Reflection 14

This is the last reflection ever! Now I won't have a way to show my progress which probably won't help. However, fitness is going really well right now. I've become super organized and created time for exercise even though there is a lot of pressure at school. I usually take my dog on a walk around 5:30 am when I wake up for about half a mile. It's good exercise and I like doing it in the morning when it's cool. Also, I am eating healthier and creating balanced meals has become an easier task. I don't make it to the gym everyday but when I do, I really put work in and it makes me feel great. This way I'm getting a break from school and still being productive. I never imagined myself being able to do all this before. As for my final presentation, I am done with the power point completely. I think it turned out nicely and will be a good aid for presenting. However, I still need to practice actually presenting. I get really very stressed before any presentation, but I feel a little confident in this one. As long as I'm prepared, I should do well! 

Reflection 14

This week I was really overwhelmed with the amount of tests and projects I had. Since school is ending soon, teachers are giving a lot of homework so it's been really stressful lately. While exercise is a stress reliever, I can barely make time for it right now. I guess that's something I need to work on. On the other hand, I got a great amount of work done for the final presentation. I made an outline of the past few months, and then started working on the powerpoint. Other than some adjustments, it is mostly done and I need to just practice presenting. I can get really nervous, so practice is always good. I'll try to be more organized this week so I can balance school work and working out. 

Reflection 13

I may have lost track of time this weekend! However, things have been going pretty well. Despite the heat, I've been running almost daily in the evening. I'm doing this for a running challenge that I'm doing with Tyler W. I think I'm slowly but surely building stamina. On top of this, I've been trying the fit tea but it really needs to be precisely taken so I have to be careful. Also my sister is home from college and we have been going to gym often and she's been showing me new workouts, which really help. She has also been pushing me to squat more which I was afraid to do, but has really paid off! Also, I've been trying to prepare for our final but I really need to set aside more time for that. 

Reflection 12

This week started of well! I was following my meal plan and working out not every day, but every other day which is better than nothing. I have been focusing on arms, which is the muscle group I usually tend to avoid. The only problem with this week is that that I haven’t been getting enough sleep due to school work or poor time management. The lack of sleep is really affecting me and I need to make it a priority again. For the second half of the week, I didn’t really have anytime to work on this project because my cousin from Iowa is staying at my house and we are spending time with him. Also, today is my birthday! I’ll be out for the whole day so I won’t have time to work out. But, I did get some fitness related birthday presents, such as fittea and a power band kit!

Reflection 11

Sorry this is late! I wasn't in school on friday and mother's day weekend got really busy. On mother's day, my sister and I made my mom a healthy breakfast and then went on a hike! Last week went well. I worked out a lot, especially focusing on legs and abs. I still run, but not as much, mostly because of the heat. I've been trying to get over that and just focus on putting in some distance. Basically, I have been doing the components of fitness, but not at the same time which is what my goal was. Hopefully I can get that down in the next month.

Reflection 10

This week I spent a lot of time focusing on my meal plans. Planning meals that are 100% exactly balanced is a lot of work and most of the time it's just frustrating. So lately Ive just been alternating between some healthy meals and keeping it to 3 main meals and 2 snacks in between. This way it works with my school schedule as well. At first, I was hungry all the time but now I fell better and never too full or hungry. On another note, I have been also keeping up with running and  I'm slowly building stamina. Things are going well! 

Reflection 9

This week has been less productive than others. I had a great amount of homework that piled up, which is mostly my own fault, but it affected the entire week. I ended up getting barely any sleep on Monday night, and then for the rest of the week my sleeping schedule was off. Sleep is really important when it comes to fitness. I did go on a few runs, but none of them were an improvement from last week. However any exercise is good exercise. This week, I'm going to make sure everything is in order so I'm ready to workout. Also sorry this is late. 

Reflection 7

Over spring break, I really got time to spend my day however I wanted and that helped out my progress. On most days, I would wake up around 9 and go on a run and then go to the gym. The running really built up my cardiovascular endurance. My gym was also comparatively empty to when I usually go because it was morning and Springfield didn't have off this week. It was good because I was super more productive and I got more familiar with all the equipment and less self conscious. 
Another great thing is the amazing weather lately which opens up a bunch of different possibilities. Going on runs outside is so much nicer than on a treadmill and for me, it makes it easier. At the gym, I've been doing a lot of weighted squats and it helps everything and targets a lot of muscle groups. Overall, everything has been going really well, and I hope I meet more goals as my birthday comes closer. 

Reflection 5

This week, I was following the blogilates meal plan which had ups and downs. Some of the meals were easy to make and were mostly good, but others like the chicken for lunch and dinner were harder to fit in. The end of third marking period is soon and teachers are giving a great amount of assignments and also last week was relay and I was an entertainment shadow. It was ridiculously busy and making meals was not a strong point. However, I'll work on it and hopefully get better at it. I also haven't had much time to work out but I'm to determined to actually put way more effort into this, I'm disappointed about my lack of work in this. Hopefully during springbreak, I'll be able to get this project together. 

Reflection 4

This week I had a ridiculous amount of homework, tests and projects due which slowed down my 20% time. This week is going to be just as busy probably which you can maybe already tell, since I'm writing this so late. However, this week I have a meal plan I'm going to follow! While I really did not have much actual gym time this week, I spent class on www.blogilates.com which is the blog of my favorite youtube trainer, Cassey Ho. She is a fitness expert who is fun to watch because she really motivates the entire time and keeps you going. During class, I was going through her blog for the first time, and I found a bunch of challenges to follow. I specifically found https://docs.google.com/a/ucvts.tec.nj.us/spreadsheet/lv?hl=en_US&key=0AjcSou1AzAJQdE1WUVVyajduN2pUNUpHV0VtWFE0Mnc&hl=en_US&f=true&noheader=true&gid=0 this 90 day meal plan. I know meal plans are hard to follow and I love food, but I really got inspired to try this. Today I went grocery shopping and got all the food I needed and I'm starting tomorrow (if i wake up in time). Regardless, I hope I keep up with it along with her fitness regime. I am actually really excited!

Reflection 3

This week was pretty stressful because of the PARCC. There was confusion with the schedule and I didn't have gym for 4 days. However, the weather was beautiful and I took advantage. Everyday I went on a run for around an hour and half with my friend. It was pretty wet but still it felt amazing. I was either jogging for long periods of time or sprinting and walking. Therefore, I was doing high intensity cardio and cardiovascular endurance. I focused mainly on cardio this week instead of strength training. I need to work on creating a balance of the two. Also I know I've been saying I'll go to class at the gym but there has honestly been no time. I definitely need to include that. Another thing I need to work on is the diet aspect. I drink water only now, but I really need to stop eating trash food. Hopefully things will improve. 

Reflection 2

This week I had good progress. I began running and doing way more cardio and I am going to continue as the weather improves. I went to the gym 3 times and I worked legs, abs and arms. This week because of all the A day B day confusion, I didn't have gym in school once which sort of set me back, but also motivated me to go gym more. Usually I like going to the gym with friends, but this week I went alone so that's good. I didn't get the chance to go to a class yet but I'm definitely planning to. I also have been making healthier choices, like avoiding junk food and drinking only water. It makes you feel so better and less tired. I've said this before but I've been sleeping so much better lately. Overall, things are going well! 

Reflection 1

This week I began by getting my gym membership back at NBD. It's really convenient because its close to my house and when it gets warmer I usually run to the gym because I like it better than on a treadmill. I went to the gym on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I also have fitness right now in gym, so I count that as workouts also. At the gym, I focus mainly on muscular endurance and strength training. I am meeting those targets well, but I need to do more cardio. Next week I'm going to go to a class, either kickboxing or pilates bar, for the high intensity cardio. Overall, it was a good start. I have only just begun but I'm already feeling healthier and getting better sleep. Also I end up procrastinating less on days that I do workout. So far so good! 

2nd Semester 20% Time Proposal

My project for the second half of the year is to improve my overall health. Within this general statement, I have many goals. For the fitness half, I really want to improve my upper body strength, including core, arms and back. Also I want to work on my cardiovascular strength and improve my long distance endurance. For the diet art, I want to eat clean based on what I learned in Nutrition last year. I will be doing this project alone but I oftentimes run/work out with other people. This project is worthwhile because I have learned how to be healthy and now I want to implement it. Also I've been meaning to get in shape for a while and my 16th birthday is close to the end of the year so it would be a good time. At the end of the year, I will have a healthier and hopefully stronger me. I will show comparisons of my progress. The expenses in this project will include a gym membership fee and maybe pricier organic food. I've had and used a gym membership for a while, so that is not a problem. For the food, my parents won't mind because they also try to healthy. Nearly all equipment I need can be found at the gym, and I already have the other things like clothes and sneakers. My routine will include going to gym 3-4 times a week, alternating muscle groups. Hopefully, I have some good results by the end of the year!

Reflection 14

Since our final project is due in less than 10 days, I have began my final drawing and starting recording the process. The drawing is coming along fine but I doing it slowly so it can be as realistic as possible. I keep on redoing the outline of the face because that is probably the most important at it is the structure. On top of this, I also have to work on my presentation. Using my reflections as a timeline of events, I am going to give a summary of my progress and then reflect back on what I learned, how it affected me and how I could have done it better. Hopefully I'll have everything finished on time without added stress. 

Reflection 12/13

Sorry this is late! I went on a cruise on the 21st of December and came back on the 28th and forgot about reflections. However I really didn't get much done that week considering it was vacation. On the other hand, this week I have definitely been able to work on my final project. I am going to be recording and speeding up the process of drawing a portrait. I found my old video camera and a tripod. I have also found a good place in my house with perfect lighting. However since there is construction going on in my house, I'm not really sure if I'll be home everyday for the next two weeks, creating a consistency problem. I'm sure I'll find a way around it. Also I'm narrowing down on a portrait that I want to do. I want it to be challenging but not impossible. If everything goes correctly, I will start on Monday, work on it everyday but wednesday for 30 minutes to an hour, and it should be finished by next week. 

Reflection 11

Since presentations are nearby, I have decided to start working on my final project. I will include whatever I have drawn to make a sort of timeline and then I am trying to make a short video which will be of me drawing the final portrait, sped up. The final portrait will include the angle of the human face which I have improved on, shading, and some color. It may be difficult trying to capture it all on video. Another issue is that I am most likely not going to be living in my house for a few weeks because work is being done to it, but hopefully it won't be too inconvenient. The upside is that I am staying a friends house and she is taking AP Art so she could definitely help me out! I am really excited to see how this turns out. I think there will be a clear improvement.

Reflection 10

This week while looking for creative techniques, I found the golden ratio. The golden ratio is 1:1.618 and apparently the perfect human face has around 23 of them. I thought it could really help while drawing so I tried it. It took a while to get the math right because you need to create the actual measurements which need to mesh with the other ratios, but it turned out alright. I don't have pictures because I left my folder in my locker. I drew the female face, but I think it will work better with the male face which I am going to work on this week.  Hopefully it will come out better. 

Reflection 9

This weekend I didn't have too much time to work on 20% time, due to many Thanksgiving related events and it was a friends birthday. However, I have been working on a drawing and I had time to color it. It didn't turn out how I wanted it to, most likely because it I haven't got the hang of shading and blended with color yet. I think I need to watch more videos or practice more to master it. A family friend of mine who is a really good artist is coming home from college during winter break, and I can ask her for help. 

Reflection 8

I made a great amount of progress this week. I started sketching free hand a lot and I think that really helped me get some angles and features perfected. I've started drawing daily at a certain time each day, because I heard you work more efficiently that way. I also experimented with drawing in pen. Here are some of my favorites: