Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween


Double double, toil and trouble;
fire burn and caldron bubble.


Happy Halloween. I don't actually care about this holiday, like at all. I participate at work because it's 'fun', but growing up I never celebrated Halloween. Like, I literally stopped celebrating it when I was 7 years old and didn't do it again until I was 16/17 and started going to parties with friends. This is the only "Halloween" picture that I could find to share with the class today:


I look like a hooker, but no.. I was the tooth fairy. Yep.

And then I found these little gems from the past three years...



Make good choices today, kids. See y'all tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

weightloss is a rewarding struggle


It's basically like I'm writing this post "for the future" since it's Sunday afternoon and I decided to chill at Starbucks and get some writing done vs. waiting until the last possible minute and rushing something that would come out half-assed (how's that for a run-on sentence? ha). I haven't even written Monday's weekend recap post yet, but I wanted to write something a little more meaningful than what I spent my weekend doing. Anyway, I'm going to take things to a more 'serious' level today.

I haven't done any kind of health or fitness related post lately and I've had a few people mention to me that these kinds of posts are their favorite... So here I am. I'm not ready to talk about numbers with y'all... yet. But, I promise that I will do an actual post with numbers (meaning pounds lost, and possibly inches lost too) very soon. I am almost at a pretty huge milestone and as a celebratory post, y'all will get that kind of update.


It's crazy how much the shape of your face can change. I made this comparison for my dad this weekend.


So back in September, Amanda and I committed to doing a pretty intense 90-day challenge of cleaning eating, ramping up our workouts, and cutting out alcohol. I'm pleased to say that we have stuck with is, and we are almost 2/3 of the way finished. I'm not going to lie, we have splurged a few times and had a few "cheat meals" and an alcoholic beverage or two - but I am convincing myself not to feel bad about these choices.

I have learned a lot during this challenge, and I have learned what my body can handle and what it can't handle. Speaking of which, there isn't much that it can't handle. It's just the mentality that I "can't" do things. I'm doing things that I never thought I could do - physically and mentally - and trying to learn to try new things instead of convincing myself that I can't do them.


This picture totally stretched when I uploaded it... boo. But you still get the point.


Accountability, finding motivation, and dealing with the mental battle/struggles are the hardest parts of this journey for me. It's easy to get "down" on yourself and feel like you're not making good progress, or that one of your friends is losing weight faster (and seemingly easier) than you are. It's easy to tell yourself that you're not good enough and that you won't reach your goals. It's easy to hit snooze on the alarm and not get up and workout because "it's only one day, and one day doesn't count". It's easy to come home from work and not want to workout because you're tired and it was a long day at the office. It's easy to look in the mirror and see the same 'fat girl' staring back at you. The truth is that this whole journey and transformation isn't easy. It's hard. This is hands down the hardest thing I've ever done, but it is also the most amazing thing I've ever done for myself.

I have so much support behind me from family, friends, and even this blog, and I am so grateful for all of you every single day. However, most people don't see the struggles that I go through on a daily basis, or the amount of work I put into losing weight and exercising. I will get comments, texts, etc. from friends telling me that it must be nice to finally be "small" (which is not the truth, I'm only half way there). Telling me that they could never do it. Making comments about how easily I dropped the weight. Giving me excuses or reasons why I could lose weight, but they can't. Dealing with these kinds of comments and remarks is downright hard. This isn't a walk in the park for me.
I struggle. A lot.



I promised myself that I would be 100% open and honest about this entire journey, and I do my best to show that through my blog, Facebook, and instagram. I'm trying to be as real and honest with y'all as I possibly can. So let me reiterate all of this for you: this is hard.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not complaining or whining about the process. As hard as it is, and even though I have days where I want to quit, this is the best thing I've ever done and I'm loving every minute of it. If you are trying to lose weight, please don't compare yourself to me, or anyone else. If you're just starting out or if you have been doing it for a while - do not compare yourself to anyone except yourself. I find it easy to scroll through fitness accounts on instagram and give myself a hard time for not looking like those people. My way to avoid this is to remember how far I have come and how far I will have gone when I reach my goal weight. I compare myself to the 'old' me. Not anyone else.
But most importantly, I try and remember this quote:



I think I have rambled long enough, so I will leave you with this. Whether you are wanting to lose weight, just getting started, or have been doing this for a while: remember to believe in yourself and don't be so harsh on your progress. We all have to start somewhere. If you have any questions, or if you want help with ways to eat clean, exercise, or just to talk about wanting to lose weight or where you are in your journey right now - please feel free to reach out to me. I'd love to help in any way that I can.

Monday, October 28, 2013

I like football, and plates full of meat


It's Monday (which I'm sure you're all aware of).
Since it's Monday, I'm obviously going to me linking up with my love Sami



Friday night I went to the BC Lions football game with Amanda, courtesy of my boss who couldn't use his season tickets - so we gladly took them off his hands. All I have to say is that I thoroughly enjoy watching men wearing tight pants bend over and run all around a field. Also, a lot of really good looking men attend these functions - so Amanda and I definitely enjoyed our views for the evening. Ha.





After the game, we may or may not have headed to a bar to have a few adult beverages and talk to strangers, and we may or may not have had a great time. I won't elaborate any further on the evening, because it's probably not appropriate blog material. But good times were had. Anyway...

Saturday and Sunday were pretty 'chill' and I spent as much time relaxing as I could. I ran errands, watched movies, food prepped, grabbed coffee with friends, and completely forgot to take pictures almost all weekend. No, seriously - I'm pretty sure these are the only six pictures I took:




one. almost all the leaves are on the ground - it means fall is almost finished. sad face.
two. selfie - from my 'not typical' side. I'm getting crazy and switching things up.
three. football tickets, 50 yard line... amazing seats.
four. literally a plate of meat. I'm big on protein.
five. Sunday morning workout.
six. blogging and Starbucks. Delicious.

That's all I've got, kids. See y'all tomorrow.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Booty Booty Booty Booty Rockin Everywhere


It's Friday, that means I'm sitting over doing a little happy dance. Specifically, a #backthatazzupFriday kind of song. You may remember this song, or maybe you won't. This is what I'm currently listening to and shaking my booty while I attempt to get ready for work.

Miss New Booty by Bubba Sparxxx Feat. the Ying Yang Twins on Grooveshark


I legitimately don't have anything to write about this morning. It's Friday and my brain is a pile of mush, but I really just wanted to link up with Whit for once. I apologize in advance for this randomness.

I had a great chat with my dad about health and fitness last night. He and my mom and working on getting healthy and it makes my little heart so happy. Our family is making positive changes that will benefit out futures and I couldn't be happier or more proud.

Speaking of health and fitness, I should probably do a weightloss update soon. If you follow me on instagram, then you might see all of my weightloss spam - but if you don't follow me then you're probably wondering how I'm doing. I'm not ready to share numbers with everyone yet, but I will say that I am about 5lbs away from a HUGE milestone. So, there's that...

I'm having Chipotle for lunch today and I'm already wishing it was 1:00pm because I want that deliciousness in my belly right now.

For the first weekend in forever, I'm trying really hard to not have anything planned. Relaxation needs to happen. Knowing myself, this will change - but right now I'm blissfully ignorant to any plans that I have.

Annnnd on this note, I'm literally talking about nothing and not even in a funny way. So, peace out.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Hi there, couch 2 5k


So, I mentioned yesterday that I was quitting caffeine. Well let me just tell you, it hasn't been a basket full of puppies.

I'm already struggling, massively, and I need to get this in check. I have zero motivation to work-out, I'm hungry ALL THE TIME, and I want to eat non-stop junk food. Yep, problematic.


This is my 'oh look, I'm back in the game' selfie.


While I was trying to play catch-up on blogs yesterday, I saw that Juliette and her roommate, Jacey, had started doing Couch 2 5k. You see, about a month ago, I had started Couch 2 5k. I completed the first 2 weeks of the program, and then stopped because I lost everything. Meaning, I was imatient, updated my iPhone to iOS 7 a couple weeks before the launch date, and I lost all of my contacts, apps, music, pictures, etc. When I restored my phone, my app wasn't showing that I had the paid version - just that I had the free trial version. It costs $0.99... I know that's cheap, but I ALREADY paid, and I refused to pay again simply on the principle of the matter. So I quit.

But, because Juliette started the Couch 2 5k, I decided to restart it... because that's how the cool kids roll. Well, I decided to restart the 'trial' version and then give myself the trial 3-day period to decide if I want to pay for it again. All was fine and dandy until half way through "Week 1, Day 1", I realize that C25K did, in fact, remember me and it picked up where I left off "Week 3, Day 2". Seriuosly app? You remember where I left off, but you don't remember that I paid for the darn thing? Lame. I digress...

It wasn't until I was breathing way too hard, and starting to sweat profusely (despite that frigidly cold weather), that I decided to look at the app and see how much longer I had left. Then I realized I wasn't on Week 1 - Day 1, and it was kind of like: Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore. I wasn't mentally prepared to do start from where I left off, but I pushed through like a trooper and finished strong. And then, I had so much energy (weird, I know) I decided to sprint intervals (MY OWN TIMED INTERVALS) for the next 30 minutes to keep my heart rate up. And then I came home and died. Yep.



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Stop, Collaborate, and Quit Caffeine



Caffeine. Glorious, and awful caffeine.

I don't like coffee, and I refuse to drink it - but I'm kind of addicted to caffeine. Energy/fat burning pills, double shots of espresso, diet coke, RedBull, iced tea, or frappucinos with added shots of espresso. No coffee, but I definitely consume my fair share of caffeine on a daily basis. It may or may not be problematic... So I've decided to cut back. By cutting back, I mean cutting it out cold turkey. It's hard.

After thinking about why I shouldn't have any more caffeine in my system, I decided to list a few tell-tale signs that you should quit.

A few signs that you should give up caffeine (or at least cut back):

  • You can't function without it.
  • Driving to work. Paperwork at the office. Afternoon Errands.
    If you need coffee just to be able to function and perform these tasks, it might be time to check yourself.



  • If you can't sleep at night, but crash in the afternoon.
  • If you're unable to fall asleep at night, it's probably because you consumed too much coffee all day. The worst part is when you crash in the afternoon, you need a pick-me-up... this is not a good idea.


  • If you need a fix so badly, that you drink straight from the pot.
  • Do I need to elaborate? No. If you're drinking straight from the coffee pot, it's time to back up.


  • When you start taking your shots of espresso in the classiest way you can.
  • I shoot my espresso the same way I shoot my tequila. Quick, I make a disgusted face, and then chase it with something. When you start raising your pinky while you sip your espresso, yeahhh you should probably just go ahead and stop. I may or may not have gotten to this point.


  • If you're getting heart palpitations.
  • Seriously. Just quit. If you're starting to get heart palpitations from all the caffeine, it's your body's way of telling you to CALM DOWN.. So don't drink another sip of that coffee, espresso, diet coke, or RedBull.


Well, here we are, friends. These reasons that I've listed, above, are exactly why I'm quitting cutting back on caffeine. I can't say quit, because, well, I just can't commit to that entirely. Yesterday was my first 'caffeine free' day, and I caved a drank half a can of diet coke at 10:30 to make my headache go away.

And now, because I have absolutely zero caffeine in my system, excuse me while I go pass out.



Monday, October 21, 2013

Foggy Shenanigans


Happy Monday, friends.
Obviously I'm linking up with Sami today to fill you in on my weekend shenanigans...





one. I wanted to splurge and have a treat on Friday... but I'm a little complicated.
two. Snuggles with Roscoe, well... attempted snuggles.
three. I finally tried Chipotle for the first time on Friday night, and it was amazing.
four. Helped my friend, Jennie, move all day Saturday.
five. Selfie with Jennie in her new place.
six. So much Fall love. Boots = my favorite.
seven. It's hard to see, but this is a thick layer of fog over the city. We went up a mountain to see this. So cool.
eight. Amanda and I write motivational quotes on our whiteboard for workouts. This is my motivation this week.
nine. Driving back down the mountain, into the fog. It was seriously such a cool experience and really neat to see.

Hope your Monday is fabulous. See y'all tomorrow.

Friday, October 18, 2013

FaceTime All The Friends


HAPPY FRIDAY!
It's been a hot minute (or five) since I've linked up with my favorite little Yoga Pants Princess for some #backthatazzupFriday action. But I'm baaaaaack.
This week I have been jamming out BIG TIME to some Miley Cyrus... I didn't think that would ever happen, but this song is just too catchy. I've been having dance parties for one, and running my butt off to this song since I heard it.

23 by Mike Will Made-It (ft. Wiz Khalifa, Miley Cyrus, and Juicy J) on Grooveshark


Now that I've got some tunes blasting and I'm staring at a blank page that I need to fill with words... and pictures... and more words... lets get this blog post started.

FaceTime.
FaceTime FaceTime FaceTime. It's really such a marvelous invention, and it's kind of fun to say.


If Barney Stintson had FaceTime this wouldn't have happened.


I'm going to make myself sound like a 79 year old man who is seeing a T.V. for the first time, but technology these days is pretty snazzy. I'm a fan. I'm not going to bore you with too many words today, because who likes words? Well, I guess I like words since I write a blog... but you know what I mean. I digress. FACETIME.
Every time I use it, I feel like it's magic, and I'm part of the world of wizardry... or like a Jetson... or something.
I just feel special, okay?

I'm going to make a list, because I like lists and lists are A-OK in my book. I don't know how many things I'll list, so lets just not turn this into a numbers game right now because I don't need that added stress in my life - okay? Okay.
So lets see, here are <insert random number> reasons why I like FaceTime (and Skype and Google Hangouts):

  • When you're on the other side of the country, you can pretend like you're at home for big events, like Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Easter, Games Nights, etc. I have FaceTimed or Skyped into most family dinners or parties that happen back home when I'm not there. #favoritechild




  • It proves that I'm not being catfished by other bloggers. It could happen, you never know. But at least I know it's not happening to me with these fine ladies...


  • Took JULIETTE'S (like how I used CAPS, J?) FaceTime virginity. Boom.


    FaceTiming with Brin is one of my favorite things. This time was extra special because we also FaceTimed with Allie and it was the best thing, ever.


    Then Allie visited Brin in Nebraska and I got to see them both AT THE SAME TIME ON ONE SCREEN #jealous


  • Google Hangouts is like a cool version of FaceTime because I can see my favorites AT THE SAME TIME.

  • Brin and Allie in the same screen, and Sami-Cakes


  • FaceTiming with people who are drinking = HILARIOUS.




  • PEOPLE WILL BE SILLY AND MAKE FUNNY FACES WITH YOU (yes, this deserved caps because it's amazing).



  • Even though it's freakin' awesome, it sometimes has a downside or two...

  • Sometimes people aren't as excited to see you, as you are to see them...


    Sometimes peoples just don't pick up when you call. It's sad.

Thanks to everyone for being such good and willing participants (they were all victims of random screenshots, and they didn't know it was happening). I have probably 1,001 other screenshots of fantastic FaceTime conversations with other people, but a girl has to keep a few secrets, even if she has a blog where she shares far too many details about her life. Allie, I'm keeping these secrets from you and there's nothing you can do about it. Ha.

I never know how to end blog posts, it's always so abrupt and it feels like I'm going to end it mid sente..

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

5 Stages of Grieving Food Loss


Hi guys.
Something happened to me recently that I felt I should share. It caused me to think, obviously far too much, and write this post today. We have all been there, and I'm sure you can all appreciate my issue with this situation.
Finding a hair in your food.




Gross, gross, gross - right? There's nothing worse than sitting down to a mouth-watering meal, taking a bite - or 10, and discovering a long (or short) hair in the next bite you're about to put in your mouth. So, after this happened - I went through various emotions. I realized that when you find something (anything) in your food, you go through the 5 Stages of Grief that people typically go through when a friend/family member dies, except less dramatic and everyone is still alive... so it's the same thing. kay, now that we're all on the same page...

Warning: you're about to see a few ridiculous selfies that I took for the purpose of this post.

5 Stages of Grieving the Loss of Food

  • Denial
  • This can't be happening. There CANNOT be hair (or other various objects) in my food right now.
    THIS IS NOT FAIR. WHY LORD? WHY ME?

  • Anger
  • WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? I just wanted a delicious <insert meal type here> and now it's ruined because SOMEBODY got their hair in my food while they were cooking.
    HOW HARD IS IT TO JUST NOT GET HAIR IN MY FOOD? IS NOTHING SACRED ANYMORE?

  • Bargaining
  • Okay, so I've had 6 bites of food and haven't gotten any hair in my mouth so far. This is the only hair I've found... what are the chances that I'll find a second hair in my food? I'm sure it's totally fine. The food was cooked at high temperatures so any bacteria would've been 'boiled' off, right? Right. Lets do this.

  • Depression
  • I don't want to eat any meal ever again. How can I trust that any meal will ever be edible again?
    *sobs quietly into food*

  • Acceptance
  • Okay, whatever. You're a big girl, Faith. Eat the damn food and stop being a big baby about it. It's JUST A HAIR. One hair. No big deal. Finish the meal and get this whole situation over with.

Also, that awkward moment when you find your own hair in the meal that you cooked for yourself.
So, there's that...

This is how I process such tragic events in my life.