down 10!

I have lost a total of ten pounds in just over a week. Yeah me! I'm even getting used to not eating all of those wonderful things I have grown a custom to eating, though I really could go for a piece of bread slathered in brie right now.

The thing that is the hardest is not salt. Man alive I was never one that ate a ton of salt, but cutting it out all together is just plain bland. It is really amazing how just a little bit of salt really brings out the flavor of so many things.

Just one more week and I get to slowly add back some dairy wheat and even a bit of salt!

A Better T week one.

So Matt and I have started our new Fat Flush diet. Everything has been going well, the food is better then I thought it would be. It has not even been that hard giving up sugar, caffeine, dairy, and wheat.

Inspired a bit by my friend Chris who has recentally has won his own "race for a little less" (I'm super impressed congrats you look awesome), I'm just going to to put it all out there...

My starting weight as of Monday July 14th 214 lbs

I have managed to gain almost 40 pounds since our trip to Europe last summer none of which was actually gained on the trip, which I am not so proud of.

The diet so far seams to be working Since Monday I have already lost almost 7 pounds. And Matt has lost about the same.

I have had a few moments that I wanted to throw it all away and have a big piece of cake, but the cravings have started to subside which is nice. I will be sure to keep everyone posted on my progress.

I never thought recess would be so hard...

Thanks to my friend Jean I have found a new fun (most of the time) way to kick start my fitness regime. It is called Urban Recess. I am participating in the Urban Recess Boot Camp, during the month of July. So far I have attended two classes, and both have kicked my ass, which I suppose is what I really need.

During the session we do things like jump rope (which a I don't think I have done since the fifth grade) and run/skip/march lines (which I swore I would never do again when I was a freshman in high school). As much hard work as it is, it is also a lot of fun! We also (towards the end of the session) do a lot of Pilates moves, which I'm horrible at because I'm so not flexible. But I can tell that doing them will make me more flexible, and strong, so I suppose they are not to bad.

If you are in the NW Portland area on Tuesday or Thursday in July night 6-7, you might want to stop by and join in and get your ass kicked as well. It is only a $15 fee...

A Better T

So lately I have been really blah. I have had no energy, and for no particular reason, because I really don't do anything. I've managed to gain almost 30 pounds in the last year and I think that is about time that I get my body under control.

I have started to exercise more which has helped a little bit, I joined Curves again, and I have been taking hank for walks almost every day. But I still feel just blah.

Last week I came to the decision that I really needed to go on some sort of diet, and not just my normal I'll try and eat better diet, a REAL diet. I started to do some research on some different detox diets and came to the conclusion that a detox might just be the thing that I need to do.

After looking into several different diets I decided to go with the Fat Flush Plan. One of the reasons that I chose this diet was because it involves REAL food and not just strange liquid concoctions. It is more of a diet then a detox, but the whole point behind the diet is to cleanse your liver, and other organs, so they start to work like they should, and in turn you loose fat and weight. Along with the weight loss there should be other great side effects, like fewer headaches, more energy, and even fewer allergies.

I'm done being fat and unhealthy and am looking forward to changing my life and they way I think about food. Matt and I plan to do the diet together. We are reading the book now and plan to start the diet after my birthday, on July 14th. I will keep you all posted on my progress...

I am craf-T

So I have finally got my ass in gear and started my new blog, craf-T. Check it out and be sure to tell all of your friends, I hope to turn it into somehting fun!

It's a Boy!

This weekend Matt and I became the proud parents of (and I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this) the CUTEST puppy in the world. His name is Hank. His mother was a Shepard mix, and the best they could tell his father was some sort of lab/newfoundland mix. Because his mother was a Shepard, and there was lab in the father he should not get quite as big as a newfoundland, but he should still be a big guy. I have posted more pics here.

Backyard Studio?

As much as I want to transform my garage into a nice big artist studio, there are a few draw backs that I see with using my garage. First, it is a garage and no matter what I do with it, it will always feel like just that. Second, there are NO windows, not even in the garage doors so there would be no natural light. I know that it is a nice big space, but I think that the first two drawbacks are enough to make me want to change my mind.

Every other month I get super excited when my new Ready Made magazine comes in the mail. I immediately rip it open and read it on the spot.

This issue was no exception. Issue 34 was the green design issue, full of lots of great green tips and treats. The article that caught my eye was all about creative work spaces. "Creative work spaces" being modular buildings that you construct in your backyard, and use for various things including art studio. This got my wheels turning. The first few mentioned in the article were awesome but just a bit out of my price range. The last four in the article were just what I am looking for.




In issue 10 of Ready Made there was an article "Gimme Shelter" Build a modern bungalow in your backyard. This was all about how to build a studio in your backyard, complete with a list of supplies and instructions. The current issue features 4 versions constructed by actual Ready Made users, and are all really great.

So this is what I think that I want to do. It will be a lot smaller (only 100 sq feet) then using the garage, but I think that it will be really fun! All I have to is go online any buy my blueprints from Ready Made, get my supplies, and have a good ol' fashion barn raising! Wish me luck.