Life/Fitness Update

Hello all! It's that time of the year and school has really been taking up almost every last bit of my time. Maybe it's because the end is so near or maybe it's the fact that 3 out of my 4 classes are essay and discussion based 400 levels, but this semester has been even more overwhelming and demanding than usual. I am really enjoying them, but it's kind of terrifying how quickly the weeks are sweeping by with deadlines seemingly around every corner. I'm nearly halfway done and yet there's still so much to do! I'm just trying to stay focused on that December 21st graduation date :)

Anyways, after having a bit of a stress-induced meltdown over how busy I am and how little spare time I seem to have last week, I sat down and wrote out a very detailed schedule. The main reason I did this is because there are so many things that I really want to do that seem to live perpetually on the back burner- so I wanted to really look at how my time is spent and find ways to work in some of the extra things around all my school and work commitments. Lists, schedules, and getting organized always seem to calm me down and help me regain control of overwhelming situations.

This schedule is now hanging on my fridge, and I've color coded it and everything to include activities for work, school, fitness, and general lifestyle. If the schedule works as I hope it will, it will hold me accountable for doing homework each day (which I've had a habit of procrastinating in the past) while also allowing me ample time for blogging, crafting, writing, and other enjoyable activities each day. The schedule will also help me meet my fitness goals- I'm still working on my 5k to 10k regimen (currently running about 5 miles), but I've been wanting to add an additional daily form of exercise to my routine. Specifically, I've really been wanting to try Insanity- a max interval training program which is supposedly as difficult as the name suggests. The program is designed for people who are already somewhat fitness-competent and are looking for a boost or something new and intense to mix things up. I've been hovering around 120-123 lbs for the past few months and have been slacking a bit on cardio and strength training (other than running) so I'm hoping this program will give me the kick I need to help me keep progressing towards my fitness goals. 

Speaking of fitness goals/progress, I recently posted a couple before/after photos on my tumblr, which I use mostly as a space for all things fitness, feminism, self-care, and nerdiness. One of the things I like about tumblr is that very few people that I'm connected with through it know me in real life, so I can post unflattering before pictures of myself without feeling too embarrassed about it. I wasn't sure I wanted to post the same pictures on blogger, because I'm hesitant to remind (or show) people that I know and frequently interact with how I looked when I was at my highest weight and unhealthiest lifestyle. Ultimately, though, I decided that it is the progress and who I am today that is important and that I want to document- hopefully people will appreciate and notice how far I've come, rather than where it was I came from.

The photos are watermarked with my tumblr address, etc. to prevent pill/diet companies stealing them to promote their product.

I don't have many photos of myself at my highest weight, because I avoided cameras at all costs :) It's a bit of a bummer though, because I wish I had more for comparison. It's pretty crazy to look at the ones I do have though, because although I knew I was overweight, I never felt that big. Regardless, I'm happy to have come quite a ways from that place, not only physically but mentally and emotionally. I'm really proud of where I am today! 

<3

Em