this morning and managed to finish my MCAT book and look over some of the notes I took. I forgot to go to the housing office afterward like I planned to... I guess I was too focused on getting Chik-fil-A for lunch hahaha! I walked into the mall for lunch and walked out with a belly full of greasy food and an armband for my iPhone. I've actually been looking for an armband for a while so I'm glad I found one that I like.

Anyway, when I got back to school, I went to work. My 4 pm client didn't show up so I decided to work out instead. I had to teach spinning at 5 pm so I just did some arms and abs (and listened to my MCAT audiobook :)). I'm really glad I did because by the time spinning was over, I had burned 833 calories according to my HR monitor!! I didn't want to ruin that so I had a salad for dinner and I feel great!! Hopefully, the results will start showing up soon! I do give in to my cravings, but I've learned that I can do that as long as I cut back on calories for the next meal and then work out for a little more time than I normally would. Also, I read somewhere that sometimes when you feel hungry, it actually means that you're thirsty. It really seems to be true because sometimes when I'm craving something bad, I just drink some water and the craving goes away (at least for a while haha). I've even started to crave WATER!!! Weird, I know. I never even liked water before!

All of this just goes to show that you can change your lifestyle if you set your mind to it. Diets have been proven to not work... You have to change your whole lifestyle and learn how to discipline yourself. If you eat something bad or skip a workout, make up for it by doing an extra workout or limiting calories during another meal. The only way to efficiently lose weight is to BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU TAKE IN!! That is literally the ONLY thing that works! Most fad diets aim to accomplish that objective, but they have bad side effects (because you are eliminating some nutrient that you need) or are not easy to follow (because they tell you not to give in to cravings).... and they don't mention that you HAVE to exercise!... especially if you don't want to be what I call "skinny fat"... (skinny, but with cellulite and no muscle tone). haha!

I am a personal trainer so if anyone wants an exercise plan, let me know and I'd be more than happy to develop one for you. I'll give you the friend discount... JK... no charge. :)

Exhausted and Stressed...

I'm actually really proud of myself for being on top of my to do list this week. I'm right on schedule in my MCAT studying and I've gotten a lot of other things accomplished too! That being said... I'm exhausted, I've literally had chest pains for the past 2 days!!, and my brain is fried!! Some words of encouragement would be awesome! Below is a picture of my life at the moment. The Kaplan MCAT book is 1000 pages long and I'm almost finished with it! The spiral notebook is almost full of color coded notes (hence the colored pens). I have 3 full length practice tests (not including the ones I have access to on the internet. I keep the MCAT in a box flashcards in my purse so that I can study them when I have to wait somewhere. ...and I wear the headphones when I study so that I can get used to wearing them for the real test. I didn't include my phone, but I have an audiobook on there that I listen to when I workout... and I might start listening to it when I sleep. I reeeeeeaaaaaally hope I do well on this stupid test! I have to be at work early tomorrow so I'm about to go to bed and I'll continue the studying frenzy tomorrow!

Productive Week So Far

I guess I've been so productive lately that I haven't had time to update this. Sunday, I finished my training that I had to do to start research for my capstone. It took like 6 hours to do!... Ridiculous! Yesterday, I got a little bit of MCAT studying accomplished, worked on fellowship stuff, emailed teachers with information on how to submit letters of recommendation, requested transcripts, and worked. Today, I went to Target (my happy place)... I wanted to get some headphones so I can get used to wearing them (I like that they block out the noise, but they always bother me during standardized tests.). I also needed a notebook to use for practice tests and extra notes... and I needed a binder to organize my fellowship stuff. After Target, I worked on fellowship paperwork and had a meeting with our academic mentor. Right before this meeting, Shannon told me that her advisor was approached by someone on the fellowship board (She works at the school.). She wanted to make sure that we were not using our fellowship experience for our capstones. Anyway, that started a bunch of drama... Shannon and I freaked out for a little while because we thought that we had done all of this work for nothing, but it's all been straightened out. Thank God! Anyway, after the meeting, I got some more MCAT studying done, taught an awesome spinning class (found a new favorite playlist and burned 684 calories), and got some more recommendation letter stuff done. My advisor wanted me to write my own letter of recommendation!! He said that it would give me experience in writing letters of recommendation. I would like to think that I am at least somewhat humble... and I don't like to sell myself. It's not my style.

In other news, I have a very silly boyfriend. One of his favorite things to say is, "Who loves Emily? I love Emily. I do, I do, I do-oooo!"... like from that old Nickelodeon show, Keenan and Kel (Kel loves orange soda.). Haha! I love him, though.... even if he is a rare breed of man. He really is so much different than any man I have ever met. Maybe that's why I love him...

Here is my spinning playlist from today for those of you that are interested. The playlist really makes or breaks the workout:
1. Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp... Warm Up
2. Womanizer - Britney Spears
3. Right Round - Flo Rida
4. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
5. So What - Pink
6. Great DJ - The Ting Tings
7. Sugar - Flo Rida
8. Be My Lover (Club Mix) - La Bouche
9. Satellites - September
10. Mr. Vain - Culture Beat
11. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
12. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
13. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
14. One of the Boys - Katy Perry
15. Here Comes Goodbye - Rascal Flatts... Cool Down
ENJOY!!

I love playing tour guide!!

My friend, Robin came into town last night and I got to be her tour guide. She had never been here so I had so much fun showing her the city. We went to all of my favorite places and did all of the touristy things (including a Vampire Tour).

Not only had Robin never been here, she had also never tried or even heard of multiple Louisiana things. While she was here, she tried red beans & rice, beignets, and a hurricane (among other drinks) and she found out what a muffaletta is. She took a million pictures and acted like a tourist the whole time... I LOVED IT!!

Robin has a job where she gets to travel the country and see so many different places. She takes pictures everywhere she goes and she's even started a fashion don'ts photo album lol. Like I expected, she found multiple fashion faux pas in this city. I even got to be the model for some of them...

St. Patty's day... maybe. Any other time... NO.

Cute, but not in public.

Among other fashion don'ts found in New Orleans were plaid on plaid, hair down to your butt (on a man), biker attire (of any kind), matching your hair color to your sundress, a track suit, showing off your muffin tops, and a bikini on the balcony of your hotel room (unless you're on the beach).

I love this city!!!

I miss Florida!!!! :(

I just read an article about what my handwriting says about me and these were my results...

• You are open to the world around you and like to socialize with other people.
• You are well-adjusted and adaptable.
• You are restricting yourself in some way.
• You tend to be skeptical and are unswayed by emotional arguments.
• You are intellectually probing and like to study new things.
  

I would say all of that is pretty accurate... It's crazy how tests like that can tell you a little about yourself.

Anyway... Today, Shannon and I had a meeting with one of the faculty members at our school about our IRB application. He was impressed with the work that we have already done, but he basically said that we need to reformat the WHOLE application and re-word a lot of things. I'm so stressed out about this project now. I really hope we get to publish it. The whole thing is turning into a circus. The worst part is that Shannon and I are the ring leaders, but we definitely do NOT call the shots. :)

After our meeting, I went to the library for a few hours. I got through 3 chapters in my MCAT book and only have a few left. I'm taking a break right now and then going back to it. While I was studying, there was a side note in the Physics section that caught my attention... "Stress is just pressure." I can't believe they put that as a side note for students studying for the MCAT! ...Like we don't already know!! Anyway, Monday, I plan to start taking a practice test EVERY day until the real test! I know it sounds crazy, but I need to do really well on the test and everyone says that practice tests really help. We'll see, I guess.

I'm excited for tomorrow! I have to do a community service project in the morning for the fellowship, but then Robin is coming in town! I met Robin last summer when she audited the water park and then we became Facebook friends lol. She's never been out here so I'm really looking forward to taking her out.

I have a lot going on right now, but I'm glad because otherwise, I would just be sitting at home all the time missing Sean. I do miss him a lot, but staying busy keeps my mind off of it somewhat. I get so jealous when people are going to Florida... not only because I miss the beach and Destin... but because I miss Sean and all of my friends there. I haven't been since March and I don't know if I'll be going soon. I may be going for the 2nd weekend in August, but I'm waiting for that trip to be finalized so I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

Ugh... Time to get back to studying :(

A Letter to Rain

Dear Rain,

There are some days that I appreciate you and there are some days that I do not. When Sean is here and I would like to just cuddle up with him and watch a movie, okay. I also used to appreciate when I didn't have to work at the water park because you were paying us a visit.

When I need to get work accomplished or when I have outdoor plans, you are not wanted. I particularly did not appreciate your visit when my windshield wiper broke not too long ago... or on my college graduation day! You are the reason I have very few pictures from that day. You are very lucky that my hair cooperated somewhat and I am not too terribly bitter about having to drive home with a car full of stuff from my apartment... and my party was inside.


Today would be one of those days that I wish you would just go away. Really, why do you have to come every single day in July?! Can we have a break please? Today, I had to be at work super-early. By the time I got off, ran a few errands, and got back to my room, you had made everything very dark. I looked at my bed and decided that it would be a good idea to take an hour long nap. Thanks to you and your friends thunder and lightning, I slept for 2 1/2 hours and now, have accomplished NOTHING for the day. To make up for that, I'm going to need for you to stop and go somewhere else so that I can get some work done and enjoy my plans this evening. Don't make me do the rain dance backwards or sing "Rain, Rain, Go Away." I really appreciate your consideration in this matter. I'll see you tomorrow... (The weather channel says you're coming back).

Thankful that the cable went out :)

So a little while ago, my cable went out. I was not so happy that it was out while I was eating dinner, but I decided to use the time as an opportunity to get some work done. I feel very accomplished now because I finally finished all of the things that I have been putting off for a while. I've been dreading having to type up emails to request letters of recommendation for med school, but I finally did that and I printed transcript request forms and uploaded my essay. I also finished my capstone description that I mentioned in a previous blog. Also, I have been advised by several current medical students to talk to one of the faculty members about my application. They said that it's really hard to get an appointment with him, but once you're in his office he will spend hours with students talking about what to expect and how to improve the application. I finally emailed him and will, hopefully, get an appointment soon. Cross your fingers!
The cable is back now so yay! I can now type this and watch TV and enjoy the rest of the evening with my Reese's that I've been craving for days now. I have to be at work super-early again tomorrow morning, but I took a much needed nap today so I may not be able to fall a sleep for a little while.



I'm so excited about tomorrow night! I haven't been able to hang out with my friend, Andria in a while and we're not going to be able to see a movie like we usually do (see previous post). Howeeeeveeeer, we made better plans! We're going to get chargrilled oysters for dinner and then we're going to the Carousel Bar that I'm in love with!! Yayness! Tomorrow will be a work and MCAT filled day so those plans will be an awesome reward! The picture to the left is of Andria and I on Halloween. She was an angel and I was a "sistah." :) We had a lot of fun that night at the daquiri shop dancing to a local 80's cover band called the Chee-Wee's!

Well, I'm going to enjoy my Reese's and lay in bed watching Nick at Nite (one of my faves)! Leave me some loooove! Muah!

What's so special about Harry Potter?!

So my friend, Andria and I have been trying so hard to get together to see My Sister's Keeper and we finally coordinated our schedules. We decided that we were going to go this Friday night... sooooo I looked up the movie times on my cool iPhone app only to find that Harry Potter has taken over ALL of the movie theaters in this city FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK!!! That's right, folks... If you want to go to a movie in this city any time this week, you HAVE to see Harry Potter. I really don't get what the big deal is with this movie. I saw the first one and was so bored, I fell asleep and then woke up and watched a little more and then eventually just turned it off. I would NEVER watch another one. I understand that a lot of people are fans, but for those of us that aren't, this sucks. Ok, I'm done ranting. Sorry.

Anyway, I got 4 hours of sleep last night and then worked for 12 hours today (and an hour of that was spent teaching spinning). I'm beat... aaaaaand have to work at 6 AM again tomorrow. I'm going to do some necessary school work and then I'm going to sleep. Good night :).

If I only had a brain....

I thought that today was going to start out really well because I woke up at 9:30 on my own and ready to work out. That never happens! Anyway, my indoor cycle class today went really well.... According to my heart rate monitor, I burned 588 calories. Woot woot!
Maybe my workout depleted all of my brain energy.... I took a shower and ran out of shampoo and soap in the same shower! I forgot that one of my clients was on vacation and I showed up for her appointment sooooo... I went to the store instead and got shampoo and soap plus a few other things that I needed. I also realized later in the day that I had double-booked myself for 5:30! The lady that I usually train at that time was not on my calendar and I scheduled a fitness assessment for then. Luckily, Dwayne took my fitness assessment for me. I'll just have to take a trip to Subway tomorrow and buy him some chocolate chip cookies. He loves them and that's how I always paid him for favors. :)
Needless to say, I got NOTHING accomplished today! Everything from today's to do list is getting pushed to tomorrow.

On another note, I love hearing all of the sweet engagement stories lately... and I love hearing about wedding plans, but ugh! Why can't the freaking fire chief here just give Sean a job already!! I need that to happen and I need to get into medical school so that Sean and I can realistically start planning a wedding, In fact, if everything falls into place like I want it to (If I get into med school the first time and if Sean and I are living in the same city), we will be getting married in 2 years!! Howeeeveeer... all of those "ifs" are BIG ifs! Keep us in your prayers :). Meanwhile, keep the engagement stories and wedding plans coming! I love them... I love LOVE. It reminds me of how lucky I am to have Sean.

Books, Weekend, School, Old Pics

I've decided that I'm going to try to update this everyday from now on. It will be my me time for the day... along with a little of my newest favorite hobby (leisure reading). I just finished reading "Can You Keep a Secret" by Sophie Kinsella. I love her books! This one reminded me of a Bridget Jones' Diary type of story. I am now currently reading "Everyone is Beautiful" by Katherine Center. So far, it's very cute... about a mom and her struggle with a less than perfect body, 3 kids, and a new move across the country.

I'm very sad that tomorrow is Monday. I love weekends these days!... even when I stay in town. I've been hanging out with Angie's friend Candace and she's a lot of fun. Friday night, we went out... tried a few new bars (one of which I fell in love with). The Carousel Bar is my new fave! I tried some new drinks there and loved all of them... AND the bar rotates like a carousel!! I had never tried a dirty martini so I had one of those first. It was very good, but from now on, I know to order them extra-dirty. Next, I had a Pimm's Cup (Pimm's, sour mix, and soda with a cucumber slice garnish)... It tasted like a spa in a glass!! Candace's drink... the Capriane (soda, vodka, and lemon/lime) was also very good. I defnitely want to go back! Anyway... yesterday, Candace and I wanted to lay out. We went to several different hotels first only to find out that we couldn't get into the pools any of them. Last time we layed out, we went to the Country Club and it was fun with a group of people, but we weren't sure about going alone. It's in the gay community and they have a clothing optional policy. LOL We drove around and finally found a public pool by the zoo! It closes at 2 pm on Saturdays though!!... sketch, right?! When it closed, we grabbed a couple of daquiri's and headed to the Fly. It's a grassy area overlooking the river... not quite the beach, but if a barge drives by, you can close your eyes and hear the waves crashing on the rocks of the levee and use your imagination. It was very hot, but actually pretty nice. My face got some color :).

This week is going to be really busy. I'm opening at work 3 days in a row and I have client appointments scattered throughout the week. I came up with some new workouts though so I'm kind of excited to use them. Hopefully, I can also get a lot of MCAT studying and application stuff done.

The newest project on the agenda is my capstone (a huge project that I have finish before I can graduate from the Master's program). It's a little early to start working on it, but we have to get approval from the IRB to collect data on human subjects. My friend Shannon and I are partners for the Schweitzer Fellowship and we're going to be implementing an exercise program and health education class for senior citizens. We want to collect information (through physiological measurements and surveys) before and after the project. We will be doing 2 separate capstone projects at the end of the school year, but we're hoping that we will be able to combine them and have our huge article PUBLISHED!! That's kind of a big deal in case you didn't know! Anyway, right now, we're trying to figure out exactly what we want to do for our capstones and we have to submit our application to the IRB. It's a ton of work, but I think it will be worth it. We meet with our academic mentor in a week to discuss our capstones and our IRB application so that just adds to my stress for the week.

On a lighter note, I scanned some old pictures onto my computer and here they are.... Enjoy!

me, Katie, Ali, Matthew, Trey

Trey and Dad... hahaha!

Sean and a high school friend... I love this for some reason :)

We had been dating for a month <3