To Be Continued!?!?

I have been wondering about whether or not to keep up this blog after class. I would have to say that yes, I will be keeping up this blog.

I will probably be doing some up dating, and different things, but it will be still centered around my journey.

I was really going back and forth about it, but when I kept getting asked advice by people. I realized I could just say, check out my blog...

So Stay Tuned!!....

People wanna know..

I am really suprised at how many people have been asking me lately.. How did you do it? But when you say 95 pounds people really wanna know.

I am bringing this up, becuase I have recently gotten two messages on facebook, by girls asking me for advice. This makes me sit back and really think about how I just by changing my eating habits, can become someone people look at as an example.

If you had told me a year ago that i would be 95 pounds lighter, and the happiset i have ever been I would have told you, that you were crazy .

I know know that it is good that people wanna know, becuase I can tell them how!

Exercise, how I "hate" thee...

I know you are not supposed to hate something, but I really very strongly dislike exercise!

It hurts at times, you get echausted, and you wake up sore. Not the best use of my time, but yes it is good for you. I know this I just don't like doing it.

I know I have asked this a couple of times, but I haven't gotten any suggestions, so again I ask what are someways I can exercise, and not hate it??

Now pics!!

I thought it would only be fair to share some of my recent faveorite pics, since I have now lost 95 pounds!! As I have saide in earlier post these ARE NOT after pics, but now pics becuase I am not in my after stage yet!!

 Formal!

Random Photo back drop at walmart ='s photo shoot!

Banana !! Love her!!

My Girls, shelby and Jennifer....Two of my best friends!!

My group, and yes I am the fifth wheel alot!!

Before pics !!

Some people keep saying , I can't believe you used to weigh that much. Well here are some more before pictures I dug up to show how far I have come!!

These were all taken this summer...aka about 50 some odd pounds ago....

The fast food diet?

Ok, you you might be wondering what is this crazy girl talking about? I just wanted to adress a common myth. Which is you can't eat out and lose weight.... LIE!! If you eat the wrong things then yes, but if you watch it you can definately eat out, and lose weight.

Here are some tips:

1. Research the resturant: most places have menus with calories per serving listed, and grams of fat.
2. Don't finnish your plate: leave a couple of bites!!
3. Get grilled instead of fried: this seems pretty self explanatory.
4. Swap your sides: instead of fries have a side salad.

Confidence...

I was talking to one of my friends tonight, and I was explaining to him that he knows the new me. His expression on his face when I said this was priceless.

He knows that I have lost a lot of weight. He then said "more assurtive you mean?" . I said yes, I never was like I am now, in high school.

This is true in high school I was misrable I never wore makeup unless I was doing speech. I wore sweats and jeans, and thats about it. I was a quite shy girl , and now....

I am me!! This is going to sound weird, but I have always been they way I am. Now I just express myself more, and I am more outgoing. I love not hiding behind my weight it makes me be fearless and I am going to keep going until I am done, becuase so far it has been great!!

Jazzercise how I miss thee...

I have not been to Jazzercise in like a week. Granted it is getting close to finals, and I have like no time, but still I should go.

I know I am going to regret it when I get back to my routine, because I am going to be super sore!

The other thing is that I actually miss it, I know pathetic right?

But its true, it is a fun way to exercise! So here is my question, what are some other fun ways to exercise??

Late Night Cravings...

Okay so I am going to talk about the thing we all do, but never admit to. This is late night snacking.

I have become more aware of how bad it can be this week, becuase I am up late for finals. I am already a big snacker, but there is some kind of switch that flips in my head after a certian time in the night that says "I want chocolate!!".

I know though that I must be strong so I don't gain pounds "magicaly" over night.

Here are some tips to eliviate late night cravings:

1. Eat dinner a little later in the evening
2. Chew gum instead
3. Drink lots of water
4. If you have to snack make it healthy and snack on something like carrots!

Hopefully these tips will help you put those late night snacking urges to bed.

From wall flower to dance machine!!

I had my formal two nights ago for my sorority. I was a little bummed because I did not have a date, but I totally had the best night!!

I danced so much that I know I burned off the pizza me and my friends had before... The amazing part of that last sentence is that I danced.

You see I never went to prom, partly becuase no one asked, but the other part was that I was uncomfortable in my own skin... Now that I have lost the weight.... I am able to be myslef and shine! I am so happy with the place I am in life, and I know that the best is yet to come!

Here are some pics of me and my friends, and yes I did my hair myself... Just sayin!


Me and Jordan !! Love this girl!!

Me and Steph... Totally did not know she was making that face!!


I really like this picture of me... this was towards the end of the night so my hair had fallen a little.

Me and Lizzi !! She looked too cute, you can't see them but she had converse on with her dress.

To be in the biggest loser or not that is the question....

So as some of you may know from reading my previous post I am in a competition at work called the biggest loser. I already know that I am probably not going to win, but during it I have lost over fifteen pounds!

The thing is it ends this Friday, but it will start again a week later and go till july 29th. Here is the thing I can't decide whether to do it again or not...

Here is a list of my pros and cons:

Pros

• I am losing weight anyway why not win some time off and money
• I need motivation, and it keeps me accountable
• It doesn't cost me anything
• It is a fun thing to do with the people in the daycare
• I get a way to track my progress of losing weight

Cons

• It is summer which means snow cones
• Fourth of July and my 21st birthday is during it
• I can't cheat that often, and I like to be more flexible with my eating habits
• I wanna be able to cook out, and most of the things (bratwurst, hamburgers) aren't so healthy
• Did I mention I am competitive, and I want to win!?!

So, now I am asking you guys to give me your opinion, should I or shouldn't I?

Sushi, my new love

I have always loved asian food. I love most cuisines of food,  I am definitely a foodie at heart.

Recently I had sushi for the first time, and I love it.

It is something I can eat, and not feel so guilt. Granted the white rice is not the most healthy choice, but everything in moderation.

Compared to sodium loaded chinese food, which I do love, it is totally better for you.

What kind of asian food is you favorite, and what sushi do you recommend?

Baked Bree- check it out!

For our blogging class we have to cover another blog for a presentation we are doing. The blog I will be covering is called Baked Bree.

Baked Bree is ,how the blogger Bree Hester puts it, "A love letter to everyone that I have ever cooked for".

I found this blog while searching on Technorati. I liked it the moment I started reading it. Each of her recipes have a story to go along with them, and there is photography of the food is amazing.

Keep looking to see my report post over this amazing blog!

Antioxidants and Beans?

Many people hear about antioxidants, and that they are good for you, but they don't know why.

Never fear, Laura is here, with the answer of course!

Antioxidants help fight and fix oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has also been linked to Alzheimer disease and cancer. Basically they help repair and prevent damage to your cells that could cause serious medical problems.

Now where can you find these helpful little things. My favorite way is by eating berries,( blue berries, blackberries, strawberries) And you can get them in smoothies. They are a good way to get your sweet tooth fix by not blowing your diet. You have to be careful though and do your research because some places serve "healthy" things, but thats another blog.

 Oh and cool greens also serves smoothies!

But berries are not the only way to get you antioxidant fix. You can also get them through beans. According to a webmd article small red bean has more antioxidant power in it than wild blue berries.I know weird right! It is true though. You can read more bout it here.

Hopefully now you know where to get and why you need antioxidants.

Jazz hands!!

So as you all know I have been trying to decide how to get motivated to continuously work out. Well I have found it, and it's name is Jazzercise!

I am a person that needs motivation, and I am a person that is somewhat frugal, and so if I put up my money for something I am gonna get my moneys worth which is why I am joining jazzercise.

That and one of my best friends in the world HannaH is also joining, and we are going to go together. I  am really excited. Partly because it will give me a chance to hangout with HannaH, but also because I need to stay in shape, and kick up my weight loss regime.

The streak has been broken

I went three straight days working-out every night, but last night I didn't.

I had a Phi Lamb meeting, and by the time I got home it was 9, and I still had to study, so for the sake of school I didn't work-out.
Okay, so that is what I have been telling myself to make me feel better.

I know though that now the challenge will be to go and work-out tonight.
working out and getting healthy is not about going every single night, but actually going on a regular basis.

I know that sounds like the same thing, but they are not.

You have to keep going, and know that it is okay to miss a day every now and then. That it is about getting the workout in when you can and getting healthy, and not about making sure you do it every single night.

The ever changing game

We had a guest speaker in class on Tuesday from the Journal record,  and there is one thing he talked about that really stuck with me, and that was CHANGE.

He talked about how the world of journalism and mass communication are always changing. He said that is the one thing you should be aware of when going into this line of work. The fact that you have to be okay with change, because like it or not mass communication is an ever evolving industry.

I am actually okay with this. I look at it as a good thing. That is because I think if everything stayed the same we would never be able to evolve or change. I also think that means I will never be bored with my job.

So far so good....

Okay, so the past two days I have gone to the gym on a regular basis. So two days might not seem like a long time, but it does when you consider that I am literally never home, because of work/school.

Then add on homework, and dinner, and a LIFE. I really feel like I never have time to squeeze in exercise.  I am doing really good so far (for me). It also helps that I have a gym in my building.

I just need to remember that I need to do it, and that is regardless of whether I want to do it or not.

So the point of this blog, what do you do for exercise? What are some fun ideas you guys have that I could try to get in a good workout, but have some fun?!

My Healthy Addiction

Okay so I have recently moved to edmond, so I am not as familiar with place to eat in edmond or the city as some of my friends who have lived here for the past three years. I have heard about coolgreens, but never tried it, well they opened a new location in edmond, and now I am addicted to it!

I am really into eating healthy now that I have been doing it for so long, and to be able to have a place so close that serves good healthy food, it is great! I love that you can make your own salad, or order one of their delicious salads or flatbread pizzas.

They also serve soups too!Oh, and they have frozen yogurt! I am also addicted to fro-yo, but thats a different blog.

If you haven't tried it yet, you should! It is in the little shopping center off of 15th street, where peach wave is, so stop by and have an awesome salad, soup, or pizza!

Calories Vs. Fat

Many people want to know whether they should watch their fat grams or their calories, when it comes to eating. The answer is technically both, but the one you should really pay attention to is CALORIES.

The reason is that even-though something is "fat free" it is usually not calorie free, and with that comes over eating on "healthy" food.

Many people think that fat free equals good for you. Well not really if something is not naturally fat free, and its made to be that way, generally means that it has been over processed to become "healthier".

I personally watch my calories, and do not even really pay attention to my fat grams. This is because generally when something is low in calories than it tends to be low in fat, or if it is higher in it than it is good fats.

In short watch you calories over your fat grams, and remember that just because something is fat free doesn't mean that it is healthy.

Exercise and our love hate relationship

Okay so I absolutely love and hate exercising. I know that I need to do it more often than I do, but I have so much going on it is hard to fit it in. Also I get tired of doing the same jogging, abs, and weights.

I recently had a sisterhood night with my phi lamb sisters, and we did jazzercise, and it was a blast!

I am thinking about joining, because they have a deal where student can go all semester for $45. I have also heard about zumba. Are there any other fitness places or classes that are fun, but also give you a good workout?

Making carbs your friend

Okay so when it comes to dieting the thing I hear the most is... STAY AWAY FROM CARBS!! Fear not carb lovers, because this does not have to be the case. You can lose weight, and still eat bread, you just have to eat the right bread.

First off do not be fooled by the whole wheat craze. Whole wheat can be just as bad for you as white bread. It all goes back to starches. You want more complex starches so your body will burn calories longer.

This is why I prefer whole grains. They are more complex starches and filling. I eat multi-grain bread when I eat sandwiches, I eat multi-grain pasta, and brown rice instead of white.

Another tip is the darker the better. This may sound like a weird tip, but think about it. If a bread is darker than regular white bread than it is more unlike it, and if it looks too close to white bread than it probably really is almost like it.

Final tip or in my case rule. Only eat carbs with one meal, and only one small snack. This way you are limiting your carb intake, but remember that rules are meant to be broken.

Liberal Oklahoma??

Recently we had Kurt Hochenauer writer of Okie Funk come and talk to our blogging class. He answered our questions and gave us a little background on him and his blog. From this I took away a few tips or advice on blogging.

• Do what you want! Okay, this may seem like a duh! moment, but its one thing at all his advice pointed to.  That you should write/post about what you want, because its your blog.

• Don't let others dictate your posting. So there are some boundaries, and lines you shouldn't cross, but basically don't hold back too much, and not be authentic.

• Last but not least write on what interest you. He described about how blogs can even be like personal dairies, and to just post on what you want.

Another thing he talked about were the okie blog awards. which apparently have sadly been discontinued, but he talked about emailing them and getting them going again. Who knows maybe someone from my blogging class could win one.

My little Healthy guilty pleasure

Jamba Juice bars are my faveorite healthy guilty pleasure!
Okay so that may sound like an oxymoron, but it is true. These things are so good......They come in a variety of flavors, and they are only 80-70 calories! 

Now I know what your thinking, they must be tiny, but they are not they are the same size as a regular ice cream bar.

Here is proof.

My personal favorite is the pomegranate blueberry, but I also like the strawberry lemonade a lot too.
They have them at Walmart, and I think target sells them too. Go and pick some up and try them for yourselves!

It's all in the hook....

When it comes to writing a blog post there is more to it than just slapping some words on a page. It's an art form. There are some things one has to be aware of when writing a blog post.

• First: Have a good title..... If your title is interesting people will want to keep reading.

• Second: HAVE A GOOD HOOK!! If you don't have something that keeps the reader engaged in your post than they will stop reading.....come on we all have done it.

• Third: Know your subject. I have a saying "don't preach what you can't teach".... Meaning post about the things you love, like, and are interested in.

You can find these and other tips here. 

I hope you have learned something, because I have, and I will try and keep my titles interesting, hooks engaging, and talk about what I know.

Lifestyle choice vs. Diet

Many people wonder what diet I went on to get the weight off. The truth is that I did not diet at all..... I know shocker right? It is the truth though. I honestly started making healthier food choices. I eat smarter. That's why I say I made a lifestyle choice, instead of going on a diet.

Here is the difference. On a diet you are only only able to eat certain things, and have restrictions on certain foods. I on the other hand try to eat in a range of calories and eat low carb, but guess what I don't always stick to that. Sometimes I go out to eat, but i just make smarter choices when I eat out. Also when I do have carbs they are whole grains, and other slow burning carbs.

Just by making these simple changes and others I have lost 85 pounds now! Oh, and I also exercise when I have time. If you are wanting to lose weight don't diet, because diets are short term, but lifestyle choices will stick with you!

My blog and the blogosphere

According to the state of the blogosphere people are posting less.  Out of the active blogs that are posting there are very few who do so on a weekly basis. This is one thing I think every blogger tries to avoid, which is losing the drive to post. I am posting though about something that is still a part of my life and will always been a part of my life, so I hope to break the trend with my blog. I want to still be giving tips and updates on my blog long after I have lost the weight, because as they say losing the weight is just half the battle. The other half is keeping it off. With this in mind I know I will still have stuff to blog about after I have won the first part of the battle.

My story.....

I have been over weight for most of my life. I have struggled, going up and down the scale in number.  My senior year, I was at a constant 270 to 275. It wasn't though until the end of my sophomore year of college that I got the wake up call. I went to the doctors, and I weighed a whopping 285. I remember going home and bawling my eyes out. I had never been that close to 300. Then and There i resolved to lose weight. I have since over the past months lost 80+ pounds! I have never felt better in my life. The more weight I lose the more confidence I gain. You see I have always been shy but thanks to speech in high school, and this weight loss I am becoming a new person, and I love it !

I am starting this blog, first because I am taking a blogging class, but second I am doing it to share my story and things I have learned. You see I know things like what is healthy for you and taste great, what to eat at restaurants, and other endless tips and advice. I feel like there are people out there that just don't know what to do, so hence my blog.

Here are some picture of me before and now. ( I say now, because I am not at my after yet).

Before:

Me and my cousin at graduation

Me at roast my senior year

 Me at state speech last year

Now:

Me towards the end of summer

Me at a speech tournament this fall

This fall at my brothers senior night

This December at the lake (I'm the one on the far left)