I’ve created a Twitter account now that I have a smartphone and it’s possible to tweet when something interesting happens. It’s definitely likely I’ll tweet more frequently than I blog!
Follow me if you’d like: @rubysangles
And bare with me as I learn how to use it properly 🙂
Well, I did it. I survived the crazy, intense year at teacher’s college and now I’m finally done! In 3 weeks I’ll be a bachelor of education graduate and a fully certified teacher!
I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by. As soon as I got used to the new hours, workload, people, it was over. But it was great! As I mentioned before, I feel so lucky to have found the career path that suits me perfectly. Now if only I could find a job…
I figure, now that I’m done, I can use this free time to job hunt and refocus on my health and weight loss journey. And so I will re-attempt to be a blogger!
This past month, I’ve been trying to return to a health conscious way of living, which for me means I’ve begun exercising regularly and cooking my own meals again.
I finally tried hot yoga last year and fell in love with Moksha Yoga. I’ve been going to classes sporadically all year, but have started attending more regularly over the last few weeks. Right now I go about 2-3 times a week. I’d like to try a 30 day challenge sometime this summer.
I also started swimming and running again. I signed up for the Toronto Women’s Run and ran my first real 5k race!! That was one of my biggest goals for the year and I’m so proud I followed through and accomplished it. I’ll have a recap of that coming up soon.
I really miss photo-documenting my meals. It was a great way to be accountable and forced me to cook. With more time on my hands, I’m looking forward to trying out new recipes and using fresh veggies and herbs from my garden.
Reader beware: I’ve never been a consistent blogger, but I do have good intentions. Let’s see what happens…!
Yikes, it’s been awhile! I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by. Crazy, crazy!
As you may recall from an earlier post, I got into teacher’s college in the spring and started the program in September. It’s just been go, go, go since.The hours have been a huge adjustment for a night owl like me.
For the last 6 years, I’ve always tried to schedule my classes to be in the afternoon or evening. When I had classes before noon, I would eventually stop attending them because I just couldn’t wake up for them after going to bed at 4 a.m.
Now, my classes start at 8:30 a.m. and I have no choice but to attend. They do attendance! And it’s hard to be inconspicuously absent when there are only 30 other people in your class…
So that’s how my September and October went, adjusting to the early days and working on assignment after assignment. The important thing is that I’m absolutely loving my program!!
I finally found the career path I was meant to be in. When I started, it was like a light switch went off. Literally. I never really believed anyone who said that until I experienced it for myself. So have hope!
November is when we’re placed in an actual school to practice what we’ve learned and teach real classes for ourselves. I got really lucky and was placed at a school nearby my house and teaching my specialty–marketing. It’s like for the first time in my life things are lining up perfectly 🙂 It’s exhilarating. And exhausting.
Although I’m ecstatic that my school/work life is finally on track, my health is not doing so well.
In the summer I developed some strange foot and ankle pains that flared up during and after running. A trip to a sports doctor diagnosed the foot pain as plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to diagnose the ankle pain except chalk it up to tight muscles.
He told me to take it easy with the running depending on the pain level, so I did, but the ankle pain (a sharp pain that felt like a muscle or ligament in my ankle had twisted suddenly) would flare up mid-stride every time I went out. I, of course, took the lazy route and stopped running altogether.
In fact, I completely fell off the wagon (again) for the last few months. I haven’t been swimming either. Every once in awhile I’ll do an exercise video. I just got a bunch of Core Fusion dvds and I’m loving them. But the lack of cardio and the not-so-great eating has meant I’m at an impasse with my weight loss and it’s been more maintenance or weight gain than anything.
I was suddenly struck with some inspiration today, though, which led me back to the blog world. I hope I can take some of that enthusiasm for work and carry it into healthy eating and exercise.
I’ll try to check back in with my progress, and some of the food pics I’ve taken over the last few months, soon!
So, yesterday was my 24th birthday! I’m celebrating tonight by having some friends over for a BBQ.
On the menu:
I’m very excited, but I’ve got a busy day of prepping ahead of me.
With another birthday, comes a new year.
It’s been a rocky year, but I definitely feel I’ve come a long way mentally, emotionally and physically. I’ve fallen off the wagon a bunch of times, but I keep getting back on enthusiastically (which I think is the key word here).
The last couple of months, working out and healthy eating have been sporadic efforts on my part. I’m feeling really inspired to get back into a steady routine.
The start of July brings not only my birthday, but I’ll be starting my summer job working as a camp counselor, which means full-time hours (waking up before 12 pm and potentially going to bed before 12 am–huge change for a night owl like me!), lots of physical activity during the day (no more sitting in front of the computer or reading boring textbooks all day), and MONEY!! 🙂
In the last month, I’ve started writing a bunch of posts, unfortunately they required pictures and I couldn’t find my camera in the mess that was my room. But after an obsessive declutteration, I found it and will subject you to a barrage of posts over the next couple of days. Expect: SHOES!, a celebrity sighting, and lots of food pics.
To all you Americans, Happy 4th of July!
How are you spending your long weekend? What dishes are in your BBQ repertoire?
Hello Blogworld! It’s been a crazy week filled with fantastic news, sad news, and stressful deadlines. First of all, it was my last week of classes! All of my major projects and presentations are finally done! I just have an exam and a paper left, both due the same day. Even though I have one more course left to finally finish my undergrad, the atmosphere of spring classes is just not the same as during September-May, I feel like this is it, my undergrad is DONE!
One thing I’ve come to realize, I HATE APRIL! It seems April brings all the bad. There are exams, which suck of course, and then there’s all this tragic news I keep getting in April. Last year, my best guy friend died in a freak motorcycle accident. I still can’t wrap my head around it and am still in denial. Now this April has brought news of the deaths of a close family friend and a friend of a friend. Although I wasn’t very close to either of these people, after last year, I find any news of death affects me at a more intense emotional level than it ever has in the past. I’m not really sure how to deal with the emotions except by keeping myself busy, which isn’t difficult to do with exams coming up.
But I was feeling so down and numb all week, until I got a big envelope in the mail.
You see, back in December, I was trying to figure out my options for after I finished my undergrad. Should I just job hunt? Should I try to find an unpaid internship? Should I apply for a masters? And if so in what? Should I look into post-grad certificate programs at colleges? Should I apply for teacher’s college?
I’ve always thought about becoming a high school teacher. It’s always been in the back of my mind. But for the longest time, my parents didn’t approve. Being South Asian parents, they first wanted me to become a doctor. but I’m kinda a germaphobe, so no thanks! Then it was a pharmacist and I tried for it to please them when I was doing my B.Sc., but I really wasn’t interested and my grades weren’t good enough. That’s when I switched into business after my second year of university, and their expectations changed. They wanted me to become an accountant and eventually get my MBA. Well, accounting didn’t interest me enough to pursue it, but marketing did. I ended up majoring in marketing and thoroughly enjoying it. The only problem was the job security. With the way the economy is, finding a job is unpredictable. I finally took a stand and decided, “Screw my parents’ expectations. I’m gonna do what I think is most suitable for me!”
So, in December, I applied for teacher’s college. And I GOT IN!!
I took my stand the week before the application deadline, so I really had to scramble to get it done in time and I wasn’t feeling very confident about it. It’s such a relief to know that not only do I have something lined up for September, but even if I don’t find a full-time job right away, I can substitute teach and make some steady money.
To celebrate, I’m joining a friend of mine and her friends on a girls’ trip to Cuba!
So, although the week started off on a sour note, it ended positively. And I guess that’s all you can do in these kinds of situations, focus on the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.
Now, I’ve just got to learn how to stop procrastinating so I can get studying for exams out of the way and start thinking about my upcoming trip…
Most of the time I’ve been failing to write new posts because I frankly have nothing interesting to report on. It’s usually the same old routine, the same old menu, the same old exercise…seems like a waste of time to post another salad pic. So taking a cue from some of my fave blogs, I’m going to get organized. I love me some structure, with everything in its place. Unfortunately, due to my lack of discipline, things don’t always follow a set plan. So I’m going to stay true to myself and set up categories (is that the right technical term? or maybe theme is a better word) for posts.
This blog was set up to chronicle my journey of living a healthy lifestyle with all the other stuff thrown in too, so the majority of posts will have to do with food, exercising, and motivation (or struggles with it).
I’ve come up with 6 categories for weekly posts (am I getting a bit too ambitious?). So with my ridiculous(-ly bad) sense of humour, and in keeping with the blog name, here are my (not at all clever) attempts to coin some phrases:
Recipangles – Recap of a new recipe I’ve tried that week. This will be my motivation to start cooking new things.
Exercisangles – Review of the my weekly workout plan. Report back of what I did and if I tried anything new.
Inspirangles – Featuring famous inspirational quotes, these posts will be all about motivation.
Entertangles – My take on entertainment – movies, tv shows, Toronto hot spots (restaurants, bars, lounges, clubs), etc.
Blogangles – I love discovering new blogs, so these posts will re-direct you to my fave post of the week at blogs I read.
Shopangles – A discussion of purchases, wish lists, fashion trends, etc.
Let’s be honest, I’m not going to post everyday. But hopefully this structure will help me work up to it. Stay tuned!
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games are starting today, folks!! Hope you’ll all be watching and supporting your favourite teams (GO TEAM CANADA!!!). I’m more of a summer olympics chick myself, but olympics are olympics, and bonus: there are hot men all over the place regardless (only drawback, they’re usually not half naked). And oh wow, what a coinky-dink, I’m on spring break starting today, so I’ll actually be able to watch quite a bit this year (hopefully).
Anyways, I just wanted to pimp that out since they’re going on just across the country from me! So tune in and enjoy! 🙂
What sports will you be watching??
Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup with coriander garnish, french bread with earth balance
Butternut squash fries! Yum yum YUM!!
The not so yummy Larabar - Cocoa Coconut Chew
Breaded tilapia fillet, 1/2 C parboiled rice, sauted brussell sprouts, zukes and bitter melon
Lentil soup aka daal with onions, those square chunks are boiled bitter melon, the long green thing is an okra
Wild rice, roast chicken drumsticks, brussell sprouts, zukes, broccoli and red pepper
Loot from my first trip to Whole Foods! Brought home a hearty lunch of potato salad, noodles with tofu, pasta salad and some kind of bean salad
Quick sidebar on my trip to Whole Foods: Wasn’t overly impressed by the selection. It was super expensive and quite a trip since there are only 2 in Toronto (well technically only 1 in Toronto and 1 in Oakville). I randomly headed over after my early morning class finished and I had the rest of the day off so I thought I’d check it out. I wish I’d gone with a game plan though. I couldn’t remember all the fantastic brands/products the blogs rave about, which is the only reason why I’d shop there because my local fruit stands, health food stores and grocery stores all offer organic fruits/veggies and a lot of the popular health food brands, e.g. the Larabars, I found a Luna bar at one health food store, Mary’s organic gluten-free rice crackers (which are very YUM!), etc. What I did like about Whole Foods was their famous prepared foods bar. I brought a nice little container of deliciousness home, along with some really good vegan chocolate mousse, almond butter and a just-add-water minestrone soup mix.
Now back to the show…
Salmon with my new fave go-to veggie side dish: sauted b.sprouts, zukes, broccoli, mushrooms and red peppers (with some basil, garlic powder, oregano, rosemary, s&p sprinkled on top)
My mom's homemade veggie and chicken soup
b.sprouts, broc, red pepps
French toast with whole wheat bread
Garlic toast on whole wheat bread with earth balance and fresh pureed garlic
Mixed greens with cukes, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, garlic shrimp, and half a can of mixed beans marinated in a champagne vinaigrette
Delicious pineapple, mandarin orange and weird looking bruised cherries
Gnocchi, cukes, red onions, mushrooms, broccoli, red pepps, tomatoes, avocado
A close-up of the pasta dish showing how the avocado and tomatoes made a nice creamy/pesto-consistency sauce
Spring mix greens, cherry tomatoes, blue berries, shredded rotisserie chicken breast, avocado (yes I'm obsessed with it right now!)
homemade guacomole--avocado, diced red onion & tomatoes, pinch of salt, pepper and paprika, squeeze of lemon/lime
homemade butternut squash and red pepper soup with some quinoa thrown on top, roasted bitter melon and butternut squash fries on the side
Yikes, my stomach’s growling! Hmm…what to have for lunch today? *note to self: don’t forget to take food pics!*
**Here’s that Resolutions post I started during the holidays and never got around to finishing.**
As I mentioned in a previous post, I have mixed feelings about the way my year started out. It’s silly, but I like to believe that the way you start off the year sets the tone for the rest of it. Can’t say that I’ve noticed that to be the truth, really don’t think there’s any stock to that superstition, but I guess it’s a frame of mind. So although I didn’t start the year off eating healthy meals or getting a work out in, this illness has made me lose a few pounds and the fear of another relapse has me fighting my cravings.
Crazy thing is I’m craving veggies! (and chocolate, of course.)
I’ve been spending my resting time getting caught up on tv shows, watching old movies that are playing on tv (I’d forgotten how funny Hitch was!), and getting caught up on my fave blogs. I’ve been particularly inspired by Kath Eats lately. She’s put up some really great meal ideas that I’m dying to try.
I’ve also tried 2 products this week that I’ve read about all over the blog world: Amy’s Kitchen soups and Lara Bars.
Amy’s Kitchen Soup – No Chicken Noodle Soup
Totally loved it! 🙂 It’s not a very hearty soup, more brothy, which was perfect for me. Seasoned well. It’s not spectacular. It’s really just very ordinary, but I was so surprised at how much the soy pieces tasted like chicken. For me, that made it yummy. I also bought the organic minestrone. I’m looking forward to trying that out soon.
Lara Bar – Cocoa coconut
Disappointing. 😦 I’ve heard rave reviews about Lara bars (granted not about this particular flavor) and I was stoked to find that my local health food store carried them, but I don’t know if there was something wrong with just the bar I opened or if they’re all like that (I bought another so I’ll have to check that out and see if it’s just a fluke), it was just disgusting. Well, it tasted okay. I liked that there were whole almond pieces, but I hated the smell of the bar itself. It was almost chemical-like, I don’t know, I can’t describe it, I just didn’t like it. Ruined the taste for me. Had a couple of bites then had to toss it. And I was surprised at the calorie count for the size of the bar. I much prefer my Glo Bars!
Aside from soup, bread and bananas, I’ve ventured into squash territory. A butternut squash I bought last week was just asking to be made into fries, so I sliced it up and baked it. I wish I had a mandolin! That thing is tough to cut.
New Year’s Resolutions for 2010!
* Lose weight – there was a shift in the scale, then I got hurt and couldn’t work out and the scale has not budged.
* Run a 5 K – only got in 2 runs before I hurt my back. I’m gonna give it a try next week and see how the back does.
* Be more positive – I’ve definitely been putting this one into practice, and what a difference! I usually get affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, but either it’s the milder weather or my will to be more positive that has me lighter and happy.
* Get out of my comfort zone – have done this a little related to school and being more proactive, social, etc.
* Meet new people and make some new friends – have met some new people, not quite at the friend stage yet, but getting there.
*Read at least 1 novel a month – kind of happening unintentionally. I’m taking an English course (women’s writing a.k.a feminist literature). January novel – Jane Eyre.
*Blog at least once a week – FAIL! 🙂 Will try to remedy that asap.
Warning: I’ve got a little time on my hands this week and am feeling bloggy, there might be a barrage of posts (at least in the context of my blog LOL) this week, so look out! 😛
…I really am a bad blogger with no signs of transformation anytime soon. I am SWAMPED with school work and for the first time in my academic career, I’m actually working hard. That’s right, blog folks, I’m a total slacker. I hate to admit it. In fact, I lie about it all the time to everyone around me. They think and assume I’m “studying” when really I’m watching t.v. on my computer. Over the last 5 years I’ve probably caught up on all the popular shows out there. It’s sad. I really don’t know how I managed to get by with decent grades in school, but it sure explains the weight gain. Though, life is a lot of fun when all you really do is watch t.v. and movies and go out partying with your friends.
Now that that confession is out of my system, I have to say I feel pretty damn proud of myself for (almost) staying on top of things for the first time ever. On the flipside, I haven’t had much of a social life this past month. I’ve only been out partying once, and have met up with friends for dinner maybe two or three times. Sad, sad, sad!
Part of the reason is also because my body has been failing me time and time again these past 4 weeks. First there was the “food poisoning” episode around boxing day and then again before New Years. Then I was sick again with the same symptoms about two weeks ago. And last week I pulled my back somehow and broke out into hives. All on top of a crazy workload. FML.
After the 3rd vomiting episode, I began to see a pattern and suspect that it’s been an allergic reaction, not food poisoning or the stomach flu. Last January, I discovered I’ve become mildly lactose intolerant. I LOVE cheese and ice cream, so the thought of cutting it out of my diet for good is really tough, particularly the cheese (pizza is my go-to take-out meal). Then I discovered the Lactaid pill (a.k.a. the lactase enzyme). I felt a difference immediately after taking it. I could add cheese to my meals again. It was my saviour!
For about a month.
Then the vomiting episodes happened. I had cheese in each of the meals I ate before I got sick. And guess what? Yup, I took a lactaid pill before the meal.
I read up on the possibility of the pill causing similar problems and found other people have had the same reactions as me. They’ve used Lactaid with no repercussions for a while, then all of a sudden they’re vomiting. Apparently you can develop an allergy to the lactase enzyme.
Anyway, I’m scheduled to go seen an allergist to get tested and have stopped taking Lactaid in the meantime. I’ve tried to reduce my dairy consumption as well. I think I’ve spent more time at my doctor’s office than in class this past month.
I can’t believe I never got around to posting my 2010 resolutions. I started a post, saved it so I could upload food pics, never got around to uploading the pics, then got caught up with school and health problems. Food-wise, I’ve been eating well for the most part. I’ve also been taking a lot of pics, so expect a very visual post soon. Exercise-wise, the last couple of weeks have been pretty bad. Between dehydration, exhaustion and lack of time, I’ve only managed to get a couple of swims in (about 1-2 times a week down from 3-4). I’m going to kick the swims up because, with my back, that’s the only thing that doesn’t bother it.
I don’t even know how long it will take my back to heal considering sitting down aggravates it, and well, I have to sit through 3 back-to-back 3 hour lectures on Thursdays and have 2 other 3 hour lectures during the week. Then of course there’s the sitting at a desk at work and sitting a computer to study.
Yikes, that was more of a venting session than an update. Sorry!
Upcoming posts:
Hope you bloggies are doing much better than I am! 🙂
All Angles 