Thursday, 11 June 2009
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
News from Andrea!
Gord (my Dad), Paula, me, Stephanie, Nathaniel (my brother)A lot can happen in a month! As most of you know, I graduated from the University of Southern California on May 15, 2009 and received my Masters of Arts in Teaching. My family came out to support me and celebrate with me!
AT GRIFFITH OBSERVATORYAnthony, Paula, Stephanie, me
We had a wonderful time together. This is a picture of all of us (excluding the photographer, my father); which is fine because I just realized that the rest of us are on here! Anyhow, we are at the Griffith Observatory. When we arrived we were surprised by how popular the place was and soon discovered that the parking lot was closed; we had to park a ways down the road. As luck would have it, the entire walk to the observatory was uphill! Just as we passed the entrance to the parking lot, it was deemed empty enough to open up; yes, this was our lucky day alright! Ha! However, we were able to console ourselves with the fact that we had gotten some good exercise!
This blog has seen some great positive change in the last month as well!First, Aunt Carol-Ann gave the blog a bit of a face lift, and now we are current and up to date!
Second, Stephanie has decided to join us, and she is off to a fantastic start! I’m pretty sure everyone who reads this is familiar with all the participants, but I’ll give a little introduction anyway. Stephanie is my older sister, and she decided to join the blog when she came out to visit me in CA for my graduation. We got to work right away exercising and eating healthy (well, most of the time, anyhow).
With all the excitement, I figured it was time to do a proper wrap-up for the month of May...
lost a total of 9.0 pounds
We are well on our way to being winners by losing! Keep up the good work, team!
Thursday, 16 April 2009
An update from Andrea!
It’s that time again…
Spring is approaching and the warm weather outside reminds me that I should be out THERE exercising instead of in HERE watching TV!!! I’ve gotta get out there and start enjoying the fresh air. I know that if I make it a priority I can fit it into my schedule, but when I start putting it off I never get around to it! Time to get in motion!
I also have a quick update on how everything is at school. I can’t believe that it is almost May! The colors on the exercise log for May are gold and maroon; I chose these colors because they are my university’s colors, and I will be walking across that stage on May 15th to get my diploma! Whew! And then I can relax!… oh wait… I still have to write my thesis over the summer… and finish all my assignments from this semester… and pray that I passed my project (the Performance Assessment of California Teachers). But receiving my diploma will be a milestone for me, and I can’t wait!
My student teaching is going pretty well. Today was the first day I have seen my class since Spring Break, but it went really well! In fact, I got my first ‘excellent’ review from the math coach who comes and observes me once a week. That felt really good and I am feeling ready to be in my own classroom. I really think that I will love my job (once it is official) because it inspires me!
Now the job search begins! Argh!!! Putting together a job resume is the first step, and I really need to get on it! So that will be occupying my time for the next week, and then I need to decide where I want to teach and go to job interviews. I will be sure to keep you all posted on my quest for employment!
And remember… it is a beautiful day outside and exercise relieves stress! Make it happen!
Saturday, 28 February 2009
February Progress Report!
By Andrea
This has been a really fun month on here, and each member has contributed to the rising energy on this blog. Therefore, it seems fitting that we take a minute to realize just how successful we have been!
February has been a record-breaking month for our group! (Go ahead, give yourself a pat on the back). In the past twenty-eight days we have:
Put in 27 hours and 10 minutes of exercise
Lost 7.8 pounds 
This is a HUGE success! I’m so excited about and proud of our progress and dedication.
Let’s see if we can beat ourselves in March!
No Personal Blog 
I can definitely feel the struggle to shed off the last few pounds! It is not as easy as it seems!
Studies have shown that people who make goals are more successful than those who don't! So I think it is high time for me to set a new goal since I have met my last one and am now struggling to move forward. My new goal is to keep putting in at least 2 hours of exercise a week and get down to 150 lbs by July 6. My new weight goal is 145, and I hope to be there by August 3.
Honestly, I think that the hardest part is keeping the weight off for good! I think that I will probably struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but I want to make sure that I am doing my best to make good decisions that will keep me healthy and active for a long long time.
Thursday, June 11, 2009