Tomorrow is the beginning of my PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program. Not that I need a program to guide me on my vegan path, but it is nice to have guidance. The only thing I need to do is give up cheese, and be aware of milk, & egg products in things like crackers, cereals, etc. I have been a vegetarian for over a year now, and am ready to go vegan after reading many things, and doing research. I am going vegan for the animals, for the environment, and for my health. It would take me a very long time to describe in detail what exactly happens to these poor animals, and the effect that it is having on our environment. Many people don't like to think about how their meat got to their plate but it is important to know. If you love animals, if you care for the environment, and if you want to do what is best for your health I encourage you to look up vegetarianism/veganism. I know from going vegan I will feel much better about myself. I think that I will feel stronger mentally, physically, and spiritually. I'll post updates!

For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit... start whenever you want... you can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.

A post from Operation Beautiful

What is “Fat Talk”?

Fat Talk isn’t about being overweight. In fact, Fat Talk has nothing to do with your size at all.

Fat Talk is extremely triggering of unhealthy behaviors, whether the comments are consciously processed or not. Putting yourself down verbally creates reverse inertia in all aspects of your life. Instead of getting healthier, Fat Talk will motivate you to overeat, skip your workouts, and stay involved in toxic relationships. Additionally, even if you don’t ‘hear’ your own Fat Talk, your friends and family members will, and it harms them emotionally, spiritually, and physically as well. As Jillian Michaels said,"Fat talk is transcending…. It affects your reality and damages you professionally, personally, and physically."

How can we begin to stop Fat Talking?

• Consciously correct yourself if you Fat Talk. Replace those thoughts with something realistic and positive.
• Don’t compare your body to others.
• Appreciate your body for what it can do. If you feel down and are Fat Talking, try going for a walk and enjoy being outside.
• Turn a negative into a positive. Instead of "I’m stocky," try "I’m strong!"
• Never Fat Talk in front of your kids or friends.

What About Fat Talking to ourselves? Is it as bad if we don’t express it aloud?

Guilt is internal Fat Talk. It is shaming yourself for not meeting a perfectionist ideal that is unattainable and determined by the rigid standards our society has created! If you wouldn’t say it out loud to a friend, why would you say it to yourself?

Maybe right now you’re thinking: "But a little guilt can be a GOOD thing!" or "Guilt is a normal reaction to indulging!" But, if guilt was healthy or "normal," it would be PRODUCTIVE and it would make you HAPPY. Do you find yourself feeling guilty over food a lot? Well, then — you’re repeating the same actions over and over again, and clearly… Guilt isn’t productive, it doesn’t work, and it only serves to lower your self -esteem. Guilt is a waste of time and takes away from productive things you could be doing with your time — meditating, studying, sleeping, calling your friends on the phone, and more.

• You aren’t going to gain weight from one dessert.
• You aren’t a bad person for enjoying dinner.
• You aren’t weak because you were hungrier than normal.

How do you stop guilt? It’s so much harder to stop than Fat Talk — after all, we verbalize Fat Talk to others and it’s easier to "catch" ourselves in conversation. Guilt, on the other hand, is this weird, creeping feeling that takes over you, ruins your day, and triggers the blues. I would say I cut down on my guilt thinking by about 90%, which I consider to be a big accomplishment. I stopped guilting myself by really thinking about my eating in the grand scheme of life. Did that pizza make me gain weight? No. Did it actually hurt my health in any measurable way that I ate a bunch of French fries? No. Am I an awesome friend and hard worker who is so much more than the food she eats? Of course!

If there is something about your lifestyle that you want to change, be proactive and CHANGE IT. Guilting yourself about it does not work. Taking action to move onwards and upwards does. Every setback is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.

Join me on the quest to eliminate Fat Talk in all its nasty and evil forms from our lives! Remember, it starts now… and it starts with you.

Inspirational Video of the Month..

He taught me how to trust myself.
He taught me that I should love every flaw.
He taught me that no matter what
I should just make the decision and jump,
and not regret it.

Sometimes life is just not fair

This sweet little two year old was stricken with a massive cancerous tumor (Stage 4 Neuroblastoma). She is extremely precious and has changed my life just from reading her story, and viewing her mother's blog & twitter pages. This is Layla's story. Also, if you join the facebook group RuffleButts, RuffleButts will donate $1 to Layla Grace and her family to help with the costs. Join the group, just one click & you help out! I hope she inspires you to live life to it's fullest each and everyday like she did for me. Send her your prayers!

Now this is inspiring

Enjoy the funny, one liners on FMyLife? Then you will enjoy this. GivesMeHope is just like it, however the funny, one liners are replaced with inspiring little stories. They say it's FML but for optimists :) Check it out! Just click the link above. It's certain to make you smile!

Uh oh.. it happened..

What happened? Fat talk happened..

Last night, I had a complete and utter breakdown. I haven't been treating my body good lately(eating good/working out) and it all just hit me. I was in the shower, looked down and was appalled by what I was seeing. Everyone said I'd gain weight in college but I said no no, I won't let it happen. No freshman 15 for me. I don't believe I've gained 15 pounds, maybe not even 10 but I've gained something. I can tell by the way my clothes fit, and by the way I just feel. So, I started to bash my body left and right and made myself feel like crap. Lets just say it was not a good night for me.. and there is no excuse for fat talk. It happens to everyone once in a while, but what did I accomplish by saying hurtful things to myself? Nothing. The only thing I achieved was a down right horrible mood. I'm determined to block out negative thoughts as soon as they come into my head from now on! I plan to think of something I'm thankful for my body for right when negative thoughts pop into my head! Fat talk = NO MORE!

These Bodies are Beautiful at Every Size

I know I’m not the only one who is tired of seeing waif thin women modeling, creating unrealistic expectations for society! I respect all of the women mentioned in this article and the above picture for their body confidence and positive self image. I think they all look amazing. But why can I look at this picture and see these women as beautiful and not see it in myself?

Therefore, I challenged myself to come up with 50 things I LOVE about myself:

1. That I am healthy
2. I love the taste of healthy food. Spinach anyone?
3. I am open minded
4. I am empathetic
5. I enjoy the seasons
6. I like my blue eyes, especially the yellow ring around my pupils because my Nana has it too
7. I feel very deeply
8. I am extremely compassionate
9. I am a good listener, and like to think I give good advice
10. I am strong
11. I can laugh at myself
12. I am competitive
13. I LOVE animals
14. I am a supportive person
15. I am incredibly sentimental
16. I am full of love-for life-for others
17. I am really close to my family, they will always come first
18. I'm a pretty good cook
19. I am calm under pressure
20. I am loyal
21. I am organized
22. I never settle for less than what I deserve
23. I love volunteering, and will continue to do so throughout my life
24. I like to workout
25. I care about the Earth, and preserving it the best way we can
26. I am a wonderful furmom to my baby kitties
27. I don't eat animals ( I am a vegetarian, with hopes to become vegan)
28. My annoying laugh, hey .. it's part of who I am
29. I am almost completely over my past
30. I am very forgiving
31. My heritage
32. My scars, they add character ;)
33. I can keep a secret
34. I have a strong intuition
35. I believe in miracles
36. I can express myself well through writing
37. I am dorky
38. I love to dance
39. I love all sorts of creatures, even ones that other people find creepy (bats, snakes, spiders)
40. My hair at times
41. My little freckles
42. I always choose to see the best in people
43. I like sports, watching sports & playing sports
44. My butt
45. I appreciate beauty in people's spirit
46. I love babies, and can't wait to be a mother someday
47. I make an effort to let the people I love know I love them
48. I am really good with remembering names
49. I can recite the 50 states in alphabetical order
50. I believe

<3 I absolutely love what Dove is doing with their Campaign for Real Beauty Mission. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty began in 2004 to serve as a starting point for societal change and to widen the definition of beauty. The campaign supports the dove mission which is make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty. Dove found that only 2% of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful, and that 81% of the women in the U.S. strongly agree that "the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can't ever achieve". I know that I love seeing Dove ad's in magazines, on tv, etc. They make me smile and remind me that each woman is beautiful, just the way they are. Love yourselves! :)

Tea-aholic

If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.
- Gladstone

- I love tea, and am certainly a tea-aholic. Which of course there is nothing wrong with :) Tea is just so yummy! Not to mention good for you. The Republic of Tea creates these amazing teas. I've tried Get Clean, and Get Gorgeous and have loved both! I want to try each and every one of them, well.. besides the Get Maternal ;) maybe in the future! I recommend The Republic of Tea tea's to you all :)

Today kicks off the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. NEDA is dedicated to providing education, resources and support to those affected by eating disorders.

Questions PSA from NEDA on Vimeo.

20 ways to love your body
Courtesy of NEDA and Margo Maine, Ph.D.

1. Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it.
2. Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often.
3. Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.
4. Create a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments.
5. Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.
6. Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy.
7. Wear comfortable clothes that you like, that express your personal style, and that feel good to your body.
8. Count your blessings, not your blemishes.
9. Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance. Try one!
10. Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy.
11. Consider this: your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months. Your body is extraordinary–begin to respect and appreciate it.
12. Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.
13. Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day.
14. Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good. Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship.
15. Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body. Tell yourself you can feel like that again, even in this body at this age.
16. Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself–without mentioning your appearance. Add to it!
17. Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, “I’m beautiful inside and out.”
18. Choose to find the beauty in the world and in yourself.
19. Start saying to yourself, “Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way.”
20. Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.

"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."

Love isn’t about the romantic nights or gifts.
It isn’t about fireworks going off around you when
you have that first, real, kiss.
Love isn’t about kissing in the rain and dancing beneath the stars.
It isn’t about the big moments or the big surprises.
Love is not a fairytale.
Love is about still having the butterflies after years.
It’s about the second looks and laying in bed wide awake,
all night,because you can’t go to sleep mad at each other.
It’s about being willing to sacrifice, literally, everything for someone,
just because you care so deeply for them.
It’s not about buying them gifts, but it’s about
leaving them little presents here and there,
just to remind them that you are constantly thinking about them.
Love is about all of the little things, that add up to really big things.
Love is rare and special, but should not be treated as if it will break.
Love needs to be thrown around and beat up a little bit,
worn in, but not worn down. Love needs to be a comfortable feeling,
a place to go when no one else in the world can relate.
A safe place, where you know that no matter how ugly you look
or how angry you are, you will still be… loved.

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you're riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief, and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live.

Good morning! I thought I'd start off with some statistics.

92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with body weight ranking the highest.

75% of teenage girls felt 'depressed, guilty and shameful' after spending just three minutes leafing through a fashion magazine.

70% of girls ages 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities such as attending school, going to the doctor, or even giving their opinion "due to feeling badly about one’s looks."

61% of all women and 69 % of girls (15 to 17) feel that their mother has had a positive influence on their feelings about themselves and their beauty.

Nearly 1/4 would consider undergoing plastic surgery.

Only 2% of women describe themselves as “beautiful”

Not only do women agree that happiness is the primary element making a woman beautiful, but they strongly agree that they themselves feel most beautiful when they are happy and fulfilled in their lives (86%). Women want younger generations of girls and women to inherit this broader concept of beauty, with 82% strongly agreeing that, “If I had a daughter, I would want her to feel beautiful, even if she was not physically attractive.”

While only 19% of teenage girls are "overweight," 67% think they "need to lose weight" (UK Teen Body Image Survey, January 2004)

90% of eating disorders are found in girls

5% and 4%, respectively, said they would rather lose a limb or be blind than be overweight.

- It truly makes me sad that all this is going on. It's all so horrible. Instead of waking up, looking in the mirror and saying you hate something about yourself..try saying something positive. Positive thoughts created a positive perspective. I promise it helps! My Nan told me to say something nice about myself before bed, and something nice about myself when I looked in the mirror each morning. It sounds silly, but it really does make a difference :)

Around the first week of college, I noticed post-it notes all around campus. On light posts, on bathroom mirrors, on railings, etc. Finally, I decided to take a closer look. On the post-it's were inspiring and uplifting messages. At the bottom of the post-it was the site www.operationbeautiful.com. I decided to check it out. What a wonderful idea. Check it out for yourself :)

Change of plans..

I want this blog to focus on the biggest issues I come across daily. Self esteem and confidence, weight issues, and guilt associated with food/not working out. My blog will still consist of messy thoughts, bits that have inspired me, and images that make me love the world a little bit more as well.My goal is to trigger something with those who read my blog. I hope that causes them to have the realization that I had just in the beginning of this year. The realization I had is that I am me. There is only one me. I am unique, and therefore I am beautiful. Of course, it isn't that simple. I still struggle, but am continuing to love myself more and more each day.Women and young girls are under such extreme pressure to be something that is just not reachable. It's a never ending path, to what..? Being a size 00 or 0 doesn't automatically make you happy. Even those who are a size 00 or 0 (FYI- zero is not a size to me) aren't necessarily happy. I'm sure if asked would they change anything about themselves if given the chance, the majority would say yes. It's time for that to stop. We are all beautiful, and unique. Why beat ourselves up every single day because we simply do not fit the mold that today's society has created? It's bogus. It is time that girls of all ages start replacing the negative thoughts in their minds with positive ones. Let's stop all of the negativity.

Below is a video made by Angela, from the blog "Oh she glows". I hope you enjoy:

I feel so lost.. so confused.. so much is going through my mind

http://www.formspring.me/SamiRaeXo

- Ask me anything! :)

I can't wait until summer. I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun, go to the farmers market and get fresh fruit and veggies, go camping, have bonfires, drive around with the music loud and my windows down, go to the beach, and much more!


Question: What is your happy song? (Can't stop smiling when you hear it)

"We’re all miracles. You know why? Because as humans, everyday we go about our business. And all that time, we know the things we love, the people we love, at any time can all be taken away. We live knowing that and we keep going anyway."

What pulls at your heart strings?

What really gets to me, emotionally speaking, is animal cruelty. It's our responsibility as sapient human beings to look after animals, I believe, and never to mistreat them. I get very angry and upset when I see or hear about animals being harmed by humans, or being found suffering and have nothing done to help them. Other things that really get me are the environment, abuse, civil rights, etc.

This blog will consist of a bunch of messy thoughts, bits that have inspired me, images that make me love the world a little bit more, and my own personal struggles and triumphs.



Love is... Love is being a thousand miles away - and still be able to picture his eyes. Love is walking into a crowed room of people - and know he's in the room, because you get that feeling. Love is when you're lying in your bed at night falling asleep - and pretending he's lying right there next to you. Love is when he walks into the room - and you forget to breathe, your heart stops for that spilt second, you get that rush. Love is missing him -before he leaves. Love is never thinking you could have these kinds of feelings - and have them for him. Love is more than just butterflies - it's indescribable.