Last Registration...

OMG!!! My UF graduation is so soon (December! Seems soon to me, I sure know it will come quick!)

My goal of graduating from the University of Florida is coming true:) Makes me proud, not gonna lie!

Good lord!!! I just registered for my last classes at UF- seems like just yesterday I transferred in. Seems like just yesterday I stepped onboard Concordia.

This just goes to show how much time flies, and how much life has to offer. Most importantly, this goes to show that you can't take any of it for granted.

Two of my friend's relatives have recently passed, the Concordia sank and a couple other negative things have happened this past year that I can't really get into. It always makes me think, why do we focus on such small issues? I get freaked out and anxious and worried over such small details, but what if it was all taken away from me tomorrow or next week or next month?

Would I have taken anything back, or done anything differently?

I always find that I'd rather have done more things, even if something I've done has caused regrets (and some of it has!) I always look back and wish I had done more, no matter how much I've done- and I feel like I packed a lot of good stuff into my college years!

They were different than I had imagined in high school, but so much better than I could have imagined, and I sure have learned a lot and experienced a lot along the way!

Whew- sorry for that post, but so many emotions are going through my mind and a little blog-journaling is helping, as always.

How was your college experience? Would you have done anything over? How did you feel during your last semester?

Bad Internet Manners

Good afternoon, blog-i-verse!

It's another - gosh, one of what seems to be and endless- array of rainy days here in central Florida. I can't complain this time of year though, because it's washing away pollen, and therefore allergies. I've been sneezing up a storm lately!

I ralked (ran & walked) 9 miles yesterday for March of Dimes March for Babies 2010 - it wore me out, especially with work afterward and all, but boy did I sneeze my way through those early-morning miles!

Can't say I didn't love the endorphins, though;)

The rain is also bringing in more green leaves on the trees and pretty pink flowers on the bushes (planted around the air conditioners) outside of my window. Love it! Last summer a crew cut down the majority of the trees - I begged them not to! - so it's nice to have some vegetation back.

I decided to give myself the day off exercise after getting a little rained on during a run- I've really wanted to try biking lately thanks to Caitlin and Megan, but don't have the funds to buy a bike that could really get my heart rate up, so I have to stick to the basics for now.

I took my rainy day party indoors and decided to pamper myself- I'm about to turn my bathroom into a spa and give myself the full treatment- facial, mani/pedi, you know the drill;)

I'm going to be watching illegal downloads of Big Love... I'm too poor for HBO, don't hate!

I foresee some Mochi in my near future tonight- how could I resist this?

Enjoy your Sundays, everyone (and Palm Sunday if that's your thing!) If not, just enjoy these palms;) They're awesome year-round!

Edited to add: Does anyone know how to un-clump my paragraphs? My blog always, always does this to me despite how many times I go back and edit it!

Plus, check out Missy Maintains for a sweet Yoplait giveaway!

And the winner is...

The winner of my first-ever giveaway is:

Ana from AnActive Adventure! I really liked how she said that "there is something about each person that makes them beautiful and special" - so true girly!! E-mail me your information at jdemart1@ufl.edu and I will send you your prizes:)

Stay tuned for a 9-mile good deed post coming at ya tomorrow:)

Love ya bloggies:)

Joie de Vivre vs. Joy of Skinny

Last night, Jessica Simpson's new VH1 show, "The Price of Beauty," chronicled the story of a model who weighed in the upper 80 lbs. She had lost about 30 pounds after modeling agencies told her she wasn't thin enough.


Source.

I'm not sure about this woman's actual height, but 87-ish pounds on a grown woman? If that's what France is selling, I ain't buyin'.

Jessica Simpson & gang also discussed the French concept of life- "Joie de Vivre" : The Joy of Life, and how French women are assumed to be able to sip lattes and eat croissant all day while not gaining weight.


While this seems like an ideal lifestyle, it sounds too good to be true, and probably is.

A French model they eat with picked up a green (I'm assuming an asparagus?) and said, "THIS is the model's diet."


Source.

Don't I know it.

While I've (obvi) never been a model myself, I know chocolate croissants and full-fat lattes aren't going to give you that ribs-sticking-out-in-a-couture-way. Unfortunately.


If you want to see an awesome blog about real life in Paris from an American's eyes (and who wouldn't!) check out Hungry Yogini's blog. She's actually doing a giveaway right now, too.


Speaking of which- my giveaway- will be comprised of my favorite bars and shippable (is that a word?) goodies that I can send via-FedEx/UPS - I'll tell you this, it will include homemade granola from Original Pizza Palace, which is just about the greatest thing ever. Check out their menu here. Satchel's Pizza salad dressing may also be included;) Deets on how to enter below...


Back to the story- it seems like French women have this air of confidence, but are their realities trapped behind the same thoughts of croissant-eating guilt?

I might be going to an exotic local soon... I'll give you a hint- Alessandra Ambrosio, bikini waxes, acai berries... While my first thought should have been "WOW! What an amazing opportunity"- I sadly thought about what I'd look like. Must repel fat talk! I'll keep you posted more about that if I learn more.


Ya'll know what the V.S. models look like, no need for a picture of 'em- or a bikini wax, for that matter;)

Will the sad cycle of food = guilt ever end? I thought I was getting better, but something triggered and I've been down on myself lately.


Maybe you can help- in accordance (fanc-ay word;) with my giveaway, in order to enter...:


1. Please leave a comment about what makes you feel beautiful/how you make yourself feel beautiful on those days you aren't.

2. Tweet about this and attach me to the link- I'm exerciseandeat :)

Good Luck! I will be "closing" the giveaway at Friday at noon est.

Updated to add: the beautiful Jenny of Peanut Butter and Jenny is hosting a giveaway of her on- check her bloggie out and sign up!

What's Your Ideal Giveaway?

A gift from Exercise & Eat could be coming your way soon!

Source

I want to host a giveaway! What should I be giving away? So far I'm thinking bars everyone seems to love- Larabars, Clif, and some of my favorite healthy goodies- Newmans' Ginger O's, Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips, etc.... Goodies from Gainesville's local Mother Nature Market!

Let me know what you'd like me to give to you!

The giveaway decision will be up by Thursday night.

As for now, ask me anything!

Back to studying... here's something funny: My Computer Science book is "shaping [me] to become a future IT/Tech leader of tomorrow..." Umm, me!?! A future IT/Tech leader?? Crazy, crazy thought!!! Can't wait for Tuesday when these 3 exams are under my belt - there will be mass amounts of celebrating!

What would your ideal giveaway items be?

Bye, bye for the weekend!

G'day, bloggies and blogarinas! I've missed ya, but have more than likely been creeping ya on Twitter!

This is why I can't be a consistent blogger: I am a full-time, five class-taking UF student, have two jobs, an internship, and a social life when I can take it. I am so grateful for these opportunities, but sometimes I may have to put blogging on the backburner (at least til summer comes around- keith urbs, anyone?)

The above picture is the only one, cause I'm freakin' out about my exams - that's me bouncing up and down on the elliptical, trying to provide you with something that will make ya'll smile.

Hope you don't get motion sickness instead:)

Unfortunately, my delish lunchtime-dessert of Mochi (tart fro-yo) didn't make the camera cut, a.k.a I was so excited to eat it, I didn't take the extra 2.33 milliseconds of time to bust out my phone to take a picture. I got coconilla, mango and pineapple flavors and topped it with mochi, granola and mango. YUM:)

I will leave you with a link to my new fav jam: Katy Perry & Timbaland's "If We Ever Meet Again" - I feel like I can hear the emotion in their voices, and I love it... or maybe I just really connect to the words of the song: Enjoy!

What are ya'll up to this weekend? What keeps you guys busy, and how do you deal with the loads of stuff you have to do? Prioritize or drop responsibilities?

This is my favorite blog post to date.

Tonight, I primped myself up after work like I was going out to meet one of my celebrity boyfriends: Gerard Butler or Jude Law, you decide. (I'd take either;) In actuality, it was better.

I was going to meet Caitlin and hear her speak a mere 20-minute walk (which is awfully awkward in such a biznassy skirt in the rain) over to a side of campus I have never been to... where the business majors go! (Read: have to accomplish more than economics... which I have yet to take out of fear:)

The event was so big that a photographer and reporter from our local newspaper, the Alligator, came out to capture all the deets about Caitlin's Operation Beautiful speech, which was killer.

A Miami Hurricane made her way to Gator territory, and for good reason! She spoke about Operation Beautiful, and Shannon and I (and others!!) shared our stories about why we came, how fat talk and the media's perception of beauty, airbrushing/photoshopping and vanity sizing have affected how we view ourselves.

It was pretty powerful.

But I must admit, one of the hardest things for me was when Caitlin gave us a sheet that allowed us to list what we thought our best qualities are. It was especially hard to write down what I thought I do well, but I don't know why.

After the end of the event, I wish I could have written "being brave." I have sailed around the world, traveled and talked to so many people of different cultures, take risks with internships and jobs in Gainesville- which sometimes fail, try new exercises, work out in the "men's weight" section of the gym... heck, I was brave enough to stalk my way into UF!!

But most importantly, I was brave enough to share my story of struggle with feeling beautiful in front of my peers- shaky voice and all. Looking back, it might not have made that much sense to others, but it makes me proud that I was able to admit what I went through, and what so many women and girls go through.

My favorite inspirational message of the evening. Without hope, what do we have? I believe you have to have hope in everything to be successful- in the good in people, the work you are doing, in what you believe in. The power of positivity is undeniable!

And this is the beautiful Shannon of Tropical Eats. I actually knew her from Clearwater ... we actually used to work together! (Crazy!) We met up to watch Caitlin's amazing talk... and if you're going to be at the blogger meet up next week, we'll see you there!

My camera (iPhone) must have eaten the picture I took of the group alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, who held the event, that had Caitlin in it... oops!

Overall, it was an amazing event. I left feeling worth it, and I really want to thank Caitlin for coming to Gainesville to talk to us and for allowing me to feel good about myself, and to all of you bloggers who have done the same.

Question: What has blogging done for you? Has it given you the power to feel better with yourself, and worth it? Because you are!

It's All About the C's

Evenin', bloggies! The sun is still shining high in the sky (like a pie:) in Florida... but it's getting chill-ay out!

Where is the warm weather of these past couple days? Please, Mother Nature, don't let it disappear for too long.



I'm sipping on Celestial Seasonings Peppermint (um, it's still acceptable to have leftovers from Christmas, right?) in order to keep me warm. It's doing it's intended job... but not making me hungry for dinner.

Eats have been amazingly delicious but weird today, and included:

Almost all three of those! I had the Chocolate Chip AND the Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch flavors today. So delicious.

Oh Clif, how I love you. Chocolate Chip tasted like cookie dough. No joke. I may or may not have food-gasmed on my walk to the gym, where I busted out 50 min's on the ellipty reading about Snookie and the Sitch... And watched the guys who want to be the next Situation in their first rounds of GTL.

For those readers who don't know the infamous GTL slang, let me (and Chelsea Handler) break it down for ya: Gym, Tan, Laundry. Rough life.

*(Clif Source)* Awk positioning. Still getting the hang of this- why can't I cut and paste? Blogspot, don't you love me as much as I love you?

I'm also munching on some CCCCCalifornia raisins... Had to push that one, I know. Sprinkled over microwaved oats, because I'm lazy. Probably gonna add in or have a dessert scoop of PB coated in raisins... Does no one do that either?



Raisin Source ... BT dubs - How creeeeeeeeeps is this pic? Not lovin' it.


Gainesvillians: THIS MESSAGE IS FOR YOU. Tomorrow night (Wednesday, March 16), the one and only Caitlin from Healthy Tipping Point and Operation Beautiful will be speaking at the J. Wayne Reitz Union on UF's campus (it's off Museum Rd.) at seven p.m. Shannon from Tropical Eats and I are meeting up, if there are any of ya'll out there, you should come!


Tonight's Question- I'm new to the business/interning world, so let me check if this is fashionably approps (an area I seriously lack knowledge in) Is it acceptable to wear sneaks on your way to work, then change into flats/heels/clown shoes (if that fits the bill!)?? Sabrina talked and tweeted about this and it's still fresh in my mind! I wore my flats the other day and they TORE my footsies apart!


Let me know what ya think ;)

Lovin' the Retweet!

I am SO lovin' the comments and re-tweets (The beautiful ladies @ Fitnessista and Carrots 'N' Cake during the past two days have both retweeted me, I am soo psyched about it!) So I decided to give shoutouts and link to a couple people who comment on my posts. Here goes:

Tracey - Yes, I did move out of South Florida! After a lot of hard work and persistence (and stalking my college admissions advisor, I may or may not be joking) I got into UF! Where the hard work continues, but I love it!

One of my favorite pictures of an older part of campus, simply because of the beautiful sky:



And the more famous Century Tower hidden between the trees (and a mini history lesson to boot!):



And Eat, Sleep, Run Whenever: You said flog! So you get a shoutout because that I think that is such a great word, especially after all my time sailing, so this picture is for you, straight from the Pacific Ocean:


'Twas taken on a 22-day sail to Hawaii.

After working all through the weekend, it's back to the grind- spring break is over, I'm back interning (bet you can figure out where if ya keep reading posts, but I don't want to hint too much- anyone watch Kell on Earth?) - THAT episode really speaks to how powerful social media is! If you don't watch it, ya should: speaks to how crazy the fashion industry really is. I can't believe I used to want to do that!

In the spirit of new, non-food-taking pictures at this point, I'll tell you guys some more deets about me-self. I am NOT studying event planning, a crucial skill for People's Revolution... but I could one day go the event planning route. Maybe.

I am studying.... let me rephrase this... I am a double major (cause don't that just sound more impressive about my ed-u-ma-ca-shun?;) in Journalism major with a Computer and Information Science and Engineering and an Anthropology Minor and an outside concentration in Sociology (the last two came about from all of my school transfers- Class Afloat to FAU to Santa Fe to UF!

Whew! What can I say, I love to move... and learn! Guess you could say I'm a bit of a MegaNerd ;) But I really enjoy it and don't have to pull too many all-nighters... not til exam weekend at least!

Even though my studies are a mouthful (twss?), journalism is really where my heart is. I love the written word and its power to bring about emotion, truth, information and so much more. I used to think the changing technology (i.e. blogs, Twitter, etc... aka "citizen journalism") would ruin my career, but it has created so many new opportunities instead.

Guess it's true... When a door is closed, a window opens.

I'm really intrigued and engrossed in the power of social media, and would love to work in a field that allows me to use those outlets to promote a company or an idea. Just sayin' :)

I'll leave you in the words of the wonderful David Gray: "What will be, will be..."

Edited to Add: Check out Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun for a Celestial Seasonings Giveaway!

A Little Emotional...

In the blog world, it seems as though everyone posts about their daily eats and showcase pictures of their fab foodie presentations. I got intrigued with blogs like Healthy Tipping Point, Eat, Live, Run, and Carrots 'N' Cake enough to start my own (all the big dogs, right?:) but am not on solid ground about showcasing what I eat to the world just yet.

I know I definetly want to add that part of my life (and it's such a delicious one!) into E&E, but I'm not sure how.

Quite frankly, I'm worried about it. Why, you might ask?

Here goes:

When I was in my senior year of high school, I was at a mostly healthy weight. I say "mostly," because now I look back and see my past self as someone who wasn't a healthy eater and who rarely exercised.

I see a happy (and very tan) high school graduate who never thought of weight, food or exercise as something to obsess over in that picture.

The above image was taken in the bunk of my cabin aboard the S/V Concordia. I was accepted to be part of Class Afloat, a study abroad program that allowed me to sail the world on a beautiful barquentine from Vancouver to Poland over a ten-month period of time.

Those ten months were some of my hardest, longest and what I used to call the worst days of my life. I still remember the bad, but I look back on my time onboard with a smile ashe Concordia and Class Afloat and have made me such a better person.

However, during that time, my weight shot up about 15-20 pounds. What I admire most about myself (before becoming obsessed) was the fact that I never really stepped on a scale then. I knew gaining weight and muscle from sampling different cultures' foods and setting sails was just part of the game.



However, when I moved back to Florida, specifically, to a looks-obsessed city in South Florida, I became obsessed with losing the weight like never before. I really can't pinpoint one specific cause, but all of a sudden I was at the gym all. the. time. ... sometimes for hours every day, burning off every calorie I ate and more.



I had it down to a science, timed my class and work schedules around the gym (crazy, right?!?- scheduling school around the gym... I couldn't prioritize) and literally felt as if I couldn't function if I didn't do everything according to plan.



At one point, I weighed 109 pounds, which for me meant limiting what I ate to such a degree I don't know how I managed so much exercise, and cutting off my life to everything besides the gym and calorie burning. I still managed to do well in school, but I whittled my body down, undoubtedly having some negative health effects along the way.

To me, this picture represents a girl who limited herself and alienated herself from the world, all for the sake of the gym.

Luckily, my friends and family caught on and gave me a good ol' talkin to- they set me straight. I may not have the easiest of times with food now, but I am on so much better of a path- I focus more on school, travel, have a life, work, and intern.

Most importantly, I enjoy exercise for what it is and don't use a number system anymore.

I want to thank all of you lovely, wonderful (and sometimes manly:) bloggers for helping me realize that life isn't a competition to be a size 00, living off of diet soda and raw vegetables alone. I love food again, and don't feel guilty about allowing myself healthy portions and junk, in moderation;)

Ya'll have already made such an impact on my life in such good ways, and I hope to stay around the blogosphere and and share some more about myself in the future... And to learn more about you, too!

Hi, my name is...

Hi, my name is Jenny, and I have a photo-taking problem. (I hear echoes of "Hello, Jenny" in my head... uh oh:)

Mainly, the fact that there is a lackthereof - of photos of my eats. I like to blame this on the fact that I choose delish eats that I so look forward to, I forget to snap a photo of.

I am working to get better at this, and hopefully will in due time, because I want to blog about food, exercise and health, and photos make for more interesting posts.

For now, most of my snapshots are courtesy my iPhone... want to know how Khloe Kardashian helped Steve Jobs recently? (Parental discretion advised.)


I see an Apple advertisement in her future :)


Maybe that apple isn't going to pay the big bucks, but it has a lot of other benefits!

Back to my lack of photo taking skills... Case in point: This morning's cinnamon raisin (from a packet, don't hate me!) oatmeal. Garnished with cinnamon and a tad more raisins.

So good, I just couldn't resist... YUM-O! (Thanks, RR, for the catchy phrase!)

She has such a pretty smile, don't you think? Who is your favorite Food Network chef/cook/celeb and how come? Mine would have to be the one and only, Bobby Flay. Our shared love for Southwestern cuisine means we're destined to be together one day... right? Check out how cute he is here:)


One can dream.

Pizza Palace Thoughts

Tonight at work (at the pizzeria, i.e. my post title), I was debating- as a waitress, I run around quite a bit: back and forth through the tables, up and down stairs, in and out of the kitchen. Most likely, I'm carrying a plate or two of pasta or an extra-large pizza with all the fancy toppings while this running about is going on.



These factors, along with watching most of the wait staff hungrily eat their pizza of choice (courtesy of the restaurant after hours of working) got me wondering: at the end of the day, when all exercise and calories consumed is said and done, what really matters more: exercise or food consumed?


I'm sure you and I have heard O.C. housewife rumors (on the reunion special, Alexis - who is a food expert, right?:) - claimed it to be 60% food intake, 40% sweating, read Time magazine articles, and wondering about the subject itself.


Which is why I turn to you, dear bloggies and food experts alike, what is your opinion on the subject matter? Would I be "ruining" all of my work exercise by indulging in a hot, cheesy slice at the end of a shift?

As a side note- this might be a gray area in terms subject matter, and I'm sorry if it offends anyone. I'm just curious about opinions/expertise if it's out there in blog land.

The Great VS Debate

Today, I read one of the best blog "conversations" (via comments, of course) on Fitnessista's blog about the new Victoria's Secret "I Love My Body" commercial.

Do you think these women love their bodies? Or is the commercial promoting an even more impossible standard of beauty than it previously has?

Personally, I'm looking forward to the next Dove Campaign for Real Beauty- I'd love to see a model whose ribcage and hipbones aren't exposed, because quite frankly, it makes me second-guess myself and whether I need to cut back on how I fuel my body and push myself harder physically, and who really needs more than the daily dose of what we're currently fed by the media?

On a similar note, I can't wait for Jessica Simpson's new show about what beauty means to different cultures around the world- I think it will give me some much-needed perspective on this post.

What did the Victoria's Secret commercial mean to you?

Edited to add: A great way to start your weekends: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mxqhiInZtvs&feature=related such an awesome song! Great for a workout!

Help Save the Lives of Premature Babies!

I'm walking for healthy babies!

As part of my internship with the March of Dimes, I'm participating in the March for Babies walk and am looking to help raise donations to be put toward the organization.

Your potential gift would fund March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives.

It will also be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.

I understand that it is a hard time financially for everyone, but think of all the good even a small donation could do!

To help, please visit www.marchforbabies.org/jdemart1

Thank you for your support!

Devoured in 60 Seconds

Busy, busy day!

I got a job after what felt like I put out an application at every. single. place. in town. And am so thankful that finally someone bit back! I must admit, I'm not a fan of technology when it comes to applications. Store surveys are completely impersonal, and I was hired somewhere I was actually allowed to have a conversation with a manager, not with a computer screen.

Another item to add to the pro/con technology list I suppose...

Easy workout- watching TV on the treadmill... Real Housewives, I'm a little ashamed I admit that!

Made and devoured this caesar salad in about 10 minutes... Most of that was prep time. Twas delicious!

Problem is- I'm still hungry- this beast had protein, carbs and fats- Anyone know why this is possible??

I'm off! Applying for internships that may possibly turn into jobs... I want to say the name, but at the same time I think social media is really bad for that- anyone see the episode of Kell on Earth when the new employee gets fired 20 minutes later for tweeting about People's Revolution??

A con for technology, for sure.

I'll also be applying for a teacher's certification, sending in transcripts, and have another busy day tomorrow- who else wishes offices like the DMV and such were open 24 hours a day? Along with hair salons... it's been since... I can't remember... since the last time I got it cut- and it is mucho needed.

Have a lovely night bloggies!