Fat Chance

I thought today was going to be shitty, but it's actually kind of awesome.

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:26:37 -0400

I took the VCLA exam this morning for grad school/teaching stuff
My preliminary scores on both parts were 97% and 82% - so I’m pretty excited about that
I ate an amazing sandwich for lunch
I got a bunch of school stuff done so I don’t have it hanging over my head all weekend
Alton Brown announced that VA Beach is one of his tour stops
He will be in town the same day as the half marathon I was going to sign up for
I’m waiting to see what time the show is (the venue needs to get it’s shit together and update their website) - but if it’s in the evening, then I am totally going to run the race and wear my bib and medal to the show
Like a boss
Luke and I hanging out with friends basically all weekend
I’m going to be so dead come Monday night
But, like, a good kind of dead
I think
I’m already super tired
So we’ll see
And here’s a gif:

I need an Alton Brown gif.

Anyone who finds me one will earn my undying love.

ALSO.

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:28:05 -0400

AB is doing an AMA on reddit right now.

I just asked a question.

Here’s to hoping he answers it. I tried to make it not about cooking. I can only imagine the number of cooking related questions this man has answered over the years.

I just realized that Alton Brown will be in town the same day as the half marathon I was going to sign up for...

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:36:00 -0400

I wonder if I can do both on the same day…

ALTON BROWN IS COMING TO VA BEACH.

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:23:00 -0400

My life is officially complete.

After meeting Stephen King, my list of life goals was looking pretty lack luster. So I added seeing Alton Brown in person.

LOOKS LIKE THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I CAN DIE HAPPY.

Maybe I need to start aiming a little higher with my life goals…

Your mental image of yourself is a really strange thing.

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:34:00 -0400

I went looking back through some old pictures of myself the other day and things got weird really fast. So, naturally, I thought I’d share it with you guys.

I was always a chubby kid. The funny thing was: I had no idea that I was a chubby kid. No one made fun of me for it (although they did make fun of me for having boobs in the 4th grade…). My weight was never brought to my attention… at least not until about the 4th grade when my mom said something, and then I realized I was bigger than the other kids and I started to feel bad about it. This picture is from the 8th grade (I’m on the far right):

Then I got to high school. Even though I slimmed out (not through any kind of diet and exercise - it just kind of happened), I still felt like the fat kid. I always had it in my back of my mind that I was huge - way bigger than everyone else. The funny thing was: I wasn’t big at all. It was all in my head. Please forgive my “Luke-why-in-God’s-name-are-you-taking-a-picture-of-my-fat-ass-in-a-swimsuit” face. I’m a junior in high school here - and I seriously thought I was huge. And not in that way that all teenage girls go, “oh, I am so fat!” My brain told me I was still that chunky kid from 4th grade and I 100% believed it. It was only when I looked back through these pictures the other day (nine years later) that I realized I was actually average/thin. If you had asked me last week what I looked like in high school, I would have told you I was a chunky kid. It completely blows my mind how wrong I was.

Then I went to college, where I lost even more weight without trying at all - seriously, weight just kept falling off of me (I know, I hate younger me, too). This is me after my freshman year:

But I still had my brain telling me that I was huge. And I still believed it.

Then I actually did get huge. This is me on the day of my college graduation:

And I didn’t stop there… This is me a year after I graduated:

The funny thing about that weight gain was that I didn’t feel that big. Not at all. I felt pretty normal/average.

And since then, I’ve managed to lose, gain, lose and keep off about 20lbs since my heaviest weight:

I feel good about that, but bad about my recent weight gain. I feel uncomfortable in my own skin, and I don’t like it.

The really weird thing is, though, I feel like now, for the first time in my life, my brain and my weight match up. I know I’m bigger than I was, pictures prove that, and I don’t feel good about it. But at least my brain is giving me an accurate depiction of my situation. I’m not huge - but I do have some weight to lose to get to where I want to be.

Hopefully, with my brain in check, I can finally start to accomplish something.

It was just a super eye-opening experience for me to look back through all these pictures and see the gaping disparity between my memories and the reality of these pictures.

I am not even the littlest bit hungry today.

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:09:00 -0400

That whole two weeks of not giving a shit thing really messed with my body.

It’s taken me a looooong time to get back into a regular, mostly paleo (okay, I like cheese…) lifestyle.

I didn’t expect this, though. A complete lack of appetite. It’s been two days since I was actually hungry - and I haven’t even eaten all that much. Actually, according to MyFitnessPal I have been woefully under my suggested calorie intake for the last few days.

When I was carbing it up, it didn’t matter if I was hungry or not. I’d just eat. Now, the thought of eating when I’m not hungry is just completely unappealing.

Bodies and brains are weird, guys.

Wherein... can we talk about how cute this coffee cup is?

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:43 -0400

Wherein... can we talk about how cute this coffee cup is?

I haven't weighed myself all month.

Wed, 22 May 2013 11:29:14 -0400

Yeah, I know, I was shocked, too.

It started off as me not wanting to see how much I gained after two weeks or so of just not giving a shit. Then, even after I started caring again and eating well I just didn’t get on the scale.

It’s something of a minor miracle, considering I used to hop on the scale 2-3 times a day.

I’m thinking I may move to only two weight-ins a month on the 1st and the 15th - starting in June.

I’m going to be really interested to see what the scale says on the first of the month, but I’m not stressing about it - which is a total first for me,

It’s definitely summer here in the south. I never feel so...

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:25:58 -0400

It’s definitely summer here in the south.

I never feel so Californian than when it’s summer in the south.

My brain is so fried, I can’t even tell if that last sentence made sense.

Also, I totally forgot how awesome running is for clearing out your sinuses.

toridanielleloveslife: tastefullyoffensive: [via] I hate...

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:21:31 -0400

toridanielleloveslife:

tastefullyoffensive:

[via]

I hate SpongeBob, but this is me EVERY day.

GPOY

Wherein I know I'm a ways away from actually getting to be in a classroom...

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:04:56 -0400

Wherein I know I'm a ways away from actually getting to be in a classroom...

Photo

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:38:51 -0400

I have allergies for the first time in... well... as long as I can remember.

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:28:49 -0400

I am so drugged up and my head is so congested.

Just walking up the stairs gets me out of breath and sweaty.

Uncool, bro. Uncool.

Wherein... how did he even get that far?

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:17:57 -0400

Wherein... how did he even get that far?

Wherein I share my thoughts on The Office's series finale.

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:10:13 -0400

Wherein I share my thoughts on The Office's series finale.

Photo

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:11:18 -0400

Tangerine.

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:25:00 -0400

wilwheaton: jenniferdeguzman: He said Star Trek is too...

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:04:01 -0400

wilwheaton:

jenniferdeguzman:

He said Star Trek is too “philosophical”? Screw that noise.

mechcanuck:

I don’t know when this interview happened but I AM SAD AND ANGRY NOW

The philosophies in Star Trek are kinda part of the actual setting. If you don’t get that, why are you allowed to make Star Trek movies.

Sigh. The whole point of Star Trek is that it’s philosophical. If you don’t want philosophical Science Fiction, there’s plenty of that for you to enjoy, but Star Trek is philosophical. Philosophy is part of Star Trek’s DNA, and if you’re given the captain’s chair, you’d better damn well respect that.

You know what's wonderful? When something completely unexpected happens and it totally turns your day around.

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:25:58 -0400

But, you know, in a good way.

My uncle (my dad’s brother who lives in San Francisco and works as a makeup artist) just called me and we had a really nice conversation. I’m not sure he’s ever called me to chat before, but it was really nice.

And he asked me for my advice about how to go about editing the book he’s writing (his second book about makeup, his first one is actually still on Amazon, which floors me).

It was a really nice little surprise in the middle of the day.

So I've made this running plan.

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:43:07 -0400

It started yesterday and will take me through November 10 - when I plan on running my second half marathon. Here’s what it looks like:

May 13 - 26: Mon, Wed, Fri C25K and Tue, Thur cross/strength

May 27 - Aug 11: Mon, Wed, Fri B210K and Tue, Thur cross/strength

Aug 12 - Nov 9: half marathon training (with running Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat and cross training on Tue, Fri)

Nov 10: Virginia Running Festival Half Marathon

I actually found this awesome half marathon training app (13.1 Pro by Zen Labs) that is a lot like C25K where it tells you when to run and when to walk. The ultimate goal is to keep you to a 4:1 run/walk ratio (which is what I used successfully for my first half marathon). It’s a 13 week training plan.

I feel pretty good about this. It’s just a matter of sticking with it. And actually running during the summer. In the South. Ug.