So, for the past four weeks I’ve been dieting. This is probably the millionth time that I’ve tried to diet, but this time I’m sticking with it and actually seeing results! As of this morning, I’ve lost 10.5 pounds!

Here’s some back story:

In high school, while taking phys ed classes, I was very thin (size 2-6). I gained a bit of weight my senior year after I stopped taking phys ed, about 20 pounds. Then in college I took kickboxing, and dropped back down to a size 6 (from a 12 - I had put on even more weight over the summer) in just over a month. But, then I had a relapse of my asthma (viral induced, and I got a cold), and had to quit kickboxing. Over the next seven years I put on about 90 pounds. Luckily, I carry weight well, and stay in proportion, but it’s still very disheartening to be looking forward at losing 90 pounds.

I also had some issues with medication I was on making it nearly impossible for me to lose any weight. Now that I’m off the medication (I dropped four pounds without even trying as soon as I went off), I’m having a much easier time.

This process is similar to quitting smoking (which I did a year and a half ago). I had tried to quit many times before, and had no luck. Finally, I made up my mind that I was going to quit, and on February 2, 2007 I did. I haven’t had a single cigarette since February 1, 2007. Once I make up my mind to do something, I just do it. I’m very much like my father in that respect.

So, here I am, 10.5 pounds lighter, with another 79.5 pounds to go. My goal is to get back to a size 6 or 8. But, I might get back down to a ten and be happy with that, and that’s fine with me. I know that I don’t want to get smaller than a 6. I just look top-heavy if I’m any smaller.

Here’s my diet plan:

I eat 1500 calories a day or less. I’ve had four days when I’ve gone over. Three of those were by less than 50 calories. The fourth was an intentional splurge day (which jumpstarts your metabolism again). I generally eat cereal with milk and sometimes fruit for breakfast (today it was corn flakes, some days it’s raisin bran, and other days it’s Honey Nut Cheerios - I try to go for whole grains as much as possible). For lunch I try to go with protein and fat, but sometimes also have fruit. An apple with peanut butter and an ounce of cheddar cheese is common, as is two 4 oz. turkey burgers with cheddar cheese (no bun). I rarely eat red meat, although earlier this week I did. For some reason I was craving it, so I wonder if my iron levels were low. For dinner we usually have pasta or a casserole. Sometimes we grill. My favorite thing is egg noodles with alfredo sauce. Yesterday I ate corn flakes with half a banana for breakfast (183 calories), two 4 oz. turkey burgers with .5 oz. cheddar cheese and ketchup for lunch (358 calories), and 1.5 cups of egg noodles with a quarter cup of alfredo sauce for dinner (320 calories). I ended up going out to the store and buying a 4 oz. cookie (345 calories) that I split with my husband, just to get my calories up above 1,000 for the day (1206 total). With this kind of diet plan I don’t feel deprived at all. I’ve been able to eat Chinese food on this diet (wonton soup–one of my favorites, steamed dumplings, sesame chicken, honey chicken, veggie lo mein and some rice (not all at one sitting) – the key is portion control). I eat dessert on a regular basis (though not every night).

We cook at home most nights. We’ve been eating better since I started dieting than we have in a very long time. The way I’m eating is also very inexpensive. I get 8 servings of alfredo sauce out of one jar (I used to get 2-3). I also get four meals out of a bag of egg noodles (I used to get two). We do tend to eat too much meat some meals, but we still probably eat less than the average American does in a day. The key is to find meals that you love, that you can eat enough of, that are low calorie (I shoot for 200-300 calories for breakfast, 300-400 for lunch, and 600-1000 calories for dinner and sometimes a snack, but we generally eat dinner around 5:00, so that the food has plenty of time to digest before we go to bed). Once I’ve lost all the weight, I plan on eating around 1800 calories a day from that point on to maintain my weight, though I won’t worry so much about an occasional splurge day!

I’ve just started working out my arms, and plan on starting to do some additional workouts in the next week or two. I’m considering taking up kickboxing again, as the local wellness center is currently offering a class. I have a friend who’s going, and she’s going to let me know how it goes. Boxing and kickboxing burn something like 900 calories an hour, so it’s definitely one of the best workouts you can get!

Please feel free to share any weight loss tips you might have in the comments below.

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I just finished the first draft of the first novel I’ve ever finished a couple of weeks ago (I’ve started many before, but either stopped after a few weeks, or changed formats - screenplays are generally more my style). I’m now starting on the revision process. I thought I would share how I go about writing things, which is drastically different than the way that most writers do things.

I usually start with an idea. Something that won’t get out of my head. A character usually follows shortly after. I’ll then spend a few weeks planning. This novel is speculative fiction, fantasy to be more specific. So, I planned out my whole world, drew a fairly detailed map, and then did an outline for the entire story in one night.

On a Friday I started writing. On Tuesday I was done with my first draft, about 45,000 words. I maintained a fairly normal life throughout those five days, and still managed almost 10,000 words per day. The story just would not get out of my head. I tried doing other things, but my characters kept nagging me to keep writing. So I did. I skimmed over some parts, mostly descriptions, planning on adding them in during the revisions. I just needed to get the thing out of my head.

This is how I write everything. In school, I always did reports and papers the night before they were due, no matter how much time we were supposed to devote to them. And, I always got As. If I had failed, I might have changed my methods, but since I didn’t, that is the way that I write most effectively - in as little time as possible.

I wrote my first screenplay in four days, with no revisions. I then submitted to an online peer-review site, and got pretty good reviews - only minor changes were recommended. I never bothered submitting to any production companies, but I’m tempted to pull it back out and work on it some more and then submit.

I’m currently working on two other novels, and a flash fiction piece. I may change one of the novels to a screenplay, but haven’t decided yet.

Here are my tips for writing my way, whether you are a first-time novelist or a seasoned pro:

1. Buy a laptop. This way you can write anywhere. I wrote in the car on the way to the movies one day. I use a Macbook and Scrivener software, but pretty much any laptop will work.
2. Cast your novel. This helps with characterization. Pick actors and actresses for each of your major characters. It makes it much easier to write character descriptions and make your characters more life-like.
3. Use maps. If you’re writing speculative fiction, create a map for your world. If you’re writing something based in the real world, either use a map or create a fake one to keep your locations straight. If the bakery is next to the grocery store one day and then behind the library the next, it’s going to confuse people.
4. Outline. Create a scene-by-scene outline of what is happening in your novel. I change mine throughout writing, but at least it gives me an idea of where I’m going and where I’ve been.
5. Write your beginning and ending first. When you have an outline, you can do this. Without the outline it’s much harder. If you’ve got your ending done, you know exactly where you need to end up. It makes it much easier to get somewhere if you know your destination.

Feel free to share any additional tips you have or your own writing methods below!

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So, after almost a year of focusing on other projects, MMMAF is back with a completely new blog design! This one was created completely from scratch, with only minimal help from my dear husband.

The blog is going to go through some major changes as far as format and content are concerned. This will now be more of a personal blog. I’ll include stuff going on with my business, and my husband’s business, along with day-to-day happenings in our lives. Expect plenty of anthropomorphizing of our dogs and cat. My husband is sure that he has an actual psychic link with our German Shepherd. I sometimes think he might not be too far off.

I’m going to try my best to post at least a few times a week, and possibly daily. I’m currently writing two novels, going through first revisions on the draft of another, copyediting a book (not my own, but for a publisher I work with regularly), and helping my husband get his web design business off the ground (he went solo as of yesterday, but luckily is retaining all of his clients from his previous employer, so he’s not starting from scratch or anything). So, if I don’t post every day, you’ll understand!

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