Keep going!!!

The last week has consisted of brisk walks, running, crying, eating a (more) balanced diet, and resulted in a goal being achieved. I weighed in this morning at 129.4 pounds. I lost 1.4 pounds in one week which is awesome for me!! :) Stoked about it! Shape Magazine's experts say it is healthy to lose 1-2 lbs a week. So I fit right in there! Hell yeah! I have done what they say works, I have exercised more and eaten less. I eat my five or six small meals a day and make time to exercise right after work. Ryan has been amazing and supportive of me; we go for a run after work everyday. We try to implement exercise into our lives on a daily basis, on the weekends we find time to hike or geo-cache out in the country.

I do also have to say I absolutely love my new running shoes as well! I bought the new Simply Tone shoes by Reebok. They have the balance ball expired technology on the under side of the shoes. It seems like you are walking on air when you feel that cushy feel! Believe me, they are so comfortable for running, I LOVE THEM! I am going to admit that the commercials hooked me! But hey! I would rather get hooked on running from an appealing Reebok ad vs. eating a Big Mac because they fat dripping grease was soo damn appealing in a McDonald's commercial. You agree with me right??? :) So just to inspire you watch these commercials and see if you get motivated! Ohh by the wayy, the Simply Tone by Reebok happens to be darn stylish, I got the ones in White and Blue! The commercial is actually for the Easy Tone by Reebok which are like the sister shoe. They are more seen as the walking shoe, the running shoe is the Simply Tone by Reebok. I definitely want people to have the chance to see new items that might inspire them to make a healthy life decision, so from time to time I will post about new things that I am trying and let you know how I like or dislike them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igqR7Pcxfmk
This past week has not been easy. This past Tuesday, as we were running, I noticed how freaking slow I was running. I thought back to running cross country and could remember how my stride was then. So I got super pissed with myself for running so damn slow. My tears started welling up in my eyes and I just stopped running. Ryan stops running and asked me what was wrong. I answered that I was pissed and should be running faster. So then Ryan says, "Show me! Are you really pissed? Show me how mad you are! RUN!" Hearing all that pissed me off, Ryan pushed me to use my aggression into running. I WAS MAD! It worked pissing me off, I sprinted my ass off and then continued to run at a pretty consistent speed. I was much happier running at a faster speed. I felt better knowing I could run faster if I just put forth the effort.

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the idea of working out, that when we actually do we let ourselves down from unrealistic expectations. You have to know that it will take time. Results take time.

The only way I am going to improve my running time and performance is if I keep going. Never stop. That is my new rule for running.

So I am happy with the progress I am making fitness wise. I will continue to work hard and add some fun things into the mix, I really want to dive into dancing for fun. I know it is a great workout. My skill is definitely lacking in that department but it will be fun trying to learn how to dance.

Now to some fun news... This next week is going to be super crazy! I just got a call today for an interview on Monday for what I will call my fav secret job:) I am really wanting this awesome job and going to prepare for my interview like crazy for the next five days! Wish me luck!!! Sorry for the late post, I was super tired last night and so I am reposting this for you early this morning! Happy Thursday! YAYY for Grey's tonight! (It should be great! Derek wants Meredith to have a baby! Hell yeah!!)

Is there a line?

Nowadays, people are worried about crossing the line. Whether it is crossing political boundaries or setting too many rules as a parent, rules are something we all fret about. Whether we are following them or setting too many, is there a line?



Do we cross the line when we correct a child for being mean to our loved ones? That is a good question. For example, I have a friend who recently took her daughter to a park. She noticed that two boys were teasing her daughter so she corrected them by saying that type behavior (shooting with fake guns) was not something they should do to her daughter. Now I know that guns are a sensitive issue. The young girl was three and was scared by the loud noises. The boys were asked to stop and they continued. Then asked the second time, they were asked to stop and to not do that anymore as it scared her. The other mother said my friend was way out of line and did not have the right to correct her son as my friend was not his mother. I personally believe my friend was in the right. If you take your child to a public place and your child is being scared by older children, I feel you have the right to ask them to stop. If you don't then your child will continue to be teased. Parents should have the right to stand up for their children.



If you find something out of the ordinary, question it. I do not think we should teach our youth to stay in the lines. We should want to teach children and adults to question things. The only way to progress in this world is to push forward. Asking questions brings about change. People do not like change. You will often find senior citizens shunning new ways of doing things such as computers. My grandma often said,"We didn't do that when I was younger. So why would I want to do it now?" While maintaining respect for our elders, we also have to look to the future for our next generation. If we do not ask questions and challenge things in our lifetime, then how will we change the world to be a more effective world for those to come?



Is there an imaginary line we cannot cross in certain social situations? Sure there is. When certain questions are asked, certain responses are deemed ideal. If your wife/sister/mother/friend asks you, "Do I look fat in this?" Your response most likely should be no!! -- This topic is always hard to know the proper response. If the material is too tight on them and they have rolls showing then yes say something. Just say that it doesn't fit them well. The material does nothing for them. Anything will sound better than agreeing that they look fat. Worse mistake you could ever make! Definitely.



Knowing when to speak up maybe difficult! Just use your inner voice to figure things out. If you see something odd, question it. If you adore something, speak passionately about it. Love what you do, and speak out for those who cannot! Start a rally, write an article to the editor, make a phone call. If no one questioned anything, life would be dull and pointless. Think about that for a HOT MINUTE!

Less talk, MORE ACTION...

The verdict is in...
Week 2 and my weight is... (drum roll please....) 130.8lbs.  I LOST 4 OUNCES! That number may seem insignificant to someone else but the word that is important to me is... lost. I have not gained weight, I have lost weight.
I think that is pretty damn good, considering the fact that this past weekend I went to Wichita and ate at a number of places with damn good food! :) fattening, I don't wanna put my fork down food. P.F Chiangs was by far the best among them all, okay so I'll admit we went to IHOP for breakfast as well. lol:) And I ENJOYED it! Ryan and I celebrated our first anniversary in style and I won't apologize for it! I just know that I have to work harder now. Which is why we went for a walk together after work this week. Key word is work.
I can talk a big game just like anyone else. I know I said, "Oh I am going to do yoga everyday." I can talk till I am blue in the face, but look where that has gotten me. In the body I said I would never have. Well look at you now Amy... yikes! I had to be a little harsh with myself. Sometimes I get carried away (okay ALWAYS) and plan my diet and exercise plan. There is few times I actually do what I say I will. So time to throw out the soda, get off my couch, and work for it! I know with my metabolism and my drive I can do this. When I want something bad enough and actually try there can be amazing results.
So I will try my damndest... here is to another week of wheat bread, no soda (forreal this time!), yogurt, nuts, no red meat, and no gold fish( i am sad about that one). Less talk, MORE ACTION! C'mon Amy you can do this! Pep talk for myself! work, work, work, till it works!!!

And it begins....

Okay so here we go.... My official weight for my first weigh-in is 131.2 lbs. I am 5'7" and 131.2 lbs. Doesn't sound horrible, but I know I can do better than that. As of yesterday I did not exercise unless I felt it was necessary to fit in a pair of jeans or whatnot. The goal is 118 lbs by July 24th, 2010.  My little sister is getting married that weekend in Virginia Beach, VA. We are flying out that Saturday. So all this talk is done. Now it is time to react. Wednesday - March 17, 2010 is day 1. I will post every Wednesday with an update till then. I will do this. I will get that Britney Spears body I am always talking about! HELL YEAH! Sooo any advice???  Work out, eat less. That is my plan. What do you do?
Thanks to Candies and the backstage photo shoot with Britney Spears... check out this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp3TDSNkQT4

E-Harmony...worked for us. I say YES!

If you do not know by now, Ryan and I met on E-Harmony last spring. I think Audrey Hepburn said it best..."I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

So what should you take from this? Do not hold back. If you want something, REALLY want something. Then do not complain, just do it. I have always believed in soulmates, true love, and fairytales. As idealistic as it sounds, E-Harmony worked for me. After being single for a period of time and knowing I wanted to find my "one," I got serious. I went on E-Harmony and paid about a $100 for a three month subscription. I was tired of meeting losers at bars and the typical douchebags that like to hang around all your friends. LOL. I am a very motivated woman and wanted someone who would challenge me. Ryan does that. He pushes me to be a better person, and the to be the confident, sexy woman that I know I am.

 So if you are single and truly want to find that someone special to be in your life..log on to e-harmony.
 http://www.eharmony.com/
Our one year anniversary is next week... so apparently it works!
Click on the enclosed link for a crazyy interesting article ABC Good Morning america did called  A Look Inside the eHarmony Love Lab ... The following is an excerpt from the article. :)
EHarmony CEO Greg Waldorf says the site's success is based on much more than luck. "Behind that site is incredible research, incredible science," Waldorf said.

EHarmony uses a mathematical algorithm that picks partners based on a 258-question personality test that asks things like, "Do you have a messy room?" or "Do you get angry easily?"

The questions come from the company's study of 5,000 married couples. The findings show the more alike you and your partner are, the longer your marriage will last.
"Opposites attract, then they attack," said Galen Buckwalter, the vice president of eHarmony Research and Development. "Over time, if you have differences you're going to constantly have to negotiate them. Those differences start to be not so cute."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4280987

McDonald's...a child death trap???

This may sound like ohhhh serious blogging... I have not quite made up my mind on that. lol. This past weekend I had the lovely experience of going to a McDonald's here in Kansas. My FIRST McDonald's in Kansas where I actually went in and sat down and ate. I was really surprised to say the least. The staff was super nice and very pleasant. The establishment was clean, sparkly clean.  Now if you live in Virginia Beach it is no surprise to walk into any random McDonald's and be disgusted. Usually you have the rude, ghetto girl saying," What do you want?" None of the Hello or my name is.... I might sound rude but if I do oh well.
 If you are going to take five minutes out of your day to fill out an application for a job at any place, then you better darn well take pride in your appearance and your job performance.  So yayy for McDonald's in Kansas, I approve of your maintaining a safe, clean, and professionally demeanored establishment. I choose not to eat there. Which is fine. If you let your child eat there, then cool. Good for you. The only problem I have is this epidemic spreading across America...
Childhood Obesity. Have you heard of it??? I sure haven't. I mean when I turn on the news do I find it shocking to hear the words Childhood Obesity? YES I do! The newsreporters and citizens act like we have never had fat kids in America before. Hmmm, I certainly remember fat kids from when I was in grade school, don't you?  However, I also remember having a thirty minute recess after lunch. Thirty minutes not ten or fifteen. Oh yeah and this wonderful class called Physical Education. What I do find absolutely ridiculous is when parents let their child opt out of P.E. in school to take an extra elective class.

Don't people ever wonder why phys ed was in their kids schedule to begin with????

Children need exercise. Enough with all these video games, Guitar hero, Wii, watching five hours of T.V. a day crap! My parents used to tell me to go outside and play until dinner was ready. So lets see if I got home at three and dinner was at six, then that is THREE hours of playing outside. We rode our bikes around the block, walked to Mt. Trashmore (our neighborhood park), played in the yard of a neighbor's house, and wayy more things.

And no I don't have children. I do have nieces and nephews though. Oh yeah and three sisters and a brother. So I know a thing or two about kids. Definitely not everything. Moms always say, "Oh when you are a mom, you will take your kid to McDonald's bc they won't eat anything else." I was told that at a park by a mom. Um lets see. I call bullshit. I will NOT take my kids there.
1.   My children will eat what I give them for dinner or they will eat it for breakfast. Worked for my family so why wouldn't I do the same?
2.   Our children will play video games, that is inevitable. I already know that. However...they will also finish all homework before that game is even turned on. No more than 30 minutes on it.
3.   Our family will regularly swim, go boating, jet skiing, hiking, to the library, the park, bike rides, scavenger hunts, field trips.

I am happy I went to McDonald's the other day...that may sound silly after my little rant. However, it is nice to see they are serving apples and milk for kids. It is all about options, whether for a child or an adult like myself. I am 26 and I am still learning how to eat right. It is a constant struggle everyday. I CHOSE to eat fried chicken on my salad the other day at McD's. Was that the best decision? No, probably not. Do I regret it? Yes. But the difference is... I chose not to eat the cheeseburger. I ate one a week ago and decided hmm maybe I should eat the salad instead. I am not a food critic, or a mean person who hates on McDonald's lovers. I am just trying to watch what I eat like every other health conscious person. I would love to drive down a main street somewhere and not see fast food, but that is not going to happen. So I will have to find it within me to pack a lunch everyday, which will save me money anyways ! lol :)
I have a goal of 118 for my sisters wedding in July.... I weigh about 129 right now which is fine. I am an athletic framed girl. People might use the word skinny to describe me but eh I would not wear a bikini if someone paid me to. I was 122 or so a year ago so its time for me to hustle. It is always said that you gain weight when you are in a relationship. So true... however, I refuse to do that anymore. So no more soda, no more meat, yeahh that's going to be an issue... I love chicken.  I will eat fish however. Tuna and salmon will be my new loves. Whole grain pasta, yogurt, and whatever else I think will work. Ugh so 118 here I come? less than five months!!!
Ha and I totally forgot I have to exercise. OoPS! I have a yoga DVD which is awesome, so that will be done every morning and a walk in the evening to start. I just have to start. Sooo tell me your ideas? I know I am not the only woman in America trying to lose a few pounds of fat. I might be 130 or so but good lord, if I don't get rid of my love handles I will scream so loud forreal!!! So yep off to bed to go dream about not eating. HAHA! Good night blogging world:)

Four AM now..GRR

I wish I could sleep but I cannot so I am blogging! YAY! I soo love this it is amazing. I wonder if I will crash tomorrow night? eek I will have to buy a big Red Bull on the way to work so I can focus. Ahh FUN! Sooo guess what books I ordered and or bought in the last two days??? I am inserting the links so you can look and perhaps buy? I am really stoked about the first one... I have watched The Hills, The City and now Kel's World. Kelly Cutrone is my celebrity love. She is in fashion public relations, a single mom, a bitch when she needs to be, and also has this soft side when she is talking of her daughter, Ava. Ahh she wrote this book to "empower young women" as she said in her show. I bought it and only for 13.44 on Amazon so heck yes!!! Yeah and I also bought Lauren Conrads two books that are out. I bought the first book she wrote at Dillons in Great Bend for seven dollars and then had to complete my collection with the second. Lauren has maintained this calmness to her despite her fame. She is no Heidi Pratt getting two boob jobs or anything. Ugh Heidi looks awful... and she was soo darn cute and tiny when she starred The Hills, oh well.  So these are my new reads for the next month or so. Stay tuned for more... YAYY!