Even though I’m currently on a mission to overhaul my eating habits, I do love the occasional indulgence and a lunch of a great cheeseburger and fries definitely qualifies! Right now, having the best food possible is extra important to me, because if I am going to stray from my healthy eating regimen, the food I’m splurging on better be worth it!
For a great burger, my go-to has become Mikie’s Restaurant in Everett. Not only are they super close to my office, making them easily accessible even if I don’t have much time to grab a bite to eat, but their food is beyond fantastic. My friend Rachel and I like to go there for lunch as a payday treat, and they never disappoint. We like to call our food in before we leave the office so it’s ready when we get there, so that we can sit in a booth and enjoy our lunch and the decor.
The restaurant has an old-fashioned drive-in feel to it, which stems from its origins as an A&W franchise back in the late fifties. It’s been family owned and operated since its current owners purchased it in 1966, and a place that’s been around that long screams of a successful business model. I’ve never been there when it wasn’t jammed with people inside, with a long line of cars in the drive thru outside.
I’m a purist of sorts – I love a really well-made cheeseburger paired with their French fries. Rachel likes the bacon cheeseburger and a milkshake. But the menu offers lots of different burgers, and one of these days I’m going to give their chili dogs a try (I do love a good chili dog!).
With reasonable lunch menu prices and a super-friendly staff, Mikie’s is a way better experience than standard fast food drive-thru fare. It’s perfect for a one-meal splurge and the portion sizes are generous but not over-the-top. If I’m going to be eating a lunch I didn’t pack myself, odds are that it will be a Mikie’s lunch!

I’ve just completed my first week in the Cruise Phase of the Dukan Diet, and I’m down another 1.6 pounds! I had wondered if my weight loss would slow down in this phase, and so far it has, but I’m feeling pretty psyched about being down 4.2 pounds in only two weeks!
Phase 2: Cruise
I mentioned a little bit about the Cruise Phase in last week’s blog. Basically, the idea is to alternate days of eating nothing but lean protein with days of eating both lean protein and veggies. It was definitely nice to add back in vegetables, and I don’t think I’d ever been so happy to eat a big serving of broccoli!
Since I want to be all about honesty about my weight loss journey, I admit that I strayed from the diet a couple of times this week. Dukan is pretty clear about straying from the meal plans during the Cruise phase – an emphatic DON’T – but I’m still feeling good. On Friday I kept a lunch date with a friend and went out for cheeseburgers and fries, and during yesterday’s Seahawks game I split an individual pizza with Bill and paired it with two beers over the course of the game. So I wasn’t perfect, and I probably could’ve lost more for the week had I stuck religiously to the diet. But I’m proud of myself for bouncing right back and getting back to my diet.
I’m finding that a lean protein and veggie diet, even with a couple of treat meals each week, works for me. I’ve had a lot of energy in spite of working long hours and being really busy. Eating lean protein is still keeping me craving-free and the only chocolate that I’ve eaten in two weeks has been Dukan-approved sugar-free, fat-free pudding. I even resisted the free popcorn at the brewery while we watched football yesterday (and anyone who knows me knows that popcorn is one of my favorite snacks to eat!).
 
Sample Menu: (Cruise Phase)
Breakfast:
Scrambled Eggs with bell peppers and mushrooms
Jennie O Turkey Sausage
Lunch: 
aidells Caramelized Onion Chicken Meatballs
2 cups steamed broccoli
Snacks: 
Cucumber slices
Nonfat Greek Yogurt
Dinner: 
Spaghetti squash with mushrooms and lean ground beef in low-sodium spaghetti sauce

Last week I posted on my blog that I was starting the Dukan Diet, and promised to share my thoughts and progress along the way. I lost 2.6 pounds in the first week, and while I confess that I was hoping to lose more, I’m happy to have those pounds gone! I’m very interested to see if I continue on this pace or if my weight loss slows now that I’m moving into the second phase of the diet.
Phase One: Attack 
The first phase of the Dukan Diet is called the Attack Phase, and it’s the strictest one on the plan. It restricts you to lean protein for 5-10 days, depending on how much you need to lose to reach your true weight (you can calculate it all on Dukan’s site).
I like this diet a lot better than anything I’ve ever tried before, mainly because I don’t have to worry about when I’m “allowed” to eat and can have my meals and snacks when I’m ready for them. Although the diet boasts that you don’t have to stress portions and can eat as much as you like, I’m finding that lean protein is VERY filling and a lot of the time I couldn’t eat everything on my plate!
I did have a couple of cravings here and there, but they didn’t last long and were usually triggered by smells (for some reason, being in ketosis always seems to heighten my sense of smell!). I’ve often described myself as a chocoholic, so I was really surprised that I didn’t crave chocolate one bit during the first week.
I’ve now successfully completed the Attack Phase and am moving into the second phase, which is the Cruise Phase. This one lasts quite a bit longer because you stay on it until you reach your true weight, which for me is still 14 pounds away. On the Cruise Phase, you alternate days of eating veggies along with your lean protein.
Sample Menu (Attack Phase)
Breakfast
4 Jennie-O turkey sausage links
Nonfat latte
Lunch
Foster Farms Chicken Breast Strips
Snacks
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
Nonfat Greek yogurt
Dinner 
Rotisserie turkey breast with taco seasoning

It’s the first full week of the new year, and I’m sure that I’m in ample company in my resolve this week to start eating healthier and exercising more. I’ve seen posts from a few of my favorite bloggers about types of workouts they like, workout gear they recommend, and great ideas for keeping motivated. I used to write stuff like that, too. I had Motivation Monday theme posts that I kept up for awhile, but like a lot of things, those pretty much went by the wayside last year.
I’m not exactly sure how I went from a person who was pretty focused on healthy eating and fitness to one who routinely indulged in junk food and basically paid a gym membership as a charitable donation, since I never went. What I suspect is that the culprit was major upheaval in my life at the end of 2013, which completely and utterly disrupted my routine. I was living somewhere new, I was on my own for meal prep for the first time in six years, and I was dealing with a lot of anxiety. Since losing weight in the first place a few years ago was largely centered around establishing and sticking to a routine, having that crash down around me probably really contributed to my ultimate backsliding in 2014.
I wouldn’t say that I’ve ever really been overweight. My heaviest was about 155 pounds back in 2007, and was the aftermath of a bad breakup that just happened to coincide with taking a new job with long hours. The drive-thru and TV became my best friends.

 
About halfway through 2007, I hit a wall and realized that I didn’t feel good about the way I looked and that I wanted to change. I joined a gym and put myself on a diet, although I look back at said diet and cringe because I knew nothing about nutrition and lasting weight loss, so I just stuck to a very low-calorie diet that didn’t really do much to benefit me. I lost weight, because I ate less and worked out more, but I wasn’t feeding my body effectively.
By 2008 I had dropped twenty pounds, and was feeling better about myself, even though I did want to lose more weight. I transitioned from Slimfast shakes to salads or Lean Cuisine meals for lunches, and for the most part dinners were healthy home-cooked meals.

 
It wasn’t until I moved to Washington, and started Zumba, that my focus really shifted from just being thin to being fit. I began learning about how to eat to give myself energy and to fuel my workouts. I dropped another ten pounds, and kept it off effortlessly because exercise and healthy eating were part of my day to day life. I wasn’t on a diet, there wasn’t anything I restricted myself from having. I had good muscle tone and felt amazing about myself.

 
You would think that, having traveled that journey, I would’ve learned enough to keep myself from ever falling into old patterns. But like I said at the beginning of this post, routine is essential to my maintaining good habits, and all semblance of routine went out the window last year. Over the last twelve months, I knew I was falling off my good-habits wagon. I made a few feeble attempts to stop the madness, and would have some success…but ultimately would slip again. And now, here I am, fifteen pounds heavier. That doesn’t make me feel good. I look at the pictures of myself at my smaller size and feel a mix of shame that I let that go, and fear that I can never get it back.
I remember what it felt like to feel beautiful, and proud of my looks. I no longer feel that way. In order to get my confidence back, the extra weight has to go. I have NO excuses. I’m in a happy, stable place in my life and I have a great support system. I just have to do the work. That’s why trying the Dukan Diet is so important to me. It gives me hope, a road map that I’ve been assured I can follow, one that will lead me to success. It allows me to eat enough that I can still do the kind of workouts I enjoy.
I’ve succeeded on my weight loss journey before, and it definitely sucks to be where I am right now. But hopefully I can stick with this and be successful again.
 

Happy 2015! I know the new year is already five days in, but I spent the first few days of it relaxing and enjoying the last little bit of quiet I would have before I jumped back into my old job and hectic schedule. Starting today, I have an hour and a half of overtime scheduled each day, so I’m arriving at work at 6:30 in the morning. That means waking up at 4:15, something I am not used to and not particularly good at. But I’m fueled by the promise of overtime pay, which translates into money in savings, paid bills, and fun splurges, so bring on the madness.
It used to be all the rage to make New Year’s Resolutions, vows we make to improve ourselves in the new year. But over the last couple of years it seems to be more the fad to NOT make resolutions, because they put too much pressure on us, and we should just be living our lives without that added stress of self-imposed deadlines for achievement. That’s not really me, though. I’ve always seen the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to set goals for myself, and 2015 is really no exception. Maybe my goals aren’t all that exciting: I want to pay off my credit cards, replenish my savings account, and lose the weight that I gained in 2014.
The financial goals I have are a result of my decision late last year to move in with a roommate and free up my finances somewhat. Living alone was really expensive and did not leave me a lot of financial wiggle-room; now that I have someone to share household expenses with, I can pay off some bills and still have enough money left over to put some in savings and to also have some fun.
I did have some success at losing weight last year with Medifast, but I gained most of it back during the holidays and now I’m feeling like I’m pretty much back at square one. Although I tried to motivate myself in December with the threat that I would have to go back on the diet in January if I couldn’t keep my weight off, I’ve decided to go a different route this time and try the Dukan Diet. Several of my coworkers have had success with it, and I like that the Dukan diet provides not only a guide to losing weight, but the steps to transition to a maintenance plan as well. It will mean making lifelong changes, and I do believe that leading a healthier lifestyle SHOULD be the end goal. I’ll keep my blog updated with my weight loss journey and (hopefully) milestones.
My biggest overall goal for 2015, though, is to really enjoy it. My life is going great and I’m in a really great place personally and professionally. I’m ready to make this the best year yet!

It feels like it was only weeks ago that I happily closed the door on 2013 and began the new year with hopes that it would be my best ever, but here we are about to say goodbye to 2014. While there were definitely some hard times this year, there were also more good ones than I ever thought possible. As I do every year, today I want to take a look back at 2014 and all the wonderful things that happened to me. Here are some of the highlights:
 
The Seahawks won the Super Bowl. ‘Nuff said.
 
I fell in love with seeing bands at smaller local venues, thanks to Bill. I met one of my favorite bands, the Jezabels. I also got to go to a ton of other awesome shows at cool local venues, as well as the Capitol Hill Block Party, Everett’s Fisherman’s Wharf Music Festival, Bumbershoot, and Lollapalooza in Chicago. Seeing bands I like has become something of an addiction.

 
My cousins graduated from high school and college (my cousin Camryn earned his high school diploma and his Associate’s degree, and my cousin Caitlyn earned her Bachelor’s degree and immediately began her Master’s program). I got to attend their graduation ceremonies and couldn’t be prouder of them!

 
I turned thirty, and got to spend my birthday with my dad (we share our birthday), my mom, my cousins, and a lot of great friends. I know a lot of people who dread their thirtieth birthdays, but for me, it was a welcome milestone. While I learned a lot in my twenties, I was more than ready to leave them behind.

 
I visited Chicago for the first time and absolutely fell in love with the city. In addition to my first Lollapalooza, Bill took me to my first Cubs game and introduced me to cool neighborhoods, great food, and the tallest buildings I’ve ever seen. I also got to meet up with my dear friend Marcie and her daughter and now-fiancee, and seeing them meant the world to me. I can’t wait to go back to Chicago for Lollapalooza 2015!

 
I made a couple of trips back to California and got to spend time with my family (and enjoy my parents’ newly landscaped backyard!). I also got to introduce Bill to my brother and sister and show him around where I grew up. Hopefully I get to go back soon…once their snowstorm warnings subside, anyways.

 
I cut my long hair, first into a chin-length bob in April and then a pixie cut in June. It was a bold move for me, as I’d always believed I would never look good with short hair (even though I had wanted a pixie cut ever since I saw Winona Ryder’s super-short hair in Girl, Interrupted). When I decided to take the plunge and try going shorter, I did it with the mantra that my hair WOULD grow back and that if I hated it, it wouldn’t be forever. But I didn’t hate it. I loved it, I love having short hair, and I can’t really imagine ever wanting to grow it long again!


 
I moved to Kirkland and got a house with my first roommate ever. Living with Amy has turned out to be awesome and I am SO glad we live together. Our house is cozy and comfortable and I actually enjoy being at home now. Now I can’t wait for summertime, so that we can build a fire pit and spend warm evenings outside in our backyard toasting marshmallows and relaxing.

 
I fell in love with Bill. He is my best friend and the love of my life. Together we have a bond that I only dreamed could exist. Being with him makes me happier than I ever knew a relationship could make me. This year we have taken trips together, seen bands together, laughed and cried together. He’s supported me through good and bad.

Saying goodbye to 2014 is definitely bittersweet for me, since it’s been such an amazing year. But I’m excited to see what great things 2015 has in store for me!

Last June, I wrote about accepting a six-month temporary position at work. At the time, I was hoping that it would ultimately turn into a permanent job for me. The six months have passed, and it hasn’t worked out that way. I was given the choice of extending my temporary assignment through February, in continued hopes that maybe it would turn into a permanent position, or returning to my former job in Customer Relations.
It was a difficult decision, but ultimately I decided to go back to Customer Relations. I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had in the last six months and am glad I had such a great opportunity.But I discovered that I miss the fast-paced work days and the sometimes-hectic environment that I’ve grown fond of over the last three years. I feel really good about going back and I’m excited for it.

Yesterday was Christmas, and it was the best one I’ve had since moving to the Northwest. Over the last week I’ve had intermittent bummed-out moments because I was missing my family. I always have to work on Christmas Eve, which prevents me from being able to travel to California for the holidays. But I felt better because this year, I opened presents with my parents and sister on Christmas Eve via Skype. It was so much fun actually getting to watch them open their presents, and being able to thank them “in person” as I opened mine!
Christmas at the cozy new house was great. Both Bill and Amy’s boyfriend came over on Christmas Eve, and we all sat around and played Cards Against Humanity and laughed hysterically. On Christmas morning, Amy and I wore the special matching pajamas we got just for the occasion. Santa-Amy had come the night before and filled our stockings, and we all sat in the living room and exchanged gifts. I felt spoiled rotten with all the thoughtful, wonderful presents I received, and I think the gifts I picked out for everyone were a hit. After presents, we cleaned up the wrapping-paper storm that had hit the living room (much to my cats’ chagrin – they love playing with discarded wrapping paper) and Bill cooked breakfast for everyone. He’s a fantastic cook, and I love his breakfasts. For the rest of the day, the house smelled like bacon, and who doesn’t love bacon?
The rest of the day was very low-key. We watched TV, took naps, and relaxed. I didn’t change out of my PJ’s until after noon. My friend Maggie came over for a bit to see the new house and to exchange gifts, and in the evening Bill and I went to Waverly Beach Park near my house to watch the sunset.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I know I did!

It’s the holiday season. Everywhere I go, I hear festive music and see beautiful decorations. My favorite shows have had holiday specials running since Halloween. Oh, yeah, and my Facebook feed is dotted with the posts that some of my friends make when they get all bent out of shape if someone tells them “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas”.
In case you’re not familiar with the United States, we have a society comprised of a lot of different nationalities, origins, and religions. Families here celebrate a variety of holidays, like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. I’ve never met a Jewish person who got offended if I said, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Happy Hanukkah”, but boy do the Christians get ticked if you generalize the season and don’t wish them MERRY CHRISTMAS.
I happen to find this behavior incredibly stupid, as I don’t think it should matter what words a person uses as long as the sentiment is kind. If I wish someone a happy holiday, I do it with the same sincerity as I do when I say Merry Christmas. I think that picking apart what exact phrase a person uses when wishing another person well is ridiculous and makes me want to wish everyone who has tantrums over this pettiness Happy Holidays just to annoy them.
I came across this lovely gem in my Facebook news feed today (I wrote this as-is, so please excuse the poor grammar and know it was not my doing):
What a crock! …we can’t say Merry Christmas now we have to say Happy Holidays. we can’t call it a Christmas tree, it’s now called a holiday tree because it might offend someone? If you don’t like our “customs” and it offends you so much then LEAVE…I will help you pack. They are called customs and we have our traditions. If you agree with this post as your status!! IT’S MY FREEDOM TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Do you have what it takes to repost this? I did and I will continue to say “Merry Christmas”. 
(Side note: who the hell says ‘holiday tree’?? Never heard of that one. Totally calling it that from now on!).
Now, I don’t know anyone who has actually gotten offended because someone says Merry Christmas to them. But I know plenty of assholes (sorry, to my friends, but you are being assholes when you act this way) who get offended if someone opts for Happy Holidays over Merry Christmas. Yes, those who celebrate Christmas are in the majority in the U.S. and I have no problem with that. But we are a nation founded by people from a variety of places, with a variety of traditions and customs. It’s what makes our culture so rich. We are promised religious freedom, and with that comes the right to choose what traditions and holidays we want to adopt. I’m not a Christian and as a whole I dislike religion. I personally celebrate Christmas out of a sense of nostalgia, because I enjoyed it when I was little and I like recreating those memories (and because it’s fun, and because a lot of Christmas parties offer open bars).
To sum up this rant, if someone wishes you Happy Holidays, it’s because they’re being friendly and wishing you well. Don’t be a jerk and get offended because they didn’t specifically cite the holiday YOU celebrate in their greeting. Just know that it was meant to be friendly and kind…and hell, let’s go crazy here, maybe you can even say it back to them.
 

Today I had a really hard time getting psyched up for my workout. I don’t know why there are days that I dread the gym, because I always feel fantastic after I exercise. I always regret it when I miss a workout, but I always feel happy when I finish one.
On top of feeling lazy, I was food-lusty. I fantasized about eating a cheeseburger. But I’m planning on having lasagna for dinner, so I knew I really needed to stick to a light, healthy lunch.
. Finally, I reminded myself that I’m only four pounds away from my second weight-loss goal, and that I’m feeling so much better about myself now that I’m dropping weight. I decided that I have until the end of the month to hit my second goal, and if I don’t, then I’ll go back on Medifast in January. And while Medifast definitely works and can help me shed pounds faster, I would much rather just eat healthy foods and exercise to lose weight. It’s very tough mentally to stay on such a restrictive diet, so it’s definitely not what I want.
So I went to the gym.

And you know what? I feel great.
I really wish that I had gotten myself under control earlier, before I’d gained so much weight. But the important thing is that I’m aware of it now, and  am taking better care of myself. This screen shot from my Lose It account helps keep me motivated:

Maybe losing 8.6lbs in almost two months isn’t that fast or that impressive, but I definitely feel a lot better physically and emotionally with that weight gone. I want to drop about 8 more pounds, which means that if I can keep on my current place I’ll be right where I want to be by February. That’s pretty encouraging. Even more than my self-imposed threat of going back on a diet, feeling healthier and more confident motivates me to keep going when I’m feeling tired or lazy. 8.6lbs ago, I didn’t feel good about myself at all. As the weight drops off, my confidence is coming back strong. I will keep going, because I will feel amazing for it.