Even Small Celebrations Deserve a Dance!

I am just so beyond excited! Relieved! Relaxed! Yippy Skip!

Earlier today, I submitted my final paper of the semester. I take one more test on Thursdsay—and then I am packing up any reminder of school for 5 full weeks! That may not seem like a big deal, but we have seriously been going to school since last September, with only a few short breaks. It also means I have survived one year of my doctoral studies! It definitely hasn't been an easy year---especially uneasy on my butt and now obvious muffin top. More on that to follow. But for now, I promised myself a Happy Dance…because even small celebrations deserve one!
(The only way this Happy Dance might be better is if I had an orange jumpsuit like that. It would look really hot stretched over my OMT*...but again, more on the ol' OMT to follow!)

One year of 3 doesn't seem like a big feat, but I try not to think of it like that and work on one day at a time. The minute I realize I have 2 more years of hell pure bliss ahead of me, I want to crawl in a dark cave as far away from my computer, books, and the University of Minnesota as possible! So for now, I am reveling in this small victory and I am going to live it wisely. Of course, I will still be working 3 days/week, but I have already let my coworkers know that I am not interested in picking up hours. I love my job…I just love days off more!

One year ago, I was a gym faithful. 4-5 nights a week, after Emersyn went to bed, I would go to the gym for 1 – 1 ½ hours, often not getting home until 10:30 or so. I often times hated it, but I did it because it made me feel better. Since going back to school, workouts have become essentially nill.

And my butt and muffin top can prove that. UGH! I feel so disgusting and lazy and it is time to turn that around. I am going to admit it now—I have gained 10 pounds this past year. 10! Is that not ridiculous?

Tomorrow is going to be the start of new routines for this OMT (oversized muffin top). I am going to post progress every Monday. I'm calling this "Stop the Muffin Top Monday!" I find I do much better when Iam held accountable for eating entire boxes of Oreos and bowls of Buffalo Chicken Dip! If you'd like to join me, please let me know…maybe we can have some fun with this!

Does anyone have any really great workout videos/routines they recommend? I like Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred. It kicks yo' butt! But with consistency, it pays off. . I also like to go on the treadmill over my lunch hour at work (when I don't have meetings to run to!) I need to find a new normal, and that cannot involve 1.5 hour trips to the gym each night…because once school starts again in September, I will fall right back out of routine in exchange for homework. If you have a great workout video or other routine that you like, please let me know. OMT* needs all the help it can get!

HAPPY MONDAY! I think I just might be Happy Dancing my way on through this Monday. Take that, OMT!

* OMT = Oversized Muffin Top