PLUG: Katrina is a Princess~

I'm plugging Katrina is a princess, or KatrinaLomidze.com as she goes by now.

She's one of my favorites because its not just makeup or beauty stuff, though I do appreciate that too. ;d She gives us a little glimpse into her life and I love that. She's got an adorable baby and husband and I get so much enjoyment from just checking out what they're up to.

Go look at her!

Yay!

Sooo since my last blog I started my diet regime! I've mostly stuck to it except for about a week when I got sick and fell off the wagon. Anyway, it's been about 3 week and so far I've lost about 5.6 pounds! Just 9 more to go yay! I feel really proud of myself because at the very least I got back to my net weight (130) and now I'm a little bit under (~129) so I feel like I'm on my way to my goal. SOOO:


Dieting Tips for You

• Drink nothing but water. Such cliche advice, but you'd be surprised how many calories you can save by cutting out juice, soda, fancy frappuccino lattes, bubble tea, etc. Just from staying away from a grande Starbucks frappuccino would save you about 450 calories--which is basically an entire meal! You also feel so much more full and for much longer when you eat instead of drink your calories.
• Indulge--but find a lighter replacement. I personally can't go super hardcore with my diet. I just can't eat bland flavorless 'diet' food like skinless chicken breast with lettuce in lemon juice because even salad dressing had been put off limits. I tried to once before and I lasted all of a couple of hours. Basically, if you want to have the cookie, have the cookie. If you want spaghetti--go ahead! Or if you want icecream, try frozen yogurt instead. Just make sure you stay within your calorie range and you should be good, which brings me to my next tip...
• Keep track of everything you eat. Some of my friends think I'm crazy obsessive but you know what--it works. Munching around really adds up, and its those little things that slip your mind that end up being what keeps you from your goals. You might think you've only eaten 1350calories until you remember that handful (or 3) of chips. I like to use Sparkpeople.com to log food intake. They have a data base so you can just search what you're looking for, and if its not there, you can just add items yourself. What's especially great about doing this is it helps you get a better perspective on exactly how many calories what you're eating has. For instance, with things like salads, you think "Ohh....big bowl of lettuce this wasn't bad at all..." until you add the almonds, the mandarins, the chicken, the craisins, avocado, andd the salad dressing, and realize that salad was actually 700 calories, and dietwise you may as well have gotten the BigMac. Though the salad has a lot more nutritional value, when it comes to dieting and losing weights, its not what you eat so much as how much you eat.
• Find what works for you. I personally have noticed that if I eat too much bread/pasta I start blowing up. However, this might not be the case you. Have some awareness of what's going on with *your* body because every body is different and things that may affect you may or may not effect others. Same for your work out. For instance, yoga gives me the kind of body I like: lean and tone but without any real muscle definition. Weightlifting, on the other hand, builds my muscles up instead of slimming down so I don't get that more stream lined look I prefer. But maybe yoga does shit for and you need to lift 20lbs on the abs-machine to see any difference. Always keep that in mind.

My whole goal was ~Hot by Halloween~ but what am I going to be for Halloween? At first I was thinking Cleopatra:


But then I got over wanting a completely legit costume because....you only wear this crap 1 time a year, and I'm a poor college student so I've got to use my funds wisely. Anyway, I decided to be a kitty cat! I already got the ears from Disneyland like last year...they're pink and white like Marie from the Aristocats, and instead of being on a headband, they're clips so it actually looks like the ears are coming from your head!



I got a tail...it's black though. But its okay because I can just be a black and white cat! I was going to get these cat gloves/claws thing, but I think I'd prefer to get real talons aka NAILS for claws instead (from my store):

I'm not sure if I'll want to do fingerless gloves or not. I haven't put together the final image yet as I haven't decided on the outfit exactly. I just know I don't want to be too slutty, but still sexy because hello what's the point of getting ~Hot for Halloween~ if I don't show it off, right? All I know is that for the make-up I'm definitely doing a super dramatic smokey cat eye. I got a little bell collar too! And I might get some little pink clip in extensions for fun too....

As for what I'm doing, I'm certain me n mah buddies are going to the Halloween parade~ and then clubbing afterward. We've got to plan in exact detail though, because I do *not* want to get stuck going, "What are we doing...?" the whole night. I've got midterms next week, so this is how I'm treating myself. Plus, I've been a good girl this past month and I've hardly partied, gone out, etc., at all in favor of keeping up with school and getting back in shape.

Believe it or not I don't actually like going out all that much. I prefer like once or twice a month. Going out actually takes a physical tole on people. The drinking (the calories!! and the bloating!!) staying up late, etc., and I take my health fairly seriously. Like, I like to get regular sleep and stuff because otherwise I get really cranky and I seriously can't function.

Anyway, next week Friday is also payday! Whoooo! I can't wait to finally go shopping for winter clothes...get some shoes...my hurr did...all of that good stuff. I've been working hard for a month in more way than one so I really feel that I deserve some pampering.

Until next time...

Ack!

OMG I'M GAINING WEIGHT!!!!

I'm nipping this in the bud right now though. As for now I am OFFICIALLY ON A DIET and EXERCISE REGIME. 1200-1500 calories a day--water only! NO JUICE/BUBBLE TEA/COFFEE/HOT CHOCOLATE/SODA! I'm going to work out in the mornings with my suitemate--at least 45 mins on the eliptical on M, W, Th/F, St/Sn. She is soooo good--always getting up to go to the gym. I will learn from her.

Its just so hard because our dining hall literally is an all you can eat buffet. You can always go back for more, and there is always MORE waiting for you. Plus its sweets galore. I can resist certain things--like I won't eat pancakes or a waffle or something every morning for breakfast. Even muffins hold little allure for me because I know how flipping calorie dense they are and in the end they're never really worth it.

One thing I love about NY compared to LA is that at all chain-type restaurant they have the calories on display right next to the price. That has literally stopped me in my tracks soo many times. And its a good guide too, because for instance the other day I was debating...'Should I go with the Smoked Cuban Panini....or the Turkey Sandwich...the turkey sandwich is probably less fattening...'

Except NOT! The Panini was 470 calories (and I only ate 2/3s of it--Hoorah!) and the Sandwich 860 calories.

I almost died. Not really but you know. ;p

Yesterday night me and my roomie went on a field trip to SoHo in search of Yogurtland! It was all the way on Bleecker St. but so worth it! Only problem was they only had the huge cups--and I didn't realize they were the huge cups, so I filled it half way thinking that was the usual amount I get. Only when I went to the register and the total was $7.62 did I realize. Ah well, I probably won't be back over there for a while so its all good. I had PinkBerry the same day (my diet starts today! lol) and though I thought they tasted the same...Pinkberry does win the taste test.

While we were over there we went in this store called Fantasy Land. They had a whole bunch of costumes and things. I think I'll head back over there in a couple of weeks to get the Cleopatra costume. So cute! I've never dressed up for Halloween but I think I want to this year.

They also had an assortment of porn and sex toys. LOL! There were even the flesh-toned dildos in a variety of colors depending on your preference. Black, white, "mulatto," they had them all. XD

My roomie is so adventurous and we were going to stop by a psychic so she could get a basic reading. But DAMN can you said rude. The lady clearly saw we were trying to get in, but she didn't think to move from her book until we started knocking. She said she was "Waiting for an appointment." and had the nerve to go like we were doing something wrong when the door clearly said "Open! Walk-in's encouraged!" Oh well...she missed out on the $20.

In like 3-4 weeks (maybe around Halloween time) I'll let you all know my weigh-in... There's no better incentive to stay on track than having to share your result come weigh-in time.