Dreamer. Chasing Dreams.

Wow. I feel like I’ve finally crossed over the hill from, “OMG this diet sucks” to, “I feel really good.” I think it was about halfway through Day 4 that I started to feel less like I was on the verge of giving up. I started to feel more refreshed and crave fewer items— it’s really amazing. I’ve also slowed the Jell-O cravings. (But, seriously it gets you through a lot.)

Tomorrow is our first cheat day and I don’t want to cheat. I know I HAVE to, and I will— but I don’t want to go crazy like they tell you to. I’ll take my full measurements tomorrow— but I “cheated” and took a few today and there are a few places where I’m down by an inch, AND (warning: TMI) it’s that time of the month. Also, since it’s that time of the month I haven’t lost anymore poundage (actually went up a little for water)— but just knowing that there is a difference in the measurements is huge!!

Yay for Friday!

Today is Day 4, and I can say that (I think) it’s getting a little easier. Taylor and I are actively getting up earlier—with spunk, I might add. We are doing a good job of making a good breakfast and lunch, but we have realized that we get suuuuper hungry around 3:30 or 4 p.m. and this is where we’re finding that you HAVE to eat that fourth meal. What we’ve figured out is that  an EAS Carb Control Chocolate Shake ~100 calories, 17 grams of protein (but, it does contain Soy Milk), will hold us over and bring our energy levels up. So, that’s good progress!

I’ve been weighing myself every morning and making an effort to drink a lot of water or unsweetened, decaf iced tea in order to stay hydrated so that I lose water weight and stay hydrated. So far I’ve lost 3.4 lbs— but, that could just be water weight. I’ll take measurements on Saturday morning to compare. (I will also mention that these are based off my Sunday morning weight….if I am subtracting from my Saturday evening weight— then I’ve lost 5.4 lbs. I’m only going by Sunday though since it was at 7:00 a.m. and that’s when I weigh myself each day)

I have to say— I do feel better. I think my skin tone has improved and I have a super clear mind (when I’m not hungry).

Here’s an idea of the meals we’ve had over the past few days:

Morning: 2 egg whites, 1 egg for each of us. We’ve made this into omelets using sausage/ pancetta, spinach onions and bell peppers. Just mixing and matching.

Lunch: Bean Salad, Lentil Salad, Chicken, Turkey rolls with mustard

Dinner: Chicken and Steak, Bean Salad, Lentil Salad and Jell-O. Lots of Jell-O.

We have been drinking red wine each night— mainly because it curbs our appetites and it feels like a real treat :)

Our wedding is less than five months away and despite my best efforts to get the weight off before the wedding including Insanity, which I’m pretty sure completely messed up my knee, I’ve actually gained more weight.

Flash back to last Thursday. I walk up to kickball and a good friend of mine with a VERY similar body type to mine looked smoking hot and skinny in her shorts. I knew she had been doing a diet, but I wasn’t sure what it was. She tells me it’s Four Hour Body and required no exercise. You guys, she lost 20 lbs in less than two months and she’s keeping it off.

In what seems like a very Atkins-diety way, this is a slow-carb diet. I never read Atkins or did it, but that’s what people tell me, but there are a few distinct differences. Basically, here are the rules:
1: Nothing white.That includes white bread, white flour, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, tortillas, fried food with breading, and MILK.

2: Eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match from Proteins, Legumes (Beans), and Vegetables.

3. Don’t drink calories. Up to 2 glasses of red wine is fine, but don’t drink it if you don’t need it.

4. Don’t eat fruit.

5. Take one day off a week and eat anything and everything to your heart’s content. Stop at midnight. This is cheat day, or Christmas morning as my friends call it.

Here’s where I’m at.
Saturday: I read the book, we ate a super unhealthy Thai meal, then I came home weighed myself and took measurements. I convinced Taylor to do it with me.

Sunday: Taylor and I both started the diet and encountered our first “moment of truth” when we went to a Graduation lunch. Fresh berries on the table, white bread with olive oil for dipping, potatoes on the shish-ka-bobs, strawberry shortcake, and ice cream cake. Um, yeah.

I will say, we did incredibly good. We ended up having maybe two big bites of ice cream cake each— we split a very tiny piece since we didn’t want to be rude. And, that was it. We ate the parts on the shish-ka-bobs that we could and called it a day.

The hard part about this diet is you only eat four times a day and there is absolutely no snacking. I’ve found, per advice from friends, if you crave something— write it down. Save it for your cheat day.

We’re working at it. I’ll try to keep my story on here so I can also track my progress.

I have 43 pending invitations on LinkedIn.43. Some would say, “Wow, that’s rude.” Or they might say, “Why don’t you just accept them and move on?” To both of those I would answer:

I want my relationships to matter.

In a world where social networking matters most (whether face-to-face or online), there needs to be a distinction between smart networking and just collecting business cards in a bucket. Connections that you make public say something about you as person, and as a professional. So, why would you take a chance on accepting that college acquaintance of yours whom you don’t know anything more about other than where they lived freshman year?

What are some other reasons I won’t accept just any invitation?

I don’t want to look ridiculous.

I have 267 connections on LinkedIn. Some would say that’s a lot, some would say that’s small. Either way, I know each and every single one of them and I have had a working relationship with each person in some capacity— and 97% of them I would recommend for a job. That’s saying something.

LinkedIn is not Facebook.

I will not connect with you because we sat next to each other in English 101 freshman year and you edited my paper once. If you want to creep on me, trying friending me on Facebook. I doubt I’ll accept that, either. But, it’s worth a try.

I am not a number.

College students today are instructed to start building their networks early, and many choose to start on LinkedIn. But a connection on LinkedIn that’s based on the number of Connections you have is NOTHING compared to a solid relationship that you have in person with someone. I would rather build a professional relationship with a colleague or acquaintance that will matter more than a number to my connections count.

My advice to the students trying to build their networks. Take internships— even the ones that look absolutely awful. Learn something— even if it’s just to learn that you hate it. Meet people. Ask them questions. Go to business events. Meet people. Ask them questions. Go to career fairs. Meet people. Ask them questions. Volunteer. Meet people. Ask them questions. Are you catching onto a pattern here?

Scenario: We paid our mortgage to CFCU on Friday, Sept. 28th. Then on Oct. 2, 2012 (aka, today) I find out that @WellsFargo let the SAME CHECK be processed again on Oct. 1 , effectively taking an enormous chunk out of my bank account— at NO fault of my own. So, I have to ask myself:

- Why is it OK for one bank to tell another, “Oops, we messed up. Tell your bank to readjust,” while the other bank says “Yes, we processed the same check twice but it’s caught up in our review system so it could be 5-10 days before you receive your money,” and the customer LITERALLY continues to go emptyhanded?

- Why didn’t Wells Fargo flag this? I entrust MY MONEY, MY LIVELIHOOD to them and they just let money go out like it’snothing. There should be checks and balances, no pun intended, that flag potential issues. Example— Oh, wow this exact same check is being cashed again? Flagged. NOT— oh, that’s ok.

- Lastly, why is there no corrective action expected from the banks when this type of error occurs? Honestly, if a restaurant screws up your meal— they cut you a deal on dessert, or they reduce your check. I’m not getting ANYTHING for this expect strife.