I Am Back!!! And... I Have 24 Random Facts For You!!!

Well, we meet again! It has been far too long since I have posted on here! Now that I have the internet, I am back in action, ready to blog again! So I thought I would give you another glimpse into my life, by giving you 24 random facts about me. Today is my 24th Birthday, man I am getting old! LOL... no I am enjoying my life... It sure is amazing! I have many things that have happened in the last few months that I am going to be sharing on here... so stay tuned!!! I think they are amazing things to share! Ok... so on with the 24 facts!

1. I have lived in three different locations in the past year, but I am thinking that where I am now, it the best so far!
2. I accomplished my first big sewing project on my own this year. I made a car seat canopy and blanket for my nephew that is adopted out. And must I say, on a biased note, that it is adorable!
3. I am now working up at Primary Children's Medical Center on the Rapid Treatment Unit! I love working with kids... they are awesome, but there are times I come home thinking to myself... I think I just got some free, non-chemical birth control today!
4. I have finished all my pre-reqs for Nursing School and have been patiently and hard workingly waiting to get into a program so I can be an RN!
5. I used to be the girl that could sleep in all time... not wake up till 10 or 11am, but now my body wakes me up by 8:30am most days!
6. I have self diagnosed myself with OCD at times... One of my crazy little quirks? When I make my bed, or anybody's bed actually... it is made with hospital corners, I think it makes the bed look a lot neater.
7. I get cold easily... I am usually wrapped in a blanket at home and love it!
8. I am a music snob at times... I really hate it when the bands I like go big! I hate when a musician can no longer be as personal with their fans, as when they were smaller and less known!
9. I went on my first trip alone this past year... I went to Alabama to visit my cousin and her adorable family! I loved every minute of it and want to go back so bad!
10. I have become pretty active in life and love to run! Which, I never thought I would enjoy! I have a goal to run a complete 5k this year!
11. I moved out on my own in November... and it has been the best thing! I truly love my indepence and appreciate my parents that much more!
12. I have a favorite brother and a favorite sister... and they know who they are! I guess since I only have one a piece... I am kind of forced to pick favorites!
13. I have truly learned throughout life and the trials I have been given, that a positive attitude makes all the difference! I strive to keep a positive attitude as much as possible.
14. I love jewelry and have learned to make a ton of things myself! I haven't bought jewelry for a couple of years now, because it is so much cheaper to make!
15. I have never broken a bone in my life!!! I am clumsy, but just not enough to get more than bumps and bruises from.
16. I love the $5 movie bin at Wal-Mart! I have become a movie buff and have found many treasures there!
17. I ride TRAX to work a lot... I used to be afraid of riding it, because I thought there were a lot of bums on there, but I was wrong, and I save a ton of gas riding it!
18. I am an avid couponer! I have a coupon binder and everything! I love watching the total go down as they scan my coupons in... it's very rewarding!
19. I have been a CNA for six years now... yes, I said six! It is a long time, but I have learned so much from being a CNA, that will be super helpful to know as an RN. I just know that I in due time, when it is suppose to happen, I will get into Nursing School.
20. I used to always have sound going on in the background, but I have learned to enjoy the peace and quite sometimes! I love just sitting and listening to all the natural sounds around me.
21. I have already picked out a reward for when I hit my goal and achieve my lifetime at Weight Watchers, I am going to buy a whole new wardrobe... with lots of fun cute clothes!
22. I am slowly becoming a little more green and earth friendly... I am not a freak, but I love to do my part to make the world a little more green and to continue it's beauty.
23. I have lived in Utah my whole life, but have never been skiing or snowboarding! I hope to one day learn to do one of these!
24. I have become very proud of my sister! And now she is my hero! I look up to her with amazement as I have seen her place a baby for adoption. She is AMAZING !!! I will post about this later, but she is a true example of a miraculous women!

There you have it! You now know 24 random facts about me! I can't wait to share more of my life, now that I have internet access! So stay tuned!

Computer Problems... GRRR...!!!

So I want to apologize for not posting yesterday. I am really trying to blog every Sunday night, but the internet on my computer is down and I cannot download any pictures. For my post I would love to put up pictures to help tell of the great adventures I had this week. So please forgive me and stay tuned for an updated blog post as soon as my computer works. In the meantime... let me give you an update on my weight loss.

The Shrinking of Carli
The last couple of weeks have been really quite well! I am finally feeling like I am back in the mindset of losing weight. I feel like it is something I can truly accomplish in a visible point in time. I am feeling the affects that it has truly had on my mood and attitude. It is funny to think that when I eat healthier and more strick... I tend to be in a better mood. Then the days I don't care about what I eat tend to be my bad days. I love this feeling because I want to strive to have a good mood and have now found one factor to help improve my mood. Well not much else to tell you... but here are my weekly totals.

Week 23- I lost a total of 0.8 lbs this week. My total lost so far is 31.6 lbs!
Week 24- I lost a total of 1.6 lbs this week. My total lost so far is 33.2 lbs!

The Word "Free" Comes With A Price... Maybe Not???

First, I need to apologize about being so slow and taking forever to update my blog. Life has been so hectic the last few weeks that I really never got a chance to sit down and update my blog, so I am sorry for all those who have been waiting for an update.

Let's continue on to my blog subject of the week. On Thursday, one of my favorite bands, Parachute, came in town to do a free show. That's right... a FREE show! It was so much fun! I had been dying to go to another concert, so I couldn't argue when I found out these guys were coming and I would be able to see them without spending a dime. So to explain the free concert, it was put on by a group called "Fight the New Drug." This group is out to educate people on the harmful affect of pornography, and how it is truly affect our community. I found the information they have VERY interesting, definitely something I support. So look them up at http://www.fightthenewdrug.com/. I promise that it is not a waste of time. The sad thing... Utah has the highest percentage of use of Internet pornography in the country. This just makes me sick! I hope with a little more education, we can fight this new addiction that is fastly taking a grip of our world. I have become a fighter and encourage you to join me, if you feel the same as I do. Sorry for the rant, but I feel so strong about this destruction that is ruining so many lives!

So about the concert... because the concert was free, so many people showed up. Some I don't think would have come if they had to pay. There were a few crazy and abnoxious teenagers there that thought it would be so much fun to rush the stage and do crazy things. I definantely learned my lesson on wanting to stand in the front. I don't think I will do that again. Will, the lead singer of Parachute, decided that he would try crowd surfing for the first time that night, must I say that he was insane! I was underneath him a few times and felt sorry for him and the way people would touch him and grab at him. I was talking with him after the show and he surely felt a little molested by the end of the night. I think that is the last time he will try that. Even though the crowd was crazy and rude at times, it was still one of the best shows of theirs, if not the best! I have been a fan of these guys for a long time and really enjoyed seeing them. Their new album is just amazing and I enjoyed hearing it live! So let's see what craziness their next show brings!

I did find some great new bands, as I always strive to do at concert. Opening acts are sometimes the best bands that I find. That is how I discovered Parachute. So I discovered two bands that are definitely worth checking out! First is the group named Damato. They are really good. The lead singer reminds me of a rocker Bruno Mars. And let's just say that they are pretty darn cute! The bassist definitely makes chest hair look fine... and I am not a chest hair kinda girl... just saying!!! The best find of the night goes to a local band named Allred! They are officially climbing higher on my charts every day! They are really good and very good eye candy as well! I was able to catch the drummer's drum stick at the concert and went over and talked to band for awhile. They are super cool and laid back! I kept looking at the drummer, whose name is Tanner, and thinking he looked so familiar... so after stirring over this for a while... I realized this guy goes to the majority of the concerts I go to and just after seeing him a few times, I began to always notice him. He also looks so much like my cousin Tim, that I instantly notice him. So, I really hope I run into him at more concerts, because he is just my type of guy!

Well, there is my spill on the concert and amazing guys... but I wanted to add some pictures to this blog to show something really cool. So, last time I saw Parachute was when I had just started Weight Watchers in January and I wanted to compare pictures with the same guy, Will. I wanted to see if I could tell a difference in the pictures... kinda like a before and after. What do you think? Is there a difference?

Here is my "before" picture taken in January.

Here is my "after" picture taken 5 months later.

The Shrinking of Carli
So the last few weeks have been full of ups and downs and I had really began to slack on trying to lose weight. Well after all the ups and downs, I sat down and put myself to the challenge of sticking to it as much as I had when I began. I have began to track every single thing I eat and am trying to exercise a lot more. I feel it helping me more. I feel my mood changing for the better and I feel healthier over all! I am at the lowest I have been since I quite Cold Stone Creamery 5 years ago. I feel this is a big accomplishment! Cold Stone helped me gain a lot of weight and lose a lot of confidence in myself. Well, I can now conquer one more barrier. Let's just hope that this week is a lot better and that I have great news for you!

Week 20- I lost 0.6 lbs this week. My total weight loss so far is 29 lbs.
Week 21- I lost 2.2 lbs this week. My total weight loss so far is 31.2 lbs.
Week 22- I gained 0.4 lbs this week. My total weight loss so far is 30.8 lbs.

A New Way To Look At Life!!!

I must say that the beginning of this week was pretty darn rotten and hard! I was really struggling with life and what it had given me at the moment. I was upset that I was single and have been unsuccessful in relationships, I had this feeling of an impending doom of singleness... and it really bothered me. I also starting thinking about friends and of course... with me being down... I felt that I had no friends and that nobody wants to be my friend. I was feeling really bitter about the changes they had made in my singles ward, I was hoping for a ward split and that didn't happen. I just really felt like an awkward outcast in life and that I really wasn't needed by anyone. Life was just hard!!!

Well, let me tell about today... Today was a much better day! It was Fast Sunday... and I really wanted to be more content and happy with the way my life is going... so I fasted about this. Usually I don't feel or see instant results from my fast, but Today I did. I am so content with life at the moment! The way my ward made changes was amazing! I felt like I could socialize comfortably and really enjoy myself! I was talking to one of my cousin's last night at a family party and she mentioned to me about my post last week and how I had stated this... "I realized I could do this, and the only one that could change it for myself was me!...I was at a point that I knew that I could continue on and do well... so here I am, starting with a new drive! I deserve this, I deserve a good life, a happy life! The only way I am going to be happy is myself! I will never receive full happiness from others... I have to be happy with myself first!" Well, let me be honest with you... I don't remember posting this at all. I remember posting things about change and being happy, but I don't remember using the words I did and didn't realize how much I wrote. I guess I just got typing away without even thinking about what I was saying.

This really hit me hard when I went to bed. You know how when you are sitting in your bed waiting to go to bed, but you can't because your mind is going a million miles and hour... that was me last night. I just kept thinking about how much I control my life and the happiness it brings to me. I realized that the pity party I was throwing myself into at the beginning of the week was beyond not worth it! I have had this renewed sense of life being ok and not just ok... but great!

I know that I am at one of the greatest times of life and I need to enjoy every moment of it! Here I have the grand opportunity to go to school and accomplish my greatest dream of becoming a Nurse. I am able to go with my friends on a whims notice and I am able to have fun with them without worrying about kids or a husband. I can travel places and just enjoy myself! I can just have fun! I do have the ultimate goal of finding a husband and becoming a mom, but until that happens, I am going to have fun and enjoy myself. I am not going to pity myself because I am single. Life is great for me at the moment because I am making it that way, not anyone else!



I couldn't finish this post without a picture. So I chose a picture of what I feel helps me out at times. I am never alone, when I can't stand to bear it, he is there to carry me along!


The Shrinking of Carli
This week was a rough week for me at the scales as well. It kind of just added to the mess of me breaking down. I gained to most amount of weight since I have started. I was very upset with myself about this, and I wanted to blame it all on me not exercising as much... but that wasn't the only factor. So to explain the no exercise... I have some plantar warts that are awful and bad... so at the moment, my Podiatrist has me putting acid on them daily to burn them off, well it isn't suppose to hurt, but the fresh skin underneath is really tender and it really hurts to walk on them... so that beat out running as well. Well, I shouldn't have used that excuse! I also ate really bad as well... I think I had chocolate every day and not just a little. I found these oreos that have peanut butter on them and are coated in chocolate and man are they good! But... they are so bad!!! Sadly, I ate a whole package in one day! Shame on me, but I am on a much better track this week and have started exercising comfortably again. So let's hope next week is amazing!

Week 19- I gained 1.8 lbs this week. My total weight loss so far is 28.4 lbs.

One Accomplishment Down.... Many More To Go!!!

It has been awhile since I have posted... and I have some fun stuff to post. So, now that my computer is virus free... I shall update you on my life the last couple weeks. On Saturday, May 21st, Weight Watchers held a 5K Walk-It Challenge. They really wanted everyone possible to participate in this great event, they want people to become more active. That's the nice thing about Weight Watchers... they don't just tell you to eat right, they also tell you to exercise to look better. I read this quote in my booklet by them that I must share... "Losing weight helps you look good in clothes. Exercise helps you look good naked." I just laughed so hard when I read that, but it is so true! Exercise helps tone your body up... I know we have all seen those who have saggy skin because of drastic weight loss, but I believe it can be better with exercise. Anyways, now that I am done with my rant, I will continue on with my 5K experience. When I heard about the Walk-It Challenge, I knew I wanted to do it! I was looking for some way to get me more active, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I am one who likes to set goals and go for them... that is how I accomplish things that I want and need. So I got a training guide and trained away 5 days a week for 6 weeks... in the end this is what happened...

I finished the 5K at the fastest time I had so far... now, I did not run it! I didn't feel like I was ready to start running first thing, so I walked at a decent pace the whole time. Next year, my goal is to run the whole entire thing. I always thought I would never be a runner, but I am actually really enjoying a quick run! So let's hope to that! Here are a few more pictures from the 5K... my little brother and dad walked it with me. They have been awesome supporters through my weight loss journey and I have greatly appreciated it!

Just before we started walking.

Me and My Dad walking away.

At the Finish Line with our Certificates.

Well, not much more has happened the last couple of weeks, I feel like I have been more busy since school has been out, and it is kind of killing me. I want to enjoy summer! I want to bask in some sun, enjoy the great stuff Utah has to give outdoors. Most of all, I really want to see if I can get a tan this Summer. My family loves to compare arms and laugh at my whiteness all the time, so I am wanting to spend more time outdoors and see if that helps! Sadly, the weather in Utah right now sucks! Rain, Rain, Rain... and Snow in some parts today! Crazy weather needs to stop! I am ready for the sun!

The Shrinking Of Carli

So the last couple of weeks have been much better! I did the 5K and have continued to exercise when I can. Sadly, I injured my foot at the 5K and have a hard time walking and running, but I did pull out my bike, and have enjoyed riding it! I feel in love with my bike last year, and can't wait to see what more I can do this year with it! I have been eating better. I have been packing my own meals for work and have noticed a difference when I am not eating at the cafeteria... even though IMC has the best hospital cafeteria I have ever experienced! I have had some bad days, but I am finding them fewer and fewer as time goes on. The biggest thing I have noticed recently is how hard it is to lose weight! I really have looked back and seen how hard I am working at this and noticed that when I work the hardest, I see the biggest results! I know I am getting healthier and looking better, but I sure am struggling at the moment. I have really felt down on life and how some things are going at the moment. Some of those that have attended with me or at the same time as me, have started giving up and not doing so well. I feel that this is taking a huge toll on me! I don't feel that I have the same support system that I used to... I kind of feel lost at the moment, but then yesterday... out of nowhere I snapped! I realized I could do this, and the only one that could change it for myself was me! I realized I had the will power to say no to those bad things and to go to the good things! I was at a point that I knew that I could continue on and do well... so here I am, starting with a new drive! I deserve this, I deserve a good life, a happy life! The only way I am going to be happy is myself! I will never receive full happiness from others... I have to be happy with myself first! So here is my promise to myself. I will strive to better myself and be happy with myself at all times! This I shall work on!

Week 17- I lost 1.2 lbs this week. I have lost 29.4 lbs total!
Week 18- I lost 0.8 lbs this week. I have lost 30.2 lbs total!

Forgetting The Past Is Hard To Do!

Let me explain my title first... I have had something I believe to be pretty amazing happen in my life recently, I have really enjoyed what has happened, but I am afraid of things because I have been hurt multiple times in the past through the same type of thing . I am afraid to let myself go because I am so afraid of getting hurt, I know I don't show it to people, but it constantly runs through my head. I have this really bad habit of always thinking of the worst in every situation... I always think first of all the things that can go wrong, way before I think of all the great things that can come out of things. This is the worst curse, I hate it! So I have resolved today in forgetting the past and hoping for the best in the future. I believe that in this situation if I focus on my past that I might actually do more harm than good. I have had to learn more patience, but it has paid off beyond my expectations!!! I am going to embrace this new journey with a new view and enjoy it for what it is worth!!! Maybe one day I will share more about this story if things go well in the future, but for now I am content with just sharing this. On an end note, I have been listening to the new song "Just A Kiss" by Lady Antebellum and have fallen in love with it... so enjoy it!

The Shrinking of Carli

Well this week's update is going to be short... I had a horrible week! I ate like crap the week before weigh-in and didn't count or track points at all. I know I didn't make the best choices on what I ate and to top it all off, I didn't work-out as much as I should have. I cut the bottom of my foot and it was pretty sore to walk on, so I gave up. I shouldn't have and paid for it at the scale. I am now back on track, so let's hope I lose more than I gained last week!

Week 15- I gained 0.6 lbs this week, with a total lost of 28.2 lbs total!

I Did It!!!

Well this week hasn't had too much excitement except for school being done. YAY! I turned in my group project about the negative affect that nuclear power has on us and our future. Doing this project has put a new thought in my mind about nuclear power and just to sum it up quickly... I don't think we are doing ourselves any good using this kind of power, it is harmful to us today, but even more harmful to our future generations. That's all I will say, I am in no mood to debate or drag on today. There really is no more to post for this week, except something really exciting in my next section... so read on!!!

The Shrinking of Carli
Well shall I share the great news??? Why not? This week I hit a big accomplishment and goal for me. I have officially lost 10% of my starting weight!!! I have worked very hard to get to this point and am very proud to say that I have lost that much of my weight! I have also hit the mark of having less than 100 lbs to go before I hit my goal weight of 150 lbs! I am so excited to have gotten this far and to have accomplished this much. I have seen my life style change... I have become more active and choose better things for me. Yes, there are those times I splurge and have so-called "naughty" stuff, but I do that in moderation and balance it out with healthier foods or increased activity that day. I am loving all the comments I get from people who know I am losing weight. I especially love the word diet... I don't feel like I am on a diet, I can eat whatever I want, just in moderation. I have told myself from the beginning that I am not on a diet, but I am making a lifestyle change. This is a permanent change for me, not just one I will do until my goal weight is hit and then go back to the life I had. When I first started Weight Watchers I was at the heaviest I ever remember myself being, I weighed 274.4 lbs. I remember thinking I need to straighten my life or I am going to head down a road of absolute misery and my life is going to be lived without accomplishing the things I wanted to. The other day I was with a friend that asked me when I was going to stop Weight Watchers, was I going to get to my goal first? Was I going to go a little after and then stop? Well the answer is neither of those, I have decided that Weight Watchers is a life long thing for me. I don't want to stop this journey at all! I have enjoyed doing this and have even thought about the possibility of becoming a leader when I hit my goal. I love the change that Weight Watchers has brought to my life. It has helped me accept myself as me and to really accomplish more than I thought I could. If it wasn't for Weight Watchers I don't think I would have the drive to do the things I am coming to do. I am just loving this transformation in myself and can't be more grateful for this wonderful experience. Please remember that I am an open book and anyone of you reading my blog can ask me anything, I want to put my story out there to help other people!

Week 14- I lost a total of 2.8 lbs this week, making my total loss so far 28.8 lbs!!!