May 3, 2009
· Filed under Diets, Fitness, Health, Health Food, Life, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, Women's Health, Working Out · Tagged gym, meetings, nigiri, nyquil, shopping, sushi
Thanks to a Nyquil induced haze, I missed my meeting this morning. Probably for the best – I don’t need to go infecting people with whatever it is I have. So, no weigh in (boo!) today. I’ll have to go to a different meeting later in the week.Thanks to a Nyquil induced haze, I missed my meeting this morning. Probably for the best – I don’t need to go infecting people with whatever it is I have. So, no weigh in (boo!) today. I’ll have to go to a different meeting later in the week.
The good news? I’m feeling SOOOOOO much better now! All of this resting has definitely paid off. I almost feel like I’ll be back to normal tomorrow *knocks wood*. Things I will definitely be doing tomorrow: hitting the gym (oh, how I have missed thee!), grocery shopping, finding a replacement meeting, writing an honest to goodness post on this thing, and eating some sushi!! I have the biggest craving for it right now! MMMM…salmon nigiri!
In other (way more exciting) news . . . I am now a part of the Twittersphere! @StephBlaze – I’d love it if you followed me! =D
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Health, Life, Women's Health
Bleeeeergh
I took this picture and thought it was way too funny not to share. This is me, sick in bed watching The Simpson’s Season 4. I think my face clearly indicates the ickiness that I feel . . . as if to say, “I’m biserable”*
*get it? Like, miserable, but my nose is stuffed so I can’t pronounce my mmmms! Yep. The fever has gotten to me.
May 1, 2009
· Filed under Diets, Health, Life, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Women's Health, Working Out · Tagged cold, flu, sick
Hi everyone! Not gonna write much on account of my head feeling like it’s seconds away from exploding, but I wanted to check in nonetheless. I have done zero exercise this week thanks to a pretty nasty cold (not the swine flu, hooray!), but my eating has been decent – alright, so I had some brownies yesterday and today, but I counted and I moved on.
I can’t wait to start feeling better so I can get my exercise back on. It’s funny how quickly your body can get used to an exercise routine and then miss it when you stop. Seriously. My body has been screaming at me on multiple levels “I don’t feel good” “I want to move around” “I need sleep” “feed me soup” . . . it’s non-stop harassment, people!
The sending of many healthy vibes would be greatly appreciated!
April 27, 2009
· Filed under Uncategorized
. . . but I have the best boyfriend ever. Seriously. Not only is he amazingly supportive, kind, and caring in my weight loss journey and 
in daily life in general, but he was able to turn my silly little sketch into an amazing new banner for my blog. So, thank you thank you thank you to my wonderful boyfriend, Josh, who (incidentally) just started up his own blog which you should most definitely check out!
Ok. So maybe I did want to brag a little.
April 27, 2009
· Filed under Attitude, Confidence, Diets, Fitness, Health, Life, Motivation, Sanity, Weight Loss, Women's Health, Working Out
**UPDATE! Wow – sorry for all the double talk on the first posting of this entry. I don’t know how the heck every paragraph got all messed up and repeated, but it’s fixed now for easier reading!
Let’s face it . . . we all need motivation on our weight loss journeys at some point. I mean, if we never, ever lacked in motivation I’m pretty sure weight loss wouldn’t be as painstaking as it is! Here are some things that I find particularly helpful when the going gets tough:
Bored with your workouts? Sick and tired of spending time on the treadmill? Try something new! If you belong to a gym, see what classes are available – Most gyms have dance classes like hip-hop, latin dance, even belly dancing, which can put a new and interesting spin on your otherwise basic cardio routine. Not a dancer? It’s ok – those classes are geared toward people at every different level. If dance doesn’t spin your stationary bike, try kick boxing or self defense. If you don’t belong to a gym, but want to try out group classes – check out nearby parks or your neighborhood YMCA for classes on the cheaper side. If that that doesn’t interest you either, check out my doesn’t interest you either, check out my DVD PageDVD Page for suggestions on workout videos! for suggestions on workout videos!
Make a list (!!!) of why you decided to lose weight in the first place. When I lost 25 lbs a year ago, this was the very first thing I did. It puts everything in perspective, and is super handy to have on hand when you find your motivation is slipping. For example: feeling confident in a bathing suit, buying clothes several sizes smaller, feeling comfortable in shorts, so I can look/feel/be healthy, etc. The list will make you aware of the true reason behind your wanting to lose weight – make sure you’re not doing it for anyone other than yourself!
Find pictures of celebrities whose bodies you admire – cut them out and get creative! Make a collage, make a scrapbook, put them in a notebook (added bonus, getting creative will often times get your mind off of whatever it is you’re craving, but know you shouldn’t be putting into your face!), put them somewhere you can access them. When you’re done with that, find clothing that you would love to be able to wear comfortably and confidently – stuff that you’ll most definitely splurge on when you hit your goal – and put them alongside your celebrities. My current celebrities are Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet, Natalie Portman, and Rashida Jones. As for clothing, check out Rashida Jones’ entire wardrobe in I Love You, Man . . . her clothes are soooo adorable – definite props to the costume designer!
Journal, Journal, Journal! I can’t stress this one enough. I’ve kept a journal for twenty years now, and writing in it has kept me sane. When an intense food craving/binge craving hits and you feel like there’s nothing else for you to do except shove food in your mouth, grab a pen and a piece of paper and write! It doesn’t matter about what , really, but I usually write about how I’m feeling. If I’m about to binge, it’s usually because I’m feeling anxious or depressed, so I write about that. More often than not I’ll be able to figure out what’s really bugging me, and by the time I finish writing, the craving is usually gone. I’m telling you, my journal is my sanity. Not a writer? It’s ok! You’re not trying to write the great American novel! What you write is for your eyes only – who cares if your spelling/grammar/punctuation isn’t wonderful . . . in fact, that’s kind of the point. Get it down on paper and I guarantee you’ll feel better after!
Now it’s time for you to sound off – what do you do to keep your motivation up?
April 24, 2009
· Filed under Diets, Fitness, Health, Life, Sanity, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, Women's Health, Working Out
Alright, y’all, I’ve seriously been slacking on my blogging duties. For that, I’m sorry. There have been a couple topics I’ve been mulling over for the past few days, and on top of that I started rehearsing for a production of Steel Magnolias (I’m playing Shelby). Needless to say things have been hectic. I am, however, very happy to report that my eating has been on plan and consistent, and I have exercised every day this week – for those Weight Watchers out there, I’ve earned 14 APs already this week!
So, here’s a look at things to come in the next few days. . .
- An updated picture – I’ve lost seven pounds! *happy dance*
- People making comments about your weight/appearance . . . why do they do it? This girl postulates on the topic.
- Self-sabotage – why I think I’m afraid of “The Skinny”
- A look at what it’s like being a size 14 actress in a size 2 industry
Stay tuned!
April 19, 2009
· Filed under Attitude, Confidence, Diets, Fitness, Health, Life, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Women's Health
My weigh in was today – like I said before, I hadn’t weighed in last week because my meeting was cancelled due to Easter – and. . . wait for it. . . SUCCESS!! I lost 3 pounds *celebratory dancing*!!! This puts my total weight loss at 7 pounds – 3 more until I hit my first five percent!!! Then, it’ll be reward time. Only, I’m not sure how, exactly to reward myself yet. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
As for goals this week, this is what I’ve got so far:
- Get in at least 2 activity points per day
- Get all of the Good Health Guidelines* in every day
- Track track track what I eat
- Be nice to myself (no self-deprecating, negative thoughts)
No exceptions and no excuses!
In other news, I know I said I’d post an updated picture tonight – but my camera’s out of batteries, so it’ll have to wait for tomorrow. . .
*For those non Weight Watchers people out there in cyberland, the Good Health Guidelines are foods WW wants you incorporate into your daily meals and snacks, i.e. fruits/veggies, low fat dairy, whole grains, healthy oils, lean meats. They also include multivitamins, and exercise.
April 18, 2009
· Filed under Attitude, Diets, Fitness, Health, Life, Sanity, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, Women's Health, Working Out
With the blog. . . not with the new lifestyle. I had a couple of crazy days and a couple of crazy impulses to eat whatever whenever. I was able, thankfully, to curb the latter. Today I was able to curb it with exercise. Wow. That’s the first time I’ve ever been able to write that sentence! Basically, I woke up feeling really crappy – tired and down in the dumps. So? I decided to go to the gym and do some C25K! I felt amazing afterward. And, it turns out the gym is practically empty on a Saturday afternoon. Good to know!
I’ve got weigh in tomorrow morning. I didn’t weigh in last week because my meeting was cancelled last week due to Easter and I didn’t want to weigh in at any other meeting than my own – call me picky, but I love my meeting! Wish me luck – I’ll update tomorrow with my weight along with a progress pic!!
April 16, 2009
· Filed under Attitude, Confidence, Health, Life, Scars, Self-Esteem, Stretch Marks, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers, Women's Health
This is a subject that’s really, really hard for me to talk about. Stretch marks. The very words placed in succession make me shudder. They first appeared when I was 10 and just beginning to develop. Basically, my boobs popped out of nowhere and my skin, as sensitive as it is, couldn’t handle it. Enter the giant, red lines that kept me out of a bathing suit for years. They faded, but the pearly white scars are still, and probably always will be, visible.
Fast forward to about a month and a half ago – I was getting ready to take a shower, and, to my horror, I noticed the familiar deep red lines. . . only this time, they were all over the place. Stomach, legs, arms, hips, you name it I’ve most likely got stretch marks on it. I panicked. How could I do this to myself? How could I let myself gain so much weight so quickly? I walked around in a haze for about a week, beating myself up non-stop. All of my old body-issues piling themselves on top of new ones like they had never gone away. Of course, I ate to try to soothe the pain and anxiety I was feeling, which only made matters worse. Then, I heard a quote on the radio:
If you’re already in a hole, stop digging.
It was the wake up call that I needed. It was so simple – just stop digging! So I did, and I re-joined Weight Watchers. I started feeling better almost instantly, but I was still horribly self conscious about the ultra-visible, ultra-embarrassing scars. I couldn’t stop thinking about how, even when I hit my goal, I’d never be able to wear a bathing suit or shorts comfortably – I’d be too hung up on feeling like everyone’s staring at the grotesque scars covering my body. . . this frame of mind was not helping anyone, especially not me, since, you know, feeling sorry for myself equals binge eating. So I sat down, and I thought about it long and hard, and I realized something. . .
I’ve failed at WW in the past because I get so frustrated with the program that I begin to think – I can do this by myself, I don’t need help. So I quit, and inevitably gain all my weight back and then some. But now I have these scars – my constant reminder that I do need a strong support system, and that, as frustrated as I get, I cannot quit moving forward. They are my reminder that I can never go back to a lethargic lifestyle of eating whatever I want and then feeling sorry for myself. And you know what? Years from now, when I’ve lost all my weight and the deep red grooves have turned into iridescent scars, I will wear shorts and bathing suits with pride – and when I look at myself in the mirror and the scars look back at me, I’ll smile, because I won’t have forgotten where I’ve been or what it took for me to achieve my goals.
April 14, 2009
· Filed under Confidence, Fitness, Health, Life, Nutrition, Self-Esteem, Weight Loss, Women's Health, Working Out
Well, I just finished my third time doing The Dreaded Shred (I know, I know, I started Friday night and finished day three today. . . which is technically day five, not day three, but let’s not get into semantics on this). For kicks I wanted to take another picture of myself afterward: 
Check out Miss Smug up there, thinkin’ she’s pretty cool! Yes, it’s a lot different from Day 1 – for starters, I don’t feel like my heart’s about to bolt straight out of my chest! My muscles are fatigued, but they’re not wiggling like my Aunt Carm’s Christmas Jell-O molds. All in all, I feel damn fine! My endurance is definitely increasing, and I can see major changes starting to happen with my body. A chin is emerging from my usually round face, my thighs at the beginning stages of toning up, and I’m feeling more or less fierce. Good changes in body = mucho self-confidence. Suddenly I’m walking around feeling like I deserve a space in this world, and let me tell you, that feels mighty good!
P.S. If you look just below that strand of hair in the middle of my forehead, you’ll see a bead of sweat. Yeah. I’m hot. Literally, and figuratively! *cat sound*
