Special Period

For those of you who are Cuban, you are probably aware of a period of our history called the Special Period. The Special Period lasted approx. from 1991 to 1997. During this period, the USSR collapsed and the COMECON fell apart as well. The COMECON was a sort of rival to the EU, but for socialist nations, involving Cuba, Vietnam and Eastern Europe. As all the economies came crashing down, so did Cuba's. Whereas starvation was prevented, there was a radical shift from a meat and root crops diet to one of cereals and cereal-derived products (including the infamous cerelá) and scarce canned products, including the carne rusa.

Keeping in the tradition of blaming everything negative on the Russians (anything foreign in Cuba is automically associated with Russia.... Lolek y Bolek, for example), the 'russian meat' was a type of pork beef with no spices covered in pork fat.

This is what I've come to. Canned tuna and canned meats. I am too broke, and it looks like it'll stay that way for a while....

Some advice

Today [45minutes ago], I decided to go shoot some hoops and then go for a swim. Bad idea. As it turns out, the weather was in the mid 50s. 

I got out of the pool freezing.... I am still freezing, and dizzy.

Don't even feel like finishing this post.....

lesson learned: only swim in 70+ weather.

The Friday night line-up

Since I essentially have no life to speak of and few non-alcoholic friends, this is what my Friday night will consist of:

Step 1: 5:10 catch the bus home
Step 2: 5:40 clean my room/bathroom [one of the two]
Step 3: 7:00 running!
Step 4: 8:00 dinner. I am thinking a steak with maybe a steamed veggie medley?
Step 5: 9:00 massive homework
step 6: 11:00 get some sleep at last.

Let's see how much I deviate from this amazing plan for tonight. Hopefully not so much. As long as the running part of the plan stays intact it should be fine. Correct? YES.

On a more positive note, my movie collection has expanded to close to 15, and I'm pretty excited about my DVD shopping-spree come Black Friday. I've also found a recipe called Cerveza Preparada in Men's health. Hint: it includes Presidente. If you are not familiar with the work of the Presidente company, you should slit your wrists and apologize eternally. I don't drink beer, but when I do, it has to be 1)Heineken, 2)Corona, or 3)Presidente.

I shall try the cocktail at some point in the future.

And now I must go study, yet again....

News from home

Hey kids!

I greet you on this chilly November night with GREAT news. My grandma, who I have not seen in three years or so, will come visit us this coming year! My mother is VERY excited. On a more negative note, with work and school, the gym has fallen by the sidelines, but [partly] on Margarita's recommendation, I am taking up running. It's sort of fun, and with music blasting in my ears, sort of entertaining.

We shall see how this goes. Weight is still the same as the last post [however, I AM glad that it's down from what it was summer]. I must now leave you, as I need to read about the wonderful world of Niger-Congo language [much sarcasm intended].

Pray that I stick with this!! :D

at last!

Hey kids!

I am at last at my pre-accident weight. It is amazing how two weeks of uncontrolled eating and lack of exercise can easily reverse 2-3 months of hard work. Even if I am in a comma, never will this happen again.

I have EXCITING NEWS! I am in the process of getting a personal trainer through the school. So I get to have someone push me beyond the limit 2-3 times a week. This should be very, very, very awesome. Now that it's getting colder, it will be a perfect time to start running, since the temperature never goes above 85 nor below 60 for the next three weeks.

I have also PAINTED MY ROOM! The back wall is a sort of gray-ish blue. It's very dark, but pretty awesome. It adds more color to the room.... pretty obvious, huh? I've also gotten a new desk, which is not so exciting.

I look forward to sweating my ass off today.

Total loss thus far: 28 [look at the earlier post-- that was what I reached before the accident].

New goal: -30 in 7 days. Fingers crossed.

I'd love for nothing more than to get to -40 by Thanksgiving. From 335 to 295 would definitely be an achievement. Even better would be -50 by Christmas.

This is the ideal list:
10/21 = -29 [today]
11/19 = -40 [thanksgiving]
12/25 = -50 [xmas]

The goal is 50. Actually, that is a lie, the goal is truly 100, but that sounds impossible, so I will stick with the more achievable 50.

Here is a list of things I want to do, so that I feel motivated at all times:
-learn to cook French food
-become an even more active gym-goer
-develop organizational skills
-start riding my bike again
-try to get 7 hours of sleep every night
-eat more fruits!

Learning the lessons of life.

Know your limits, and you should be fine. This is how I am learning to be a better person:

Yesterday, I made Mac 'n Cheese. Whereas I would normally would have made (and eaten) a small box, yesterday I made about 1/2 the box. I was utterly shocked when I realized I was JUST as full and saved almost 400 calories.... which is about 80% of what I sweat at the gym an hour later. Kudos to me, right?

A similar situation happened today.... twenty minutes ago. I love subs. And sandwiches. And any combination of bread and meat. So, while ordering lunch (Turkey Reuben sandwich), the following conversation ensued:

Cashier: 8'' or 12''?

Me: Umm... eh... 8''.

Cashier: Chips and a drink?

Me: Just the drink.

Soda machine: C'mon! You know you want some Sierra Mist!

Me: Nope. Diet pepsi it is.

Needless to say, I am stuffed, having consumed 2/3 of a sandwhich I normally would (8'' instead of 12''), and no chips. This was a good decision. Hopefully many more will follow. Now I must look forward to more classes, the gym, homework, cleaning, decorating, and ABC comedy line-up. Acupuncture tomorrow. Happy wednesday!

ps: blood pressure = 120/80 [ideal], and cholesterol = 117 [<200>

Done it again....

As I walk into Starbucks this morning at 5:30 am [no joke], I see what will change my life: Starbucks Via. Pour this deliciousness into some hot or iced water, and you've got Starbucks coffee, for about seventy cents a serving. Now, if I won the lottery and UF decided to lift parking restrictions, my life would be complete. Since this won't happen, I must just HOPE it will.

With Starbucks Via, not only will I save money, but I will avoid waiting in line with 20 other coffeeholic caffeinated college students. Three cheers for sweet coffee. Is there anything better than this? Yes, café con leche, but that's not possible every morning in this little town of ours!

Things are looking up, kids! Sleepless and overly tired, but looking up! 

Feeling too tired to look at the screen, with more studying to do and with a drive to the gym ahead of me, I leave you with this: if you've seen the movie Julie & Julia as I guiltlessly [word or not? up to you] have, you will understand my frustration when I ask: where are my readers??

Untitled....or not.

Hey kids!

Today was an eventful day! I returned to the gym after 3 weeks of inactivity, during which time my weight increased by 11 lbs. In one of those 'now-or-never' situations, I decided to make a left turn and park across the gym. How relieved I am! I loved getting on that machine and sweating my ass off, as well as laughing at the ridiculous testosterone levels present in a locker room. Men should not be checking themselves out in front of mirror when there's half-naked men standing next to them.

What is the meaning of this? Evidently no one cares about your pecks or 6 packs [or lack thereof], unless, of course they are gay. And since 10% of the world is gay, there was probably 1 person there that was gay. But anyway, I find it surprisingly hilarious....

This is a list of my favorite hilarious gym occurrences:

1. Men who check themselves out. Why it's wrong: I understand you want to be happy for what you've achieved, but you're not a chick.

2. 50-something-year-old men undressing in a locker room. Why it's wrong: it's VERY disturbing. I hope my eyes never experience something so disturbing again.

3. Girls who wait. Why it's wrong: you go to the gym to work out... but these girls wait about 30 minutes to get a receipt, so that in another 30 minutes they may start a class. Meanwhile, they SIT reading magazines until their pilates/yoga/salsa class starts. It is odd. At least walk!

4. Getting rid of yoga mats. Why it's wrong: everyone is allowed to use the same equipment, sit in the same benches half-naked, and shower in the same places, but they must bring their own yoga mats to prevent diseases? Give me a break! It's some serious b.s.

5. Finally, perspiration's consequences! Why it's wrong: going to the gym means you will SWEAT a lot, but that doesn't mean you can't wear deodorant. Please, just do it. Please.

Just some things that should be taken into consideration.

Hello kids!

First of all, this is why I have not written:

-moving sucked
-worked a lot
-college sucks!!

Now, off to the good news. I am now at 307 [!!!!] and very happy. School and work are a bad combination, especially when you combine it with being broke and sleepy all the time. I shall do my best to get used to the new circumstances and hit the gym more often.

[the goal for this round is 305 lbs a few days from now..... :D]

Designer Greens

Hey kids!

All's well. I've been keeping up with the gym and started incorporating more veggies into my horrible eating habits. I'm back on Krishna food [essentially brown rice, veggies and some form of legume], and also obsessed with this somewhat new restaurant called Designer Greens., though tostones and croquetas will not be gone for a while, as the Cuban in me shall always exist.

http://www.designergreens.net/

I'm surprised I haven't skipped the gym yet :), and I'm also surprised motivators have not ceased their enthusiastic ...well, motivating. Keep up the good work and I shall!

To those of you who are unfortunate enough to live in this town....check out designer greens. It's awesome and relatively cheap. A 4.99 'half-salad' gives you more veggies than Krishna, although far less protein. It's awesome.

I bid you adieu for now, with this somewhat corny but still inspirational quote:

“If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or Fight Like Hell.”
-Lance Armstrong