Happy 2015!

Man, has it been almost 3 months since my last blog post? So much for blogging more last year. :P But...it's a new year! New year, new me? I don't like that phrase. I don't like New Year's Resolutions either. First off, most times you break them and, really, shouldn't you ALWAYS be striving to be better? Why does the first of the year have to start that? Sure, it's a nice "even" spot, but still...

At any rate...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Looking back to last year, not a lot of "significant" things happened, but I had some small things that happened. Most of which involves my health.

I managed to lose 42 lbs from June to December! Woohoo! I have gained 6.5 lbs thanks to the holidays, but I'm slowly starting to get myself back on track. I'm basically buying no more sweets. So once what I have is consumed, that's it! I could just get back fully on calorie counting, but that means I won't consume the stuff I have left and it goes to waste. So...I might as well finish it. ;) I need to get back to it hard. My goal is to lose another 20 lbs in the next 6 months. So, basically, in a year I want to lose 60 pounds. :)

I've learned to like new foods! I've learned to like avocado. Who'd of thunk. For years I've tried avocado and never liked it. For whatever reason, I learned to like it this year. I still don't eat a lot of it, but I will buy it to have on hamburgers and salads. So, that's cool. I also have decided I like brussels sprouts (they remind me of a more bitter broccoli with the texture of lettuce), kale, and quinoa. Kale is fantastic because it's better to eat it cooked rather than raw and putting it in anything reminds me of cabbage in soups. They're pretty flavorless in soups and I like the texture they give. Quinoa has been a trial and error...I don't like it on its own, but I like it in soups, chilies, and things with a light sauce. It's healthy for you and I like the texture. Plus, it's so cute and tiny!

I'm cooking! Since mid-February last year, I have been cooking at home on a weekly basis. That's part of why I've managed to lose weight, but it's also really helped my digestive track. I'm lactose intolerant and before cooking at home, I would HAVE to take lactaid pills with any dairy I took and hope it would actually work. Now that I'm cooking at home and eating a more balanced diet, I don't have to take the pills! I can actually eat dairy and be okay. I'm not 100% off of them (heavy dairy days require the pills), but I'm much better off than I was. I have noticed the past two weeks (basically since my birthday when my eating went downhill) I can't get away with that as well, so it's a definite sign my diet makes a difference in how I can handle dairy. But the cooking has been great. My only problem is food is so expensive! LoL I have to be better about food budgeting...With that said, by planning meals out a week in advance, I'm definitely buying less than I would without planning, I'm eating out less, and I'm snacking less (well, snacking less is also calorie counting).

I bought less nail polish! LoL Maybe not a big thing, but an accomplishment for me. :) My goal this year is to spend less than I did last year. I'm starting to find my pitfalls and really judge my "needs" on polish. It's still hard...especially since I shop almost exclusively with indie polishes so "waiting" to buy that polish doesn't exist since they won't make it again, but I'm trying. January is going to be a "no buy" month, which I'm hoping to extend into February.

I watched 103 movies this year. :) Not as many as last year (I watched 110 in 2013), but I broke 100! Considering I slowed down a lot towards the end of the year, not bad. I actually wasn't sure I'd even make 100. I'll blog a HUGE post about the movies I watched later. It's half-done since I've been working on it off-and-on for weeks (months?) now.


In other things, I went down south 4 times. I went to the racetrack 3 times. I got appointed (or, most likely will be appointed - find out Monday or Tuesday) to the Marina Coast Water District Water Conservation Commission. I made it a priority to visit the chiropractor monthly (the exercise, weight loss, and chiro almost fixed my lower back problem I had last year, though it's still a constant work in progress). I didn't have any weird doctor visits! No weird cysts or hives. :P I survived my work's management changes.

Mostly, I can't complain about the year. :) It was a good year for me and it was definitely the year of getting my health in order.

Welcome 2015. It'll be fun to see what you bring. I'm hoping for a new job, driving license, meeting my weight goal, having more fun times with family and friends, and maybe some traveling. :) If you want to throw in winning the lottery, that's cool. ;) Cheers, everyone!