Week 3 day 1

Today went great! I'm amazed, even though its small progress, that I can run for 3 minutes still at 5.6 mph. This week called for:

90 seconds of walking, 90 seconds of jogging, 3 minutes of walking 3 minutes of jogging.

And all of this was repeated twice. First off the run went QUICKLY. There are 2 less jogs this week than last week because these jogs are longer. I started off doing the 90 minute run and decided my music needed to be louder so I exited the timer app on my ipod-turns out by doing this I reset the timer. This caused me to run three 3-minute miles and only one 90-minute mile! I over extended myself this day and it felt awesome! My breathing for the most was not to labored and it was steady. I'm trying to breath through my diaphragm and I'm trying to step down correctly. This all helped me to run longer I think. The only problem is shin splints! They got really bad during the last 3 minute run and I almost had to give up. Thank god they aren't so bad that I have to stop running for a few weeks. I get them only on my right shin and it makes running pretty difficult. Soooooo I'm thinking of buying new shoes instead of the cheap old one's I've been running with.

Also I got a new pair of headphones today so I don't have to run with the crappy Apple ones. They are cute and pink and wont fall out of my ears!!! And I hope my ipod shuffle doesn't get lost in the mail since I did not get it shipped to the right address.

After my run I felt tired but great. Took a shower, relaxed, ate breakfast, it was great! I haven't seen weight or body changes but I feel healthier. my endurance is clearly building and that is all the improvement I need to see-although a slimmer waist would be nice! 

Lastly, my boyfriends father is in the hospital. He'll be coming home on Monday. I wish him and his wife all the best luck! He is quickly getting better and I'm thankful for that.

Good luck to anyone who is building their fitness!

Week 2 Completed!

I'm still doing the C25K (couch to 5k) program! I', surprised I have stuck with the program almost exactly. The last time I attempted it I felt as though I wasn't being worked out enough so I opted to do more mileage on my days off. This lead to me being extra soar and eventually quitting. However, this time I decided to skip week one so that the workout would be tougher and I wouldn't feel the need to exercise on my days off. And although I have felt the need to do some running or biking on those days in between my training I have resisted!

This week the C25K calls for:
Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

In total that is 6 jogs which is about 9 minutes jogging and 10 minutes walking. I jogged this week at 5.6 MPH and walked at 3.3-3.5 mph. The program says if you feel like you want to quit you should reduce your pace and after this week I think I'll have to do that! I wanted to beable to finish my 3 mile jog in 30-35 minutes but I don't know if that is going to happen right away. Next week I think I'll try pacing myself at  5 MPH on the jogs and see how I feel after that.

On the bright side I do feel great! I havent really lost any weight I'm still around 112-114 but I feel better about myself already knowing I am taking my health into my own hands! During the runs I get a side stitch on my right side but I am trying new breathing techniques to cure that. My boyfriend helps me with stretching and I have to say it makes a WORLD of difference the next day! My goal is to finish this program just around when school begins so I can go to the gym without being embarrassed! I'm not fat but when I step into a gym knowing I'm unfit I feel like everyone stares at me. They probably think because I am skinny that I should be pushing myself more but in reality I can't and I know there are many bigger people who are more fit than I am. So I'll just keep tyring and eventually I'll be where I want to me!

Now I'm going to go eat breakfast/ lunch. I don't like eating before a run and I accidentally skipped breakfast. Steak salad here I come! Oh and before I forget I found a balsamic dressing that has 35 calories per two tablespoons and my previous Italian dressing had 80! Considering how much dressing I literally DRINK this is a huge cut in calories for me! YAY!

Week 2 Day 1 (First Finish)!

I ran the C25K (couch to 5k) for the first time today! I started with week 2 which was jogging for 90 seconds and walking for 2 minutes. I jogged at 5.6 and walked at 3.5 on my treadmill and I must have gotten a work out because I was sweaty, which I never am! Before the run I had orange juice and cheerios because I am trying to eat 3 meals every day. I feel good about my run and just hope I can stick with it. I cant imagine running a 5k (3 miles) in 30 minutes without stopping or walking! So I'm very very excited to get to that point. I've never stuck with anything in my life, even if I loved doing it- like playing the piano- because people always came around who were better than me and I felt intimidated. But not this time!

On another note, yesterday I visited my baby cousin for the first time, he is 2 1/2 months and just the cutest thing EVER! It made me want to have a baby right now-kinda weird! Sometimes I wish it were the 1920's because at 19 I'd probably be married and starting my family. But I also probably wouldn't have gotten a great education or have the chance to be a physician soooooo nvm! Babies can wait, even if they are super cute!

My Motivation

My boyfriend suggested I print out my workout schedule and think of motivations for exercising! What A great idea! So here goes. I need to exercise because...

1.) I'm tired of being "the fat twin"

2.) I want to feel healthier and more active, ie I don't want to be winded after walking up stairs. I'm only 19 for god's sake! 

3.) I want to be in shape and look good for my boyfriend. Being next to mark in a flabby body is deflating to say the least lol. He has muscles and back dimples and is so hard and sexy! I know he wants a hard and sexy girl friend ^.^ even if he does say I'm perfect.

4.) In 10 years I'll want to start a family! And we all know baby weight is hard to get rid of so I'd like to get into a routine now so that when I need to drop the baby weight it'll be easier. 

5.) I never want to be a diabetic like my mum- God bless her she has way more restraint in her eating habits then I could ever have!

6.) Lastly, I'm buying a cute ipod shuffle just for exercising! I don't want to invest in shoes and equipment and have the money be wasted.

Every month after I start attending the gym at my university I will post improvement pictures. If I have evidence of improvement that will motivate me to continue.

On a separate note I have been trying to exercise! Yesterday my Mark and I ran/ power walked 4 miles! Then we went to the beach! Tomorrow is more tennis and soccer! We get bored so we like to mix it up. But my leg muscles hurt...hm, perfect excuse for a massage from the boyfriend tomorrow! I'll have to remember to ask!

Oh and before I forget the birth control has gone splendidly! No symptoms and I just started the third phase of Ortho Tri Cyclen. After this next week I 'll have my first pill period!

Planned Parenthood

I was pleasantly surprised! Planned Parenthood was AMAZING! the doctors and nurses were friendly and warm. The building wasn't sketchy like I thought it would be! Most importantly though I felt safe and taken care of. No one judged me. Most of the women there were in their late teens or 20's-30's and some even brought their husbands and children! I'll admit I was scared of going to the clinic. But after this visit I will advocate for the cause that Planned Parenthood supports! I even gave a donation to the surprise of the lady behind the desk lol! I was charged 12$ for my appointment and received free birth control for two months. I have to return to get my 3rd month's worth soon and after the third month I have a check up to make sure everything is alright. After that I get birth control for a year! I will take my first pill tomorrow at 8:00 and I'm still excited! Hopefully there is no weight gain or bad side effects! Oh and I'd like to keep my sex drive!

The best part of the appointment however was when the doctor told me I could receive my birth control without ever getting a pelvic exam! This was great news to me. I've never had a pelvic exam and probably wont have one until I'm pregnant.

Onto more exciting things! I did a 10 mile bike ride with the parents and boyfriend today! part of my fitness plan but really I was guilt-ed into it! I weighed myself today and I was 113 pounds so no significant losses yet. I haven't followed my food plan much but I'll try more tomorrow! I played soccer and took a walk yesterday at the park near my house so I got a little exercise. I'm in pain all over though, maybe that means I'm doing a good job!

I hit a moody patch this afternoon. Got very touchy and sensitive (hoping the pill cures this). I doubted myself completely, lost all of my self confidence. Fortunately Mark pulled me out and I'm all better. Anyway I'm exhausted. Off to bed with me!

Calorie Conscious

Well after being called fat by my twin sister, whose probably 10 pounds lighter than me, for the second time in two days I've decided I need to go on a diet and get exercising as soon as possible. I've struggled with an eating disorder since 8th grade. I'll still throw up on occasion when the guilt is a bit to much to bare. The worse thing is my parents don't stop her from yelling at me and calling me fat, they just say "oh sorry about that"...I don't know what that's supposed to solve... I wont be coming home next year. I don't have to put up with the insults as I'm perfectly happy shacking up in the dorms with my lovely Mark.

Anyway! On to something more optimistic. The great weather here for the next week will be the perfect kick in the butt! Tomorrow my boyfriend and I will go play tennis I think, maybe even take a run although I completely suck at running. Also, I'll work on planting my fish tank. It's really coming along and when I'm happy with it I'll post pictures. So without adieu here's my new Calorie Conscious menu!

Breakfast-8:00
1 cup of halved Strawberries (49 calories)

Lunch-12:00
4 cups Romaine lettuce (32 calories),  5tbsp Wishbone Italian dressing (200 calories), 4 cherry tomatoes (12 calories), 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (10 calories)

Dinner-6:00
10 Ritz whole wheat crackers(140 calories), Kraft Cheese blocks (100 calories)

Total: 553 calories

Lets see how this goes!

Birth control pills

I have been in a loving monogamous relationship for almost 4 years now. (wow how time flies)! His name is Mark and he is a beautiful Filipino guy, adopted and brought to the states 18 years ago, and he'll be 20 soon. He is my best friend and my greatest fan, always supporting me in my endeavors and cheering me on. I look up to him partially because he reminds me of my father and is studying to be an engineer just like my father!

Which brings me to the reason for this post. I'm getting on birth control! We've been having sex for 3 years now, started 8 months into the relationship, and it really is time to protect my sexual health more. We couldn't handle a pregnancy at 19 and 20, especially with me planning on attending medical school and him wanting to go to graduate school. So I've set up an appointment with planned parenthood on Friday! I'm a little nervous about ti though, mainly about the side effects. I can deal with nausea, headaches, spotting etc. but I can not deal with blood clots and stroke. But those aren't common in my family...actually I cant think of anyone who has had them, so as usually I'm probably blowing it out of proportion, the whole reason I skipped my first planned parenthood appointment 6 months ago.

You may be wondering why I'm going to a clinic instead of my doctor? Well first off I go to a pediatrician and it would be weird bringing it up to her. Also, I've only seen her twice-again awkward. And lastly, and the most pressing issue, my parents CAN'T find out. They were against acne pills they aren't going to go for birth control. I haven't told them I'm even having sex although after almost 4 years with the same guy you'd think they'd know. I'm excited because i see this as a new start for me; I hope the pill will alleviate some pre-period symptoms like acne, migraines, and most of all my moodiness!

Mostly though I want to start the process of renewing myself this Friday with my first pill. I did not do well in school last semester, got a 2.3 OUCH! and it really brought down my GPA. It was my first year away from my family and my boyfriend who has now decided to transfer to my university!!! But my freshman year is behind me and i'm determined to do better! Mark, being the amazing guy he is, is going to help me with these changes! So with my first pill on Friday I plan make the following changes:

1) Do amazing in school- I'll have to study more and cut out some internet time but It's worth it
2) Loose some weight, go to the gym on campus, and eat better- I am 114 pounds and 5' 1'', I need to loose 10 pounds
3) Stop trying to compete with and pathetically loose to my twin sister. This will hopefully boost my self esteem and maybe I'll even gain some confidence
4) Do all of the aformentioned things for ME and not for my parents or to be better than other people.
5) Get at least one job that will help me get into medical school- SCRIBE job and/or lab work
6) Most importantly...focus on MYSELF, MARK, and SCHOOL no one else and nothing else

I hope this blog will help me with all of these things. The changes are for a better future for myself and my boyfriend, the man I'll most likely spend the rest of my life with! So I have a few more days, I've been doing a countdown for the last two weeks, and these changes are soon to come! If anyone reads this wish me luck! I'm going to need a lot of it and I'm not a very lucky person.