FatGirl vs World

First, my apologies -- I meant to have this published on MONDAY Nov. 14, but since I've been feeling healthier, I feel the need to catch up on my #GoTheDist goals and get back into my routine.  Blogging fell by the wayside!

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So... without further delay I give you the winners of the 2011 Lady Balls Awards:

The Brass Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who has a certain amount of chutzpah, swagger, or bravery.  When she walks, you hear her ovaries ring out with a certain "I am woman, hear me roar."

The winner of the Brass Ovaries Award says what is on her mind, stands behind what she says, and is unafraid of defending her positions. 


Tara's blog can be found at http://alifechangingjourney.com/.  Take a moment and read her entries and you'll hear those Brass Ovaries ringing!  Heck, I can hear them ringing miles away.  She is one of the most fearless people I know.

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The Iron Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who makes a man's testes want to hide because she is the epitome of strength, endurance, grit, and fearlessness.

The winner of the Iron Ovaries Award inspires others by taking on challenges with a courageous heart. Her strength of character carries her through the day. She might not always finish strong, but she always finishes. 

 http://www.twitter.com/#%21/leavingfatville

Check out http://www.leavingfatville.com/ if you want to see why Anda dominated the Iron Ovaries category! On a more personal note, I've seen her face her challenges with self-awareness and bravery.  She never gives in!

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The Steel Ovaries Award is in recognition of the most exceptional woman among women.  She enriches all womanhood just by showing up.  She exhibits aspects of both Brass and Iron Ovaries. 

The winner of the Steel Ovaries Award is a leader among women.  She is proud to be a woman, and proud to be stronger than most men she knows.  She has seen adversity and risen above.  She endures. 

 http://twitter.com/#%21/bodywontbreak

Check out Leslie's blog at http://www.bodywontbreak.com/ and learn about the challenges she faces as she tries to become the woman she knows she can be.  I'm just starting to get to know her, but she might be one of the few people as crazy energetic as I am.   See her acceptance speech here.

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Kudos to the winners, and much love to the runners up!! Truly, you are all spectacular women!

Ladies -- if you would like me to crosspost to any acceptance speeches feel free to send me a link.
Truly when we see one woman succeed the whole gender benefits.  The whole world benefits.

Right click on the photos, "save as" and then go wild if you want to post on your blog.

I wish this had taken off a little bit more. Why?  Well, while it might be a bunch of silliness, it's still us recognizing the strengths we see in each other.  While men were allowed to nominate women, I had hoped to see women supporting and nominating each other -- and I don't want to show any favoritism by nominating people myself (though I think there are many people not included on this list who have ovaries that clink when they walk).

That being said, I still want to thank everyone for participating and having a little fun with me.
I encourage you to vote for the nominees, but if you feel like you need to write in a name, go for it!

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The Brass Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who has a certain amount of chutzpah, swagger, or bravery.  When she walks, you hear her ovaries ring out with a certain "I am woman, hear me roar."

The winner of the Brass Ovaries Award says what is on her mind, stands behind what she says, and is unafraid of defending her positions. 

There were two nominations in this category:

Emily/@emtucky nominated Cyndi/@RunRollRepeatC saying that "She always says what's on her mind, speaks the truth and is her true authentic self and doesn't let ANYONE deter her from doing so."

@DubyaWife nominated Tara/@Tidbits_of_Tara saying "Tara displays a unwavering strength that I can admire.  She is strong but also strong enough to know that no woman is immune to emotional upheaval. Her tenacity to carry on in life while discovering her inner-self is truly inspirational."

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The Iron Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who makes a man's testes want to hide because she is the epitome of strength, endurance, grit, and fearlessness.

The winner of the Iron Ovaries Award inspires others by taking on challenges with a courageous heart.  Her strength of character carries her through the day.  She might not always finish strong, but she always finishes. 

There was only one nomination in this category -- Emily/@FitandFreeEmily showed some love for Anda/@LeavingFatville saying "She's one of the strongest women I know. Always tells it straight, no chaser ;) She isn't afraid of saying what she wants and GOING for it."

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The Steel Ovaries Award is in recognition of the most exceptional woman among women.  She enriches all womanhood just by showing up.  She exhibits aspects of both Brass and Iron Ovaries. 

The winner of the Steel Ovaries Award is a leader among women.  She is proud to be a woman, and proud to be stronger than most men she knows.  She has seen adversity and risen above.  She endures. 

This category has three nominees:

Summer/@MILF_Squared nominated Valerie/@ValerieGail saying "Valerie is my mother. For my mom's birthday, I wrote up a post on my blog.  My mom is a truly exceptional woman. She is strong, fearless, smart and absolutely amazing. " 

The lovely Leslie/@BodyWontBreak showed some self-love: "I am open and honest on my blog with both my struggles and my successes. My blog follows my weight loss journey as well as the everyday adventures of my life. I feel like, with everything I have gone through and am going through, that I combine both brass and iron. I'm happy to share everything I am going through because I know it has the possibility of impacting someone else in a positive way and that is important to me."

And Sheanna/@sheannacaban tossed Rachael/@tweenyhair's name in the hat:  "She's a single mom that's running her own daycare business.  One of the best moms I know in the world (including me).  She's also one of the BEST friends I've ever known.  She volunteers in her church and donates her hair to locks of love.  She sends packages to soldiers in Afghanistan that she doesn't even know.  She's just always going out of her way for others.... Even when she recently had a breast cancer scare.  Luckily, she's fine.... Probably because of her steel ovaries."

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In my mom's last letter to me, she wrote:

Keep in mind: Women are NOT the "weaker sex"....as in unable to cope with life. If you take apart the word FEMALE into two parts, you get "FE-" (the abbreviation for IRON) and "MALE". Hmmm...Interesting concept: It seems to me, that composition would make us pretty darn strong...not necessarily physically stronger than a male...but, able to deal with most of the things that come our way in life. Perhaps, it is a very special inner strength we possess.

That, combined with my love of saying "oh my balls" or "oh my lady balls," and the fact that the female reproductive organs almost looks like someone flexing, brings us to the Lady Balls Awards!  More specifically, three levels of Lady Balls Awards:

The Brass Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who has a certain amount of chutzpah, swagger, or bravery.  When she walks, you hear her ovaries ring out with a certain "I am woman, hear me roar."

The winner of the Brass Ovaries Award says what is on her mind, stands behind what she says, and is unafraid of defending her positions.




The Iron Ovaries Award is in recognition of a woman who makes a man's testes want to hide because she is the epitome of strength, endurance, grit, and fearlessness.

The winner of the Iron Ovaries Award inspires others by taking on challenges with a courageous heart.  Her strength of character carries her through the day.  She might not always finish strong, but she always finishes.




The Steel Ovaries Award is in recognition of the most exceptional woman among women.  She enriches all womanhood just by showing up.  She exhibits aspects of both Brass and Iron Ovaries. 

The winner of the Steel Ovaries Award is a leader among women.  She is proud to be a woman, and proud to be stronger than most men she knows.  She has seen adversity and risen above.  She endures.

The Rules:

1. Answer this question: If you had the chance to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?

I know, this is the schmoopy sincere answer.  I think if I could change one thing in my life, I would have tried to be more compassionate to my parents (especially my mother).  They did their best.  Maybe if I hadn't fought them so much they wouldn't have felt like they failed so much. 

2. The second thing you have to do is, pick 6 people and give them this award. You then have to inform the person that they have gotten this award.

I'm really bad at doing this. I love all the blogs I read equally.  I'm going to cheat and say that if you want this award, the first six to lay claim to it get it :)

3. The third and final thing is, thank the person who gave you the award.
Thank you, Carly. You totally didn't have to :)
But I'm glad you did.  I like how you call things like they are.
You say what's on your mind, which means that more often than not, you know what is on your mind. That's pretty admirable.

I'm so bad about following the rules for awards unless I do them the minute I get them... so here goes... 

Here are the 3 rules:

Post who gave it to ya!

Thanks to the award giver, who wishes to remain anonymous.  (I think you're pretty awesome too :P **pulls left ear and winks**)
1.  Mac N3 Studio Fix Powder -- finally a powder for the very pale girls with sensitive skin!

2.  Teaism Chai -- it's a warm and happy drink.  The right amount of spiciness.

3.  My KitchenAid Stand Mixer -- it's part kitchen appliance, part foreplay.

4.  Chobani Greek Yogurt (plain or raspberry) -- it helps me get my protein in the morning, even when
my tummy isn't cooperating

5.  Precor Elliptical 576i -- even though she might be my cruel mistress, she's never abandoned me and has always reminded me that I can finish.

6.  Body Glide.  Seriously people... prevent chafing wherever it occurs -- thighs, under your sports bra, shoes.  Why suffer the blisters or the red skin when you don't have to?

7, 8, 9.  Harmony Creek Farm handmade herbal soaps, Burberry London perfume, and Victoria's Secret underwear.  Three things that I use/wear every day to feel sexy if for no one else but myself.
 
10. My bed. I think I'll be heading over there soon.

1.  Lucy at Diminishing Lucy whose blog hop really introduced me to the fitness blog community. She's also a fantastic mom, which I totally admire.

2.  Also on the list of fantastic moms is Karen at Muffin Fixation.   She is honest, open, and a quick wit.  Three things I love in blog and a person.

3.  Jess at Half of Jess.  I absolutely adore this panda.  I'm so glad she's now living in the same city as me, as it will give me a chance to give her a big hug.

4.  Tara at 263 and Counting.  She is one of the most warm and loving people I think I've met on my journey thus far.  Not saying you're all not, but you all don't send me lovely note cards with Optimus Prime Band Aids on them.  Just sayin....

5.  Chris (I know, a guy!) of Fuck You Cookie. Sometimes I think we take turns being each other's number one fan.  I would really like to see him succeed in the whole weight loss/health gain journey.  He's a really awesome guy and I hope he remembers always that there's someone out there that thinks that.

 6.  Vinny (another guy!) at Fat to Fit Diary, who can, even at my worst moments, remind me that there are good, honest, direct, nurturing, hopeful, kind, sweet, intelligent, and handsome men out there. And he's ever so patient for doing it so often.  Kudos him for fighting the good fight.

7.  Michelle at Hit the Bricks.  I'll just say that she brings out the silly in me.

8. Alicia at Poise in Parma.   Nutella is a health food, right?

9.  Alejandra Ramos over at Always Order Dessert who reminds me time and time again that a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, when used correctly, is a deadly weapon.

10.  And last, but certainly not least, my beautiful cousin, Kristin of Always with a Book.  I might be biased because she's family, but I think she has one of the best book blogs out there. 

So not only are you helping me reach my goal of 100 followers, you are gracing me with awards (and such humbling compliments)!  The lovely Ms. Ali has give me the Sugar Doll award.

The rules are as follows: 
1. Thank the recipient: Ali, thank you so much -- especially for what you said about me (that my posts are "brilliant and so honest"  *blushes*)
2. Link back to the giver:  http://thescalessaywhat.blogspot.com/
3. Reveal 10 things about me.
4. Pass along to 3 other bloggers.

I'm going to start with #4.  I'm going to post some blogs outside the normal blog hop of dieters that I think are fantastic.  I don't think they follow my blog, but well... they should (hahaha):

Always Order Dessert -- Alejandra posts some beautiful recipies, and some are very health-forward. Some not so much.  But i love the way she plays with ingredients.

Closet Cooking -- Kevin from canada also has some great recipies.  Think about how you can make healthier modifications to what he makes. 

Pinch My Salt -- More beautiful recipies and photos from Nicole's blog.

10 things about me:

1. I have a degree in English with minors and creative writing and biological anthropology.  If I had taken a few classes in music theory, I could have gone for a vocal performance minor as well. 

While I was at GW, I was very lucky to take a writing class (among many others) with New Yorker essayist, Suzannah Lessard.  I've always known I was a writer, and that I had something to say, but I was never good with fiction, and my poetry was dismal at best.  When I started to write for Suzannah, she pulled me aside one day and said "If you didn't know before, I wanted to tell you now in an unequivocal manner:  you are an essayist."  I took her word for it and never looked back.

GW's grades topped out at As, but she frequently put A+ at the top of my pages, because I was so willing to put my heart and opinion on the page. 

2.  I love to volunteer at my local animal shelter (and will hopefully have more time to do it in the near future). 

Because of the shelter's reputation as one of the best shelters on the East coast (and perhaps even the country) and its affiliation with the Humane Society, we often get some of the worst case animals -- from puppy mills, from hoarding situations, from abuse situations, and from dog-fighting cases (we had 11 of Michael Vick's dogs). 

So not only do I get to play with dogs and cats, I get to make a real difference in their lives.  What they don't get is that they're making a real difference in mine.  It is one of the most humbling situations when an animal that has been mistreated and cast aside chooses me to lay their had on, or to trust me to brush out their matted hair.  Their ability to forgive is something that I find lacking from humanity sometimes.

3. I just signed up for Twitter (something I said I'd never do) with encouragement from my neighbor Betsy. You can follow me @FatGirlvsWorld.  But don't worry -- the majority of my content will be here.

4.  I love my job. I know it's weird to include that, but I know so many people that hate their job. I'm a legal secretary.  I work for 2 partners and 1 associate in a large international firm.  In regards to weight loss, they are ALL awesome.  They didn't complain too much when I stopped putting out a candy dish.  They let me take my hour (+10 minutes) so I can get a good run in during lunch.  They are all just faboo.  I love the work too.  I used to be a bartender/waitress.  Standing on my feet for 12 hour shifts SUCKED (but was good for cardio burn and going up stairs/butt toning).  I get to sit down and use my brain in this job.

5. I have two cats that are the loves of my life.  (I know, I'm cat lady...)
On the left is Spiked Punch (Spike).  He's 8 and a sexy mansycat.  He is a regular Catsanova.  He can read my moods and is a fantastic predictor of my health.  He loves the smell of stinky shoes.

On the right is Jack Daniels (Jack, or Woozle).  He's a cuddlebug.  He goes nuts for the Furminator to the point he has to be rationed a certain amount of time with it or he'd go bald.  He likes to take self-portraits of himself using my webcam.

6.  I am an autobiophotoblographer.  I like to take pictures of my life to post on my blog to document what I've been up to.  Autobiophotoblographer is just an easier way to say it.  I always have my camera on me.  I like taking pictures of places I've been, partners in crime, interesting sights, animals, food that I've eaten, concerts, etc..  You name it, I've photographed it.  Thank goodness for digital photography or I'd be quite poor.  My mom was an amateur photographer as well.

7.  I'm not afraid of heights, but I'm afraid of falling.  I hate it when people try to lift me.  I don't like going on hikes that have me shimmying across tiny rock ledges.  I don't like wire bridges.  But give me enough time to calm down and I can do it.  Needles, on the other hand, are insurmountable thus far (though I didn't faint/cry/ or vomit for either of the 2 epidurals I had).

8.  Speaking of epidurals... I don't know whether I want to have kids or not.  Growing up I thought I did, but more recently I just don't feel the biological imperative to do so.  But then again, when I was 8, I thought I'd be 28 and married already.   Btw, 8 is my lucky number.

9.  While I have a TV, I don't plug it in -- no cable, no satellite tv.  I used to get home from work around 6:30, and the Simpsons would be on.  Then Jeopardy. Then another Simpsons. And then it'd be 8pm programming.  In other words, I'd come home from work (where I sit all day) and I'd sit down for a few more hours.  The sedentary lifestyle was killing me.  So I made the deicision to not watch TV.  I miss jeopardy... but thus far in the 4 years without tv, it hasn't killed me.  I only use it for my Wii (I love my wii fit) and for dvds (a finite period of time every now and then...and i'm usually watching it from my balance ball).

10.  Another life-changing moment was when I started reading about Buddhism and more importantly Thich Nhat Hanh.  I can't even begin to describe to you the change of (1) forgiving myself and (2) not being angry has made.  Even with the whole weight loss thing, I find that because of those two things, I tend to let the bad days go and not feel too much guilt about them.  They happened. But what am I doing this moment?  What am I capable of doing this moment? It keeps me looking forward instead of looking behind.  When something comes up emotionally, I turn towards it instead of casting it aside.

"Fatgirl vs world @ I go through life in inches and pounds - who always writes about interesting and awesome things! (plus you have to love her profile pic)"

Totally sweet, Right?  Btw, I'm wearing NY Giants jersey #72, Osi Umenyiora.  Not only is he an absolute beast on the field (if you're a quarterback, you will feel the pain he brings in the pass rush) but he is a pretty cool guy.  His full first name is Ositadimma and it means in his native dialect (Igbo) "from today things will be good."  I think that's pretty cool.
 
The rules are to tell 7 things you may not know about me and then pass it on to 7 others...and well, if I were to pass it on to 7 others, it would (1) be an endless feedback look of all the Fat 2 Fit Blog Hop participants and (2) a repition of my followers/blogs I read list (as seen on the side of my page).  So I'm opting to not pass it on to 7 others with the caveat of if you post a comment and tell me why you want an award (i.e. if you never get one) I will totally oblige and sing your praises.
 
As for the 7 things you might not know about me... well... I don't know if there's anything you do want to know about me that I haven't already written about -- so anyone have questions?  Bring it on.