Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Math Dreams

Ok so get this ... after work last night my new boss wanted to have a call to discuss a few things around 4:30 which gave me 30 minutes of free time between getting off work and the call.  So I started to do practice math problems to prep for my new math class that started yesterday ... advanced algebra.  I actually logged in to look at the calendar during my lunch break and was so overwhelmed and terrified of the class that I started to cry and couldn't stop until I went back to work and got my mind off of it.  But whenever I have a complete emotional breakdown over something like that it always ends up turning into determination.  First I freak out and cry, then I calm down, then an hour or so later I have this increased determination to kick ass and prove that I can do anything that I set my mind to ... such was my state of mind when I started the practice work last night.

By 5:30 my boss still hadn't called me so I called him, got that out of the way, Snackers and I went to dinner because it was too late for me to try to cook anything by the time I got off the phone, and then when we got home I went back to doing math while my food settled.  When Dancing With the Stars came on I put the math away and stretched and when it was over I went right back to working on math problems.  I'm starting to get the hang of the newest topic, polynomials, and apparently I'm getting so good at them that I can do them in my sleep ... literally.  All night long I had dreams about solving math problems and from what I can remember, they were pretty accurate, realistic dreams with actual problems in them and I was working them.  That's a good sign right?  Eventually I am going to have to have enough confidence in math that I can take the time to study for my geology class though.  I'm really excited about geology!

I am feeling Sunday's workout in my angel wings and calves today.  Seriously ... any of you in software development ... someone needs to invent a UFC training/motion game.  Put it on the to-do list.

p.s. I have a new snack.  So a package of shelled sunflower seeds averages around 165 - 180 calories PER OUNCE!  Holy cow batman!  BUT ... Spitz (brand name) makes a huge variety of different flavors of sunflower seeds still in their shell.  1 average sized bag is 6 oz of seeds still in the shell and each bag is 3 servings which makes for approx. 2 oz of seeds in their shells, per serving.  So if you take a pinch of seeds and place them in your mouth, then sort them out one by one with your tongue to crack and eat them you can spend LITERALLY HOURS eating just 2 oz of seeds.  (Note: bag size is oz in weight not liquid oz so if you're really worried about serving size get some plastic baggies and divide the original bag into 3 - or even 6 - equal portions.)  Purpose?  Many! 
  1. Curing the "munchies"
  2. Keeping your mouth entertained: if you're not good at it at first, like me, it becomes a challenge ... almost a kind of game.
  3. Providing flavor but way healthier than sucking on hard candy (I went with pickle flavored)
  4. Increased desire to drink water
  5. You ~feel~ like you're eating all day but you're really not
  6. Stress-relieving (no really, it is!)
  7. I would dare say that the effort that goes into shelling and separating a single seed with your tongue probably burns more calories than you consume by actually eating the seed when you're done
  8. Ladies: (This is my favorite reason) It gives us a perfectly good excuse to spit without shame!  
  9. Probably a decent tool for smokers who are trying to quit
  10. GREAT FOR SOFTBALL!


Food:
8 glasses of water
1 cup of coffee w/creamer
1 serving sunflower seeds
1 serving pickles and peanut butter
1 Healthy Choice lunch
2 servings coffee steak (no side)
-----------------------------------------
Daily Caloric Intake: 1,135



Activity:
Wii Boxing: 30 minutes
Wii Yoga: 30 minutes

6 comments:

  1. Hmmm... I'll have to try the sunflower thing... lately I have refound my love for pistachios but of course those are much bigger and you can eat a whole lot more with a whole lot less effort. I've been overeating them. :)

    Next time I'm at the store I'll pick me up some sunflower seeds and try them; they always annoyed me at how much effort they took, but maybe now I see that that's a good thing!

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  2. Yeah I keep wanting to buy pistachios when we go to the store but honestly, unless you have a costco card, which we don't, anywhere else they are just so expensive ... and cracking them always hurt my fingers.

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  3. That is so funny about the math dream! I, too, stressed out over having to take an advanced algebra course about a year ago; however, the class seemed to grow on me and I enjoyed it. Well, everything except logarithms...just wait. I thought I may even get a minor in math until taking statistics; won't happen. Good luck to you!

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  4. I used to love eating sunflower seeds in the shell. They do wonders for keeping you from wanting to overeat. I can't have them now 'cause of the salt but every time I pass by them at the store I'm soooo tempted to buy them. The salt also helps get rid of cravings for sweets. At least it did for me.

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  5. Erin: I wouldn't say it's growing on me but I did get at 97.9% on my first test of the class today!

    Laryssa: I googled sunflower seeds without salt and found this: http://www.nutsonline.com/snacks/sunflowerseeds/roasted-intheshell.html Thought you might be interested

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  6. Sometimes if I NEED a snack I measure out a serving of seeds in the shell and sit down and eat them. I eat them one at a time, that way I am not getting all the salt, since I never add salt to anything it seems that it really bloats me, not to mention that my mouth gets sore if I hold them in my mouth like I did when I was a kid. Eating them one at a time also curbs the part of needing a snack that is 'hand to mouth'.
    You are right, however you eat them, they are a good snack that takes some time to eat, and they actually have signigicant health benefits.

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