How many points is that?

So as I said in my first post, this summer has been about weight loss for me. I have always been a plus size girl and have no problem sharing that with all of cyber space. This summer though, I decided to gain back some control of my weight as a kind of detox from all the nights of binge drinking and pizza in college. Since I am moving to NYC to pursue acting I thought I should begin treating my body as my instrument so that I can be as marketable as possible. Having heard so many great things about Weight Watchers I thought I would give it a try. Jennifer Hudson was promoting their website and I saw that as my call to action because I am a HUGE fan of Miss JHud. Since May 9 I have lost 23 Lbs and it is my goal to have lost 30 by the end of August! Weight Watchers actually makes things easy for you because they give everything a point value based on calories, fat, and dietary fiber. The online version is so easy and you can do it at home. You just have to be honest with yourself and stay on track. On top of watching what I eat I have also been going to the gym regularly. But no matter what people tell you...weight loss is HARD. There are days when all I want to eat are the fattiest most calorie filled foods I can find. This post is dedicated to those foods and their weight watchers point values.

**Just so this post makes more sense, I will let you know that I get 34 points to last me an entire day.**

1. The Doughnut Burger: Point Value=27 Points



That's right...It's a burger...between 2 doughnuts. When you have been limiting yourself to veggie subs on wheat bread and deli turkey all summer...this is what you CRAVE! I'm pretty sure that one bite would send you into a diabetic coma or increase your chance of a heart attack before you turn 30 by 200 %, but man oh man what a delicious way to leave the world.

2. Outback Cheese Fries: Point Value= 73 points



So if I didn't eat for two days straight I could eat a whole plate of these fries. I have been working for the Outback Steakhouse this summer as a hostess. Let me tell you, I have had to practice the most amazing self control when I watch these go by. On days when all the sacrifice just doesn't feel worth it, it's all I can do to stop myself from sitting down with a table that has ordered these and eating their whole plate. If you love cheese then you will love these fries. They are also served with a side of Outback's homemade spicy ranch dressing. AMAZING. They are actually one of the 20 worst foods for you in America but when it tastes this good...who cares right?

3. 5 Fried Oreo's: Point Value= 20 points



OK. So if you are what you eat, I want to be this. If I could eat nothing else for the rest of my life...I am pretty sure I could eat these every. single. day. If you haven't tried them...go, now, and get one. It's an oreo, battered, and deep fried then topped with powdered sugar. There is nothing wrong about this dessert. You can't eat just one so I made the serving size 5 Oreo's on this one, eat one and tell me if you can even stop there.

4. Ben and Jerry's Half Baked Pint: Point Value= 26 points.



I know I am breaking a lot of hearts here. My best girlfriends and I have sat down with a pint of this ice cream a piece and have devoured the entire thing in the time it takes to watch The Breakfast Club. I would like to say that I have eaten less ice cream this summer but that would be a lie. It's an essential food group of summer and I cannot say no to it in 90 degree weather. There is a reason Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry died of heart problems...I think I found the source.

5. Fried Chicken (breast and 2 chicken legs): Point Value=20 points



We all knew it was coming. I am a southern girl for goodness sakes. Whenever I go home my mom always has fried chicken ready for me because I try to NEVER eat it outside of Dublin, VA. Pair the chicken with a tall glass of sweet tea and you are looking at a 25 point dinner. Debra Messing said it right on Will and Grace when talking about her love for fried chicken, "It's deep and it's real."

I hope this blog was both entertaining and educational. It certainly helped curve my cravings of these foods for the time being. If I ever want to sit down and have all of these things in one sitting, I will have to starve myself for an entire week prior to doing so. Would it be worth it? You tell me.

10 Reasons why the 4th of July is my favorite holiday.

Happy 4th Ya'll!!

It may sound rather odd but the 4th of July is my FAVORITE holiday. I live for this day and it's not because I am super patriotic or anything like that. Below I will list 10 reasons why this is my favorite day of the year:

1. The FOOD! Thanksgiving might have turkey but I am truly an All American girl when it comes to my favorite foods. I love grilling burgers and hot dogs, potato salad, banana pudding, ice cream, and the ever important supply of beer.

2. Fireworks! They just make everything better don't they? I mean it's the one and only time when you and an entire group of strangers will sit and audibly freak out over things catching fire in the sky. And they are so pretty...

3. The weather. I personally HATE cold weather which is why Christmas doesn't make my top 3 favorite holidays. I don't like winter and having to stay shut up inside all day. The 4th of July is warm and specifically designed to be celebrated outside in the sunshine.

4. You can spend it with whomever you want. Major holiday's like the aforementioned Christmas holiday and Thanksgiving you will most likely spend with your family and people you never see. On the 4th of July, WHO KNOWS WHO YOU WILL MEET?! It's a great holiday to share with new friends. This year my friends and I met some of the nice families across the street from the apartment complex where we were celebrating and helped set off fireworks with their children. It truly teaches you the meaning of the American Melting Pot when you communicate with complete strangers over nothing but the fact that you live in the same country.

5. The Booze. So I sort of talked about this in #1 but I want to make sure it gets it's own category. There is nothing better than relaxing with a hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other on a beautiful day in July. Two years ago I played flip cup on a floating beer pong table in a pool with red, white, and blue Jello Shooters. You can literally drink as much as you want, this is America and we support that.

6. The Red, White, and Blue. EVERYONE looks good in these colors and it's super easy to decorate and be festive. Whether you really get into it and cover up head to toe in the colors that don't run or you just put on a fun flag themed t-shirt, it's just FUN to wear red, white, and blue!

7. The music. Who doesn't love to sing along to "Born in the USA!" or "God Bless the USA" or "American Pie" ? You can play these songs and just dance around and be silly because it's the 4th of July and you are living in America.

8. This is the one day where people just stop complaining and have a good time. I'm not going to get into a lot of detail here but we live in a country where people express their opinions about the state of the nation constantly. It's just nice to have one day out of the year where we can all just put it behind us and celebrate our Independence!

9. Community Events. Parades, Music Festivals, Fireworks Displays, County Fairs, etc. No matter where you live there is ALWAYS something to do on the 4th of July. Being from a small town, it's the one day a year where all 4,000 people in Dublin, VA are excited to get together. There is just a comradery on this particular day in the USA where we all get excited about the same things. I love it!

10. The USA. People can talk about her all they want but at the end of the day I am an American girl and I love Cheeseburgers, Dollar Stores, Rock and Roll, Coca Cola, my Mama, Barack Obama, musicals, Ford Mustangs, New York City, and Iced Tea.

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and that the day was filled with all of the things listed above. If not, then there is always next year and I'm sure all the 4th of July memorabilia is now on sale at Wal-Mart.

xoxo