I'm just going to be honest here and use real numbers. Let's face it--it's easier. And I have nothing to hide. So, with that being said, I usually hover around 155. Well, I just went on a 2.5 week vacation in which I went home for a little over a week, then I went on a family vacation to the Tetons...where I ate without abandon. I didn't care. Burgers, fries, and a milkshake while we're in the car (and doing NOTHING active all day)? No problem! Chocolate covered almonds (those ones from Costco...they're SO good!), chocolate covered acai berries (you can almost rationalize them into being "healthy"), and Jelly Bellies while playing strategy games late into the night? Great! Homemade delicious treats EVERY night? Count me in!
...you get the picture. So I come home last Tuesday night and weigh in at 160. 160! Now that's not my peak, I think the highest I ever remember is like 163 or even 165. But that was a long time ago. And 160 is definitely the highest number I've seen in at least a year. So it scared me. Maybe it's time to get working on goal #68? I had also been rejected by the second guy in a row who said that I was everything he wanted...excepted he wasn't attracted to me, so let's just be "best friends." Although I don't know that my weight had anything to do with that, it's motivating. But I'm definitely doing this for myself.
So, I've been better this week: eating better and exercising (I think!) every day. I eat oatmeal with water, ground flaxseed and wheat germ. And sometimes some agave nectar to sweeten things up. If I'm in a rush, breakfast is a banana with a bit of almond butter. Lunch might be a "green" smoothie (that actually looks like car oil) of: banana, water, 5-6 cups spinach (the only way I'll ever eat that much!), and a cup of frozen berries. Sometimes I add protein powder (that's another issue...do I accept scientifically engineered super foods or do I just eat "whole" foods?) and/or ground flaxseed. And I haven't deprived myself much--yesterday I had Creamery ice cream with my nieces and nephew, and the day before I had a cookie at family home evening (something we do every Monday night in my church). But eating a diet that's mainly high quality food, eating fewer calories, and exercising every day helped me to drop 5 pounds in a week! Today I weighed in at 154.8. :)
Here's a little "fitspiration" for ya! I know there's some controversy regarding fitsperation, but this one I found funny (and I did squats today!). I think I'll post one every 5 pounds until I reach goal. Then I'll use a picture of myself. :)
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
#13 Experience 10 new things in Provo: BYU Paleontology Museum (3/10)
Today I got to go to the BYU Paleontology Museum with my mom, sister, and her four kids. It was just the right size for the kids--like 4 rooms. It was super high quality--it seemed like they only had the best stuff on display. None of this fluff that you have to go through to get to the good stuff. From the very first room they had complete skeletons! And, according to my research beforehand, it has one of the 5 best Jurassic period collections in the world! Pretty neat.
This awesome skeleton we're standing in front of is a giant ground sloth. I bet it's an ancestor to the three-toed sloth. I got to hold a baby one of those on my mission to Brazil. Pretty cool. Anyway, this beast is 25 feet long, stands as tall as a giraffe (when standing), but has a hard time putting its feet down due to its massive claws. Ouch!
This awesome skeleton we're standing in front of is a giant ground sloth. I bet it's an ancestor to the three-toed sloth. I got to hold a baby one of those on my mission to Brazil. Pretty cool. Anyway, this beast is 25 feet long, stands as tall as a giraffe (when standing), but has a hard time putting its feet down due to its massive claws. Ouch!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
#79 Attend the services of the following churches: The Rock
This has been a goal/ideal of mine for several years. Most of you know that I am a Latter-day Saint. I've been raised in this faith since I was a child, and I have come to believe for myself that it is truth. Yet, I have always had a strong desire to visit other churches. I want to be well-educated, to know what's out there, and to be able to converse with people on there level. I want to know which beliefs are unique to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and which are shared by other Christian faiths. I have limited experience in this: I've been to a Catholic church and a Baptist church (loved it!).
The problem that I run into is that most churches are at times that conflict with my own. The Rock Church, however, also has a service on Friday nights! Friday at 7:24, which is not a ploy to get people to come on time...it's a scripture reference! I was super excited to learn that.
I expected simply to listen to music...all I knew is that it was a church that played Christian rock music. I was excited about that. It turns out that it had a lot more to it than music. We stood and sang 2 or 3 songs, then sat down and listened to announcements. Then we listened to a short video (youtube-type) called "simply sowing stories" in which a guy encouraged us to share the gospel by sharing an experience he'd had with sharing the word of God. Then we had a sermon that lasted 40-60ish minutes, via film. I wonder if they have live pastors some of the time or if they usually have taped sermons? Then we had several more songs.
It is no secret that Utah was founded by Mormons (the nick-name for people of my church), and I felt that this was a counter-culture to the mainstream religion, specifically Mormonism. It was never outright said, but it felt that way. I felt that they didn't accurately understand us (might I add that I am always very hesitant to say anything that may cause discord...I usually only share my opinion when I know everyone and I know that they will consider ideas without fighting, and when my opinion will add something useful. But this is my blog, so I'm going on a limb here.). For example, whether we are saved by grace or by works is commonly misunderstood by people. They feel that Latter-day Saints emphasize works, whereas the evangelical churches emphasize grace. This point was repeated a lot in the sermon. However, we do believe strongly in grace as well. Paul may emphasize grace, but James emphasizes the role of works. I've heard it compared to rowing a canoe...if you just had one oar, you simply spin in circles. You only get somewhere when you have both oars (which are compared to works and grace). The works themselves don't save us. It is Christ that saves us. He paid for our sins. I'm deeply grateful for His infinite atonement that helps me to overcome my weaknesses. But Jesus also wants us to become something, so the works help us to become. You need both. The grace does the saving, but Jesus also requires you to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Anyway, that's enough on that. Just one little thing I wanted to clarify.
There were many things that I liked. I like standing and participating in the music. I liked that the songs taught a lot of doctrine and were based on scripture. I felt my heart soften to be receptive to the truth in those songs, and what I learned/felt was an answer to prayer for me. I learned new things in the sermon (which was about Acts 13). It was a positive experience, and though I feel no desire to return, I do still feel the desire to visit the other churches I have planned. It's very...expanding. It's great to feel in the minority again, when I'm usually in the majority (religiously speaking). I like meeting people that I wouldn't otherwise, and I like being exposed to other ideas. :)
Have you ever visited churches other than your own? What was your experience?
The problem that I run into is that most churches are at times that conflict with my own. The Rock Church, however, also has a service on Friday nights! Friday at 7:24, which is not a ploy to get people to come on time...it's a scripture reference! I was super excited to learn that.
I expected simply to listen to music...all I knew is that it was a church that played Christian rock music. I was excited about that. It turns out that it had a lot more to it than music. We stood and sang 2 or 3 songs, then sat down and listened to announcements. Then we listened to a short video (youtube-type) called "simply sowing stories" in which a guy encouraged us to share the gospel by sharing an experience he'd had with sharing the word of God. Then we had a sermon that lasted 40-60ish minutes, via film. I wonder if they have live pastors some of the time or if they usually have taped sermons? Then we had several more songs.
It is no secret that Utah was founded by Mormons (the nick-name for people of my church), and I felt that this was a counter-culture to the mainstream religion, specifically Mormonism. It was never outright said, but it felt that way. I felt that they didn't accurately understand us (might I add that I am always very hesitant to say anything that may cause discord...I usually only share my opinion when I know everyone and I know that they will consider ideas without fighting, and when my opinion will add something useful. But this is my blog, so I'm going on a limb here.). For example, whether we are saved by grace or by works is commonly misunderstood by people. They feel that Latter-day Saints emphasize works, whereas the evangelical churches emphasize grace. This point was repeated a lot in the sermon. However, we do believe strongly in grace as well. Paul may emphasize grace, but James emphasizes the role of works. I've heard it compared to rowing a canoe...if you just had one oar, you simply spin in circles. You only get somewhere when you have both oars (which are compared to works and grace). The works themselves don't save us. It is Christ that saves us. He paid for our sins. I'm deeply grateful for His infinite atonement that helps me to overcome my weaknesses. But Jesus also wants us to become something, so the works help us to become. You need both. The grace does the saving, but Jesus also requires you to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Anyway, that's enough on that. Just one little thing I wanted to clarify.
There were many things that I liked. I like standing and participating in the music. I liked that the songs taught a lot of doctrine and were based on scripture. I felt my heart soften to be receptive to the truth in those songs, and what I learned/felt was an answer to prayer for me. I learned new things in the sermon (which was about Acts 13). It was a positive experience, and though I feel no desire to return, I do still feel the desire to visit the other churches I have planned. It's very...expanding. It's great to feel in the minority again, when I'm usually in the majority (religiously speaking). I like meeting people that I wouldn't otherwise, and I like being exposed to other ideas. :)
Have you ever visited churches other than your own? What was your experience?
#72 Try 100 new recipes, documenting each with photos and rating them: Fake Falafels (6/100)
I call this "fake falafels" because they are definitely not the real deal! This recipe looks more authentic. I looked at it for ideas. I had falafel mix from Winco that you just have to mix with water and fry up. And that's all the advance planning we did. We just put together the sides that we had, and it ended up DELICIOUS! I give it 5 stars.
falafel mix (1c mix + 3/4 c water, make into little balls like cookie dough, then fry on both sides)
yellow corn tortilla
mayonaise
stone ground mustard
kale
freshly chopped tomato
sauteed onion, minced garlic, and zucchini
homemade french fries
If there were something authentic we wished we'd have had, we definitely would've wanted hummus. But despite our non-authentic sides, it was delicious. The yellow corn tortilla definitely doesn't hold the ingredients as well as a pita would...it tended to break. So pita would've been nice too.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
#72 Try 100 new recipes, documenting each with photos and rating them: S'more bars (5/100)
Tonight I made a dessert that my sister Sarah made, and it turned out well! 5 stars!
You can find the recipe here. Now add to your happiness by making some!
mmm ooey delicious s'more cookie dough, chocolate bars, and marshmallow creme! :)
You can find the recipe here. Now add to your happiness by making some!
Saturday, July 13, 2013
#72 Try 100 new recipes, documenting each with photos and rating them: Salmon (4/100)
This was one of my earliest stints at salmon. I know I've cooked it before, but it's been a while, and I definitely hadn't perfected it.
But I've tried to get "wild caught" fish to try, both because I'm trying to like fish and because according to "In Defense of Food" they're supposed to be more nutritious. So I was feeling ambitious and bought some wild salmon from the health food store. Then I used a marinade recipe to make up a marinade:
orange juice concentrate
apple juice concentrate
3 lemons, squeezed
olive oil
salmon seasoning
Unfortunately I left town before being able to eat it, so I gave it to my friend Aaron instead. He already likes fish, and especially salmon, so he's probably a better judge anyway. He said, "(it) was one of the most well-marinated salmon I believe I've ever had." And later called it, "pretty dang good." So there you have it! I can't rate this one, but it's a keeper because it got such high ratings! :)
But I've tried to get "wild caught" fish to try, both because I'm trying to like fish and because according to "In Defense of Food" they're supposed to be more nutritious. So I was feeling ambitious and bought some wild salmon from the health food store. Then I used a marinade recipe to make up a marinade:
orange juice concentrate
apple juice concentrate
3 lemons, squeezed
olive oil
salmon seasoning
Unfortunately I left town before being able to eat it, so I gave it to my friend Aaron instead. He already likes fish, and especially salmon, so he's probably a better judge anyway. He said, "(it) was one of the most well-marinated salmon I believe I've ever had." And later called it, "pretty dang good." So there you have it! I can't rate this one, but it's a keeper because it got such high ratings! :)
Saturday, July 6, 2013
#14 Eat out at 10 new places: Sensuous Sandwich (3/10)
For my next place to eat in Provo, I thought I'd try Sensuous Sandwich. After all, the name is creative (bonus points for alliteration!) and alluring, and I've heard good things about it.
I was expecting something phenomenal, but what I got was a "good" sandwich. You don't get to choose your type of bread, but it is nice and soft. You do get to choose a variety of lengths though--4"-24"! It doesn't stay together well (spills out all over the place), but tastes good. I think I'd rather go to Jason's Deli or Which Wich. I give this place 2 of 5 stars.
I was expecting something phenomenal, but what I got was a "good" sandwich. You don't get to choose your type of bread, but it is nice and soft. You do get to choose a variety of lengths though--4"-24"! It doesn't stay together well (spills out all over the place), but tastes good. I think I'd rather go to Jason's Deli or Which Wich. I give this place 2 of 5 stars.
Friday, July 5, 2013
#16 Go to 5 festivals: Provo Balloon Festival at the Freedom Festival (3/5)
My goal was to go to 5 new festivals or at least parts of them that I'd never been to. So even though I watched the Provo Freedom Festival parade, that doesn't count because I've done it before! But I had never gone to the balloon launch! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but I did find some very representative photos online!
Aaron and I woke up super early to get there right at 6 am, and it was super cool. All these balloons were laying out side ways. Then they fill them up with cold air, and once they get to a certain point, the turn on these huge burners and put 6 foot flames into the balloons to heat 'em up! We stood pretty close to one and it got toasty, just being on the ground beneath it.
Everyone clapped for the first balloon to actually get into the air. It was quite an event. Then once all the balloons had lifted, they played games where they had to get a bean bag as close to the target as possible.
Aaron even knew one of the balloonists, and it was super fun to talk to him. I even found a picture of his balloon online!
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Aaron and I woke up super early to get there right at 6 am, and it was super cool. All these balloons were laying out side ways. Then they fill them up with cold air, and once they get to a certain point, the turn on these huge burners and put 6 foot flames into the balloons to heat 'em up! We stood pretty close to one and it got toasty, just being on the ground beneath it.
filling up the balloon with cold air |
firing it up! |
Everyone clapped for the first balloon to actually get into the air. It was quite an event. Then once all the balloons had lifted, they played games where they had to get a bean bag as close to the target as possible.
Those are the balloons we saw! The pig is for a bank...I thought that was cute. |
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Greg's balloon! |
Even though it was super early, it was definitely worth it! What an experience!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
#13 Experience 10 new things in Provo: Float the Provo River (2/10)
Floating the Provo River was one of those things that was on my list...but not. I was afraid! I had heard horror stories of frostbite and being flipped over in the freezing glacial melt, people not being able to get out of the water when they wanted to, etc. And this coming from the girl that went sky diving and hang gliding last summer! I guess I conquered my fear of heights...not of fast-moving water.
But it was fantastic! Five girls went, and we all held onto each other's tubes and helped each other through rough spots. Two people got flipped over...it was pretty epic! And the water was freezing cold. But it was so much fun! Definitely worth it.
Chacos turned out to be the best thing to wear in the water. Despite using a tie, Jen still lost her flip flop!
But it was fantastic! Five girls went, and we all held onto each other's tubes and helped each other through rough spots. Two people got flipped over...it was pretty epic! And the water was freezing cold. But it was so much fun! Definitely worth it.
Just after we conquered the river!
Monday, July 1, 2013
#8 Explore East Bay of Utah Lake in a canoe
This has been one of my dreams for the past...2.5 years. Ever since I was a 4th grade teacher and my science unit was on habitats. Well, turns out, wetlands are one of the three top habitats in Utah, and I thought it'd be SO cool if I actually went to a wetland and brought back some stuff for my students--pictures, plants, etc. Well, my dream finally realized itself this past week. The canoe part didn't work because someone had reserved all the canoes, but my friend Aaron has a sail board and an inner tube, and that worked out just as well!
Happy to be floating in the river! |
Aaron using the sail board as a paddle board! |
Yes, I just came from UNDER that fence. It had barbed wire. I was terrified, but I made it under. |
My dollar today goes to my first kickstarter campaign. Surprisingly enough, it is hard to find a charity who will take my dollar. Many of their minimum donations is $10. Well, a dollar may not be much, but it's as much as this "starving college student" can afford...so I'll find someone who WILL take my dollar. It took a lot of exploration on kickstarter to find a cause that I believed in, but I found one. It's called Thoughts From A Mother of 10. This mom has already written the book but now it's time for it to be published. She hopes it will helps others find their inspiration in parenting. Learn more about it here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/813033705/thoughts-from-a-mother-of-10
#14 Eat out at 10 new places: Molly's (2/10)
After our workout last Tuesday, my friend Lisa needed me to drive with her to drop off her car. It's 101 degrees outside, so I let my seat back and take a little nap while she's inside. Suddenly I here a knock at my door...it's the car guy, and he's giving us two free $5 gift cards to Molly's! "Don't come back until you've had lunch there," he instructs. Well, that is one order I don't have any problem obeying!
What a cute place! We drive up, and there are cars EVERYWHERE! We take that as a sign that the food is great, and come in anticipating awesomeness.
#22 Visit 5 new temples: Vernal (2/5)
Half of the reason for this Vernal trip was for the temple (the other half was for the dinosaurs!). We're lucky that we made the session. The session started at 7:45, and I'm pretty sure we walked in the door at 7:44. Good things our friends arrived early and asked them to wait for us!
Usually temples are white, but this is a converted tabernacle, not a building originally constructed to be a temple. I bet the new South Provo Temple will look similar. If you want to learn more about temples, go here: http://mormon.org/faq/topic/temples
Usually temples are white, but this is a converted tabernacle, not a building originally constructed to be a temple. I bet the new South Provo Temple will look similar. If you want to learn more about temples, go here: http://mormon.org/faq/topic/temples
#21 Go to dinosaur museum in Vernal, UT
Yay, we arrived at Dinosaur National Monument! The only National Monument with dinosaur bones left in tact.
At the "quarry" where a bunch of jumbled up dinosaur bones ended up after the green river unearthed them, them deposited them here. Thus you see bones from all sorts of different dinosaurs...including an entire stegosaurus back spine!
Yes, yes I am touching a 150 MILLION year old dinosaur bone. :)
My one dollar today goes to...Charity Water. Charity Water provides wells to provide access to clean water. Why is water important?
#88 Use my budget for three consecutive months, tracking all purchases (1/3)
"Would you like your receipt?"
"Why yes, please!" I reply, for I am recording all my expenditures!
I've made budgets before, but never had I used one until this month. Even if I didn't "censor" myself too much, I did find myself thinking about money a LOT more. Several times I caught myself thinking, "well I've already spent $26 in this category, and I've only allotted myself $40, so how much is this worth it to me?"
I've had a huge change in my pace of life lately, so my budget this month was a total guesstimate. Now that I'm not commuting 30-40 minutes total from work, how much money on gas should I give myself? I haven't updated my wardrobe in a while, how much can I afford to give myself for a clothing allowance? And the biggest variable was whether I'd get a scholarship or not. Happily, I found out last week that I got a near-full-tuition scholarship, which greatly put my financial worries to rest. I also started out the month of June needing a job, and now I have 3!
So, I budgeted for $400 a month in spending, and I spent over $600. Part of this was a huge underestimation in gas. I gave myself $90 but spent $156. BUT, considering that the first two gas expenditures were coming from CA back to UT, then my estimation turns out to be about right. I allowed myself to have more fun than I previously allotted, banking on the fact that I'll be spending a lot less in July.
All in all, this have been a very empowering experience. I feel responsible. I feel like I know how much I can spend, because I'm keeping track of everything. I plan on keeping my budget even after the three months are over. :)
"Why yes, please!" I reply, for I am recording all my expenditures!
I've made budgets before, but never had I used one until this month. Even if I didn't "censor" myself too much, I did find myself thinking about money a LOT more. Several times I caught myself thinking, "well I've already spent $26 in this category, and I've only allotted myself $40, so how much is this worth it to me?"
I've had a huge change in my pace of life lately, so my budget this month was a total guesstimate. Now that I'm not commuting 30-40 minutes total from work, how much money on gas should I give myself? I haven't updated my wardrobe in a while, how much can I afford to give myself for a clothing allowance? And the biggest variable was whether I'd get a scholarship or not. Happily, I found out last week that I got a near-full-tuition scholarship, which greatly put my financial worries to rest. I also started out the month of June needing a job, and now I have 3!
So, I budgeted for $400 a month in spending, and I spent over $600. Part of this was a huge underestimation in gas. I gave myself $90 but spent $156. BUT, considering that the first two gas expenditures were coming from CA back to UT, then my estimation turns out to be about right. I allowed myself to have more fun than I previously allotted, banking on the fact that I'll be spending a lot less in July.
All in all, this have been a very empowering experience. I feel responsible. I feel like I know how much I can spend, because I'm keeping track of everything. I plan on keeping my budget even after the three months are over. :)
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