Bikini Series 2014

I am so excited! Since joining the tone it up nutrition plan in January I have yet officially been able to be a part of any series! When I joined, the TIU team was knee deep in the love your body series so I felt a bit late to the party. 

To prepare for the bikini series I have taken my dreadful "before" pics, began a food/workout/inspirational notebook, and have written down all the workouts and challenges for the week. Karina and Katrina have suggested dedicating each week to someone we love. For this week, everytime I finish a workout, or make a healthy choice I will think of my friend Alyssa. Alyssa is such an inspiration! She's a very good friend of mine, and I miss her very much. It was a no brainer when I decided she would be my week 1 dedication. 

An especially inspiring part of the bikini series is the daily challenges we can participate in.  On monday I was to write my goals and create a visoon board.  At first I wanted to do one on canvas with paint and printed pictures, but then I got lazy, realized Im broke, and resorted to creating one on pinterest.  You can see my Pinterest board Here :)  

Nutriton-wise I have had to wing it these past few days because Im waiting to work before I can do some decent grocery shopping.  I have been keeping up with the workouts pretty well! Im really excited to see how sucessful I can be at this challenge! If youre interested in doing it too, its not too late! sign up at toneitup.com!

So Much Stress

Breakfast

I decided today would be Day One of my Three day juice "cleanse".  I put that in quotes, because I don't know if it really is considered a cleanse or not, but none the less its nothing but fresh veggie juice for me until Saturday.  This was actually a bad idea, because I have a enormously important test in biochem today, which I really need caffeine for, but obviously I cant juice caffeine, so no caffeine for me!  Also, it just happens to be my registration day for Fall Semester.  I'm getting to the point at school where I need certain classes each semester to graduate on time, and not getting into just one can derail me, and force me to stay for a whole other year, which is just not an option.  The trick is to pray that the classes don't fill up by the time its my turn to register.  Which is in exactly one hour.  I think I'm going to throw up.  And of course I cannot concentrate on studying at all.  I am hoping that by the end of today it will all be better.  By then I will have classes (hopefully), my test will be over, and I will be at work making some money so I can pay some bills.  It will be glorious, and I cant wait.  In the mean time I want to eat all the food to fill the hole vibrating with anxiety in the pit of my stomach, and I cant, because I'm meeting someone new this weekend and I need to drop this extra 7 pounds Ive kept on my bones way too long.  Plus a healthy glow and perfect skin wouldn't suck either.  Priorities, you know?
//end rant

Get Ready... Get Set...

Its time to sign up for the 2014 Bikini Series!!! Its free, and you should definitely do it with me :)

Today is the day! Lets do this!!! (series begins on the 28th)

SIGN UP HERE!!

Back On Track!

Its been 10 days since my last post, but you cant judge me!  I told you I have a lot going on right now, and I may have underestimated exactly how much energy was required to executing all the tasks.  I would so much rather sit here on blogger posting all my inner thoughts, inspirations, and advice, as well as reading all of yours! This is just what the end of a semester looks like.  Taking a small break from researching weather or not all violent psychopaths had traumatic childhoods, I decided to stop in here for some public journaling!

Its been a struggle to leave the house lately, as for the past three weeks I have really let myself go and gained about 10 pounds.  That seems like a lot for just 3 weeks, but hey, humans are funny that way.  I know better.  I feel better when I am taking care of myself, and since nutrition is my passion and career goal, I feel an extra push to be a role model in that department.  I don't mean I need to look like a supermodel! I just need to be healthy and make healthy choices at least 80% of the time.  When it becomes 40% of the time, then we have a problem.  SO this week I have been on a steady diet of:

• tuna fish
• salads full of arugula, spinach, shaved Brussels sprouts, and kale
• quinoa and roasted veggies (pre made- microwave ready whenever the desire hits)
• bananas
• vegan protein powder mixed with unsweetened vanilla almond milk

That is pretty much where the list ends because my grocery budget didn't stretch much beyond $40 this week, but since Maddex is with his dad until Friday it works.  Speaking of Maddex I miss him like CRAZY! On one hand, not needing to entertain him over the break is a blessing because I have so much work to do, but on the other, I am a MOM FIRST, and I miss my baby boy.  To be fair he is hanging with his pops, which he doesn't get to do very often, so I will sit back with my tail between my legs and pout silently in a dark corner.

Oh and while we are on the topic of tails!!!! Denver came to visit again last week.  He is so "awesome".  I was having a crappy week last week, so when he came over I was finally happy again.  There is something so powerful about the presence of an animal.  They are so magical.  Even lizards.

In between all the homework, I have been trying to get back into shape because the Tone It Up bikini series 2014 starts on April 28th!!!! I am so excited about what these girls have in store for all of us on the TIU Team, and I want to be ready for it!  The series is free! so if you want to do it with me then you should sign up HERE!

What's Going On?

Ahh! This is the first post in almost a week! What has distracted me so severely that I wouldn't write anything for this space in such a long time? Its not for lack of material, as I look back on my week I realize Ive simply been too busy! Which is great! I enjoy being busy.  So what has been going on?

1) The time has come to finish Dexter.  I stopped after season 5, so just three more to go!

2) Grahams book Someday, Someday, Maybe has me all wrapped up in a blanket listening to the rain, devouring every word!

3) For my Food Systems Management class, I have been working on a script called Good Manager Vs. Bad Manager for our class project.

4) For my Psychology Of Criminals class, I have been working on my research paper.  The research is focused on weather or not all psychopaths had traumatic childhoods.  Its a tough paper to write.

5) DNA and RNA (enough said)

6) Admittedly, I have not been working out as much as I used to, but I have been making an effort to get back on track!  Tone it up has updated their app!  Even if you're not a member of the "plan" you can still download the APP which stores all the YouTube videos of the workouts.  Super handy.

7)  Ive been obsessed with trying to get my food situation under control. Right now I am obsessed with lots of green veggies with tuna as my protein.  Also, I am making quinoa salad this weekend!

This coming month will be very assignment-heavy.  I will be turning down many social events and work opportunities to power through in order to get the best grades possible.  This also means that I wont be able to work on my book :( But then again, that was supposed to be a summer project anyway!
What have you been up to???