Last night, I made a spur of the moment decision. Well, the final click was spur of the moment, but it’s actually something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time.
I signed up for a Fitness Instructor class that will prepare me to take the ACE personal trainer exam! It starts tomorrow [see why it was spur of the moment?].
This is definitely one of those follow your heart situations.
Fitness takes up a huge space in my heart and I really want to share that love with others. Through my blog, I share my passion for healthy living and I’m ready to extend that beyond the web.
These thoughts were finalized when I was “training” my sister at the gym last week. She’s a fitness newbie and I thoroughly enjoyed showing her the ropes at the gym. I also thoroughly enjoying kicking her ass.
The day after our gym session, she called to tell me that she literally could not sit down or lift her arms. For some reason, that gave me a sense of accomplishment that I hadn’t felt before. Of course I feel accomplished when I kick my own booty at the gym, but that sense of satisfaction was taken to a whole new level when it involved helping others achieve their goals.
In addition the fitness training, I just found out that I was accepted to one of the PhD programs to which I applied. I’m also on the waitlist for another. Can you say overflowing plate? But it’s overflowing in so many wonderful ways that I’m honestly bursting at the seams (with excitement, of course).
I have so many wonderful opportunities in the near future but I also have quite a bit to think about. Needless to say, I will be doing a lot of weighing over the next few weeks. Pros and cons. Advantages and disadvantages.
In regards to grad school, I need to make my final decision by April 15th. That seems so close yet so far at the same time. Where do I want to spend the next 5 or so years of my life? That is a tough decision to make.
[Yep, that’s me.]
While on the topic of graduate school, I have something to share with you all.
I recently received an email from Amanda, a PhD candidate at Clark University. She is a clinical psychology doctoral student who is interested in learning more about the experiences of those whose partners interfere with their weight loss.
Since I have lost a significant amount of weight myself, I am very interested in her research. There are definitely times when partners can interfere (not necessarily intentionally) with weight loss efforts. It will be extremely interesting to see what she finds, don’t you think?
The thing is – she needs more data.
Being involved in research myself means that I have a soft spot for my fellow researchers. Research in the field of psychology can be tough. It’s often difficult to recruit subjects which means that it’s also difficult to collect data. Without data, you cannot determine results. And without enough data, you can’t determine whether those results are significant.
Want to help? CLICK HERE to take the survey.
It will take about 30 minutes and it is completely anonymous.
To participate, you should be able to answer yes to these four questions:
1) Are you at least 18 years of age?
2) Have you been participating in a weight loss program for the last 5 consecutive weeks?
3) Have you been in a committed, cohabitating relationship for the last two years?
4) Do you ever feel like your partner/spouse gets in the way of your weight loss?
Amanda will also donate $1 for every completed survey to 1 of 5 charities (Playworks, The Carter Center, Teach for America, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, or MAP International). It’s up to you which charity receives the donation.
And of course, she will share her findings with us once everything is said and done.
Well, I’m off. I plan on burying myself in lists of pros and cons.
<3 Stefanie
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