Hi Everyone,

So it has been a long time since I have blogged, and an even longer time since I've blogged about weight loss. I'm not sure why. One reason certainly is that I've been busy - finals, work with Invisible Children, my new internship at the Four Seasons.

I think another is I have struggled. I'm back on the fills, but I weigh more than I want to, more than I did for a while, and it's heartening. It reminds you how badly we all need our tools, our support team. I realized that as soon as I stopped making weight loss my number one priority, my life got better - but my weight went up. All in all I think this is a positive. The pressure I felt as "weight-loss girl" was huge, and made me kind of sad. Sure I was proud of having lost 100lbs, but I wanted to be known for things that were true expressions of who I really was, what my passions were, not what my body was. This blog is named after a John Mayer lyric, and this makes me think of another - "I am bigger than my body gives me credit for."

So I'm working on that. Working on losing weight, because I don't like being above goal. I don't like struggling to find a blazer that'll do up, or having clothes in my closet that I can't wear. But working on it slowly. Working on it healthfully... With lots of real life in between.

I miss you guys though - something made me click over to blogger this morning, and it looks like I have tons of catching up to do.

Hearts,

Angie

My blogging family has been incredibly generous so far, and Camille, Joey, Stephanie and Alexis have all made awesome contributions and I so appreciate them. I'm more than 60% of the way to my goal of raising $500.00 to help end Africa's Longest Running War.


25 Instructional Video from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

 


Please, if you can, make a donation. My TV interview never made it online, but as I said in it, once you learn about the atrocities being committed by the LRA, you cannot forget them. Once you learn about how Invisible Children is helping, you cannot ignore the problem, you have to help too. Please.

I have been on this journey for well over two years now. Today I was compelled to go to the beginning. To see how excited I was. How far I've come. How insightful I was. Here is the link to my first month's worth of entries.

One highlight:

The non scale goals. All of these have been more than accomplished.

• to be able to wrap myself up in a normal sized towel
• to be able to comfortably bring the tray-table down on a plane
• to be able to go into a store and try things on based on what I like, not just what fits
• to ski all day with my family without getting tired... I kinda pretend I just don't like it now :(
• to enjoy workouts
• I used to love going to the gym, I'd go 3 or 4 days a week and get so so into it. I know I just need to get the routine back in motion
• to be able to run. I've never been able to do that.

Or my entry on Feb 13, 2009:

Who will I be...

Feb 13

I've been thinking a lot lately of how much of my identity is wrapped up in my weight. I try not to let it define me, and I know I'm lucky that I have the... chutzpah (a yiddish word) to go out and wear my bathing suit on the beach, even when I don't love how my body looks in it.

But I wonder how I'll feel, not being the fattest person (or at least girl) in the room. Excuse the pun, but it's a huge part of who I am, the funny fat girl, the loud fat girl, the fat girl who occasionally hooked up with the cute guys - though God forbid those boys actually date me.

It'll be weird to be normal... I bet I'll have a harder time with the change than the world around me.

I was right about this too. I have changed quite a bit. I have a certain confidence now that I didn't before. I speak just as much still, but I don't speak quite as loud. And I've hooked up with a lot more cute guys, and most of them have dated me.

xo
Ange

You may know this old friend as Weight Watchers.  I know it as the thing, after a few months of feeling quite out of control, has me feeling back on track. Back in control.

I'm sure a lot of us have been on Weight Watchers before, but there have been some changes to the program recently.  The system is now known as Points Plus. The biggest difference now is that all fruits and almost all veggies (except the starchy ones) are 0 points. Instead of taking calories, fat and fiber into account, the new system uses protein, carbs, fiber and fat. It means certain foods are higher points, but with others having none, it evens itself out. You also get more points a day to play with - the minimum is 29, once I lose a couple points I'll be there, for now I'm at 30.

I'm really excited to have this accountability, plan to follow, and feeling of control again. 

Hope ya'll are good!

And it had nothing to do with weight loss.

Being interviewed by our local news channel - I'll add video if they add it online!

Today at my school, Champlain College, more than 150 people gathered to watch a documentary about the atrocities being committed in Eastern Africa by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (L.R.A.)  This film, Tony by the group Invisible Children is at once incredible sad and incredibly inspirational.

Myself and my fellow organizers, the team from Invisible Children (including Robert from Uganda) and the team from my school's Center for Civic Engagement

Along with my closest school-friend Sadie, brought this event to my campus. Because we care, not for credit, recognition or due to a requirement. We did it because once you learn about Child Soliders - children taken from their homes between the ages of 5 and 12 - old enough to carry a gun but not old enough to ask questions, you cannot forget.  I've included some photos from our event today.

Our amazing turn-out

In 33 days, our next event will take place. People world-wide will be taking a 25 Hour Vow of Silence to raise awareness about this war that has been going on for 25 years. I have set a fundraising goal of 500 dollars - please help me reach this goal and continue to act as a leader on my campus when it comes to helping and supporting those who cannot support themselves.

DONATE HERE!

Love,
Angie

Me, Bailey (from Arkansas on tour with  IC), Sadie, Robert (from IC, from Northern Uganda), Justin (from Amarillo, Texas on tour with  IC) and Katrina (from NH, on tour with  IC)