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In case you were worried, I’m still alive. I may be a lot sorer and way more exhausted than I ever thought possible, but I’m definitely still kickin’.
I’ve realized this weekend that sometimes life gets in the way of everything.
I’m involved in a non-profit student organization on the UF campus called Project Makeover, and every year we pick a low-income elementary school in the greater Gainesville area to renovate and beautify in order to establish a more positive learning environment for the children.
Coincidentally, our renovation weekend just happened to fall on this past weekend. The renovation completely consumed my life, body and mind these past three days, but it was one of the most rewarding opportunites I have ever experienced. I wish I had thought to take pictures during my time there so that I could show you all some of the great things that we painted and did throughout the entire school, but I guess you’ll just have to take my word that it was awesome, because it truly was.
And even though time to myself to think or sleep, I somehow managed to eat pretty healthy throughout my 26 or so hours spent at the elementary school.
You might be wondering how I managed this, and I’ll share with you my little secret for success: careful planning. I am a HUGE planner, thinker and organizer, so when I realized that I would have to dedicate my entire weekend to the project, I knew that I couldn’t sacrifice my diet just because of this minor roadblock.
So, I made sure to eat breakfast both Saturday and Sunday morning, when I woke up at 7:00 a.m. sharp. (Yes, it was early. And yes, it sucked, but I did it anyways.) As I mentioned previously, I’m still on my cereal kick, so I started my morning off with a bowl of cereal and a banana.
I also made sure to pack my lunch the night before so that I would have enough food to get me through the day. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but the renovation itself was one of the most EXHAUSTING things I have ever gone through. I was going, going, going nonstop, moving up and down, walking here and there, doing this and that, and there really wasn’t a moment to rest.
A packed lunch was the perfect anecdote to get me through the tiring hours I spent in the sun. Saturday’s lunch consisted of a turkey and avocado sandwich, carrots, a peach, a bag of popchips and a granola bar. Sunday was nearly the same – carrots, yogurt, a 6 inch turkey Subway sub, a banana and a bag of pretzels. Delicious and healthy – it was definitely the right way to go.
Dinner was a slightly different story. On Friday, my wonderful roommate Emily brought me Subway to eat, but I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t eat dinner on Saturday night. For some reason I just wasn’t hungry, and I know it’s not healthy to skip a meal, but I just didn’t have the energy or time to eat anything.
Thankfully, I can breathe a little now that the renovation weekend is over, and I’m hoping to get my life back on track this week. I’ve got some big goals I’m hoping to accomplish and I’m hoping you can all help me stay accountable for achieving them. Here they are:
- Cook dinner. And by cook dinner, I actually mean it. I’m planning on picking out a great SELF Jumpstart Diet recipe and trying it out. Hopefully all goes well!
- Run. My toe is doing SO much better and my body is itching for a run, so I’m planning to get myself ready for my big race on Sunday with a few warm-up runs.
- Lose Weight. This one is pretty self-explanatory and obvious. My first weigh-in is this week and I’m really hoping that this first week of careful dieting as paid off.
I’d love any and all encouragement as I embark on my second week on the SELF Jumpstart Diet! With all the schoolwork I’ve got piling up for this week, I’ll need all the help I can get, so please send any words of wisdom or advice my way here. You can also try emailing me at sarakaner@hercampus.com!