Like I have time for this...

^^ The thoughts that have been running through my head lately due to my busier than usual schedule.  So I'm going to make time for at least a few, short workouts a week.  And to help keep me accountable, I'm going to write them out each Sunday and post them on my blog.  And this blog is called Real World Workouts right?  So, I will recap some of the workouts that I (hopefully) did at the end of the week.  Sound good?  Good.

Tuesday Musings

Things on my mind this Tuesday...

Start watching Scandal now.  Olivia Pope is a bad ass and I don't hate that we have the same name.

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 I start taking two classes tomorrow and I'm not happy about it.  To get me at least a little excited, I'm going to Target today to pick up some notebooks/notecards/pens, etc.  School supplies shopping will always trump actual school.  Going to Target will also probably result in a number of other items I don't really need.  #Targetdoesitagain.

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Someone get me a subscription to HBO stat! {Beyonce: Life is But a Dream; February 16} Also, Superbowl Halftime show!!!!

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I've never been much of a salad girl, but I'm going to try and start packing them for lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays when I am at class all day.  Any good salad recipes out there?  So far, these have caught my attention:

http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2011/08/the-easiest-way-to-save-time-in-the-kitchen-and-eat-more-vegetables/#
http://theyearinfood.com/2012/10/delicata-squash-salad-with-roasted-potatoes-and-pomegranate-seeds.html

Have a happy Tuesday!!

Fitness trackers

Is it just me, or has anyone else been curious about all of the new fitness trackers out there?  I just started a new job that involves me running around the ER following a physician for 8 hours a day, so I'm really curious how many steps I'm taking and how many calories I'm burning.  There are gadgets at all price points, from basic pedometers to high-tech devices that track everything from your eating to your sleeping habits.  Here are some fitness trackers I have my eye on:

1.  New Balance Via Mini Pedometer

2.  Fitbit Zip Wireless Fitness Tracker

3.  Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor

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4.  Fitbit One Wireless Sleep + Activity Tracker

5.  Jawbone UP   

6.  Nike+ FuelBand

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6

Friends near and far

 I feel like this is my week of seeing friends I haven't seen in a while and I. am. so. happy. about. it.  Saturday night we celebrated my friend Caitlin's birthday in Manyunk and along with a lot of other great people,  it brought together my friends Sam, Drew, and Alexa who I haven't seen in ages.  I also got to spend the night with friends I live close to but haven't been able to meet up enough.  I seriously had the best time.  I don't think I stopped telling everyone how much fun I was having and how happy I was.  Part of that could be contributed to the birthday drinks we were imbibing but 90% was due to hanging with my squad.

 This weekend I'm heading to NYC to visit a bunch of my friends from UR- some I haven't seen since October, some since last year.  Again, hanging out with friends you don't see often is the BEST natural high.  Because I'm realizing how great it feels and I'm going to try my best to keep in better touch with friends near and far. 

Ways to keep stay in touch with friends:

1.    Daily emails

2.    Snail Mail

3.    Google hangout

4.    Quick weekend trips

5.    Lunch/dinner dates

6.    Girls night in

7.    Group texts

  1.   When my best friend Delaney was in France we would email each other stupid, silly stuff all the time.  A funny Facebook status, a goof thought catalog article, or just something funny that happened a while ago.  Try it, it works.

2.   I'm all about sending letters in 2013, along with every other blogger in the world!  Sending unexpected notes or cards celebrating new jobs, birthdays is a fun way to show you are thinking of a pal.

3.  Google hangout is the new skype.  I love that you can get a big group together.  And let's be real, what else do you use Google + for? 

4.   These are sometimes hard to do, but every once in a while they are the perfect way to reconnect with someone.  Also, if you plan them far in advance, they give you something awesome to look forward to and plan for a few weeks.  I can't wait for my NYC trip this weekend.  I'm only going for one night so it will be short but sweet :)

5.   Eating + friends.  What could be better.  People always say they're going to do these but never do.  I do grandma Fridays at a different restaurant almost every week with my two friends.  We will be together forever.

6.  Get a bottle of win, a chick flick, an unhealthy snack and you are ready to go.  This happens often with my friends and I'm pretty sure I'll still be trying to have girls night in sleepovers until I'm 80 years old.  Not sorry.

7.  Group texting, whatsapp, snap chats.  It's 2013, you know the drill. 

My 101 in 1001

I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!  I'm not quite back in a routine yet because I still have 3 weeks until my two classes start again (YES!).  I am trying to get back into my regular workout routine and cross some things off my to-do list that I have done an amazing job of putting off.  Another thing I can start to tackle is my 101 in 1001 list!  I was inspired to do this by Design Darling so please go to her blog for more information.

1. Write list of 101 things to do in 1001 days (January 2013)
2. Keep track of 101 things
3. Inspire someone to write a list of her own (Julia, January 2013) 
4. Write my graduate school personal statement  
5. Send my graduate school applications by May 2013
6. Write thank you to all who help me in my quest towards grad school  
7. Get into PA school
8. Discover my medical passion
9. Find a mentor  
10. Buy a quality stethoscope 
11. Invest in an i-pad
12. Host a blog giveaway
13. Make a RWW Facebook page
14. Update my workout page regularly
15. Write a post everyday for a week straight
16. Move blog to Wordpress 
17. Run a 10K
18. Run a marathon
19. A half-marathon PR
20. A 5K PR
21. Take a hot yoga class
22. Join a gym
23. Take vitamins regularly
24.  Bring homemade salad to school at least once a week for a month
25. Find a primary care physician and gynecologist that I love
26. Get blood drawn for the first time
27. Join a kickball team in Philly
28. Go on a blind date
29. Give a guy my number
30. Move into my first apartment
31. Buy a new mattress
32. Frame my composites
33. Develop and frame graduation pictures
34. Frame my diploma
35. Paint a picture
36. Spend a night in AC
37. Go an a Scavenger Hunt (ala high school) 
38. Throw someone a surprise party
39. Visit U of R
40. Take a trip to visit friends in Boston
41. Take my first trip to the west coast ( LA!)
42. Go apple picking
43. Have an intense game night
44. Spend a day at the Franklin Institute
45. Go for a run along Kelly Drive
46. Eat at a Steven Starr restaurant
47. Read 10 "classic novels"
48. See 5 "classic movies"
49. Go to a Phillies home opener
50. Buy a Clarisonic
51. Go to a Dermatologist
52. "Unplug" for a day
53. Send 20 handwritten letters
54. Volunteer with Girls on the Run
55. Make homemade pasta
56. Make homemade hummus
57. Invest in a classic handbag
58. See Coldplay in concert
59. See Taylor Swift in concert
60. Organize friend's and family's addresses and birthdays
61. Send family and friends birthday cards
62. Pay off credit card
63. Buy my own personalized stationary
64. Get a piece of clothing monogrammed
65. Take my mom-mom out to lunch
66. Learn how to needlepoint
67. Buy my first pair of TB Revas
68. Tailgate an Eagles game
69. Try acupuncture
70. Invest in a few cookbooks
71. Buy something at a flea market
72. Try 5 new foods
73. Find out my blood type
74. See 5 Audrey Hepburn films
75. Take a spinning class
76. Buy a new car
77. Read the whole A Song of Ice and Fire series
78. Start paying off student loans
79. Keep a one sentence journal 
80. Make 10 things off Pinterest
81. Start swimming again
82. Make a piece of jewelry
83. Donate to the University of Rochester
84. Try skiing again
85. Find a long-term skincare routine
86. Buy an interview suit
87. Get my oil changed at the correct time 
88. Write a cover letter
89. Make a blogging friend
90. Write a guest post on a blog
91. Finish Dexter
92. Determine my favorite beer
93. Make a new commuting car CD each month for the next 6 months
94. Take up a new hobby
95. Go ziplining
96. Bring a date to a wedding
97. See all films nominated for an Oscar in the Best Film category for one year.
98. Establish a budget that works for me
99. Put money into my savings account each month
100. Start a blog series
101. Complete my 101 goals!

On to 2013

Tomorrow night I will be ringing in the new year at Xfinity Live in South Philadelphia with some of my best friends.  I'm a little sad to see 2012 go though.  2012 included one of the my best semesters of college, graduation, one of my best friends returning from France, making new friends, moving back home (good and bad), new jobs, etc.  But I'm excited for 2013 because I have no idea what's in store.  I know I will be purchasing a new car, beginning a new job, taking new classes, applying to graduate school, looking for an apartment, but who knows how any of this will turn out.  All I can do is hope for the best.

Now the obvious next point of this post would be... New Years Resolutions!  Like a lot of people, I'm not really into this in the traditional sense.  Last year I went the inspiration board route:

 I liked making this as it reminded me of my sorority crafting days- I swear my crafts then were better than this though- and it was a constant visual reminder.  I also accomplished a fair share of my goals because it was broken up into categories (health, personal, academic/professional- and focused.  But I think I want to do something even more specific this year.  I love to-do lists.  I seriously make them everyday.  So this year, I am thinking of going the list route and making it more of a long term thing ala design darling's 101 in 1001. I love that her list is visual ( I need that), with specific to-do's, and that there is no pressure to finish them in a year.  I will be working on mine in the next couple of days so more on my version of the 101 in 1001 to come!

Have a safe and happy new years! 

January Fitness Video Star

When I think of the holiday season, I obviously think about family get-togethers, presents, Christmas cookies, holiday movies, New Years Eve, resolutions, etc.  Towards the end of the holiday season I know we all think about those January new gym goers.  Some people hate them, (regular gym goers), some people like to encourage them (good for you!), and some people are or were them.  While the gym is obviously a great place to get in shape, they can often be intimidating for newbies (or girls, when "macho men" take up all the room in the weights area), crowded these next couple of months, or just inconvenient.  That's why I love fitness videos so much!  You have the luxury of working out in your own home, at your own pace, on your own time.  I think in the past fitness videos had a bad rep.  Maybe because of this guy...

 Thank goodness things are different now!  The Beachbody brand is the maker of popular fitness videos such at p90X, Insanity, Turbofire and more.  If you are looking for challenging, effective workouts with insanely motivating instructors, this site is for you!  I can personally attest to how AWESOME of a video Insanity is and this is coming from someone who is very picky about her workouts.  Also, I. heart. Shaun. T.  

I'd like to highlight a few programs that I'm thinking about trying, but I recommend checking out the website for the full list: 

Insanity Asylum Volume 2- http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity-the-asylum-volume-2-elite-training-workout.do
- Like I said, the original Insanity killed me, so I can't even imagine what this video is like!  Shaun T has so much energy and really encourages you to take breaks whenever you need them, which I greatly appreciated :)

Detox Cleanse- http://www.beachbody.com/product/detox-cleanse/ultimate-reset.do
- I've never done a cleanse before, but if I was going to, I would want to follow a well thought-out program such as this.

Les Mills Pump Deluxe- http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/les-mills-pump-cross-training-workout-deluxe-package.do
-I've taken Les Mills Body Pump classes at a gym before and they made lifting so fun!  I'm thinking this workout series would be similar so I am definitely intrigued.

Brazil Butt Lift Master Series- http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/brazil-butt-lift-master-series-advanced-workout.do
-I love that this series utilizes some of my favorite workout equipment (stability ball, foam roller, and yoga mat) and that you can buy different levels of kits.

Which Beachbody videos are sparking your interest?  I'm really feeling Insanity Asylum Volume 2 and have always wanted to try Turbofire!  

Are you more of a gym-goer or into videos?