Posts by laur_xoxo89

1. No soda or junk food.

2. No eating after 8pm.

3. At least 3 servings of fruit and veggies per day.

4. Drink as much water as possible.

5. Keep sodium intake below 900 mg/day.

6. Snacks must be 100 calories or below.

7. Pay attention to the serving sizes of what I'm eating.

8. Get at least 30 min of exercise every day.

9. No more than 2 servings of bread per day.

10. Drink a cup of green tea before bed.

This is the general plan a personal trainer put me on a few years ago when I had one, so when I started to diet again I just went back to these rules. The only ones I have a problem with are the sodium and bread rules. . .most of the food my cafeteria serves is very high in sodium. And I just love bread. But these don't even seem like rules to me anymore, they're just how I eat now.

I want to wear a size that doesn't include any combination of the words "extra" or "large" or "2x". . .I've never been that small in my entire life.

 I want to know what it's like to run a mile without wanting to die. . .I used to do track (throwing) and even at 250 I could run for 1/2 mile but I would be exhausted. I don't want to be that person anymore. 

 I don't want to have a conversation about health in a class and have everyone stealing glances at me throughout the entire class. . .this happens ALL the time!!

If someone's gaze lingers on me a little longer than necessary, I want to know that they aren't laughing at me or disgusted in their heads.

 I want to be able to shop in more than two or three stores. . .Lane Bryant and Ashley Stewart are not cutting it for me anymore. 

But the #1 uncommon reason for me is:

I want to be in better shape for my job, present and future. I'm an EMT now and being overweight makes it slightly more difficult, not to mention my uniform looks ridiculous on me. I plan to go to med school when I graduate in a few years, so I really need to be in shape by then. . .what kind of hypocrite tells other people to be healthy when they aren't? I know I wouldn't listen to a doctor that obviously doesn't take care of themselves very well, so I need to get healthy for my future career.

Original Post by picklepug31:
its just so much to think about! two years ago i was a miserable average middle school student who never had the motivation to leave my content little average-ness. but now i see the importance of a high education and i want to be successful so bad! i am involved in absolutely NO sports, so its almost like i've taken up academics as my new hobby.

and i want to kind of prepare myself with a work overload in anticipation for college. but at the same time, i'm going to try and enjoy my high school days. its such a hard decision between striving for more success or enjoyment. i guess my first concern is definitely money, so i need as much financial aid and scholarships as i can possibly get my hands on.

It's great that you are focused on academics, but you'll want to be more involved in school activities. Colleges love to see a well rounded applicant, which means good grades and other activities. That doesn't mean you have to join every club at school, but rather have one or two things that you are really dedicated to. Admissions people don't want a student that can only focus on academics, nor do they want someone who joins everything, but doesn't put too much time into it. Find a happy medium, and be sure to try and get some leadership positions. . .they love that on an application. My senior year I was in National Honor Society, the MVP of my track team, and President of Students Movement Against Cancer, among other things, and I did very well with scholarships and admissions for those things. Also try to get involved outside of school, even if it means volunteering once a week, which they also love to see. Long story short, you can't have a great GPA alone, it's not enough anymore.

 About overloading now in prep for college, the best advice I can give you is don't. You're only a sophomore, there is plenty of time for all that. If your school has AP or IB classes, I do suggest taking those, for they are a pretty good  equivalent to what you will see when you get to college. I took all AP's in high school, and my freshman year was no sweat at all. Another thing different in college is that you have a lot more free time to do whatever you want, so daily homework assignments and teachers looking over your shoulder are a thing of the past. Overloading yourself in high school is not, in my opinion, the best way to prepare for college, for the two environments are completely different.

For now, just keep your grades up and get involved, and you will be better prepared for the college experience. But you are still to young to worry about it. Keep in in the back of your mind and be aware of what's to come, but there's no need to stress when it's so far away. Enjoy high school, it's fun!

I like anything in the sciences especially Chemistry. Last semester I took a tactical EMT class, which was amazing.