Owning It

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Three pieces of “news” for you:

1) I finished a Costco-sized jar of peanut butter [almost] all by myself in less than a month.

finished it off with some [cooled] microwave oats

2) I’m currently eating with chopsticks in the dining hall because Asians are not really a minority at BU, and this dining hall has responded to that.

3) THIS Buzzfeed post about socially awkward introverts hits home like no other.

Do you think trying and crying rhyme because of me?

Now, if you know me in person, you might not immediately call me an introvert. I love talking to people and I even enjoy public speaking. That being said, it takes a great deal of energy for me to be social, and I’m usually quite content eating a meal by myself. (Not just because I was temporarily mortified after last year’s salad explosion.)

In addition to liking my “me time,” my introverted-ness is evident in my straight up AWKWARDNESS around people.

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Sometimes, making good eye contact while talking with someone one-on-one is harder than looking into the sun.

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When I contribute to a group conversation, I often doubt myself and make my voice progressively quieter and more high-pitched. And then I laugh like a teenage witch.

[source]

Sometimes I’m tempted to give up on saying hi to people in large groups.

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Keeping up with conversation without falling into boring small talk can result in me making many sentences and gestures that make no sense at all.

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But I’ve realized a few things:

a) If I let the awkward things come and go and pretend that I don’t feel my soul isn’t shriveling into itself, the awkwardness usually subsides more quickly.

b) The only way people can laugh WITH you is if you laugh at yourself.

c) Confidence really is the best thing you can wear.

d) Nobody cares that much about what I do or say. No one judges me harder than I judge myself.

e) I’m not alone in all this.

[source]

So that time I nearly smash my butt slipping down the stairs behind a girl I don’t know…

…or that time I didn’t know what to say at the end of a group prayer except, “and… thank you.”…

…or those multiple times when my brain and mouth do not collaborate properly, and. I. just. talklikethisbecausemywords.don’t.work…

…I’m just gonna own it.

In other news, I’m going to the gynecologist again early this morning. I think we’ll be going over test results from last week and possibly doing some other tests. Thank you all again for your support and prayers!

And here are some eats from this week. I’ve been more a three square meals kinda gal lately with class scheduling and such. Therefore, each meal is pretty epic.

oatmeal with honey, cinnamon, banana, and peanut butter + eggs and turkey bacon

salad with feta and honey mustard dressing + chicken and rice

salad with tuna and couscous + chicken and sweet potatoes

fish cake with corn + salad + turkey burger with feta

vegan pumpkin bread a la mode

Yo gurl can EAT.

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend ahead!

So tell me:

Any awkward antics?

Any recent embarrassing stories you’re willing to share?

What is the best thing you ate this week? Definitely the pumpkin bread a la mode for me!

The Great and Small Things I Learned {Freshman Semester II}

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

First semester of my freshman year in college came and went…

…second semester came and went…

…and that’s it. But what the heck!? How?

When I was leaving my dorm room for the last time on Friday, I ran into a guy who was in my group from FYSOP— the outreach program I did for my very first week at Boston University. We would say hi to each other on the streets or in the halls throughout the year whenever we saw each other, but this time, we were saying bye because we’re done with freshman year. I felt like we just met at FYSOP.

I guess that anecdote just sums up how weird it feels to be done with freshman year. But just as I learned a lot from my first semester, I learned plenty of great and small things from my second semester.

The Great and Small Things I Learned This Semester II

1. I am the slowest paper writer ever. It takes me an hour per page, at least.

2. People will judge me for my eating choices, but “you do you, I do me, we be civil.” (<— quoting my friend Charli)Like when I whip out my jar of pb and bring an overly brown banana to the dining hall

3. This.

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4. So many women and men who are close to you struggle with eating disorders. Be kind and gentle, and make resources known.

5. Anatomy and organic chemistry (as basic as those classes were in the grand scheme of things) taught me that the human body is ridiculously beautiful. God is quite the Architect.

6. That being said, anatomy and chem lab suck the life out of me.

7. How to ask other people to go on {friendly} lunch/dinner dates, as opposed to waiting to be asked.

8. Boston doesn’t play around when it comes to winter (*cough* 109 inches of snow).

9. Sometimes it’s worth hanging out with your friends for just a leeeeetle bit longer before digging into the books.

10. There is always time for prayer.

11. Just when I thought I couldn’t have a better roommate, she proves me wrong.

12. I often need to remind myself to step out of my comfort zone.

13. When finals come around and I need to be the most focused, I don’t want to do ANYTHING AT ALL and then motivating myself to study is like climbing Mt. Everest.

14. A little extra friendliness with the faculty and staff will truly make the campus a better place.

15. A little extra friendliness with anyone will truly make the world a better place.

16. Always check your meal plan balance— you never know when you’ll find an extra $185 of dining points in your account.

17. Music is a big part of my stress relief.

18. I miss dance and yoga.

19. I actually do like bacon.

20. How to be kinder and gentler, thanks to my very kind and gentle friends.

21. I have discovered the fun and motivation of a workout buddy.

22. Boston University food is better than Northeastern University food. Confirmed by the bro.

24. I’ll run, but only when I really feel like it.

25. Rachel and I can live for a week+ together without getting totally annoyed with each other 😉

26. The Boston Marathon energy is unreal and so inspiring!

27. Make sure to check footwear before walking out the door.

28. It’s okay to miss more workouts than usual.

29. I am not as punctual as I thought I was. #whoops

30. I curse more than I used to. #OhSh—Crap

31. How to take myself less seriously.

32. How to constantly strive for improvement with God’s help.

33. I have a family away from home, and it’s still growing!

34. I’m a better person coming out of my freshman year of college, thanks to said family.

35. Bitter goodbyes will just make for the sweetest hellos.

A special thank you goes out to my real family (Madre, Pop, and Ben) for being supportive and loving throughout my whole college experience. I literally could not do this without you!

I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday!

So tell me:

Three things you’ve learned in 2015 so far (or from college this year).

One thing you can continue to improve in yourself.

Virtual Breakfast Date {Finals Week}

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Let’s have breakfast this morning, yes?

I don’t have a photo of my actual breakfast that I’m eating this morning (the photo below is what I ate last Wednesday), but it involves the basics— carbs, peanut butter, banana, and eggs.

And Wednesdays are bacon days in the dining hall 🙂

…I would tell you that my brain was battered, deep fried and salted yesterday. Okay that is entirely too dramatic, but what I’m saying is that my organic chem and anatomy finals left my brain a little burnt.

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As I was taking my chem final especially, I felt like I was getting sicker. It might have just been allergies, but in my mind, my stress levels were increasing and my immune system was failing me.

…I would tell you that a song called Pikachu came up on iTunes radio the other day, and it was terrible. BUT Pikachu is my childhood, so I appreciated it.

…I would tell you that it finally feels like summer in Boston. I even ate dinner outside in shorts and a T-shirt last night!

…I would tell you that the summer weather screams for ice cream.

the president of BU hosted free ice cream hours on Monday, holla

free ice cream at admissions ambassador party

Free ice cream tastes ~that~ much better.

…I would tell you that the dining hall has had some hits recently. Sweet potato and avocado in the same week, heck yes.

…I would tell you about something that upset me yesterday. At the outdoor workout pad that I often go to, a guy came over with his friends, and he started doing pull-ups…while smoking a cigarette. It didn’t bother me so much that he was smoking, but it bothered me that he was smoking around several people who were working out and obviously respirating a lot. Cigarette smoke isn’t really the breath of fresh air most of us want when we’re huffing and puffing.

….I would tell you that my college friends are starting to say goodbye for the summer and it’s breaking my heart into pieces. However, I’m certainly looking forward to seeing my friends and family back in New York!

…I would tell you that my friend is playing Backstreet Boys right now and I’m JAMMING OUT.

[source]

“I want it that wayyyyy.”

Thanks so much for letting me chat your ears off. I hope you have a lovely rest of your day! I have some errands to run and studying to do for my last final on Friday. Catch ya later!

So tell me:

What are you eating for breakfast?

If we were having breakfast together, you would tell me…

Quick— tell me a classic throwback song!

There’s More To Life Than…

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

Wowza.

It has been a whirlwind of a weekend and week so far! Actually, it may seem clear from my lack of posts that these past few weeks as a whole have been a hurricane, tornado, and earthquake. All at the same time.

Boo hoo, Alison. Welcome to this thing we call life.

I know, I know.

But there is still so much joy! It is true that I have had less time to do things like sleep, work out, blog, etc. Don’t worry— I am making sure to be kind to my body as best as I can. However, with the end of Lent and the glorious start of Easter amidst all the craziness, I have learned that there is so much more to life than worrying about every last health detail.

In the past, the stress of missing a workout, eating something unhealthy in a pinch, or losing an hour (or two) of sleep would have added to the pre-existing stress of homework, activities, appointments and exams. Today, I realize that striving to be the picture of health can actually work against me during busy times. I realize that…

…there’s more to life than worrying about all the cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and cheese in your Easter brunch.

Ham, potato casserole, broccoli and cheddar rice casserole, and fruit salad made by some great people at the Catholic Center!

…there’s more to life than sugar guilt.

coffee cake + baby cinnamon roll

white chocolate and chocolate chip cookie + vanilla ice cream + strawberries, courtesy of the faculty member living on our floor

…there’s more to life than staying in to study when you can be singing in choir and celebrating with friends on Easter Sunday.

ladies in dresses and gents in bowties ♥

…there’s more to life than worrying about the partially hydrogenated oils in dining hall peanut butter, because some peanut butter is better than none.

…there’s more to life than going to the gym. Bodyweight workouts and rest days are just what need to happen when there’s so much going on.

I was initially bothered by the fact that my “healthy living blogger” self has taken a back seat recently, but when life gets hectic like this, I am humbled and reminded that bodily health is just one piece of the puzzle. Yes, we are temples of the Holy Spirit and should thus care for our physical health, but it’s not everything. Likewise, academics are definitely important, but they’re also not everything. Emotional and spiritual health need not be forgotten when we’re working our little hearts out.

You’re all busy bees as well, I’m sure of it. Make sure you do something that makes you smile today and every day. You might have expected it, but my advice would be to pray, eat, move, and groove. 🙂

So tell me:

What did you eat for Easter or Passover or just Sunday night?

There’s more to life than_________.

Why Did I Eat It?

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves

HEY I’m blogging in the middle of a school week! That doesn’t happen very often these days, huh?

I’m even joining in on the What I Ate Wednesday fun for the first time in a few weeks!

Today I’m showing you what I ate on Monday, a regular ol’ day in college. But I also wanted to share the reasons why I ate what I ate.

{My roommate just read that to herself and mocked me: “And this is why I added a pinch of salt. And this is why I had three scoops of oatmeal instead of two! And this is why I had 27 scoops of peanut butter instead of 24.” So this is how I am perceived in the world.}

I said it in my NEDA week post, but I’ll say it again: it can be difficult to not analyze food to some extent, even after recovering from an eating disorder. However, my mindset towards food has shifted from focusing on restriction and calories to focusing on nutrients, fuel, and happiness.

Sometimes I choose to eat certain foods to make sure I am getting enough macros, nutrients, etc. Other times, I choose to eat foods because I’m in a rush. Still other times, I choose to eat foods because they just taste good.

So here are Monday’s eats and the answers to the question: Why did I eat it?

Breakfast

-Two egg scramble with all the veggies in the land // For protein, fiber, and nutrients + staying power for three straight hours of classes.

-Whole wheat apple pancake with peanut butter and banana on top // For whole grains, fruit, delicious taste, healthy fats and just…peanut butter.

-Glass o’ milk // To wash down the pancake with peanut butter and for calcium.

Lunch

–Grilled chicken // For protein, and it was spiced well.

-Salad with spinach, tomatoes, carrots, sautéed veggies, whole wheat pasta salad, and honey dijon dressing // For yet more veggie power, carbs, something to eat with the chicken, and taste (man this was delicious!).

-Apple // To keep the doctor away 😉 And because I like to end on a sweet note.

Snacks

-Wheat Thins // Because they’re a convenient snack that I have in my dorm and I love them.

-Bare apple chips + a couple spoonfuls of almond butter // For energy to study, fiber, healthy fats, and protein. This is also one of my favorite snacks at the moment, but now I’m out of apple chips. 😦

-Another spoonful of almond butter // I was still hungry and I knew I would not be eating dinner in another three hours.

[I played intramural softball with some people from the Catholic Center, which was freezing, fun, and humorous all at the same time. I strongly despise softball/baseball, so this was truly one for the team. But it was low-key, so I’d do it again!]

My thoughts: “But I can barely catch with my good hand.”

Dinner

-Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, and gravy // Because I will eat any sort of meatloaf (okay, maybe not). Also for protein, carbs, veggies, and comfort (a good meal for thawing out from the cold outdoors).

Dessert(s)

-Apple and raisin compote + peach cobbler ice cream // I wanted dessert.

There’s a little more explanation for this one. I grabbed the apple raisin compote in hopes to have it a la mode with vanilla ice cream, but there was no vanilla ice cream when I went to go get some. Thus, I tried this peach cobbler ice cream, but it was kinda gross to me, so I didn’t really eat it. I finished most of the apple raisin thing though.

-Strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream // Because our faculty in residence baked it from scratch, so how could I say no? I also justified that I didn’t have much of my dessert at the dining hall, so…

It was worth the Monday night sugar overload.

Looking back at my day of eats, it looks like I ate quite a lot. But as I was going about my day on Monday, this was the amount my body needed (and wanted when it came to the desserts). Even though I seek to get enough vegetables, whole grains, nutrients, etc., I am fortunate to say that I also truly enjoy the healthy foods I eat. Then I might have some (or a lot of) sugar because it’s also tasty and nourishing to my soul.

Mindful eating used to be my whole life, but with time, mindful eating has become a useful tool— an optional tool at times.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

So tell me:

Do you consider yourself a “mindful eater”?

What is a sweet treat that you’ve eaten recently?

Do you like softball or baseball?

Daily Moves and Grooves

pray. eat. move. groove.

Tag Archives: dining hall food

Owning It

The Great and Small Things I Learned {Freshman Semester II}

The Great and Small Things I Learned This Semester II

Virtual Breakfast Date {Finals Week}

There’s More To Life Than…