I bet I wouldn't wanna sleep in NYC....

This time change has jacked my internal clock all up. I have been wanting to go to bed at like 7:30 every night, which is great, if I don't need to clean, or do laundry, or spend time with my grandparents, or Alex, or catch up on my DVR'd shows, or. do. anything. It doesn't help that I have been getting up at the buttcrack of dawn to go to the gym. I will say that it has made me feel better- not physically better, but more productive and less guilty, so, I'll take it! I do like that it's light outside by the time I'm done with my workout and I don't feel like crawling back in the bed. Yes, that happens to me. I don't get why people say that working out gives them energy. It makes me want to lay down & take a nap. But anyways, I've been getting up early and going to bed, which is a far change from my life as an RD. I could really get used to this. But, with all the sleeping, working out, working, and "etc. things" I've been doing, I haven't had time to update this {turned out to be}VERY long blog about MTV's episode of "True Life: I'm Losing My Sight." I have all my thoughts on there, but it needs to be more organized and probably split into multiple blogs, so, that's on my to-do list for me to share with you all. Until then, I'll just let you know what I'm currently doing....

daydreaming about being in NYC....

In a morning funk & right back out....

This morning was not my morning. Nothing bad happened. But it was just "one of those mornings." And I will tell you EXactly why.

For the past two days, I have planned on going to the gym super early in the morning. Like 5:30-6:30 early. Going to the gym in the morning makes so much sense to me. I would start my day off with doing something positive. I would get my heart and my blood flowing. I would only have to take one shower a day. I have to be at work at 9:00 instead of 8:00, so that's another incentive. But more importantly, I wouldn't have to go when I get off work! I got in the routine of going and working out, then when I started working, I just don't want to anymore. I took a week off {big mistake} and for the past two days I've tried to get back in the habit of working out. It has to be a habit or else consider it not happening. Well, I get sleepy driving home after work and the last thing I want to do is spend an hour on the elliptical {or doing anything else at the gym for that matter}. But for the past two days, I've done it anyways. Trying to form that habit.  I get so sad though, thinking about driving half an hour home every day, then spending an hour at the gym, then by the time I go home, shower, and eat dinner, there's little time for quality time with the boy, cleaning, doing laundry, or, you know, catch up on DVR'd shows-- especially if I want to get to bed EARLY like I'll need to if I'm going to do this early morning workout thing.

I don't know what in the world I'm gonna do once all my favorite shows return.

{You can tell I have my priorities lined up.}

But anyways, for the second morning in a row I have not  gotten up to workout. Correction: I get up, then I go RIGHT back to sleep. Then when I wake up and get ready, having to pack my clothes for the gym after work, I get SO mad at myself for not getting up and going earlier that morning. Then I just get thrown in a funk the rest of the day, mad at myself, feeling lazy and guilty for not doing what I know I should have done.

That may sound silly to you, because really- who gets up at 5:15 in the morning when they don't absolutely have to? But it makes sense to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who kicks themselves when they don't do what they know they should have.

Here's some of my relatable Pinterest finds:

But to help me get out of my funk this morning, I have Bits of Truth to thank, for this:

Amen! I really should just be quiet and try again tomorrow. I have nothing I {should} complain about!

Saturday Morning Randomness

Here's some random, bullet-pointed things I wanted to share this Saturday with you! 

• I am loving these strawberry, banana, and pineapple Vi Shakes!! It's a great fruity morning shake...and I'm digging plain-jane chocolate for lunch! I keep forgetting I have peaches in the 'fridge... so I will have to make a peach one for lunch today. And when I say lunch, I mean mid-afternoon... this sleeping-in thing has RUINED me!
• I didn't go to the gym yesterday. I'm not to the point where I miss going on days I don't go, but I'm to the point now where I can say, "Nicole, you need to go work off that Reese's Blizzard." Now you know what my Friday night included. :) I blame North Lincoln for canceling their football game just because of a little lightning storm.
• Alex & I couldn't find a movie we wanted to rent, so we started watching How I Met Your Mother Season 1. I've gotta admit, I didn't like all the re-runs at first, but they grew on me, and I was doing some LOL-ing watching Season 1. 
• So I've drank my Vi Shake for the "morning," watched DVR'd episodes of Khloe & Lamar and am gonna head to the gym. I found an awesome Pandora station to get me through an hour on the elliptical! The "Party Rock Anthem" Station! Haha! It is just fun, get-you-pumpin' music! Sounds like something we'd listen to in Spin class. :-D

Have a happy weekend!! 

2 Shakes a Day!!

I got up early this morning, somewhat involuntarily, and made a Vi Shake for breakfast. Mom was up so we made ours together. By the time I went to go take a picture of Mom's she apologized because it was gone! It must have been good, haha! She did say, "Man that was good! I wish I could have another one right now instead of waiting for lunch!" So, that tells ya something!

Her shake was a chocolate banana shake but was yummier than mine yesterday! She used:

• 8 oz. Wal-Mart brand vanilla soy milk
• 2 scoops Vi Shake mix
• 1/2 a banana
• 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
• & ice! 

I used a whole banana and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder yesterday, so maybe that was why mine was "off."

Mine today was SUPER yummy!! I used:

• 8 oz. Wal-Mart brand vanilla soy milk
• 2 scoops Vi Shake mix
• 5 whole frozen strawberries
• & ice!

Super simple & super yummy! It was a thick shake! I'm not gonna lie! {I feel like I have said that a lot, haha!} I had to eat some of it with a spoon. My blender couldn't blend the top of the the shake as well as I would have wished...but it still was yummy!! Maybe it was all the ice! I'm still learning. :)

I swear... these shakes are big! I have to sit & do something while I eat them. It'll definitely keep me busy on the drive to Gastonia every day soon when I start my new job! That is a good thing. You don't want to be done in five seconds and wonder where the rest of your meal went!

I was out during lunch so I had a 6" sub from Subway! That means I had to have a shake for dinner! I wanted to make it good, since I love me some dinner! I decided to have a Reese's Vi Shake!! Someone told me what they use in theirs, but I need measurements!! I am not a chef that can just wing it! ;) So I googled a Reese's Vi Shake recipe to see how much of each ingredient to use.

The recipe called for:

• 8 oz. skim milk
• 2 scoops Vi Shake mix
• 1 tsp. sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding mix
• 1 tsp. all natural peanut butter
• & ice! 

Soo... funny story: I had some pudding mix in my pantry, so this was perfect! AND some all natural peanut butter! It was just *meant to be!* But I couldn't find my teaspoon measuring cup. I found the 1/2 tablespoon measuring cup, and thought it was the 1/2 teaspoon one, so, I probably doubled my ingredients!! Oops!!

That was way too much peanut butter, so I just added more chocolate and it was YUM!! Can't wait to try that again soon!!

AND.... GET THIS!!!! I realized this afternoon that it has been TWO DAYS since I had a Mello Yello!!! OR any other soft drink! Haha... but this Mello Yello deal is a BIG DEAL!! I'm not gonna say that I'll keep this up, but that's 2 days less that I've filled my body with the delicious poison that is a soft drink. ♥

I also did half an hour on the elliptical today, burning 250 calories! WooHoo!!

Less soft drinks + more protein & nutrients + consuming a LOT less calories + burning calories on the elliptical = GOOD THINGS!!! I can not WAIT to begin seeing results!!

Want to try Vi Shakes??? Watch the videos about ViSalus and click "Join the Challenge!" at http://nsykes.bodybyvi.com 

& Click Here to all my blog posts about my experience with Vi Shakes!!

My 1st Vi Shake!!

My doctor told  me I need to quit wasting time doing weights {right now} & {in a nutshell} do cardio & lots of it! I need to improve the circulation in my legs, as they are looking worse & worse lately. :( SO! That's what I've been doing...

I've worked myself up to an HOUR on the elliptical today!! I did it using the "Variety" program the elliptical at the gym has. I did 4.7 miles and burnt 500 calories in that hour!! It felt GREAT!! I wasn't tired or anything after my workout, which is unusual for me.

Is it a coincidence that I had the energy to do that after I had my first Vi Shake?!? I sure hope not!

This morning I woke up super late {loving the chance to do that, by the way!} so I had a brunch shake for my first shake. I made a banana & chocolate shake. For this shake, I used:

• 2 scoops of the shake mix
• 8oz. vanilla soy milk
• 1 tbsp of Nestle cocoa powder {I heard it was a good replacement for the chocolate flavor mix}
• 1 banana
• & some ice!

Mom tried her first Vi Shake today too!! She just used the Silk Light chocolate soy milk and the 2 scoops of mix. I'm not gonna lie...it tasted a lot like a SlimFast {the powder kind, not the already mixed liquid kind}. She liked it though but is excited about adding fruit & things to her next shake(s).

My 1st Vi Shake!

Also, I'm gonna be honest...mine was a little "off." I don't know if it's because of the type of cocoa mix I used, or if I used too much, or if I didn't use enough ice, or what. It was good...it just wasn't great!! The reason why I ordered Vi Shakes are because I tasted them and they were YUMMY! I just have to figure out "my" way to make them. I know you can add ice, or not, or blend longer to make it thicker, etc. I've just got to figure out what ingredients and type of milk I like best and then get to taste-testing!! 

I am super excited about trying another type tomorrow!! I think I'm going to try vanilla soy milk and strawberries!! Yum!!

OH! And I also measured myself today for the first time. I forgot to weigh myself but I'll do that tomorrow. Don't think I'm sharing those measurements with you all. I'll think about it once I've lost a lot of inches! ;) I am excited about tracking my progress!! I care WAY more about inches rather than pounds, although I would love to {eventually} lose 30 lbs!! Just fit me in all my jeans in time for ♥fall♥ .

Want to try Vi Shakes??? Watch the videos about ViSalus and click "Join the Challenge!" at http://nsykes.bodybyvi.com 

& Click Here to all my blog posts about my experience with Vi Shakes!!

***UPDATE!***  Sweet Ashley from Life with Busy Bea informed me that the "offness" of my shake may be due to the Wal-Mart brand soy milk I bought. She said soy milks vary GREATLY in brands. I've never had soy or almond milk so I didn't know. Alex was just being his usual cheap frugal self and talked me into saving a whopping $0.50 by not getting the Silk brand. I'll have to remember that & just thought I would share that with my fellow VI Shakers!!! :)

Job Hunt Update

I will try to make this as quick as possible.
1) Because my last couple posts have been really long.
2) I don't want to jinks myself.
{& other reasons I'd rather not name.} ;)

I did not get the job at Lincolnton High School. But I did have an{other} interview. It was super impromptu and I can't really gauge how I feel about how well it went.
It was not for a job I had applied for; which is shocking...
But maybe it is simply *meant to be.*

Totally counting my chickens and saying if I get this job, then I will weigh its benefits vs. the benefits of a job offered to me from my fabulous internship site. I am unsure of the position at my internship site, Support Incorporated, yet, as I just found out that I will not be provisionally licensed until at least January 2012! I meet with them Monday to discuss my options for employment with them. They are a great company and would be a pleasure to work for, so...

...if I've said it once, I've said it a million times...

what's meant to be will be

and until I find out what it is, I will trust in God to provide.

"If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time."
-Habakkuk 2:3 {The Message}
This passage keeps me hopeful :)

Cycling hurts...but it feels so good!

First of all, let me start this by saying- you may be an avid runner. You may work out every day. You may be a health nut. But I am NONE of the above! So, with that said...

I am so proud of myself! I ate light & healthy today & then had the workout of my life! Drew's {Alex's brother's} girlfriend, Ashton, invited me to the Spin/Tone class at our local gym and let me tell you {oh wait, I already did...} it was the workout of my life! I was so stinking hot & soaking from sweat when I left that place! It felt great! I am gonna be so sore tomorrow...I just have that feeling! & I definitely need to take some Tylenol because my "butt" bone is bruised I swear! How on earth do people "cycle" on a regular basis and NOT hurt their "butt" bone?? I'm the first to say, I have a huge butt. But it wasn't cushion enough for that bike!! I am thinking the part where you stand up while you while you pedal is supposed to be "the hard part" but let me tell you, I look forward to getting up off that seat! OUCH!

This is gonna be Alex on Wednesday!

Oh, and speaking of "OUCH"...those lunge holds were killer!!! But, I will definitely go back! :-) It does feel great to be productive & knowing I'm working towards my goal! I just can't wait to start seeing some results from all this time spent and pain gained. Hopefully soon!!

But, I am MORE proud of myself because of how healthy I've eaten today. For breakfast I had Special K crackers in the car on the way to my internship {with a Mello Yello}. I have to have a soft drink first thing in the morning! I can't imagine drinking the dreaded WATER first thing in the morning. Yuck!! For lunch I had some more Special K crackers with a Laughing Cow light creamy swiss triangle {for lack of better words.} I love that combo & together they are less than 150 calories! Oh, and I had some yummy strawberries too. :) Surprisingly though, I was full- so I just stopped eating. Shocker, I know! Then on the way home I had some grapes. And then after that workout, I had a yummy Granny Smith apple with some peanut butter. Only, I had one more bite I didn't finish because I swore I was gonna hurl it back up! Talk about FULL! Blugh!

But, it feels good to be full, happy, and I haven't even had chocolate today!!! I am starting to think that this whole thing is possible. It feels good to have hope! I just hope I keep it up!

TLC Shows, Internship Situation, & Gym Distractions

So, I'm sitting here...winding down from my not-as-busy-as-usual, watching another ridiculous show on TLC. Tonight, we're not watching some stupid British or Irish teenage gypsy girl, planning the over the top wedding of her dreams because that's what she'll be remembered for (because she can't read or write, dropped out of school at age 13, and is doomed to clean her and her super douchebag of a husband's trailer for the rest of her life). No, tonight we're watching stupid moms living vicariously through their five year old daughters who they allow to tell her what each one of them will do, while wearing fake teeth, hair, tan, nails, after their spa facial and emotional breakdown. SERIOUSLY! These people exist! Kudos to TLC for exposing, I mean sharing, the madness because I am hooked! 

So what have I been doing? Have I not been blogging because I've been watching TLC? Yes and no. I actually started my internship(s) a couple weeks ago & have been spending a lot of time there....and attempting getting on a real sleep schedule. I had a little "issue" with my internship so, here's the short story:

To work with substance abuse clients, you're legally supposed to be registered with the NC "Substance Abuse Board" (NC Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board). Some internship sites will let you basically work there for free, getting the experience, and don't care if you're registered with the board or not. My internship site isn't taking any chances, and asked that I be registered before I do ANY, and I mean ANY work with substance abuse clients. I got my internship later in the year, and didn't know I had to register, then had to wait to get the packet, met with my supervisor to fill it out, and it took a week for me to get someone at the police station to fingerprint me, and then I sent it to the board probably the 1st of June. Problem is: it takes about 4 WEEKS to get it back saying I'm officially registered!!! Until I'm registered, all I could do was observe...which is great at first, but my internship's only about 8 weeks long & I can't spend half of that time only observing! So, I'm spending all of my time at my other internship site, which I LOVE, until I'm officially registered with the board. If I get registered before July's over, then I'll get to do some court-ordered DWI groups for offenders. I observed a number of these groups & really am excited about having the {potential} opportunity to do some myself! Fingers crossed! :) 

Side note: In the end, it wasn't the police officer's, or the station's fault- so don't hate on them. :)

So, I've been interning! And watching TLC! & GOING TO THE GYM! Alex has been dragging me to the gym and I love him for it. I'm sore as can be today but plan on going back tomorrow. I know it's not a big deal to you, but I ran for 10 minutes straight yesterday. That's a big deal to me! That NEVER happens. There has to be something good on in front of the TV for me to stay focused distracted enough to run more than like two minutes. I lost my iPod's ear buds and music really doesn't do it for me anyways. Wish it did though! I want to download some podcasts or something to listen to to keep my mind off of running {while I run}- it might work! 

Any podcast suggestions for me?

 Because ESPN seems to be on the TV there all the time, and if you know me, you know that's not gonna hold my attention long. 

Oh, and still haven't figured out how to get each blog's "labels" to appear below it. Grr! Feel free to send me a suggestion!

&& Hump Day's over! Enjoy the downhill part of the week! :)