How much is your health and fitness ACTUALLY helping you?

It’s the end of the year, and for many of us the motivation to lose weight, get healthy, or become more fit from our “2013 New Year’s Resolution” has been dwindling for the past 12 months. However, its time to re-gain that motivation and find ourselves again. Find new goals for the upcoming year, and discover again why we do what we do.

Have you ever wondered how much your health and fitness ACTUALLY helps you in the long run? Everyone knows the basics when it comes to the benefits of staying physically active -- something along the lines of a healthier heart, stronger muscles/bones, and a good source of stress relief. But, have you have thought about it more in depth? At a more physiological level? Our bodies are amazing and react extremely well to exercise. Just exercising 20-30 minutes a day can increase your health dramatically. In ways that you might not be aware of yet.

The leading cause of death in the U.S. is cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are multiple risk factors that can cause CVD. Some are out of our control, while others are not. It’s the changeable risk factors that I want to discuss. There are four leading risk factors that we have control of - High Blood Pressure (Hypertension), High Cholesterol, Smoking, and Physical inactivity. The number of Americans that are at risk for CVD because of these changeable risk factors are alarming.

10% of Americans are at risk for CVD because of high blood pressure.

10% are at risk because of high cholesterol.

18% are at risk because of smoking.

A whopping 58% of Americans are at risk because of physical inactivity.

Over half of our population are putting themselves at risk simply because sitting at home is easier than getting out and being active! However, by being physically active, you are not only eliminating that off of the changeable risk factors list, but you are essentially eliminating all four risk factors. Exercise reduces high blood pressure, it decreases your cholesterol, and helps individuals quit smoking.

Some other factors that you are preventing by simply being physically active are as follows:

reducing stress, reducing risk/ helping with osteoarthritis, helping increase your metabolism, reducing your risk of osteoporosis, helping maintain insulin/glucose levels, and helping with hormone regulation. Those are only a few of the many positive things that being physically active does for you. Not everyone exercises for the same reason, but I am sure that within this list at least some of you, if not most of you, can find a reason that drives you to walk into the gym every day.

Back To School!

well, hey.... I'm back AGAIN.
long time no write! its been a crazy little while for me, but i am excited to update the blog a bit :)

i have officially begun my junior year at Utah state! looking back at it now it doesn't seem like a very long journey, but when i am in the moment....it feels like ages. i am super excited for this semester though, because my classes are BOMB. i am taking exercise physiology, human physiology, mental aspects of sports performance, family finance and advanced jazz technique (dance). they are all so awesome, and are going to be so helpful to me and my future career.  i used to think that i could get by being a good trainer without having a degree...well now my view has changed. i am not saying that trainers that don't have degrees aren't great at what they do, i am simply saying that i myself am such a better trainer with the schooling that i already have under my belt. i think differently as a trainer and i assess people differently. i know that by having this degree i will be able to better help my future clients. it is a great feeling ☺

for the first time ever, i think i might like school!



here are a few of the interesting books that i have for my classes! time to buckle down!

 

 

also since moving back to logan i have been SO lazy with my eating! i have been eating fairly well (minus the double stuff oreos...) haha but i just haven't really been in the mood to cook. however.... i was in the mood, ONCE. and this i what i made!

 

 

it was a fairly simple dish, and extremely filling!

here is what it is...if you cant already tell ;)

- 1 sautéed zucchini topped with salt and pepper (to taste)

- one cob of corn (is that how you would say it?? haha) with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper.

- one piece of grilled chicken with a little BBQ sauce.

 

 

like i said, i haven't been in the mood to cook but i have been doing my best to eat healthy! on the first day of school the roommates wanted to go out to breakfast together to start the day off right. we decided on a cute little diner called "Herms". its pretty popular in logan and it is known for its super large pancakes! however, since this was going to be my pre workout fuel - i didn't think a pancake would be the best idea. so instead, i just ordered two sides.

 

 

 

as you can see, i ordered a side of cottage cheese and a side of fruit! the fruit was super fresh, and the cottage cheese was really filling. it was the perfect way to fuel me through my GPP workout and for the first day of classes.



 

now finally, my workouts! i have been diligently following the daily workouts at GPP. i have said this a million times before, and i will say it a million times again. GPP LOOKS GOOD ON! GPP works! it is the best programming out there, and it works. i will swear by it time and time again.

 

 

here is my proof. without GPP there is no way i would look the way i do today. thank you GPP!

 

i do wish i could be storming the workouts back in Centerville with my GPPeeps, but the field house and Gold's gym will just have to do for now!

 

i apologize for the random post, but i hope you enjoyed!

push yourself to work harder in the gym this week and fight off those food temptations!

 

xoxo,

lil kate ❤



Fit Missionaries

wow, let me tell you something! the last day and a half has been a pretty exciting time for me. thanks to my good friend Rachel Hudson i got quite a few emails from people wanting my workout book! people from all over the country! i am so excited to be able to share my knowledge with missionaries everywhere!

this is such an exciting time for missionaries and i am so glad that i can be apart of it, even though i, myself am not going on a mission. amazing things are about to happen with this book, and my editor should be getting back to me this week with the book - ready to be sent out to a list of publishers. i get giddy just thinking about it!

i am so grateful and excited to be able to provide these one of a kind workout books for people other than just my wardies. ;) however, since i am currently making them by myself it might take me a little longer to get out to people. so, if you are interested in a book just be patient with me. i am getting them made as quickly as i am able and will also ship them as quickly as i am able.

also, i have created a separate email account specifically for people wanting my book. if you decide you have to have one (which you do :)) you can reach me through this email: fitmissionaries@gmail.com

thank you to everyone for the support!

xoxo,
lil kate 

My Pride and Joy

yeah, yeah, yeah --- i know i haven't blogged in like, hmmm 2 months? but, i am not going to apologize for it! i have been busy and truly not in the mood to blog. but, today i sat down at the computer and was ready to blog again. so, i hope you are all ready to read again!

this summer has gone by wayyy too fast so far. i am loving both of my jobs so much! i am currently working at the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement for the second year, and i am now on the bike team there. it is so great! i basically just get to bike around salt lake city all day, everyday! jealous yet? i am also still working at GPP (my love, and my life) as a trainer and at the front desk. i am truly so happy!

this is a typical day at the mosquito abatement. top left picture is a route, top middle my badge, and bottom left is my bike.

i get a little alone time at the gym every once in awhile in between jobs. nothing like a little workout before training other people. seriously love my job!

i have also been doing lots of hiking this summer! last weekend i got to go to moab with my bike team friends and my bestie, whitty kitty. :) we had so much fun! 

this is me and whitty kitty at the top of our hike in moab. it was so much fun!

andrew and i have also been hiking and exploring this summer. this is at the top of the mountain above our houses. it was such an incredible view!

now, for the real excitement of my summer! not that any of the things that i have blogged about already wasn't exciting, but this next thing has truly been my pride and joy this summer.

it all started when my best friend Ali, left on her mission. she requested that i make her a small workout book to take with her on her mission. trainer kate immediately came out and i was up for the challenge!

 this is ali and i on her last night. so sad to see her leave, but so proud of her at the same time!

anyways, i put together a small book for her. it had about 31 workouts in it and i knew she would be religious with her daily workouts.

this is what the first draft of the book looked like, and it is also the one that i gave ali.

well, after i put this picture on facebook and instagram i got multiple requests from other people, also wanting the missionary workouts. i was shocked at how many people wanted it! so, inspired by my boss, ali and her mom anne i decided that i was going to attempt to get it published through deseret book!

many hours of improved programming, picture taking, and putting together an improved version of the book i sent it off last week to get edited before being sent into the publishers!

this was during the editing process. lots and lots of work! but, with fitness being my passion, it was work that i was more that happy to take part in. i also decided to put small quotes/scriptures about health and fitness at the bottom of every page to try and help motivate the missionaries to workout every day.

after being sent to an editor, a few ladies in my home ward wanted a copy to send to their girls on their missions. i was a little flustered at the idea, simply because i am not tech savvy in the least bit. which is a large reason as to why i want to get it published-- so that i don't have to do the pictures or layout of the book. but, anyways -- i put together a book and gave it to them. it isn't perfect, but it is a start. :)

and well, here it is! i decided to rename it "without strength, you have none to give" because i think it is so catchy! it is a quote that my inspiring boss Neil Anderson came up with. (wish i could take the credit with that one, but i can't!)

the quote is just so self explanatory and seemed to fit the purpose of my workout book completely. i am so excited for what is to come with this book. i hope that one day soon, missionaries across the world will be more motivated to use their 30min of workout time to obtain optimal health and fitness, and be able to maximize their time as missionaries.

what have you been up to this summer?

xoxo, 

lil kate <3 

Healthy Sells

hey all! sorry its been so long since i last wrote. it has been a crazy couple of weeks getting ready for finals. the library has literally owned me. haha

anyways, for my english 2010 class we had to write a persuasive paper for our final paper. my paper seemed to be applicable towards the blog, so i have decided that for this post i would share my paper. :)

i hope you all enjoy - be warned, it is a little long!

Healthy Sells

Audience: Federal Government

            The modeling industry has grown significantly throughout the years, with more fashion companies and magazines making their marks on the world. However, that isn’t the case with their models.  Over the past twenty years models have been shrinking - not in height, but in weight. Models are still the tall and very desirous women that they have always been, but they no longer look “normal”. They look thinner than ever, and modeling companies are lustful for even skinnier models. Twenty years ago, models only weighed eight percent less than the average woman, but now they weigh twenty-three percent less than the average woman (Media Influence). The modeling standard has been raised significantly over the years, and it is not only affecting the models. The extremely skinny model aura is unhealthy for the models, women nationwide, and has exhibited many misconceptions to the public, because of the excessive amount of photo shop that is being added to the pictures to make the models look even skinnier than they actually are.   

            I believe it is clear that there is a problem with the models of our society being too skinny.  Our models have to strive to live up to a standard that is completely unreasonable and very unhealthy.  For example, model Kim Noorda, was just fifteen years old when she began modeling. When it was time for her first catwalk show she weighed only 110 pounds at a height of 5’10” (Odell). It is obvious to anyone that at that height and weight Kim was suffering from extreme anorexia. However, it was something that she deemed necessary in order to fit in the tiny sized dresses that were provided backstage. Kim Noorda shares her story herself:

“I was fifteen when I started, and by the time I was eighteen I did my first catwalk shows. I struggled to prevent gaining weight, whereas already I was considered to be a “heavy” model compared with the others. My agent told me I was beautiful as I was, but I had to make sure that I would not gain more. She encouraged me to lose at least some of my weight. I was ashamed that I had to diet. At home I was thinner than everybody else, but compared with other models, I was heavier” (Odell).

It is a very sad story when beautiful and skinny girls are being told that they need to lose weight.  It is causing them not only physical damage, but emotional damage as well.   Once Kim was able to get help with her anorexia, her nutritionist suggested that she gain one pound a week.  Kim didn’t like this idea at all.  Her nutritionist ensured her that no one would even be able to tell that she had gained weight, and Kim replied with, “People in the fashion industry see every gram of fat” (Odell).  The immense amount of pressure that was put on Kim by her agent and her company is sad.  We don’t want our women to believe that they aren’t beautiful exactly how they are.

            The fashion industry’s models are affecting girls as young as ten or eleven years old.  Many girls firmly believe that society is telling them that they need to be super skinny and very sexy. Studies have shown that only eighteen percent of grade-school aged girls reject that “model body image.” It is interesting to note, that girls in this percentage had much higher self esteem than the girls that did accept and strive for the so called model body image. Over 70% of young girls think they need to strive for an image that they will never truly be happy with. Many girls even refuse to participate in any sports because they are afraid that they will bulk up and that it isn’t “girly girl” enough (Hellmich).  They go to extreme measures such as skipping multiple meals to try to unnecessarily lose a few pounds.  Why is this phenomenon hitting younger girls so badly? It is because modeling companies often hire girls as young as ten years old to strut the runways in their high fashioned line of clothing. Modeling companies prefer younger girls because they have yet to develop their womanly curves, which makes them seem even thinner.  Kelly Cutrone, owner of People’s Revolution states that, "Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better" (Hellmich). Is this something that we as a country want to promote? Do we want young girls to think that it is necessary to be anorexic in order to model? No. We want to teach them to love themselves and how to love their bodies.  We want them to understand what healthy looks like and how to become the healthiest person that they can be. I believe that movie star actress Jennifer Lawrence says it best, “I knew that if I was going to be naked in front of the world [in 'X-Men: First Class'], I wanted to look like a woman and not a prepubescent 13-year-old boy. I'm so sick of people thinking that's what [women are] supposed to look like” (Peiffer).

Modeling companies such as Vogue have recognized this problem and are setting up certain guidelines to help end anorexic modeling in the industry.  They are not only trying to end anorexia, but they have agreed also that they will not hire models under the age of sixteen. They have admitted to unknowingly hiring girls as young as fourteen years old, and they are putting an end to it by requiring their models to have their I.D.’s checked before photo shoots. Sara Ziff, head of The Model Alliance states that the age restriction is important for other reasons too. "The use of under aged models is linked to financial exploitation, eating disorders, interrupted schooling, and contributes to models' overall lack of empowerment in the workplace," she said. "We simply believe that fourteen is too young to be working in this very grown-up industry, and we're glad that Condé Nast International is making this commitment. In addition to agreeing not knowingly work with models under sixteen or with eating disorders, the Vogue pact says the magazines will help "structure mentoring programs" for younger models and raise awareness of the problem of model health. The magazines said they would encourage healthy working conditions backstage and encourage designers "to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models" (USAToday).  Since Vogue has such an influence in the fashion industry, I believe they are acting as a frontrunner for these much needed changes. I believe that because Vogue has acknowledged these issues and have shown an effort to fix these issues within their company, other modeling companies will strive for the same goals.

In our world of constant media bombardment, women of all ages are being influenced by the images they see in the magazines. Whether it is purchasing a magazine at the airport while waiting for a flight or standing in line at the grocery store, women of all ages are exposed to the work of modeling companies across the country.  When older women see these skinny and even anorexic models they think, “I will never look like that.” “Does my husband want me to look like that?” The teenage girls think, “I want that to be me.” “I want to look like that.”  Women at all ages of the spectrum have a moment of worthlessness, a moment of not being good enough, not being skinny enough, and not being pretty enough. Sadly, I have been subject to this mentality as well.  I don’t believe that any woman is immune to this feeling.  I even sometimes feel the need to go on a diet simply because I don’t look like the girls in the magazines. "The promotion of the thin, sexy ideal in our culture has created a situation where the majority of girls and women don't like their bodies," says body-image researcher Sarah Murnen, professor of psychology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. "And body dissatisfaction can lead girls to participate in very unhealthy behaviors to try to control weight” (Hellmich). Is this the standard that we want to set for our society?  Do we want women to feel as if they need to be anorexic in order to be skinny?  Women are striving for a figure that isn’t healthy or realistic. This being said, I believe that it is important that we as a country strive to promote a different ideal to the fashion and modeling industry.  I am very aware of the fact that “skinny sells”, but I believe that so does healthy.  I don’t think that we need to promote anorexic models for the magazines or the clothing within the magazines to sell.

The saddest part about all of this is that although many of the models are already anorexic, the modeling companies think that they need to use excessive amounts of photo shop to make these women look even smaller than they are currently. I find this to be outrageous. Companies are already using skeletal women in their magazines; I find no need for them to further photo shop any about these models.  This is creating a false sense of body image to everyone who sees these photos.  Models begin to compare themselves with other models. Teenage girls begin to compare themselves with other teenage girls as well as models.  The list can go on and on. Women are comparing themselves to an image that is unattainable.  They are becoming unhealthy and unhappy because of an unreachable and unrealistic image that has been set for them to strive for.  It is an issue that has gone on far too long without being addressed.  There needs to be a plan to fix this problem.  We need to band together to not only help protect our models, but to protect the general public as well. As Americans we need to strive to set up our citizens for a healthy and happy life.

I believe that the only way to fix having anorexic models is to set a law that all modeling agencies must follow. The law will state that there must be a dietician on hands at every agency. I believe that the dieticians will need to check up on the models frequently and to set a minimal weight that each individual model can be, depending on their height and body build. Before each shoot, the models would need to be weighed and measured to ensure that they haven’t gotten below their baseline requirements.  If they have fallen below their requirements, then they are out of a photo shoot.  I am aware that this may seem rather harsh, but I firmly believe that unless the consequences are extreme, the problem will not be fixed. I believe that a law is necessary for this to be enforced within all the modeling companies across the nation.  Without a law, certain modeling companies will think that they are the exception and will not ensure that all of their models are healthy and promoting a healthy lifestyle to millions across the country. This law will not only benefit the models but women nationwide.  By stopping the problem where it is originating (within the modeling agencies) it will only be a matter of time until the unhealthy model image is being rejected on college campuses, in high schools, junior high schools, and even elementary schools.  I am not saying that it will stop anorexia completely, or that women will never be self conscious about their body images ever again.  I am saying that this will help.  I am also saying that by having the government establish laws that promote healthy models, they will be encouraging the rest of society to be healthy as well. Show Americans that you care. Yes, skinny does sell, but so does healthy. 

have an amazing day and i will post again once i am done with finals!

xoxo, 

lil kate ♥

There will be BIGGER and BETTER

happy monday!

so, this weekend was full of ups and downs and i want to share my little experience with you here on the blog.

thursday, friday, and saturday were auditions for the USU Spirit Squad.  all week i had been debating whether or not i wanted to try out for the team.  there are so many other good things that i can be focusing my time on, but in the end i decided to try out. i knew that there would be a chance that i would regret it if i didn't try out so that is what made my decision.  i have been on the team for the past two years so i felt pretty good going into the auditions. i made it to the final day and then i got cut on the last cut of the day. it hit me - #19 didn't get called. i didn't make it. i would not be returning to perform on the spectrum floor or the usu football field again.
the sadness that i felt was not because it was the end of my dancing career. i knew the day where i stopped dancing would come eventually. it isn't the career path that i have chosen, nor am i good enough at dancing to "make it big" anyways. the sadness i felt was from the fact that i would miss my team. i loved every moment that i was dancing with those girls. i am always so happy when i am dancing, and having such amazing teammates was just the sugar on top.
i know that me not making the team happened for a reason.  i am a HUGE believer in the saying, "Everything happens for a Reason." i believe that God has something else in store for me. i believe that there are opportunities that are going to arise for me in the upcoming school year that i don't know about yet. i will now be able to focus more on my training - the career path that i have chosen and something that i am extremely passionate about. in fact, i might even be returning as the trainer for the utah state spirit squad in the fall although i am no longer on the team. opportunities await me and BIGGER and BETTER things are in store for me. i won't quit, and i won't be let down. i know that i am capable of great things, and i know that i will be able to help people with my ability to train them and give them a happier and healthier life.

i know and understand that it isn't always the easiest thing to look on the bright side. but sometimes, thats the only thing we can do. so, look to all the amazing opportunies that you have in your life. everything might not be perfect or exactly how you want it to be, but just know you are blessed and have MANY things to be grateful for. i know i do.

so, this fall i am planning on training lots - hopefully getting a job at gym here in logan, and i will be personally training anyone that is interested!

bigger and better things people. bigger and better. :)

xoxo,
lil kate <3

Easter Weekend Recap!

happy monday everyone!

i hope everyone had a fabulous easter weekend with the ones they love most - i know i did! 
i got to go home and spend the weekend with my family and andrew - it was great!

friday night andrew and i doubled with his brother and went to the new G.I. Joe movie. it was pretty good, however i haven't seen any of the other movies so i had nothing to compare it to. afterwards we went to the "Leatherby's" creamery --- can you say AMAZING?! andrew and i shared a sunday that had cookie dough ice cream, cookies and cream ice cream, hot fudge, and an actual cookie to top it off. wow - so yummy. (obviously not super healthy - but hey! - we shared :))

saturday morning was started off right with a good workout at my favorite gym. GPP. :) it was a rough workout and i was already sore from my other workouts earlier this week!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Felt

For time:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 

pushups (strict)

pullups

Post time to comments.

Rest several minutes (3-5) then,

For time: 

15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6 reps per round for time:

lunge switches

squat to box jumps

Post time to comments.

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i did the workout at the 630am class and was able to train the 845am class. it was sooo good to be back at GPP and see all my favorite people. i can't wait to be able to go everyday this summer - 4 weeks baby - 4 weeks! :)

***Saturday was special to me because it was my 3 year mark at GPP. for 3 years i have worked with the most amazing and inspirational people i know. i have learned so much and my love of health and fitness has grown immensely. thank you to the trainers at GPP and all of the amazing people that walk through the doors day in and day out. you have inspired me more than you will ever know. it is because of all of you that i wake up at 345am during the summer. it is more than worth it to me. love you all!

annnyyywayyys - back to the post! on saturday after i got back from the gym my mama and i got to go to city creek for the day. it was also my mama's birthday so we celebrated at the cheesecake factory. it was delicious! i chose the low-carb version of the strawberry cheesecake and it was so good. 

here is my beautiful mama on her birthday! she got all embarrassed when they started singing happy birthday to her!

the rest of the day included lots of shopping at city creek! we found lots of cute things at awesome prices. i don't usually love to shop but my mom and i had a great day together. :)

Saturday night andrew and i went on a hike and man was it beautiful! :) when we got to the top of the mountain, the sun was just setting and you could see the entire valley. it is moments like those when i am so grateful to live in such a beautiful place. i wish i would have gotten a picture but sadly my phone was dead. :(

Sunday was great! the easter bunny paid a visit to all of us, i got to go visit andrew at the fire station with jason, and the day was full of family, good food, and lots of easter eggs!

yayee for delicious easter candy and new perfume! :) there is no way i could let myself eat all that candy so i made a little easter bag for andrew and brought it to him when i went to the fire station with jason. :) my favorite easter candy is cadbury mini eggs - the are so freaking delicious! what is yours?

just before church i took my cute little brother jason to the station and andrew gave him a personal tour of all the ambulances and engines. jason was seriously in heaven! 

isn't he the cutest little thing you have ever seen?! i definitely think so!

after the station we had church and i got to wear my cute new dress i got shopping with my mom the day earlier. i also got to share the weekend with my bestie - whitney. seriously love her. 

after an amazing dinner it was time for all the little kids to have their easter egg hunt! i loved filling all the eggs and hiding them all over the yard. it is a great sight to see all the little kids running around trying to get the most eggs. 

the after math of the hunt! 

my two favorite people. whitney and my cute little sister lara after the easter egg hunt. such a great day!

well, that is all i have for you today and i am off to the gym to do this workout! 

Monday, April 1, 2013

Curves

6 rounds for time:

400 m run

20 pushups

20 box jumps

200m row

20 sideups R

20 situps

20 sideups L

Post time to comments.

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- should be a good one! 

xoxo,

lil kate  ♥

Exercise is My Drug

happy hump day ya'll!

i hope everyone's week has been fabulous so far!

i got the topic for today's post "Exercise is My Drug" on monday - after having a terrible start to my day. 

monday morning at 8:25am I sat down in my anatomy class ready to begin my third test of the semester.  now, if any of you reading this post have heard about Andy Anderson's Anatomy class at Utah State, you know it is KILLER. like for reals. i studied my little butt off all week last week/weekend for this test. i walked through the doors feeling confident and prepared. i had definitely put in the time and effort. i started taking the test and about halfway through, it was all i could do to not start crying. seriously. tears were forming in my eyes. the test was SO hard. i felt like my 30+ hours spent studying had been for nothing. i finished the test and walked out of the doors of the biology building so frustrated, discouraged and upset. i pulled out my headphones and stormed off to the gym blasting rap music. i needed to blow off A LOT of steam. what better way to do so than a GPP workout of the day? in fact, the workout on monday happened to be one of my favorite workouts. lucky me :)

Monday, March 25, 2013

Jones'n for 40

2 rounds for time:

40 kb swings 25/35

40 squats 

40 Aussie pullups

40 lunge steps

40 OH db presses 15/20 

40 KB high sumo 35/54

40 triceps narrow pushups

40 back ext

40 tick tocks (20 per side)

40 db biceps curls 15/20

Post time to comments.

--------------------------------

i finished "Jones'n for 40" in just under 22 min. as soon as i finished my workout i had blown off some steam and i felt SO MUCH better than i had 22 minutes earlier. it was so great! 

i got home from the gym around noon and realized i hadn't eaten yet that day (i usually can't eat before tests because i get so nervous i want to throw up - i have issues, i know.) so, i fueled my body with a delicious brunch. 

strawberries with cottage cheese, and whole wheat bread with peanut butter. seriously so delicious, and a great post workout meal. it was actually kind of my pre workout fuel as well.

on mondays and wednesdays i have my zumba class that i take through the university. we recently got a new instructor and she is absolutely amazing! after my lunch i headed off to zumba. it was such a great way to blow off some left over frustration from the morning. i walked out of my zumba class with a huge smile on my face. i couldn't help it. i love to workout! i love the feeling that i get afterwards. exercise truly is my drug. the high i get afterwards is irreplaceable. i don't know what i would do if physically i wasn't able to work out. i would probably be an emotional wreck. actually - not probably. DEFINITELY.

after zumba i was yet to be done with my physical activities for the day. i had one final class in which we were going rock climbing. i usually get pretty nervous rock climbing whether is is real rock climbing or at an indoor climbing wall. i don't love heights. however, that was not the case on monday. i was fearless. i welcomed the adrenaline rush with open arms. i scaled walls that i would have never tried on a regular day. i couldn't get enough of it! the burn in my arms, shoulders, and legs felt great. so in other words, i love rock climbing. 

here is a pic of one of the rock walls!

after an hour of climbing i left the Rock Haus with a great attitude. i had received my score back from my test and it wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be. in fact, it wasn't bad at all. however - thank goodness i had the entire day clear my head through my physical activities. because without it, i would have been a mess the entire day. yes, the test was THAT bad. maybe i am dramatic, but those that have taken the class can relate.

anyways, hope you enjoy the post! have a great day everyone!

who else feels like exercise is their drug?

if so, what is your favorite form of exercise that you use to blow off steam and clear your head?

xoxo,

lil kate ♥

Spring Break!

well hello again!

i am back from spring break and ready to start crunching for the end of the semester! yes, we still have like 6 weeks left - but if you think about it, it really isn't that long! finals will be here before i know it!

i'm going to give you a quick recap as to how my diet (mentioned in the post previously) and spring break went, but first i want to share something with my readers that just made my day!

so, i know i am not the best blogger and i don't post nearly as often as i should, but sometimes i just think "no one reads it anyways, i don't need to." well, this past week i was proven wrong. this was posted on instagram by my good friend Lexi from happilyhinton.blogspot.com  .

dang, you can't really read it very well but it says "healthy habits started to day. thanks to katelyn murdock's blog."

here i am thinking that no body even reads my blog, but in fact - they were reading and actually being inspired! it was such a great feeling and gave me the motivation to post more. thanks to all my readers. i really love feedback like this - so awesome!

now - back to spring break ... in VEGAS!!! it was seriously so much fun. and the weeks prior to my vacation i was hitting the gym hard to get ready to put that swim suit on at the pool.

my exercising part of my plan went GREAT. everyday i did the GPP workout and at least an extra 30 min of cardio.

eating - i can honestly say i wasn't perfect. however, i did well and lost a few pounds in the process. i am pretty happy with the results, and was glad i buckled down before my trip.

the first day was a day full of driving! we left around 11:30am after practice and were driving till about 8:00pm las vegas time. our first night we just went out to dinner and came in fairly early. we ate at the "sugar factory" and let me tell you - it was delicious! i wish i could have gotten a picture of my food to share with you, but it was gone before i could even think about a picture! haha me and my friend mackenzie shared a hamburger and dessert. it was amazing. and so delicious.

here is the dinner group that went to sugar factory. i know, my friends are gorgeous!

day 2 started off with a morning workout and an hour at the pool. seriously so fabulous! it was 80 degree weather all week long and it was so so good to get some vitamin d!

the gym at my hotel was actually pretty nice and had lots of equipment for me to use. it was a perfect way to start my day - and burn off some of those calories from dinner!

terrible quality photo - my bad! but this basically summarized my gym time - an awesome view, and balancing on some balls! great times!

jealous yet? haha just kidding - but really though the sun was amazing!

after a relaxing morning it was time to go cheer on the girls basketball team in the first round of the WAC tournament! it was such a blast and the girls pulled through with a win! GO AGGIES!

that night after the game we went to a great little Italian restaurant called Maggiano's. it was DELISH! (again - sorry for no picture) we were all starving since most of us hadn't had time to eat since breakfast. i'm pretty sure we all downed the entire supply of bread that they had in the restaurant. the poor waitress just kept bringing baskets and baskets of bread out to us. haha then, my friend aubrie and i shared a chicken and truffle tortelloni - it was amazing. 

we ended the night with a little shopping and prepped for the next day.

day 3 was pretty free for all of us. we had dinner with Dr. Morales and his wife, and then a game boys basketball game later that night.

so, the day consisted of a long workout - the pool - and sadly for me, studying. i have a huge anatomy test coming up this next week so i had to study over the break. lame. i know.

dinner with Dr. Morales was at a buffet in the hotel and it was great. i didn't eat much dinner because i just kept thinking about the cheesecake that was being displayed in the dessert section (i LOVE cheesecake - in case you were wondering). as soon as i cleared my plate i headed to go grab the cheesecake i had been eye balling the entire night. and well, to my pleasant surprise it happened to be sugar free! now wait - i understand that some things should never be sugar free - and things that should never be sugar free tend to taste gross. this however, was an exception. it was so good. and i felt better about eating 2 pieces cause hey- it was sugar free! haha

seriously so yummy :)

after dinner was over, we all primped and touched up before heading to the men's game. sadly the guys lost in the first round but it ended up being a good game. i was glad i got to dance at one more game before the year ended.

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 hey - thats me!

day 4 we had a women's game pretty early. the women lost in a devastating last minute fumble and i was done cheering for the year. kind of a relief to be done, but kind of sad at the same time.

for me, the rest of the day was a lot of relaxing and studying.

that night was our last night in Vegas so we went out to eat at Serendipity's (so yummy) and went on the New York, New York roller coaster. 

also a bad pic - gotta get better at that! but anyways, here is the group that ate at serendipity's on the last night

outside the New York, New York! such a fun rollar coaster!

oh and i almost forgot! we got to go to m&m world that night as well - so many to choose from!

we headed home saturday morning after the most heart warming service project i have participated in as an Aggiette. we went and performed at a women's shelter for the women and children. the kids absolutely loved it and we let them cheer with our pom poms and stunt with the guys. it was so awesome to see their sweet faces light up. i even got a little teary - eyed throughout the short time that we were there. i can't wait to go back next year. ♥

the bus ride home wasn't bad and i was able to be dropped off early so that i could go home for the last day and a half of my spring break. i was so excited to see my family and my cute andrew on his birthday! it was such a perfect way to end my break.

now, i am about to hit the gym and the books! summer is coming (is the middle of march too soon to say that? - nahh i don't think so!) and i am ready to finish out these last 6 weeks strong. 

have a fabulous monday!

xoxo,

lil kate ♥