Jillian Michael's Thirty Day Shred

As most of you know, if you read my blog (I don't blame you if you don't. I'm a less than mediocre writer.) I am doing weight watchers. This has been an amazing change in my life and I love it. Of course there are days that are hard. In fact yesterday I was starving. All day. And all my body wanted was pizza, ice cream, pasta, and lots of easy calories in the forms of delicious carbs. But I got through the day, only ate once piece of pizza at my brother's tangled party (I ate fruit and soup before I went so I wouldn't be as hungry.)

Anywhoo. I've also been working out. This month, I joined 30 days ago, I have lost 12 pounds. Now 3 pounds a week is a little intense, but I figure, if I'm following the rules of weight watchers, eating healthy, and working out only 3 days a week on average, then this is okay, and I'm going to eventually hit that plateau (around 155) and the real work will begin and losing my goal, 2 lbs a week, will become a real challenge.  I want to work out more, I really do love working out (most days) and I want to get something more substantial in my life. If I had the money, I'd hire a trainer. Unfortunately, that's not an option.

But I really do feel great. I feel like I look better. I feel more comfortable is a lot of my clothes, they're less tight, and I am starting to fit back in a lot of stuff I haven't for a while. (Mek Jeans, here I come!)

Now recently, one of my oldest friends, Candace, did Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. I tried doing this, and didn't even start. hahaha. I have done Jillian Michael's work outs before and wanted to die, but I like her..technique? Cardio, Abs, and toning all in one workout!? Yes please.

I'm hoping that posting this on my blog with all my readers and friends and family to see it, will push me to actually do it. My sister Jacki has been my biggest support through all of this. She has recently rejoined Weight Watchers and we text each other EVERY time we eat something and how many points it's worth. We tell each other when we're frustrated about weight loss, or lack of, or if we're feeling lazy, or if we cheat and eat a whole giant chocolate chip cookie by ourself.

I can't wait to see what transformation this brings. The main thing I"m hoping is to build more muscle, since the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, especially at a resting rate. I wouldn't mind fitting back into my Mek Jeans as well. :)

Thanks for being out there reader void, to push me to be accountable for my commitments.
Also to come soon: I should be finishing a dress I made from a vintage pattern that I had to do some adaptations. Hopefully I'll have it done on Saturday in time to go to General Conference Saturday Morning! So I'll post a sewing project soon! Also, school is out in 2.5 weeks. Then I don't have to focus on Math and Anthropology and Photo projects and History and focus on getting ready for England which will include LOTS of sewing projects! (hooray!)

My collection

• No one expects the stamp collector to actually mail letters with his stamps. No one expects the coin collector to use his coins in a vending machine for soda. So why does everyone expect me to use my fabric collection to actually sew anything!? I'm not a fabric-aholic. I'm a fabric collector.

Just for the record, this is NOT my fabric collection. This is the fabric I had bought between April and November that hadn't been used. (the Midsummer's fabric once took up this WHOLE book shelf)

I simply had to put fabric somewhere, because all my other places had been taken up. You know like the shelves my dad built for my fabric in the storage room. Or the giant closet in the sewing room filled with fabric. It's everywhere. and I love it all.

My Alter Ego Photography Project

I'm really loving my Photography Class! My teacher is kinda funny, in a jerk kind of a way. :) And although I knew a lot about the technicalities of a SLR camera, It was nice to have a teacher really grill you on it and make you to exercises to perfect that. I really feel like this class is slowly making me a better photographer. I say slowly because of my slow learning. Practice makes perfect? Well with me it's Practice makes acceptable. And that's after LOTS of practice. 

The project we're working on is called the alter ego. It's staged photos that we have to set up and take (lucky for me my SLR has a timer).

Well after some grueling and VERY late night photo shoots and some help from my lighting genius friend Brady Howard and borrowing wigs from Melanie and Chad and using my own as well, I was able to get a good collection and a couple of rolls of alter egos.

Well today I went to develop my film. I got the appropriate gear: canister, reel, can opener, scissors, etc, and went into the dark room. I switched the flip which turned on a bright red light sign outside the door that says 'ROOM IN USE.' and turned off the lights in the dark room and got to work. I got one roll of film onto the reel when I started on the second and BOOM. The door opened. Letting in tons of light onto my precious photos. The Photo Lab Monitor stared at me.

 "I'm In here!" I shouted in shock. She stared at me. 

"OH. Sorry!" She still stared.

"SHUT THE DOOR!" I cried!

Needless to say, both rolls had much damage and over exposure to them. After all the precious work and hours of sleep Brady and I had sacrificed, some IDIOT barged into an OBVIOUSLY occupied room without knocking. I just hope I can get enough prints for the required assignment. Which i DON"T have time to re-shoot. Anyway

I was able to get at least One good shot from this horrid experience.

Channeling My Inner Rosemary Clooney.
My alter Ego of being a Jazz Singer.

Kristi and Hemaraj Engaged!

My best friend is engaged! And since I will be her Maid of Honor I won't be able to be her photographer, so I was able to do their engagement photos! Click here to see her photos on my Photography website!

Oh Spring You Bringer of Fruits! How I love thee!

I joined Weight watchers a few weeks ago. My weight got so high, and I felt so out of control with my food habits that I needed something. Some guidelines, some rules, some structure. I haven't met a person who has done weight watchers, did it dilligently, and not loved it. I love that it's not a diet plan, it's a lifestyle change. Probably the only affective way of eating I've found in the past is counting my calories. 

The problem with this, is I never allowed myself to have treats, and if i did I sacrificed everything else for that piece of Pizza or that piece of pie. And even when I was sticking to my allotted caloric intake, I still found myself really hungry. And so eventually I would break and stuff myself. Then I would feel so guilty about it. I'd feel like the very hungry caterpillar! (especially at the end of the book, when he looks like a big caterpillar marshmallow.)

But thanks to the very inspiring words of my friend, McKella, who has worked through bouts of depression and eating disorders, and isn't afraid to own up to it and talk about it, I found inspiration and knew that it was up to me to do something healthy, to change the way I eat and most importantly, LISTEN TO MY BODY!

I have yet to feel hungry with weight watchers, and if I do, I eat some fruits or veggies (both are worth 0 points) and it keeps me going till my next meal. Sometimes, I have problems eating ALL my points, because I'm eating enough veggies and fruits to not have any points at all.

The first week was easy, It was new, exciting! I lost 6 pounds. But this last week, the second week, it was harder. I wasn't getting much sleep, so my body wanted quick, fast calories, and lots of them. I also was running around to school, to work, to play, but didn't seem to have time to pack lunch with healthy things like I normally do. But I stuck to my points anyway. I even allowed myself some ice cream. :)

But today I went to my first meeting and it really gave me an oomph of excitement. My mom picked me up (my car is in the shop) and on our way home I told her i wanted to stop at the store. By the time we left, there wasn't one thing in our cart that wasn't a fruit or veggie.

Ever since my first year at college, I've absolutely loved buying fruits and veggies. It's one thing to cook for yourself, but it's so awesome when it's healthy. Makes me feel all growed up! :) There's something about smelling that carton of strawberries, or figuring out how certain flavors go together. I love picking up fruit and veggies, touching them, feeling them, smelling them and figuring out what I want to do with them.  

I decided when I started Weight Watchers that once a week I was going to try a new veggie. If I liked it, then AWESOME, if not, then I don't have to eat it ever again. I love the website, Produce Oasis which has tons of info on tons of veggies, the varieties, tastes, what they're used for, recipes and nutritional facts. So today I came home from my weight watchers meeting, determined after the hard week I had, not to give up. I was going to cook a healthy meal, and I was going to LIKE IT! :)

A few weeks ago, my cousin terri convinced me to try some brusselsprouts at a family dinner and you know what!? I really really liked them! So I decided to make a stir-fry of veggies for lunch. I included Asparagus (YUM), Brusselsprouts, scallions (green onions), red peppers, tiny bit of onion (mostly for flavor) , the new veggie I was trying, parsnips...and...I added some red bartlett pear to the mix. 

The mix was great! I added some Coriander seeds, basil, and about 2 TB of olive oil.  I stir-fried for about five minutes, then turned the heat down and steamed the veggies for about twelve minutes. 

AND I LOVED THE MIX! I couldn't believe how great and subtle the pear was in there. I didn't care for the parsnip (tasted like carrots, which I'm not a huge fan of either.)

I also made myself a fruit salad to celebrate the arrival of spring. I opened the window in the kitchen, stood in the sunshine, turned on some Jack Johnson, and snuck pieces of raspberries, mango, and strawberries as I chopped fruit. After i had mixed the fruit i wanted, i squeezed orange juice, lemon juice, and lime juice on it. And you know what? IT WAS INCREDIBLE! Each mouthful was a surprise! The textures, the tastes, the sweetness, the tartness! I couldn't stop eating it.

All in all, it made me excited to have so successfully made myself a delicious, yet healthy lunch. I also grilled a chicken breast in my George Forman grill, adding lemon juice and all-spice. But I was so focused on eating my delicious veggies and fruit, I forgot I had meat. (That never happens to me.) It took about two weeks for my body to adjust, but I did it! I'm now loving the taste of fresh and natural foods. I can't wait to plant our garden this year! I can't wait to try new veggies! 

If you know of any great veggie combinations, great recipes that are healthy and not even necessarily easy to make, leave me a comment! I'd love to hear about all of them! 

I got an Email today...

Today I got an email and when I saw who it was from, my stomach did little somersaults. But when I opened it this is what i saw:

Dear Theatre in London Study Abroad Applicant,
Congratulations!  Having carefully reviewed your application, we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the 2011 University of Utah study abroad program Theatre, Fine Arts, and Humanities in London.

Words can NOT express how excited I am. I get to study Shakespeare Performance in the land of Harry Potter and the Beatles and let's face it: the Bard's homeland itself. I have wanted to go to England for so many years, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to do so in an educational setting!
Now I just need to get more hours at work! :\