Healthy Grocery Shopping – I Need Tips
Working at Disney I would spend the days constantly standing and walking around. My shortest days were 6 hours. My longest day to date has been 16. Not much went in to losing the weight I did while I was down there. I lost about 25 lbs. Now I’m back home and I can see myself slowly gaining it all back. My days are no longer filled with walking around G-Force Records, but with sitting in classrooms. I’m eating worse because I’m just buying food from campus instead of making food at home and bringing it with me like I did in Orlando. And I figured out what my problem is. I keep trying to just start over.
Every week since I’ve been back (just about a month) it’s been “next Monday I will stop drinking soda and get back in to my healthy habits” except something would happen and I would just tell myself again I would start over on Monday. And it just doesn’t work that way. This year has to be the year of ME!
This year I get married and graduate! I just got a full-time job! And this year, I’m taking care of myself. But, the tricky part, is I don’t know where to start.
I’ve been reading several blogs trying to pick up some tips on where to start. I guess, a good first start is to go grocery shopping. I’ve been slowly picking up a few things each time I go to the store for something, like whole wheat english muffins, apples, a pear, etc.. I’m waiting on my tax return so I can actually go do a full grocery shopping day.
Not that you can really read it in the photo… but I’ve been slowly trying to make a list. Do you have any healthy suggestions for when I go grocery shopping?
First Half-Marathon & What I’ll do differently next time
I did a freaking HALF MARATHON last month. There’s really no better way to say it than that. I never thought I’d do one in my life. Actually, the only reason I ended up doing it is because my friend Eric who was in Orlando with me (even though I only hung out with him a grand total of 4 times in the 5 months I was down there) was talking about signing up so I figured, why not? I paid the fee and even paid extra to get a special pin. Then it dawned on me I had just dropped $xxx.xx on doing a half marathon and I had barely done a 5k. (I did two or three 5ks a few years ago and that was it.) What was I thinking? So, in a panic I signed up for a gym membership at Lifetime which is a great facility if you know how to work all the fancy equipment but I don’t, so I waste money every month for an unused membership (luckily it’s a student one so I only pay full rate for summer months). I also went to Fleet Feet and got a new pair of shoes to run in because apparently I overpronate? So that was even more money. It went from a fun activity to a “Well, now that I’ve shelled out $xxx.xx (I honestly have no idea how much I ended up spending) I have to do this.” And off I went. I visited the gym a few times but it was a good drive away from my house.
Then the DCP happened. I spent my days off in parks, I spent my days working in parks, and inbetween I would sleep. I didn’t make time to run and then the half snuck up on me.
And here’s how that went down. I didn’t train at all. I ran approximately twice for the entire 5 months I was down there. Once with a friend, once on my own. I found it a little difficult because my work shoes were not supportive enough for my schedule and it would hurt just to walk if I sat down even for a few minutes. I was discouraged and almost didn’t even bother doing the half marathon. But, I did. Tony and I went to the expo and checked things out. I got my bib and shirt. While wandering around I treated myself to a sparkly headband to keep my hair out of my face while running and a new arm band for my iPhone. Tony bought me some Cliff Bloks and Cliff Shot Gel. (I’ll review my products on a separate post.) We had dinner at Steak and Shake and were in bed by 6pm.
We woke up super early (4ish probably) and arrived at the EPCOT parking lot quite a bit early. We stayed in the car for a while because it was FREEZING outside. I was definitely not prepared for the weather. It had been such a nice winter until about a week prior. I even ended up being a loser and wearing my race shirt that day because I had no long-sleeved running clothes. I’m just lucky I had pants. Eventually I met up with Eric and Madison and we headed to our corral.
Madison was placed in a higher corral than us, but hung back so we could all start together. We were in corral F. Finally, Donald told our corral it was time to go! And off we went. We started out at a walking pace just to get through the starting line area. Then, Madison said it was time to go and we all started jogging but I knew I wouldn’t be keeping up long. I think I managed to stay with them for a good 4 minutes before I trailed off and kept at a slower pace. I did pretty great for the first 5 miles. Not record-breaking pace, but I wasn’t dead yet. I was doing a combination of walking and running. We got to Magic Kingdom and ran backstage some and got to Main Street and ran down it, through Tomorrowland and Fantasyland and when we got to about where Country Bears Jamboree is, I had to make a pit stop. I highly recommend this area because I was in and out quickly. It’s the bathrooms between Frontierland and Adventureland. In my hast, though, I managed to cut my thumb knuckle on the toilet paper dispenser. And I was bleeding pretty heavily. I wrapped it up in toilet paper and kept trucking.
When I finally thought the bleeding had stopped, I tossed my blood soaked toilet paper in the trashcan. About 4 minutes later, it was bleeding again. This time, though, because I was running, the blood was running down my arm. So, I had to keep holding it down on my pants so the blood would stop. Miles 6, 7, & 8 were me being preoccupied with that fiasco. Mile 9, I booked it as best I could. I told myself I had to run the entire mile and I did. And then I hit my wall. Between the blood, not wearing the right socks, and constant need to blow my nose (I was recovering from a sinus infection) I just couldn’t take it anymore. For the last 3.1 miles I just walked.
My best mile was 12 minutes, my worst was 20 minutes 37 seconds. At the end I could barely walk and I had blisters on my feet, but I. Did. It.
And now my plan is to do the Tower of Terror 10-miler. Here is what I plan on doing differently this time:
- Actually train. I want to be able to run the entire thing. I’m not saying I’ll beat any records, but I want to do my best to not stop for walking breaks unless absolutely necessarily.
- This goes with #1 – get photos with characters! They have rare characters (I’m KICKING myself because I couldn’t get a picture with Darkwing Duck… I almost cried.) out so if I can keep my pace at something around 13, then I can stop for photos!
- Have actual running clothes. I only had a pair of yoga pants and the shirt they provided. I was lucky I even had a sports bra with me.
- This goes with #3, but deserves its own number. ATHLETIC SOCKS. I happen to feel with 100% certainty that my blisters could have been prevented if my socks weren’t bunching up in the exact spot they were formed at.
- Become more educated on the gel and bloks and how to eat before the race. And how to successfully use them during the race. During the last race I basically waited until I saw a lot of the wrappers on the ground from earlier runners and figured then was as good a time as any to open one and chug it down.
- Better playlist. I only had 10 or so songs, so lots of repeats. And putting it on shuffle meant I heard a lot of 1 or 2 songs and not many of a few others.
- I’ll also be saving up to buy a ticket to the after party. Because I can.
Do you have any suggestions or tips? I’m all ears!
Hi there!
Well, hello!
So, it seems some of my classmates are lost. If you’re in my HPRM class, you’re looking for this blog:
katharyngarrett.wordpress.com
This blog is basically ramblings about becoming a runner and how doing the Disney College Program led me to a seasonal job with the company. Feel free to read this one! But the one that relates to our class is the one listed above.
DCP – FAQ
I’m calling this DCP FAQs, but these questions weren’t asked of me. Actually, these questions are things people searched via Google, Yahoo, etc. and they landed on my page. So, I hope my answers help. Again… please feel free to ask me any questions you have about the DCP. I want to help! You can comment on any post or e-mail me at bellanottebelle{at}gmail{dot}com
Question #1: What happens if you’re interrupted during your DCP interview?
This is a toughy. I actually wasn’t interrupted during my interview, but I did read a post in a forum from someone who was. Their call was dropped. Basically they called back the number they called to schedule the interview and told them what happened and scheduled another interview. But, there’s no way to know how this will affect your interview results. My suggestion to you all is that you use a land line if at all possible. If you don’t have a land line (my family doesn’t) and you use your cellphone, make sure you’re somewhere you know you have good reception and make sure you’re away from all distractions. I had the tv off, scheduled it early enough in the day everyone in my house was still asleep, left the back door open so my dogs could go in and out without bothering me, and sat at the dining room table so I wouldn’t be too comfortable and have it cause me to be more casual.
Question #2: DCP WBI advice (okay, this isn’t so much a question as it is just a search term)
I know things have changed since I took the WBI, but I imagine it’s very similar to the one I took. My advice to you is to be yourself and answer truthfully. They’re looking for consistency and honesty. There’s no trick way to pass the WBI. I do suggest you do it somewhere quiet and alone so you can concentrate. I did mine during my Landforms class (don’t ask why… because I have no idea why I did that…) and it was pretty distracting. When I did mine, it told me right then that I passed. I’m not sure if that’s how it still is, but I would imagine it would be.
Question #3: How many days do you get off during the DCP?
Well, this is a toughy. Honestly, it really depends on your work location. I was scheduled 2 days off every week except for the weeks when I put in to get days off because I had people visiting. I started out with Thursdays and Fridays off but it changed to Wednesdays and Thursdays about a month after I got down there. But, I also picked up a lot of shifts after I figured out the rules on hours and such. For example, there was a stretch where I did work 2 weeks in a row without a day off because I picked up shifts of my days off. I think my longest day was 15 hours because I picked up extra hours before the shift I was scheduled. One of my roommates, though, was scheduled easily 50 hours in a week but still got at least a day off. I never had a problem giving away a shift, either. There are plenty of part-timers and seasonal cast members who will take them off of your hands.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Chances are you’re not the only one with that question!
Also, if you have a question you think you might have to answer for your interview or you already had your interview but would like to see my answer, just leave it in the comments as well! I kept a log of the questions I was asked and how I answered them.
DCP- Phone Interview
Here’s a repost of what I wrote about the Phone Interview after I did it last year. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’m always up for answering questions regarding the DCP.
I applied for the DCP on March 17th and my phone interview was scheduled for the 19th at 8:30 am. My phone ran and 8:31 and we got to it. First, she started by asking my top 3 role choices (attractions, main entrance operations, concierge). Then she asked some questions about past work experience and behavioral interview questions. I felt very prepared because I did some research before hand on www.disboards.com. Here are some questions I was asked:
- Why do you want to do the DCP?
- Have you ever had to give a memorized speech in front of an audience?
- If you’re at Main Entrance Operations and you’re the first person to greet our guests, how would you make their day magical?
- Tell me about your job. (She specifically refereed to my job as a box office worker. I sell tickets for concerts, recitals, and operas.)
- What kinds of problems might arise when living with other people?
- Do you have any problems with working in hot/humid environments?
- If you were doing a task that was repetitive, how would you keep yourself interested in it?
- If you were interrupted during a task, how would you feel? (I felt so dumb for answering the way I did)
- She also asked a lot more questions about my selling tickets (this led me to think that if I was accepted I would be offered the position of vacation planner which was my 4th top pick)
- Go to the bathroom before they call. You don’t want to have to do the pee dance while you’re talking to your interviewer.
- Have a bottle of water (or your choice of beverage) near you during the interview. With you doing most of the talking, your throat could get dry or have a cough attack!
- Use a land line if you can. It was difficult to understand her sometimes over my cell.
DCP: Part 1
So, I checked out my “this is what you Googled to find my blog” list and it seems that a lot of Disney College Program people are out there looking for info! It’s wonderful! Applications went out on my birthday the other day so it’s no surprise that everyone’s looking for answers.
BUT – I can’t remember what I’ve actually covered. So, I’m going to look through some old posts and put together a new DCP series.
Things I plan on covering:
WBI/Phone interview
Getting down there
Where you’ll live
Taking Classes during the DCP
What you’ll do during the DCP (Focus on attractions since that’s where I was)
What to do on days off
Roommate issues
If you’ve found my blog and are interested in the DCP, applied for it, etc. And you want information on something and it doesn’t seem like I will cover it PLEASE feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me and ask! I am more than happy to fill you guys in on any information!!
Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
Now that I’m back, I’ve done some thinking about this blogging business. I’m always all over the place, even after my refocus last summer.
SO! I think it’s time for me to do that again. My blog is still fairly young, so if I’m going to do some changing up, I think now is the best time to do it before I get a following (HA!).
So what will my new blog be about?
Disney – Duh. I work there now, and I love it. I miss it a lot. I’ll do some Disney College Program recaps.
101 in 1001 – I’ve added on some months so now I’ve got until the end of the year to get on these things.
Being Healthy – Now that I did a half marathon, I feel like I can do anything… almost. So, to kick this off I’ll start with a recap of my half marathon and will continue to grow on this.
Saving Money – Being a pretty broke college student, I need to learn more about saving money. I used to clip coupons before I went to Orlando and while I was down there I honestly didn’t even think about it. Because I didn’t go out of my way to save money, I came home broke. I’m not getting a lot of work these days (ie – none), so every penny I can save counts.
Also, I’ll have another blog. A more “professional” blog over at:
http://katharyngarrett.wordpress.com
So feel free to check that out. I only have 1 post right now and I’m still playing around with the theme as much as I know how.
Back home!
Well everyone, I’m back home. I got home Tuesday evening and started back classes yesterday. Talk about a smack back in to reality from living in a fantasy world. It’s definitely bittersweet because while I obviously missed my family and friends back home… it’s hard to not be sad that I’m not at Disney World any more.
I’m lucky enough to be placed seasonal. To keep my seasonal status I need to work 150 hours a year. Not bad. 
Now that I’m back home I’ll have more time to write on here, which is good! I’m still in the process of unpacking so regular updates will happen starting next week. Right now I’m working on updating my 101 in 1001, which I’ve extended until the end of the year due to the 5 months I was in Orlando.
I sure hope some of you still follow me, but if not, I’m definitely understand. I mean, I did sort of disappear for 5 months. Ha!
So welcome back to my blog! I think living on my own and seeing what I’m truly in to has helped me see where this blog will focus. Be ready… because it’s happening!
The one where I figure out things are falling in to place
Being in Orlando has been hard, but a wonderful learning experience for me. I’ve missed my family and friends, but nothing could have helped me decide if I’m on the right track like coming down here for a few months. I was completely taken out of my element. I live in a 2 bedroom apartment with 3 other girls who I met via the internet (thank you Facebook) to work crazy hours at a theme park being yelled at every day – and I’ve loved it.
My roommates and I haven’t gotten along the whole time, but when you stick 4 girls living together – it’s going to happen. And it’s in the past. Right now, I’m just looking forward to the future. And they may not want to be BFFs or whatever after the program, but I honestly feel closer to them than many of my friends back home. They understand me on a level that I think is hard to reach unless you live with someone.
Working in the parks is hard. Short days are 6 hours long, long days are 8 am to midnight. I’m so lucky to work at such an amazing place with such wonderful people. The job is hard and training was intense. But every “Thank you” and “You made our vacation I get” makes up for every “You’ve ruined our vacation” I get when I tell someone their child isn’t tall enough.
It’s now December 7th. We’re coming so close to the 1 year countdown to the wedding, so that means 1, it’s time to figure out what I want to do when I graduate and become a wife, and 2 it’s TIME TO START PLANNING! It’s pretty terrifying the long list of stuff I need to do.
I’ll still be pretty scarce on here, with a few updates until I get home.
Thanks for sticking by me!
Slacker!
I’ve been a slacker when it comes to visiting the gym. Honestly, I started house/dog sitting for a friend and then my car decided to poop out for a couple of days and I just haven’t been able to get back on the horse and just go. It’s too darn hot outside to run… or do anything really. But today I’m making myself go to the gym. I have to start back again.
The down side is that if I get back in to my groove… I’ll only be messing it up again because of the move to FL. But, as much as I’d love to use that as an excuse, I need to go back. It’s good for me. Luckily, the gym I use is a 24 hour gym – so I can go whenever. Which is great because I much prefer going when there are less people there. Not that I think they’re judging me (so what if they are? I’m there to work on it.) but because the parents LOVE to bring their kids and let them run around on the machines.
Y’all… gyms are not playgrounds. Your kids can SERIOUSLY hurt themselves on the equipment if they don’t know how to use it properly. And since your child seems to be around 8… I’m going to guess they don’t know how to use it. I mean, I get it. You’re a working parent and you need to go to the gym and can’t afford a babysitter… but there is a HUGE freaking swimming pool with a giant water slide and lifeguards and a cafe they can hang out at. They don’t need to be playing with the weight machines.
The last time I was at the gym, they were running around on all of the machines next to me and being loud – I just finished off 1 mile and then left. I wasn’t even going to bother.
So, today or tomorrow I will go back. I don’t know what I’ll do, but it will be at night and will involve running.
I also need to cut back on my soda intake. I was doing so well and then I fell off the wagon. I suppose having a soda habit is better than other habits I could have. It’s still annoying though. So I’m cutting back to probably 2 a day for a couple of days and then 1 a day and then 0. I would go cold turkey but I actually get killer headaches because of the caffeine.
When you go running (on a treadmill) what do you do? I listen to music, but it’s sort of stale now. I’m thinking of bringing my nook and trying to read while doing it… or maybe watch something on Netflix? Any suggestions?
