Who am I?

In life I play it safe. I avoid confrontations, I like nothing more than to stay at home with a good book and a warm cup of tea.

You won’t find me out on a wild adventure or out doing something illegal crazy.

Last semester I heard about a research program to study healthy living in Switzerland. I knew this was the program for me. I had never traveled out of the country( do Canada and Mexico count?) before so I was nervous.

In 1997 I went to Las Vegas and threw up the entire 6 hour flight. Let’s just say people requested a seat change.

So I figured I would just apply for the program, and if I did not get in, well then I would not have to go.

But I GOT INNNN!!!!!

I will be in Switzerland from June 28th-July 4th

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I have not decided where I am going to go after, I am meeting with my classmates next week and we will take it form there!

What will I be doing there?

“This program will be useful to undergraduate and graduate students considering careers in health and aging or who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a fast-paced culture.

Exercise, stress reduction, and diet have been identified as key components in maintaining health for people of all ages. These factors are central to the prevention and management of chronic disease. The risk for chronic diseases increases with age, however, the sedentary, high stress, fast-food life style typical of student life and common for all ages in the US has contributed to an epidemic of related health problems. Switzerland is distinguished by low rates of chronic disease, compared to the US, and a geography and culture that fosters out-door activity for all ages. This experiential learning program applies an ecological framework to examine case studies, international best practices and participant experience to better understand how public policy and clinical practice can help individuals initiate and maintain healthy life styles.

Switzerland, a country of stunning mountain vistas, truly lies at the crossroads of Europe. For our academic program, we stay in Kandersteg, nestled in the Swiss Alps. Participants venture in to nearby cities to conduct their field research, returning to home base for an evening meal and to discuss the day’s experiences. Highlights include options for day trips to Geneva, Zurich, Berne, to see a glacier and Alpine hiking.”

*Does anyone else have air sickness? If so what do you do to deal with it?*

152- Me, Myself and I

156.5– Dec 31st

This is not a diet post.

January has been a lovely month so far. I am on break till the 27th and other than going to the gym and spending time with my family I have not been doing much. With that said I have spent a lot of time thinking about my life and where I am going for my future.

I have not started 2010 with many of the friendships that I had in 2009. For reasons unclear to me, I can’t seem to maintain friendships. I asked a casual friend of mine who I know would be honest with me what he thought of me. Without much hesitation he responded, ” you are a very nice person.”

I am a nice person, I care a lot about the people in my life and try to show them that. Apparently, I am still not getting it done. Truthfully, friendships stress me out.  There is a lot of expectation when it comes to being a friend. I fear I may never be able to have a lasting friendship. There is a art to having a healthy friendship, one that I have not yet mastered.

With that being said, there is one friendship that I have been working hard on and that is the one with myself.

I want to have a strong relationship with myself that lets me get through the good and bad times.

I want to be able to feel good about myself even when I don’t have a good friend around me. It may not be something that I had control over. People come and go.

I want to be able to maintain healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. I feel like this month I have been able to come up with something that works for me. I don’t want to feel like I can’t enjoy the foods I love because I am not at my “healthy weight”. I trust that my body will tell me when I have eaten enough or not enough.

Thanks for reading my injury posts I and II I have come along way from being in pain and it was truly a testing journey. I am so blessed at the ability to be healthy.

I have been hitting the gym everyday. Non impact exercise is something that I have never done in the past. But cranking out on the elliptical and stationary bike is rewarding when I can see results in my weight.

I don’t count calories– because I want to be able to use my judgment when it comes to eating. I have never counted calories and I don’t plan on it. Food gives me the energy to carry on my daily activities. As a biochemistry major I know it is a very vital part of my bodily function. I can’t put a number on that.

What I can put a number on is my weight. Because that is what I am. When I get to a “healthy weight” I won’t have to keep track and know that I am just that. Healthy.

Being at the age of 20- I feel like I have my entire life in front of me. The choices that I make in the next few years will shape my future. I don’t want to look back and have any regret.

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Food bloggers have some staple food items we all know what they are OIAJ?

I have some of my own.

#1 Fennel Seeds

[Source]

– I mainly use this as a digestive aid, it is known to reduce bloating and cramps. I for some reason an obsessed with them, whenever I have a stomach ache I always have a small handful. I also eat them after most of my meals. There are other benefits to these seeds, however this is the only reason I eat them. They taste like faintly like licorice. You can find these seeds in most grocery store.

#2 Cranberry Juice

[Source]

– 100% Cranberry Juice is useful in preventing urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections. It can have a tart taste so some you may want to mix it with something else. I have always loved cranberry juice and I prefer it over soda or anything else.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Monday off! I am off to the gym !

Follow me on twitter @simplysana- I love tweeting with my readers.

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“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ MLK

Part II- The injury

Missed Part I?

Summer 2009- So while taking two summer classes ( Physics and Organic Lab) as well as teaching boot camp.

I started physical therapy for my ” disc” problem- I was going 2X a week. Along with back extensions to move the disc back in place I was getting ice and electrode therapy.

I was disappointed that nothing was helping, but I decided to stick with it because it might work out in the end.

Meanwhile my symptoms were getting worse, I could not sit or walk for long. Sitting for long like driving caused a tingling nerve pain down my legs. And bending down to tie my shoes was out of the question

I went back to my spine surgeon at the end of the summer for some more options.

Option #1 MRI

Option#2 Steroid Pack ( to reduce nerve inflammation)

I went with the open MRI.

[Source]

Yeah- it looks totally harmless- but I had a panic attack in the middle and I wanted to stop. I did not have my contacts on so I could not see that I was not as trapped as I felt. However, there was noway to stop the test and have me come back another day. So my mom came in and sat next to me and I was able to finish it.

The results of the MRI showed that I had Spondylolysis (Pars Fracture of the Spine). This is not the same thing as the disc problem I went to PT for. In fact all the exercises I was doing- worsen the condition that I do have.

Well my doctor called me over the phone and told me to exercise by walking up hill and that I should be better in 6-8weeks.

6-8 weeks later– I was NOT better and still miserable and so I went back to the doctor.

Here were my options:

Option #2 Steroid Pack ( to reduce nerve inflammation)

Option #3 Back brace

I went with the back brace.

I name my back brace turtle !

With the help of a good friend I wore this bad boy for 6 weeks. I even got over my fear of pills and took the steroid pack.

Today- I am 91% better! This was a long journey- but getting better is soo worth it. I spent most of the year feeling sorry for myself and gained 20 pounds. I was not focused on what I was eat- I ate whatever made me feel good. It was not until Jan 1st that I started to watch what I ate.

–Just by tracking what I eat daily I have lost 3 pounds.

– I have also been working out: I am going to stick with non impact workouts till March, because I still feel pain in my back every now and then. If in March  I am feeling 100% better I will start training for my first 1/2 marathon in October.

– I will wear my back brace every now and then, when I feel like I need it.

Moral of the story: Keep going back to the doctor until you get the RIGHT solution. Being injury and pain free is worth it.

The injury

Life before December 2008:

12+ years of:

5x a week of:

Teaching cardio box+ 5 am bootcamp= Spondylolysis (Pars Fracture of the Spine)

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I did not come to this diagnosis until 10 months later.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Dec. 2008– I was sick for a week with “mono” ( quotes because I had the symptoms but the test was negative)

– I felt some pain in my lower back, but I was laying down for a week I figured it was nothing.

-I was busy with finals week oh did I mention I also had bronchitis?

We were good friends with the Dr. at this point and we realized that we did not like her. Due to insurance conditions we could not switch doctors if we had seen them within a month. Because I kept getting sick I had to stay with her.

Finally when it hurt to bend down and brush my teeth I went to my doctor- after pounding my lower back she sent me home with a prescription for 800mg of Ibuprofen 3X a day. And muscle relaxants….

– I don’t like taking drugs for anything but cramps- I had a bad reaction to a cough medicine and I am now terrified of any sort of medication.

I decided to take one pill a day and I felt a bit better until the effects wore off.

At this time I was also seeing an infectious disease specialist and a surgeon. For my larger than life lymph nodes in my neck- They were literally sticking out and my classmates enjoyed touching my “lumps”. I promise it was not as weird as this sounds. ( No one knew what my lumps were- they kinda went away after 9 months- medical mystery?) I can still feel them, but they are much much smaller.

So for a few months my problem was put on the back burner (literally)- I had other medical problems to deal with, along with a full semester of classes I was pretty busy.

At this point, I had stopped doing my own workout- but I was still teaching cardio box…. ( Mistake)

I would feel my back in pain when I did jumping jacks- or anything that required impact. So I would demonstrate for one or two reps and then cue my classes to continue on. This worked out pretty well, I was able to keep teaching and not “hurt”

-Not sure if this was a good idea but, it worked.

I went back to the doctor and she sent me to a spine surgeon, after more poking and pounding my spine I was “diagnosed” with a bulging disc  and sent to physical therapy.

At this point I was having trouble lifting my legs to put pants on, sitting and using my laptop hurt. I would have nerve pain down my legs. It was not a burning or tingling- it was an uncomfortable sensation.

It honestly felt like I had broken my butt or something…

My general doctor also wanted me to have an MRI- but the insurance denied this because I was not in any sort of car accident or other trauma.

So enter Summer 2009 where I started physical therapy- biggest mistake of my life…..

I will finish up my story in the next post Injury Part II

Thanks for reading- writing this has brought back some not fun memories but I want people to learn from my story and not make the same mistakes.

* Feel free to share any injury stories you may have*

Small size me

Many times we go out to eat we never get to request a portion size. Unless we are at Starbucks and have to give our order in odd sizes.

How does tall=small? Beats me.

I love Chipotle. It is just so freaking amazing, I have to admit I can chow down this bad boy[ Source]

We won’t get into calories- but we all know it’s not pretty. The other day I was having some serious Chipotle hankering. I did not want to eat that monstrosity. I could- but it’s not something I like to make a habit of.

So I decided to get a mini! I asked for 1 soft taco with all the fixings I would normally get!

Yes, this was a fraction of the cost and size. But most importantly it did the trick! I was full- and I did not over eat. Which I would have done had I eaten an entire burrito.

Lesson of the day: Create your own size, don’t be afraid to ask for less. you will thank yourself.

So I have been on a serious Tabouli kick. Aka I have been adding it to everything in sight.

Case and point:

I am just going to have to hit up Costco for some more 🙂

I have also been giving myself a few treats every night. I love sweets but when I allow myself to have some everyday I don’t over eat.

I had my first Cliff bar- and it was delish! The prefect pre-workout snack! I was worried that it would be too sweet but that was not the case at all.

Other treats include magic bars aka evil bars

They are sooo good- I just can’t get enough. Pure evil.

Sana’s Skim delight

1/2 a packet of hot chocolate

1 cup skim milk

It’s the perfect way to end a day!

Ab tip of the day:

-Many people complain that doing a basic crunch on the floor hurts their neck.

To deal with this I recommend doing the crunch on a ball.

Or you could be me and have fun bouncing on it.

But don’t fall off, or hurt yourself in this process.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

I have no shame…

I drove to Costco for the sole purpose of having free samples for lunch.

Ravioli ( drenched in olive oil) X2

Raspberry pastry

Veggie Chili

Almond Butter

Sun chips!

I also bought some Chobani 12 pack for 11.49!

I also bought some Tabouli which I had for lunch part 2 with some rice and roasted potatoes

I have a happy belly 🙂

Yesterday while I was sitting in the chair of boredom aka the Dentist

I was really craving a Panera sammie

Enter the love of my life.

All 610 delish calories.  They mainly come from the bread- which I will have switched the next time I get this

Have a look-see:

I really want to make my own healthy version but can anyone help me find zesty peppadew piquant peppers?

On to some school  stuff I am totally in a bummed out mood. I spend so much time and energy studying and I always end up with terrible grades. I try not to let my grades define me but it does make me sad. There are only 44 credits standing in the way of me and a B.S in Biochemistry.

I had a really hard semester- lots of tears. I dropped a classes.  But some good points I got a few really high grades-but in the end they did not help.

I know I can make it these next 3 semester- I will continue to work hard regardless of how crappy my grades are.

I do have some exciting things coming up:

• I am blogging for UMBCeats as a healthy living blogger.

• 
  

  I am in touch with the FDA with a possible job/ internship

• 
  

  I am going to continue to teach ab crunch at UMBC

• 
  

  I will continue my internship with the UMBC Shriver Center at a local homeless shelter.  We are planning to grow a garden- so that they can add FRESH veggies and herbs to their meals. We are going to use these seeds to keep up around biodiversity. I also plan on getting free composted soil from the county.

• 
  

  I am also talking to a few professors on campus to do some Public Health Research in the Spring.

• 
  

  Co-writing Public Health Roll we are planning on re-launching in Feb

I listed out all these things mainly for myself, even when things are looking bad. I do have a lot going for myself. I pride myself in taking the initiative in whatever project/ job I am doing. I hope this carries me through to my future.

Most importantly I will try my best to maintain a healthy lifestyle- with that I am going to head to the gym.

Hopefully I will feel better about myself. If not, there is always tomorrow.

Life is all about choices.

You can choose to be

[Source]

glass half empty or glass half full. Speaking of which I need to remember to drink more water…

You can also choose to eat the same thing for breakfast every day of the week

because it is so freakin’ yum.

You can choose to eat dahl( lentils) and hummus together

because they are basically cousins.

You can chose to put your plate away at a dinner party

to stop yourself from getting a 2nd helping.

But you can instead choose get dessert

and take sketchy pictures of it in the dark.

You can also choose to skip working out for the day because you don’t feel like showering again.

Life is all about the choices that we make.

What will you choose to do today?

And the winner is….

You are just going to have to scroll to the bottom to find out!

I had a headache last night so I took my time getting up and missed the D.C blogger meet up. I was super bummed.

I cheered myself up with Strawberry Chobani!

w/ granola. I could eat this every single day! Maybe.

Today I was not in the mood to workout. I just wanted to curl up and get back into bed. But I decided to just go for 30 mins. And if I hated it I would come back.

I kept with Elliptical Challenge 2010 and cranked out a fast 15 mins!

Today Ms. Matchy-matchy was no where to be found. Maybe she was off shopping for another outfit?

So I was left with Mr. Under Armour.

And we had at it.

Pedaling away on the seated bike. I won. Of course!

I finished my 30 mins and booked it home for some un pictured pita chips and hummus. Basically the best thing on Earth.

My mom and I hit up the mall. She had some gifts to buy so I tagged along. I am not big on shopping these days. I don’t want to try fitting into some new clothes- I have plenty at home to do so.

I did have some important business to take care of. I am a member of the Godiva Rewards Club and I wanted to go in and get my FREE chocolate of the month. Boy was I excited!

I of course wanted everything!

But I settled for the Milk Chocolate Truffle

I split it in half with my mom.  And it was worth every bite. We already know what we want next month 🙂

Shopping has to be a workout! Between dodging all the pushy kiosk sellers and sprinting past all the slow people that stop to look at e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. I was pooped when I made it home.

I came home and made a TJ special

Spinach and Chive pasta with a slightly healthier version of Tj’s Alfredo sauce.

I am a happy girl 🙂

For the rest of the night I will have some tea and grapes w/ Chobani if I feel snacky.

And now to the moment you have all been waiting for!

The winner is: lowandbhold

“Oh I loooove Chobani! Yay for your first giveaway!

Safety and good to me is family.”

-Please e-mail me at supersana786 [at] gmail [dot] com with your full name and mailing address!

Thank you all for entering my giveaway it was nice to read all of your symbols of good and safety

They had me at free towels…

* Don’t forget to enter my Chobani Giveaway*

I hope everyone is having a lovely first day of the year- I know am!

Last night I went out to dinner with my family to my favorite Afghan Kabob place.

Usually I can kill two beef kabob’s but this time I opted to bring some TJ’s Risotto that I had made earlier.

It was pretty easy to make- I will be for sure bringing it to school with me for an easy lunch.

The risotto was front and center, I only ate 3 pieces of chicken along with some of the salad and rice. I always get my food in a take out container, that way if I don’t want to eat everything I can box it up and take it home. And that is exactly what I did.

To round up my New Year’s Eve I toasted with some delish and much needed hot chocolate as my family and I huddled by the heater- waiting for a certain ball to drop.

I only used 1/2 the packet w/ skim milk. I plan on using the rest tonight 🙂

I started 2010 off with a BANG!

Or as you all might see it as the most boring breakfast ever….

Organic granola with Fat free milk

Judge me all you want. It was super yum!

Truthfully I am not awake enough to come up with some bright, fruity and creative combination. I just try to get something in.

I hit up the gym for the first workout 2010! I felt fabulouss! Lady Gaga also joined in a few times….

Other than working up a sweat there are a few reasons why I loveee going to the gym.

1) Fluffy white towels and cups of ice water!

I am obsessed with ice. I love it. But the towels are key- I love being able to wipe my face- because I sweat buckets. I also take some home by accident… Although today I saw someone sneeze into their towel. Then I started to wonder if someone had sneezed into the towel I was rubbing my face with. I wish I had not see that.

2) Getting to read my gym-only-book.

My rule with this book is that I can only read this while at the gym- it makes my workout fly by! In fact I don’t even bring the book inside my house form the car- this way I am not tempted to cheat.

3) Ms. Matchy-Matchy in her pink Nike gear. You know who I am talking about. The one person at the gym who makes all of us look like lazy bums in our sloppy workout gear.

(No pic, it would be far too creepy)

Basically when I get to the gym I scope out the field for the best dressed person. And then I beat them. Motivation. Gotta get it from somewhere.

I was starving so I raced home for some whole wheat pita with spinach and squash.

Clearly that was not enough food because I was starving an hour later.

Dinner was brown basmati rice and bbq glazed Tilapia. My mom outdid herself tonight!

So yummiee! I ate about 1/2 of that!

I am off to go drink some green tea and have hot chocolate for dessert!

What motivates you at the gym?

156.5

* Don’t forget to enter my Chobani Giveaway*

I have had an AMAZING 2009. But I am ready for 2010!

Let’s talk numbers.

Arms: 12.5 inches

Bust ( w/ double bra): 37 inches

Abs ( around belly button): 37 inches

Butt: 40.5 inches

Biggest part of Thigh: 23 inches

Height: 5 feet 2 3/4 inches

Weight as of Dec 31st 2009: 156.5

BMI: 27.2 ( I put myself in as 5′ 3”)

Overweight = 25-29.9

140.5 puts me at a normal weight. Which is a loss of 16 lbs.

I know BMI is not the most accurate thing in the world- but it is a pretty decent indicator of where things need to be.

The facts.

• I have not worked out for 10 months due to a lower spine fracture.
• I have not been on an diet- I basically eat whatever I am in the mood for. Indian, American, junk. All.

The results.

Yes, I made these pictures as tiny as possible. Because who really wants to post unflattering pictures of themselves on the internet? But I don’t think my pictures are that bad.

I love the way I look!

( Sorry Mom& Dad! I don’t dress like this in public)

-This is necessary if you come from a conservative Muslim family 🙂

So what now?

• I would like to be at a normal weight range for my body that I can maintain ( 140.5).
• I don’t want to feel like I need to unbutton my pants at the end of each meal.
• I want to remind myself that I don’t need to eat a lot to be full.
• I don’t need to eat candy/ m&m’s when I am upset or stressed out with school.
• I want to exercise for at least 60 mins a day at minimum.
• I don’t want to feel like an unfit group fitness instructor.
• I want to keep track of all my meals and workouts daily on my blog to make sure I am keeping up with my plan.
• I want to feel and be fit and toned.
• I want to stay injury free and healthy!

Lastly- I want to be a runner!

Oct 16th 2010 here I come!

I don’t have a particular goal I would be happy doing the 5k or 1/2 marathon but 9 months is a long time from now so I have no idea where I will be at that point.

I don’t even know if I will be able to run post-injury. They did mention something about walkers. I will do that.

I have joined Elliptical Challenge 2010 on the lovely Kelly’s blog!

I am off to get ready for a lovely New Year’s eve with the family.

Lots of love and happiness to everyone in 2010!