Update to diet

I had a doctor's appointment today to go over my blood work. The news was meh, meh to say the least.

My HDL (the good stuff) was in a normal range. However my LDL (bad stuff) was really high! Now high cholesterol runs in both sides of my family, but still for being 27 I should not be having that high of cholesterol!

That scared me. I don't need a heart attack by age 30. So right now, I don't need meds because I'm young enough. However I am supposed to take Benefiber once a day and a prescription fiber powder that will also help with the cholesterol twice a day. The problem? That prescription is $47! Yikes! I don't have that kind of money. I'm going to ask the doctor if I can just try diet, exercise and a butt load of Benefiber for a few months and see if that works.

Hopefully he will say ok, otherwise I need to come up with $47 a month, which if that's the case I'll do it somehow. I guess $47 a month until my weight is down and I don't need it is a lot cheaper than heart surgery in the long run.

So here we go, I need a new low cholesterol/high fiber diet. I'm going to continue following Weight Watchers points because that is definitely high in fiber. I am also going to need 2-3 dairy servings a day (calcium was low as well).

I will NOT eat fast food, I rarely do but I'm cutting myself off completely.
I will NOT eat the food at the restaurant I work at. If absolutely necessary I will eat the light enchiladas we offer, however ideally I will be bringing in my own lunch and snacks.
I will eat fruits and veggies.

It's weird because I'm not a big meat eater, but maybe my body just creates more cholesterol than I need. If in three months my levels haven't dropped enough then I guess I need to get myself on some medication.

So that is that. Way to end 2010! I'm definitely glad I set up that doctor's appointment otherwise who knows how long this would have gone on! Cheers to lowering my cholesterol!

New beginnings

I cannot believe I haven't blogged since March. Is that even the correct spelling of blogged?

Well A lot has changed, and somethings have not. I have a job, and am not at GVSU instead of GRCC. I love my major program and actually look forward to classes, although the homework load is hard and only going to get harder.

One thing that hasn't changed much at all is my weight. 2010 has been a bust so far when it comes to weight loss. I have no one to blame but myself. I've fallen victim to my own demons when it comes to eating and working out. I think I've lost and gained the same ten pounds over and over again since March.

But I'm taking a stand. I focus so much on bettering my mind and my soul. Why can't I put that much effort into bettering my body? My mind and soul cannot flourish if my body is wasting away.

Consider this a pre-new year resolution. I WILL take better care of myself. I WILL put my nutritional needs above all else. I WILL focus on healing my body from the inside out.

One of the main things I need to remind myself of is this: each day is a new start. And each meal is a new chance for healthy choices. So what if I ate a bunch of fun size snickers this morning? Don't throw the whole day away because of one bad choice. Make the rest of the meal choices healthy, and get some exercise and all will be forgiven.

The year is not over, and life is certainly not over.

What now?

You know how people use those sound machines to fall asleep? Just turn on the soothing sounds of frogs, or crickets, maybe a babbling brook and off to sleep they go. That is not me. If I hear nature I will not sleep but instead start to daydream.

No, I’m the girl who uses the OTHER setting on those machines, the one usually titled “traffic” or “city.”

I can’t help it, I love the sounds of traffic, car horns, ambulance sirens, and they lull me to sleep.

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to move to New York, even though I’d never been there.

A favorite movie growing up, and still today, is Baby Boom staring Diane Keaton. God I love her! If you’ve never seen the movie, it’s an 80s classic. 80’s powerful career woman in NYC inherits a baby girl from deceased cousins in England. She decides to move to Vermont and own a house in the country. Hilarity ensues as you see the city woman trying to adjust to country life.

I never understood why she moved.

My mother would watch and say, “Wouldn’t that be fun to live in the country?”

And I remember thinking, no not really. It looks cold and lonely and spread out. What if she needs a sandwich at 2 a.m.?

Well, I finally made it to NYC for a whole day and a half. I thought I’d be able to have fun and maybe it won’t be as amazing as I’d hyped it up to be. You know how when you’ve only seen something on TV you can be sorely disappointed?

I wasn’t disappointed.

And now I’m left wanting to move there more than ever. I thought maybe I could get my masters and PhD at a school there, but the only one is NYU and that’s 50k a year. I don’t know about you but the whole point of a PhD is so that I can hopefully earn 50k a year, not live in debt the rest of my life.

So now what? Well I wish I knew! I’m such a planner, I like to know exactly what is going to happen and how and when and with whom and when one thing goes awry I go into damage control mode. And that is where I am right now, trying not to stress myself out but failing miserably!

I'm going to have to just suck it up, and admit defeat that I cannot change everything just yet. Guess it's time to just enjoy the ride, against my will!

Long awaited update!

Wow, how long has it been since I updated? I get so used to just filming myself, that I forget about writing and how much I love it. Well, I'm super excited. It seems like lots of things are changing for me, but for the better. I finally got a job, and will start with an orientation next week. No idea how much I'll be making or how many hours but who cares, I'm currently raking in a giant ZERO amount of dollars, so anything is better than nothing! I recently changed my major from journalism to cultural anthropology. I've been feeling a little burnt out on journalism as of late and so I was relieved to find out that most journalists don't actually have a degree in journalism. I am instead following my latest love of cultural anthropology. I am also planning on getting a masters degree at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. I'm assuming I'll look a little something like this:


I'm actually excited for these classes this fall, and genuinely interested in learning as much as I can. I am such a nerd! Not sure yet, but I will probably also need a PhD after the masters. Yikes, maybe I'll be done with school before I'm 40? ^_^ Well, this weekend I'll be going to NYC! Four days of fun and probably no sleep! See you guys later!

Bring on 2010!

Good bye 2009! And hello 2010! It even sounds cool twenty-ten! Futuristic. I'm still waiting for my flying car that folds into a briefcase like in The Jetsons. However I will settle for new and exciting personal developments in 2010. I have recently received my Associates Degree in Communications (finally), and will be transferring to GVSU in 2010. No idea how long it will take me to get my Bachelors, two or three years. However, I'm most excited for my resolutions.
Americans spend all November and December worshiping and glorifying an obese jolly man, leaving him out cookies and milk even though obesity is the second most preventable cause of death in America (second only to smoking). Now I know, Santa wasn't always fat, we have Coca-Cola to thank for making him that way, in more ways than one! But now is the time when the entire country stands up, wakes up and proclaims, "DEAR GOD! What have I been eating over the last three months?" We all vow to change, even though by February most people will have faltered. I'll admit, I've done it in the past, but last year was different. I decided to make a change mid January and I did. I rejoined Weight Watchers and through lots of hard work, complaining and excitement I've lost 36 pounds in 2009. This is nowhere near goal, but I want to kick it into high gear this 2010, and more than double those numbers. There are no more excuses, no more complaints... ok there will always be complaints, but I'll push through it! It's the year of the Tiger! Let's kick 2010 in the ass!

Christmas has come and gone. Had a blast with Mom and Dad, and got some amazing gifts! Because of the ridiculous ice storm, Christmas with Grams and everyone will be celebrated a day late. However, being snowed (or rather iced) in has some advantages. Lots of cocoa, and movies and building of gingerbread houses!

Also, I love the after Christmas sales! Torrid started one today, all clearance items are an additional 50% off! Hooray! So I did a little me shopping!

Above and to the left are my purchases! Whole shebang was about $50 plus shipping. Not bad if I do say so myself...and I do!

Well that's enough for me! I have reading to do, and preparations for the next busy busy semester!

More cooking!

Ok, I cooked Chicken Pad Thai, from a Weight Watcher recipe. I couldn't find Asian Fish Sauce, or Chili-Garlic Sauce, but I did find a Pad Thai sauce which I used instead. Turned out surprisingly delish! In fact Dad kind of stole some from other people haha!



Up next is a Skillet Mac n Cheese for lunches mmmm! Comfort Food!!!

Oh how I love cooking!
Didn't used to, but I adore it now! I want to try a new recipe every week, especially seeing as I'm living with the parents so they can be my guinea pigs and try it out.
Last weekend, I made a new Weight Watcher recipe for Sliced Steak with Crispy Polenta. It was AMAZING! Super easy to make to!
Here is the youtube video! Feel free to ask any questions!

Next up: Chicken Pad Thai!

Long time no blog

I haven't blogged since mid-September! Holy cow!
What does a holy cow look like anyways?
Ok well I here by vow to try and blog more throughout the new year! Even if it's one blog a month! Something! I miss it!
Ironically, I blog more when nothing is going on because I have so much free time, but now that I'm super busy, there's no time to blog!
I still vlog on youtube ALL the time. So I'll have to post those on here too.
Ok sorry, not sure if anyone actually reads this anymore but I'll be on here more I cross my heart!

Verizon screwing me over

Let me tell you about Verizon!

Back in July my phone shut itself off and quit working. I went in to the store and they had to order me a new phone. It took a few days, and I while I was there I asked the guy who helped me "do I need to return my old phone?" He said no. So I kept it. Then my replacement phone came and it was broken. They sent me a new one. I asked the SAME guy and of course was told not to return the broken phone. Well I kept the original because it has my personal info on it. The other phone, I recycled because I wanted to do good for the environment.

So imagine my surprise when I get my balance today, in September, and its $964! Yes, apparently I was charged for never returning those 2 replacement phones.

I called and spoke to 3 different people including a supervisor. I can return the original phone and have the charge refunded. However unless I return a phone, I don't get money back. I've tried telling them that I was told not to return them so its not my fault. I had finally go into the store and try to find the person who told me not to return the phones.

Turns out, this guy was brand new from Alltel and was "learning the ropes." I have to wait until they talk to him and HOPEFULLY he'll fess up and say he messed up in telling me that. If not, I don't know what happens. So I will hear from them tomorrow.

Regardless, unless Verizon seriously changes their tune, and steps up in the customer service area of the business, I'm canceling my line and switching to a new plan. I've had them since 2004 and just recently I've had problems.

It only takes one serious screw up to lose my trust forever!