The Friday Find: Milk Ads

I love this campaign! Sometimes the ads are so compelling.

Thursday Things Thin Girls Know, Archive Edition: Leah Watson

Today's Thin Girl is a Miss Leah Watson from Denver, Colorado. Leah maintains a strong, healthy body through constant exercise, a healthy diet, and guilt about drinking malts. She shares her thoughts on being thin with us:

Well, first of all, I know for a fact that I wouldn't have transitioned from childhood through adolescence as successfully as I did without soccer. That definitely kept me from gaining weight through middle school and high school while setting me up for the exercise habits that I have now.

I also know that fitness and a sweet toned body are not things that happen overnight, or because of dieting by itself. It takes time every day (or every other day) and energy--because that's the point, you expend energy and your body responds by toning the fuck up. It's a habit and it won't ever produce results unless you make it one.

The most important thing though is that you figure out a way to enjoy the process of working out, because if your only aim is to be hot (or toned or whatever) then you're probably going to fail-- you have to love the way that it makes you feel after [working out], and then the physical part will follow. But it's not the immediate result. If that's all you're in it for, you won't see the physical results fast enough to stick with the working out.

So-- figure out a way to love how it makes you feel and one day you'll look in the mirror and see the results.

So suck it up and go to the gym or get a friend to drag your ass out of bed.

Miss Watson herself has been that friend to drag my ass out of bed. Our conversations often went something like this:

(There is a knock on Allyson's dorm room door. Allyson is laying in her bed, pretending to not exist. The knock happens again.)

Leah: (in a sugary sweet voice) Come on, little girl. It's time to get up and go to the gym.

(Allyson, of course, still does not answer.)

Leah: Little girl, little girl, come on, it's going to be fun.

(The door opens and Leah enters the room. She climbs on Allyson's desk and begins to poke Allyson, who still has not moved.)

Leah: Little girl, come on. (Poke) You know you want to come with me to the gym. (Poke)

Allyson: Leah! I hate you! Get out of my room!

Leah: (jumping off the desk and pulling Allyson's running shoes out of her shoe rack) Little girl, come on, you know you're going to love it.

Allyson: (throwing a text book at Leah from her lofted bed) NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO! LEAVE MY ROOM!

Leah: Come on, you're going.

Allyson: NO! I WANT TO SLEEP.

Leah: (still in the absolute most annoying sweet girl voice) No, you're not. You're coming with me. (Hops back up on the desk and proceeds to poke Allyson)

(Allyson groans, and rolls her lard butt out of bed.)

^This is an actual event, everyone. I really did yell to Leah that I hated her, and she really did not even care. Guess what? She got my butt to the gym, and I am more than thankful to her for it. She is the person that has set my exercise habits. Thank you, Thin Girl Leah Watson!

Watson Wednesday: Where to go?

"If you aren't living on the edge you're taking up too much space."

I've thrown the usual order to the wind. I'm writing about what inspires me. Last week it was a spirit of perseverance; this week a spirit of adventure and experience.

Last summer I developed nodes in my legs, which, without a proper medical diagnosis, were anything from inflamed lymph glands to Hodgkins Lymphoma. Needless to say, in the several days between the surgical biopsy and results phone call, I hoped for the best-- but prepared for a long bought of chemo and treatment, which, most certainly, would have changed who I was at that moment.

The diagnosis for me was a good one, but for a lot of others it isn't.

Have you ever wondered what you would do, think, or feel if someone told you that you were going to fight for your life or die? I forget sometimes that I very nearly experienced that. Do you want to know what I fear the most? That fear will stop me from doing or being something remarkable. Regret. I fear regret. Looking back I rarely regret the things that I have done, I regret the things that I didn't. I have no need for regret, only for living.

Face the fear, see the view, take the step. You may be surprised how easy it is to fly.

Truth Tuesday: Nutritional Information on the Cheesecake Factory

I went out to eat Saturday with Abby, Jordan, and Mikayla so that we could all have a good cry fest about our lives and catch up. We planned on making dinner and slowly ingesting copious amounts of wine throughout the evening, but we ended up at the Apple store, and then at the Cheesecake Factory, which was just around the corner. Here's what I have to say about the Cheesecake Factory: I'm over it. Sure, the desserts ARE good. But what isn't going to be good when it's full of sugar, butter, cream, chocolate, etc? That makes sense.

What does not make sense is the four pound difference I read on my scale after eating 1/3 of the Fish Taco appetizer, a single avocado roll, and about 1/4 of my Flying Gorilla (which I only got because the name sounded awesome) sans Whipped Cream. Four pounds?! Are you kidding me? I'm over that. Anyway, it was all retention--I'm back down to 143 today, and feeling better about it, but seriously...I am not into doing that with my body. Cheesecake Factory, you are my choice when and only when I need someplace open late to celebrate with dessert. Hell, I could get a just-as-satisfying cheesecake at Meijer (open 24/7) at that point.

Momentary Mondays: Opening

I was reading through my Anne Bogart notes last night, accidentally. The "accident" part of finding the notes ended up being compelling enough that I really hit on some good stuff. For example, Anne says that the best actor training is to pick six really difficult things to do a day. When those six things get too easy, pick six more. Be brave enough to find the challenge.

Later on in the notes, I came across another quote: "When we become satisfied, we begin to die very quickly." Hmm. That may not be the exact quote, but it's along the same lines of find new ways to challenge yourself.

I've been dealing with my fear a lot lately. Not in ways that show my Warrior self bucking up against my Cowering self, but more in ways that show my Serene self looking at the large and vast contradictions I as Myself cannot help but have and create. Those contradictions, and the space between them, is terrifying. But I face it in order to grow.

Today I left the house with a few goals in mind. For today, attend all of my classes, go to yoga, run 4 miles, prepare properly for rehearsal, and have at least four lines of dialogue with another person I will never see again.

The last was the hardest, because I have never really actively attempted it. I opened up to the possibilities, and met Leroy, a construction worker for 17 years in Cincinnati. We talked about yoga. :) So today, do the same. Face a small fear, and conquer it. It's really not so bad. :)

Soapbox Sunday: A String of Somewhat Related Questions, Answered

Hey, Blogoworld! Wow, I've been offline for a couple of days now. I'm telling you what, the first week of classes can certainly do that. Well, here I am, and I'm very happy to be here. Here's a few of your questions, answered. And by "your questions," I really mean, "putting the things I want to say in a fun format for me."

Allyson! Where have you been for the past few days?

Well, Blogoworld, I've been settling into my new life. New classes, new home, new schedule, new relationship status, new braces configuration, new(ish) rehearsals...It's all very time-consuming, and painful (especially in the case of the braces.) I am so sorry for leaving you 26 loyal followers in the dust. :( My computer is also as old as time itself, so blogging is somewhat of a time-consuming task. I am sorry!

That's okay, Allyson. We know things happen. So let's go back to the basics of this blog...why are you the Smelly Girl?

Oh, Blogoworld, how that title haunts me. It harkens back to my freshman year, the year I became aware of nutrition, exercise, and the precarious balance of all of them. I hath not know that girl scout trefoil cookies were so addicting, and I hath not been tested on the perils of thus. I began working out to combat the food. And I was always smelly because I was always coming from the gym

What has your weight loss been like?

Well, it wasn't so great for awhile. It's taken me months to really begin understanding what works for me, but currently, I've been nailing it down solid! I've lost a total of eleven pounds since the beginning of my weight loss journey, and I'm still going strong. I'm thirteen pounds away from my goal weight of 130, and I've got 13 post-it notes just chillin' out on my wall, waiting to be pulled down.

What do you think about the Cheesecake Factory, Allyson?

Gosh, it's a good thing you asked, Blogoworld, because I was just thinking about this. Man...the Cheesecake Factory kind of sucks. I mean, even if you buy the Fresh Fish Tacos (without the creamy avocado sauce), and only eat kind of one of them, and then the guacamole and tomato things, and a little bit of an incredibly over-priced drink, you still feel like you've ingested a month's worth of crap calories. (Crap calorie = anything that does not truly contribute to overall health and fitness). I mean, sure, the Cheesecake Factory is open late, is commercial (so it's easy to sit in), has lots of variety, and seems like a good idea....but it's not. Friends, let's not go there again soon.

Well, Gosh, Allyson! You sound like you're doing pretty well right now!

I sure am, Blogoworld, I sure am. I'm excited for weight loss (even as I treat myself to Easter candy), excited for my life, excited to be living. Cool.