I Have an Addictive Personality

I know I do. Thank God I have always been too scared to try any drugs (save for alcohol...and though I indulge occasionally, it puts me to sleep more than gives me a high) or else I would probably be on the streets doing...never mind.

The reason why I felt compelled to comment on this is because I am close, so close, to losing a total of 20 pounds. The last time I lost this much weight was in high school, preparing for prom, trying to squeeze down into a smaller dress size. And even then I am not sure I made it to 20 pounds.

I have been exercising (at least twice a week...I wish it was more) and I have been really limiting my calories. I have become addicted to watching the numbers on the scale drop. And I know there are things I am doing that are not healthiest (I've taken up smoking....just kidding!) like skipping breakfast and just having a couple cups of black coffee in it's place (I've always had the black coffee, I just used to eat some buttered toast, or croissants, or breakfast burrito too.) I know that is bad for my metabolism, but I figure there are other things I am doing to help my metabolism, like the exercising and strength training.

And as for my other meals, I am really trying to stick to vegetables. I am lucky to find inspiration everywhere these days. The Youtube vlogger, ShayCarl, has been doing weight loss vlogs on his Shayloss channel. Misschievous.tv has been doing healthy eating and weight loss updates on her TheThirdShift Youtube channel. In fact, I have fallen quite in love with her bean salad and always have it on hand as my "go to" food to eat whenever I get hungry. Aside from the olive oil in the dressing, it has no fat and tons of fiber.

Oh, and another thing too is that my best friend recently became a vegetarian (and an environmental nut, erm, advocate.) She makes me want to be a better person. I have no (NONE) intentions of becoming a vegetarian, but it did prompt me to add more veggies and beans to my diet.

Anyway, I know this kind of stuff is not originally what the blog started out regarding subject matter, but I did want to meet my goal of a post once a week. I intend to keep up the at least once a week posts, even if the subject matter goes a little off topic (because staying on top of weight control is definitely NOT one of the things I enjoy about being a girl.)

I think I am getting a salon (not DIY or DYM) pedicure this afternoon! Maybe I'll post a picture of that on Saturday because I think that is when I am getting my new camera! Talk about fate! I went into Best Buy to get the camera I was interested in. Because of some advertised pricing issues, I didn't end up getting the camera last Friday. Then I started to rethink my purchase entirely...maybe I didn't need another point and shoot. Maybe my DSLR would be good enough. But then my favorite vlogger ShayCarl posted a vlog in beautiful 1080i quality. He recently purchased a new camera (as a rule, he and his family films with Flip cameras) and was testing out the quality. It turned out beautiful, so he said he will be switching cameras. He didn't mention the brand or the kind of camera he purchased. I just kind of assumed it would be a traditional video camera. BUT, he filmed himself in a mirror and he was holding the camera close enough for me to read the make and model of his new camera. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT!!!! It was the EXACT SAME CAMERA I was going to buy! I take signs like that very seriously. I am going on Saturday to BUY THAT CAMERA, PRICE BE DAMNED!

:-)

Yep, every two months is about right...

Hello again. I can't believe I have even more readers. I don't deserve you. Really, I don't.

BUT ALL THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE!

I watch a professional Youtuber named Shay Butler. He presented himself with a challenge. On his 29th birthday he wanted to do something he considered epic. He decided he would post a vlog (video log) on youtube everyday for the last year of his twenties. Shay completed his year long challenge and is now a top 100 Youtuber (his channels hold the number 42 and 47 spot on the most subscribed to users on Youtube) and is living an incredible life because of his self-imposed challenge.

I've always liked challenges...

I am going to challenge myself. Recently, I have been losing weight. I am about a month in and have lost 10lbs. This has been a slow process. I hope to have another 10lbs gone by mid August. But if there is something I have learned about weight loss is that it is a marathon and not a sprint. It's been hard coming to that conclusion, but it is the reality.

So I figure I will start out slow, just like the weight loss. It's been a long month, and the numbers on the scale seem to take two steps forward and one step back on a daily basis. I realize my challenge in blogging may take two steps forward and one step back, but at least it will be progress.

Here is my first blogging challenge. Blog once a week for a month. That's it. It could be more (like the pounds on the scale) but it can't be less. And the blog can be able whatever I want. No pressure will be on the subject. Most of the stuff that interests me is girly anyway, so it should still be relevant to the title of this blog.

You can do it Ashley; I know you can.

Oh and by the way, this entry doesn't count.

:-)

See, the thing is...

...that I am a perfectionist. I tend not to attempt things if I don't think I can give it 110%.

Like this blog, for instance. I think all the time to myself in my everyday life, "this should be a blog post" or "you should upload these pictures to flickr and write a blog entry about it." But then I fall back to that perfectionist mentality and decide to skip it.

I am pretty proud of the blog entries I have so far. I would like to add more entries of which to be proud.

1.) Stop avoiding posting to this blog because you think you won't live up to your own idea of perfection. Who would read a blog that only receives update once every two months?

2.) This isn't War and Peace or Homer's Iliad. Keep your updates concise and to the point. Post shorter blogs more frequently, if necessary.

3.) This blog is primarily for your own enjoyment. You do not supplement your income with this blog nor are you being policed by readers or your 11th grade AP English teacher. Just write. For fun.

That is all. Don't think, just do.

...but it's OK to think while you do...