As you know, I love exercising. I have mentioned this in previous entries. I do have to be honest, though, my workouts haven't been as steady as I would like them to be. It is a combination of being sick every month, stressing out over work, and just plain tired. Even though I have lost a total of thirty pounds since I've moved down to Miami, I've been doing more maintenance than anything else. It would be two years in August that I have been living here. There should be more of a weight loss.
That said, I have to say that my body looks better than it did when I got married almost five years ago at the same weight. The big sacrifice came about this week. In order to loose a pound of fat you need to burn 3500 calories. Easier said than done. My new commitment is to burn 3500 calories a week, which would ensure (unless I pig out every day) loosing a pound a week. Theoretically, if I reduce my calorie intake by 500 calories a day I will loose an additional pound a week. Normally, I take in anywhere from 1200 to 1800 calories a day (at least I try).
I officially did burn 3500 calories this week. My workouts were, to say the least, intense. In fact if it weren't for the fact that I have a mixture of allergies and a cold, I would feel excellent. My goal is to loose another 35 lbs. in order to reach a healthy weight. If all goes as planned, I should reach this weight by October or November. I will also keep you posted on my success. If I blog about this I will be forced to continue my workouts even when I feel like sleeping in.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Monday, April 25, 2005
Monday is Always Great When It Flies By!
I cannot complain about today. It flew!! Before I knew it, it was 10:00am. I feel like the kids do about the school year; I just want it to be over with it. My patience level is slowly diminishing and for that matter, so are the kids. On a better note, I officially resigned from my position at work. I advised my boss that I would not be returning for the next school year. She was sad and told me that I was actually on her good list. She also told me that I'm welcomed back whenever I wanted to. I was satisfied. Now I just hope the weeks fly by like today to start off my new life.
The next big thing I'm waiting for is the townhouse. As soon as that sucker is constructed, we're slapping a "for sale" on it. Hopefully it will still be a seller's market and we'll have the house sold in no time. Then it's off to house or apartment hunting in NJ or NY, whichever is better. All of this will happen in due time.
I guess all of this is pretty official now. I resigned, I'm booking my one-way flight to NJ this weekend, and I've been job hunting for about a month. The wheels are in motion and hopefully will remain that way until both Dan and I are settled into wherever life will take us. The one thing that will be very hard on me is being away from Dan. I really intend to have a job before the summer ends that way Dan will be up with me in no time. Otherwise, we'll be apart for a while and I'm not looking forward to that. I hated it when Dan moved down to Miami while I was still finishing some classes. Anyway, I must remain positive!!
The next big thing I'm waiting for is the townhouse. As soon as that sucker is constructed, we're slapping a "for sale" on it. Hopefully it will still be a seller's market and we'll have the house sold in no time. Then it's off to house or apartment hunting in NJ or NY, whichever is better. All of this will happen in due time.
I guess all of this is pretty official now. I resigned, I'm booking my one-way flight to NJ this weekend, and I've been job hunting for about a month. The wheels are in motion and hopefully will remain that way until both Dan and I are settled into wherever life will take us. The one thing that will be very hard on me is being away from Dan. I really intend to have a job before the summer ends that way Dan will be up with me in no time. Otherwise, we'll be apart for a while and I'm not looking forward to that. I hated it when Dan moved down to Miami while I was still finishing some classes. Anyway, I must remain positive!!
Friday, April 15, 2005
Energy Booster
Dan and I stayed home from work today because Dan woke up with yucky eyes and my right eye was yucky again. I guess it was a relapse on my part. I decided to take some Allegra because my doctor recommended that I do so to see if it would clear up my eyes. I'm very sensitive to medication, especially any allergy medicines. Allegra gets me going and then I crash.
It is a beautiful day here in Miami with a bright blue sky and a breeze that caresses your body to sleep. Needless to say, I chose to take a nap outside in the backyard. I grabbed a throw and fell asleep almost instantaneously. I have no idea how long I slept. I just know that it was a damn good sleep. Since I'm still under the influence of the allergy medicine, I was pretty groggy when I got up.
This is where being Cuban comes into play. And I know once I mention this I'll put smiles on your faces. I prepared soda con leche condesada (except I used diet Pepsi since that's all they drink in the house). For my non-Spanish speaking friends, I prepared soda with condensed milk. I know it doesn't sound appetizing, but don't mock it till you try it. My mom use to prepare it for my sister and I when we were little kids, and it always hit the spot.
The mixture of caffeine and the huge concentration of sugar got rid of my grogginess. Now I feel as if I could go out for a bit. My eye looks spectacular and I think I finally nipped this in the butt. Moral of the story: when you think you need an energy boost and have the above mentioned ingredients mix them together to feel better. Or for that matter, have it just as a treat. I do have to warn you that too many of those will make you gain weight faster than you could imagine.
It is a beautiful day here in Miami with a bright blue sky and a breeze that caresses your body to sleep. Needless to say, I chose to take a nap outside in the backyard. I grabbed a throw and fell asleep almost instantaneously. I have no idea how long I slept. I just know that it was a damn good sleep. Since I'm still under the influence of the allergy medicine, I was pretty groggy when I got up.
This is where being Cuban comes into play. And I know once I mention this I'll put smiles on your faces. I prepared soda con leche condesada (except I used diet Pepsi since that's all they drink in the house). For my non-Spanish speaking friends, I prepared soda with condensed milk. I know it doesn't sound appetizing, but don't mock it till you try it. My mom use to prepare it for my sister and I when we were little kids, and it always hit the spot.
The mixture of caffeine and the huge concentration of sugar got rid of my grogginess. Now I feel as if I could go out for a bit. My eye looks spectacular and I think I finally nipped this in the butt. Moral of the story: when you think you need an energy boost and have the above mentioned ingredients mix them together to feel better. Or for that matter, have it just as a treat. I do have to warn you that too many of those will make you gain weight faster than you could imagine.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Exercise
After five days of pink eye, I'm back at the gym tomorrow bright and early (although it's not bright since I'm there before the sun rises). Since the last time I was at the doctor's office, which was last month, I've gained 2.5 lbs. I told the doctor that I had begun weight training and recently had been on vacation, which probably is the result of the scale inching up. Either way, it freaked me out. I've been very careful with my weight for the last 1.5 years. One great thing about Miami is that I worked out a lot and lost 30lbs. I stopped working out after the New Year because my mother-in-law's hours changed at work. I use to take her to work and keep her car. Before we left to work we would go to the gym. She happens to have a membership to Bally's like I do. I began taking Dan to work and that made me loose interest in working out. The reason being that I spend between 3.5 to 4 hours in the car a day due to the new driving arrangements. Yeah, I don't think you could blame me.
Although I hadn't worked out since January, I decided to tough it out and begin my workouts again. This happened after I came back from NJ. Now I wake up at 4:30am to be at the gym at 5:00am. I cannot not workout. It just depresses me. I feel so much better after I hit that gym that totally amazes me. If I'm feeling good that means I'm attracting good stuff. I even have enough energy to deal with the kids and all those hours I spend in the car.
Now I know some of you think I'm crazy, but if you've ever done anything you like religously you know the feeling. You also may ask yourself why I don't workout at nights. The reason: I love spending time at home with Dan. We may not even hangout together, but we're under the same roof. Dan is not up that early in the morning, which means I'm not missing out on him. Not to say that I haven't worked out at nights because I do rollerblade at night (although I fell really hard during xmas and haven't since then). But I do it when I know that he's involved in something and won't be able to hangout with me. I think I'll start rollerblading on the weekends, though. My plan is to lose another 10lbs before I move back up. I have a big goal to achieve, but it will be all worth it.
Although I hadn't worked out since January, I decided to tough it out and begin my workouts again. This happened after I came back from NJ. Now I wake up at 4:30am to be at the gym at 5:00am. I cannot not workout. It just depresses me. I feel so much better after I hit that gym that totally amazes me. If I'm feeling good that means I'm attracting good stuff. I even have enough energy to deal with the kids and all those hours I spend in the car.
Now I know some of you think I'm crazy, but if you've ever done anything you like religously you know the feeling. You also may ask yourself why I don't workout at nights. The reason: I love spending time at home with Dan. We may not even hangout together, but we're under the same roof. Dan is not up that early in the morning, which means I'm not missing out on him. Not to say that I haven't worked out at nights because I do rollerblade at night (although I fell really hard during xmas and haven't since then). But I do it when I know that he's involved in something and won't be able to hangout with me. I think I'll start rollerblading on the weekends, though. My plan is to lose another 10lbs before I move back up. I have a big goal to achieve, but it will be all worth it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Public or Private?
Should you send your kids to public or private school? This is a tough question. I remember public schools were shun by my friends who went to private schools. Maybe this was the case because they knew that my parents were poor and had no choice but to send me to a public school. Actually, I did very well in school. I was in a high reading group and for about a year in gifted and talented. I was also placed in gifted and talented for music since I played the clarinet. High school was a different story. I decided to rebel and didn't care about school. Then I realized I was only hurting myself once I became older and began going to college. I graduated Cum Laude from school.
My friends who went to private school did well for themselves, too. So the question comes which is better? I ran across an article in Yahoo that states that public schools outperform private schools when socioeconomic status is taken into account. I guess it depends on what kind of private school you go to. The private school I teach at in no way shape or form compares to the schools I went to. My children would not for the life of me go to the school I teach at. But I'm being biased.
What I believe it comes down to is the parents doing the homework. First of all you can't automatically assume because it's private that your child is getting a better education than he or she would at a public school. You have to remember that public schools run many types of tests on children to make sure that he or she will succeed in the environment he or she is placed in. Chances are if you're not allowed inside the school, your child will not learn much (as is the case in many private schools). If your child is falling behind at a public school, you will be notified. This is not the case in some private schools.
You have to see what kind of programs the private school offers. Do they provide counseling for the students? Is tutoring offered? Are there music classes, arts and crafts, and clubs? These are all very important. Always listen to what your child is saying about the school. Kids like to talk and they will talk about anything. You just have to listen. I find out more about home life than I would care to know. I don't even ask.
I know I sound as if I am against private schools, which I kind of am. That said I cannot say that every private school is horrible because I'm sure there are great ones out there. My concern is that people usually assume that a private school is far better than a public school, which of course is not always the case. So, do your homework. Find out what kind of schools are available where you live. Or if your planning to move, always find out how the schools are in the area you're moving to.
I made the mistake of not finding out about schools in Miami. The fact is that most of the schools don't do as well, private or public. There are A+ schools available so it's not hopeless. Dan and I haven't been concerned about schools in reality because we don't have any children. Now that we're getting older we have to worry about this type of stuff. Within the next couple of years we will be having children. So we have to start concerning ourselves over the kind of schools will be best for our children.
My friends who went to private school did well for themselves, too. So the question comes which is better? I ran across an article in Yahoo that states that public schools outperform private schools when socioeconomic status is taken into account. I guess it depends on what kind of private school you go to. The private school I teach at in no way shape or form compares to the schools I went to. My children would not for the life of me go to the school I teach at. But I'm being biased.
What I believe it comes down to is the parents doing the homework. First of all you can't automatically assume because it's private that your child is getting a better education than he or she would at a public school. You have to remember that public schools run many types of tests on children to make sure that he or she will succeed in the environment he or she is placed in. Chances are if you're not allowed inside the school, your child will not learn much (as is the case in many private schools). If your child is falling behind at a public school, you will be notified. This is not the case in some private schools.
You have to see what kind of programs the private school offers. Do they provide counseling for the students? Is tutoring offered? Are there music classes, arts and crafts, and clubs? These are all very important. Always listen to what your child is saying about the school. Kids like to talk and they will talk about anything. You just have to listen. I find out more about home life than I would care to know. I don't even ask.
I know I sound as if I am against private schools, which I kind of am. That said I cannot say that every private school is horrible because I'm sure there are great ones out there. My concern is that people usually assume that a private school is far better than a public school, which of course is not always the case. So, do your homework. Find out what kind of schools are available where you live. Or if your planning to move, always find out how the schools are in the area you're moving to.
I made the mistake of not finding out about schools in Miami. The fact is that most of the schools don't do as well, private or public. There are A+ schools available so it's not hopeless. Dan and I haven't been concerned about schools in reality because we don't have any children. Now that we're getting older we have to worry about this type of stuff. Within the next couple of years we will be having children. So we have to start concerning ourselves over the kind of schools will be best for our children.
Monday, April 11, 2005
Good News
I know I'm taking too long between posts. The fact of the matter is that I haven't been in the best of moods. When this occurs, I rather not blog. I won't be positive and I'll keep on attracting all the bad stuff. Other than that I do have to say that Dan and I had a blast on our vacation in New Jersey (I can't believe I actually put vacation and New Jersey in the same sentence; things have changed). We even got a snowfall, which was beautiful. It was great seeing family and friends again. We didn't see everyone we wanted to, but the trip was worth it. I definitely didn't want to leave, and for that matter neither did Dan. Since we're responsible adults (I'm not sure why), we decided to come back to Miami.
On that note, I do have to announce that Operation Move Back is in order. We decided that New Jersey is in fact our home, which I never believed it to be true until I left. It caters to the lifestyle that Dan and I love. I'm not saying that Miami sucks because it's a great place, but two years of struggling is enough for me. We need to settle into our lives and live alone. Not that living with my in-laws is horrible because they are beautiful people, but as everyone knows, every couple needs their own space.
The plan is that I will move up first unless Dan gets a job in the next couple of weeks. My last day at work is June 03. I will fly up that weekend and continue my job search. I'll probably wait tables while I'm searching for a job just to have cash on me. Once I'm settled in, I'll find an apartment and move in, and then Dan will come up. By then though, we should have been able to sell our townhouse down here and we'll use the money to purchase some type of home. Just in case things get delayed, we'll rent a place first. I expect us to be settled in by the fall or early winter, which will be in time to enjoy the bitter cold.
Now all of this could happen sooner if either one of us gets a job in the next few weeks. Either way, I'll keep you posted on what's going on. I'm very excited about this. I know Dan and I will get back into the swing of things. Better yet, I just realized that we'll be back in time to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary and my thirtieth birthday. It will be great to be able to celebrate up in NJ with family and friends. With a new decade for me comes a new life and I tend to enjoy it to the fullest!
On that note, I do have to announce that Operation Move Back is in order. We decided that New Jersey is in fact our home, which I never believed it to be true until I left. It caters to the lifestyle that Dan and I love. I'm not saying that Miami sucks because it's a great place, but two years of struggling is enough for me. We need to settle into our lives and live alone. Not that living with my in-laws is horrible because they are beautiful people, but as everyone knows, every couple needs their own space.
The plan is that I will move up first unless Dan gets a job in the next couple of weeks. My last day at work is June 03. I will fly up that weekend and continue my job search. I'll probably wait tables while I'm searching for a job just to have cash on me. Once I'm settled in, I'll find an apartment and move in, and then Dan will come up. By then though, we should have been able to sell our townhouse down here and we'll use the money to purchase some type of home. Just in case things get delayed, we'll rent a place first. I expect us to be settled in by the fall or early winter, which will be in time to enjoy the bitter cold.
Now all of this could happen sooner if either one of us gets a job in the next few weeks. Either way, I'll keep you posted on what's going on. I'm very excited about this. I know Dan and I will get back into the swing of things. Better yet, I just realized that we'll be back in time to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary and my thirtieth birthday. It will be great to be able to celebrate up in NJ with family and friends. With a new decade for me comes a new life and I tend to enjoy it to the fullest!
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