The Horror of Finals Week

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for approving my morning lattes and I'm glad that you are pretty much sticking to your lack-of-latte goal.

This semester I took a class from Hell...like seriously you know I would not have used the word Hell if I didn't really think that's where it came from. Not that I didn't do everything I could, it still isn't over as I await my grade, because God forbid I didn't pass my final and I have to do it all over again! Over the semester I accumulated not just one but two overflowing 1 1/2" binders full of notes and it was one of those classes where there is a midterm worth 50% and a final worth 50% of which everything you learned up until that point is tested....I keep looking back and thinking of things I made a mistake on...answers I knew but wrote wrong...AHHHH! Professor, please post my grade soon and reader please help me pray that I passed.

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So, what does this have to do with my eating habits...my new healthy lifestyle....the answer is...nothing good.

The week before my final I dropped everything to study...everything including exercise time :( I also was staying up until 2:00, 3:00 and the nights before the exam 4-5 am, while still getting to work by 9:00 am the next day. I pulled out the extremes in order to do this. I'm not as young as I used to be and pulling all nighters, it takes extreme amounts of caffeine...three servings of it a day when I'm not used to any, but that's not the worst part. The worst part are the rewards I have to give myself to keep studying and the time I don't have to prepare healthy food.

Not only did I eat carry outs and fast food all week long, but because I was stressed out my appetite for healthy food sucked and I kept eating comfort food. My favorite comfort foods include french fries, hamburgers, lots and lots of bread and Oreos in milk. So I would be studying, studying studying, running through those flashcards, reading and re-reading notes, doing practice exercises and I'd grab an Oreo from the bag dip it in milk and sink my teeth into it...then I'd reach for another...and another...and ANOTHER. Complete and ultimate horror is what I feel when I look at my body in the mirror right now.

Finals week, I hate you, how could you do this to me? How could I have not paid attention to my eating habits all week like that? I'm not even going to get on the scale to see the damage

To make up for it, I'm going to try to do two 30-minute work-outs a day for a while, one in the morning and one in the evening. Hopefully, I will at least feel a little better about myself in a few weeks.

UGH,

Angela

Wherein I Act Like an Eating Expert

Dear Angela,

I am no expert on what you should and absolutely should NOT be putting into your body. I tend to wait for my BFF Gwyneth to tell me what I need to be eating via Goop. But because this topic has not been covered by her newsletters (as of April 2012, I am certain she will address it soon) I will go ahead and give my opinion on your skim tea latte drinking habits.

Yes, I approve.

You can go on drinking your skim tea lattes in peace. You have my blessing. Carry on. Just don't go too crazy and start substituting generic Kroger brand tea as opposed to quality tea, like that of Tazo. Now, THAT, would be shameful. To the world of tea, at least.

Also, if you get bored with your current combination I recommend doing an iced tea with these amazing teas from Zhena's Gypsy Tea. I recently picked up one of their tropical blends called Peach Daiquiri and I must say, it is divine. I plan on drinking this on hot summer days from my balcony rocking chair, or perhaps by the pool. I am so excited about this tea I plan on trying other tropical blends next. A Coconut Rum tea maybe? And no, the company is not asking me to write this. I just love the product.

As for my own journey pretending to get healthy but failing:

I continue to no longer drink my daily lattes. I did go on a trip about a week ago where I allowed myself to have a few (a kind of break, I mean I was on vacation) but then I went back to just no longer having it as part of my day. And I've been fine. The only time I miss it is if I am more sleep deprived than usual. Otherwise, not a big deal. If I continue to no longer have my lattes then by June 2012 I can reward myself. (In case you missed it, read this entry here.) Yes, these babies will be mine:



Pictured: Tom's Fuchsia Crochet Women's Classics

And they will be the fanciest red elf shoes in the land...

There are a few other changes I've been working on to my diet. Here they are in organized form:

Less meat in my diet.

A new focus on what I am eating for my breakfast. This is the first meal of the day and in many ways determines the course of the entire day.

Less milk, cheese, dairy.

Salads for dinner. This is where I have to be careful because I tend to LOVE salads with dressing, a ton of toppings, rich CHEESE, or bacon mixed in (basically, all the good stuff).

Less bread in general.

Until next time,

Rachel

What I've been doing the past couple of mornings....

Dear Rachel,

Lately, circumstances (such as upcoming finals, working full-time, while trying to maintain a workout schedule and enjoy the newly nice weather) in my life have me waking up earlier and staying up later. I enjoy the productive feeling, but I am much sleepier than usual.

So one morning I woke up craving a Chai tea latte, which I only buy on occasion and didn't currently have on hand. I made a deal with myself that I can only stop at Starbucks for breakfast on morning I go to the gym for my reward, but I had already slept too late for that. Besides, a tall Chai Latte at Starbucks with soy milk that I usually is over 200 calories (and I'm pretty sure closer to 300 calories) alone.

But how was I supposed to be motivated to get out of bed with nothing that would wake me up faster?

What do I have in the house? I asked myself.

The answer was Tazo Awake black tea. Only 2 calories a tea bag.

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To be completely honest, I don't really like black tea. I bought it to make ice tea with. Ice tea which I either add lemonade or lots of lemon too and this was a COLD morning. Ice tea did not sound great and putting pure lemon citrus in my stomach that early also seemed like a BAD idea. So what could I do with black tea that would wake me up?

That's when I discovered black tea lattes. It sounds so obvious now that I'm writing about it. I mean people add milk or cream to their tea all the time, but this is a little more than just adding milk or cream.

I first make a cup of black tea, then I pour about a half glass of skim milk in my to-go coffee thermos or choice that morning. I pour the tea on top of the skim milk and wahla! Black tea latte. Sometimes I will add the tiniest drop of honey in there too.

Now I know what you're thinking and I can't help but ask myself the same question...is this really good for me? Better for me than a latte I would pick up at Starbucks? I'm not really a health expert, but here is my logic as to why I think it is:

1. The Black Tea has only 2 calories, meaning technically when I don't add honey the only calories besides those 2 in this drink are in the skim milk, which at most I probably use about 100 calories worth of milk..cutting the calories more than in half. 
2. It does not make my heart race and then crash like espresso would, nor does it contain those fatty-but I admit sweet and delicious- syrups and sauces, meaning this is not only better for you than a Chai tea latte but any latte.

I know it still has caffeine, which isn't good for my high blood pressure, but give me a break I need this mechanism to stay awake if only for a few more weeks so I can get done what needs to be done. I also realize the black tea on it's own is probably staining my intestines and herbal tea would be better...blah blah blah...but again like I say give me a break.

What is your take on this Rachel? Was it incredibly mean of me to blog about my new found latte, just as you set a goal to give yours up? Would you even count this as a latte? I admit I might be calling it that because it makes it taste better....

Sincerely,

Angela

Holidays with a Splash of Indulgence

Hello Angela,

It has been about two weeks since I gave up my daily lattes. I've had moments of craving. I've had moments of being tired and wanting one. Oh, and headaches have followed. But mostly it has actually been easy to make this one change. So I am in the middle of asking myself: Is it enough? Granted, the plan is to start with one change and then expand it to other areas.

I identity with your fondness for sweets in its many sneaky but delicious forms. I feel a little guilty writing now because Easter just passed and like Halloween it is a holiday which screams: SUGAR, and: CANDY, CANDY, CANDY.

This year I discovered these irresistible delights:


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Unlike a normal Cadbury Creme egg you can pop one in your mouth and continue. Less mess, it goes down faster, you still have all the deliciousness of the original. It is so simple to follow one with a second and a third... and to feels so natural to not stop at one but to continue.

I gave one to a coworker and he immediately returned to me to ask, "Okay, do you have any more? I need another." He had the look of a junkie trying to get his latest fix. Yes, they are just that addictive. I was actually pleased to witness someone else so openly addicted to these things.

I have always felt for holidays everyone should be allowed a little touch of indulgence. But if you are trying to make new, healthier habits then don't holidays just work against all planning and set you back further? Would it be better to ignore the Easter candy left on your desk, the 4th of July Summer BBQ's or the visions of sugar plums at Christmas? It seems that US holidays leave little room for healthy eating and living.

There are many fitness blogs on the Internet run by women where the author has started at a high weight but then over the span of time she drops to a size two and the entire blog now consists of, "Look at me in my bikini! Look at me smiling and looking skinny! I did it! Hooray! Don't you wish you could be skinny and sexy and happy like me! I traded bacon for lettuce and now my life is perfection!"

Well, I can say I don't think my blogging here will ever take that same direction (maybe for Angela it will). I feel I am moving at a snail's pace.

Where am I going?

Good question.

Until next time,
Rachel

My Sweet Weakness

Dear Rachel,

Your daily lattes! Oh wow! My huge congratulations to you and good luck on this goal I know how important the lattes are to you. I need to think of a goal with that kind of reward at the end of it...but I'm blanking on what my reward can be...I do however know what I should give up...my daily sweets!

I have the worst sweets addiction ever! I usually cave and get something chocolate once a day! and that's after resisting it the ten other times I wanted it each day. It's so bad I don't even keep chocolate in my apartment because I know it won't last.

I try to buy "healthy" (meaning somewhat better for you, but not completely) substitutes like frozen yogurt to satisfy my sweet cravings...but I end up going out and getting something instead of eating the frozen yogurt most of the time!

You know you have an addiction when...you travel outside the frickin' house late at night because you just NEED that McFlurry or cold stone or cupcake (from the nifty little cupcake shops popping up all over now) or a whole entire chocolate pie!

So when I think up a reward that is certainly what I should give up in order to get it. In the meantime here are some links that are SUPPOSED to help people resist sweets:

13 ways to stop sugar cravings: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings

Sugar Addiction Escape Plan: http://www.firstourselves.org/10-steps-to-control-sugar-cravings/

For those that lack the motivation:
78 reasons to avoid sugar: http://www.healthchecksystems.com/Health_Reasons_to_Avoid_Sugar.htm


Any suggestions for a reward for a person like me on a budget? Can't wait to hear how the latte thing is going.


Sincerely,

Angela