Hollywood, CA: Upright Citizens Brigade

Kayla and I in Hollywood.  

I honestly believe that Hollywood/Los Angeles, is at its best (and worse) during the night.  There is just so much happening...  My favorite Hollywood memories include Halloween, and teletubies on Sunset Blvd: 

And seeing John Landis at a small local theater called the New Beverly Cinema... We went to watch a showing of 5000 Thousand Fingers of Dr. T-  Sold out, so much fun.

http://www.newbevcinema.com/

Tonight, we checked out the Upright Ctizen's Brigade, located on Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles.

http://losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/

The UCB is a small comedy club, that offers improv classes during the day, and gives small shows at night.  The theater itself, is very small, and seats a very limited amount of people. 

Comedian Cameron Esposito hosted the night, and as is common in many small clubs and theaters throughout LA, some larger names comedians stopped on by to showcase their talent.  Tonight we saw Aziz Ansari, and Sarah Silverman.  

I cannot wait to come back!

Woohoo!

I jogged a mile today!

It is funny how you remember certain points in life.  I remember the first time I made it around a lap.... It was funny as I came on the end of it, Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue came on.  Later, when I made it two laps around, I was on a treadmill in a LA Fitness.... Then I stopped trying to run for a while, and sort of loss the fitness ability.

This time, I was on a High School track in Long Beach, and I wasn't tired the first half, so decided to go the whole way. Then I got to the end of the first, wasn't tired, and went onto the next, and so on. Yup.... just like Forrest Gump, I just kept runnin'... or jogging, whatever.

Sounds so insignificant, but for me... it's huge.

The colors of ADHD

Got this from ADDitude.... totally me, and often people's reactions to me.    Not sure that I want it to ever go away... I just don't want to be lost in it.   I love colors :)

A motivational speech for

In the beginning of my serious weight loss attempt journey, I saw a youtube skit form David So, making fun of his attempts as fitness, and it made sense to me. (Watch it here )

His latest vlog was a motivational speech "for our big asses", as he put it.  Excuse the cussing (my momma hates it, but she still didn't get offended, so don't either), but the point of what he said was great for a New Year of weight loss. Holla!

2012 Health, in review....

Last year, was a rough year for me.  So much happened, so much changed, and I was confronted with so much.  In the beginning of the year, I was especially confronted with my weight.

I graduated in May 2011, and my weight had tipped to an extremely high point, and my health, to a very low one.  It took me 5 years to graduate, and I made it the finish by the skin of my teeth.  I worked night shifts, stayed in my car, and worked full time to make it happened.  At the same time, I also sacrificed my health in the process.  After, I just slept and tried to recovery mentally, but so many years of abuse on my body, had taken a toll that rest could not fix.

I got sick, as normal, and lost my voice, which was better than the year before, where I almost came down with pneumonia  but the fatigue was unbearable.  So at the beginning of 2012, I decided to go to the doctors for a general check up, and to finally face what I had been avoiding for so long.

I went on February 1st, 2012 and my results were as follows:

Weight: 260 lb (weight on Jan 11 was 261lb and Dec 2012 265lb)

Blood Pressure: 114/72

Diagnosis: Asthma, Allergies, and Fatigue

Further Tests: Full Blood Test

Blood Test Results:
      - Vitamin D extremely low: 14, with standard range 30-100
      - Thyroid Normal
      - High cholesterol 210 (range <200)
      - Triglyceride OK 115 (range <150)
      - HDL 49 (range >/=40)
      - LDL 138 (range <100)
      - High Density Liproprotein 4.3 (<4.3)
      -  Glucose, fasting 83 (70-99)

So I joined a gym, and started on my way.  I tried learning by myself, and lost 20 pounds on my own,  but it stopped after a while...  Then I got an opportunity to join a a bootcamp, and I began really changing.

I just recently went back to the doctors and here are the results for 12/6/12


Weight: 235 lb

Blood Pressure: 106/69

Further Tests: Full Blood Test

Blood Test Results:
      - Vitamin D 31 (range 30-100)
      - Thyroid Normal
      - Cholesterol 172 (range <200)
      - Triglyceride 103 (range <150)
      - HDL 48 (range >/=40)
      - LDL 116 (range <100)
      -  Glucose, random 92 (70-140)



Now, this is just the physical, health part of it.  There is sooooo much more that went on in my head.... emotionally, spiritually.

Mostly, I had to get past debilitating shame and embarrassment ... I knew that in trying to do the same exercises that others do, I would look like a fat person trying to keep up with athletes.  Like the Rhino at the end of the herd in Jumanji.  It is terrifying.... you feel exposed, and so vulnerable, especially because there is really no pretty, or dignified way to exercise.  But I also knew that I could either let that stop me, or suck it up and work with it.  I decided to suck it up, and told myself that if I just keep going, one day I won't be embarrassed ... and it really does get easier at every step.  You just have to push yourself over the starting point, and get the momentum rolling.


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After finals, during the holiday, I bugged out on my diet.  I honestly did.

So this year... before I get to this same season, my goals are:

- To get my life organized by every detail.
                    - Last year I cleared out a ton, and worked with different systems to get organized.

- Master the diet, with 1 gallon of water and 2lbs veggies per day