Interview Me!

Hey everybody....TC had this "Interview Me" thing over at her site and she asked if anyone wanted to play along....and of course, I am always game. She asked me these 5 questions, here are my answers.

1) You are currently trying to lose weight. What is your diet/exercise
plan? What words of wisdom would you have to share.
Yes, I am trying to lose weight. To be altogether honest it has been a struggle all of my life, but in reality...I have only tried to do something about since about 2000 or so. I just got fed up with being heavy and unhealthy...and how it was limiting my life. I have lost and gained weight since then...and been successful and then fell off that lovely wagon. It's so hard...sometimes.

My plan...well, my plan changes ALL the time. I am always tweeking it a little here...a little there, but when you get down to it...the nuts and bolts of my plan is eat less, move more. I track what I eat...I eat about every three hours...and I eat high volume, high quality foods. I also look to workout (cardio and weights) 3-5 times a week.

Words of wisdom? For someone who has had success and had stumbling blocks...I often wonder if I have any. For me, it's a head game. It's not about the food and the exercise...it's about the negative messages I give myself about my health, my body, etc. And that's the tough work and it's the stuff that trips me up all the time. So, if I had any word of wisdom is that to look inside while you are changing the outside.

2) You are a vegetarian. How long have you been one? What motivated this
decision?
I sure am. I have been a vegetarian since the year 2000...at least in some sort. I begame veggie in 2000...had a couple slip ups and then in 2001, I became a veggie girl for good...not a bit of meat has touched my lips since then. I am not vegan, but I am a 100% vegetarian...no fish, no chicken, etc. I don't eat gelatin (animal product), I don't buy leather shoes, etc.

My motivation...at first it was diet. It makes sense that I became veggie and starting looking at weight loss at the same time. But quickly it became about animal rights issues. I just don't find it necessary to eat living animals to sustain myself. Now, I am not obnoxious about it...I don't judge anyone else's decision to eat meat...but for me, it just isn't an option. And people have asked, I can't ever see myself eating meat again...ever.

3) Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up when you were 5,
10, and 20?
When I was 5 I wanted to be a dancer...I was dancing at the time and thought it would be the best career ever. I some grew up and realized what kind of profession it actually is...and I ended up quitting dancing so I could be home on Thursday nights and watch The Cosby Show (I just think that's hilarious).
At 10: Hmm...I don't know. I think I just wanted to play and skin my knees and be a kid. No ambition at all.
At 20: Well, that's about when I actually saw my career...I was volunteering in homeless centers and soup kitchens. I was getting politically active and voicing that I was a feminist, etc. It's the first time I could see myself as a social worker, as a political organizer. Before 20, I wanted to be a teacher...and then I saw that I could teach in other ways.

4) You enjoy going to movies. What was the earliest movie you remember
seeing in a theatre? Have you ever been to a drive-in? How many movies do
you own?
Love movies...just love escaping into someone else's world for a bit. I remember going to see Star Wars-maybe Return of the Jedi...and my brother getting so scared (he's 2 years older), he put the bucket of popcorn over his head to shield his eyes. I would have been 6 at the time. I am sure I saw movies earlier, but that's my first movie memory.

Yep, love drive-ins...one, cause they are cheap and two, cause they are fun (minus the bugs). I went last year...or maybe the summer before. I went to see War of The World and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, so it must have been the summer before.

I barely own any movies...since I am the cheapest person alive. I rent, not own. I own...15 movies or so. I have to REALLY love a movie to own it.

5) You are granted three wishes - what would they be?
One- the end to hunger and poverty. I think it's one of the greatest injustices of the world...how so many people live in constant poverty. We have the ability for everyone to have food and shelter, but it's the haves and the have nots. It's just a devastation problem to me...and one that a capitalist society unfortunately needs in order to function and sustain itself.
Two- the end to the war in Iraq. This war breaks my heart, so I would want it to end and have the nation and the world start to heal.
Three- I'll make one personal...I would like to wake up and not have that nagging voice in my head that I talked about up there...I would like to have confident and esteem with my body, health and weight. I just can't imagine that freedom.

Ok..now that you officially know that I am long winded. Phew. Sorry...and thanks to everyone who is still reading this.

And...If anyone else wants to play along:

Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
You will update your weblog with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.