A Match Made In Heaven

Hey guys!

I'm terribly sorry I haven't posted anything in so long but my life has been a bit crazy lately so blogging had to take a back seat for a bit. Buuuuuut I'm back now and with great news, I got matched!! April 3rd was quite possibly the longest day of my life but when 6pm struck, I cautiously logged into DND while whispering "it'll be ok" over and over again to myself soft enough for my coworker to (hopefully) not hear me silently freaking out at my desk. After clicking on my "Match Results," I nearly had a heart attack when I read that I had matched with my first choice of Baylor Medical Center in Dallas! I would have survived had I not gotten matched but my god was it an amazing feeling to find out that I had actually done it, I was in the 50% that got a match! I must've gotten a little too excited because since that momentous night, I've been very very sick :( the doc thinks its a viral respiratory infection but dear lord it feels more like I have the bubonic plague. In the midst of catching possibly the worst cold I've had in years and working overtime hours as a registry employee (funny how that always seems to be the case with hospital jobs...) I've been saving all my extra energy up to plan for my big move to Dallas in the summer. Since the program starts August 1st, I'll need to be down in TX by mid-July. Lucky for me, I have the world's best big brother who is letting me stay with him in Waco so I can spend a whole week navigating my way around Dallas and looking at potential apartments. In the meantime, I'll be moving out of my current apartment in 2 weeks and back with my parents for the remainder of my time in Illinois. I haven't lived at home in over 3 years so this ought to be....interesting. I've gotta say though none of this would have been possible without my amazing parents and I am so utterly grateful for everything they have done & everything they will be helping me with in the next (unpaid) year of my life. All in all, I am crazy excited to start the next chapter of my life and be one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a registered dietitian! Until next time, stay golden...

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What Can You Do In 30 Days?

"I know its such a bad habit but..." 

It's 2016 folks so lets the ditch the excuses and make room for everyone's favorite thing...change!! I know I have a few bad habits myself and with the new year I made it my resolution to work on some of them. I meant to get on that right when the new year rolled in but well, life got in the way so I counted January as my "trial" month of 2016 and started fresh in February. I already hit a few speed bumps (I may have pre-celebrated V-Day a little too early & with a little too much chocolate...) but overall I have made some progress towards ditching my bad habit of eating sweets at night. What really has helped me along the way has been using a 30-day habit calendar. 

After each day that I successfully avoid my bad habit, I get to draw an X through the box on the calendar & after the 30 days I'm rewarding myself with a new tattoo! Pro-tip: when trying to break a habit like eating less sweets, don't make your reward the thing you were trying to give up or avoid...seems simple enough but I see people do it allllll the time. 

My challenge to you is to either try to adopt a new, good habit by doing the activity for 30 days or get rid of an old, bad habit by avoiding an activity or thing for 30 days. Some awesome examples could include doing some kind of physical activity every day for 30 days or avoid eating chocolate or soda for 30 days. If you make it the 30 days then you my friend have the right to treat yo self.

To download the free printable calendar I made above, click here!

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FINALLY FINISHED!

I SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION TODAY!! 

I am officially done with DICAS and now...we wait! It has been stressful but overall I didn't have any major disasters or hiccups (that I know of) so all in all I'd say its been a success so far. I am so relieved and thankful to be finished a whole 5 days early. I just found out on Monday that we will be getting annual bonuses on our next paychecks as well so that will cover almost all of my DICAS fees! Now I can spend my hard earned money on the Beyonce tickets I'm also getting from a friend that bought them yesterday (it's been a really good week for me). Good luck to the rest of my fellow #RD2Be's this week as the February 15th deadline approaches. You got this!!

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Quest Bar Review

For my fellow Quest lovers out there, I'm sure by now you've all heard that Quest has returned to

their original recipe after the 'new' recipe they implemented months ago left customers with a bad taste in their mouth (literally & figuratively). After receiving I'm sure what could only have been thousands of complaints and most likely a huge drop in sales of the beloved bars, Quest admitted their mistake and decided to change the recipe back. And as another good act of faith they offered 2 free Quest bars to anyone that wanted to try the bars again and give their feedback. Personally, I think that was really fantastic of the Quest team to offer something like that to not only get their fans opinion on the now 'fixed' bars but to also regain trust in their regular customers. Well done Quest!

I, of course, wasn't about to pass up an offer to try 2 free Quest bars that (hopefully) tasted better than the last dozen I had eaten (I kept buying them in hopes that I was just getting bad bars...silly me). I chose the Cookies N Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough combo because lets be honest, those weren't even all that bad when they were 'bad' so I figured they'd be absolutely phenomenal now and gosh I am smart because they were delish! No more weird aftertaste and omg don't even get me started on the chunks!! It was so good I ate the damn bar in 3 bites. I could've done it in 2 but I was trying to savor it...yeah that obviously worked. I am so glad that Quest fixed their mistake because lets be real here, these bad boys are not cheap! Even a 12 pack still makes each bar about $2 a piece and while I know there are other bars out there that are even more than that, when you're a broke post-grad 21 year old with a protein bar obsession, you gotta enjoy every bite of your pricey little Quest bars & now I definitely will! If you missed out on the freebie bars but still want to give Quest bars the redemption they deserve, they're still offering free shipping on all Quest bar orders with the promo code: 4THEFANS. Check out their site for more info!

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Protein Mug Cake AND Pancake Recipe

I made my first ever protein mug cake sometime last week & since then I have been determined to come up with a recipe that wasn't always as dense as a bagel cause that's exactly how mine kept coming out. They didn't taste all that bad really they just were impossible to swallow without almost choking and dying which I wasn't really up for at 9am... So after a lot of trial and error (definitely a lot of error) I finally locked down a solid protein mug cake recipe on Wednesday. Happy hump day to me!

Well come Thursday morning I was a little burnt out on mug cakes. Reasonably so since I'd been eating them for breakfast for like 7 days straight at this point and the first ones sucked as I mentioned but I still wanted something similar so being the incredibly bright thinker that I am, I decided protein pancakes were the way to go. But since I was feeling a little lazier than usual yesterday I didn't really feel like playing food scientist to come up with the perf protein pancake recipe so instead I thought I'd just use my mug cake recipe...except without the mug...and with a skillet.


To my surprise they came out really good! I cooked them just a little too long but that's cause these suckers cook faaaast and I like a slightly doughy middle but no worries cause I nailed it when I made them again this morning (yeah yeah I know I'm probably gonna get burnt out on these too but let me live, ok??). So for those of you that like cake of the mug or pan variety for breakfast like myself, check out my recipe below and see what you think!

Protein Mug/Pan Cake Recipe

• 1 scoop Protein Powder of choice
• 1/2 tbsp Baking Mix or Pancake Mix, dry
• 1/2 tbsp Coconut Flour (if you don't have it or don't want to use it, omit the coconut flour and use 1 tbsp pancake mix instead of just a 1/2 tbsp)
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 egg white (or 2 tbsp liquid egg whites)
• 2 tbsp almond milk, skim, 2%, whatever 'milk' you have
• Water, as needed (mug cake should have a thicker batter similar to that of a cake while the pancake batter can be thick or thin depending on your preference)

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients (right in the mug if making mug cake). Then add in liquid ingredients and stir until combined.

2. For mug cake: microwave batter in mug for 45-60 seconds. The time will depend on your microwave so I suggest stopping at 45 to check if its done and adding more time if it is not.

3. For pancakes: pour batter onto hot griddle or skillet. Flip once bubbles start to form in batter then cook for about 1 minute on the other side (more or less depending on type of protein but these do cook VERY fast so watch them closely)

Serve hot and with topping or spread of choice. Enjoy!

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Reference Letter Reminders

I am so so soooo close to having my DICAS internship application completely finished. Yesterday my DPD director completed my verification statement, I mailed the checks to cover the extra fees that 3 of my designations required (R.I.P to my bank account this month...), and finalized the sessions & coursework section. One pesky little thing remains and that is my 4th and final recommendation letter. Technically I could get by with the three that I have but the 4th person I asked is a professor that I got very close with in my last semester & also I killed it in both of her super challenging classes so I figured I'd get a pretty stellar letter from her. I know she is a very busy woman so I waited as long as I could before even thinking about sending her a friendly 'reminder' e-mail about my recommendation letter. For those of you out there like me that feel like you need to send who ever you asked for a letter a little nudge to get your application complete, here's what I wrote based on the guidance from All Access Internships (they wrote about this on an instagram post -- btw follow them on EVERYTHING if you are applying for a dietetic internship, they are incredible helpful):

"Thank you again for agreeing to be a reference for me for this upcoming Spring match! I can't believe how fast the time has gone and how quickly submit date of February 15th is already approaching. With that said, I was wondering if you had an idea of when you planned to complete the reference? Again, I cannot say thank you enough for agreeing to write a letter for me as I know this is an incredibly busy time for you. I look forward to hearing from you & wish you well for the rest of the Spring semester!"

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Words of Wisdom

I've been really working on eating intuitively lately in hopes that it will help me continue along in my weight loss journey & get my weekend binges under control but I still find myself waiting to eat even though I'm hungry just because its not an acceptable "mealtime" per say. Then I read something today on Tumblr that really stuck with me that I think could help to remind everyone, including myself, that you're supposed to eat when you're hungry & why it is important to do so: "respect your body and listen to its signals. You can't live a fulfilling life if you're trying to walk around empty." (From user rebuildingmandz)

If you're hungry for your dinner at 4 pm then eat your dinner at 4pm. If you feel shaky, dizzy, tired, wobbly & you haven't eaten recently, have a snack! Low blood sugar can be a scary and possibly dangerous thing. You aren't doing yourself any favors by ignoring your hunger cues and you certainly aren't "weak" for eating something when you are hungry, you are simply nourishing & respecting yourself like you always should. Treat your body well, it's the only one you get!

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Product Spotlight: Better'n Peanut Butter

I'm sure I'm late to the game on this one but O M G I am in love with this stuff!! I'm one of those people that can get spoon deep in a jar of peanut butter on any given night with no remorse because I just love the stuff. But we all now PB isn't the most low-cal or low-fat food one can eat so while its perfectly fine in moderation, I needed to cut down on my nightly spooning (I'm talking about with the peanut butter here of course...) or find a lower calorie, lower fat alternative and tada! I found one! I decided to swing by Trader Joes after my shift the other day and to my surprise I happened upon a jar labeled "Better'n Peanut Butter" and not a minute later, walked up to the cashier with just a jar in hand. As soon as I made it to the car I whipped the lid off and tasted it. I was pleasantly surprised because lets be honest, most PB imitators taste like dirt, but this actually tastes good! At least I think so... Try it for yourself and see what you think, I think its an awesome product for those out there like me that are trying to slim down before summer but don't want to part with their beloved peanut butter.


Photo is posted to my IG account: wildannamal_

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Almost Done!

After a  very long & slightly emotional talk with my mom about how frustrated and worried I was because no one was getting me the things I needed for my DICAS application, the nutrition Gods came through in a big way because sure enough later that night one of my transcripts were posted.

Then the following day I f i n a l l y got my course list form from my DPD director and my 3rd reference letter!! Things are finally looking up! Still need 1 more reference letter & my last transcripts but in case you're out there freaking out & stressing like me, RELAX. Like my roommate said to me when she saw me laying on the floor groaning about how life isn't fair, it'll all work out. Just trust in that.

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Small Victory!

One of my transcripts has been processed!!! 

I was literally just venting to my mom about how incomplete my DICAS app is looking (not pointing fingers here but its definitely not my fault...) and I went to check just cause and turns out one of my transcripts made it there a week ago & showed up today as processed! That is a huge sigh of relief. Now I'm waiting on the second transcript from the school that I actually received my undergrad from to get there and be processed. That one mailed later than the first so I'm praying its in DICAS by Monday. Still waiting on my DPD director and last two reference letters but I already feel so much better just having the piece of mind that at least some progress is being made. I will continue to update more as the dreaded e-submit deadline approaches but everyone continue sending positive vibes my way cause I certainly need them. The amount of stress that will leave my body come Feb 15th will be UNREAL.

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DICAS Update: E-Portfolio Fun

February 15th is coming so fast!! So I have all of my parts done for DICAS so far, I'm just waiting on my DPD director to send over my Course List form, my last two references to submit their letters, and my transcripts to be processed...yikes! All I can really do now is wait which I think might actually kill me... I really don't like relying on so many other people to make sure this thing gets completed on time, it is truly so stressful!

Today on kind of a whim I decided to add one more program to my list taking me from 3 program designations to 4. The final one that I added today is a distance program through Sodexo and I'm not really sure why I didn't consider it before (I think the word "distance" scared me off) but they actually work with you to find a Sodexo location close to you instead of you finding your own preceptors. Their application isn't too much different from the rest, however, they did ask that you provide a link to an e-portfolio. Since I'm on this kick about blogging and creating websites and being all artsy and whatnot, I thought of it as a neat little project to work on. For those of you not familiar with what an e-portfolio entails, this is how Sodexo put it, an e-portfolio is for "highlighting your experience, achievements, goals, and commitment to the profession. Additionally, a well-crafted electronic portfolio demonstrates your computer and technology skills."

So I spent the morning putting together a modpodge of my skills, hobbies, passions, experience, blah blah blah into basically my own little website turned resume using Yola.com. If you're interested to see how it turned out, here is the link: http://annastrle-eportfolio.yolasite.com/

I kind of like this little extra requirement for Sodexo's program because it let's you take that extra step to show your creative side as well as highlighting your passion for nutrition. It may not be everyone's cup of tea to do something like that but I enjoyed it and it helped me kill a little time on this terribly boring Saturday I'm having at the moment. Well now that that's done I guess I'll...take a nap? Sounds good to me!

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Don't Be Defined By A Number

If you've read my About Me or creeped my instagram (don't be ashamed, we all do it & I'm flattered!) then you probably know that I have been on a life long journey with weight loss. It started when I was young and in high school where I lost over 30 pounds & fell in love with nutrition and fitness. Then college, work, bad breakups, and life started messing all that up and I gained about 1/3 of the weight back over a few years. It crept back on slowly so I honestly didn't even notice since I really didn't have a scale at school. But it was certainly there. I started to not like the way I looked in pictures or how my clothes fit so I wanted to finish what I started and get back down to what I was when I was at my lowest.

Truth be told, the weight came off fairly easy. I wasn't trying all that hard at first but then when I noticed that I was losing weight, I kicked up my workouts and cleaned up my eating a little more and before I knew it, I was back at the weight I wanted to be! Time to celebrate right? Wrong!! By this point I had become obsessed. Over the summer I was working out 1-3 times a day, counting calories very closely, weighing myself multiple times a day...I was driving myself crazy! Its no wonder that I fell into a cycle of restricting then bingeing that I'm still trying to break out of now.

I don't weigh myself 10 times a day anymore but each morning I still like to see where I'm at. Today I was bummed to see that my weight went up a pound from yesterday though I didn't overeat and I worked out...Over time this can become frustrating to anyone, especially when you work your a** off every day to make that number go down. But with that said, I am trying something different instead & I encourage you to try it with me if you are frustrated like me. I am now going to consciously remind myself day in and day out that the numbers on the scale mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They do not define who you I am, they do not make me less of the person I am, they do not make me less desirable, they are just numbers. Simple as that. They could be going up because I've recently started lifting again and I'm gaining muscle mass, they could be going up because of period bloat, they could be going up because I went on a date last night & we ate a lot of bread and drank a lot of wine. I don't know which is the reason, no one does, but what I do know is that when I stepped in front of the mirror this morning, I was still the same person I have always been. No matter how much your weight changes in your life there are two things I want you to remember: 1) you are who are for a reason & no matter how much you gain or lose, you will always be that same awesome person and 2) do not give up on your health because of some silly numbers. Make changes for your health and well being, not just so you can say you weigh ____ lbs. The number does not define you and the sooner you realize that, the happier you will be in life. 

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Product Spotlight: Friendly Farms Dill & Cucumber Greek Yogurt Dip

Aldi has made huge progress in its efforts to get more natural, organic, and just all around healthier products in its stores and for those like myself that try to eat healthy on a budget, Aldi is a life saver! I shop at Aldi at least once a week and not always at the same store. Though the products vary a little, they're is some constancy between the different locations.

I didn't have time to put a list together today so I went in blind (not how I like to grocery shop but when you need groceries, you gotta do what you gotta do). Since I wasn't looking for specific items I was just kind of looking at everything and stumbled across a Dill & Cucumber Greek Yogurt Dip that caught my eye. I decided to try it with my lunch today, dipping my unsalted, fat free pretzels into and wow! It had such a cooling and refreshing taste and for only 50 cals per 2 tbsp, I couldn't get enough. If you're looking for an alternative to your fav ranch or french onion dip, this is a must try!

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Transcripts

Since we're in the ever-advancing digital world I should've guessed that I could do all my transcript ordering for DICAS online but since I want everything to be perfect, I went all the way out the the community college where I took dual credit & summer classes to ask how to have my transcripts sent to DICAS with the attached form that DICAS asks you to send with them.

After waiting far longer than I should have to talk to the "transcript expert", a nice lady finally came out from the back just to tell me I had to do it all online...oh. So I left and came home and did it online. Moral of the story is before going all the way out to any schools you may need transcripts from, check to see if you can order "transcripts with an attachment" from their website. That way you can fill in all the forms yourself & attach the transcript request form that DICAS asks you to use all from the convenience of your couch. You don't even have to get out of your pajamas. What a time to be alive.

Anywho I hope this helps save some of you the trouble of going allllll the way out to your schools to be told you didn't need to come out there after all...oh well, lessons learned!

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The Dreaded Dietetic Internship Application

Since I am a recent nutrition grad, I have started the process of getting my DICAS application ready to be matched for a Dietetic Internship this Spring! Before getting into any of the specifics, I have to admit it to you guys that this process is brutal. Not because it is necessarily hard but because it is stupidly confusing. And maybe the stress was getting to me which made it probably seem so much worse than it actually is but this is my disclaimer if you are thinking about applying to internships in the near or distant future, know what you are getting yourself into.

Now that I probably scared you all off from applying (woo better chances for me getting accepted! Kidding of course...) I'll be posting every so often on what I've been going through and what I'll continue to go through until the application is due on February 15th. That date seems to be getting closer and closer each time I say it... Anywho, follow along with my posts to see how my application journey is going. Hopefully I can help some of you future RD2BEs get through this much easier than I currently am. Happy reading & if you've got any advice for me please leave it in the comments section!

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Is Any Experience Really Good Experience?

The answer is yes! When it comes to nutrition jobs and internships, employers and directors want to see that you have experience and skills that will allow you to succeed in whatever it is you are applying for. The key to using irrelevant experiences to your benefit lies in your ability to make your skills seem transferable.

Say your only experience was volunteering at your local library (don't laugh, I actually did this for a period of time. Not so glamorous but hey, experience is experience). So you're probably asking yourself what skills could I possibly have gained from being surrounded by books all day? WELL it helped my communication skills and customer service skills whenever I helped patrons find the book they were looking for. I also had to use the computer occasionally to look books up so I could say that it also helped improve my computer skills.

With the right phrasing and terminology, you can use even the most unremarkable experiences in your favor to snag the job, internship, or position you have your heart set on.

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Nutrition & Dietetics

Nutrition is such an awesome field to get into but it is not necessarily the easiest career to pursue. Before diving head first into a Dietetics program, be sure that this is EXACTLY what you want to do with your life because it is a lot of work, takes a lot of time, and unfortunately can cost a pretty penny too.

Tips for success in your undergrad:

• Plan wayyyy ahead -- it may seem silly to plan out two, three, four semesters, or even your whole four years in advance but trust me, you will thank yourself when you finish on time in four years and not five....or more
• Get close to your adviser and professors early -- they're on your side. They're the experts you'll want to ask for advice on everything from what classes to take when and how to succeed best in their classes. And having a close relationship with multiple instructors will make it so much easier for you to get awesome recommendation letters when it comes time for you to apply to internships.
• Get involved! -- join the nutrition club, volunteer at a food pantry or WIC clinic, get a foodservice job if you can. Start building your resume up early with whatever you can get into. Don't wait until you're a month from graduating to realize you have no valuable experience because that will lower your chances of getting into an internship or getting a post-grad job
• Save money if you can -- I know its not possible for everyone but if you can save even a little throughout your undergrad, you won't be as shell shocked by the costs of just applying for a dietetic internship (the tuition is a different story; make sure you're sitting down when you look at those numbers!)

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