Good evening friends!
Late post coming at you tonight… I have been crazy busy the entire day, but all good stuff! I had work from at the clinic from 8:30-2:30, and then a doctor’s appointment at 3:15 (more about that later in this post), a fantastic Cardio Kick class at 5:00 until 6:15, and other various errands and shenanigans thrown in there.
Let’s get right into the post mmkay? Today is essentially a “Friday Favorites” post but with a bit of a twist. I am going to focus on the “little things” that have been helping to bring a bit of delight, understanding and joy into my life.
1) A plan helps to easy my anxiety, although it is not always possible to create one. This is pretty obvious and true for most people, but hear me out.
This week has been packed full of plans, various places I need to be, meetings, classes, workouts… busy busy busy. But honestly, it really is alright. First of all, I am staying involved with things I have a genuine interest in- my internship, the Capstone class I am presenting my internship in, one of my nutrition classes, the blog, and other RA related activities. And second, when I am committing myself to requirements that actually spark my interest, I find that my anxiety levels decline and I am able to bring my mind to a more restful place.
Earlier this week I mentioned how on Saturday I was experiencing a “blah” day. I still am unsure of exactly the reasons behind my mood, but I know it had something to do with the lack of structure on my schedule. It was a weekend day, a time I should take to relax, get organized, read, do whatever I want pretty much, yet I find myself the most anxious on days like that. That particular Saturday, I kept trying to finish off various tasks that needed attention- cleaning, writing papers, blogging, etc.
However, I could not get myself to focus on one task and I felt as if I was in a frenzy the entire day… eventually leading to my rather sour mood later on. I am understanding that if I had simply wrote down a “to-do” list and then finished one activity before moving onto the next, I would have been much more productive that day and not as well… crazy. When I don’t have a firm hold over my activities, or my exact plan for the day, I turn into an anxious, irrational lady.
The ability to plan and organize are two fantastic qualities a person can have. Unfortunately, everything in life can not be structured and scheduled, and “going with the flow” is necessary sometimes. This is something I need to consciously work on as I have a very difficult time handling when I am feeling out of control. I know this is part of the core of my eating disorder and realizing this gives me a sense of relief, as I am consciously ready to tackle this side of my personality.
2) I saw this post-it note in the bathroom just yesterday as I was leaving lunch…
What perfect timing it was to see this note too! I chose to challenge myself at lunch that day and tried my best to enjoy some soft-serve vanilla ice cream with Reeses Pieces on top for a dessert. I saw two girls in the dining hall eating some soft serve at the table near me, and I thought “why can’t I have some too?”
This was my choice of course, no one was forcing me to, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t experience some serious guilt after (and the usual internal battle that takes place)-
- Ice cream in the middle of the day?! What was I thinking… I will have to skip dessert tonight. But Tessa remember, these are choices that help to normalize your relationship with food and also progress in recovery! Yeah but… sugary, fatty ice cream, ugh!
- I should not have given in. I am usually so “good” at restricting and depriving myself of what I want… I did not enjoy the feeling of weakness associated with this challenge.
- And the classic- I am a fatty who eats ice cream in the middle of the day.
This small, 9 word note aided in granting me a reality check and pulling myself out of my head. Thank you to whoever left that.
3) Seinfeld.
I am aware this show has been on for ages, but honestly, I still freakin love it! When new episodes were being produced, I was too young to understand or find any humor in them at all. In fact, since we only had one TV in my house, I would dread the times it was on, because I thought it was the most boring show ever!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Oh how wrong I was. Now that I can appreciate the humor, it is between the hours of 7 and 8 that add a lovely amount of delight and laughter to my day. I pretty much watch two episodes every day, and it’s glorious 
4) Random Pinterest pins that give me a chuckle!
5) A workout I did earlier this week that has left me sore for two days now… going on three tomorrow!
This is a circuit-style workout, one I created on my own, but also with Lindsay’s FLOW idea in mind!
Not going to lie, this is pretty intense, and I won’t be attempting it again for at least a week! Also I can’t say there is any real rhyme or reason to this- it just hurts you a lot, in a good way of course 
(rest for 15 seconds in between each exercise and rest for ONE MINUTE after each round. Notice how each number on the exercises decrease after each round.)
Round 1
- 5 full burpees (that means with a pushup!), followed by 5 upright rows with DBs (I used 15 pds)- repeat this FIVE times for a total of 25 burpees and 25 rows
- Backward lunge with bicep burl (I used 15 pd DBs)- switch legs each time for a total of 24 lunges
- Up and down elbow plank- complete until failure
- V-ups- 20 total
Round 2
- 4 full burpees (that means with a pushup!), followed by 4 upright rows with DBs (I used 15 pds)- repeat this FOUR times for a total of 20 burpees and 20 rows
- Backward lunge with bicep burl (I used 15 pd DBs)- switch legs each time for a total of 20 lunges
- Up and down elbow plank- complete until failure
- V-ups- 15 total
Round 3 (are you seeing the pattern?)
- 3 full burpees (that means with a pushup!), followed by 3 upright rows with DBs (I used 15 pds)- repeat this THREE times for a total of 15 burpees and 15 rows
- Backward lunge with bicep burl (I used 15 pd DBs)- switch legs each time for a total of 16 lunges
- Up and down elbow plank- complete until failure
- V-ups- 12 total
Round 4 (you know what’s coming!)
- 2 full burpees (that means with a pushup!), followed by 2 upright rows with DBs (I used 15 pds)- repeat this TWO times for a total of 10 burpees and 10 rows
- Backward lunge with bicep burl (I used 15 pd DBs)- switch legs each time for a total of 12 lunges
- Up and down elbow plank- complete until failure
- V-ups- 10 total
Round 5 (last one!)
- 1 full burpee (that means with a pushup!), followed by 1 upright row with DBs (I used 15 pds)- repeat this ONE time for a total of 5 burpees and 5 rows
- Backward lunge with bicep burl (I used 15 pd DBs)- switch legs each time for a total of 8 lunges
- Up and down elbow plank- complete until failure
- V-ups- 8 total
Done: stretch stretch stretch! I hope you are not counting on using your shoulders or legs after you do this… because you won’t be able to!
6) After working out, I feel it’s reasonable to transition right into a chocolate dessert! I made these just before I left for school but never shared the recipe! They were made with a newly purchased mini cupcake pan, so plan on seeing a whole bunch of mini desserts next time I am home
Ingredients for tarts:
- 1/2 c. butter, room temperature
- 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 c. flour
- 1 tsp Almond Extract (you can use vanilla but I really enjoyed this new flavor!)
Mix together as pie crust. Press into mini muffin pans (will make 24).
Filling:
-Melt the chocolate chips on medium low heat, remove from heat and mix together remaining filling ingredients with the chocolate.
-Plop (such a technical term) a tablespoon of filling on each tart and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Once out of the oven, place a few extra chocolate chips on the warm brownie (optional).
Delish! And anything mini tastier and cute if you ask me
7) My Nutrition Class
It seems I am on Eating Disorder overload this semester because I am taking a nutrition class on… yep you guessed it, Eating Disorders! As I told you in my post on Monday, I am quite passionate about this subject for several reasons, and the main one is I want to understand more about EDs and why it happened to me.. why it nearly destroyed my life and how. More on this later as the semester unfolds!
On that note… I went to the doctor’s today for a follow up appointment on some blood work and other tests I had done. Both good and bad new to report:
- Bad- Iron levels are still significantly too low. I am upping my iron intake again and seeing if that makes a difference. We also discussed ways I could possibly be hindering the absorption, so we worked on some strategies to counteract that. I am still fatigued beyond all reason, so at least I continue to know why.
- Good- I had a bone density test done and guess what y’all, normal bone density for this girl! That was such a relief to hear as both my doctor and I worried my bones were now in jeopardy after not having a period for the last two or so years. Phew (for now).
And there you are dears! It’s the little things like those displayed in this post that added delight to my day, or helped to turn things around when I was or am feeling less than stellar.
I would love to hear from you,
-Are you a major planner like me? Are you good at “going with the flow?” <— No for me, working on this of course and something I am currently exploring in relation to my disordered eating.
-Do you desserts at lunch, or do you try and “save” them for later in the day? The last time I had something like this was on my birthday … both occassions I felt tremendously guilty. Working on this as well!
-Are you a Seinfeld fan?! Or are there any shows you used to hate, but now enjoy?
-Tell me about your best workout this week! The burpee one for me!
-What are your plans for the weekend… and for the superbowl?! Go PATS 
Oh heyyyyyy
Have a great weekend!
Good evening friends!
Late post coming at you tonight… I have been crazy busy the entire day, but all good stuff! I had work from at the clinic from 8:30-2:30, and then a doctor’s appointment at 3:15 (more about that later in this post), a fantastic Cardio Kick class at 5:00 until 6:15, and other various errands and shenanigans thrown in there.
Let’s get right into the post mmkay? Today is essentially a “Friday Favorites” post but with a bit of a twist. I am going to focus on the “little things” that have been helping to bring a bit of delight, understanding and joy into my life.
1) A plan helps to easy my anxiety, although it is not always possible to create one. This is pretty obvious and true for most people, but hear me out.
This week has been packed full of plans, various places I need to be, meetings, classes, workouts… busy busy busy. But honestly, it really is alright. First of all, I am staying involved with things I have a genuine interest in- my internship, the Capstone class I am presenting my internship in, one of my nutrition classes, the blog, and other RA related activities. And second, when I am committing myself to requirements that actually spark my interest, I find that my anxiety levels decline and I am able to bring my mind to a more restful place.
Earlier this week I mentioned how on Saturday I was experiencing a “blah” day. I still am unsure of exactly the reasons behind my mood, but I know it had something to do with the lack of structure on my schedule. It was a weekend day, a time I should take to relax, get organized, read, do whatever I want pretty much, yet I find myself the most anxious on days like that. That particular Saturday, I kept trying to finish off various tasks that needed attention- cleaning, writing papers, blogging, etc.
However, I could not get myself to focus on one task and I felt as if I was in a frenzy the entire day… eventually leading to my rather sour mood later on. I am understanding that if I had simply wrote down a “to-do” list and then finished one activity before moving onto the next, I would have been much more productive that day and not as well… crazy. When I don’t have a firm hold over my activities, or my exact plan for the day, I turn into an anxious, irrational lady.
The ability to plan and organize are two fantastic qualities a person can have. Unfortunately, everything in life can not be structured and scheduled, and “going with the flow” is necessary sometimes. This is something I need to consciously work on as I have a very difficult time handling when I am feeling out of control. I know this is part of the core of my eating disorder and realizing this gives me a sense of relief, as I am consciously ready to tackle this side of my personality.
2) I saw this post-it note in the bathroom just yesterday as I was leaving lunch…
What perfect timing it was to see this note too! I chose to challenge myself at lunch that day and tried my best to enjoy some soft-serve vanilla ice cream with Reeses Pieces on top for a dessert. I saw two girls in the dining hall eating some soft serve at the table near me, and I thought “why can’t I have some too?”
This was my choice of course, no one was forcing me to, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t experience some serious guilt after (and the usual internal battle that takes place)-
This small, 9 word note aided in granting me a reality check and pulling myself out of my head. Thank you to whoever left that.
3) Seinfeld.
I am aware this show has been on for ages, but honestly, I still freakin love it! When new episodes were being produced, I was too young to understand or find any humor in them at all. In fact, since we only had one TV in my house, I would dread the times it was on, because I thought it was the most boring show ever!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Oh how wrong I was. Now that I can appreciate the humor, it is between the hours of 7 and 8 that add a lovely amount of delight and laughter to my day. I pretty much watch two episodes every day, and it’s glorious
4) Random Pinterest pins that give me a chuckle!
5) A workout I did earlier this week that has left me sore for two days now… going on three tomorrow!
This is a circuit-style workout, one I created on my own, but also with Lindsay’s FLOW idea in mind!
Not going to lie, this is pretty intense, and I won’t be attempting it again for at least a week! Also I can’t say there is any real rhyme or reason to this- it just hurts you a lot, in a good way of course
(rest for 15 seconds in between each exercise and rest for ONE MINUTE after each round. Notice how each number on the exercises decrease after each round.)
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3 (are you seeing the pattern?)
Round 4 (you know what’s coming!)
Round 5 (last one!)
Done: stretch stretch stretch! I hope you are not counting on using your shoulders or legs after you do this… because you won’t be able to!
6) After working out, I feel it’s reasonable to transition right into a chocolate dessert! I made these just before I left for school but never shared the recipe! They were made with a newly purchased mini cupcake pan, so plan on seeing a whole bunch of mini desserts next time I am home
Ingredients for tarts:
Delish! And anything mini tastier and cute if you ask me
7) My Nutrition Class
It seems I am on Eating Disorder overload this semester because I am taking a nutrition class on… yep you guessed it, Eating Disorders! As I told you in my post on Monday, I am quite passionate about this subject for several reasons, and the main one is I want to understand more about EDs and why it happened to me.. why it nearly destroyed my life and how. More on this later as the semester unfolds!
And there you are dears! It’s the little things like those displayed in this post that added delight to my day, or helped to turn things around when I was or am feeling less than stellar.
I would love to hear from you,
-Are you a major planner like me? Are you good at “going with the flow?” <— No for me, working on this of course and something I am currently exploring in relation to my disordered eating.
-Do you desserts at lunch, or do you try and “save” them for later in the day? The last time I had something like this was on my birthday … both occassions I felt tremendously guilty. Working on this as well!
-Are you a Seinfeld fan?! Or are there any shows you used to hate, but now enjoy?
-Tell me about your best workout this week! The burpee one for me!
-What are your plans for the weekend… and for the superbowl?! Go PATS
Have a great weekend!