The Year of Try: Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is an old Ayurveda healing treatment that is basically sitting around for 20 minutes with a spoonful of oil in your mouth.  I have heard some pretty crazy claims about the benefits of oil pulling like it can cause a  5 lb weight loss in one week and it apparently cures everything from tooth pain to malignant tumors.  I don't have any malignant tumors to try it out on so the validity of that claim will have to stay a mystery, but from everything I've read about oil pulling, if I do this once a day for one week, I should be feeling and looking better than I do right now.  So, let's find out if it's true!

Yay! It's done!!

The 8hr diet officially ended yesterday.  Official weigh in :151 lbs for a totally weight loss (for the six weeks I've been doing this stupid thing) of 2.5 lbs. I'm not even going to waste the time taking my other measurements because losing 2.5 lbs (without really exercising) is not enough to make significant difference in my measurements. How underwhelming is that?  But at the same time hahaha I was right.  I love it when I'm right. 

 

 

My opinion on weight loss (which is based on no actually research and only on my personal experience) is that what you eat is the most important factor.  Exercise is important too but if you're eating junk all day your workout is not going to have that big of an effect.  Having this diet plan tell me that what I eat isn't as important as when I eat made me feel like it was ok to eat much more junk than I normally would have.  I ordered take out more than I usually do, I bought low quality, overly processed food,  I bought ice cream for the first time since I moved into my apartment 6 months ago.  If someone losses a significant amount of weight on this diet I can almost guarantee that it is because of what they are eating instead of the fact that they are only eating during an 8 hour period.

 

 

Now that this is over, I'm looking for some new crazy things to try.   I think next up will be oil pulling.  But I will need some new ideas soon enough.  So, if you have anything you would like to see me try, let me know.  It can be a new food, recipe, activity, weight loss program...anything.  As long as it is safe and can fit into my budget, I'll be willing to give it a go.

 

8 hour diet update: weeks 4 and 5

I have still been following the 8 hour diet.  I haven't lost any weight since the last update.  I can pretty confidently tell you that this diet is completely bogus but I'll keep going for one more week just in case there is some sort of miracle on the last day. 

In other Grace related news, I still love my job with ISA.  Currently I am working on a safety report for San Jose Costa Rica.  My school is currently not sending students to San Jose because a couple of people who went, didn't feel safe while they were there.  So it is my job to find statistics about crime there compared to US cities, come up with tips for avoiding being a victim of crime and hopefully making people feel more comfortable with traveling to San Jose.

Also, I've been working on my Peace Corps application.  I'm not planning on leaving for at least a year but from what I hear, it takes about a year from the time you apply to the time you start you service so I'm trying to get the application done pretty soon.  I have just a couple more things and I will be all done!

And last but not least,  my birthday is tomorrow!!!!! It's a big one: 21 years old.  I don't really have any plans for tomorrow night.  My current plan is to stop by Trader Joe's sometime tomorrow and pick up a bottle of wine and some cupcakes.  I'll spend the night watching Grey's Anatomy and doing homework.  If that's not the best way to celebrate your birthday, I don't know what is.

Where are all the snow shovels?

I get it.  School should not be cancelled for this little amount of snow.  I mean, it doesn't even completely cover the grass.  The 2 hr delay was probably unnecessary (though appreciated).  But if you're going to make us come to class, please learn how to properly clean the sidewalks and get that done before classes start.  This is what appears to be the method here at UK:

• Wait until students and faculty walk all over campus which not only makes a huge sloppy,wet mess in the hallways of building from snow melting off shoes, but also turns what was nice, light, easily shoveled snow into an icy, slippery mess that's almost impossible to get off the sidewalks.
• Then toss some salt on 2 or 3 of the major walkways of campus while completely ignoring any other sidewalks and the stairs to buildings.

 

I'm not mad that I had to go to class today.  I'm not even mad that I slipped and fell and now have a nice, big bruise on my butt.  I just think it would be easier for everyone if someone just shoveled the snow before the university opens for the day.