Operation Slim-Down

My goal for the next few months is to lose a little weight &, more importantly, be healthier. I am thinking/hoping/praying that by writing it down on here I will hold myself to it & get my rear in gear.

It's not going to be easy, because I am a TOTAL foodie. I LOVE food & I LOVE to eat. I did so well the last few months leading up to my wedding. It's pretty depressing to know that I have gained so much weight in the last few months... damn turkey & dressing & Christmas cookies. I HATE that I can't eat whatever I want to & not gain a pound like I did when I was 16. I would seriously come home from school & eat a pint of ice cream... & still fit in my size 4 jeans... skinny BITCH... you make me sick.

I definitely need to lose a little weight before swim suit season, or I don't want a bikini within 10 feet of me.

Things I need to do:

1.) Stop eating CRAP. Seriously. Recently, I have found myself eating stuff I don't even LIKE. How pathetic is that? It's like I just eat whatever is in front of me because I can & that, my friends, is a slippery slope!

2.) Drink more water. All of the coffees & Mountain Dews have really packed it on. I need to be drinking more (calorie free) water. Of course, let's be realistic here, I'm not going to just quit cold turkey. 8 o'clock classes make caffeine necessary, but I think I will start limiting myself to one a day... ugh... just to get up & moving. I apologize in advance, Starbucks, for your stock falling.

3.) Eat more fruits & veggies. Simple as that.

4.) Not eat out as much. We have been pretty good about this lately. We have been going to the grocery store once a week & cooking at the house. Pat on the back for us.. now we just need to keep it up! (Except, of course, our occasional date nights... something every couple should have anyway. :) )

5.) Lay off of the fast food. I know it's bad for me. Everyone knows it's bad for them. Why do we continue to eat it? Because it's easy, fast, cheap, & convenient. I need to start packing a lunch for my long days at school, & just say NO to Mickey D's & the Chic Fila cow... even though I love them & their greasy, empty calorie deliciousness.

6.) Get more sleep. Stop letting Lifetime suck me in to movies at 10 o'clock & turn the tv off.

7.) Start exercising more. Take the dogs for a walk. Take the long route to class. Go for a... ugh... run.

So...

DIET & HEALTHIER LIVING STYLE STARTS ON MONDAY! A good way to kick off the new month. I will be keeping track of my weekly weigh-ins & progress on here, & when I reach my goal-weight... treat myself to a little something nice. ;)

Picture... perfect

It's Saturday... & raining outside... so it's kind of a boring day at the house. (Not that I am complaining... at least I don't have to go to class!) Nothing is going on & after an uneventful trip to town... here we are again. :)

So as usual, I am sitting at the computer looking at pictures... like I normally do when Facebook gets boring & CNN gets depressing.

Here are a few I thought I would share. They are all from National Geographic, which is famous for its amazing pictures. If you are ever bored, you should check them out...


This is a temple in India. This picture is very calming to me. I like the contrast of the light & dark. The trees in front of the temple are pretty neat, too.


This picture reminds me of my childhood. My grandpa's yard was full of birch & maple trees. You don't see much of a "Season change" in south-east Georgia... so leaves that change color are pretty fascinating to us "southern folk."

I love elephants! How cute is this little guy with his spiky hair?

This is my desktop background right now... horses are gorgeous & so photogenic. I love how this horse has snowflakes on his face & his eyes are so calming.

The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) is something on my (very lengthy) list of things I want to see before I die. I think it would be amazing to see this in person. Pictures can't do it justice... although this one may come close.

I want to take pictures like these!

I love this picture...

Elementary, my dear Watson...

I finally got to see Sherlock Holmes tonight, & I must say... I LOVED it! I really hope they make a sequel... seeing that they left the end wide open for one. I haven't read any of the books, so some people may think differently, but I thought it was an outstanding movie.

Warner Brothers did a really good job choosing the actors/actresses to play the roles. I don't think anyone else could have pulled them off & still have had it come out to beautifully. The scenery & sets were great, also.

Robert Downey Jr. was f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s... then again, when isn't he fabulous? He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to play any character & totally encompass who they are. Sure, he has had his own share of personal problems... but who cares? The man can act... & who doesn't have problems? LOVE him.

Jude Law was amazing along side "Holmes." I loved watching him as Watson & the chemistry between him & Robert Downey Jr. seemed to be so effortless & natural. Another plus? He looked pretty darn cute in that hat & moustache! ;)

He's another one with personal issues, but nonetheless, he is an amazing actor, also.

I love Rachel McAdams, too! Who hasn't loved her since The Notebook... &, of course, as Regina George in Mean Girls. She is so beautiful & equally talented.

Bottom line? It was a great movie! Go see it! :)

Quote of the day...

"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
- Mother Teresa

Introductions...

So, seeing that this is my first official post, I thought I would take the time to introduce myself. My name is Michelle, & I am a 23 year old biology major. I am a newlywed (awww) & I have the sweetest, most amazing husband a girl could ask for. My husband's name is Matt & he is a 27 year old history major. Hopefully, this semester will be our last as undergraduates & we will be starting on our masters in the fall.

Here are a few things to know about me........

~ I live in the country... & I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being able to go outside & listen to the silence. I love having to drive down windy country roads to get to school... even if I do get stuck behind farming equipment occasionally... or have to stop for a family of turkeys to cross the road. I love having a yard for my dogs to play in. Most of all, I love being able to go outside at night & actually SEE the stars. You don't get that in the city.

~ I am a nerd at heart. I guess it comes with the degree. I love learning new things & catch myself watching the discovery channel more than the average person. I like knowing how & why things work the way they do. I am especially interested in vector-borne diseases & I hope to do my graduate research on something involving that.


~ I love to travel & hope I get to go to a few new places this year.


~I like animals... we have quite the menagerie here on the "farm." I'll start with (wo)man's best friends:

Macy is my 2 year old rottweiler. She is my BABY & quite possibly the laziest dog I have ever met. Matt got her for me as a gift when my other rotti Molly passed away. It's pretty safe to say that she (well... maybe all of them) is a little rotten.


Abby is my other rottweiler. She came from a rescue group in Atlanta. She is wild & crazy, but very sweet. She's a little ADHD, but who knows what happened to her before we got her, so I am very glad that she has a happy life now.

Norman is my husband's 3 year old mutt. We aren't quite sure what he is... pretty much a Heinz 57. He likes to think he "runs" the house... & it is quite possible that he thinks he's a person. He sits in chairs, watches tv, & prefers to sit in the front seat when riding in the car. He is a mess.



Fancy is the baby of the family. She is an English Bulldog puppy... about 13 weeks old. I have a feeling she will be our "problem child" as she tends to only want to do thing her way... not mom & dad's way.



We also have a turtle!


His name is Hank & he is a Red Eared Slider.

I also have 5 horses:


Effie is a HUGE chestnut Quarter Horse mare. She is smart, gentle, & trustworthy. She also seems to be stuck in her terrible 2's as she likes to "re-decorate" her stall with anything in neck's reach of her door.



Majorette is the old lady of the group. She will be 24 this year. (There is something special about an animal who is as old as you are.) She was a buckskin in her younger days, but is now a grey-brown color. She is a Quarter Horse crossed with a Connemara pony. She has more patience than most people I know.



Savannah is my sassy little Quarter Pony. She is pretty bay color & while she isn't very tall, she makes up for it in attitude. She is the "boss" of all of the other horses.



Pete is the only man at the barn. He is older (not sure how exactly old) & very set in his ways.... as most old men are. He is a mustang & was caught as a baby & trained. I think it's pretty cool that I have a little "piece of the old west" here at the house.


Sally is another chestnut Quarter Horse mare. She is the newest of the "herd" & is very sweet & quiet. Pete has her heart & they enjoy spending the days together in their field.



Lastly, I seem to have acquired a stray cat... whom I don't even feed... so I am not sure why he/she sticks around. I have affectionately named him/her Milo after the orange kitty in The Adventures of Milo & Otis. ( Who didn't love that movie when they were 6?!)

~ I think about things a lot more than I should (the wheels are always turning). It is usually random stuff... which I will be typing here for you to enjoy. :)