I will not procrastinate. I will not procrastinate.

SOURCE: Etsy

things that i will (finally) be able to do once
my final papers are submitted

1. START GOING TO THE GYM. I haven't been to the gym at all in the past month.  I don't have time to go because I tell myself that if I have time to go to the gym, then I have time to write my paper. I tell my self that I will spend time that would have been spent on the gym working on my paper.  Usually this end with a late night Netflix-binge
2. RETURN TO SOCIAL MEDIA. I'll get back to tweeting, liking, 'graming, and blogging because I will have more time to stop and smell the flowers... and then post a picture, status, and review of said flowers.  Plus I usually try to refrain from social media while I am stressed... P.S. Pinterest doesn't count as social media ;)
3. WORK ON MY RESUME & UPDATE MY LINKEDIN. I don't have a resume.  My LinkedIn profile is pathetic.  I have not looked into any careers.  I don't have any networking connections.  I'm stuck in limbo until I graduate.  I'm stuck not graduating until I write this paper. Solution? WRITE THE PAPER!
4. SIT DOWN AND PLAN MY LIFE.  Right now everything is slowly spiraling out of control.  I just need to sit down and organize, plan, and get my shit together; diet, exercise, moving apartments, budget, career, friends, family... all that fun stuff that has taken the back burner since I've been trying (and failing) to get this paper done.
5. CALL MYSELF A UCONN GRADUATE. [please refer to #3]

Continued Education

SOURCE: Bella Foster - NY Public Library

things I want to learn now that i've graduated:

1. how to converse in a foreign language
2. how to take & edit beautiful pictures
3. how to sail a sailboat
4. how to invest in the stock market
5. how to create graphics in adobe illustrator

Story of My Life

status: in the library

...NEED to write my paper.

...MUST write my paper.

...right after Pinterest.

-THREE HOURS & A MILLION TABS LATER-

yup, still on Pinterest...

#fail

Nervous Nellie

SOURCE: Ashley Goldberg on Etsy

to do this week:

1. Write and submit both papers for my German lit class
2. Find a place to live for the upcoming year
3. Create a budget and tracking system
4. Start using my vegan agenda again

I must get all this done (in order).  Once I do, I will be ready to start the 4-Week Challenge.  Hopefully it will also relieve me from the mini slump I've been in.

current sh*t list:

• I'm taking a new medicine that makes me sleepy ALL THE TIME
• I can't seem to find reasonably priced housing around campus
• I am absolutely broke; Trying to put together a budget gives me anxiety
• I can't bring myself finish these two papers for my summer class (even though they are the only thing standing between me and graduation... AND they are already super late)
• I have hit a weight-loss plateau. It sucks.

I need to bring back the gratitude journal ...this post reeks of negativity

Happy Birthday Royal Baby!

SOURCE: Chatelain

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

so I have this mirror...

I like to call it my "magic mirror."

It is tilted at just the right angle and reflects just the right amount of sunlight.

It makes my legs look lean and my tummy look toned. 

It gives my skin the perfect golden glow. 

And while I know it's not an accurate reflection,

the magic mirror makes me feel good about myself.

When I prance and pose in front of that mirror, I forget about the flaws --

the stretch marks, the jiggle, the cellulite. 

For that fleeting moment I am the person in the mirror,

and I am happy. 

Sure, it may sound shallow and stupid -- maybe even a little disillusioned.

I know that happiness shouldn't be based on appearance.
But that is how I feel at this stage of my life.
It is a state-of-mind that cannot be translated into words.

it just is....

Blog Lovin

Soooo I finally decided to suck it up and join the weightloss blogging community.  I can't wait to discover all the great health and fitness blogs out there!

FOLLOW ME ON BLOGLOVIN

Blog Spotlight: Funeral For My Fat

SOURCE: Funeral For My Fat

why i love sharee from funeral for my fat.

• I love the fact that she has lost so much weight
• I love the fact that she has kept it off!
• I love the fact that she is vegan!
• I love the fact that she went vegan for the same reason that I went vegan!
• I love the fact that she is super friendly and down to earth!
• I love the fact that she shows good, bad and occasionally ugly sides of weight loss!

I just love everything about her and her blog!

4-Week Weight Loss Challenge

SOURCE: Mango Moods

my very own weight-loss challenge

After reading up on a few weight-loss challenges, I couldn't find one that fit my needs.  As such, I decided to create a challenge of my very own!  This particular challenge was inspired by The Six Sister's 8-Week Challenge.  While I kept the same basic structure, I did change the content quite a bit:

• 8-weeks was a little too forward-looking for my anxious-self. Instead, I settled for a manageable 4-week timespan.  Plus once I make it to the end of four weeks, I can do it all over again!
• I don't have any friends and family that want to lose weight with me so instead of a team challenge, the only person I'm up against is myself.
• I removed some of the challenge items (i.e. 3 servings of vegetables, 2 servings of fruit, and no sweets).  I eat a vegan diet, so I don't really want to focus on these things right now.  I don't want to overwhelm myself with too many expectations.
• I'll use MyFitnessPal instead of a paper food journal

printable guide & calendar

I don't start until next Monday so I'll use this week to mentally prepare and print out my calendar.  Here's a link to the DropBox file:  4-Week Weight Loss Challenge

DietBet: Part 2

Just signed up for another DietBet! The best part is that I used my previous winnings to supplement the $35 buy-in so it was (kinda) free!  My official, verified starting weight is 169.0lbs.  That means that I have four weeks to get below 162.2lbs.  Now that my summer class is (basically) over, I want to focus on fitness.  This means waking up early to hit the gym, walking when I can, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  I vow to make these next four weeks all about me!

Wednesday Wishlist: Jawbone Up

jawbone up

I want it... I really really want it! I hate the limitations of my broke-college-student lifestyle.  If it were up to me, I would wander over to the Jawbone website and order one right this second.  But I can't... so I've decided that as soon as I win my next DietBet, I will reward myself with my very own Jawbone Up bracelet.  Now I just have to find a DietBet game.

Just Start.

FOUND HERE: The Wellness Warrior

Happy Birthday, America!

SOURCE: Ramble Wild

DietBet Winnings

So the results are in and I officially won $45 from my first ever DietBet!!! Of course I'm going to put it to good use by signing up for another one.  Can't stop the hustle!

Master Cleanse & Other Updates

my life as of late.

1. I decided to stop doing the Master Cleanse... sorta.  Technically, I never really started since I couldn't make it through a full day without cheating a little.  So until I run out of lemons and maple syrup, I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing until I can come up with a better plan.
2. Yesterday, I took a break from the lemonade altogether.  No lemons. No maple syrup. No cayenne pepper.  And no laxative tea.  Just plain ol' food.
3. ...I also took a break from being vegan yesterday (eek!!!) It was my first "break" since making the decision to go vegan two months ago.  I had an egg salad sandwich and cake pop from Starbucks, whoops!  Anyway, now that it's out of my system, it's back to vegan.  I'm NOT going to let one measly little hour of one measly little day ruin my momentum.
4. I have 2 doctors appointments in the upcoming week.  One for my high blood pressure, and one for my PCOS.  They may be related one way or another.  Regardless, I want definitely want to get both issues under control.  Trying to lose weight with PCOS is so frustrating!
5. DietBet is over!  My weigh-out has been verified, and I am an official winner!  Tell the people what she won! ...uh, well I have no idea yet, but hopefully they'll have the results finalized soon.