Yesterday, I ate potato chips. Not 10 of them like I'm supposed to on my diet. I ate probably 30 chips. Why would I break the diet for potato chips, you ask? Well, I blame it on Theo from The Cosby Show. I was watching the show on Netflix yesterday and Theo poured a bag of chips into a bowl. I thought to myself, "Mmmmm, potato chips would be delicious right now..." So, I went downstairs in search of the greasy, crispy things. Lo and behold, there they were, sitting on the shelf, calling my name. So, I brought the bag upstairs and munched on them until the craving was satisfied. They were delicious!
Despite the deliciousness, I still feel a little regret. I shouldn't have eaten them (or at least not that many of them). I don't usually like potato chips; I prefer pretzels (especially with ice cream!). In other news, I have exercised three days so far this week. On Tuesday, I did a little running. I did yoga on a dog hair-covered rug in my living room on Wednesday. And, on Thursday, I jogged six whole laps around the track behind Root Elementary. This may seem like a small achievement to you; but, to me, I may as well have conquered the world! Today, I'm too sore to workout and I wanted to sleep in a little bit. I still need to weigh myself.
I hate the scale. I hate stepping on its cold surface and watching as the dial inches past the mid-100s into the dismal range that is my weight. I hate the sad sound the springs make as they struggle to contract under my bulk. I really hate scales. I know people who weigh themselves every day because it makes them "more accountable" to what they're eating. I am not one of those people. I prefer to go months without weighing myself. The only thing motivating me to step on to that small box of torture is that I'm on a diet.
I'm not sure if I've talked about my diet yet. Why am I on a diet, you may be wondering? Well, you see, I'm overweight. Only by a little, but still overweight. I have always been very self-conscious (as you may have been able to tell by my hatred of the scale) and I am tired of not liking my body. So, I'm doing something about it (plus, I work at a bakery AND I can't afford bigger clothes). My diet is called the Change One Diet (or the Reader's Digest diet). The way it works is each week you work on a different meal or aspect of your life. The first week was breakfast, then lunch, then snacks, then dinner, now exercise. I skipped the eating out week and holiday week because there aren't any holidays now and I can't afford to eat out. I've really liked how it's set up so far. Everything is really manageable. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself. That's what I usually hate about diets--the feeling of deprivation. On the Change One diet, I can eat whatever I want, just smaller portions.
The thing I've struggled most with so far is the snacks. I'm a snacker and a boredom eater. I love snacks, whether I'm hungry or not. Especially sweets...at night. I will follow my diet perfectly all day, but right before bed I get a terrible sweet tooth. I don't know how to cure it! Despite the difficulty snacks were to me, I've lost 8 pounds so far! I'm pretty dang proud of myself!
Any tips for beating the late-night munchies? Do any of you feel the same animosity towards the scale? Are you on a diet, too? If so, is it working?
Until next time, have a great weekend!
Love,
Anna
Friday, July 8, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Adventures in Cooking
Since my mommy just had surgery and is recovering, I made the holiday meal (with a little help from my papa). We decided on grilled chicken, a big fruit salad, basil infused fresh squeezed lemonade, sweet mint iced tea, potato and veggie packs, and corn on the cob. For dessert, I made a no-bake marbelized cheesecake. Here's a link to the recipe:
http://blog.modcloth.com/2011-07-01-a-festive-finale-marbleized-no-bake-cheesecake
I hope it tastes good! It's chilling in the fridge right now. It's allergen free (for my mom) except for the graham cracker crust. The basil infused fresh squeezed lemonade is DELICIOUS!!!! A lady from my church posted the recipe for basil lemon syrup to use in lemonade and I knew I had to try it! Here's a link to the recipe for the syrup:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Basil-Lemon-Syrup-238927
Then I added the syrup to Paula Deen's recipe for lemonade. It's a perfect blend of tart and sweet with that unique basil flavor. Super tasty!! Here's the link to the lemonade (really easy to make): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lemonade-recipe/index.html
Yesterday, I made a caprese salad for dinner. Super tasty, but my balsamic reduction didn't reduce enough. It still tasted great and left a nice dipping sauce in the bottom of the dish. Any tips for a great balsamic reduction?
Those are my adventures in cooking for the holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July, friends!!!
How did you spend your holiday?
http://blog.modcloth.com/2011-07-01-a-festive-finale-marbleized-no-bake-cheesecake
I hope it tastes good! It's chilling in the fridge right now. It's allergen free (for my mom) except for the graham cracker crust. The basil infused fresh squeezed lemonade is DELICIOUS!!!! A lady from my church posted the recipe for basil lemon syrup to use in lemonade and I knew I had to try it! Here's a link to the recipe for the syrup:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Basil-Lemon-Syrup-238927
Then I added the syrup to Paula Deen's recipe for lemonade. It's a perfect blend of tart and sweet with that unique basil flavor. Super tasty!! Here's the link to the lemonade (really easy to make): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lemonade-recipe/index.html
Yesterday, I made a caprese salad for dinner. Super tasty, but my balsamic reduction didn't reduce enough. It still tasted great and left a nice dipping sauce in the bottom of the dish. Any tips for a great balsamic reduction?
Those are my adventures in cooking for the holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July, friends!!!
How did you spend your holiday?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
To Exercise or Not To Exercise? That Is the Question
It's 11:15PM and I'm STILL in my pajamas. Laziness? Yes. Ridiculous? Yes. So nice to lay down and do nothing for a few hours? YES! I don't know what the psychology of a Saturday is, but it just makes me want to lay in bed lazily until I have to get up and make myself presentable for work. I woke up at 8:30 thinking, "I think I'll get up and go running!" Then I took my adorable puppy, Sophie, outside for her morning business and it is HOT!
The summer heat in Arkansas is AWFUL! The hotter it gets, the more I want to stay in air conditioning as much as possible! Or swim. I'd like to swim. Wait...No! I hate swimming (at least in public pools) because I HATE bathing suits. I don't care if I'm "not fat" or "still young." I have always hated being bigger than all the girls my age (and I don't mean height-wise). I have never been comfortable enough with my body to wear a bikini even though I desperately want to be hot enough to wear one!
This is where the crucial question comes in: To Exercise or Not To Exercise? Obviously, if I am not comfortable with my body, I choose not to exercise more often than not. I have a few reasons I don't enjoy exercising. I will list them for you:
1. I sweat like a man. Not glistening, but red-faced, drenched in perspiration sweating.
2. I hate exercising alone.
3. I feel like EVERYBODY is watching me whether I'm in a gym, running in the park, swimming in a public pool, etc. (I know they're not, but still)
4. I don't like showering in the middle of the day or at night because of my hair--it's unruly and curly.
5. Everything jiggles. I hate the jiggling. Arms, thighs, tummy. Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. Like a nasty jello person.
I realize that #5 could easily go away if I got off my lazy behind and exercised. I am not a reasonable person when it comes to exercise. I don't want to be panting in a gym full of in-shape people. On this topic, I heard that the HPER (the gym on the UofA campus) has now banned girls from wearing only a sports bra and the tight exercise camis. They've also banned guys from wearing muscle tanks and those ridiculous cut out t-shirts. The person who told me this was very angry about this decision. I sat and nodded while they ranted about how the University was becoming "too conservative" and that "it should be the individual's choice if they want to wear those things to the gym." Even though I was nodding in agreement, I was really thinking, "Hallelujah!! Now, when I finally do go to the gym (haha!), there won't be girls with their perfectly toned abs exercising on the elliptical next to me. My inferiority complex will be dwindled a little bit!"
What do you think? Do think it was fair for the UofA to make this new rule? Do you also avoid exercise? What are some reasons why? And if you enjoy exercise, please share your motivation!
Thanks for reading! Happy Holiday Weekend!
The summer heat in Arkansas is AWFUL! The hotter it gets, the more I want to stay in air conditioning as much as possible! Or swim. I'd like to swim. Wait...No! I hate swimming (at least in public pools) because I HATE bathing suits. I don't care if I'm "not fat" or "still young." I have always hated being bigger than all the girls my age (and I don't mean height-wise). I have never been comfortable enough with my body to wear a bikini even though I desperately want to be hot enough to wear one!
This is where the crucial question comes in: To Exercise or Not To Exercise? Obviously, if I am not comfortable with my body, I choose not to exercise more often than not. I have a few reasons I don't enjoy exercising. I will list them for you:
1. I sweat like a man. Not glistening, but red-faced, drenched in perspiration sweating.
2. I hate exercising alone.
3. I feel like EVERYBODY is watching me whether I'm in a gym, running in the park, swimming in a public pool, etc. (I know they're not, but still)
4. I don't like showering in the middle of the day or at night because of my hair--it's unruly and curly.
5. Everything jiggles. I hate the jiggling. Arms, thighs, tummy. Jiggle, jiggle, jiggle. Like a nasty jello person.
I realize that #5 could easily go away if I got off my lazy behind and exercised. I am not a reasonable person when it comes to exercise. I don't want to be panting in a gym full of in-shape people. On this topic, I heard that the HPER (the gym on the UofA campus) has now banned girls from wearing only a sports bra and the tight exercise camis. They've also banned guys from wearing muscle tanks and those ridiculous cut out t-shirts. The person who told me this was very angry about this decision. I sat and nodded while they ranted about how the University was becoming "too conservative" and that "it should be the individual's choice if they want to wear those things to the gym." Even though I was nodding in agreement, I was really thinking, "Hallelujah!! Now, when I finally do go to the gym (haha!), there won't be girls with their perfectly toned abs exercising on the elliptical next to me. My inferiority complex will be dwindled a little bit!"
What do you think? Do think it was fair for the UofA to make this new rule? Do you also avoid exercise? What are some reasons why? And if you enjoy exercise, please share your motivation!
Thanks for reading! Happy Holiday Weekend!
Friday, July 1, 2011
First Post Jitters
I've been reading blogs recently. It's becoming an addiction. I need to stop. But, I can't because everything I'm reading is super inspiring. I figured I'd join in the fun! I've always been a touch-and-go journaler (is journaler a word?), so writing a blog should be sorta similar, right? Bare with me as I learn the ins and outs of this blogging world.
Now I can talk about work, family, school, my diet, my boyfriend--all kinds of stuff! I'm excited to see what kind of response I get (even if it's just my friends or mommy).
I totally forgot my introduction! Here it is:
Hi, I'm Anna. I'm 19 years old (too young to blog? Nah.) and I'm a sophomore at the University of Arkansas. I'm double majoring in Criminal Justice and Flute Performance. I know, I know; odd combo, but it works for me (and NO, I will not be playing my flute for all the inmates. I'm so tired of that joke.). I love fashion (even if I dress like a lazy college student), food, my family, my puppy, my friends, and my job! I'm a deli worker at Briar Rose Bakery & Deli in Farmington, AR. I want to go to law school (one day....hopefully) to become a prosecuting attorney. I'm blessed with great friends and awesome opportunities. I wouldn't trade who I am for anything!
There's me in a nutshell. Glad to meet you!
Now I can talk about work, family, school, my diet, my boyfriend--all kinds of stuff! I'm excited to see what kind of response I get (even if it's just my friends or mommy).
I totally forgot my introduction! Here it is:
Hi, I'm Anna. I'm 19 years old (too young to blog? Nah.) and I'm a sophomore at the University of Arkansas. I'm double majoring in Criminal Justice and Flute Performance. I know, I know; odd combo, but it works for me (and NO, I will not be playing my flute for all the inmates. I'm so tired of that joke.). I love fashion (even if I dress like a lazy college student), food, my family, my puppy, my friends, and my job! I'm a deli worker at Briar Rose Bakery & Deli in Farmington, AR. I want to go to law school (one day....hopefully) to become a prosecuting attorney. I'm blessed with great friends and awesome opportunities. I wouldn't trade who I am for anything!
There's me in a nutshell. Glad to meet you!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)