fatfreecupcake

I really thought today was going to be a bad day. It began with me opening my bedroom door and the knob coming with me as I walked out. The doorknob falls off about once every four months, I'd say, and is usually a determinant of how my day is going to be. Naturally, as I crawled on my hands and knees looking for the centimeter long screw that happens to be the same color as my floor, I did not expect to reach my goals today, let alone have a happy and entertaining and positively optimistic day.

I started off with a workout - the Strength training of Look Better Naked, followed by a shower and some clicking on the computer to induce procrastination. I knew I had to apply to some hotels today, because if I didn't, the people who don't read my journal would see that I didn't do it, and I'd be judged by strangers who don't exist. And then I'd feel like a failure and the day would go to even more shit than I thought it would be. However, I knew I could sit there for hours procrastinating like I always do, and instead of letting this slip by, I grabbed my keys and drove to the cluster of hotels before my brain could say no. The first hotel I went to was the only one I went to, and I'm glad I chose it first (it's a Holiday Inn Express and Suites, in case you're wondering, you nonexistent reader). The woman told me she was about to put an ad out for the position I am applying for within the next few days, and it's a miracle I came in, went over my application with me and loved it, plus she's calling me tomorrow and I can't wait to hear what she says...I bought new clothes for the interview because...well...I don't have any nice clothes, I realized. After being very giddy from that excellent exchange with her, I was on my way to Shane's a very happy girl, as I did not need to go hotel hopping and I feel like I'm pretty much in. So, anyway, picked up Shane, bought some fruit, made a smoothie, went to the store to buy an outfit, did so, went to work and hung out with my step-sister who also works there all night...and now I'm home and I am just exhausted.

I am not sure how well I did with my last bit of weekly goals...the fruit. I had an apple at work, and I had that smoothie, but I'm not sure how much the smoothie was worth...so...I'll just say I am very close to those last couple of fruits for the day.

Weekly Goal Assessment:
3/3 30-minute treadmill sessions
2/3 ShakeWeight sessions
4/4 Veggies
6.5ish/7 Fruits
Applied to and got an interview at a hotel

I'd say I did pretty good, but because I struggled a bit with the fruits, I'm going to keep the same number for next week and try to exceed it, or meet it without rushing at the last day. And I have a new workout routine. Also, I feel that red is harsh for weekly goals, so I'm going to change my weekly goals to green! They are more positive, I feel.

Weekly Goals:
2 Metabolic Workouts
2 Strength Workouts
7 Fruits
5 Veggies
Fill out and hand in graduation application for school

Since my Look Better Naked DVD and book have finally arrived, I'm going to start doing the workouts regularly. There is a metabolic training and a strength training, and I'm meant to do two of each, alternating. So! Here is how my schedule will go:

Look Better Naked Workout Schedule:
Sunday - Metabolic
Monday - X
Tuesday - Strength
Wednesday - X
Thursday - Metabolic
Friday - X
Saturday - Strength

Sounds good, eh? Working out two days in a row on the weekends because I'm more likely to eat worse, I figure. I'm starting off with 2lb weights simply because those are the ones I have, and I think in about two weeks I'll up it to 5lb weights. :]

Well! I'm not sure what else to say. I am gonna try to sleep (shouldn't be hard!) and wake up at 8:30, bright and early for a metabolic workout and a shower so I can be ready for when the hotel calls. PLUS I'm going to a birthday party tomorrow for my little cousin Aidan. Should be another excellent day! Woooohoooo!

Well, for whatever reason, I couldn't post this entry last night, so I'm just doing it now and will have to post again later for today's update and new Weekly Goals.
I'm just going to make is short and sweet, as I have lots of things to do.
Because I did not wake up early (shocker.) on Friday, I did not have time to go to those hotels. I will do that today. I must.
I did, however, do my treadmill session, but I forgot about the ShakeWeight until literally just now, so...Oops.
Legs are unbelievably sore from my first metabolic session of LBN, so walking and stairs suck (I was very reluctant to get on the treadmill).
Ate leftover fish, rice, and green beans (+1 veggie) for lunch, treated myself to some soda at the movie theater (Take Me Home Tonight was great!), and then had a sort of shrimp stir fry off of the healthy menu at Friendly's for dinner...but I didn't like the sauce much (orange peel sauce? Really, Friendly's?)..So I ate pretty well today, but I did forget to eat a fruit (my brain was all messed up today, I was really mad for not waking up on time).

Weekly Goals Remaining:
Shake Weight session
3 fruits
Apply to hotels

Today is the last day to do this, and I have no fruits left, so I might need to go shopping. Crap.

I wanted to post now, in the middle of the day, because I have an hour until I have to go to work until midnight, and I'm not sure if I'll want to post after work. If I have the energy later I will update, and if not, I'll have to do it tomorrow, because obviously I'm not going to have my last meal of the day at 4:30 pm.

Couldn't get going today, either. I need to stop staying up so late and find the energy to get up in the mornings (MORNINGS, Amy, not noon!) My stomach hurt for a bit because I don't like to eat right when I get up, so I just hang out and end up forgetting to eat, which makes me ravenous and angry! lol So, my goal for tomorrow is to get up and EAT by 10am. I know that probably sounds silly to some of you but...my body likes ten hours of sleep, and when I stay up late because of a new videogame, or I just want to watch one more episode of The Office on Netflix, or Shane keeps me up with wonderful, sexy, fantastic late-night romps (okay, I usually keep him up)....you get my drift. So! That is my goal for tomorrow.

Um, anyway. Today I woke up at 11:30 (curse this bed and all of its squishiness), got in the shower, and plopped around for a bit before heading over to my dad's. We cook together every Thursday, as I'm trying to learn, he's a great cook, and we don't have anything else in common. So, today we pan-fried some Tilapia (I wanted to bake them but he wanted to show me how to pan-fry...I hope it wasn't too unhealthy). We used a cajun batter that was sooo yummy, and sided that with some butter and herb Rice-A-Roni and a lightly-sauced Steamfresh medley of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots (undoubtedly my favorite medley, oh, and +1 veggie). I know there are better options that Rice-A-Roni (especially since my dad sticks with the "approximate" 2 tbsp. of butter), but he doesn't care about being healthy, so he teaches me delicious meals and I modify them later to make them better! I left there around three and dreaded having to get on the treadmill (can't have two lazy days in a row!), but luckily the mailman came, and with it brought my Look Better Naked DVD. So I tried the metabolic workout on that, and my ass is currently very kicked. That chick goes fast, and once I figure out what she's actually doing, she switches it up on me! Ugh. I'll get better as I go. Let the six weeks BEGIN!


After-Work Update:

For dinner I ate a Morning Fresh Garden Burger will egg whites wrapped in romaine lettuce, then celebrated with a mini crunch bar (they're only 50 calories mmm)...On my break at work, I had an apple (+1 fruit) and now I'm really tired so I'm going to sleep. Busy day tomorrow, going to apply to those hotels, see a movie with Shane, and make some stir fry yumyumyum!

Weekly Goals Remaining:
1 30-min treadmill and ShakeWeight session
3 fruits
1 veggie
Apply to hotels

The bathroom scale. A reminder of all of your past diets that have failed you, of all the times you've stepped on it only to be disappointed. While the little digital lights are spinning as it calculates, or when the needle wiggles after placing just one foot on, your heart is in your throat, because you're afraid of what it's going to tell you. If the number is high, you're a failure, and you may as well give up, right? Why do we bring ourselves back to it again and again, hoping to see the number drop dramatically? Why do we put ourselves through such torture?

Let me tell you something about your bathroom scale. When you step on it and those red digital numbers finally come up, it does not represent the amount of fat in your body. That scale measures everything. Your bones, your organs, your muscles the crap in your stomach, the crap in your colon, everything. Things that are out of our control and are going to take up most of our weight. Just because the scale said 203 yesterday and says 206 today, that doesn't mean your food choices or workout routine is not working for you. There are tons of variables to consider, such as the time of day you weigh yourself, the last bowel movement you've had (those suckers can be heavy!), the amount of water you're retaining, and..get this...the amount of muscle you're gaining from your work out routine.

Many of us already know that muscle weighs more than fat, so why are we so shocked when we feel stronger and look a bit less flabby, but the scale says we've gained weight? Trust me on this...pay more attention to the way your body feels than what the scale says. If you've noticed that the reps in your workout routine are getting a bit easier, you can run for thirty seconds longer before needing to slow down a bit, or your muscles don't get as sore after working out...you are definitely on the right track. You're building muscle, which just happens to weigh more, and happens to burn fat. Stick with it and ignore your scale.

Along with paying attention to how your body feels, don't hesitate to actually look at it! I know you may not be happy with actually looking at it, but by getting naked and checking yourself out every day or every couple of days, you will see some shrinkage, and that's a big motivator. Bigger than anything the scale will give you. Would you rather the scale tell you you're down three notches, or have your arms slip into that blouse just a tad easier?

So, if you're looking for a new best friend in the bathroom, consider flirting with the mirror. It will help build your self confidence and won't judge you or lie to you like the scale does. It will be honest, it will be motivational, and it will be beautiful, because you're the one inside of it.

My Lazy Day!

I woke up at 9:30, just like I promised. No, really! I stayed up and called a few hotels and asked if they were hiring, surfed around a bit, and then...um...fell asleep from 11:30 to 1:30. I don't know what happened. My bed was just so comfy. But, I don't feel bad about it, because I have a bit more direction in which hotels to apply at, plus I'm getting the work I want to get done, done. PLUS, even though today was my lazy day (taking a break from working out woohoo!) I still burned 175 calories on the treadmill. But Amy, whyyy would you get on the treadmill on your lazy day? Well, as I'm taking online classes, I actually have to read the textbooks for my classes (anyone who is a student will know how crazy that may be!) So, instead of laying in my bed and reading, I got on the treadmill in my comfy clothes and just walked at a pretty normal pace (2.5) while reading. After a while I pretty much forgot I was walking, up until my thighs started chafing (ugh.), at which point I stopped. I'd walked for forty minutes and burned 175 calories, which I considered a free 175 calories , because that walking for forty minutes was very painless! So, the skinny cow ice cream I ate earlier in the day (150 calories) was freee yayy!! I also got two fruits in today, an apple and a pear. So. Take that! *karate chops priorities and weekly goals*

Weekly Goals remaining:
1 30 min. treadmill/Shake Weight session (again, might have to make that two or three more...)
4 fruits
2 veggies
Apply to those hotels

That's it for tonight, I'm gonna watch Hoarding: Buried Alive! and play Golden Sun on my Nintendo DS....After I finish this homework.

I'm mostly satisfied with the way today went...I mean, I may have slept until 1:30pm, but as my bed was so warm and my arms very sore from sledding, I am fine with my comfortable and painless decision. :D After waking up I had a grapefruit (+1 fruit) and a Bagelful (those beasts are delicious but are they worth the 200 calories? I'm not sure yet...), then did all my internet priorities. I did my 35 minutes on the treadmill (which burned about 275 cals), followed by a 6-minutes Shake Weight session (poor arms!). Then I showered, ate some leftover breaded chicken with green beans (+1 veggie), and got called into work, but escaped due to a family issue...and now I'm with the family and everything is fine! So, Shane and I are about to play Little Big Planet, I feel like I did a lot today even though I've only been up nine hours. Tomorrow, I'm getting up at 9:20 and plan to hit up some hotels and see if they are hiring for a part-time, entry level position at the front desk. Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh, and I may have had a handful of orange sponge candy tonight after my sushi dinner at 8.

So, without the sponge candy, I did pretty good food and workout wise. Gotta work on actually getting shit did. I'll get there. Tomorrow.

Weekly Goal Remaining:
1 30-minute treadmill + Shake Weight session
6 Fruits
2 Veggies
Get that job!
Okay, So...because I used most of my treadmill/shake weight things so early in the week, I might tack on another one. Tomorrow will be a day off.

I'm expecting to receive the Look Better Naked 6-week plan, the book and the DVD in the mail within the next few weeks. As I have eleven weeks to go, I'm not in any hurry, except that I'm worried it will not work and I'll be six weeks in and still overweight.
But, I suppose something is better than nothing. Can't wait to read it and get into it and make that my main workout!

I'm gonna go play Little Big Planet with Shane, now (who is behind me singing "Blog, blog, blog" to Kesha's "Blah, blah, blah"...God I love him)

Okay, so I know it's a little late, and I know I should be in bed, but as I have no real priorities, I can't bring myself to go to sleep when there are so many fun things on LiveJournal to explore! So, I figured, since I didn't have time earlier today (technically yesterday) to post my workouts and thoughts, I'll just do it now before I "go to sleep".

First of all, I did not really point out my goals, or where I'm at at the time being. Shane and I are going to Universal Studios in Florida (HARRY POTTER!) May 22, 2011, which means I have 11.5 weeks to reach my goal, or at least get close to it. I don't think I've ever been happy in a bathing suit - I've always hated winter because there's nothing to do (Buffalo.) and regretted summer because I look less than ideal in shorts (if I can find a pair that fit me) and even worse in a bathing suit. So, 2011 is my year. This summer, I'm gonna be proud to wear a bathing suit. I will. Shane will be showing me off. Anyway, yes. May 22nd. Bathing suit. Main goal.

According to my possibly-but-not-probably accurate bathroom scale, I'm around 165 pounds. It jumps from 164.5-166.5, but today it went 164.8 twice in a row, so let's just go with 165. Being 5'2", this is not so good. However, my new lifestyle has nothing to do with scales. I could care less what it says. So, if you're like me, chuck it in the dumpster (okay, don't, that could be like five bucks at a garage sale) and don't even think about your weight. No, I'm serious. Don't. But just for s's and g's, I'm telling you how much I weigh. Maybe at the end I'll weigh myself in a bikini and tell you what the scale says.

No, I'm going to lose weight the old fashioned way. The mirror, and pants. Did you know that mirrors don't lie? (Unless they are the clown mirrors in WalMart. Do your WalMarts have clown mirrors, too? I'm not even joking, I look ten times worse. Sometimes I'll look in them and come home and dance in front of my own mirror because it seems like I've lost fifty pounds just by driving home.) If you look in your mirror once in a while, butt naked, and know what your body looks like, you'll be able to see changes day by day. I started working out again maybe two weeks ago and already my belly and love handles are going away, and I don't know this by measuring them (although I really have been meaning to do that)...I just check myself out in the mirror. Do it. I'm serious.

Mirrors and...pants. Yes, pants, their magical, their traveling, their fraying at the crotch because our thighs rub together. But, they, too, do not lie. If your pants feel a little loose, do a celebratory dance, my friend, because either you get to do laundry (mine will loosen after a few wears without washing) OR something is melting away, and I hope it is not something important down there. I rejoice when I can buckle them at the fifth notch as opposed to the fourth (which I do during that time of the month just for fun...and...you know, bloating.) Maybe get into the habit of wearing a belt. Going up a notch will make you want to sing, I swear it.

All right, have I established my goals?
Long term - May 22nd, bikini babe (or at least fit into one without thunder thighs and a muffin top)
Short term - Fit into a pants size 9.
Weekly - ...I did not mention.

Weekly goals are a hell of a good thing to have. I start my weeks with Sunday and end them on Saturday, incorporating a workout goal, a food goal, and sometimes a self-esteem goal (which I need to work on. That ought to be a weekly thing.)They'll keep you going throughout the week, and it will be a doable amount of time so you don't skip a day and say "it won't matter in three months if I don't work out today"....but it will matter on Saturday if you don't work out today! It's so easy to come up with weekly goals, too. Here, allow me to do it right now.

My Weekly Goals, to be Fulfilled by Saturday, March 5:
Spend 30 minutes on the treadmill three times
Shake Weight a bitch after every treadmill session
Eat seven fruits and four veggies
Find a hiring hotel to get a new job at

See? Totally easy. Oh, and did I mention eating is a huge, huge thing when it comes to losing weight? Well, don't worry. Because I'll tell you all about it soon.

So...what have I done so far this week...
Sunday I went sledding which was a workout and a half, all that trying to get back up the hill (and yet my arms are the things I can't move, whereas my legs are totally fine). I ate pretty poorly, but Shane's mom made chicken and biscuit casserole and McDonald's got worked off while sledding, I think. The trick with mom's casserole was PORTION SIZES. 
Today (technically yesterday) I had a small breakfast, then went too long without eating and got so hungry I had Wendy's (for the record I never ever do fast food two weeks in a row, I'm being a bad example today), then made breaded chicken, had a leftover Grand's biscuit, and a huge helping of veggies for dinner. After my first post earlier I did 25 minutes on the treadmill and the shake weight (oh my god my arms owww).
That means I've got two more treadmill sessions (one with an extra five minutes tacked on), seven fruits, and three servings of veggies to meet my goals. Not a problem!

This has been very long and ranty (I had to delete some tangents I went off on...I'll save them for other posts :D ), but I think somehow, in a very roundabout way, I got my thoughts together. I have three goals, long term, short term, and weekly. I won't touch a scale, as they are terrible indicators of your success, and I will continue to love my mirror and work on wearing pants without a belt to keep my muffin top from pushing them down.

I think it's time for bed, and I can't wait for tomorrow!

Allow me to introduce myself...I...am fatfreecupake. Well, actually, my name is Amy, but you're welcome to call me whichever you like better. I'm 20, as of January 23, 2011, and so far I don't feel any different from when I was 19. Except that maybe it's starting to hit that I'm not really going anywhere and the pressure is seriously on. I work at a movie theater for minimum wage (and really bad hours), I go to community college (for general studies) and I'm trying to find a college to transfer to (for hotel management [ I think ] ). I live with my mom, drive a 1995 Toyota Corolla (her name is Jeanette) and have the most amazing and wonderful boyfriend in the entire world, Shane. My only obsession is Harry Potter, but I like some other things, too. 

Okay, enough of that, I hate throwing out facts and pretending like we're best friends because you also like Harry Potter (butseriouslyifyoudofeelfreetofriendmeormessagemeireallyeffingloveharrypotter), so I'll just let the rest of my life flow into these entries naturally, and you can get to know me without an elementary introductory paragraph.

I wanted to start this journal mainly for myself, as a workout log and a personal motivator, but the more I think about it, the more I want to get out of it. So, while I do want to use it to track my workouts and feelings about them, and my progress, I'd also like to incorporate the rest of life's importantcies (that's a new word I just made up, how do you like it?) to really make this interesting and hopefully inspire or motivate some of you...or at least make you smile. I'd like to talk about love, laughter, friendship, womanly issues, cupcakes, recipes, life's small steps of accomplishment, and all things related to making a young adult's life nice. I won't pretend I'm an expert, nor a certified psychoanalyst, but I'll flatter myself and say I've got a lot of things figured out (except for that whole career/college thing). I know all the tools and tricks to being happy, to a healthy relationship, to a healthy body....it's just utilizing them and sharing them with others where I lack.

And so, I present to you, with hopefully much fun and happiness and stories to come, fatfreecupcake's journal.