I Love Him More Than Mac N Cheese

   We must have met one of the first days of orientation for med school.  I say it like that, because I don't distinctly remember when or how we met.  During orientation, we were meeting 95 other classmates, so that all blurs together for me.  Funny enough, BF remembers exactly how we met.  It was one of those first few days of med school orientation, and BF introduced himself to me, just like to any of our other classmates.  At the time, we were both in other outside-med school relationships coming into that year.  BF recalls, "you were really stuck up, and seemed like you were not interested in meeting me at all," and so naturally, he didn't care for me.  I, on the other hand, was indifferent.  

   Fast forward through the first two years of med school.  We were acquaintances, not much more than just classmates.  We eventually ended up in the same circle of friends, though not super close with each other.  We each went through a couple additional flings and short-lived relationships in the meantime, never really being single at the same time.  

   One fateful evening, our shared circle of friends planned to dine out at a really expensive restaurant for a special event they were having.  At the last minute, everyone flaked out except me, BF and our mutual friend L.  At dinner, I complained about my latest fling, and how I expected more (love) out of a relationship.  BF agreed, and talked about how he expected the same thing, but hadn't found it yet.  L sat at that dinner table, and watched as sparks flew.

  The next day, I had lunch with one of our other friends, E, who I told, "You know, I'm tired of looking for something.  I'm just gonna sit back, and if something comes to me, that's fine, but I'm gonna take a break."  She replied, "Well, I actually may know of someone who's interested in you... and it's someone in our class."  I was like,"WHAT! WHO?!"  I had absolutely no idea who it could be.  And for whatever reason, BF had just never crossed my mind in that way.  She told me it was him, and she got the "go ahead" from me.  And the next day he called and asked me on a date.  We spent the next week flirting on gchat in class, and going on a couple dates in the evenings, but by the end of that week, which was the third date, we were inseparable.  By inseparable, I mean we spent every day and night together after that.  Even during finals.  Even during boards.  Even during clerkships on third year.  So, then we just eventually moved in together.  And here we are, a year later, living together, with two cats and a puppy, couples-matching next year, and amazingly happy.  

   BF is my best friend, who takes care of me, supports me, loves me and stands by me, and I couldn't ask for more.  Here's to love.  May you appreciate it if you have it, may you find it if you lost it, or may you discover it if you've not yet met it.  

***

   And here are some random pictures of our anniversary weekend extravaganza! 

Anniversary Dinner

Puppy got tangled in a bush

Puppy LOVES pinecones

Puppy fast asleep at Auntie J's House

My boys :)

Something's Gotta Give

   I've always been a stress eater.  In fact I'm the type of person who eats for comfort after a long day, even if the day was good.  It just makes me feel good.  And I can't control myself.  It's my drug, I'll admit it.  So every now and then I need to go to rehab, aka go on a diet.

   Depending on how long you've been reading my blog, you may or may not know that back in 2010, I lost 30 pounds through diet and exercise.  I was taking a class on nutrition at UCLA, and learned a lot about healthy eating, as well as the fact that I was borderline obese based on my body fat measurement.  That was a wake-up call.  Using all the tips I learned from my nutrition class (taught by the amazing Dr. Heber who wrote What Color Is Your Diet), and with some moral support from my friend J who also went on a diet with me, I was quite successful in getting down to weight which put me in a healthy BMI.

   I kept that weight off for two solid years... until boards.  Boards rolled around and I crept up 8 pounds-ish.  Normally, I fluctuate a good 5 pounds or so at any given time, but this weight was staying on.  And then my surgery rotation hit - another 8 ish pounds on top of that.  And since then, I've been about 15 pounds heavier, and holding this weight.

   I refuse to get back into an unhealthy weight.  So that's why I have to do something about it before it gets out of control.  I think the major wake-up call for me was trying to put on some jeans a few weeks ago, and none of them fit.  NOT EVEN MY FAT JEANS.  When you wear scrubs all the time, it's easy to ignore the weight gain.

   Since my jean-nightmare-wake-up-call, I've been trying to "diet" again, but I put that in quotes because I have been extremely undisciplined.  I last like one day and then eat horribly again the next.  It's very hard battling between my logical reasoning of needing to eat healthy and my emotional longing for a good box of mac n cheese, especially when my brain is fried after a long day.  It's too easy to make bad decisions.

   So today, I went jogging with my friend E, who has recently decided she would like to get down to her own healthy weight.  She was telling me about her recent discovery of keeping a food diary to keep herself accountable for what she eats.  I used one in the past when I lost all my weight, and it was extremely helpful and motivating.  I think I've been resisting it lately because I thought I could lose the weight without it, but obviously I can't control myself.  So I've decided I'm going back to food journaling.  It becomes tedious sometimes, but it's often a necessary self-check, and makes you reflect in the moment, "Do I really need to eat that entire box of mac and cheese, when that's the calories allotted for my whole day?!'  Also, it's nice to have someone else who is going through the same thing I am, so we can motivate each other.

   Hopefully this works... because I'm getting really frustrated.

Is He Sponge-Worthy?

   As you may or may not remember from my "recap of 2011" post, towards the end of last year I tried out online dating and started dating someone I met there shortly after.  Well, that didn't work out.  So now I'm single again.  I guess it's good timing since boards are getting closer and closer...

   Anyway, here is a funny story.  If you are a fan of the show Seinfeld, you'll probably remember the episode where there is a shortage of sponges (the contraceptive kind, not the cleaning kind). Elaine, who prefers sponges as her contraceptive of choice, decides to stock up since they are no longer being made anymore.  She buys the very last case in town, and becomes super critical of men she dates, trying to decide if they are "sponge-worthy" or not (worth using one of her precious sponges for).

   I noticed in the last couple of months that the price of my very favorite thing to eat - Kraft macaroni and cheese in the Spongebob shapes - has gone up.  You might not think it's a big deal, but it really upset me to see that the once 88-cent boxes are now $2 a piece.  So, in my own way, I have become a sponge-hoarder, just like Elaine from Seinfeld.  So now my friends joke around that I, too, will have to determine if future suitors are "sponge-worthy".  My friends are the best.

Found this lovely surprise on my doorstep

I love my friends