I GOT ACCEPTED!

I applied to the University of Arizona last week... I just got the call (letter is in the mail) that I got accepted!

Yeah buddy!

Now time to get the art school application, letter of intent, and portfolio sent out. I'll find out in November if I get accepted into the 3-D Sculptural Design program there. If the Lord wills it, and I do all I can, here is to me starting there in January!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Those of you who actually know the doubts and fears I had about being accepted and really going for my bachelor's degree over the last ten years, have to know that today feels good.

I am truly grateful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me, here is to another step toward trying to become better.

Singing a Solo! What did I just agree too?!

There is going to be a musical program (we call them firesides) at church in November and I just agreed to sing a solo... I JUST AGREED TO DO WHAT?!! SING A SOLO!!

Well, let me tell you a little about me and music shall I...

I grew up in a church that had a family who would get up, the wife, husband, and kiddos, and sing songs as special musical numbers during sacrament meeting. I remember thinking at like age 10 that I wanted to one day do that with my family because I remember how good I felt while they were singing and how pretty it sounded. I did not know how to sing. I didn't know what timing was, what a flat or a sharp was, let alone how to make the right sound come out of me. haha.

Fast forward 21 years... I didn't think I was in a place to be comfortable with singing in front of people, but I've humbly realized that the Lord has allowed me to learn and practice being in front of people and trying to sing in tune for the last few years for just this type of occasion. Today, He even impressed upon someone to compliment my singing during Young Women's earlier in the day out of the blue. He knew I would need the compliment that I sounded okay, which I doubted until she told me otherwise, so I would say yes to doing this solo (which was asked of me hours later by someone who had no clue of the previous conversation)... tricky tricky. haha.

It has taken me a long time to build up the knowledge I have about music, which is still not a lot (truthfully, I can't sight read at all, but I do recognize when the notes move around ;), to even be comfortable singing in my church choir. I should tell ya, in Mormon church choirs (not the Mormon Tabernacle Choir mind you, just members of the church singing in their local congregation), you don't have to sing well, you kinda just have to show up and you're in. I definitely fit into the latter qualifications as a member of choirs for years, but well, okay, now I can sing in tune sometimes because, holy momma, I sing in my car a lot, and may or may not practice leading music while driving too, and really I sing whenever I am by myself, so maybe, just maybe, I have over the last couple years gotten better at singing in tune on purpose more often than not.

However, I'm still in awe that I said yes, and ask myself why in the world would I agree to sing a solo, in front of people?!

Honestly, I may or may not have secretly been wanting to sing in front of people for a few months now... I know, I'm weird!

It scares me and I'm still not that good at it! Thankfully, the director of the program said I can find someone to sing with me if I want too... which I may end up doing if my anxiety about it flares up or I feel impressed to do so, but I know I can do anything with the help of the Lord. I realize that getting over my fear of it now will also help me be better at it in the future. I really do love inviting the Spirit of God with song and would love to be one of those people who can help others feel the Love of God through uplifting words and music too. I love music as a missionary tool and the use of it in my home as a testifier of truth. I'm trying out something scary to help me become better at it. I guess it'll help me to grow as a person because it will challenge me to actually practice and become better at something which is an amazing perk.

Tonight is when the prayers start that I don't pass out, that I learn the music and my part and that everything will turn out great.

Transition to Healthy

Hi all. I don't know how many of you go between my food blog, plancooktaste.blogspot.com and this blog, so I'll explain my change in eating habits, which you have probably already picked up on if you look at my other blog that have been the catalyst to my becoming more healthy.

Ill start with who I was physically and talk about the transformation into who I have become. My max weight was 350lbs, to my knowledge, I didn't often weigh myself for obvious reasons. I gained the most weight from the ages  17-19; staying in that realm of 350lbs for years. I was always a fat kid growing up, in school and amongst my friends. I seemed to have adapted to that role I  hated. 

I wanted a change! 8 years later and 135lbs less I believe I've done just that. Guys, I lost a whole person in weight. I often forget that and get frustrated at myself because Im still a bigger girl, but really, I should be proud of me for any pound I've lost, let alone 135 of them. 

It was 2005, I was 23, when I decided I was done being so fat. I didn't know exactly where to start... I knew people who tried Atkins, I knew people who tried Weight Watchers, so I decided to try my own version of them too. Low carbs and counting points worked! 50lbs in 6 months (which looking at me at the time you couldn't tell because I was that big, but the scale told me I was losing weight, so I chose to believe it), but then I was at a stand still of 300lbs for almost a year. 

I wanted to loose more weight, I felt there had had to be another way that would work for me, but couldn't come up with anything on my own. So I did what I always try to do in such situations. I prayed. 

A phrase came very strongly to my mind during that prayer, "No Fried, No Sweet, No Soda". I had a simple prayer answered then and prayers continually answered now. God really does love us and wants us to have joy! Ok, back to "No Fried, No Sweet, No Soda", that phrase cut out a lot of bad food folks, it was super hard, but I went with it. Within 3 months I dropped another 30-40 lbs, by then I could start seeing the physical change in my body and I was feeling great!

I was down around 260lbs by the time I moved to Salt Lake in 2008. The first year there, with walking and bike riding I got down another 10lbs and stayed around 250lbs until last summer. 

The summer of 2012 at camp is where I had a few "ah ha" moments with food consumption and my weight, simple things like, PROCESSED FOOD IS SUPER GROSS and I really REALLY don't need to eat meat with every meal!!! Before I went to camp I was already transitioning into making all my own food/condiments anyway because I knew they would taste better when they were homemade. I've become a food snob since starting my food blog. Lol. Said blog inspired me to make more things "homemade" which confirmed for me how much better everything tasted that way! I just wanted to keep eating good tasting food, so I tried to cut out all processed stuff!

Another thing I learned was in regards to my psyche, get ready: I wasn't going to let my size impede a guy I like from liking me back. side note: I really liked a guy at camp, and honestly if I was a different size, I think he would have liked me too. Details about him don't matter, I think I was supposed to learn the lesson about myself that I did. Plus, I don't like that guy anymore ;) The lesson I learned sunk deep though. Im thankful the point of the lesson was driven home that if I thought my weight was really impeding my dating, I should do something about it. 

So I did. 

When I got home after camp I started eating and cooking better. I also read the Word of Wisdom (a code of health that has promised blessings written for members of the church) and found that I was living up to what substances I shouldn't be putting into my body like coffee, tea, tobacco, and alcohol, but I was falling short on what I should be eating; fruits, veggies, and grains as my staples with meat only in times of cold, winter, and famine. 

A good friend of mine, Camry, who I started hanging out with around that time, took me to the local farmers market and introduced me to fresh ground wheat flour; she and I are freakishly like minded people with food, truthfully, on oh so many levels. She helped me to know I wasn't the only one who seemed a bit odd with food choices, wanting to eat a more natural diet. Our friendship was a perfect fit for both of us at  the time. (I get to visit her next month in the U.T. I am so excited!!!)

Truthfully, I also got an iPhone and LOVED taking pictures of my food! Nature is beautiful, so some of my food creations just came out pretty!

I then started to buy my produce at the farmer's market and found that my food tasted waaaay better! Fancy that. I then decided since I was on a healthy living kick, a nutritional biology course would be perfect! I would learn more about nutrition and fulfill a science requirement for school. Sign me up. 

The. Class. Was. Amazing!!! 

I learned about organic whole food living and was sold by the fact after trying it for a few weeks I felt wonderful and had already lost like 15lbs. I started having more fun in my kitchen too. Tweaking recipes to take out refined sugars, and adding whole grains as much as possible is fun!! I'll say I've been lucky enough that I haven't had a complete bomb in tweaking which I'm totally thankful for!

Anywho, now me today, September 2013, I'm eating homemade fresh, local, and organic food as much as possible. I'm starting to ride my bike, which allows me to use built up energy, which I've never had in my life before, I'm teaching my mom and some friends how to eat healthier and testifying of the blessings that have come into my life by obeying the Word of Wisdom.

Yeah buddy, healthy feels good. 

I love being thinner too! I love taking in my clothes and shopping for sizes I haven't worn since freshman year of high school. I love that I feel healthier physically, I don't get sick as often now. I feel AMAZING mentally, like a fog has been lifted from my mind, and spiritually I feel a general peace that is so nice.

Who doesn't want that?!

The amazing thing is all of this weight loss has been with DIET ONLY, I have done no regular workouts ever. I did gain muscle from walking so much at camp this last summer and plan to start doing some workouts to tone up, but Im pretty positive even without working out I could still loose another 25lbs or so with just my diet. Learning about good eating habits I feel is waaaay more important than exercise at first if you're trying to make a change, because it doesn't matter how much exercising you do if you still eat crap. No joke. 

I'll keep eating good stuff because its helped me to prioritize my life and see what I really want. I like being in control of my health as much as possible. I also realize this weight loss is a big deal for me in the sense I couldn't be the adventurous wife or mom I want to someday be with the weight I was. I had to choose to change so I could fulfill my potential! It's been totally worth it!

Here are a few pics over the years to show the progression of health (sorry for grainy images, but you get the idea)

2006 December I think? Winter Formal Institute Dance

(this is me between 300-315lbs)

2007 December - Catering for Michelle's Reception

2008 June Date to the zoo with my two nephews and niece

2009 December New Years Eve Party at Hale Center Theatre

2010 August SKA, last day of hours completed for Utah Cosmo licensing

2011 May at a friends party

2012 August Camp (this white polo was an x-large)

2012 end of September 1 1/2 months after camp

2013 June Playing in Kittery, ME with friends

(Notice its the same gray shirt from the other pic ;)

2013 August Camp (the white polo from this year was a large ;)

Here are some fun pics to see the transition change to my face and noggin

September 2008

November 2012  Hair chop

January 2013 Work day

May 2013 Adventure at Old Tucson

August 2013 A Sunday after church

 

Eating healthier isn't hard anymore, not only because I see the results and feel them, but I don't feel gipped with food. I don't cut out ANY oils, carbs, or proteins. I just eat organic olive oil and butter (I don't measure either, I eye ball it or put enough in/on something to make it taste good;), I make my breads with organic grains, and utilize legumes, nuts, and seeds more often. I introduced more fresh fruits and veggies and truthfully I miss a meal when its not loaded with them. I think food just tastes better when its whole and organic; I have no guilt eating anymore, its really nice. 

Now lets hope my ore is ok with eating this way too and he's not a pure meat and potatoes kinda guy or he'll have a harder transition than me. Lol. 

Here is to more weight loss by eating tasty food :) and more adventures because I can physically do more now!

What to do next?

Sad day, the co-op job was already filled before I sent my résumé. However! By finding that job I've thought of ideas on what I want to do for work. 

Ok, its mainly "idea", not ideas. Lol. 

Ready? Its pretty simple... 

I want to teach about food and whole food cooking... Community classes, or one on one teaching?? 

All I want to do is teach about food and make art, is that so bad? 

I think not. 

Now time to figure out how to make the teaching thing happen. 

I'll try and let ya know how it goes :)

Volunteering and Work

Hehe. 

This last week I met with the local community food bank to talk about volunteer opportunities, which was amazing! I'm going to try and help out with one of their programs that focuses on teaching kids about food and nutrition. Ill be going to a few after school programs and the farmers market to help out with cooking demos and kid wrangling in. Which I'm excited about! Now I have to get my fingerprint clearance card/background check done, which I'm not excited about because I hear it takes some time... Eh, I can wait if I must. 

While I was talking with them there however, I was realizing I want to play a bigger role in taking action in my community, especially where food is concerned. (One of these days I'll have to write a post and put up a series of pictures cataloging my morphing into a smaller, healthier person because of my food choices. Which change has given me so much passion for whole food and healthy eating)

Anywho, tonight I was looking at a newsletter I got from the co-op here in town, which I am a proud member of, and saw there was a fun, eat local challenge on their website. I decided to look up the blog posts they had, since I realized the challenge happened while I was in Maine, and see what they had to say there at www.foodconspiracy.coop 

It was a cool challenge, Im sad I missed out on it, but it was a fun read. The posts were written by their front end manager, a cute guy named Dick I see when I go shopping, about his experience of eating local for a month. After reading the posts, I decided to look around the website... I saw an "Employment Opportunity" tab... 

Should I?

Yup I should. 

They have a part time position for an outreach and education coordinator! 

People, I would LOVE that! Im also pretty qualified for such a position if I do say so myself. So, yeah, I um, updated my résumé and will be shipping it off with a cover letter via the World Wide Web tomorrow and praying that if its the right fit for me and I'm the right fit for it, everything will work out and I'll get to work with people again, teaching about a subject I am freakishly passionate about! 

Yay!!