Ab Rocket

I just ordered an Ab Rocket (https://www.abrocket.com/).  You can see a basic picture here: http://www.davidhayden.com/photos/abrocket.jpg  Luckily I got it for free!  (I got to redeem my RBC Rewards points ... and that is the first item I decided to choose).

They had the option of P90X which I heard was amazing.  But that option disappeared all of a sudden ... once I finally had the points for it!  Frustrating!

Anyway, I ordered this Ab Rocket!  It comes with one DVD of Fat Blasting Workouts, a meal plan manual called Blast Away the Calories, and recipe cards.  It should arrive in about four weeks, so I will let you know how it is in that time!  I'm hoping that it helps!

For some reason, I've got a belly now!  It is really annoying.  I've never had a stomach at all!  I'm had big thighs and legs (which, yes, I've always hated) but never a stomach.  Now my thighs and legs are more in shape but this belly won't go away!  To be honest, my boyfriend loves my belly!  Apparently it is fun and comfortable.  But I still don't think it is that attractive.

Soooo I'm going to work on doing some more situps.  I've been walking a lot each day.  This past weekend, I walked 19 km in one day.  I've been at about 8 km per day with two days during the week on a "break" day.  It is making me feel a lot better and a lot more in shape.  I saw my dad on the weekend and he said it looks like I've been loosing weight.  That is definitely a compliment coming from him!

I'm really excited to get this Ab Rocket!  Let me know if you have had any experience with it!  Or any good exercise programs or plans in general!

My Workout Routine

I told you that one of my goals was to lose weight, right? Well, if it’s a goal, I have to have an implementation plan. I have decided to create a workout schedule for myself.

Monday:
No class
Swimming - afternoon (one hour, every other week)

Tuesday
Class - morning
School gym - morning (one hour)

Wednesday
Work - morning
Class - early afternoon
School gym - afternoon (one hour)

Thursday
Work - morning
Class - afternoon
School gym - evening (one hour) OR dance workout - evening (one hour)

Friday
Work - morning and afternoon
School gym - afternoon (one hour)

Saturday
Friend's gym - morning or afternoon (one hour, every other week)

Sunday
Dancing - all day (every two or three weeks)

I guarantee I won’t be able to follow this all the time. But, if I manage to do four of these each week, I will feel accomplished. I have also developed a list of ideas to help motivate me.

- Develop a 20 minute strength exercise to do when I’m feeling tired or unmotivated.
- Encourage my boyfriend to come to the gym with me.
- Go dancing with friends on the weekend.
- Purchase a dance exercise routine to make it more fun.
- Occasionally go to my friend’s gym for a change of scenery.

I will keep track of my results and give you an update in about a month – the middle of February. I’m hoping for some feedback from you then, too. On how your goals have been going.

As for now, think of one of your goals. How will you make it come true? Give some detailed, step by step instructions. They don’t have to be as detailed as mine, but it’s a start!

Good luck.

Hey there, 2011!

Welcome to 2011 everyone! We all made it here ... I have to say that's a good thing! How did you ring in the new year? Did you make any resolutions? As for me, I had a great time at a party with some friends. And as for resolutions, I don't always make them. I mean, I always have goals for myself. New years is just a time to re-evaluate them. But in the spirit if the new year, I will list them in typical new year resolution style.

1. Lose weight. I know, typical. But I have a plan. I'll go to the gym three days a week and go swimming once a week. One of my part time jobs involves walking so I'll keep that up. I have a feeling my three day per week gym goal will go down to two, but it is a start anyway. And I will keep eating healthy. I am taking a course on healthy foods so I will put that to good use!

2. Get straight As. Not even out of reach. Actually, it is expected. I've gotten very few marks lower than an A in my time at college (I think only two marks ... Possibly three ... Under an A). For me, it is a probable goal and the same goal that I always have at the beginning of every term.

3. Find a full time job by September. I graduate in April so I'm giving myself four months to find employment. I hope to get one sooner. The thing is, if I don't find something by September, I'll probably have to move home with my parents. And, as much as I love my parents, I do not want to move back home!

4. Be a good person. You know, give money to charity and stuff like that. I've been trying to find a place to volunteer but I can't really, no one is looking for volunteers. But even ensuring that I'm doing basic things like recycling, throwing my garbage away, using less water, etc. is a good way to start, I think.

5. Be a good friend and a good girlfriend. I am almost always a good girlfriend. I'm the type of person who puts a lot into a relationship. With friends, not quite as much. I'm going to work on being a good friend. And spending time with my friends outside of school. It is hard to find time for everyone but I'm going to put away some time for my friends now!

I'm sure everyone is asking what your resolutions are. I'm asking what they are AND how you will implement them. Most of the time, they aren't magical!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Food and Activity Tracker - Amazing Site

I have just found an amazing website! For those of you who want to eat right, lose weight, gain muscle, etc., this is the perfect site for you!

http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov.

What does this site do? Well you can input what you ate during a day and what kind of exercise you did during the day. It calculates the health values. It calculates the nutriet values. You can see what nutrients you need to eat more or less of.

I love the ease of adding foods in and it just keeps track of everything and calculates everything for you. That way you can see what you need to improve on! I just found it a couple days ago and I plan to continue using it. I'm going to input all my activities at the end of every day. I'll see how I can improve my eating pattern! I'm just very excited about this and feel that it can really help me out in my quest to become fit and healthy.

Perhaps this will help you, perhaps not. I'm hoping you at least take a look at it because, well, it is an amazing and very helpful site!!

How To Make The Most of Your College Year

A lot of students are preparing for school right now, specifically, going to college!  It is a very exciting transition.  The whole summer before I started post secondary school was filled with a combination of emotions - excitement, nervous, anxious.  It was incredible.  Sometimes I would be completely ready to move on and other times I just didn't want to leave.

Through my experience starting at two very different post secondary schools, I have come up with ten tips on how to make the most of your college year, starting at the very beginning!

1. Meet everyone you can at the beginning of the school year. At this point in time, everyone is looking for new friends. There are very few first years who don't want to meet new people. You can usually tell that type right after you start talking to them anyway. But meet all sorts of different people. Don't just stick with the same types of people you hung out with in high school. In college, it's time to expand your horizons! Meet everyone and make sure to stay in contact with many of them.

2. Attend every class and do not fall behind. One of the biggest mistakes made in college is forgetting about the actual schoolwork. Sure, it's not that exciting. There are plenty of more fun things you can do instead of going to class. But the truth is, you need to pass. You should always be trying your best. Just because college is different than high school, you don't get in trouble for missing class, doesn't mean that you should miss class. Studies show that the students who attend class will get higher grades. Besides, if you go to class, that is a lot less time you have to waste trying to figure out the lectures by yourself!


3. Decorate and tidy your room. Before you move in, plan your room. Figure out the dimensions. Make a list of what you need to bring to college with you. Then make sure you have some room to decorate it. Buy a few cool decorations. If you have certain passions, use those to decorate your room. Some ideas: photos of you and your friends and family, famous athletes, celebrities from your favourite movies, pieces of art, maps, animal pictures, etc. There are endless ideas. Make it look comforting and inviting, not plain and boring. You are probably going to be doing your homework here and you may have some friends (or a significant other) visit, so you want to make it organized but cool looking! And keep it clean. You never know when you may have an unexpected guest. Make sure you can always make your room presentable in five minutes. You never know when you may need it!


4. Find a gym buddy and hit the gym a couple times per week. This is the time. You have always said you were going to start going to the gym, right? Well find someone else (or even a group of you) who have always said this. Then start going. You don't have to go for two hours every day. But start off by going a couple days every week for a half hour and try to make it up to an hour. Having people to go with gives you more incentive to go. And they will most certainly get on your back if you are not going to the gym.


5. Talk to your parents once or twice per week. You don't have to call them every single day and talk to them for an hour. That is not fun! But try to give them a call at least once a week, they will be very happy with that. Let them know how you're doing in school. Fill them in on some of the friends you have met and have been hanging out with. They might be interested in some events that you have been to. Also, try and send them a couple emails throughout the week. Just a quick email letting them know how your day went or something will make your parents very happy that they are still somewhat involved in your life. It is time to stop being so dependent on your parents but you need to maintain a good relationship with them!


6. Figure out your city's transit system. Figuring out the transit system is extremely important if you are planning to go anywhere besides your house and your school. Those are generally pretty easy. But you will probably need to go grocery shopping. You might want to go visit some friends. You might want to go out at night. You might want to go to a different part of the city just for an adventure. Not that many people have cars in college! So you should definitely figure out the transit system so that you do not always get lost (although getting lost can be fun). It can be scary for someone who is from a small town and has never had to use public transit before, but there are usually lots of city people around who are willing to help.


7. Don't get on the wrong side of your teachers. They are there to help you and to teach you. Listen to them and take their ideas. If you have a question, ask for help. Do not make them dislike you. Then it will be terrible going to their classes each day. It will likely lower your mark because they will be much more critical of your work. It will not make your classes enjoyable. Try to stay on the good side of all your teachers by attending class, handing in your assignments on time, and staying out of trouble in class.


8. Befriend some of the “smarter” students in the class. Obviously, it's good to have some smart friends for school. But keep in mind that smart students will want people who will work hard on projects with them. Even if you aren't a natural genius, as long as you will work hard, then they won't have a problem working with you and helping you. That can always be used as an advantage. But smart people are often social as well. Many people are intimidated by smarter students and don't always try to meet them. They can be just as outgoing, fun, and friendly as the average student. Being friends with this type can benefit you in many ways.


9. Eat healthy. You want to feel good and look good in college. If you are stuck with a meal plan and eating in the cafeteria, make sure you are eating proper food and not all junk food. Save the junk food for when you are just hanging out with friends. Grabbing a slice of pizza with friends is okay. But try to have real meals on regular days. If you are able to make your own food, learn to cook! It is very important! You do not want to be buying fast food all the time.


10. Get involved in events. Go to orientation or frosh week and then join a couple clubs or activities. This is the best way to meet people. Getting involved. People who join clubs generally want to meet people as well. It will give you more to do during the day or in the afternoons or evenings. It'll also help with your resume when you graduate and are looking for jobs (it will show that you can handle doing multiple things at once). Getting involved is a great way to have fun and meet people.


These tips will make your first year a very fun, successful, and memorable year!  Keep checking back for more college stories and tips.