Health & Fitness Should Be Fun!

Health and fitness are extremely important to me. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science and then became a Personal Trainer. I loved working as a Personal Trainer, but after about a year I decided to become a Health Coach, so that I could help people with more than just fitness- I wanted to help people to make long term lifestyle changes (I was a Health Coach for over two years, and stopped to finish my MPH practicum).

There is an overwhelming amount of information out there about things like losing weight, molding your dream body, and how to change your diet. I can't imagine how frustrating it is for people who go to these articles for help, without ever really getting what they need. 

Which brings me to my first point. I've talked about self-reflection and awareness in previous posts, because it's extremely important. Before making any drastic lifestyle changes, it's important to know what you want, and what you can realistically do to achieve that goal.

Whatever that goal may be, it's crucial to be honest with yourself, make small changes and be aware of how those changes affect you. Too often people feel like they have to make extreme changes, then they feel deprived, restricted, and too regimented. 

Snacks for Seahawks game!!! I LOVE chicken wings. Veggies with hummus. Homemade deviled eggs. Instead of chips- vegetable chips.

If we don't like what we're doing, what we're eating, how we're exercising-- how in the world can we expect ourselves to keep it up?!

Biking outside is something I really enjoy, especially near the water.

Ray and I were on a 5 day backpacking trip. We decided to have some fun with a push-up competition :)

Instead of focusing on what we can't have, or shouldn't do, it can make all the difference to focus on what we can add in. It may seem counterintuitive, but doing so will help to gradually, and naturally, eliminate those things we want to stop.

Know that you eat poorly, but not quite able to stop?  Try adding in healthy foods, don't focus on what you shouldn't/can't have. Add veggies into your diet by including them in easy to make meals (I use my crockpot at least 2x a week because it's 5-10 minutes of prep, and you can throw in tons of veggies), by having a small cup of vegetable broth with lunch and dinner (or a snack), by adding in a healthy snack.  Instead of fast food, try popping into the grocery store and grab a sandwich. DO NOT skip meals, or justify an unhealthy food item by eating less later. You'll find that makes things worse, I promise. 

Homemade veggie broth (just using the throw-away scraps from cooking). 

Delicious smoothie: fruit, borage oil, ground flaxseed, protein powder, and water.

Feel like you aren't active enough but hate to exercise? Explore until you find an activity that you can enjoy. Maybe start by going for a walk with a loved one after dinner (it can be romantic, or an opportunity for quality conversation). Try a sport. Try outdoor exercise like hiking or biking. Try yoga. See if any of your friends want to start exercising with you. And don't pressure yourself to commit to anything right away. Allow yourself to explore.

Rock climbing is extremely fun for me because it's adventurous, strategic, and also social.

Most importantly, be open and honest with yourself. No judgment.

Adultish

What does it mean to be an adult? My generation's "version" of adulthood is completely different from my parents and grandparents. For example, my grandparents married very young, around high school age, and had children soon after. My parents had us in their early 20s, and were married after. Although my family can't be viewed as a model for their entire generation (Gen X), data paint a clear picture.

                                                 

   







One of the biggest variable changes between generations is the distinct economic and educational difference. We have significantly more student loans, which means we are contributing less to the economy (harder to make big purchases when struggling with student debt). We're also struggling with the unemployment rates and recession recovery.

Obviously, this could be a key reason for the decline in marriage. True, those of us who go to college aren't likely to marry while we're in school. Most of us don't want to get married or start a family when we're still paying off student debt. And most of us want to establish ourselves professionally. But, I think most of us are also more questioning, think more critically, perhaps making it harder for us to make decisions without knowing what we'll want 10, 20, 50 years from now.

Likewise, because of technology, we have so many more opportunities to focus on, and learn more about, ourselves.  We can read books, take personality tests, go on grand solo adventures... Lord knows I have done all of those, and I know that I wouldn't be so self-aware without those opportunities. Can we commit to another person before we truly understand ourselves? Or, is ignorance bliss?

In other words, I wonder if some of us feel like we have too many choices, or options, to make a decision- romantic, professional, familial.  Because we have so many options, we want to explore as many as possible in order to see what we truly want out of life.  

There's a really great TedTalk about this very subject:

I titled this post "adultish" because I live my life in a very different way than my elders. Although my life might be considered untraditional because I'm unmarried, I don't own a home,  I haven't started my career.. I am very independent, I take care of myself, and I have been with the love of my life for almost five years now.  Perhaps once I start the career off I'll feel less adultish, and more mostly-adult.

Knitting Haven

Knitting is one of my favorite things to do, for several reasons. First, knitting is proven to be an excellent source of stress relief. Second, it is the most valid excuse for cozying up in a blanket and laying down for hours on end- because it's also productive!!! Third, it is extremely gratifying to watch a ball of yarn evolve into knitwear. My fourth and final reason is the pride you feel when someone says "What a beautiful ____, where did you get it?" - to which I can reply, with great satisfaction, "I made it!!!!".

Any knitter will also tell you how fun (and terrifying) it can be to follow a pattern. While knitting, you really have no idea how everything is going to come together and magically look like the thing you are attempting to knit. You just trust the pattern.

It's been exciting to see how popular knitting is quickly becoming. I think a lot of it can be attributed to Outlander, and Hunger Games. Seriously, everyone has been going CRAZY over the knitwear featured in each. And for good reason. Especially in Outlander (big fan, I'm also reading the series)- there are some absolutely beautiful pieces in this show.

The first thing I started working on as a knitter, was a beanie. I have made so many different kinds of beanies, because there are countless numbers of patterns available. I find almost all of my patterns on www.ravelry.com.

One of my favorite things to make is the Katniss Cowl. The pattern I use is also from www.ravelry.com, by Dahlia in Bloom (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-seam---district-12-cowl) . I have only made two so far, and I haven't yet made all the extra braided components, because I'm still playing with the type of yarns I use. 

Knitting is also a really easy and heartfelt way to give gifts! I've made coffee cozies, hot pads, beanies, cowls, and socks for friends and loved ones. Although it can be a little time consuming, and at times frustrating, it feels amazing to look down at a finished product and know that it will be used over and over again for years to come.

Percolating thoughts

I find myself pondering a few different questions: 1) Why is it so challenging to find a career? I say career here because I don’t want just any job. I want to earn a living and be a professional woman. That shouldn’t be too much to strive for, but I’m starting to wonder. 2) Am I ever going to know what it’s like to be able to buy groceries without worrying about the money? For that matter, will I ever know what it’s like to be debt-free? 3) Will I ever feel like an adult?

I am one of so many of my generation drowning in student debt, unable to start a career, and unable to believe there was ever a world where a typical 28 year old woman was long since married and producing children of her own. I mean, really? I don’t even have a job. I feel like I have juxtaposed what I am and what I want to be. Does that make sense? Put another way, I have been fighting to feel successful, like it will make it so my parents' sacrifice wasn't (and isn't) in vain. 

Ironically, I find myself gauging success in my ability to have and do the opposite of my parents. They completely sacrificed their own lives for my sisters and I. They have worked so hard, not for themselves, but for me. They weren’t able to pursue an education (well, my mom somehow managed to earn a 2 year degree while working more than full-time and taking care of her three kids), they never had the opportunity to travel (unless you count California, Nevada, and a few other states), and they were never able to have much of a social life. As much as we struggled financially, my mom always found a way to buy us school supplies, two new outfits for school every year, and for us to play sports. They never spent anything on themselves so they could spend everything on us.

(Studied abroad in Granada, Spain)

(Italy)

(Switzerland)

Because of the sacrifices my parents made for me, I was absolutely determined to get an education. I knew I’d end up in a lot of debt because my parents couldn’t help. But I thought it would be worth it.  I traveled. A lot. I spent a semester in Spain and traveled throughout Western Europe before and after my semester. After I graduated, my family came together and surprised me with a ticket to Switzerland, where I spent a few weeks with a close friend during my study abroad experience, and I got to spend a month and a half traveling all over Switzerland. 

I have always made an effort to spend time with close friends, usually going on outdoor adventures or playing board games. I save up to by quality items instead of getting whatever is cheapest. To what end? I have a large amount of student debt and I don’t know what it’s like to live completely debt-free. In fact, my parents have been the ones helping me as much as they are able to.

That said, I have never for an instant regretted any of my decisions. I learned so much about myself while in school. And I feel optimistic that everything I've done has brought me exactly where I need to be. Because of my parents, I have so much more opportunity than they did.

All of these things have driven me recently to do a lot of self-reflecting. I’m hoping that having this time might be a blessing in disguise. It’s not often in today’s society that we get the chance to slow down and really think about what is going on in our lives, who we are, and what we really value. So, it is with that in mind that I permit myself to do a little less binge-watching, and a little more writing.

Ready for fall

As careful as I’ve been with my finances lately, I decided to budget some fall/winter shopping money. I don’t think I’m ever going to grow (length-wise or width-wise!), so I figure it’s a long-term investment.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

As I talked about before, part of me associates a professional and “classy” wardrobe with success. Now, that doesn’t mean I’ll ever be able to go out and drop thousands of dollars on clothes (as much as I’d like to be able to do that once), but whether we want to admit it or not, we all judge people by the way they look and the way they dress.

After completing my wardrobe, I went through and got rid of anything I haven’t been wearing and don’t plan on wearing again. This is Seattle, we have to be careful about use of space, especially precious storage space. I sold what I could to Buffalo Exchange, and had the rest donated.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

I’ve been wondering how we all develop our fashion-sense. My friends and family will be the first to tell you that I was a very late bloomer when it comes to having any sense of fashion- I was the kid wearing sweater vests.  As a young woman in my undergraduate days, I played around with different styles, but I never thought I could pull off wearing “sexy” clothes because I looked and felt so young. Only now, at (almost) 28 years of age do I find myself experimenting with “sexy” clothes- open back sweaters and shirts, fitted dresses, and playing with attractive bathing suits. Now that I think about it, I think I felt like it was tacky or immature to wear things like that before now. Feels pretty fantastic now.

So, here’s to self-discovery and fashion evolution.

In the in-between

I’ve really been enjoying the networking opportunities I have had since graduating with my MPH. I first started networking through contacts I made during my MPH Practicum at Seattle-based NPO One By One. When I reached out to those contacts, and invited them out to coffee, many of them were able to put me in contact with another professional, and so on. Networking really is vital to finding professional opportunities. I’m afraid that’s been quite a limiting factor for me.

(http://www.dc-associates.com/blog/the-importance-of-networking/)

Meeting professionals within your area of expertise for the first time can be overwhelming. Before each meeting, I make sure to do proper research about the organization they work for, their role within the organization, and I prepare a list of questions. 

Public Health is a very broad profession. With my degree, I could choose to focus on environmental health, policy, epidemiology, global health, geriatric health, maternal and child health, and so many others.  There are also many public health professionals that worked their way up to their positions through experience, not education. Many do not have degrees in public health, rather, they tend to wind through different paths before they settle where they are.  That is why it is so helpful for me to network. I am very interested in understanding how they arrived at their current role. Were they passionate about working for that specific organization? If so, how did they get in? Were they referred?

Attending events with staff from my practicum site, One By One, has been extremely helpful in my networking activities. www.fightfistula.org

Through out the process of seeking employment over the last few months, I’ve noticed a few things. One is that I seem to be caught in a weird middle ground of experience, education, and age. I look like I’m just over 20 years old (I’ll be 28 this Christmas).  I have a Master’s degree and over six years of professional experience (my background is in health and fitness, started as a personal trainer, then worked as a behavior health specialist, then helped to coordinate a youth advocacy program at my practicum-site), but many organizations might feel that because I am under the age of 35, I should focus specifically on entry-level positions. This can make sense- I think it can be really helpful professionally to start from the bottom of an organization and work up. This can help with one’s understanding of operations within the organization once higher up the chain of command. However, I also want to apply to management positions, where I can use my degree(s) and rise to the challenge, which will help me to grow professionally.

Another thing that I think makes a huge difference when seeking professional opportunities- is making sure my application stands out. First, I purchased a beautiful resume/cover letter template via Etsy. Second, I designed matching contact cards on Moo Print. Next, I put together a few relevant writing and presentation samples to submit with my application. I have received the most positive feedback from potential employers because of the writing samples I include. The samples I have chosen to include in most of my applications include a Social Media Strategy I developed for my internship site, an Issue Brief I synthesized in my Master's program, a 3-part poster presentation I created in my Master's program, and sometimes a copy of the final evaluation/report I created once I finished my internship/practicum.

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/225532523/3page-resume-free-business-cards-cover

http://www.moo.com/au/design-templates/business-cards/pack/face-time.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2012/08/29/6-secrets-to-writing-a-great-cover-letter/

The only other thing that I think makes all the difference is the cover letter. There has to be the perfect balance between providing detailed examples for your qualifications and communicating your passion for the role and for working for that particular organization. I have asked just about every person I have networked with to take a look at one of my cover letters for me (they obviously vary with each application) and to provide feedback. This has helped tremendously!

1) networking and referrals, 2) stand out, provide samples of your work, and 3) write a great cover letter.

Cozy at home. For now.

I literally watched four hours of criminal minds this morning. After spending the last two years working full-time, while going to school full-time, while spending another 10-15 hours per week at an internship, while making time for the family, the boyfriend, and taking care of myself; having the time to sit at home binge watching all the tv shows I’d missed was not something I saw in my future. But here I am.

For the last three months, I have been getting up between 7 and 8 am when my boyfriend leaves for work (someone has to have a job), and then I decide what to do while eating my breakfast. Do I watch last night’s episode of the Tonight Show? Maybe Kelly & Michael?  Or do I watch an episode of a show I’m not caught up on? Now, I know when I choose the latter that I will not be very productive. That’s because whether I watch my show on Amazon Prime, Netflix, or Hulu, the next episode will automatically play… As a result, I have caught up on Sherlock Holmes, The Wire, True Detective, Hit Record, Girls, and Downton Abbey. 

On the days I choose the show I wasn’t caught up on, after the inevitable four hours of binge watching, I then do something productive. I clean (laundry, dishes, vacuum, clean the bathroom) while listening to an audiobook or podcast. Next, I spend several hours in a coffee shop (or at home) working on job applications, emailing anyone I know in the professional world in an effort to network, updating my job application spreadsheet (I'm keeping a detailed record of how many jobs I have applied to, received call backs from, received rejections from, and have heard absolutely nothing from), and scouting for more jobs to apply to. Now, on the days I don’t binge on tv shows, I still try to do some cleaning, then I head to the gym before going to the coffee shop. 

Once I decide I can’t stand any more productivity, I do something outside. Living in Ballard, Seattle feels extra amazing when you don’t have a job. I can walk to the Locks, Golden Gardens, go window shopping, go climbing at Stone Gardens, or drag someone to Card Kingdom to play board games with me.

That’s a day in the life. I try to schedule networking events, coffee dates, even day trips (biking, hiking, socializing) to have something on my calendar. I tell myself this is a great time to work on my hobbies; knitting, playing the ukulele, working out, improving my Spanish…And sure, it is pretty fantastic to have time for those things. But why is it taking so damn long to start my career?