Residing in the Mind of Nine

Week 2

My motivation is still going strong! The two pounds I've worked off in the previous week is still off! Which also means it wasn't temporary weight ;D Excellent!

Switched up a little thing in my diet. I'm going to incorporate a very healthy smoothy in the morning consisting of celery, kiwis, and apples (maybe other fruit as well). Main point of this is to really get my daily fibre intake up. Once that is up, I feel that I don't need to eat as much if I just take in simple sugars. ALSO, this will keep me away from more carbs! I'm not going to neglect a balanced diet. Nope. I'm just going to eat smaller portions.

Tried out a work out dvd for the first time called 30 Day Shred. It's supposed to be a 25-30min work out you do every day. It focuses on cardio mostly to up the metabolism and then burn the fat as well. It has some strength and some ab/core work out. So far I'm on level 1. I will continue this for a few more days or for the rest of the week. Then maybe I'll start looking into some other work out dvd's out there?

So why not just head to the gym or run outside? I would love to run outside right now, but the weather is so unpredictable. I don't really have access to a gym for more than once or twice a week max... So what else can I do at home?

The benefit with this work out video is that it involves a lot of jumping, and very, very little equipment; which has been a huge bonus for me. Also, IF this lives up to it's claim, I only have to do 30 mins of this every day.

This is not a lie: I was drenched in sweat by the end of it. I might step up the game and do a little more than 30 mins, but so far (since I'm also getting that stamina and strength back) I'll take it one step at a time.

This is kinda exciting.

Also note to self: I should start measuring myself again @_@ You can't tell by weight alone...

Yep!
That was week two!

Week 3 - GETTOU!

Week 1 - Progress.

There's been progress already! I'm assuming that the first 10lbs or so is going to be mostly water weight, but I've already lost 2lbs from my current weight. EVEN IF this weight is temporary, it's a definite confidence booster that I can lose this weight.

Now for the rest of the week, the job is to maintain it.

Changes I've made to my eating/diet: I've pretty much stopped snacking. This is extremely hard for me, actually. With the start of school again, and being in my final semester, snacking was really the only thing that could "ease" my stress level...

I guess you could say that I'm one of those people who thinks while they munch. lol I know this is a terrible habit, but when you're pulling all nighters, this is one thing I had to do to keep myself from stressing out.

And our good friend has a pretty sweet gym, so we've been over there working out more often. I hope she doesn't mind, really. We bug her quite often to work out and such. Did I mention that she also has a sauna?

Her gym is so awesome! It also has a small dance studio where we decided to practice iaido for the first time in a long time... I think I should have stretched out my arms before I picked it up again. My forearms are definitely sore.

I should really iron out a work out schedule for myself. I didn't do as much cardio as I wanted in the end, but I did end up getting a good work out for the arms and legs.

Next time:

• 30-45 mins of cardio at least! And this is to be accomplished first!
• Some free weights - I still need to figure out what I want to get done there...
• Leg presses 8D
• Iaido practice after the intense work out/warm up!
• Sauna... which we haven't tried out just yet...

More updates later 8D I should go out and pick up fabric I need for Juvia and Nanami soon.

CHEERIO!

Sakura Con 2012

Sakura Con 2012 is only a few months away! And guess what? I've got my cosplay plans already!

Yasuri Nanami from Katanagatari
Juvia Loxar from Fairy Tail

I'm definitely excited for both. And I'm surprised I'm not doing a cosplay with an insane amount of detail int he costume... I think I can definitely finish these both in a week or two, but I'm definitely going to start early this year.

For Juvia, I'm going to be part of a fairly large group. There's going to be a Gray, Natsu, Erza, Mirajane, and a Laxus. It's going to be so fun taking pictures. I hope I can snag a photographer for a proper photoshoot during the convention or maybe afterwards...

Maybe this will be the costume that I'll finally be able to do more of? Juvia is insane, btw. Part of the reason why I was attracted to her character.

Yeah 8D
MOTIVATION!!!!

Blog Repurposing

Okay. I know I'm not active at all on this site, and maybe I should be since there's a huge community. Sort of a waste that I'm not more involved and such, but there are a lot of things preventing me from doing so... Like last semester of school...graduation...finding real world work... you know not so important stuff...

But anyway, to the main point: I'm re-purposing this blog.

All my close friends know that I'm a cosplayer. I love being able to make costumes, go to conventions, dick around, have photos taken, take photos, and dick around some more!

HOWEVER

I've been recounting all the cosplays that I've done, and looking back at all the pictures and stuff of me (old highschool pictures, pictures with friends tagged on facebook, makeup pictures, old cosplay pictures... etc) and I've never really been too proud of my appearance, or confident. Really.

Anyway, This has been an on and off goal, but I think I need to really get serious about this. Graduation is coming up, and I want need a confidence boost.

I don't want to look into the mirror and see this flabby, 5'0'' little girl and think that I don't look good in these new pants, that I don't look good enough cosplaying this character, and that I don't look good enough amongst my friends (WHO ARE ALL SLIM AND BEAUTIFUL DLFKASDKL DDDD:::)

New years resolution or not, I need to get serious. I need to stay honest.

I've once started running 1-2km every other day once, and yeah I started seeing a difference. I lost a good 5-6lbs within a month and a half... Unfortunately, near the end of that year, I slipped on some ice and ended up twisting my ankle. That injury really left me in the dumps because I couldn't run for a good 3-4 months. I was just starting to lose weight, and all of the sudden I couldn't anymore.

Anyway... I've distracted from my main topic and that was to re-purpose this blog into a weight loss (not necessarily for cosplay) blog.

Yes. I'm gonna be flooding this with cosplay progress, and one of my other New Year resolution was to also blog more (like I said last time.. *cough*). Some_Guy will keep me honest on this one... right?

CURRENT WEIGHT: 160lb
IDEAL WEIGHT FOR MY HEIGHT 5'0'' / 20-25 / F : 102-127lb
GOAL WEIGHT FOR SPRING: 130lb

IS THAT DOABLE?!
Honestly, if I can lose 10-15lb by spring, I will be ECSTATIC. Kid you not.

...Interesting

Yay new content! I've been focusing most of my efforts onto my other blog because it's actually required for my course... ANYWAY onto this tag game thinger...

1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves in their journal.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create eleven new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and post their icons on your journal.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have tagged him/her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You legitimately (AKA, really, truly, with all honesty) have to tag 11 people.

1. Are you a black leather kind of person or a brown leather kind of person?

I'd say I'd have to be a black leather kind of person. Personally, I think it just looks nicer, and depending on the application, it matches a lot more of my things. Although, if Someguy is really thinking of it this way: yes, black leather because it can be naughty ; D

2. What was the first thing you ever cooked on a stove-top by yourself?

It was either instant noodles, or gyoza. I was the kid who was left at home after school, and the parents didn't come back until 5/6pm sometimes. Had to survive some how...

3. If there was one physical bodily thing you wouldn't mind changing, what would it be?

I think it would be height. I'm a short person, and I hate the limitations when it comes to (in no particular order): sports, concerts/seeing over a crowd, clothing, reaching things, standing out...etc. Also, weight. : |

4. What was the last time you ever had to explain a weird/niche fandom to someone about?

In class, probably at the beginning of the semester: basically had to explain a bit of the geek/nerd culture. Last year I also had to explain "cosplay" to an instructor who wasn't too sure what it was but it came up somehow...

5. What is the best aspect/trait/feature of bacon?

Savoury meatyness. : p

6. If you had to get into a fistfight, what would your favourite / most confident attack be?

Palm/elbow/forearm to the throat. I don't know how to describe it... I'm better with swords anyway...

7. Have you ever been caught singing something embarrassing in public before you realized you were doing it?

Nope! But I've been caught singing too early, or singing the wrong line at times : D

8. What is the worst pick-up line you have ever told or have ever been told?

Not so weird, but awkward... I've got several, but here are two:
Him: "Your eyes are very pretty... What color are your eyes?" (Note: Wearing green circle lenses)
Me: "Uh brown... "
Him: "OH, that's really cool, I can see flecks of green too"
Me: "That's because I'm wearing contacts"
Him: "Hey, What color are my eyes?" *leans in really close*
Me: *backs away*... "uh..Grey?"

Second one would be:

Lady: "Thanks for helping me! You're a very nice girl. Where you born here in canada? How old are you?"
Me: "No problem. I'm 2X, hmn born in Canada.. Yeah"
Lady: "OH Really! Your English is so good! OH I have a friend. I think you will really like him! He's a bit old... just 30... but he is very, very nice."
Me: "uh That's okay... I have a boyfriend already...bu-"
Lady: "No, no, no. That's alright. Here have my number and this is his number too. I think you two will get along just fine. He just wants to meet new friends. You don't have to go on a date with him just yet!"

9. What is your favourite fancy essay-type word?

"...; however, ..." Yes.

10. If you were despot of a small, completely indoctrinated nation, what would the national chant be?

JAKKA JAN JAKKA JAKKA JAN!!!

11. If you could go back in time and change one thing in your life, keeping in line with what's important to you right now, these days, what's on your mind, what would it be?

Right now, I think it would be how I'm approaching my career in graphic design. I think I would have tried to be more proactive or assertive in terms of contacting industry people, and just talking to them. Also learning how to ask the right questions is probably important instead of taking things and assuming that everything is "good" or "alright".

You know what, I don't even know 11 people on here - lol So I'm going to leave this open. Whoever sees this and feels like answering my weird questions, please :D ! Go ahead!

The Questions:
1. If you could have any kind of super powers, what would that be?
2. You are an inventor, and you have to invent one thing that would change the world, what would that be?
3. What is your weirdest quirk?
4. What was the anime, book, game or movie that changed your life?
5. What is your biggest accomplishment to this date? Would you do it again if you had the chance to?
6. You are allowed one last meal, what would you eat?
7. Halloween is coming up, what are you dressing up as?
8. If you could change the color of your hair and eyes to any color, what would that be and why? 8D
9. What are some of the smells that appeal to you?
10. You have a million dollars, what would you spend it on?
11. Cat, dog, bird, lizard, or fish?

Annnd I'm done!