Accountability

Hey! Guess what is a great motivator?  Accountability.  So in my effort to get in shape mentally and physically I've decided to post my efforts---good and bad---here on my blog.

Goals:

Weight Loss:  Loose 20 pounds by May 1 (Just in time for Hong Kong!)

Book:  Have early character profiles done by the end of this week

Ok.  Now let's get this thing on the road.


And to my dear and beloved AJ:  I have goal for you....post something by this Sunday.  I believe in you and know that you can do it.

And because no blog post is complete without a picture:

Bam.

Dear Right Eye

Dear Right Eye,
        I'll be honest...I'm not overly fond of you.  It's odd and random of you to be my poorest eye and yet my dominant one...causing poor Lefty to do all the work and pick up the slack--but I have forgiven you for your shortcomings.

However...

Twitching for several days in a row, 24/7, is a bit much.  Twitching for an hour or even two---fine.  But twitching every few seconds nonstop for the past several days---you've gone too far right eye!!! You broke my heart right eye.  You broke my heart. (and yes I am referencing Michael Corleone--and if you don't know who that is, than we have some serious issues to work out)

So this is your warning right eye.  Stop twitching. Just stop it.  No one thinks you're funny.  No one thinks you're clever.  Every eye can twitch, you ain't doing anything special.  So just stop.

You have been warned.

The Girl's World of Dieting.

“There are 17 grams of sugar in this medium sized orange.”

“Wow!  What about my apple?”

“About the same.”

“But it’s good sugar.”

“Sure.”

Good sugar? Bad sugar? It’s still sugar and you still have to count it.  And it’s still a pain.  Counting calories is frustrating, but even worse is when you count fat, sugar, carbs, saturated fat, and protein all at the same time—which is the current endeavor I’ve begun.  One night a week I do not count-and that’s when I’m eating at Judy’s house because truth be told, she can cook and I refuse to ban my taste buds from that God given talent. 

Last week I sat at my desk begrudgingly scarfing down a plate of leafy spinach and tomatoes while I overheard a male coworker comment on the fact that he has lost 15 pounds in the past couple of works.  Immediately I paused my ipod as he explained how.  

"I stopped drinking alcohol."

I then proceeded to to throw the rest of my salad away and turn up my ipod and drown myself in work.  Fifteen pounds lost by a coworker who eat outs everyday for lunch by merely abstaining from alcohol for a few weeks? Crazy.  And then you have me-- a girl who goes to a vigorous kickboxing class and walks every day at lunch and eats nothing but spinach and fish---who lost 7 pounds in two months.  Should I stop drinking alcohol? Is that the secret?

No.  Otherwise I would have lost weight months ago.

So what's the real secret? Guys just loose weight easier.  They stop eating or drinking one item and the pounds shed off.  I was told recently that men who undergo gastric bypass or lap-band surgery also loose weight amazingly faster than women.  I get it.  The primal role of a women is have babies and raise them and therefore by nature we need to be heavier than men.  Men are built merely to hunt. 


So I get it.  But that doesn't make it any less frustrating.  Especially when I drive past cookout after kickboxing.  (I want a milkshake so freaking bad)

I write this hesitantly since I often struggle with food issues (and can't even enjoy a freaking orange anymore).  But girls, don't stress about looking good.  If you're gonna stress about your weight, stress about maintaining a healthy body.  You could go on the twinkie diet and loose weight but most likely you'll end up without teeth and diabetes.  Coming from someone who has a family history of diabetes-that's not what you want.  Take care of yourself because you want to live longer and more satisfyingly, not because you want to look great in a bikini. 

5K Training- Installment One

My boss convinced me to sign up for my very first 5K. 

Now let’s get one thing straight:  I don’t like to run.  I almost resent the entire act itself.  I often find myself driving past these people that are running at 7:30 AM and my immediate thought is “Who do they think they are?  With their fancy shoes and spandex pants?  Out running around like they’re so much better than everybody else because they run.  Ridiculous.  Everyone can run—it is God’s way of allowing you to escape from the dog next door, the cops, or to avoid your ex-boyfriend at the mall.  It is by no means something to show off about.

But let’s be honest—well, let me honest.  I feel this way because I can’t run.  There I said it.  Go ahead, laugh and taunt me (for I am rubber and you are glue; everything you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. Oooooo snap.)  So when the opportunity came up to be sponsored, I decided that no longer would I be the walker.  I would be the runner.  Life is full of so many amazing opportunities and chances to do stuff to better yourself, and lately I’ve been trying to grab every single one of them.  Besides…how hard could it be?

Day 1 of Training:

AF and I decided to join a tae kwon do kickboxing class; I’ve done kickboxing before, but no where near to this extent.  This was hard core serious kickboxing—and I do not exaggerate: the instructor at one point sat on somebody’s back while they stretched.  Yes. 

Now before I continue, I must try to make myself sound not entirely pathetic.  I had been sick, in fact I had left work early just the day before and spent a fair amount of time at the doctor and then the rest of the day sprawled in bed with a box of tissues, chamomile tea, and The Godfather (nothing compares to watching Michael Corleone transform from amicable civilian to intimidating Don Corleone while you sip on “sleepytime” tea).  Not only had I been sick, I have a bad habit of replacing my daily intake of water with coffee.  This is a new habit of mine, I’ve always consumed copious amounts of the lovely nectar that is coffee, but usually I’ve been pretty watchful on countering it with water.  Lately this has not been the case, just coffee…and chai tea. And more coffee.

So when I pulled off my socks and tennis shoes and walked onto the mat I was reeling off a bout of sickness and I was high on caffeine…and extremely dehydrated.  Perhaps I am making excuses. So be it.  Twenty minutes later as I circled around AF exchanging punches, I noticed that the music was getting farther away and her voice was disappearing…as well as my surroundings.   

Subsequently I discovered myself on the bleachers watching AF’s face fade in and out of sight while I realized that I truly had overestimated myself and underestimated this upcoming 5K. 

But hear me out.  I will dominate this 5K.  I may have failed my first day of training—but this girl learns from her mistakes.  So 5K, here I come.