LIFE IN THE UK

I’m in Leeds, United Kingdom NOW.  I’ve been here exactly two weeks now, studying abroad.

I know this was supposed to be a running blog…but I guess its now a travel blog too!

 

loss of motivation lately

.  I didn’t run in two days, I”m kind of dissapointed in myself because I’m trying to train for a Virginia Half Marathon in November.

I’m just feeling sad. I’m still in summer mode even though I’ve had classes for 1 and 1/2 weeks already!!During the summer, exercise kept me motivated and happy. I guess it was the endorphins, or just having a set routine and lots of free time! Now i’m living off campus, spending too much time buying food at Walmart, and not getting enough work done…
I said in the summer I would keep up with this blog even during the school year, and I’ve already been seriously going back on my word!

Well…here’s what I’ve been doing lately:

I made this big pot of curry by myself for the first time!! It just has onion, carrots, potatoes, and beef. I had some with brown rice and froze the rest!

Homemade pizza!! Here is the BEST whole wheat pizza dough recipe everrrr ! You should try it, it’s so easy to make and good! I used mozzarella, tomato slices, diced red peppers, and mushroom.

greek yogurt of course!

So for dinner today, I totally did not eat healthy. I had 3 kashi dark chocolate oatmeal cookies and 1 peanut butter sandwich!!! UGHHH i don’t know why I don’t have self control!

Have you ever just felt demotivated? What do you do to get yourself back on track?

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Today I made banana blackberry oatmeal pancakes with honey drizzled on top!! It was good! I’m exhausted from my first day of classes…I think I’m going to work out every other day now that school started.  I have a crazy schedule + work+lab position + hospital volunteering + mcat classes…i hope I can survive this semester.

 

hills

I ran outside for about 50 minutes, but I walked at times, because where i live is very hilly, and this was only the second time for me doing hills.

I had my first green monster!! I used soymilk, spinach, banana, and blueberries!

Then for dinner I had an egg with shrimp, cucumber,yellow squash, and red pepper. The veggies weren’t that flavorful, but I didn’t have anything in my kitchen since I just moved into my apartment and haven’t been to the store that much.

My first day of classes is tomorrow!

 

Back in PA

Ok , So i haven’t been updating because i’ve been moving back to Pennsylvania. I had to fly into Philly, and then drive to Penn State in State College all  by myself!! ! I feel so independent! I haven’t had the internet either!  Right now I’m still trying to unpack…but I don’t know where to start, nor do I want to.
This past week, I didn’t exercise at all!!! Tomorrow I’m planning on waking up early for a run though.  I still can’t believe I haven’t exercised in so long..I hope I can still run.

Tomorrow, there will me food blog pictures..but today ahhh. soo tired and I’ve been eating cereal for dinner! I just bought some pots and pans and silverware today.

 

pancakes

good morning everyone..  🙂  I was kind of busy this morning so I decided to push the workout until tonight.  Right now i’m listening to shakira’s she wolf song…haha i love it

For breakfast: Sweet potato pancakes!
I mixed one egg, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3/4 oats, 2 tb soymilk, and mashed in 1/2 sweet potato.

I formed two pancakes on a frying  pan.

…and voila….two sweet potato pancakes sprinkled with ground flax seed and sliced almonds, and drizzled with honey.  I had a juicy yellow peach with it too.  Oatmeal is very filling, so I could only finish once pancake though.

-btw.. Happy Thursday!! yay I can’t wait for this weekend. Well I have to start packing for my trip back to PA!

-Christine

 

kimbap

happy wednesday!! wow I can’t believe my summer is almost over. I only have 3 more days left in Houston!  I ran 3 miles on the treadmill today, it took a little more than 27 minutes.  I like running outside more, but its just way too hot in Houston, even in the mornings!! I decided not to lift today and save it for tomorrow.
So for lunch today, I made kimbap, which is a korean dish. it’s kind of like sushi, except nothing raw in it. My mom grew up in Korea, so I learned how to make it from her!

Basically it’s just egg, spinach, brown rice, and tempura wrapped in dried seaweed.  The pink stuff is some kind of Japanese fish thing, its like the japanese version of spam.  Its sprinkled with crushed sesame seeds.

Here is a recipe of it I found online. YOu can basically put whatever you want in the roll, like sliced carrots, imitation crab…etc

 

double breakfast

Happy Monday! So today I woke up and had  greek yogurt with sliced strawberries and almonds.

Then I worked out, doing 25 minutes on the stair climber on intervals 8 and 11.  Afterward, I did weights.  I wanted to run today but my shins just weren’t feeling it…
Then I came came home and found this oatmeal pancake recipe on another blog and decided to make it for lunch as well.  I didn’t have vanilla though so I left that out, and used soymilk instead of milk.
Here’s how it turned out:

It was pretty good! I sprinkled ground flax seed, topped it with sliced bananas and honey, and had some o.j. and cherries with it too! YUMMMM.
5 more days until I go back to Pennsylvania!! Goodbye Houston and your 100 degree weather!!

My dinner wasn’t very interesting..I had just had leftover pasta.

But then I made these banana bread bars from this website.

 

sweet sundays

Happy Sunday!

For breakfast I had autumn wheat cereal with almond milk, and a sprinkle of flax seed. I’ve had a sweet tooth lately so I decided to have a piece of carrot cake from kroger’s.  It was a HUGE piece..and I ate it all :).

Later for lunch I had some whole wheat pasta with zucchini, chicken, mushrooms, and grape tomatoes.  I’m taking a break from exercise today since I did 5 miles and weight training yesterday.

 

Freshman 15

The Freshman 15

Whether you’re about to enter college this fall or are already in school, you’ve probably heard of the “Freshman 15.” The first time I heard about it, I thought to myself “NEVER going to happen!” Boy was I wrong…In high school, I was pretty thin, 106 pounds, 5’5″, and size zero, and the only exercise I ever did in my life was gym class…if that counts. I weighed almost 120 lbs. by the end of my freshman year. And by summer, I gained an additional 5 pounds, going up to a size 5.

During the gradual weight gain, I did see changes in my body, and I did ask myself “why? why did this have to happen to me?” I always thought I was the victim and that college made me fat. It wasn’t until the summer after my freshmen year that I realized “I LET THIS HAPPEN TO MYSELF!”

I lived in the dorms my freshman year ate my meals in a buffet style cafeteria. I was exposed to foods that my body wasn’t used to and lots of dessert! Of course, with unlimited food, late night studying, and bad choices on my part, the weight gain was…inevitable. Looking back, I realize there are a lot of things that I could have done differently, but right now I can only move forward.

This past year I’ve learned a lot about exercising, and eating healthy. I’m by no means an expert, and I am still learning right now. I started this blog because I want to help other people learn how they can make choices in order to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. Especially college students out there!

Tips to Avoid the “Freshman 15”

1. Eat when you’re hungry...(easier said than done!!)
Sometimes when we see food or smell something we like, our minds take over and says “eat this now!” even though we’re not really hungry. I know a lot of times I have found myself eating food just because it looked delicious or smelled good, or because I was bored or stressed out, but not because my body really needed it. Before taking another bite of that pizza late at night, or diving into seconds, ask yourself “Am I hungry?” And if the answer is “no” then you know what to do…

2. Avoid overfilling your plate… especially if you eat in a buffet style cafeteria. With so much food everywhere and so many options, its easy to go overboard and fill your tray with tons of food! The more you put on that plate, the more you’ll probably end up eating.

3. Fruits, Veggies, and H20.
If you don’t eat that many fruits and veggies, now is a great time to introduce them into your diet. Fruits make great snacks. I always carry an apple or banana around to eat between classes. For dinner and lunch, I try to include veggies. They include plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fruits and veggies are lo-cal and good for you! Also, remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day!

4. Exercise..yes you can!
I know its hard to make yourself exercise while you’re a student. You might think that you have to study, hang out with friends, or party and you don’t have time for exercise. But trust me, you can fit it in! Go running outside, join the gym, play intramural sports with friends, or take a fitness class! When I was living on campus, I bought a school gym membership, and one semester I even took a jogging class for fun even though I had an 18.5 credit schedule. I found that with my jogging class, it actually made me less stressed out and it kept me in shape.

So my question to you is: Did you gain the freshman 15 during college or were you able to maintain your weight? Or are you an incoming freshman student who is worried about it?!

-Christine