Highlights - 20, 19 and 18 Weeks Out

Saturday, June 24 - Friday, July 14

JOB REDUCTION. WINGING IT. TEXAS.

I'm three weeks into prep and haven't posted a thing. Oops!! Things have been moving. My main job has picked up, in a good way! Bikini prep is in full swing and yet...I feel like I have MORE time. Why is that you may ask? Because I do. At the beginning of July I relinquished 2 of my jobs. I've officially stepped down as a personal trainer and cycle instructor. I'll still maintain my certs. because I think it's only a matter of time before I get back into them BUT for now I think it's the best move. It has been hard to leave my clients but I think it's time I make more time for other areas of my life, like my family, my full-time position and bikini prep. Last time I prepped I made the mistake of allowing too much on my plate at one time. I don't intend to make that same mistake again. I'm currently down to 1 full-time job and 2 part-time jobs which drastically lightens my load and helps my mood. Who knew?!

On the June 24th I thought I'd be getting my workout plan from my coach. Instead I got a questionnaire via email that stated my plan wouldn't be coming for another 7-10 days. I was slightly annoyed but then realized the fault was probably my own. Since I still had my old plan to follow, I used that for the first 2 weeks (20 and 19 weeks out). I ended up getting my new plan toward the end of the first 2 weeks. During week 3 I was able to follow the new plan, which actually only changed my lifting and cardio. My coach was fine with me keeping the same macros I had come up with on June 24th. Those were derived from the meal plan he gave me the first time so he effectively determined those macros anyways.

During the 2nd week I spent the majority of my time in TX visiting Brian and celebrating our 1 year anniversary. I was able to lift, without having to wake up extremely early to get my lift in before work. That was nice, but short-lived. I'll share more about our anniversary and my trip to TX in another post sometime this week. Promise.

RECAP:
20 Weeks Out - 6 days of cardio (20+ min). 5 days of lifting. Mood: Exhausted 24/7. Macros: 165C/153P/45F. Water: 1 gallon / day.
19 Weeks Out - 3 days of cardio (20+ min). 6 days of lifting. Mood: Excited. Less Tired. Macros: 165C/153P/45F. Water: 1 gallon / day.
18 Weeks Out - 4 days of cardio (20+ min). 6 days of lifting. Mood: Chill. Macros: 165C/153P/45F. Water: 1 gallon / day.
While weight loss isn't my current focus, I'm down 2.2 lbs.

The Recap - March 2017

VACATION. QUALITY TIME. GROWTH.

March ended up being a whirlwind of fun! It exceeded and fell short of all my expectations. How so? Well, from my horizons post I wasn't expecting too much out of March: a few days of visiting Brian in FL, to take [and pass] my PMP exam, and to tackle spring cleaning. None of these things happened as anticipated...

I moved my PMP exam...again, due to work/weather concerns this time, but still that was definitely not part of the plan. If I'm being completely honest, I didn't care that much. I've got more time to study [and foster my anxiety...HA]. I'm mildly annoyed with myself for rescheduling but ultimately think it worked out well, given the surrounding circumstances.

I haven't done a thorough spring cleaning yet. I've managed to do some decluttering. Nothing major though. It's in the works.

Lastly, I managed to spend not just a few days BUT a whole 2 weeks and four days with Brian!! A couple days prior to my planned trip to FL, Brian recommended we take a cruise vacation. Sounded like a good idea, next logical question would be...when? To which he responded with a date that was 11 days after his proposal. Boy bye. No way in heck are we planning a cruise that's 11 days away! The planner in me was extremely resistant to the idea. Alas, a few pep talks from my friends, parents and Brian later I changed my tune. With 7 days to spare, we booked a 7-day cruise to the Western Caribbean and I'm SO glad we did. That fun adventure gets its own post though...


Follow

On the Horizons - March 2017

VISITING BRIAN. PMP EXAM. SPRING CLEANING.

I feel like nothing new has really been going on these days. I work, workout, work some more, sleep and REPEAT. So while nothing new is currently going down, I have some things to look forward to in the coming month!

I haven't seen Brian since January 3rd, so we're due for a visit. In 1-2 weeks, I should be flying down to see him and I. can't. wait! While I don't know the exact date just yet, the plan is for me to fly down the weekend after he finishes primary flight school. I'm hoping for this weekend but based on the weather down there its not looking like he'll be able to get all his required flights in this week. If he graduates next week, the pressure is on me to decide whether or not to go. Why wouldn't I go?! Because the following Monday I take my Project Management Professional (PMP) exam and I KNOW I won't do any review while I'm down there. Brian says he'll make me study...yeahhhh right.

I've been studying for awhile to take my PMP exam, I've pushed back my test date a few times out of fear of failing, BUT I've finally decided to suck it up and go for it. If I fail, I fail and I reboot to take it again. I'm fairly confident I know my stuff  and I score decent on the practice exams but I still get anxious about under performing on the test. Regardless of the outcome, I plan to get my PMP certification by summer 2017. Pray for me!!

In March I also plan to tackle spring cleaning. This may not seem like a serious event to some, but to my organized, moderately obsessive self, it is. I'm looking to declutter and redecorate my closet and bedroom and provide these spaces with more organization. When I'm more organized, life is just better. Stay tuned for a post or two on how that goes.

Highlights - Week 8

Sunday, September 20 - Saturday, September 26

CONSISTENCY YIELDS RESULTS. TURNOVER. MIRACLE NOODLES. GRANDPA'S 80TH!

Sorry for the delay. Life got a bit hectic in Week 7, which delayed me posting Week 8 Highlights. No fears! I'm back in the blog game...

This week's consistency was on point! Yay! Lucky for me it showed. My coach was pleased with my progress and life was good, so yay for that. Still grinding it out because at Week 6 comes the final decision. Eeek! Can you tell I'm nervous?!? But I digress...for now.

Work is on level 1000 at the moment. My graduate assistant position has experienced A LOT of turnover this week. Thanks to that we'll be hiring new fitness attendants to work in our facilities! Yayyyyyy! Right?! Kinda of. Hiring is a LONG process, of which I am in charge. In the meantime, while we are hiring new attendants, all unassigned shifts are falling to the coverage of myself, the other grad assistant and the office assistant. We have a pretty solid plan worked out, BUT it generally means more hours of work. We'll manage! I can't deny that it is a bit overwhelming at times though. Oh well! All part of the job.

Awhile back I found out about these 0 calorie "noodles" called Miracle Noodles. Figured I'd give them a try and see how it went. Loved them! They don't taste like anything on their own. They take on the flavor of whatever seasoning/marinade/dressing you add to them. I'm not sure if it's a mind trick or not, but it helps me feel like I'm eating more while having a minimal effect on my caloric intake, which makes me happy. I chalk that up to a meal plan win!! I've ordered enought to last me the remainder of my prep. I'm oh so serious.

Favorite part of Week 8 was my Grandpa's 80th birthday dinner on Saturday!! I still can't believe he is 80. He looks so good for his age (see below if you think I tell lies)! Love that man so much!! <3 The whole family celebrated at my grandparent's house with dinner and cake.

Always a good time when my family gets together. We even enjoyed a friendly game of Guesstures, in which my team won. That was to be expected. I don't joke when it comes to games. Go hard or go home!! I'm kidding...no I'm not.



The winning Guesstures team!!

Highlights - Week 10

Sunday, September 6 - Saturday, September 12

1ST CYCLE CLASS.  MORE CLIENTS.

In the grand scheme of my life, Week 10 was tame (for the most part). Busy and hectic per usual but no major tests, or deliverables for class. No major assignments or deadlines for work. Just a regular week, minus the Monday holiday for Labor Day!

Diet was alright this week. Not perfect. Lifting went well. Cardio was good. & in speaking of good cardio...I taught my first cycle class of the semester on Saturday morning. I had 9 people total, so that was decent. Not a lot, but not 1. It was a blast! I was more nervous than I should have been, but I always get that way when I'm doing something "new". Teaching cycle for the first time in over 2 years, I'd say that counts as "new". Class went well though. I didn't pass out, no one in my class passed out & I even managed to make some people laugh throughout. SO all in all, I'm looking forward to teachning more classes in the future. Oh and extra bonus, it helped knock out some of my cardio for that day. Win-win!

Post class selfie (after everyone left)

Related to work there was a minor [read MAJOR] change that took shape in Week 10. Part of my job as a graduate assistant is to oversee the Personal Training program. For the most part that entails connecting with the trainers, planning/conducting PT development and hiring, and pairing clients with trainers. When that system is operating smoothly, all is well. However, what I experienced in Week 10 were the joys of supply and demand. The client demand is much larger than we can support with our current trainers' availability. Good problem in the grand scheme of business and facilitating people's fitness journeys. Bad in the sense of "ahh shoot what shall I do now?!". Well, rather than lose clients or delay their training, taking on new clients becomes my responsibility if no other trainer can take them. In Week 10 I went from having a comfortable 3 clients to...10! 3 to 10. 233% increase. Gah. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE training and I LOVE helping people reach their fitness goals but in terms of the number of hours in a day and a week, adding 7 more clients to my load is rough. I'm fairly certain I'll become obsessed with my clients once I meet them and begin their programs but I'm realizing the hours in my day are quickly slipping away. I shall manage. I'll hire and train more PTs and life will gradually go back to normal, but for now...I vote we add 6 more hours into everyday!! Who's with me?!

Highlights - Week 12

Sunday, August 23 - Saturday, August 29
KNEE SLEEVES. THE EDGE. FOURTH JOB. NEW FRIENDS!

Week 12 was the official "all or nothing" starting point for my bikini prep. I'm pleased to say I did really well!! I stayed on my meal plan 100% and got in all of my lifting sessions and cardio minutes for the week. Yay!! The hardest part was definitely not slipping on the meal plan. In previous weeks I'd have a few crackers here or a handful of grapes there (basically unapproved extra snackage)...none of that this week! No minor cheats of any kind. The fact that I made it through one week sans baby cheats, means I can do it again...for the next 11 weeks. BRING IT ON!!

This week I graduated from using my ACL knee brace for my cardio workouts to using only knee sleeves. It makes a world of difference in terms of range of motion. It's been over a year since I've had knee surgery so I should be good to go by now, but I'm always hestitant to come out of knee support braces. I did it though!! The new knee sleeves are great and I think my legs and knees are strong enough to tolerate what I put them through now. I hope it stays that way!!

On Saturday we had a staff bonding trip at The Edge. It was a blast!!  I managed to climb their Alpine Tower on the "hardest" side, which I was told are called candlesticks (two logs hanging by ropes/wire). The hardest part was getting from one hanging log to the other, BUT I DID IT!! Overall the trip was a good time. Learned a lot about fellow staff members in other departments and got an excellent total body workout! WIN. WIN.

Update on job #4...I OFFICIALLY got the cycle instructor position. I'm scheduled for 5 classes so far this semester so I'm excited! Extra cardio and fun times leading a class...what's not to love?!?!

On Saturday night, Brian and I ventured out to DC for dinner with another Marine couple. We went to a restaurant called Eatonville. Soul / southern style dishes. I was in heaven. It ended up being a quality cheat meal! Yay!! While the food was good, the company was even better. I absolutely loved the couple we went out with. The husband was hilarious and the wife was so easy to talk to. Now I have someone to talk to through this TBS journey when the guys go MIA. That'll be SO helpful, plus she's a genuine sweetheart so I'm fairly certain this is the start of a solid friendship. Yay for new friends!!!

Week 11 is the start of the academic semester. So begins the balancing act of 4 jobs, 2 grad school classes and bikini prep. OH BOY!

New Job: Substitute Instructor

So I technically added a new job to my list. It's not official, but the plan is to be a substitute instructor for cycle classes this academic year. I'll know for sure on Friday, so I'll give you the final word this weekend.

 

I'm a certified Group Exercise Instrutor and have taught cycle classes before so I'm not worried about instructing. It'll be a good workout & it'll help out the instructors in a bind. Win? Win?

Job #4 coming at you soon...hopefully!!

What's the Downside to Working Multiple Jobs?

EARLY MORNINGS / LATE NIGHTS. MINIMIZED VISIBILITY. LESS TIME FOR OTHERS. OTHERS' PERCEPTIONS. BURN OUT.

Working multiple jobs and being blessed enough to have more than one job is something that I don't take for granted. I've been lucky enough to find and keep 3 (good) paying jobs that continue to challenge me but still allow me to do things that I want (i.e work other jobs).

When I step back and think about it sometimes, I do realize that working more than one job is somewhat selfish. I'm taking a job away from someone who could possibly need it more than I, and I'm in one way or another hindering others who may need me to be more present at one job because I'm at another. Because I enjoy working my jobs and not disappointing coworkers / supervisors / etc. I try my hardest to make sure I meet or exceed my job expectations. This in return has some drawbacks:

1. Early Mornings / Late Nights -  Working 40+ hrs / week means that many days start early. This isn't at all terrible to me though because 95% of the time, I'm a morning person. Waking up early (3 am - 5 am) and getting the day started makes me feel good, so it's not a hassle for me to do. What IS hard is waking up early and going to bed late (11 pm or later) THEN doing the exact same thing the next day. Everyone needs a certain amount of sleep to function properly and I don't doubt for a second that I don't regularly get "enough" sleep. From an outside point of view, I don't think many people can tell when I've gotten 4 hrs of sleep vs. when I've had 8+ hrs unless I tell them. I do sleep less then average though. It's just the nature of the game I've chosen to play. Not a good thing, but it's my thing.
2. Minimized Visibility - I CAN'T SEE. Kidding. This has nothing to do with my eye sight. This is about my physical presence in the workplace. When someone finds out the best way to safely clone a human, please let me know! Until that happens I shall always succumb to the fact that I can't be in two places at once. In turn, when I'm electing to be at job #1 over job #2 on a certain day, my visibility at job #2 is reduced. I miss important changes or people begin to think I'm unavailable, etc. I try to compensate for this by working outside of my scheduled hours for some jobs. This doesn't help with physical visibility though, but it does ensure that my workload doesn't fall onto someone else. 
3. Less Time for Others - This is the drawback I struggle with most because it effects others. Because I work so much I have less time for others. Less time to spend with others, less time to talk to others...just less. Everyone that knows me and understands why I work multiple jobs is supportive but I know it can be annoying when I can't hang out or attend some event because I'm CHOOSING to work more. While I do choose to work, I don't ever what people to think I'm choosing work over them. My family and friends are extremely important to me so I make an effort to be at most major things, but I do skip somethings or leave early to accommodate my work schedule.  
4. Others' Perceptions -  This. one. right. here. This drawback is double-sided. I feel bad when people worry how my lifestyle is effecting me. I don't want my decisions to worry anyone else. For example, I know hands down my parents are worried I do too much. Work too much. Workout too much. Awake too much. Every close friend, coworker or supervisor has shared that concern with me at one point or another and I don't want them to make decisions based off of that. On the other side, it's funny (& kind of cool) when people think I'm Super Woman or that I have some special powers, but it's not realistic. SPOILER ALERT: I'm not Super Woman & I have no special powers. I just do what I can to the best of my ability, day in and day out. No fancy recipe. No trick meds / cocktails. Just living life the way I know how.
5. Burn Out - There are days when I want to quit 1 or more of my jobs. I never do, but for 2-3 min of those days I want to say "DEUCES" and live a simpler life. It happens sparingly but it does happen. I get exhausted. I get REALLY exhausted. I try to refrain from having major meltdowns in public. So far so good. I believe my dad, Brian and a couple close friends have witnessed a burn out meltdown a time or two, but I try to keep those to a minimum. Don't want to have people thinking I'm crazy!! Hah. 

In the end I still do what I do. I've found someway to spin every drawback to some form of a positive so that it doesn't make me feel like I'm a terrible person. I do enjoy my jobs and working them, so for now I shall continue the path I'm on because it sure is an eventful one!!

Why Work Multiple Jobs?

COMFORT. BREADTH OF KNOWLEDGE. NETWORKING. JOB "SECURITY". CONSISTENCY.

Since 2010 I haven't worked less than two jobs at a time, give or take a few months. Some jobs have lasted a semester, others have lasted years, and all have been paying jobs. It didn't seem like a lot at first because the hours always seemed to be minimal...5 hrs / week job 1, 10 hrs / week job 2, school work, class. No big deal. That all changed in 2012 during my final undergrad year at the University of Virginia. I almost didn't graduate. I had taken on too much and let my studies slip as a result. I did end up graduating on time, but I vowed to never put myself in that situation again. I've sort of kept that vow...

While getting my second bachelor's degree at George Mason University I worked my govt job part-time, attended school full-time and transitioned to Personal Training at the university.  I was able to excel in my studies, work and even had time to have some fun, so when a professor proposed a paid research opportunity to me a semester into my degree, I said yes! That bumped my job count to 3 and there it remained through the duration of my second bachelor's degree.

After my second bachelor's, I started my graduate degree the following academic year. I was lucky enough to land a graduate assistantship position in a field that I loved, Fitness! I enjoyed working all of my jobs BUT I was no longer at the point of minimal hours. I was averaging 50-60 total hours of work / week along with graduate school classes. It was tough but because my grades were good and I was in good graces with all of my supervisors, I kept with it. That was the most mentally, emotionally, physically draining year of my life but I would do it again in a heartbeat...Why?!

1. Comfort - Aside from the financial comfort I gained from working multiple jobs, I gained a sense of comfort with the chaos that comes with it all. It was my normal. It is my normal. Sleeping 4-6 hours Monday - Friday, sometimes less. Weekends I can sleep 6-8 hours. It came easier the more I did it, the more I did it the more I realized I could do more! So I did.  I'm not saying it was/is smart, but it worked for me. The chaos of multiple jobs is comfortable for me. I also find that I'm comfortable with the people I work with. I actually wake up (most days) excited about going to work to see the people at my jobs, whether they be clients or coworkers. I thoroughly take pleasure in spending time with them and find comfort in the time that I am with them.  
2. Breadth of Knowledge - This is a big one. From each one of my jobs I've learned something new that has been applicable to ALL my other jobs. Whether it be how to better communicate with different personalities or how to craft technical documents, it has all been applicable to other jobs. That may seem odd considering each job is fairly different from the other but to me there's always a way to implement what I learned at one job to another. Sometimes it's harder to find the commonalities but I guarantee they're there. My knowledge for my technical job isn't only technical and my knowledge for my management position doesn't only span that skill set. I can do more because I've been exposed to more that's outside of the "norm" for each position. To me, that's valuable and something I hope to never lose.
3. Networking - "It's not WHAT you know. It's WHO you know." I used to hate that saying. I used to see it as a negative. But the more I've worked, the more I've seen it is very much so true. Many of the positions I've been offered I wouldn't have even known about had it not been for the right person seeing my grades or hearing my name through the grapevine. Networking and building a network is so valuable. Having multiple jobs has allowed me to build an extremely diverse network and I'm very much so appreciative of that.
4. Job "security" - I say "security" because it's not entirely secure, but having multiple jobs in different fields gives me the ability to change my job given the economic climate. A job in fitness vs. a job in engineering. Both are relatively different and are easier (or harder) to come by depending on the area and/or need. So when looking for future jobs, I won't feel as much pressure to pick a location based on job potential for one specific field because I'm not as worried that there won't be something I enjoy there.  
5.  Consistency - This coincides with comfort, but I'm used to working multiple jobs. It's my routine. I like consistency. I honestly would not know what to do with myself if I only had one job.

For me, the pros outweigh most of the cons. I'll share in another post the downside, but overall, working multiple jobs has been a blessing. It's not for everybody and eventually there will come a time in my life when a family of my own will take precedence over having multiple jobs. As for now I'm not sure it's something that I'll be looking to change anytime soon BUT who knows.