Wanna hear a funny story?? Okay, so yesterday I did my INSANITY workout at night time around 8:30. I was on my own because Brent hurt his back and is taking a few days off. Anyway, I worked my butt off. My heart rate was up to about 180 after the warm up!! But, I was really determined yesterday. And for the first half of the work out, I was on a roll. But then Shaun T pulled out what he likes to call "level 1 drills.". Basically, you get down on the floor, do 4 push ups, run it out (in push up position), jump your knees back in, and jump up. You do this about 6-8 times. Sounds easy enough, right? No. They're not. They should be called suicide drills. I managed to get through the first set and then got back down, started doing a push up, realized that I couldn't push myself up and then just decided to lay there for a solid 2-3 minutes, face down on the ground. Haha funny, right? 

Okay, so that probably really wasn't that funny. It actually kind of sucked. INSANITY kind of sucks. But I like it :). So I'm still going strong. Today is cardio recovery day. Shaun T goes easy on us and we do some yoga stretches/deep muscle training. I'm actually quite excited for it. I haven't missed a work out. On Monday, Brent and I had only did half of a workout since we weren't feeling well, but besides that, I have done it all! I know I am going to feel so accomplished once these 2 months are up. And honestly, I'd rather be inside doing this crazy workout than running outside in the freezing cold. I'm excited to keep going :)

Happy Halloweeeeennnnn

Halloween means candy. And lots of it. As hard as it might be, I promise to NOT go crazy eating the halloween candy before the trick-or-treaters even get a chance. (That being said....I've already had two pieces of candy and its only 8:30 heeehee). But seriously. Will power is my friend. And of course, here's a motivational picture to really embed this goal for all of us.

Are you strong enough?? 

So. I'm sure you are all dying to know how our Insanity workouts are going. It is day 3 and in the words of my wonderful husband,  "ughhh I feel like an old man." Yep. That pretty much sums it up. Yesterday, we were both hobbling around the house like we were 95 years old. It was kind of pathetic. Our backs of all places have taken a beating. I didn't even know that I could work out the middle of my back and have it hurt so bad. The craziest thing is Insanity doesn't use a single dumbbell or weight beside our own body weight. And we were still hurting. If that wasn't bad enough, my right calve was killing me yesterday. Not my left, just my right. Don't ask how that happened..No idea. So, I was hobbling around because of my back, and limping because of my right leg. I was quite the sight.  As bad as that sounds, we both found it kind of funny and were able to laugh at ourselves.

But it's not all bad! Brent and I made a new friend. A friend that we will be getting to know very well: IcyHot. We had an emergency Kmart run to pick some of this glorious, glorious stuff up. It works wonders. Thank goodness for IcyHot is all I have to say about that. 

We knew that it would be hard from the beginning. Waking up early is hard. Putting ourselves through such a grueling workout is hard. Having sore muscles all over our body is hard. But we're not giving up! Hopefully each of you are setting a goal for yourself and sticking to that goal. Like I said in the last post, it is NEVER too late. :)

From the desk of....

WOAH! Where did the last two weeks go?? I am really slacking huh. Sorry to disappoint my avid readers. (Shout out to my biggest fan, my Grandma Josie--she's probably really the only one who reads these anyway ;) ) A lot has happened. My work outs have TOTALLY fallen apart. Totally. I went on a 3.5 mile run last Saturday. And ate lots of brownies and cake. That's it.  Until today, that is. :) *drumrollllllllll

Shaun T:
Brent and I have accepted your 60 day challenge. DAY 1 of INSANITY = success. You just about killed us both, but we DID it. 

Look! He's happy for us. Even his ab muscles are smiling at us. 

For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, let me fill you in. Shaun T has created this very intense and effective workout plan and has (rightly so) named it INSANITY. It.is.the.real.deal. I've been wanting to do this for some time now but have never buckled down and done it. It's a 60 day program promising to transform your body. I guess we will find out soon enough. Brent and I woke up at 6:15 AM to get this done and are going to do so 6 days a week (except for Saturday--we'll sleep in a bit that day) to get this done. But, we are going to need allll the motivation and encouragement we can get! 

Check this video out:

Ya. We're crazy. I know. :)

Anyway, I think that is that for now. I am going to update everyone on our insanity progress. So stay tuned. If nothing else, it will be humorous. ;) It is NEVER too late to get yourself back in shape. Never. Even if you do nothing but eat brownies for two weeks. Get back out there. Go to the gym, go on a run. Think about how badly you want it and don't let anything get in the way. 

Life. Gotta love it.

Okay. Officially half way through the semester. I can do it. That is what I have to keep telling myself.

My workout schedule has totally fallen apart the last week or two. I went home last weekend. It was great to see my family and go through the Boise Temple open house, but I'm not very good to keeping to a schedule when big things like that mess it up.  That plus stress plus the "blah" feeling that comes along with cold weather and midterms had such a toll. I haven't had any motivation to run or work out. But I am putting an end to this before it goes on any longer. Tomorrow, I am going on a run at 6:30 AM! I have a friend coming with me and we are going to push each other and help motivate each other to get up and get our days started right! It will not be easy, but it will have some great pros. Working out first thing in the morning will help me to get to bed on time and to have productive days. It will also just fit into my day better. I don't really like having to workout in the middle of the day and get cleaned up and ready twice!! (But then again, I don't really like waking up early. At all. But it is one or the other. I am not giving up). It will be a good mix up to what I've been doing the last 2 months. Who knows, maybe I will like it more than I think. Wish me luck!!


I want to write a little bit about the last week. It has been pretty eventful. Like I mentioned, Brent and I got to go home to Boise for a few days. It was my youngest brother's birthday. And it was the first day of tours for the temple. The temple was absolutely gorgeous. I loved being able to walk through it with my family. It was the greatest thing in the world. 

For those of you living in the Boise area, go to the temple!!! It is open to the public until about mid November and its absolutely free.  Check this out for reservation information:  Temple Open House.


Two days ago was Brent and my first wedding anniversary. We went out to dinner to Rodizio's Grill and enjoyed a wonderful evening with one another. It has been a wonderful year :). We have both learned a lot and grown a lot together. I am so excited for the years to come:)

hills and lunges

Day 2 at middle school. I actually really liked it yesterday! We'll see how it goes today.

Okay, so my workout Monday was pretty intense. I ran a one mile warm up (8 minutes 40 seconds) and then did some weights. I can totally tell that I am getting stronger (even though I'm still weak sauce) and that is pretty dang cool. I did 60 lunges holding a 15 lb dumbbell in each hand. And OUCH. It hurt. Especially today and yesterday. And yesterday, I kept dropping my pencil on the ground. I swear I must have done it like 20 times. And every time, I would just stare at the ground for a few seconds before making the slow...very slow descent down to pick it up. Ya. It was great.

I'm starting to increase the weight I am able to lift in all my other exercises. I'm starting to see some definition in my arms and all of this is totally motivating me to keep going. I love the changes I'm seeing in my body. But, the last thing to go is always the annoying belly pouch. And I always have to keep reminding myself that. If I keep up my workouts and watch what I eat (and not eat tons of brownies--which I am guilty of yesterday and today), it WILL go away. It's just really stubborn and I just really have to want it. And not give up. Yesterday, I found this awesome ab workout and did it at home. This girl has a ton of other videos too all focused on abs. So I'm going to start adding this to my workouts and hopefully in another month or two, I'll start seeing some improvements. 

So, that was Monday. Tuesdays are my running days. I got home from the middle school and was going to go running and then my mind started complaining that it was too hot. So I texted my friend to see if she would go with me later tonight when it was cooler, but she wasn't able to. At this point, I was already relaxing on the couch almost completely convinced that I couldn't possibly run in that heat. I was really REALLy tempted to stay there. But since Brenna couldn't come with me later that night, and I knew that I wouldn't go by myself once it was dark (and it gets dark at like 7:30 in Utah) I got up off the couch and went running. It was hot. And maybe a combination of that and my reluctance to go in the first place made the run harder than usual. I ran some of the same hills that I usually run, but I seemed to get tired a lot faster. But regardless, I ran for about 30 minutes and walked for about 7-8 minutes. Which is definitely better than sitting on the couch watching youtube videos all afternoon. 

Every day is a new day. Every day I get the chance to make healthy and active choices. We all do. So, keep it up! Don't ever get discouraged because of one bad day, one bad week...or even one bad year!! We all have it in us. Good luck! :)

High School Never Ends

I woke up last Friday and the first thing I said was "I don't want to teach!" To say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was so So SO nervous. And it didn't really help that Kelsey, the girl that was teaching with me, has known since the day she was born that she was going to be a teacher and had been waiting for this day to come forever. She was so ready and wasn't nervous at all. She is super ambitious especially when it comes to teaching. And there is no doubt that she is going to be a phenomenal teacher. Heck, she could probably take over now and be one of the best. (Although, I definitely was grateful for that when the we were actually in front of the classroom teaching. Some of her confidence must have rubbed off on me). 

The first class was great! They were really respectful and attentive and that really made things easier. I was still pretty nervous at the beginning, but after a few minutes I started to loosen up and it started to run a little smoother. 

But then we had lunch and a whole 45 minutes for me to rack up all my nerves again. I was kinda dreading teaching it again. Then, when we got to class, it was obvious that the entire classroom dynamics had changed. There was a group of football players all huddled together on the right side of the class laughing and making jokes. Some cheerleaders, jocks, the whole shebang. And I have no idea why, but that whole scenario made me super nervous. I could tell that the second time around did not go as well as the first, mostly because of my nerves and the class was not near as respectful and courteous as the first class. But as we were leaving, I still felt that the experience was good. Obviously in real life, you are going to have class periods that run smoother than others and I was okay with my effort. It was my first time teaching in front of a classroom like that and I was not expecting to be anywhere NEAR perfect. 

For whatever reason, I let myself think as the day went on that it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth putting my self through the nerves every single day. And I was exhausted after just teaching two class periods. When I got home I laid on the couch and told Brent I was going to change my major. I told him what I was thinking and asked him the same question I had been asking myself: why would I want to do that to myself every single day? 

Brent's answer to me was something I have known all along. In fact, thinking about it now, I don't know how I could have forgotten that answer even if it was only for a few hours. Why would I do that to myself? For the chance that I have to inspire a student and to help them become a better person. To be a good influence and to help them find something that they love and are passionate about (even if it's not the subject I teach or the subject any other teacher in the school teaches). I know that I have to be realistic and understand that I cannot save them all. But I can do good and hopefully my influence will inspire someone to reach their potential. That's why I (and thousands of others) choose to put ourselves through it. And plus, with time, the nerves will get better :)

Something to add to my "teacher scrapbook." The first classroom I ever taught in :)

Pleasant Grove High School

Today is day 5 of observation at Pleasant Grove High. I LOVE it. I walked into the school last Friday and was instantly more excited about this field experience than I have been for any other one since. It was their homecoming assembly and it was so fun too see their school spirit. I totally felt that this is where I wanted to be: high school. Ahhh it was great. 

On Tuesday, I was observing a US History class and we were talking about the cotton gin and the teacher had this AWESOME hands on lesson. He actually pulled out REAL cotton. I have never seen cotton just barely picked like that before. So he passed out the cotton to the kids and it had a ton of little black seeds. He explained that the slaves had they had to pull out the seeds quickly and cleanly all day everyday before the cotton gin. If they weren't fast enough, or were doing a sloppy job, they could get punished. Each of the kids got to pull out seeds from their little wad of cotton and we did too. Harvesting cotton become more than just this abstract idea. It became kind of real because the students got to experience it a little. I thought it was the coolest thing. I'm totally lame. But it's okay.

(Please all ignore the fact that I look like I'm a part of the class.)

Tomorrow, I am team teaching with one of my classmates to a  real, live class of highschoolers. Not just in front of my classmates (8 courteous college kids who all want to be teachers also), but real teenagers. It's kind of intimidating and a little nerve racking. But I pretty excited. We are teaching Piaget's cognitive levels of development and the teacher told us we can take as much or a little time as we want. He is pretty chill so that makes it a little less stressful. I think I am going to show this video to get the class started :)

It falls under artificialism. Little kids make up ways to explain natural phenomena. Olivia is definitely thinking "preoperationaly" as Jean Piaget would say. And plus, its just really funny too. 


So, I had a huge test yesterday and was stressing out hard core. So unfortunately, I skipped TWO workouts. I know, I know. I'm a horrible person. But today, I'm going on a five mile run with my friend Brenna. It should be good! I'm starting to remember why I loved running so much. I LOVE the sense of accomplishment after I finish a run knowing that I tried hard. And I love pushing my limits. Making it to the top of a hill or running for just a minute longer. It's the best feeling ever. That's why I run. I had simply just forgotten and the last month has helped me remember.  :) 

Hello! It has been way too long since my last blog. Thank you college for making my life crazy and hectic. But, I am happy to inform the wonderful world wide web that I only missed one of my workouts amiss a very crazy week. It's been almost a month since my workouts started and I am definitely seeing improvements. And if I could just stick to my diet (I am probably the worst dieter ever. It is seriously the worst), I would probably be seeing those results a lot faster. But I am perfectly content with the progress I have made. Slowly but surely is perfectly fine with me if it means that I can still eat and be happy. Today I even put on some skinny jeans and Brent told me I looked great! He usually always says that, but I was in skinny jeans. So it made it more awesome. :)

Yesterday in the weight room, I did upper body. So mostly arms and abs. I am seriously a weakling. But getting stronger :). I actually really enjoy my workouts in the weight room. I used to just run all the time and never really set into a weight room when I was in high school and during my first year of college. So it's definitely a nice way to change things up.

This whole week I was so bummed that wasn't able to find time to write a blog post. I was observing at Orem Elementary School the last half of last week and the first half of this week and they provided lots and lots of cute stories that were just perfect to blog about. I'll be honest, I was not excited to go to elementary school. There is a reason that I chose to be a secondary education major. And that reason is that I do not like little kids very much. I think that they can be kind of gross sometimes. I'll admit that they can be cute sometimes though.  Sorry if that offended anyone. I'm sure I'll like my own alright when that day comes. But dealing with other people's germy kids? ....nott uhh. No thank you. (Unless they are babies...or toddlers. Then I think they are adorable! But only when I can give them back to mom and dad when they start screaming). I was always that babysitter that put on a movie until  the parents came back and then I just sat on the couch and made sure they didn't kill each other. But after this week, I gained an incredible respect for elementary school teachers and after only spending five days in a classroom of second graders, I even thought that most of them were kind of cute by the time I left. I was actually kind of sad to leave. Tuesday was our last day and when the kids found out, they ALL came over and hugged me and my classmate Kelsey. It was the cutest bear hug with about 25 six year olds you have EVER seen. I am so sad that I didn't get a picture. But trust me, it was cute. So...after everything was all said and done, elementary school wasn't all that bad. I kinda liked it. But it by no means made me want to change my major to el ed. 

Y mountain

The start of a new week means a new set of goals! Last week, I really wanted to focus on stepping up my workouts. And I think I did a pretty good job. I ran hard and worked hard. But, I let my diet slack. So this week, my fitness goal is to stick to my diet better. When I do both, I feel like my progress is so much easier to feel and see. That is goal number one. 

Goal number two is to get to bed by 10:00-10:15 PM every night! Last night, I went to sleep at 11. And usually its after 10:30, which makes waking up at 6AM every morning harder. Today I actually slept in til 6:36 and then didn't have enough time to get things done in the morning before I had to leave. So that's the goal this week. Get to bed on time!

Saturday, I went on an awesome run. I worked out the full hour and probably ran about 40-45 minutes of it. I live pretty close to Y mountain and that means there are lots and lots of hills. When I was a freshman in college, I used to be able to run from Heritage dorms all the way to the Y mountain parking lot in 15 minutes. So, not the Y itself, but just up through the neighborhoods to get to where you actually start the hike. Those are still some steep hills. I always told myself I would get to the top of the Y one day, but it never happened.

On Saturday, I ran uphill from my house up to the parking lot, very, very slowly. It took about 25-26 minutes and I walked a bit. Once I got to the parking lot, instead of going up the Y trail head, I went on the Bonneville trails to the right and ran for about 20 minutes before making my way down the mountain. I felt sooo accomplished once I got home. It was a really good run. One of these days, I'll be able to make it up without having to stop and walk :)

9th grade archaeologists...

9th grade archaeologists....would probably crush an ancient skull with their shovels. Yesterday was a little chaotic. In my opinion, most of the kids didn't take it seriously. They knew it wasn't real. Some of the kids even broke the little pieces of pottery they found on purpose! I felt like I was babysitting! "Hey! don't throw those rocks at people!" "Your breaking the pottery!" But, it was a learning experience. I learned that I want to teach juniors and seniors. 

Oh my SORE

Okay. Just to let you all know. I definitely stepped up my workout yesterday in  the weight room. And I am feeling it today. My body is definitely hurtin. I was seriously so intimidated when I walked out the front door  this morning and started walking towards my bike. I was dreading my 1.5 mile all up hill commute. The first five minutes I kept thinking, it would probably be okay if I just turned around and got the car... And I seriously almost did. You know that one picture that says "What I think I look like when I run" and below it says "What I'm pretty sure I actually look like when I run." Ya. That was me. Except on a bike. It was rough. But I did it!!!!!

Wanna know what kept me going? I saw this quote yesterday that said something like: Next time you look in the mirror, you won't remember the pain. So. Even though I legs are killing right now, I've got a 45 minute run to do this afternoon and nothing's getting in the way!

Spanish Archaeology

Good morning! As we speak, I am sitting at work enjoying a a delicious green smoothie. It doesn't have any blueberries though...which is super sad. Since school started, I have had to cut down my hours a lot and to save money on food, we cut blueberries for a while. Those things can be pricey....but their so good! Oh well,  the smoothie still turned out well.

Okay, so even though it is Wednesday already (thank you three day weekend), I want to set some goals for myself for the rest of the week. I feel that my workouts last week went okay. But I know I didn't give it my all. Especially during my runs. I started to get tired and stopped to walk when I totally could have kept going. And with weights too. Frankly, I kept it easy. Starting today, I am going to give it my all during my workouts. I am going to push just another minute longer every time I start to feel tired. Killer results come from killer workouts. No more excuses. I want killer results. 

Also, wanna know something super lame? So I am taking 3 Spanish classes this semester (well, I was). I plan on getting a Spanish teaching minor. And I've already mentioned that my schedule is pretty hectic. Mostly because of my intro to education class...the one that is four hours every single day. Ya. I know. Anyway, because of that, I had to take some evening classes. The Spanish writing and composition class that I signed up for was every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-5:20 and it was the only section that fit into my schedule. Well, they cancelled it. Like completely. There weren't enough students. So now I have to try to fit it into next semester. I am a crazy planner...I plan my days, my weeks, and even my entire semester with the exact classes I am going to take. And I really really really don't like when things mess up my plans. Ask my husband. So I called my mom complaining about how they just cancelled this class that I need and how I can't fit it in anywhere else this semester. Like all moms do, she told me not to worry and that who knows? It might have happened for a reason. So, the world probably won't end. But it is still pretty lame. I'll probably just end up working on my online class and get it completely done this semester. Good ol' BYU. 

One more thing, the class that I am observing at Karl G. Maeser is doing a archaeological dig tomorrow. It's like a field trip within a field trip....field-ception! (Sorry, that was really cheesy). Don't worry, I will tell you all about it in my next post! :)

Friday was awesome. I observed a 9th grade History and English class. They were having a socratic discussion over Plato's Apology and I. was. impressed. The majority of the class was actively participating and they had very intelligent and well thought out opinions. It was the same group of students in the English class as well. (The school does a socratic style of teaching and completely combines their social studies with English.) They started acting a little more like normal 9th graders during this half. I observed not only the teacher's teaching methods, but how she handled behavioral problems with some of the students, which was super interesting. Classroom management is crucial to effective teaching. It's kind of overwhelming when I think of everything that goes into teaching and that one day I'll be in charge of my own classroom. But seeing it play out live in action is pretty helpful. Also seeing her present information to her students and being able to point out the different aspects of her lessons plans (after having learned about some of them in class this past week) was cool! We get to go back to the same school all next week. This first week, I honestly want to just observe a variety of different teachers and see their all their different methods. So hopefully that gets to happen. I guess we'll see!

Here's a picture of the guy himself: Karl G. Maeser.

Just in case anyone doesn't know who he is, he was an prominent Utah educator and president of Brigham Young University for 16 years. What I personally know him best for is his incredible integrity. Most BYU students are familiar with his quote on honor (we see it every time we walk into the testing center) and I think it's worth sharing:

 "I have been asked what I mean by 'word of honor.' I will tell you. Place me behind prison walls--walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground--there is a possibility that in some way or another I may escape; but stand me on the floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of the circle? No. Never! I'd die first!"

Cool, huh. It's definitely a concept that the world could use a reminder of.

Anyway, I will definitely be updating my experiences at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy as I continue to go throughout the rest of next week. 



Now for the work out update. Yesterday, I did 50 minutes of cardio. I know, 10 minutes less than I should have. But it was hard. Especially since I was on a treadmill the whole time...it was raining most of the day. Treadmills can be convenient sometimes. But personally, anything past 30 minutes on a treadmill is way too long. I'd rather be outside. It's so much better. My cheat day ended up being yesterday. I had a get together with some old roommates and we brought cookies and cakes and cinnamon roles and the whole shabang. It was great. :) But now its time to get back on track for next week. Here's to another week of getting back in shape. Just gotta take it one day at time. 

Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy

So today is going to be SUPER exciting. I'm an education major, right. And today is my first field experiences out to the schools. I am going to a charter school in Linden by the name of Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy (fancy, right?) Anyone that goes to a school with a name like that is probably smarter than I am, but that's okay. I'm still excited. We're just going to observe and sit in for the next week and maybe get to teach a little bit in front of the kids. But maybe not. If it's not cool enough that I am going on a field trip in college, there's a BONUS. The charter school has early releases on Fridays. So even though our experience is suppose to run from 10:30 AM-1:30 PM, we're getting out of noon! Then it's to the weight room and then I'll be done with my last class at 4. Also, BYU won their football game last night. Which is awesome. Today is going to be a good day! :)

Oh, and about working out. I promise to work out extra hard today...I ate a krispy kreme yesterday. And it was SO good. Haha. I tried to resist, but I was weak. My professor brought in 24 donuts for a class of 8 students. And...ya. You know how it goes. It was like each and every sprinkle on the donut was calling out my name. But since I have plenty of time to work out in between classes today, I am adding a 25 minute run in addition to the weight room. I'm not trying to be a nazi about what I eat. But if I do choose to eat something like a donut on a day that isn't my cheat day, I'm just going to step up my workout. Easy as that. 

Anyway, here's to a 3 day weekend! Thanks for reading! 

Today's Another Chance

It's Thursday. Tomorrow is Friday. (I sound like Rebecca Black...) Thank Goodness. I have been struggling with my new routine (workout and school). But this always happens. And it always gets better. 

AND...Guess what! So it's only technically been 4 days since I started my workout and diet (even though I started eating healthier 1-2 weeks ago) and I totally feel better. Like, I am already feeling more confident about myself and the way I look and the way I fit into my clothes. I've even lost about 1.5 pounds just by eating healthy and working it all off. I know I still have a ways to go and many more weeks before I get the body I want, but it's definitely motivating me to keep going. And, its just plain awesome. 

That 1.5 pounds came after a lot of  sacrifice though. You definitely notice cutting your caloric intake by 500-600 a day. The last 4 days, I've been taking in about 1200-1400 daily. I've felt hungry a lot at first and still kind of do, but I am definitely noticing that it is getting easier. Your stomach adapts and works with what it gets. That being said, I am SOO excited for my cheat day at the end of the week (probably Sunday). For me, having a day to look forward too once a week to eat without a worry in the world helps me keep going.  

And honestly, I was a little skeptical about this whole blog thing. Like I said earlier, I have never, ever, ever been a blogger or read blogs before now. But I totally feel like I HAVE to go through with everything I write on here. It's actually kind of funny. I was telling Brent that I feel accountable to follow through to anyone any where who comes across this blog  So, it's totally working to help keep me motivated. Thanks for the help! :) 

Making myself proud!!

First Day of School

Happy Monday! :)

School starts today. Which also means my workout schedule officially starts today. Wooot. 
No, but really. I'm actually kind of excited. Here's the plan.

Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays: I have class from 10-1:50. and 3-5:20. Plus I work from 8-9:50 AM. Because of how demanding my schedule already is, I was trying to figure when in the world I would have time to work out. (I am NOT a morning person. I hate running after I eat. And running in the dark scares me--plus the weight room on campus closes super early) So every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I am lifting weights from 2-2:40. 

Tuesdays/Thursdays: I have a little more time during my class breaks. I don't have class from 1:50-4. So every Tuesday I plan on going on a 45 minute run and then getting cleaned up again before class at 4. 

Saturdays: Long runs in the morning. So I know I probably can't run an hour straight (or even 45 minutes straight) like I used to back in high school. But I'm going to cover as much ground as I can in one hour, even if that means I'm walking half the time. I've got to start somewhere. 

Also, here's what I did yesterday. Don't laugh. 

So, its a little blurry (the picture is from my phone), but ya. I "pre-packed" my lunch and morning/afternoon snacks for the entire week. And! It's healthy :)

      Fiber One Bars: 140 calories

      Apples: 95 calories

      Carrots: 35 calories

      Blueberries: 41 calories

      Grapes: 90 calories

      Pretzels: 135 calories

      Yogurt: 90 calories

Good Morning! So, I thought I would share with you something that helps me get started in the mornings. Getting back in shape is more than just working out. It's eating healthy too! Make the little (or big) changes in your diet and you can see awesome results. Everyone has been talking about the green smoothie lately. And I feel like everyone has their own recipe for it. So....here's yet another to add to your repertoire.  

Stephanie's Green Smoothie (2 Servings)

2 Cups Spinach Leaves (14 calories)
1 Apple cut into small pieces (95 Calories)
1 Pear cut into small pieces (96 Calories)
1 Banana (100 Calories)
1/2 cup blueberries (41 Calories)
Strawberries! (I sometimes throw in a few if I have them)
1 cup cold water

(Total Calories: 341)

Blend until smooth and walla! A green smoothie! 

This smoothie has about 170 calories per serving. And it is loaded with fiber and good sugar and protein. It keeps me full for the entire morning.
It took me a few tries to find the right combination of fruits to add to the smoothie. And this by far is my favorite. Up until now, I've been drinking this 2-3 times a week for breakfast. But now its time to try harder and my goal is to drink this 6 times a week. Honestly, I don't think it will be too hard. The smoothie is actually pretty good. I was just stubborn and didn't want to give up my sugary cereals in the morning and that's why I am giving myself a cheat day once a week. :)

Let me know what you like to add to your smoothies. Do any of you have any tips? 

Okay. The blog has been made. There is no turning back now. Here goes nothing

Hi! My name is Stephanie. I'm 20 years old and am a junior in college at BYU majoring in education. I have been married for almost one year to my favorite person in the world. His name is Brent. You can see how cute he is in the picture below. Presh, right? Sorry ladies, he's taken. 

Okay. I'll stop showing off now. And....I have a confession to make. This is my first. blog. ever. I never really caught on to the the whole blog thing. I don't really have any blogs that I follow religiously like some people do and I haven't really had any interest in starting one of my own....until now. And honestly, I have no idea what I am doing. But I needed something to help keep me motivated, so here I am. 

About a year ago, a few months before the wedding, I happened to come across an article all about shocking secrets of the first year of marriage. Believe it or not, the number one all time shocking secret of the first year of marriage is......drum roll, please......new wives tend to gain weight. (Gasp!) Or as the article so delicately put it, you'll gain a little love weight. (Love makes it sound oh so much better, right?)   So, probably not the news of the century. I've heard that same thing a million times. That type of thing happens to other people, not me. 

Okay. I have another confession to make. One year later, I, Stephanie Leger, have gained weight. There. I said it. Which I guess brings us to why I have decided to start my own blog. I want someway to help keep me motivated to meet my fitness goals. Granted, I know I am not fat, but to me, it's more important than that. I've gotten lazy and my body has changed. And I don't like it. So...I'm going to do something about  it! I am getting back in shape. I'm going to start trying a little harder and aiming a little higher. And I'm confident I'll get there. So thanks for being there to cheer me on. :)

Ohh and just in case you wanted to read it, here is the article: http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/10-shocking-secrets-of-the-first-year-of-marriage-2399338.html