Monthly Archives: May 2010

Recommitting

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Weight Loss

Weight loss has been a permanent concern for me in the past five years. I have never been skinny, but until I started college my weight was still within a healthy range. 4.5 years ago I started doing Weight Watchers, and lost a huge amount of weight but I did not manage to keep it off permanently. For the past year I have been in the same weight range that I originally started out in, sometimes 10 pounds lighter, but always overweight. In December I started the new Weight Watchers program that had just been introduced here. I thought it would give me new motivation to try a new program, something that I didn’t already know in my sleep.

Well, I only did really well for a few weeks, and then made too many exceptions. I was still losing weight, though. Very slowly but the trend was downward. Then March came around and I started studying for my exams. I completely abandoned Weight Watchers. I thought I would just try to eat as healthy as possible while allowing myself more ready-made meals (such as frozen pizzas) on the days when I had no time or energy to cook. Unfortunately, I am really bad at this, you know, allowing myself a little, but not all.

And I should know. For me it is either do Weight Watchers strictly and with no exceptions or I will go way overboard with the junk food (I am not talking McDonald’s or Pizza Hut as I hardly ever eat that but frozen pizzas, chocolate, and chips). I can usually not keep a healthy balance for very long without keeping myself accountable with the help of counting points.

I hate that about myself. Because that is really the key to changing my life style. I do not want to have to count points for the rest of my life. I want a healthy lifestyle to come naturally. I want to want to pick the healthy food option at a restaurant without feeling like I am missing out. I want to be able to say, ‘no thanks I don’t want that chocolate.’ And not be lying. I admire people who genuinely have no interest in chocolate or cookies at times. Who can say no thanks and mean it. Who will not be taking peeks at the box of donuts at work that a co-worker brought and want another one. Because I? Would love another donut, another piece of chocolate, another handful of chips!

That is why when I do WW properly, I have no chips or chocolate (though I do sometimes buy the dark 80% cocoa one as I don’t like it as much), and I do not even bother buying any of the food I can’t say no to. But in the past weeks? I have probably consumed more chips than in the past two years. Originally, my plan was just to focus on exams and not worry about my weight until exams are over, but I have already gained 7 pounds over the past 7 weeks, and if I keep up that rate I will end up at a weight I don’t think I have ever been by the time I am done with my exams in another eight weeks. And I really do not want that. I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to have to start there in July.

That is why I decided that even though I am busy studying for exams, I will just have to do Weight Watchers again. I will just have to invest the extra time in cooking and I will have to cut all the pizza and chips out of my diet again. I clearly am not capable of holding a healthy balance without controlling myself right now, so I will have to control my food intake. I started doing Weight Watchers again on Thursday (I never actually canceled my subscription) and while the past week has not really been on plan due to the large amount of food I still had in the fridge that isn’t quite weight loss compatible, I think I am on the right path. And I will simply be disciplined in the grocery store again. I know I can do that and that it is easier than you’d think once I’m in the right mindset. I can say no. I just really have to say no. I cannot buy a bar of chocolate and plan on just eating one piece a day, because guess what? That’s not going to happen.

I also have to go back to the gym. I have not been since the end of January. In February I went home for a couple of weeks and I have not been at the gym since. Just like with Weight Watchers, I keep paying for my membership but I am not using it. And that is something else that I need to do again. While I am still busy with exams, I doubt I will be going more than twice a week, but even once or twice is more than what I have been doing in the past 4 months.

So this? Is me committing to this. I will keep posting semi-regular updates on my progress on here. My weight loss blog is still temporarily (and possibly permanently) abandoned, as it is too hard for me to keep up with two blogs right now (and possibly always). Will you help me keep myself accountable?

How is this spring going for you in terms of weight loss, working out & living healthily? Are you sticking to your goals or have you been slacking off lately as well? If so, want to join me in recommitting to our goals?

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The perfect summer job

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University court

A couple of months ago I received an email from my university that the international office is looking for students to organize social events for the International Summer School participants during the month of August. It sounded really interesting to me as I am absolutely considering working in a university’s international office someday and not only does this give me a glimpse into work there, it might also be useful for networking, not to mention it will look good on my resume.

And last but not least, it sounds like it would be incredibly fun! I would be in charge of one course of students (roughly 15 of them, ages 18+) and organize afternoon & evening activities for them about three times a week as well as doing some office work. Basically, I would be getting paid for doing sightseeing & having a good time.

Another bonus is that it is considered a merit scholarship which doesn’t only sound incredibly fancy, it also means I don’t have to leave 50%+ of my pay to the government in taxes until I do my taxes next year. Usually, when you get a second job (I already have another job), you are put into the highest tax bracket for that second job. I would get all of the money back eventually, but it’s better to get it all right away.

On the Monday after my exam I went to their office and filled out their application form. I was a little surprised at how little they actually wanted to know of me, they didn’t want a resume or anything, just a form stating my contact information, my student identification number, my majors and which languages I speak. The lady accepted my application and patiently answered all my questions (and I had many of them, as I am in the middle of exams right now and while the job itself would not interfere with it, I wanted to make sure the application process wouldn’t either).

Today I received an invitation to an interview which will take place in a little over a week. I would love to get this job, and to be completely honest, I would be very disappointed if I didn’t. If there is any job I would be well-qualified for, it is this one.

I have studied abroad in two different countries for a year each, so I know what it’s like to be a student in a foreign country. I have also been a language partner for American exchange students since 2004 (for a total of four years seeing as I was abroad for two). And for the past year and a half I have had a roommate who came from Japan at the time, not knowing any German or about the city. I always tried to help him, tell him where he can buy inexpensive groceries, on which (holi)days stores are closed, and offering to help him and answer questions if he has any.

Basically, I know what it’s like to be one, and I have experience dealing with foreign students. And not only that, I like dealing with foreign students. I loved studying abroad, even if it wasn’t always a smooth experience without bumps and bruises. Even though I have never formally organized social activities for a group, I can’t imagine that to be too hard. I reckon being able to deal with foreign students and empathizing with their possible needs (homesickness, medical emergencies, general cluelessness, etc.) is the harder part, and I consider myself an absolutely perfect candidate for doing that, because that? Is something I have done before.

I am not sure what their idea of being qualified for a job like this is. Maybe they just want to make sure they won’t be having a nut case or drug dealer taking care of the students, I have no idea. But when they ask me why I want to do this job and why I would be qualified for it, this is what I’m going to tell them. And I hope that they will see that I would be a great fit for this job.

I have not spent a summer break in Heidelberg in years, so this job (offered every summer) never was an option for me. This year, I am going to be done with exams by mid-July and will be ready (that is, rested) to take up another job to keep me busy during August by the time they get here (end of July). The summer school ends four days before I have to move out, as if it was timed perfectly to my schedule. If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.

So, will you please cross your fingers for me?

What I'm looking forward to this summer

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I have my second written exam coming up later this week, so what I need right now is a little escapism. Play along, will ya?

Things I am looking forward to in the upcoming weeks and months, because nothing is better than dreaming of trivial but fun things that are weeks away when I have an exam coming up in five days.

Army Wives

A few weeks ago, the third season of Army Wives started, and I find myself looking forward to it every week. I actually only just started watching the show back in March, when I was looking for a good excuse not to study for my English exam. Stefanie had mentioned the show on Twitter before so I decided to give it a try. That is when I realized I had seen the first episode before (chances are that was also because Stef mentioned it, what can I say, I am scatterbrained sometimes). While my life is is being so stressful and uneventful (except for exams), I love me some good drama on TV.

Sookie Stackhouse Book #10

The new Sookie Stackhouse novel is being released tomorrow! I pre-ordered my copy a while ago, so let’s see when it gets here. What with this being the release date in the US, it is possible that it will take a week or two for the book to get to the bookstore here. The last book a year ago left us pretty much hanging as far as Eric & Sookie go, and it has been a long wait. I cannot wait to read book #10 and I hope it will not disappoint.

Dear John

Dear John. I loved the book. Like pretty much everything Nicholas Sparks. That man really knows how to write sappy love stories, makes me cry every time. The movie is finally coming out here on Thursday and I can’t wait to see it. I love Amanda Seyfried, and Channing Tatum is pretty easy on the eyes as well. Not to mention I have been listening to Little House, the song by Amanda Seyfried off the soundtrack, for weeks, and I heart it!

Pumpkin Pie
Photo by Deiru.

I have a can of pureed pumpkin in my closet that expired at the end of April. The idea was to make a pumpkin pie from it before it expired, but now I’ll just have to make it after it expired. Originally I wanted to make it on Sunday (the day after my exam), but my friend J., who promised she’d help me eat it (I know, how selfless of her!), is flying home to California for a couple of weeks on Thursday, so it’ll have to wait till after my next exam. Which is okay. I doubt the pumpkin is going to perish that quickly just because they have printed April 2010 on it, right? Right.

True Blood

Not only are we getting a new Sookie Stackhouse book very soon, the third season of True Blood is also coming out on June 13th. And girls? I can’t wait. I have been suffering from serious Eric withdrawal for way too long. Granted, the book may fix some of that. I have high hopes that Sookie and Eric will finally … have another shower-scene-like scene, if you know what I mean. Which, speaking of, I cannot wait to see that on the show.

Independence Day

I already made plans with my afore-mentioned friend J. to go to the German-American Fest again this year for July 4th, for some good food, sunshine (I hope!), and the fireworks. I loved it last year and this year is likely my last chance to go (you know, unless I move somewhere else with a US military post in town, but they tend to be in the middle of nowhere, so that’s not that likely). I will likely not be done with exams yet on the 4th but as my professor is on vacation until the 11th, I will be at least a week away from my last exam, so I can totally take the day off and have some fun.

July 12th

The day I will likely/hopefully have my last exam. As I mentioned, my professor is on a trip until the 11th, and officially I have until the 12th to take all my exams. My professor did say they don’t take the deadline that seriously if she can justify why the exam has to be taken later, but I would rather be done within the official deadline, not to mention that by mid-July I really just want to be done with exams. Assuming I don’t fail any of my exams I will be done with school in exactly 10 weeks. 70 days. I cannot wait.

Summer

I am so very much looking forward to summer. Not just summer but the part of summer after exams. It’ll be my last summer here and summer in Heidelberg is beautiful. I will be working, but I have every plan to make the most of my last few weeks here, spend time with friends, eat ice cream, bask in the sunshine, read a book on the Neckarwiese, sleep with my balcony door wide open (one of the perks of living on the 12th floor, you do not have to worry about burglars coming in through the balcony or a window), and just enjoy having graduated from Heidelberg University after eight long but beautiful years.

What are you looking forward to in the coming weeks and months?