My Salad Days

[my-saladdays]

That was a long, useless break.

I took a bit of a break over the summer...and gained a lot of the weight back. Awkward...

But it's okay because I just started my low-carb adventure again and am already back to where I was at my lowest (around 160). I'm going to keep going this time all the way through the September. I need some new inspiration and some new recipes!

[my-saladdays]

Day Ten: "What was the hardest thing you gave up?"

Bread. Soft, delicious, crisp, hot French bread. And bagels, muffins, tortillas, pretzels...I just fucking love bread. It's ridiculous. I can stand living without potato chips and fried things and whatever, but not having bread just sucks. And it sucks even more because I'm doing low carb and can't even cheat just a little or my whole day will be thrown off.

Oh well. Someday I will eat bread again. 

[my-saladdays]

Day Eight: "Your workout routine"

Well it depends on the day and what's going on. Friday through Monday I do whatever is available, which usually includes 30 minutes of swimming or 30 minutes of walking or 30 minutes of elliptical. Sometimes I do strength training (very rarely...) or I'll just do whatever I can find, like when I did an hour of Just Dance on Friday, or walking around the mall for two hours looking for a dress XD I don't have a rigid work out routine during the weekend. But Tuesday through Thursday I'm much more serious.

I have fencing practice Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Tuesdays we do strength, cardio and sometimes yoga for about an hour, then have a fencing lessons for an hour, then have free fencing for however long we feel like (maybe and hour and a half). Wednesdays I have a private lesson for an hour which is always really intense, and then Thursdays I teach for an hour and then fence for maybe two or three.

Fencing is my main workout, but I try to do something every night that I don't fence.   

[my-saladdays]

Banquet Dress :)

I went shopping for a dress today and I've dropped from a size 14 to a 10! I was so excited! I bought a bright fusia dress that hugs my curves in all the right places XD It really shows off all the weight I've lost so I'm really excited for next weekend to wear it!

[my-saladdays]

I was going to swim for like an hour today for my workout, but then the sky decided it would be a perfect day to rain when it hasn't rained here for like two months. It was okay though because my friend came back from school yesterday and we played Just Dance for like an hour and it was a serious workout XD It was lots of fun though. I'll have to get a Wii someday. 

Haven't gone to sleep at the usual time, which I'm a bit upset about. Gotta keep up with the slumber to have a good metabolism! Tomorrow I'm going shopping for a band banquet dress :) I hope I can find one, because I only have a week. Whoops. 

[my-saladdays]

Day Seven: "Do your parents know you're trying to lose weight? do they care?"

Missed yesterday...guess I'll just do two today :)

My parents know and they have no problem with it. Actually, they're really supportive with everything. I've been cooking dinner for everyone lately and it turns our that they've lost some weight too with my journey. Mom's lost four pounds, Dad two.

They know I'm doing this the right way for the right reasons and trust that I'm not going to try anything stupid just for the sake of being thin. I'm really lucky to have this relationship with my parents, because I know a lot of girls don't have the same support. The only advice I can give to that is to make sure you're trying to be healthy while trying to lose weight and assure them over and over again that the goal is NOT to hurt yourself. 

[my-saladdays]

Saved. My. LIFE!!!!

Low carb pita bread. Only FOUR GRAMS PER LOAF!! AND I ONLY USUALLY EAT HALF A LOAF!!!

Introduced to me by my sister. I love that girl. 

[my-saladdays]

Craving some granola bars...

Does anybody know a low-carb recipe for granola bars? I know it's hard because the main ingredients are usually oats and honey...but I'm desperate here. 

[my-saladdays]

Thank you for posting that! I was feeling sooo guilty for eating tonight and it wasn't a lot, and you're right about your words. :')

Aww thanks! I'm really glad someone got something out of my ramblings :) I hope you keep trying on your journey and don't give up! and don't beat yourself up! Because everything's going to be awesome in the end and if it's not awesome, then it's not the end!

[my-saladdays]

Day Six: "Do you binge? Explain why you think you do."

I googled the exact definition of binging: 

To be immoderately self-indulgent and unrestrained

Well, I have self-indulged with food before, but not on my diet. Except the one time I was on my period and I ate like three slices of whole wheat bread and some M&Ms and ice cream...though I don't exactly consider that a binge. 

I think people get confused with actual binging and a little bit of cheating. For me, to binge you have to eat EXCESSIVELY all the bad things you're craving. I mean like eating five ice cream bars and three bags of chips and candy bars and fried things and so on and so forth. Having a little ice cream, eating a bag of chips, that's not a binge. That's a little cheat and it happens to everyone.

And if you do binge, don't let it defeat you. It was a moment of weakness, and now you have to move on. Don't let your weaknesses destroy the strength you've worked so hard to build up!   

[my-saladdays]

I have a peanut butter problem...

I eat too much of it.

At least it's not an ice cream problem ;)

[my-saladdays]

Day Five: "Why do you really want to lose weight? Are you doing it for yourself?"

At first no, no I wasn’t. I was doing this to fit in and be “beautiful” like everyone else, but through the process I’ve realized that that’s not what it’s about. 

I’m doing this to be the best version of me I can be. I’m doing this so I can look as confident as I feel. I’m doing this to show everyone that yes, I am capable of great things, and so are you. I’m doing this so I can show the young girls I fence with (there are quite a few) that it’s okay to want to be fit and healthy, and that there’s a safe and healthy way to do it.

I want to be the best I can be. It’s as simple as that. 

[my-saladdays]

At fencing, bored. Awaiting the girl I teach so I can get my coaching on, but she's surprisingly late. She usually has to get mad at me for being late XD

For our workout today we're supposed to be doing yoga. I don't know if I'm excited or not...I love yoga...but I was kinda in the mood to do some serious strength training like usual. Oh well. Yoga is still exercise. And then I can work hard at actual fencing. Fun fun! 

[my-saladdays]

Day Four: "Your Greatest Fears about Weightless"

I have a list.

It won't work

If it works, I'll just gain everything back

It won't be as great as I anticipate and I'll still feel fat.

I'll lose my muscle and strength in the process

None of these are worth giving everything up of course. They're just fears I always have in the back of my mind, and are easily avoidable. I just can't give up and always remember that I'm more than just my weight :)

[my-saladdays]

Fascinating. Just fascinating how our society has changed, isn't it?

Found them here

[normajeanebaker]

Marilyn Monroe photographed by Gene Kornman, 1953

[my-saladdays]

Day Three: A photo of your "Inspiration"

Marilyn Monroe is gorgeous. I love the fact that she never measured her achievements with her looks, it was the rest of the world that did that. She was beautiful without being stick thin. Despite her other faults, she is my inspiration to keep trying, because someday I hope to be as confident with myself as she looks here :)

My friends are also an inspiration, not only because they’re also gorgeous, but because they’ve been very supportive of my journey. I want to be able to stand next to them and not feel like the fat one, though they have never treated me like that.

And I don’t believe in the term “thinspiration”, which is why I didn’t use it. I’m inspiring myself to be healthy and happy and fit. I refuse to look at other people and long to be like them, because I never will be. I can only be the best version of myself.