How I Lost 10 Lbs in 7 Days!

Here's how I lost ten pounds in only a week

Since the end of 2014, I've been on a serious health kick, but once the new year came, I knew it was time to stop playing games. I came across a seven-day "eat your heart out diet" on Pinterest and saved it because it promised you would lose 10 pounds in a week. After reading the instructions, it seemed easy enough so I wanted to try it. I told one of my co-workers about it and she told me how she had done it before, but it was the Sacred Heart diet. Which basically is a diet created by doctors that heart patients who need to lose weight quickly before surgery have to do. This made me feel better that it was doctor recommended.

Here's what I saw when I first found out about it. You can save it to your phone for easy reference each day.

There's a few different variations of this, but it's all basically the same. This version only allows you to eat soup on the 7th day, but I read about another one that lets you eat all the soup you want everyday while sticking to each day's guidelines. The soup isn't good though, so you probably won't even want it that much.

Soup recipe I followed.

half head of cabbage

onion

bell pepper

celery

diced tomatoes

chicken broth

Saute all veggies in a pot with olive oil, add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and cabbage. Cook on stove until the cabbage is tender. I didn't follow any measurements. I just made as much as I thought I would need. It's superrrr bland, but you'll get over it. 

Day 1:
Fruit only:
I love fruit, so I thought this would be easy. No. No, it was not. I ate an apple for breakfast and I was already over it. Once lunchtime came around I wanted ANYTHING but something sweet.

Breakfast: green apple

10 am: cantaloupe

Noon: at this point I was so beyond sleepy and dying for real food

Lunch: cantaloupe

Snack: orange

Dinner: soup

P.S. I HATE cantaloupe, all melons really, but it's crazy the things you grow to like on this diet. Melons are highly recommended for fruit days because of their high water content, they have the fewest calories.

Day 2:
Veggies only:
I knew this day would be difficult because what type of vegetable do you even eat for breakfast?

Breakfast: spinach

snack: sliced cucumbers

lunch: soup (a lot)

dinner: this part is the best part, you're allowed to have one potato this day (with only butter) I recommend saving it for dinner. When I tell you that was the best potato you will ever eat in your life. I am NOT kidding. I couldn't even bother with the butter, I ate it plain and it was amazing.

Oh yeah, drink LOTS of water, this also helps to fill you up. Plus it flushes out the toxins.

Day 3:
Fruits and veggies
This day is a mix of days 1 & 2, but sadly, no potato. This day comes super easy after the first two because once you've been limited to only fruits or only vegetables, having the option of both feels like a buffet, seriously.

Breakfast: cranberry, spinach smoothie

Snack: mango, pomegranate, kiwi fruit salad

late lunch: grilled spinach & zucchini

I actually worked out today, and I felt amazing, I ran on the treadmill which I never do and had so much energy. That's another plus to this, you'll FEEL so much better.

Day 4:
Bananas and milk
Ok, let me just start by saying I. Do. Not. Drink. MILK! Period. and i hate bananas. I was dreading this day before I even started because I knew it would be a struggle,
So I really had to get creative with this day. The instructions allow lowfat yogurt in place of the milk, thank God. However, I bought some almond milk to try to stick close to the plan. I read that if you freeze bananas, then put them in a blender, it makes ice cream. I was anxious to try this, so honestly, at the end of day 3, I was really looking forward to it. I also bought some greek yogurt.

Breakfast: frozen banana, almond milk smoothie

Lunch: banana "ice cream" - it was soooo good. I might actually eat it again in real life. O_o I told you the things you end up liking on this diet is loco.

Snack: frozen yogurt bananas - slice bananas, mix with Greek yogurt, then freeze individual slices.

dinner: soup

Day 5:
Fowl & tomato
Once again, more stuff I don't eat - chicken or tomato.
I used ground turkey and just mixed tomatoes with it to make sort of like a meat sauce. This day fell on a Saturday, and I'm glad because I didn't even wake up early enough to cook breakfast.

Lunch: lean ground turkey meatsauce

late lunch: roasted tomatoes

Dinner: ground turkey stuffed tomatoes - like how you would prepare a stuffed bell pepper

Day 6:
Fowl & veggies
I woke up early and HUNGRY!

Breakfast: ground turkey, spinach, kale salad - no dressing (season with garlic and onion)

Lunch: grilled turkey breast and grilled zucchini - I let the turkey breasts marinate in lemon juice, garlic and onion for a day in the fridge, then put in on the grill

Dinner: same as above ^

Day 7:
Soup day, brown rice, fruit juice, veggies
LAST DAY!
This day rice was my best friend. I ate plain brown rice for breakfast.
Snack: spinach salad
Lunch: the soup with rice
dinner: spinach salad

Is this diet difficult? Yes. Is it worth it? YES!
I encourage anyone who wants to lose weight to try it. You just really need a strong mental. The body can do anything, it's the mind you have to convince. I thought it would be difficult for me to be around people eating whatever, but it wasn't. Actually looking at food pictures online became my favorite past time. I swear I was living vicariously through those photos. Ha!

Tips:
- Drink lots and lots of water
- Some recommend not working out on this diet, but I did and was fine. Just pace yourself and listen to your body if you feel weak.
- Plan out your meals ahead of time and pack up lunches the night before. This way it's easier for you to stick to the plan.
- Do NOT deviate from the plan. Just don't. It only works if you stick to it. It's only seven days, you can get through it.
- NO ALCOHOL.

If you plan on trying the diet out, go for it! Let me know, I want to see everyone's results and I'll be super encouraging :p Feel free to hit me up with any questions. @KaitlynMorris 

Checking In

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So a lot has happened since my last post. Last time I posted, I had graduated college. Since then I've been sending out resumes and applying to lots of places. I must admit that I started to get frustrated and discourage by the lack of immediate response I was receiving. Although I had heard how long it typically takes to land a job in your field after graduation, I still wanted to find my job immediately. Right now my goal is to have a job by the time LSU students go back to school, since if I was still in school, I'd be on this break anyway.

In other news I GOT A CAR! :D It's my first car, and I bought it on my own. It feels amazing. The car buying process is stressful, overwhelming and way too much to deal with. I literally had no idea what I was doing so I'm so thankful I had family to help me. The car I initially was ready to buy got sold by another salesman and I was super annoyed. That just goes to show that it wasn't meant to be and when good things fall apart, it's always for something better to come together.

I have my first job interview for a big girl job tomorrow. This would be amazing if I get hired this quickly, so fingers are crossed. The job hunt is stressful, and if anyone else is in this position right now, don't give up! Keep searching and you will find something right for you.

Would You Like a Tour?

Some of my friends from school were going to the Drake concert since we would be on fall break at the time. So at the last minute, I finally got my tickets (of course the only seats left were horrible), put together an outfit and joined Drake for a night.

Top: black tube top folded in half

Skirt: my mother's maxi & DIY split by me

Sandals: Burlington

Collar necklace: ebay

Lipstick: Cyber by MAC

Drake came through with Miguel, Future and Jhene Aiko for the New Orleans stop of his tour. Miguel opened the show with a few of his songs and electric dance moves reminiscent of a James Brown/Prince hybrid. Much to my surprise, Drake followed immediately after him leaving speculation to whether Future was there.

After performing a few songs, Drake left the stage, and Future performed some of his songs. When Drake returned after a wardrobe change, he gave us more of his upbeat songs. Drake showed so much love for New Orleans, crediting my city as the reason he has a career and shouting out Young Money/Cash Money. He even had a bounce remix of "Hold On We're Going Home." Birdman hit the stage and performed "Stay Fly," which had to be my favorite part of the night. Growing up in New Orleans, the Hot Boys and Big Tymers have always been a big deal for us.

Another one of my favorite parts was the DJ section where he played some of Drake's older songs from his mixtape days. It's always the best when you have a crowd filled with people who know more than just what's mainstream.

As I mentioned, my seats were way up high, but I stood in the front for the entire show and had an amazing view. I always manage to get to the front for concerts somehow. :) Apparently where I stood was right next to the backstage area because I saw Miguel, Drake's father and some of the OVO crew casually walking pass.

Jhene Aiko, who is absolutely beautiful came out to assist Drake in the breakdown of "Come Thru" before they performed their duet "From Time."

At one point, Drake gets onto a riser that allows him to walk over the audience and talk to everyone. He shouted out people from every section, even all the way at the top. After he came back down, as a special gift for New Orleans, he showed us the "Worst Behaviour" video. He pulled up a sofa on stage for him and his crew to watch with us as well. The video features Drake's father rapping along with the lyrics in the beginning before Drake takes over. Take a look at some of the parts I recorded.

By the way, if there are any hardcore Drake fans, I have more of the video recorded if you'd like to see.

DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is right around the corner, and if you're like me and don't have a costume yet, then this post might help you out.

Instead of buying a typical costume from a Halloween shop, try making your own. It's a guarantee that no one else will have it. Here are some of my favorite DIY costumes that I've come across.

This is probably my favorite! Can work as a birthday present or any other type of gift bag.

Turn yourself into pop art.

Rosie the Riveter 

I've NEVER seen this one done before - Jellyfish!

LikeWowLala on YouTube has a pretty good DIY Miley costume video. 

Couple/Group Costumes:

Red Tutu Dress

Blue Wig

 Nametags

White Gloves

Bunch of Grapes - wear solid color top and stick bunches of balloons on.

Let me know in the comments what you'll be dressing up as for Halloween.

Instagram

Hey dolls!

Just a little shameless plug. Follow me on instagram : kaitlyn_amor

Style Crush: Aila Wang

Can I just take a moment to rave about this pint sized fashion killer who I want to keep forever? Aila Wang takes the crown for the most fashionable kid around; and dare I say, even among the ranks of adults two and three times her age. As the niece of fashion designer Alexander Wang, it would be difficult for little Aila to NOT be this dope.

Am I the only one who wants to put her on my shelf? Such a doll.

The shades, the sneakers, the stance, not to mention the mini Chanel bag. Boss. 

She does street fashion so effortlessly. Too much swag for that little body.

Yes, that's a custom miniature Rocco bag. Jealous yet?

I can only hope and pray that one day I have a child as adorably dope as Little Miss Aila. Until then, I'll just be admiring this tiny fashionista. 

Nothing Comes to Sleepers But a Dream

Here I am. 20 years old. Senior in college, with only one semester left before graduation. And today it hit me. Hit me like a ton of bricks. After December, I'm done with school. Forever.

Time has always been my cushion. I've always thought, "Oh, I have time to figure that out." "That won't be happening for me any time soon." But it is. It crept up on me, and now the time is almost here.

I know exactly where I want to be, I'm just not sure how to get there. I'm looking into the face of my future, and I can't lie - I'm terrified. Terrified of the unknown, of what's next, of making the wrong decision, of... failing.

I'm sure there are tons of people in my position right now feeling the same way, but I only allowed myself about one hour of feeling this way, and then had to shake myself out of it, because I knew that would get me nowhere. I had to start contacting people, reaching out and sending e-mails letting companies know I'll be in the job market soon.

If any of these feelings sound a little too familiar, then it's time for you to shake those fears as well and replace them with opportunities. Make yourself so busy with promoting yourself and networking that you have no time to worry about what's next.

Get an internship.
By now you should have had one, or a few; but if not, start applying to some NOW. Companies look for people with experience. Ever notice how job applications always ask for previous related experiences? Well, you need experience just to get experience, crazy cycle, I know, but it's necessary so get to work.
Finding an internship isn't difficult. Depending on where you go to school, your college may offer an internship database. My school, The Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU does. More than likely you'll be able to find an internship related to your field right on campus via the various departments of the college. Apply. Apply. Apply.

Always take the interview.
Even if the job may not seem ideal, go to interview anyway, you may end up liking it, and if not, you can always decline the offer afterward.

It's never too early.
Over the summer, my ant asked if I had started applying and contacting PR companies for post-graduation employment. I looked at her like she was crazy and thought it was way too early. Turns out, I was the crazy one. It's never too soon to start contacting companies to let them know that you will be in search of a job within the coming months. Make that connection. They can always just keep your resume on file for the future. Some jobs have long training/hiring processes, so the sooner you get in touch, the better. If you wait, it could be too late.

Social Media
Twitter is good for much more than just sharing your opinions on celebrities, and trends - it's a great networking tool. You can use t to link with professionals in your field as well as view job listings without having to do in-depth searching.

Here are some useful resources:
@sweetcareers  provides useful tips and articles for college students to help transition to the working world.
@internshipjob is the Twitter feed of internships.com

Also check out the hashtags for what you're looking for #interns