Sunday, December 20, 2009

grind-ING

I had to take a course yesterday and today to prepare for my life insurance license exam. It was completely mind-numbing. My brain is worthless right now. It was 8 hours each day. One-hour lunch break halfway through with a 5-10 minute break each hour. It's been almost 3 years since I graduated college and I haven't been in a classroom setting since. It was torture. To sit quietly and still for that long was really hard. My listening skills are off, my note-taking was funny, to keep my mind on task was super difficult. All in all, it was not a good weekend. But I'm one step closer, I can mark something off my list.

I hope to actually sit for my exam sometime soon. I have to study hard. We'll see how it goes. I'm considering getting back into college mode for the next week or so...waking up at 6 to look over notes and get some quick studying in. Not taking a moment in between activities...study, go to work, study, work out, study again, sleep. I've fallen into a really nice leisurely routine of just relaxing...if I feel like staring off into space with my eyes glazed over, I do it. When I get ready to work out, I get dressed and go. I sleep when I want to, wake up when I want to. That definitely was not my reality when I was in college. I'm about to get back into that "always on the move, always grinding" mindset. It's productive.

Tomorrow morning begins a detox. I need to cleanse my system and kind of kick-start my metabolism. I've been the same weight for 2 weeks, I've hit a plateau. So, for the next two weeks, minus Christmas, I'll be eating natural oatmeal, plain chicken, turkey, fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, protein shakes, and drinking only distilled water. It should knock some weight off quickly. That's my hope.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That detox sounds like something I need to do as well. Can you give a little more of the specifics of what it is you do to detox? Thank you.

I hope you do well on your exam! :)

Erika said...

SweetT - the detox is a period of time, perhaps 2 weeks to a month, of very clean eating. No processed foods. No seasonings. No additives. No nothing basically, just everything in its pure form. And no dairy. Drink a gallon of distilled water every day. It's lighter on the body. For breakfast, natural oatmeal with a cup of yogurt mixed in. If you're not into yogurt, a couple servings of egg whites mixed in will also do the trick (make sure it cooks thoroughly!) No milk, butter, sugar, flavoring, nothing. For a snack, a piece of fruit. Lunch is chicken, turkey, or fish, 12-16 ounces. Just plain meat, no marinades, no seasonings, just the basic meat. With a half cup of vegetables. Afternoon snack is either a piece of fruit or a half cup of veggies. Dinner is the same..12-16 ounces of meat and veggies. If another snack is needed after a workout or something, mix protein powder with water. But that's it. Add some sugar-free cranberry juice or some lime juice to the water, just for a lil change. Personally, I can't give up my coffee in the mornings. And the yogurt and protein powder are really the only "man-made" or processed foods that are recommended. You really are just eating to fuel your body, it's not for enjoyment. You begin to get accustomed to the natural taste of food...like just plain tilapia, no seasoning or sauce or anything. Good luck, let me know if you decide to do it! I started today and lost a pound and a half from the time I woke up and didn't even go to the gym...lol, I'll take it!

Anonymous said...

Good luck on your test. I took that same course (did you go to the class on 96th?). I took the test - so, if you'd like some pointers - let me know.

I hope everything is going great! Be careful going home for Christmas. Love you!

- Ashley J :)

Black Girl Meets World said...

Wow when (and why?) are you sitting for this exam? I don't know if I read wrong but it's for life insurance right? Right, lol.

I often wonder if I have ADHD, because sometimes its hard for me to sit in a class for 3 hours, let alone 8. :/

You and me sound similar on the body deal. Mr. Man told me if I get a trainer, make sure she has before and after pictures, lol. What he said is true, as he was saying "How can someone whose never been big relate to you? There goals might not be the same." So I'm on the hunt for a trainer. I'm optimistic!