Snapshot Essay

Five hours left. It was already 7:15 a.m. and I'd been awake for almost thirty-two hours. I hadn't showered in two days, but didn't find a need to since i was trapped in my apt, sitting on the same smudged sheet that had been there for the past week, and looking at the same canvas that had only changed slightly in the past week as well. After working on my final oil painting project for the longest time, it had come down to these final hours. At 12:15 on that stressful April morning, my work would be scrutinized and critiqued in front of the entire class and compared to the rest of my classmates. I wanted mine to be the very best of class, but apparently I hadn't cared about this enough to start the project three weeks sooner. My procrastination had finally caught up to me and I was stressed trying to not only finish the project, but trying to make it the best of the best. Not an enjoyable process on such a short time schedule. My hands shook as I tried to continue marking out the final strokes. My sleep-deprived body wanted to stop, but my mind was racing telling it to keep going.

Suddenly 10:45 a.m. crept up on me. Time just wasn't cooperating with me! At 10:56, reality hits and I'm looking at this half-finished painting that lacked two very important elements in order to fulfill the assignment. I had to give up. But something within me told me, DON'T GIVE UP! KEEP GOING! This duality of thought suddenly became too much for me handle and I started hyperventilating. I was no longer focusing on the painting, but now was sitting on the floor thinking of all the times I could have been working on this painting two--even three--weeks ago. My breath becomes short and quick. My chest heaves, and suddenly I'm gasping in order to get any air. My body is rocking back and forth with the movement of my breathing--all I'm focusing on now is my breathing. In this instant, I realize something has gone terribly wrong inside me and that realization forms hot tears in my eyes. The only thing I want now is not an A on my homework; I want for someone to comfort me and hold me. But I'm alone. And the only thing I can think of that will make me feel better is to reach out to someone I love. I grab my phone and text the person who matters most.

Me: I don't think I can get it done, Eric. I'm running out of time.

Eric T: You still have a couple more hours. Just keep going. Guess what I'm doing right now

Me: What

Eric T: Wandering around town while my car is getting fixed

Me: That's exciting. Guess what I'm doing right now. Having a nervous breakdown

Me: I'm breathing really heavy and can't catch my breath. I just don't think i'll be able to finish

Eric T: Do you want me to call you?

Me: No I need to keep working on my painting. Every minute is important.

Me: I think I'm going to cry.

At this point my phone rings. Its Eric. Like any sensible, caring boyfriend would, he takes matters into his own hands and calls me anyway. I answer the phone and can only say short sentences through my altered breathing. He speaks slowly to calm me down and tries to talk some sense into me.
"It's okay, Jeanette. Breathe... Its just an assignment. You have over an hour left to work on it. And even if you can't finish it in time, its not the end of the world...okay?"

I can only gasp for air. I try to say words, but I have nothing that will make sense.

"Listen to me. You're not going to text me or anyone else until after you're done--until after the class is over. Just do as much as you can in an hour and thats all you need to do. Okay?"

I don't actually think he's right about my situation; I'm doomed in my eyes. But I agree anyway and he's satisfied with letting me go.

After I hung up with Eric, I let it sink in that I really couldn't do anything other than my best within the next hour. I accepted his wise words and was able to get a grasp on my overactive brain.

After a quick nervous breakdown, and receiving some comforting words from a loved one, I was finally ready to whip out this painting and hand it in. Luckily for me, I was actually able to get the painting to look completed and handed in on time. Not only that, but it received wonderful reviews from my peers and teacher. How lucky I was to get that painting done in time.

Now you'd think that after an experience like this, I'd learn my lesson and start all my assignments on time in order to save myself the stress of the last minute rush. Afterall, I'm not the kind of person to have a nervous breakdown so obviously I'd fallen pretty far. But time heals all wounds and how easy it is to forget the pain that was felt that night--and that entire week. Since then, I've procrastinated many things--overcoming bad habits, setting important appointments, paying off credit cards, fixing broken car windows, starting a strict diet, and even still starting on homework--including this essay. What's worse is that its all the important things that I'm procrastinating.

And I'm not the only one who falls into this vicious pattern. Apparently there are so many people out there who do the same things as I do and procrastinate anything that seems too difficult or painful to start right away. Its part of our nature as humans to want to put things off, I suppose.




There are so many books, flyers, websites, and motivational speakers that try to help us overcome this "disease" of procrastination. These resources come from people who, perhaps, have gone through the same pain as I experienced with my oil painting project--people who have seen the serious affects procrastination can have on a person's life. To them, putting off your duties to the very last minute isn't something to joke about, but a serious matter that needs to be addressed and over come.

But even with all these resources, too many people find humor in accepting their procrastinating ways and accepting it as who they are. Even after going through a nervous breakdown for only the second time in my life, I still join the crowd who laughs at procrastination. I guess deep down I believe Ellen Degeneres when she says,

"Procrastination isn't the problem, it's the solution. So procrastinate now, don't put it off."

Source: Online Source

A new study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research suggests that drinking a carbohydrate and protein supplement prior to and during exercise does not improve exercise performance. However, subjects who consumed the supplement did experience significantly reduced muscle damage compared to control subjects.

The study examined the effects of consuming a carbohydrate and protein supplement prior to, during, and following an intense resistance exercise workout. The results indicate that a carbohydrate and protein supplement can significantly reduce muscle damage during acute bouts of resistance exercise, potentially allowing athletes to participate in their next high-intensity exercise bout in a shorter period of time. This finding can also apply to novice lifters and other individuals who regularly engage in resistance training.

The study authors are careful to note that although the supplement did not appear to influence exercise performance, previous studies were based on exercise programs targeting one main group of muscles, while the exercise program in this study incorporated the entire body.

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the official peer-reviewed research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), provides the reader with a better understanding of conditioning and sport by publishing premier scientific papers on exercise, sport, and conditioning practices. The journal provides important insights relating to training, nutritional, and biological factors that affect physical performance. Please visit the journal online at http://nsca.allenpress.com.

The NSCA brings is the worldwide authority on strength and conditioning, and supports and disseminates research-based knowledge and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness. For more information about the NSCA, please visit http://www.nsca-lift.org.

Carb, Protein Supplements May Not Improve Exercise Performance But Can Reduce Muscle Damage

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet News
Article Date: 28 May 2007 - 0:00 PDT
Alliance Communications Group
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=72333

Source: Total Cereal Box

A growing body of evidence supports that people who consume diets rich in whole grain tend to have a healthier body weight than those who don't. Additionally, people who eat more whole grain tend to gain less weight as they age. In other words, foods made with whole grain, like Total Whole Grain cereal, can help you keep your shape.

Source: International Journal of Obesity

The life expectancy of an obese individual has been found to be about 7 years shorter than that of a normal weight counterpart.1 If current trends in obesity continue, the most recent generation may have a lower lifespan than their parents.2 Weight loss, however, has recently been shown to increase mortality.3 One explanation may be that regional changes in body composition, rather than absolute changes in weight, are important in assessing the potential efficacy of weight loss to lower the risk of associated comorbidities and death. Evidence also shows that the presence of large visceral adipose tissue (VAT) depots are associated with increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).4, 5 Lapidus et al.6 reported that women with the highest waist to hip ratio (WHR), an indicator of visceral adiposity, had elevated relative risk of death from CVD. Thus, body composition and fat distribution are important measures in determining potential health benefits of a weight loss program.


S Santosa, I Demonty, A H Lichtenstein and P J H Jones, Cholesterol metabolism and body composition in women: the effects of moderate weight loss,
International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 933–941; published online 30 January 2007
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803549a.html

Source: Oxygen Magazine

"Overnight fasting that lowers blood sugar and liver carbohydrate (glycogen) levels impairs your ability to sustain high intensity exercise for extended periods of time," says [Monique] Ryan, [Sports Dietician and author of Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes]. That's because carbohydrates--not fats--are your most important fuel for workouts that are meant to burn serious calories. So, in other words, eating before morning exercise can help you work harder and longer, and this revs up fat-burning.

--Matthew G Kadey, MSc, RD, Oxygen Magazine, January 2007, p. 130

Destined to be Pointless

Every great blog starts out an average blog. Assignments are meant to be revised upon and that's what I'm doing now--making this assigned blog even better. What makes this blog better is that it started out a disaster since I couldn't find an interesting web conversation. While I was racking my brain thinking, a miracle happened--and that miracle's name was Jill. I was just checking my gmail account when this im popped up from my sister:

Jill: I'm bored

Casually, I write back the first thing to express my situation.

me: i'm stressed. I don't know how to do my homework

After switching back to my inbox to look for some sort of decent conversation, it hits me.

me: Ooh. You could help me out! Wanna help me out? If you just respond, that is all i need

Jill: oh yes
what homework is it?

Jill: so....

about this conversation...

I'm totally having one
with myself

Good she's back. And she's feeding into the assignment nicely.

me: Its really important homework. Hi I'm back now. So have you ever heard of Liam Sullivan?

Jill: I have not.
liam KYLE sullivan?

me: Uh....maybe...go check out his website at Liamsullivan.com.
whoopsie i mean liamshow.com

Jill: should i watch the videos?

me: yea! Check out muffins and tell me what you think. Cuz i'll tell you what
i think. I think i wish I looked like the muffin lady.

This conversation seems viable, right? Just a casual IM conversation going on here, right? Its working...

Jill: I think you could look like her with little to no effort.

me: That's excellent news for me.

Jill: Ok i watched it. It's interesting. I like the way she says "muffins"
I probably would have laughed out loud a little if i wasn't so prone to peeing
my pants now.

I tense up a little. Careful Jill! You're being recorded...

me: Oh yeah i forgot. You have a baby growing inside you. Well another one that's
not as funny is "Love Letters." its entertaining, yet won't cause the peeing.

Jill: im watching text message break up right now
is this guy part of your homework?

Although Liam Sullivan could have easily made for an interesting blog topic, and "Muffins" is one of the funniest video shorts I've seen so far, I decide to reveal the cameras--so to speak.

me: No my friend, you are. And that's a wrap. Thanks for your help, sister that's
all i needed from you.

Jill: ah man!

me: Starwipe....and we're out

And to think--after trying so hard to go out of my way and find a worthy subject for this homework assignment, all i needed to do was sit and wait. Destiny wanted for it to fall into my lap.

Pointless conversation

Jeanette




Jeanette

A Pointless Conversation that was Destined to Happen

While I was trying to pick a conversation on the internet for this blog, a miracle happened--and that miracle's name was Jill. I was just checking my e-mail when this im popped up from my sister:

Jill: I'm bored

me: i'm stressed. I don't know how to do my homework


Suddenly it hits me.
me: Ooh. You could help me out! Wanna help me out?

If you just respond, that is all i need

Jill: oh yes
what homework is it?

Jill: so....

about this conversation...

I'm totally having one
with myself


me: Its really important homework.

Hi I'm back now. So have you ever heard of Liam Sullivan?

Jill: I have not.
liam KYLE sullivan?

me: Uh....maybe...go check out his website at Liamsullivan.com.
whoopsie i mean liamshow.com

Jill: should i watch the videos?

me: yea! Check out muffins and tell me what you think. Cuz i'll tell you what
i think. I think i wish I looked like the muffin lady.

Jill: I think you could look like her with little to no effort.

me: That's excellent news for me.

Jill: Ok i watched it. It's interesting. I like the way she says "muffins"
I probably would have laughed out loud a little if i wasn't so prone to peeing
my pants now.

me: Oh yeah i forgot. You have a baby growing inside you. Well another one that's
not as funny is Love Letters. its entertaining, yet won't cause the peeing.

Jill: im watching text message break up right now
is this guy part of your homework?

me: No my friend, you are. And that's a wrap. Thanks for your help, sister that's
all i needed from you.

Jill: ah man!

me: Starwipe....and we're out