Anal Retentive and diet go together well!

I've gotten really serious about eating healthy and trimming down and if you don't believe me then check my fridge! Ya I'm a little over the top right now with thoughts of low-cal, proteins, carbs and low-fat swimming ferociously through my brain. I think because school is out and work on hiatus I have found a replacement for all my energy and brain power.... add a little procrastination of laundry and you have a refrigerator organized by nutritional value as illustrated in the picture above. The top shelf is fruits and vegetables (with the exclusion of milk that could not fit on it's appropriate shelf), middle shelf is designated for proteins and lastly the bottom is saved for carbs. Like I said, over the top yet functional. See when I come to my fridge to make a meal I know to grab lots from the top shelf, atleast one thing from the middle shelf and limit the bottom shelf. Since I'm a person that finds some unexplainable sense of satisfaction each time I draw a line crossing off something on my list, this system works for me. (Warning: this tip is only for those slightly neurotic and not faint of heart) So if you need a little organization or need to be prepared for quick grabs in the fridge, this may work for you.

I also came across one calorie saving tip that you might want to try. Now hear me out, don't knock this before you have tried it! I have switched to drinking powdered milk. I know, I know I'm talking crazy to some of you, but you'd be amazed how little calories there are in a glass of reconstituted powdered milk versus skim milk. Here's the skinny: 1 cup of reconstituted milk has only 80 cal, 0 g of fat and 8 g of protein versus skim milk: which contains 102 calories per cup. If you are a big milk drinker or cereal eater this substitute may be a good solution for you. That is a 22 calorie savings each day or 154 cals a week. So before you scoff at this tip, try it! Some brands I suggest are Moo Cow and the one I drink which is Sun Isles Instant Dry Milk which is found at Fresh and Easy. To top it all off, the price of one bag of dry milk (which is the equivalent of 48 quarts) is the same price as one gallon of milk. Think of the money and calories you will save! So while you are scoffing, I am saving up my calories for a milky way.... mmm.... almost there!

That's Ms. Cougarette to you!

A couple people have asked about my recent weight loss goals and what lit the fire under me. Well, three years ago I was a 135lb, freshly dumped 25 year old woman preparing to return to college full-time. Little did I know I was embarking on a new adventure and a complete life change. I struggled to adapt to this new and as stress took over and time contraints forced me into the drive-thru's of my favorite restaurants the pounds crept on. Now this isn't the whole problem, because of a very hectic schedule and my poor broken heart I have spent most of my time avoiding dating rather than seeking it out. This wasn't all bad as I have learned a lot about myself, what I'm looking for in life and how to rely on myself to find happiness. However, it has also set the stage for the psychological/emotional reasoning for losing weight. I know what you are thinking, "you don't need to lose weight to get a man," and I have to say I TOTALLY AGREE! But... let me paint a good picture for you to let you in on my thinking (this is rather scary, but go with it!), this picture comes courtesy of urbandictionary.com: "An attractive woman in her 30's or 40's who is on the hunt once again. She may be found in the usual hunting grounds: nightclubs, bars, beaches, etc. She will not play the usual B.S. games that women in their early twenties participate in. The cougar can frequently be seen in a padded bra, cleavage exposed, propped up against a swanky bar in San Francisco (or other cities)waiting, watching, calculating; gearing up to sink her claws into an innocent young and strapping buck who happens to cross her path. " Now with my educational goals coming to an end I knew I need to set another goal in which I can work towards... to be a cougar!

To become a cougar one must be at the top of her game and must be willing to work! To prove my dedication to the art of becoming a cougar I am dubbed myself a "cougar-in-training" or better said, a cougarette. In order to fully perfect the craft of being a cougar I must hone my skills and go through a thorough training process which includes achieving and maintaining a youthful body and youthful endurance. This is where the weightloss has comes from. I figure if I'm going to be attracting those 25 and younger I must get back to the shape I was in when I was that age. So as part of my training and in order to be true to the cougarette name I am fighting the good fight against the bulge and the damage age has done to my body. You and I both know that our bodies are not spry like our 18 year old bodies were and this is my way to get my endurance back up to where it once was.

Once my physical goal is achieved, I will work on finding the perfect padded bra as previously mentioned. I'm pretty sure I have the attitude part down that is associated with being a cougar, but I think there is some refining to the attitude that could be done! My parents are cringing reading this post, but I am sure that will soon be replaced by a proud glint in their eyes when they set their gaze on their grown-up finely crafted cougar of a daughter!

The Freshman 15...

We've all heard of the "freshman 15" before, those dreaded pounds that creep up on us college students as we get so frantic in school all we can handle is a quick drive-thru run between study sessions and sharing all our junk food obliviously with our friends... well I'm going on too many years in school and have finally hit the age where my metabolism is no longer on my side and my 15 has crept on me. I have started working out at the gym and working with my personal trainer Juan, and yet have not even dropped a pound! What is up with that?? If I were a guy I would just quit drinking soda or stop eating candy bars and BAM! all my weight would melt off. Now, there is some weight I'm looking to keep on, like the extra cup size and the curves that guys seem to be commenting on more and more these days, but everything else has GOT TO GO! A friend of mine recently suggested I join the HCG craze, but you know what? I don't really want to eat like I'm a prisoner of war being let out of my cell just long enough to scavenge a rodent from the nearby field, besides my love of food and HATRED of hunger just doesn't allow for that. Some people are comfort or emotional eaters, well I realized I'm a mindless eater. Sometimes I look down at my hand and think, "what am I eating?" Something about munching soothes my soul....

After all this self-reflection, and after a bowl of ice cream, I came to the conclusion that if I want my 18 yr old body back I have got to crack down and fix my diet! All this working out is for naught when I eat all the calories I burned back. So starting today I am on an "I hate to be hungry, but I don't need to overeat or eat junk food anymore" diet. My goal is to cut the sugar, increase my protein intake and cut out the fat. Hopefully this will supercharge my weightloss and make each drop of sweat that rolls off my forehead worth all the effort! So far today has been a great day. I'm proud to say that I have followed all the eating rules my trainer has set for me: eat more egg whites, check.... one protein shake a day, check... and no more sugar, check check! I'm taking it one day at a time, but so far so good. Cross your fingers and think happy thoughts for me as I begin my mission to feel better, be healthier and get my body in order! If any of you out there have the same goals in mind, let me know your tips and techniques and we'll work through it together!

Love Lessons from grocery shopping on a Friday night

Ten years ago I would not have been caught dead in a grocery store on a Friday night, I would have been at home dialing up all of my girl friends to see where the party or fun times were at. Fast forward through the years, a full time job and school, and Friday nights have become more of a day to finally relax than it is to be social. This particular Friday night found me sitting on my bed channel surfing, just generally vegging out when I was hit with a sudden and nagging sweet tooth craving. After ignoring it for an hour or so, my mind began dreaming of all the desserts that would satisfy my craving urges.... mmm... donuts... lemon merangue....chocolate ice cream... marshmallow.... It didn't take long and I was up and out of the the door on my way to Frys. I walked in and went straight to the ice cream aisle with the thought that I was just gonna go for it! The sweets world was open to me. Little did I know this shopping experience was going to satisfy some greater urges for me and teach me some very valuable lessons.

Lesson #1- Too much of a good thing ends in heart burn! Last time this sweet tooth struck me I had grabbed a bad of marshmallows, graham crackers and frosting with a side of salt and vinegar chips to off set all of the sweet. After a glutenous night, I awoke with the WORST heart burn and vowed that if I ever made it through this (Dramatic I know, but if you've ever had heartburn you know what I am talking about!), I would never let things get out of control again. Of course, I just had an experience with a guy that was just like this. So sweet, so attentive, so appreciative... too much of a good thing! I of course just let myself go, and what did I end up with? Heart burn! It was wierd, as I grabbed for my massive load of sweets, I thought about him. See I know people can be wonderful and nice individuals, but I have found that in the dating world if they are too much of a good thing, they are gonna be trouble. Most people have insecurities that keep them from being "too much" in the very beginning of a relationship. When they don't, LOOKOUT! They are probably not showing you their true self. I don't mean to sound bitter, it's just a fact of human behavior. As Shrek says, we are like onions and have layers. It is natural to just slowly peel them away, be ware of those who are too much at once because it will often end in heart burn. If you are a too much at once person, I still have love for you but I will also do what I can to take you in small doses that will not feed my glutteny but rather just enough to keep me wanting more.

Lesson #2- Mace scares men, thanks mom and dad. For Christmas this year, my mom and dad gave me the gift of Mace (is that like the modern version of coal?). I work in some really bad neighborhoods and so they decided what I needed to keep me safe was a pepper spray key chain which I carry at all times even to the grocery store on a Friday night! I learned this lesson to be true as I was standing in the cereal aisle after having put back my glutenous sweet tooth fix and moved on to something a little less over the top, when I saw out of the corner of my eye a cute, young guy walking in my direction. I slightly turn and watch as he begins to look me up and down. He scans down and rests on my keys with the pepper spray in plain sight, quickly averts his eyes and picks up his pace. Ok, so the pace of his walk might have been in my mind, but he definitely looked at the pepper spray hanging from my key chain. So ya, use that lesson how you will. If you want to scare away guys carry pepper spray, if you don't leave it at home. Sweet tooth talking.... on to bakery aisle....

Lesson #3- As I walk over to the bakery aisle, I am surprised to see so many people out and about at 9:00 pm Friday night. Maybe they had the same sweet tooth? Kids are running around, some interesting looking people have entered the store, alcohol is everywhere, and strange things are happening... I have the thought, "wow, the full moon sure brought the crazies out tonight." Yes ladies, this is true in the dating scene as well! I don't know what it is but people are different when there is a full moon around. If you walk out and see it glowing brightly in the sky, just remember it will soon go down and those crazies and werewolves will soon go home!

Lesson #4- About an hour later, 4 laps around the store and frustration building, I find myself back at the ice cream aisle where I started. I have looked EVERYWHERE and nothing has stood out to me. Yes, there were plenty of things that would have been good, but I wanted to find something that would fully satisfy my sweet tooth craving. Desperation and frustration begin to take over and I begin to just grab for whatever is in front of me when suddenly I realized, I was settling! Now this lesson is a 2-part lesson. First, even after 4 laps around the "dating store" never settle! It will never fully satisfy you and you will be left feeling let down when the sweet is gone. Second, if you can't find what you are looking for at your store, the go somewhere else! As my hand was reached out to grab the orange cream cake I froze, "what am I doing?? I will not settle!" I turned on my heel and walked straight to my car. As I turned the corner of the parking lot I came head on with what I wanted... QT! I walked in and knew I had found what I wanted. I grabbed a Freezoni and skittles and was finally satisfied and happy. So listen, if at first you don't suceed, look somewhere else!

I know this seems like a lot to learn from just one shopping trip, but every single girl knows these are all lessons we learn at the very wrong times! Why didn't I learn the lesson before my heart got broken rather than in the grocery story after the fact? As men say, "who knows why women do what they do!" This is true, we are what we are. When highs are high our eyes are closed, but the instant we hit the lows our eyes pop wide open. So ladies, just sit back and enjoy the ride when you can, you'll learn our lessons when you get off!