Category: Daily Dose

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Daily Dose

Obstacles

What I felt I looked like…
I haven’t posted anything in a couple of days, my apologies. Unfortunately I got food poisoning and couldn’t bother to be more than three feet from the bathroom. I went to Subway, of all the healthy places to stop and grab a bite – then three hours later, I became intimately acquainted with my porcelain throne. If you’ve never had the pleasure of puking your brains out, let me enlighten you: It was all kinds of crampy, sweaty and dry-heaving awful. It did make me wonder how some people could be bulimic, though. Personally, the thought of vomiting on purpose just makes me queasy. I felt horrendous and couldn’t even keep down water, for fitness sake!
How serious was this 2-day torture? I did not even crave coffee. Not one, single drop. As a matter of fact, the smell of it made me nauseous. That serious.  My philosophy on coffee is similar to that of a drunk and their alcohol of choice…dropping it or cutting it out is NOT an option! Just so you know. 🙂
So…hooray for feeling better and thank the exercise gods that I can now take a few steps without having to hold onto something.
I feel that I got better by eating some yummy soups. I didn’t feel like making anything, so I called in an order for Wonton Soup (just the broth…they thought it was a weird request) from my favorite Chinese restaurant in Waco. Cathay House! They have amazing food and fit perfectly into a college-kid budget. Not a single one of their dishes is above $7. Perfect, right? 
Along with the wonton soup broth (which was the only thing I forced down on Wednesday), I picked up a Mushroom Rice Noodle Soup Bowl by Thai Kitchen. It was only 3 WW points [not that it mattered, since the only other thing I had was sips of water] and was very tasty. [I had my taste buds working at half-power on Thursday, so it may have been on the saltier side and I honestly had no clue] I followed the microwaveable directions and added half a cup of Green Giant mixed veggies. After a nap, I was on the mend: fast-track style! 
Super Tasty, Quick to Make – You can’t go wrong!
Needless to say, my week was complicated and very rough. Just another obstacle. I didn’t get a chance to work-out much, but I did lose three pounds. All water-weight, no doubt…but I’m still feeling out-of-my-mind weak, so I won’t be running again until at least tomorrow evening. That said, let me give you some advice:
If you’re feeling crummy, don’t push it. There’s nothing to win from working out when your body is not able to benefit from your endeavors. Take a break, a day to gather yourself and then head back out there. Knowing your limitations is key to successfully losing weight. 
I hope your weekend is amazing! As for me? I’m hitting the books hard and spending my time making oodles of study-notes. Graduation is in a few weeks and I’m in the last leg of this all-out sprint. 
Until tomorrow!
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Daily Dose

Junk in the Trunk

Sometimes the junk is hard to resist…
Let’s face it, we all have “cheat” days. For me, I cheat on healthy foods when I study, and boy is it a love affair! It’s so much easier for me to reach for a bottle of Mountain Dew and  a bag of Doritos + Kit Kats. The perfect study snack, right? 
WRONG!
I’m still learning to move away from the junk food, and I’m completely smitten with my friend, The Dew. So…I opted for a healthier Teddy Graham option and limited myself to ONE 16 oz. bottle of the awesome green bubbly. 
Again…everything in moderation! 
As I’m getting ready for my midterm (and pulling an almost-all-nighter) I realized where most of my pounds started accumulating. 
The culprit? My late-night study and snack routine. 
Lightbulb!
Those 2am kit-kats and soda-breaks through SoRo are the cause of all the junk in my trunk. This booty just won’t quit. I know that’s probably not much to truly complain about…I mean, I could have no booty and that would make me sad. I’m quite fond of said booty, though I want it to not be so…in-your-face. Hence, the workouts!
Unfortunately, studying takes up my time and then I forget to work out. 
Solution?
Set an alarm! I now set a “Get your Sexy Self to the Gym” alarm and it reminds me to step away from my academic prison to get me some endorphins! 
Try the alarm idea…it works so well for me!

Get that trunk moving and have fun doing it!

Hasta!


The Teddies…helping me study!

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Daily Dose

Veggies have SWAG, right?

 
Hello, lovelies! :] I hope your weekend was amazing! Mine was a bit hectic and nothing less than tons-of-fun. <3 Hanging out with besties and eating some great food? Life can't be much sweeter. Today I'm adding my Beef Stir Fry Recipe, get excited!
Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to make the Green Monster, just yet. It’ll have to wait…for now. Don’t worry though, I promise to get to it soon!
Part of this weekend’s adventure included a trip to the movies (I dreaded the snacks), a few bites out and some traditional at-home sit-down meals. It was awesome.
Let me start by saying that I have fallen completely head-over-freaking-heels for Whole Foods! They have some amazing Vegan Cupcakes, which says something…because I loathe being able to taste healthier food. I know that sounds weird, but let’s face it: Once you’ve had a romance with butter, flour and all their yummy, nummy friends…it’s hard to forget they exist.
[Yes, I did see you shake your head in agreement]
So I can completely appreciate a healthier option for anything, as long as it’s delicious!
Enter, my new stir-fry favorite. 
Fun fact? I used a quick spritz of Crisco’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil spray (about a second’s worth) and proceeded to add flank steak and onions (let ’em get well-acquainted). Once the meat’s nearly completely cooked, add the rest of the veggies and the sauce (found in the “Asian” food aisle…really. Not, “P.C.”…but hey, that’s what they called it). Let the sauce thicken while you pop in a bag of Uncle Ben’s Jasmine rice for 90 seconds, then you’re ready to plate your wonderful dish! This entire dish is only 460 calories and so, fantastically delicious! There was plenty of the main dish left for two more meals (though there was only enough rice for one more). I hope you like this dish as much as I do!
Now, onto HYDRATION!
It’s extremely important to give your body water, you need it! Sodas and coffee do not count (well, they do – as does your food – but it’s not enough water). Your body needs plenty of water to simply survive. The general rule of thumb is 8 glasses of water per day, but if you can get close to 6, you will be just dandy and feeling quite peppy! :] Drinking water, in generous portions throughout the day keeps you focused, alert and full. For zero calories, how can you complain? 
That’s right, you can’t!
So pick up that water and make an honest effort to drink more of it every single day. Make small goals, like adding one cup a week, until you reach 8 cups. Your body will tell you when your full of water, so trust it. If you don’t think that you can ingest anymore, then STOP! Don’t make yourself sick by trying to hold down that liquid. Too much water is in fact very damaging to your body, so don’t push it. 
Another switch-up!
Desserts. 
You love them, I love them and hate them, but learn to love them again. Where do we draw the line with this sumptuous relationship
Draw the line where you know another bite will make you that much closer to unbuttoning the top button on your jeans. That’s just not attractive. 
Instead of devouring the entire cheesecake, take a small slice. Indulge every now and then, but still in moderation. Come on, sweetheart…the goal is to lose weight. Keep that in mind, always. Unfortunately, the increase in cheesecake consumption will be directly proportional to the rising size in pants for you. Be warned. Stay in control. Your relationship with food should be a healthy one, not one of over-indulgence. Learning control is difficult, but can be done. 
Case in point…me at the movie theatre last weekend.
My friend loves the popcorn at Studio Movie Grill, she goes nuts over it. Plus, she likes to pour extra butter on it (something I never, ever, ever like to do). This tub-o-corn comes in a smaller size than that of the average theatre, but it’s still chock-full of somewhat-empty calories. Imagine my surprise, if you will, when I realize that I’m so very hungry and my only real option is to eat this popcorn. Thankfully, the waitress forgot to bring the butter, so I was safe there. I ate about a cup and a half of popcorn (out of the nearly 6 cups), with two glasses of water. As it was 6pm and I’d only eaten 400 calories so far that day, this wasn’t such an awful splurge. However, I won’t be doing it again any time soon. 
Remember to think about what you eat! Count your calories (or points), make sure you have space in your daily diet for a bit of something extra. It’s important for us to get the tasty things we crave, along with the nutrients our bodies need. The ultimate goal will be when those two elements can be found in the same food. Oh, that will be bliss!
I hope that your workouts are going great. Mine were thrown off this weekend and I’m going out for a couple of runs tomorrow. 
Thanks for keeping me company on this adventure!
Let me know how you’re doing.
:]
 
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Daily Dose

Oh, Reebok. Look What You Made Me Do!

I was searching for a new workout routine when I stumbled across this:

Seriously?
Really Reebok? Who is in charge of your advertising, because I know of a fantastic firm that would NEVER have let you all embarrass yourselves like this. 
How does this appeal to the general male populous? This isn’t comical or even remotely a “only-guys-would-truly-get-this” ad. You paid good money, earned through reaching out to both males and females (I’m sure a majority of your consumer base is in fact women), to an idiot who came up with this for your brand? It’s disrespectful and offensive. How is it that not a single person stood up to say this idea was moronic? More-over, how could you blatantly segregate your male and female consumers? Rude! You’re perpetuating a cycle that belittles women and that is just plain awful. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 


Something needed to be said.
Their ads [and those of many other corporations] seem to be working hard at this backward thinking. What gives, folks? We need to continue to empower young women so that they may strive for greatness, not making them feel as if they’re replaceable and meaningless. 
In an effort to becoming healthier people (I promise I’ll get off my soapbox soon) we need to be better to each other.


To the guys: 
Please be a man that your girl can be proud of; open the door often, shower her with forehead kisses and be her knight in shining armor. Understand that she’s not perfect, but is constantly trying to be so for you. Never underestimate her passion for life, her hopes and dreams and know that you are a pivotal person in her world. Relationships are hard and they take work, but when you find the right girl (whether she is Mrs. Forever or simply in-the-moment) treat her with the same respect and tenderness that you wish to receive. 
For my girls:
Be honest and open with your guy, but remember that [though partnerships are important] you do not need a man to define you. Be yourself and be sure to let him in. Spoil him with your wonderful laugh and a good tickle fight. Appreciate him for loving you and being there when your world seems to be falling apart. Lean on him as much as he leans on you. Be sure to get through life together, with sweet words and warm hugs.   
No, I didn’t make mention to same-sex partnerships. Wondering why?
It’s because (though I’m sure it occurs) same-sex couples seem to have come to a realization that heterosexual couples can’t seem to grasp:  Everyone wants to be loved. To truly love someone means to accept them for everything they are – mind, body and soul. Love is something so deep that it cannot fit into a tiny box that society tries to shove it in. They understand the gravity of fighting for someone to cherish and be allowed to do so and, for that, I applaud them.
Try to live out your life in a positive way, always thinking of the upside. Maybe if more of us do that, we won’t have so much negativity floating around. We could rid the world of scummy awful offensive crud and be happier. It pays to be happy and studies have shown that endorphin-filled, happy people live longer, healthier lives. 
It amazes me to find how health can transcend so many different realms and yet they’re all relative to each other. In what ways have you reached out lately? Are you any closer to that happy + healthy lifestyle?
 














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Daily Dose

Food Critics Unite!

When I went to the grocery store yesterday I picked up a new brand of oatmeal [that looked amazingly nummy], a beautiful bunch of bananas (like that alliteration?) and a bag of quakes rice snacks. I’ve fully transitioned into the health-nut phase during this third week of my adventure. I haven’t worked out in a week, due to studies and stresses going on right now – so I’ve had to make my daily caloric intake stricter than usual. I’m still following my WW points, and that alone allows me to lose weight by watching what I eat. Where I wanted to pay more attention to my diet was my breakfast. 


For the first two weeks, I ate a granola bar (Cascadian Farms Chocolate Chip or NutriGrain Raspberry) + an apple and a bottle of water. Now, this got me through class and a morning workout just fine, but I was using 6 WW points on a measly breakfast. So, I went in search of something better and more filling. What I found was this:



I am not a huge fan of the sugary oatmeal types and prefer a “build-your-own” approach, but for some reason (probably the blueberry muffin on the box & “Better Oats”) caught my eye. Let me tell you, I was sincerely surprised with this product! There are 5 packets in one box ($1.98) and you microwave (there’s a stove-top option too, but I needed the quick-semi-lazy way in order to make it to class on time) the oats with one-half cup of water [the oatmeal pouch doubles as a measuring cup! I <3 easy directions!]
I added a full banana to the oatmeal, add a bottle of water and voilà! It’s a delicious brekky, filling and less than 175 calories! It’s a win-win, friends! What are your favorite oatmeal combos?

YUM-O! Blueberries + Banana Oatmeal
EDIT: I forgot to mention that there is flax seed in this oatmeal. I’d never tried flax seed before and was a bit skeptical. However, the seeds add a bit of crunch to an otherwise [regular-old-oatmeal] plain mush. The flax seed really makes all the difference and I’ll be sure to add it to my own home-style creations for breakfast in the near future!

I loved my oatmeal breakfast but was not-so-impressed with my dinner option. Enter: Healthy Choice Honey Balsamic Chicken. The box is out of this world DECEIVING! Honestly, false advertising is the worst! Though low in calories (210 cal) and high in protein (12g) this meal is a bit high in sodium (500mg), no surprise there since it’s a frozen meal.

Advertised Meal:
Looks delicious, right?
 Think again!
The sauce was salty, which I didn’t care for, and the tomatoes + asparagus – that attracted me to the box in the first place – were wilted and bitter. The potatoes overpowered the entire meal, no doubt to fill the consumer up on starches. My particular portion had less than 1.5 ounces of chicken [oh yes, I weighed it], and the tiny pieces were sprinkled throughout the meal. 
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have a healthy love of vegetables and fruits…I can’t seem to get enough of them, but this meal was simply awful. Though it didn’t taste like cardboard, it was almost like feeding myself a salt-lick with a side of two-week old veggies. Not okay. 

What my meal actually looked like:

Eww…right?

What’s appetizing about this? Nothing. Zilch. Niet. Nada. 
See all the potatoes? Yes, it’s a cheap ingredient, but my plan is to lose weight, not increase my jiggly-ness for the winter hibernation. 
It most certainly did not rock my socks off. 
I am willing to give Healthy Choice one more try, as I also purchased the Garlic-Herb Shrimp Steamer Entree. Maybe they can redeem themselves. 
If they don’t, then I may have to stick with Taralynn’s idea that “if it’s frozen and in a box at the store, it should stay there!”



Alright, enough with the bad (and it was quite horrendous)…let me tell you about my new favorite sweet snack! I know many of you may think poorly hateful things of rice cakes, but I for one luuuuurve them! You can customize the larger ones (in essence, using them like edible plates) with anything from salads to scrumptious fruits and nut-butters! 😀

Behold:
Plain Rice Cake w/ Sunbutter + Banana

Brown Rice Cake w/ Calimyrna Figs, Arugula and a Thyme-Infused Balsamic Reduction
Chicken Salad + Avocado on Brown Rice Cake

You see how awesome these can be? Don’t hate. Create! It’s amazing how versatile these are. Of course, for those with a sweet tooth and on the run, you can always pick up a bag of Quakes. They’re bite-size rice cakes and come in a myriad of flavors. My new personal favorite is the Vanilla Creme Brulee. They’re delectable!

One serving size is 13 minis and comes in at 120 calories. I only needed about 5 to feel that I’d met my sweet craving. Be careful though! Portion out a serving size or less…they can be addictive, like chips! It won’t do you any good to gobble up the entire bag. 

That’s about all the foodie-criticness I have in me today. 

Tomorrow I’m back at the gym. I’ve got tons of making up to do for skipping in order to study! Angry at myself? YES! However, I’ll be back on the work-out bandwagon soon enough. My legs are itching for a great run!

Until tomorrow!





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Daily Dose

Nummies!


Alright…this looks seriously scrumptious! I’m very excited about this new blog I found and even more excited about tweaking some of these amazing recipes to be a bit healthier (most of them are pretty great already though). The easiest thing to cut out of the recipes I have found is OIL! Switching out the recommended amount for a bit of EVOO spray is a cinch! Trust me, if I can take out all the added oils from the traditional Mexican food that my family and I make, then it’s possible to remove it from almost everything! Yes, oils are healthy for you since your body cannot create them and requires them in order to function…so don’t cut them out ENTIRELY! Be frugal with them though. 

Now, I’m adding something to my adventure: Healthier cooking, with a twist.

It’s going to start out as a weekly kind of thing (Friday-Saturday), because I prefer to cook in my own kitchen [that I return to on the weekends, away from school], as opposed to the one I am subleasing and sharing with 4 other people. It’s so not fun to make nummy, nummy foods, only for someone else (whom you did not slave over a stove/oven for) to paw up the leftovers for themselves. Not cool, yo! 
This weekend, I’ll be sure to try something new and post up pictures, plus the recipe and nutrition info. I am not one to give up all of my favorite foods, so I’m looking for healthier ways to make them or overall alternatives. I’d like to start with the above CAKE, but that would probably be naughty of me…so I’ll think of something else to scrounge up. I’m sure the boy-fran will be excited!

Any suggestions or recipes you’d like for me to make would be greatly appreciated, so put your two cents in!
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Daily Dose

Relationships

This topic has been on my mind quite a bit, as of late, but I simply had no clue how to address it. While on this healthy journey, I’ve begun to realize the more pivotal people in my life. These are the people who challenge me to be better, kinder, happier and who can appreciate me for everything I am – all the time. They rally around me and make me feel loved, lucky and ever-so-blessed. If you are one of them, I’m sure you know it – as I am one to spill love all over you! I’m going to point out a few people specifically, because of how influential they have been, always and especially lately. 
First we have my wonderful boy-fran! 
He is just about the best man I have ever met in my life (second only to my Grandpa). Angel can make me laugh when all I want to do is cry, I swear – his arms were made for the sole purpose of being wrapped around me and he loves me with a fierceness that I have never known from anyone. He is not my rock, but rather my island. I can run to him and be at peace, always. The best thing about him is his smile, it’s contagious. He provides me with serenity and constantly challenges me to let go of the small stuff. We are both Taurus signs and fight like the dickens, but we somehow manage to keep it together, constantly in sync with one another. Choosing him was not a fluke, but rather a push in the right direction from two other wonderful people in my life. 

Allow me to introduce Honour and Laura. 

Now, I chose this picture for 2 reasons. 
A.) We are happy and smiley, though Honour is not looking at the camera. 😐
B.) This picture was taken the last time we three got together…in 2008.

This is a testament to how crucial some relationships can be. For me, these beautiful ladies are my true north, the reason I stay grounded and a huge reason for why I am the woman I’ve become. Let me be clear, I have only 8 best girl friends. The two ladies above have been by my side since high school, the other 6 sisters of mine met me in college.

Laura and I fell into step our Sophomore year and never looked back. Though we went to separate colleges (she’s the reason I ended up choosing Baylor) and shared infrequent visits over the years, we have never failed to be friends. She was there for every tortured phone call about dreading finals and hating my major, to the heart-breaking moments when we each thought we’d missed out on true love. Laura is passionate, caring, kind and the gentlest person I have ever met. This postcard enthusiast and lover of Indian food has a charismatic spirit and the greatest snorts. She brings out the kid in me and never fails to lift me up when I feel so very broken.

My dearest Honour, she’s a whole other type of story. I loathed everything about this quick-witted, beautiful and sassy young lady from the moment she walked into my Freshman English class. Everything about her (for no freaking reason, whatsoever!) pissed me off. Perhaps it was the way my guy friends drooled all over her, or the notion that she may be smarter than me (she is, in so many ways)…but something about her just rattled me. The truly funny thing about this? Honour hated me too. From day one, but one day…we clicked. Our friendship blossomed in our Sophomore year as well but didn’t truly solidify until our Senior year, where she let me lean on her for all the tough stuff and I bailed her out of a few sticky situations. She is a prime example for the saying “Friends bail you out of jail, but best friends are sitting next to you in the cell.” Yep, that was us. [Thank goodness, we never wound up in jail.]
We talk all the time, despite not having seen each other in years. Time does not matter to true friends. It’s simply moments that pass by, allowing us to grow apart in distance, yet closer in soul. I am always thinking of the people who have profoundly impacted my life and none have done more for me than my friends. 

I know this was long, but I have thought long and hard about this. You see, relationships are our greatest ally and weakest link. We tie our hearts to other people, our happiness lies in the essence of another person. Recently, I was speaking to both of these girlies about love and expectations. I came to realize that we all experience different sorts of love and for those bibliophiles like us, we feel like we’ve been left wanting. Our expectations of a partner or friend are held to incredible standards and, more often than not, we wind up disappointed. 
What we need to do is take stock of the important ones in our life at this moment. Make sure they know they are loved and appreciated. And the others? Those who have abandoned us, walked away or simply lost touch…they should stay gone. I’m not telling you to burn bridges, but I am saying that you should move on. Those who’ve walked away did so for a reason. If fate should see them back in, then welcome that person with open arms. This is healthy. 
Part of becoming fit is not only strengthening the body, but the mind and soul as well. Get in touch with yourself. Find out what you need, want and feel. Stick to your guns and go after what you love. Keep up with your support system and remember to listen as much (if not more) than you speak. This is a lesson where I am still very much a novice. I’m learning to be a better friend and striving to be a better “me.”
Cultivate healthy relationships and prosper in them. When you surround yourself with beautiful, wonderful people, life is such a joy and (from my own personal experience) the problems that were once mountains, are much easier to climb. 
How have your friendships impacted your life recently? 
How is your journey to a healthier, sexier you going?
 
  
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Daily Dose

One Girl’s Realization That Things Need to Change

I absolutely LURVE having my picture taken. I mean, seriously…I’m an all-out camera fiend! A few months back, my aunt came into town for business and a quick visit. It was oodles of fun and I was elated to have her here. We took bundles of pictures and when I looked back at my iPhone’s photos, I found this one. I was shocked, disgusted and so very disappointed with myself. 
The FAT Photo 2012


I knew I’d put on some weight since my Freshman year, but I had no idea it was this bad. I thought, well…maybe it was a bad angle. It definitely didn’t help that I was trying to look like a goober, right? Well, no. I was that large. Fat, to be frank. My wonderful boyfriend never really said that I was getting bigger, perhaps because he honestly always thought I was too skinny in high school (yes, we met in high school), so when I put on a few pounds, he was happy that I looked healthier. The other problem is that when you see someone frequently, it’s so much harder for you to realize their physical changes. 
Let me put this in perspective for you:
The Boy-fran & Me in 2007
Snowboarding in 2008
Fiesta in 2009
My 21st Birthday in 2010

Fall 2010

Fall 2010
February 2011
Spring 2011

January 2012
March 2012

I’m sure you can now appreciate the severity of this weight gain. It’s not healthy and I really want to be healthy, fit, active and happier. So I joined WW and got my butt in gear. Angel too! He’s been a great workout buddy and constantly urging me to continue pushing my own limits.

We’ve been working out about five times a week, three at a bare minimum. I’ve been running an average of 3 miles, every time I work out. I love it. I missed it dearly. Quite honestly, I love trimming down and amping up my stamina. I may not see the weight dropping away just yet, but I have noticed that I’m getting stronger. Perhaps I’m finding the strength that I felt I lost long ago. I’m not sure yet. 


What I do know is that the natural high that endorphins give me lasts all day long. It’s a wonderful thing, testing your own limits and feeling the results. I’m not too crazy about being sore (what feels like) all the time…but I know that will eventually go away. Plus, it just means that my efforts are paying off. I read somewhere that soreness and pain form working out is just fat crying. That made me giggle at its truth. Your body gets so used to being lazy that you forget how to be healthy and fit. I know some people say that they’re fluffy and happy, to them I say – “You GO!” But for me, I simply couldn’t be jumbo-sized anymore. I don’t worry about my weight, but I do worry about my comfort. I feel better at a healthier, smaller size. I’m 5’2″ and should not weigh more than 140lbs. My journey has begun, and I’m losing weight in healthy ways. Six months from now, I hope to have reached my goal weight. Right now, I’ve got my FAT photo for motivation. Do you have one?

What’s your motivation to get moving and stay healthy?


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Daily Dose

Fighting, Falling and Fumbling Around

I know that I have been out of touch this past week. Believe me when I say that I truly missed my writing outlet, speaking out to you and simply feeling the satiety of what these words do for me. The past few days have been a whirlwind of failure, emotions and an overall punch-in-the-gut. My last final of my undergraduate career was this past Tuesday. At least, it should have been. Instead, I missed the mark by 3 points. [2.3 measly points, to be exact] I fell short. Not for the first time, nor the last, but it hurt just the same. I wanted so badly to be done. Finished. Completely spent and just withdraw from all things academic for a few weeks. I guess I asked for too much. Maybe I deserved it. Maybe failure is just the way of life for me. I am constantly feeling like the rug is about to be ripped out from under me, the shoe is going to drop and the hot cup of coffee…it’s going to fall straight into my lap. All of these awful things, I’m constantly expecting. Why? Because they tend to happen to me. Not always, but usually. I take the blame or the fall or the responsibility of it all. It’s nice to be free of that, I’d like to think. Truthfully, I never manage to stay away from responsibility too long. I’m eager for it, attracted to it and in desperate need of it. Perhaps it may be my need for order and efficiency, the constant uphill struggle to achieve more, or maybe it’s just a a delusional notion that I may one day reach my own perfection. Whatever it is, I feel like I’m getting used to failing, falling short or simply falling flat on my face. Is this a bad thing? I honestly don’t think so. 
Let me tell you why. 
Without all the fumbles, falls and ass-tastic, face-front splats…I would be a completely different person. I don’t have a crisis mode. I just deal with it. My parents don’t pay for everything anymore, I’ve been independent for a while now. I am a strong, confident, independent Latina and I’m damn proud of it. I haven’t had an extremely difficult life, but I can’t say it’s been easy either. I’ve experienced more than most, and not all those experiences have been positive. I’m trying, all the time, to be a better version of “me.” I’m succeeding. I’m now able to gauge my own limits and am learning to push myself further every day. Without having been through everything, I don’t believe I’d be able to deal with the challenges. I’d be lost, trying to piece together the crazy mess that has been my life. It would have been really damn hard. Thankfully, I’ve come across wonderful people, beautiful people who stepped in at the right time and helped me learn all the lessons I’ve needed. In no means did I do this on my own, rather – I’ve learned. All these mistakes have made me a better person, in how I’ve dealt with them all. My behavior and outlook on everything are positive, all the time. Sometimes the gray-skies try to get the better of me…then I run out for a macchiato and smile at life. 
I have so much going for me. What blessings have you had lately?
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Daily Dose

Sensory Overload


As I sat in my apartment, studying away my life, I found myself worrying. Thinking about my grades during this summer session, the job I have waiting for me after finals end next week (the same position that I took a leave of absence from in order to finish my undergrad coursework), whether or not my parents (separated, divorced, apart and always so distant when I need a good cry) are proud, am I letting family down by putting off med-school in order to get a M.S. in Engineering? My mind, just like yours, thinks of a million things every minute. Mostly I muse about future issues, or thinking up plans B-Z. I’m like that, always have a back-up plan. I blame my Type A-ness, the fact that I’m an ESTJ individual and the constant need for order. Do you want to know what bothered me most of all about all these thoughts? Two things. 1) I have no control over any of these things. Sure, the amount of effort I put into my studies should result in a great grade, but that’s not always the case – especially at BU, where we’re all fighting each other for that one med-school seat. It’s ludicrous how much is impressed upon us to be perfect, all the time. 2) My inner voice is a real bitch! I mean, cut-throat. I need to find a way to shut her up…ideas?
This nagging conscience of mine got me to do some soul-searching, which I find essential to one’s existence. What I came to realize was that, despite all the crazy things going on right now, I am so very happy. I have a loving man in my life, am about to graduate from a prestigious university, am a productive member of society, have amazing friends, my family is wonderful and caring…from the outside looking in…I have a great life. I am so very thankful for all of the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and for all the life lessons that have been thrown my way. It’s been difficult, sometimes it felt impossible, but I’m grateful. 

I found this list and it made me laugh. My best friend Laura and I firmly believe in taking dance breaks during study time. We sing loudly in the car (usually making up our own lyrics) and always have smiles on our faces. I don’t know who taught us any of this, or if we made our own rules along the way. This is a small list that I feel we should all keep near. It’s a fantastic reminder to not sweat the small stuff, add some endorphins to each and every day and bask in the amazing gift of life. 

I cannot control everything, though God help me – I try. What I can do, and I suggest you try too, is to be more easy-going and to live in the now. I have all these plans, these ideas of where I’m going and want to end up, but I forget to enjoy the adventure along the way. 


Live the adventure! Visit a new place, try new foods, go against the grain, get out of that same-old-same rut. Do you! Fiercely, passionately and for the love of all that is good. Have fun!
My adventure started with this blog, a way to keep in touch with my besties and to soul-surf. I’m loving every moment of it; trying new things, running for the passion in it and finding every day being brighter and happier. What have you learned from yourself lately? Have you learned anything from me? 
I sincerely hope that you are making positive strides in your life in order to find a healthier and happier you! 



Much love!