Happy Memories and the Things We Keep to Remind Us of Them

Over the years, I've kept items that represent many beautiful memories and it always feels wonderful to be able to hold a memory in the palm of my hand.

Some items I've kept:

• Ticket stubs from movies, concerts, fairs, etc.
• My flower bouquet from when I was my friend's Maid-of-Honor
• Invitations to friends' birthday parties
• Plates, napkins, and balloons from my Sweet Sixteen
• My first study Bible
• the collar that my cat wore before she got sick
  
• letters and cards from my friends over the years
• Rice from my friend's wedding
• A lock of hair from when I cut my hair to donate it to Locks of Love

What kinds of things have you held onto over the years?

Rule For Life, Rule #13

When you hear a great song and you feel like dancing, DANCE!!!

Here are some some songs that always make me what to dance.

Celebrate Good Times by Kool and the Gang
Dancing in the Street by David Bowie and Mick Jagger
You Can't Stop the Beat (Hairspray)
Hey Mickey! by Toni Basil
Singing In the Rain by Gene Kelly
The Twist by Chubby Checker
Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty)
Hey Ya by OutKast

What are some songs that make you want to dance?

Rule for Life, Rule #12

Stop saying "Life isn't fair."

I have a theory that if people would stop using the phrase "Life isn't fair" to justify their own unfair actions, life would be fairer all around.

Rule For Life, Rule #11

Make your relationships with loved ones a priority.

Everyone is busy these days. We're all in a hurry to get to our next meeting, class, or just to make it through that yellow light before it turns red. But we have to remember that we need each other. Make time to hang out with you friends and family, and make it a very regular thing. There will always be something else to hurry to, but good friends come around just a few times in a lifetime if you're lucky.

Rule For Life, Rule #10

Learn to be okay with a bad day.

We can't a expect the sky to be blue and beautiful all the time. If we didn't get some rain clouds once in a while, we'd never appreciate the sun.

Rule for Life, Rule #9

Once you have what you want, take the time to enjoy it and let it go when it's time to.

When we want something so much we can taste it, and for such a long time that it seems like we'll never get it, we sometimes react badly when we finally get it. Suddenly, instead of being happy like we should be, we find ourselves clutching to it in fear that it will go away. Unfortunately, that won't keep this elusive thing that we wanted in our arms. It will just mean that we didn't enjoy what we had when we had it.

Rule For Life, Rule #8

If you aren't doing anything, you're doing something wrong.

Rule for Life, Rule #7

To forgive may be divine, but to forget is just stupid.

People make mistakes; it is a part of human nature. Forgiving these mistakes is a huge, important thing that needs to be done and a part of what makes us good people. But to actually forget these mistakes? Very, very different. Our past shapes both our present and future and should never be forgotten.

Rule for Life, Rule #6

Exceed expectations.

Whether it's your family's, your friends', or your own expectations, everyone feels great when they do better than it was thought they would.

Rule For Life, Rule #5

Vote!

For goodness sake, vote. I don't care how you vote, just do it. Research everything that you are voting on, figure out where you stand on the issues, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Rule for Life, Rule #4

When fighting fire with fire the result will simply be even more fire. Unless, of course, you make sure that your fire is carefully thought out and controlled.

Rule for Life, Rule #3

Share it with someone.

By "it" I mean life in general. Find a person you care about who you can share everything you can with them. Whether it's a sibling, parent, friend, or lover, everybody needs someone to share things when life is good and who they can lean on when it's not so good.

Rule for Life, Rule #2

Make a decision and stick to it.

Rule for Life #1

"Rules are meant to be broken... sometimes."

Pick and choose what rules you don't want to follow and make sure that you have a good reason. There's no point in breaking rules if something good doesn't come out of it.

A Major Face-Lift to Come

Over the next few days I'm going to be working on giving "Pretty But Fat" A complete makeover. We'll have a better layout, header, and more page elements including a daily quote, weekly book recommendations, and new widgets. There most likely won't be a new post while the blog is under construction.
Look out world, here we come!

That Moment When I Became Sick of My Body

I'm about to tell you something very personal and previously private to me. It's about the moment I finally couldn't stand my own body anymore. The moment I realized a change had to be made. Prepare yourselves, because this isn't exactly a pretty story. It is very difficult for me to write and to share with you, but I feel that this is an important experience to share. Hopefully it will help someone like me before they get to the place I'm about to describe.

It was fairly normal day, though I was feeling a little depressed. About what, I don't know. I had just gotten out of the shower when I looked in the mirror and froze. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Did this horrible body I was looking at really belong to me? It couldn't possibly. Of course I'd known I was overweight, but not like this. Even though I look in the mirror everyday, apparently I'd never really seen myself.

I turned to the toilet and threw up. Mostly because I was so disgusted by what I saw, but I think there was a part of me that didn't want anything to add to the horror staring back at me. Back at the sink in front of the mirror as I rinsed my mouth out, I took a good look at my pale, chubby, sickly-looking face. At that moment I realized that I had actually gotten physically sick because of my own body. Something had to be done.

That was the day I joined Weight Watchers for the first time. I had a friend who had already lost over 75lbs on Weight Watchers and had recommended it to me. It was one of the best choices I've made in my life. One of the worst was quitting, thinking that I'd be able to continue on my own without the membership. I'm sure some people may be able to do it, but I couldn't. That's why I rejoined about a week ago. My first weigh-in was on Monday, June 30, and I'm happy to say that I've lost two lbs in my first week. The great thing about this being my second time around is that I don't have any doubts this time. I already know that I'll be able to do it because I have once before. I also know that If my friend and I could do, anybody else can.

I swore that I would never let myself go back to that dark place again. I got close this time, but circumstances knocked some sense into me when I couldn't knock it into myself. I hope that sharing this will help someone else before they feel the way I felt.

What "Pretty but Fat" Really Means

As a 21-year-old, 5'2, 235lb female growing up in modern day America, I can tell you a thing or two about insecurities. I have been overweight since I was 12 years old and have gained progressively since then. About a year ago, I joined WeightWatchers and over the course of several months, lost 46lbs. Thinking that I would be able to keep doing what I was doing without any help, I quit WeightWatchers. Now, not only have I gained all 46lbs back, but I am 11 lbs heavier than I have ever been before.

The first thing you need to know about "Pretty but Fat" is that this blog is not just for fat girls. It's not just for pretty girls. It is for all girls. "Pretty but Fat" is just an example of how while we may recognize the things we like about ourselves, we tend to concentrate on the things we don't.

Among other things, I plan for this blog to be about the insecurities that plague so many of us, why we have them, and what to do about them. This is not just a Weight Loss Blog, but I'll also be tracking my journey toward weight loss here, which I hope will serve as a beacon of hope for girls like me. Girls who are pretty everywhere but in our own minds.