Top 5 Study Tips

Sorry guys, I know I've been gone for a while! It's semester finals week, which for most people, equates to shitloads of studying and stress. Especially if you're me, and your grade in pretty much every class depends on finals. Did I mention I took a study hall, which means I'm only in five classes and thus have no cushion for my GPA? No pressure...

Here are some of the useful tips I apply to my own studying, and hopefully they help you stay sane before an exam too.

Top 5 Study Tips

1.) Take a break every 30-50 minutes and walk around, or do some sort of physical activity. I like to take my heaviest textbook and do 15 chest presses coupled with 25 jumping jacks, or pop out 10 burpees. Since I usually don't have time to work out during finals week, this helps me burn off some of that stress.

2.) Stock up on "brain fuel," like greek yogurt and high fructose corn syrup-free granola bars. I always keep lots of frozen Chobani yogurts and Kashi granola bars on hand for late-night study sessions, because for me, studying always works up an appetite.

3.) Don't eat high-carb or sugar foods before studying. You'll crash an hour into it, and it'll just exasperate the pain and lethargy.

4.) If you're cramming the night before, like I usually do, make sure to take plenty of practice quizzes. They give you a general idea of what you should know, and can be more effective than memorization because they require you to apply the knowledge, and thus force the linking of concepts.

5.) Read the captions/headings of each section and paragraph in the textbook.  For AP Semester Exams where you have to cover over 20 some chapters of material, you need to grasp the broad concept of each chapter and not just memorize the terms. I have found that although most people ignore the captions/headings, they give you a good generalization of what is going on.

With that said...
Wish me luck on finals today and tomorrow. If you have exams this week as well, all the best to you too!

Sticking to New Year's Resolutions

We are officially 3 days into the new year. That spurt of enthusiasm you had on New Year's Eve to change yourself for the better is by now probably waning. 

"Most people are not going to keep their resolutions all year long. They’ll start out with the best of intentions but the worst of strategies, expecting that they’ll somehow find the willpower to resist temptation after temptation. By the end of January, a third will have broken their resolutions, and by July more than half will have lapsed.

They’ll fail because they’ll eventually run out of willpower, which social scientists no longer regard as simply a metaphor. They’ve recently reported that willpower is a real form of mental energy, powered by glucose in the bloodstream, which is used up as you exert self-control.

The result is “ego depletion,” as this state of mental fatigue was named by Roy F. Baumeister, a social psychologist at Florida State University (and my co-author of a book on willpower). He and many of his colleagues have concluded that the way to keep a New Year’s resolution is to anticipate the limits of your willpower."

-NY times (read the rest of the article here) 

So far, I've found it helpful to write down short daily updates on an online journal. This keeps me on track and inspires me to stick to my plans. 

How about you? What are some ways you all try to stick to your resolutions? (If you made any at all.)

WWS

Going to totally up the ante on my workouts this year! Lots and lots of cardio + plenty of pilates = #shedthefat!!! Of course, this is combined with a relatively healthy diet with lots of veggies. I'm super bloated right now, and thus will try to cut out white carbs for a couple days until it subsides. Seriously, my waist is gross looking right now and I'm probably holding onto at least 2-3 pounds of water. Ugh. 

Let's go hard this year! (Sorry the WWS is kinda tiny; will make it bigger next time :p)

Holiday Calorie Burn

Cardio Insanity

Cardio Kickboxing

Pilates

2013 New Year's Resolutions!

I swear 2012 went by in a flash! For me, some years seem much longer than others. 2011 felt like it took FOREVER. I'm totally psyched about going into 2013. I am the queen of fresh starts, and having a brand-new year to enjoy myself is a step closer to achieving my  dreams.

2013 NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

1.) Put aside at least $10-20 every month to buy myself a treat in the summer!

2.) Practice at least two hours of piano every day that the situation allows

3.) Check my calendar more often and stop missing social engagements

I tried to keep my resolutions smaller and more specific, so that they are more doable. It's easy to start the new year off with great intentions but give up the first day because you don't know where to start. 

Hopefully this year I will at least take steps towards achieving my goals!

Happy last day of 2012 y'all!!!

Back on the Pumpkin Wagon: Healthy Hearty Pumpkin Bread

I'm celebrating the holidays some lightened-up pumpkin bread. I subbed most of the oil for low-fat plain yogurt, whole wheat flour for most of the AP, and reduced the sugar (because I don't like it too sweet). With all the holiday junk floating around, I might as well cut corners where I can, right? I made this recipe a while ago and wrote a post, but totally forgot about it!!! Anyways, I took some nice pics for this, so enjoy!

RECIPE: (adapted from food.com) makes two 9-inch loaves
*2 cups canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
*1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
*1 cup water
*1/4 cup vegetable oil
*3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
*4 eggs
*1 1/3 cups AP flour
*2 cups whole wheat flour
*2 teaspoons baking soda
*2 teaspoons cinnamon
*1 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

PREPERATION:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2.) Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl
3.) Mix together the pumpkin, sugar, water, oil, yogurt, and eggs in a seperate bowl
4.) Combine wet and dry ingredients
5.) Grease and flour two 9-inch pans
6.) Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until pick comes clean

Post-Christmas Excitement!!!

There was a book exchange up at the ski resort during Christmas, and I got this:

SUPER DUPER LOVE!!! (Haha there's my Singaporian english coming out le ;p) I've already started browsing through it, and not only does it contain tons of awesome-looking recipes, the commentary is fantastic! Plus THERE'S LOTS OF PICTURES. Hehe. Okay just kidding, I'm an avid reader of just about anything, especially history or satire. One of my fave authors of all time is probably Jonathan Swift. If you think you've already read Gulliver's Travels when you were a kid, go back and read through it again. It's the greatest piece of satire ever.
#tangent

I've been experimenting with hashtags lately, without too much success... maybe I need to improve my sense of timing ;p

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And sorry guys about not posting a WWS!!! I'm still trying to figure out how to make them using a Mac. #technologicallychallenged

Merry Christmas!!!

A very merry Christmas to all of you! It's beyond freezing and beautiful up here in the mountains, or what passes off as mountains in my state, and I'm totally psyched for a day of skiing with a great new friend! We already opened Christmas presents yesterday before we left, so I only have to give presents to the peeps that we met up with here.

Best wishes, and happy holidays!

'Tis the Season

Am typing this up on my new MacBook Air!!! Super duper excited about it, and will defos put it to good use! We've been talking about getting a new Apple laptop for me for a while now, since so much of my schoolwork is online. My old hp laptop is going to my little brother, who could hardly wait to get his hands on it.

Tons of thanks to my awesome parents, who were nice enough to get me this fantastic laptop computer. I am so very fortunate in the parents that I've been blessed with.

I actually went Christmas shopping today as well ;P
I got a pair of gloves plus some Hickory Farm sausages for my little bro, Chloe perfume for my darling mother, and a Nike workout top for my dad. I also bought a shitload of gorgeously discounted designer tops for moi. We hit up Marshalls, which although does carry mostly lower-end labels, occasionally has  some REALLY nice deals on sweet brands. I got a French Connection shirtdress for $7.00 and a Black Gold sequined top for $15! (On top of all the stuff I already bought...)

We also went to the mall, which was packed with last-minute holiday shoppers, and I bought two super-comfy cashmere sweaters. They were thrifted and absolutely fantastic! $8 dollars apiece for a Gene Meyers pullover and a Banana Republic cashmere sweater. Dude.

I've only worked out twice this week though, due to not feeling the most up to par. My voice sounds better now, but it's been a rough week. I'm probably going to work out HARD tomorrow, and then be ready for some awesome hardcore workouts once we get back from the trip on Wednesday. We're going to some ski resort up north with a couple of other Chinese families from the 24th to the 26th, and I'm pretty psyched to hit the slopes on Christmas day.

Best wishes for happy holidays!

LOL Wednesday

Happy Hump Day! Wednesdays are probably the most "meh" day of the week for me. My week pretty much goes down like the following:

Monday- ...Why am I awake right now...

Tuesday- ...Why is it not Friday... #homeworkhangover

Wednesday- Dammit, it's still not Friday. Oh well, at least it's halfway through the school week.

Thursday- Today is Friday. I believe it is so, and thus so be it. ...(5 minutes later) Dammit, it's Thursday.

Friday- T.G.I.F

Here are a few memes I found to bring a little laughter to your day; enjoy! They are all totally random and unrelated.

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My train of thought on Tuesdays...

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How shit goes down in AP U.S History

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This one reminds me of the punniness of my biology teacher.

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WWS

Sorry guys, I know I haven't posted in a week and I am absolutely traumatized by the guilt! *melodramatic sobs. To make up for it, here's a great schweaty arm-targeted HIIT workout! Enjoy!

But seriously, I know I really should post more often. In my defense, my laptop pretty much decided it disliked me heartily and would automatically shut down every time I tried to go on the web. Huh.

Anyways, I skipped my workout today because I felt like a piece of dog crap from morning to afternoon; my entire body felt like a living bruise. Probably just a quick cold, because I feel much better now. I've been pushing pretty hard with my workouts, which combined with the stress of studying extra hard (think well into the next morning hard) due to looming semester finals, is bound to take a toll on my body. I think I might try to take it easier this week, just stick to some Pilates and a few minutes of tabata. Let's just see how it goes.

Chillax- YOLO post

I like to take at least 5 minutes each day to totally let go. I also realize how terrible that sounds. Anyways, let's just continue under the illusion of me possessing a high maturity level...

If I'm feeling stressed, depressed, self-pitying, or if I'm just already chilling and enjoying myself- I try to take a few minutes each day to just stop. Generally I'll put on some super chill reggae, sit up straight, and let go of all the negative energy. Once all my negative energy has been lifted, it can be replaced with positive vibes.

I then usually proceed to have a private dance party in my bedroom and jam out to Shakira or Britney.

I've found that this ritual helps A LOT in calming me down and allowing me to truly live in the moment. Life is only so long, so why spend it stressing out in a situation when the exact same thing would happen if you weren't stressing? Of course, I don't mean to just slack off, but if you've got a big test the next day, then does studying while stressed out help you more than studying with a relaxed and pliable mind?

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."
-Jimmy Dean

Whadday'all think?
Do you do anything to calm yourself down and chillax?

Work dat body

I recently got hired as my father's personal trainer, which is officially my first (kinda unofficial, since I'm not old enough to get my personal trainer's license) part-time job! It's $8 per half hour and $15 for one hour. Which really isn't bad, since I'm making more than double minimum wage. Suh-weet.
However, I'm hoping that the relationship between my father and I doesn't suffer too much considering the amount of sheer pain I put him through four times a week. I have the feeling that his opinion of me has gone from this...



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To this...

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Really psyched about the pay though. I'm going shoe shopping with one of my fave guy peeps this saturday; he has great taste. Am currently salivating over these ankle boots... but will have to make do with something cheaper. :(
Maybe next Christmas??

Au natural (+ WWS)

5 weeks of intense dieting are finally over! And I have also found that I am happier with being more balanced. Even though I've lost about 3 pounds, I don't think it's worth it to obsess over "not eating" so much. Yes, IF has made weight loss easier because I'm basically allowed to eat whatever I want, by I dislike dieting in general, and from this point forward shall never apply it to myself again without an absolutely urgent reason.
Of course, I'll still have a few fasting days on road trips and plane rides etc, but overall I'm going back to eating tons of veggies whenever I want! I'm lucky enough to be young and have a fast metabolism, so why waste it obsessing? Of course, being healthy is still paramount, and not gonna lie, I'm pretty stoked to go back to my old hedonistic eating habits again. As I would say, hedonism is the best diet. Bt dubs, to make up for not posting in a while, here are 2 metabolic strength/HIIT workouts I made up over the weekend. They're pretty advanced, so feel free to scale it down to your level. Enjoy!

 

 

Find unfamiliar moves, and tons of fun new ones, here.



 

Thanksgiving Break!!!

Our school district gets an entire WEEK off for Thanksgiving!!! So obviously like any sane person, I woke up early this morning to work out for an hour. Then, for further proof of my mental well-being, I wrote a WWS to take advantage of the extra time off and double up on my workouts to prep for T-Day. And to top it all off, I'm actually looking forward to practicing at least over two hours of piano every day.

If you were wondering, all of the above are hallmarks of the average teenager.

Uber-intensive training schedule this week = I can eat 1800-2000 cals per day and STILL be at a light deficit and have 3000-4000 (loosely) cals for the Thanksgiving feast. Am lovin' it!!!

Senioritis

I've mentioned being stricken with Senioritis quite a number of times here on TTD, and I'd just like to clarify.

Senioritis
noun. A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.
In other cases, senioritis may show signs early on in birth, then progressing in elementary school, middle school, and the beginning of 9th grade. This usually means that the student goes to a bad school where he or she (usually he) has to take stupid, nonsensical courses, and question the validacy of the system.
Senioritis usually can be diagnosed by the student himself or by colleagues of the student such as a teacher.
Treatment for senioritis: Continue to slack off for the rest of the senior year

This is the absolute correct definition, people. I got it off urbandictionary.com, which we all know to be the epitome of truthfulness. I dare you to look up "strawberry shortcake" on there. It's a concept I honestly do not know how to grasp.

BT dubs, my mom purchased a dangerous substance yesterday.

Yes, I know that it contains palm oil and sugar and all that healthy stuff. And no, it's not even exceptionally good, definitely not as good as the original because it tastes kinda greasy thanks to the greater oil/lower sugar content. But we all already know those technicalities will not deter me from melting chocolate into it and consuming vast quantities...
Lately I've been on such a nut butter kick. This "natural" Skippy peanut butter tastes absolutely amazing with chocolate melted in, though is barely tolerable on it's own.

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WWS

I feel such a terrible case of Senioritis coming on...

Gagh, whatevs. Must... Press... On...

Free Full-Length Cardio Workout Videos

I'm trying to incorporate at least two days of "long" cardio into my schedule every week, in addition to all my short HIIT cardio and strength workouts. Been browsing youtube for some full-length cardio workout vids, and these really hit the spot. Working out with a voice telling you to push harder really gives you that extra nudge to finish those torturous reps instead of taking a break.

*Am replacing Friday's workout with this, and adding in another hour of cardio for Saturday!

Fusion Sculpt Workout Video 1

10 Pounds Slimdown Xtreme- Cardio Kickboxing

Zumba Dance Class

Intense Tae Bo (Oldie but goodie! The outfits make me laugh and are a great distraction LOL)

Cardio Dance Sculpt

Cardio Burn Workout

Enjoy, and train hard!

WIHT (When-I-Have-Time) recipes + WWS

I'm totally looking forward to Thanksgiving Break (which is the week after the next for me) so I can chillax and have time to whip up these delicious-lookin' desserts and let my inner baking addict loose. If any of y'all try these recipes before me, it would be great of you to leave a comment and give me a heads-up!

Chinese Flaky Pastries (Which I'm planning to fill with either peanut butter or bean paste)
Brownies
Crepes

Thanksgiving Break is the end of my first  4-week calorie deficit mark, so I get to eat at "maintenance" for a week. That means 1500-1800 cals per day for a light deficit, and 1-2 all-out cheat days! Suuhhhweeet. So far, IF is going really great- broccoli for dinner, oatmeal for breakfast, and a fantabulicious dessert of Halloween candy. Yum!

(Yes, I realize that Sunday is not bolded... and yes, it is currently driving my anal/slightly OCD yet incredibly procrastinative personality bonkers. As you can see, I'd rather take the time to rant about it than fix it, like some politicians I shall choose not to name.)

WWS + Intermittent Fasting

 

 

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a certified health care professional and if you have questions or are planning to try this diet, please do it at your own risk and ASK YOUR DOCTOR FIRST about any health concerns. I am not responsible for any issues caused by trying dietary suggestions or restrictions mentioned on this blog that work for me, but may not work for you.

Okay, so this post is probably long overdue, but here I go.

I know that I've ranted about accepting your body. But the truth is this: Like most of the human species, I am a huge hypocrite. I know that I'm not "fat," but I also know that I would feel much better if I lost 10 pounds. I realize how eating disordered that last statement may have sounded, but please don't judge; I'm not doing this because I feel pressure to be thin, or because I don't like myself. I want to lose weight because I love my body and want it to be the best it can be, so that I can wear clothes and don't have to worry about bumps, and, yes, that I can feel more comfortable when I'm in China with all the uber tiny girls. You may think that I'm already "tiny" or "skinny," and I will agree that I am normal weight, but not skinny. In NE Asia, I would be a bit on the chubbier side of things; yes, I fit into a size S in China, but salesgirls still hand me sizes M and L.

I am not asking anybody to agree with my perceptions, and please do not judge my decision. I am aiming to lose weight for my own reasons while keeping a healthy mind and body.

I first heard about Intermittent Fasting, or IF, here. I'm not going to go into specifics, so just click on the link if you don't know what this is.

I've always done better on low calorie diets than nutrient-specific diets i.e Atkins or the "slow carb diet". This is due to the fact that if I can eat anything I want, I won't get any cravings. Of course, my diet still consists of mostly natural and unprocessed foods, but I generally follow an 80-20 approach; pretty much all my regular meals are white wheat/sugar free, but I get to eat dessert.
I have absolutely no problem purely living on broccoli, oatmeal, eggs, fruit, and various other veggies, but I NEED chocolate. Going long-term without being able to eat as much chocolate as I want is just not plausible for me! And why the hell would I want to, if I could eat chocolate and still lose weight?

Pretty much everything is explained in the article, so if you start thinking "metabolism slowing," "stavation mode," or even (god forbid) "anorexic," please actually DO SOME RESEARCH before saying anything.

I find it much easier (just a personal thing, might not work for you) to fast throughout the day, as long as I know there's a nice meal waiting for me at the end of the day, than to have several small meals that actually fuel my appetite instead of dampening it. So my regular day consists of:

• 300 calorie breakfast, usually 3/4 cup of thick-cut oatmeal + 1 tbsp of honey + some cinnamon and vanilla
• fast until 4:30, sometimes I'll have a 200 calorie snack around 2:30 after I get home, but I try to wait until 4:30
• 1000 calorie dinner! Usually 500 cal clean and protein-rich dinner, then 500 cal dessert of a 200 cal cup of "frozen yogurt" (1 cup plain yogurt + 1 tbsp honey + 1 tsp cocoa powder, frozen overnight) and maybe some chocolate.

This makes for a 1300 calorie day- which is a 700 calorie deficit per day for me. I like to do this about 6 days per week, then have a 2000 calorie "cheat day" to boost my leptin levels. I'm exercising 5-6 days per week of either pilates or HIIT. The first week's gone great; no cravings, two reeses cups per day ;p, and lots of green veggies. I hardly feel hungry throughout the day, since my stomach's shrunk in the absence of eating, and I feel full much faster. Some nights I'll just have a 300-400 calorie dinner with a 400 calorie mostly healthy "dessert".

It's a revelation that is pretty amazing- I can literally eat large quantities of sweets and still lose weight while being healthy. Of course, this isn't for everyone, because some people are just hardwired to eat frequently throughout the day. But for me, IF is simple, much easier to stick to than regular diet plans, and allows me to consume my favorite foods without restriction. I am hoping to drop around 10 pounds within 6 months; I'm on a caloric deficit of about 1 lb per week, but due to the fact that I have so much muscle, it's very difficult for me to drop any weight at all. Plus some allowances for the holiday season, 10 pounds in 6 months should be achievable. Remember- I'm only 4'11, so this is about 10% of my entire body mass. Shorter people have a generally harder time losing weight once they're in a healthy BMI because they have more condensed bones and musclature.

This is just my take on the matter; if you have any thoughts or experience with IF, comment and let me know!

BTW I'll have the cardio kickboxing workout posted next week, plus maybe a "day of eats" post.

WWS

Sorry guys- really didn't mean to abandon y'all for such a long time. About 75% of the fault lies in the standards that I must achieve to get accepted into an ivy league school. Which makes my personal laziness to blame for the remaining 25%. Not sure how I feel about that conflicting statement right there.
I'm currently experimenting with IF (Intermittent Fasting) right now, and I've found it remarkably easy and effective. I'm trying to drop 10 pounds, if not more. Now before people start railing at me about how I'm "not fat," or how I'm "growing," I have a long explanation that I don't feel like typing right now. It'll be up sometime in the near future, I promise. Possibly on Friday or Saturday...??

Without much further ado, here's my WWS: