So, in my last post, I mentioned that I’ve been losing weight with a site called The Daily Plate (TDP). I started dieting at the beginning of February, and started up with TDP on Feb.11. With one full month of dieting behind me, I have to report my excellent news:

I lost 12.6 pounds in the month of February!

One of my co-workers asked me if I’ve been starving myself, and the answer is NO. (I mean, have you SEEN me? I love food, clearly, so starving myself sounds utterly miserable!) What I HAVE been doing is eating SMARTER. I’m cutting down on the % of unhealthy fats, and trying to maintain a balance between carbs and protein. It’s been very eye-opening to track everything I eat and see where I have the most trouble. Turns out, I have to be really intentional about my protein intake because, when left to my own devices, I don’t eat nearly enough. The strange thing is, I think I ate lots more protein when I was a vegetarian! I’m actually going back and adding in some typically-vegetarian foods to help up my protein, and I’m looking forward to my teriyaki-soaked tofu sandwich for lunch tomorrow! (16g of protein per serving!)

I’m not a big proponent of fad diets (low-carb, no-carb, the Zone, etc.), and I take an approach similar to Weight Watchers: exercise your body, and exercise moderation in your food choices. It’s not the kind of plan that gives you immediate-gratification because it takes about a month or so before you can start to see and feel change. It can be really challenging to stick with something when you aren’t seeing any results, especially when you feel like you’re denying yourself something you want.

I titled this The Daily Plate vs. Weight Watchers, because I’ve done Weight Watchers before and it didn’t really work for me. I want to be clear: I think WW is an excellent program and it works really well for a LOT of people. I love their sane, balanced approach to weight loss. They want to change your habits so that making healthy choices becomes a lifestyle for you, and that’s really one of the very best ways to be successful on your weight-loss journey. So, if their goals are the same as mine, why didn’t it work for me?

Simple. Technology.

See, I’m a geek. A BIG geek. Ever since I got online at the tender age of 16, a large percentage of my life has been lived “virtually.” I’m sure some would find that depressing or strange. But for me? It just seems natural. Because of this, I LOVE online tools. I am the target market for Web 2.0 sites and tools. I love using the web as a way to connect with other people walking a similar path to my own, and I don’t have oodles of free time to do it face to face. That’s where WW didn’t work well for me; while I DO have the time to commit to being healthier, I didn’t have the time to commit to doing it through meetings. The great thing about The Daily Plate is that I can really do it when it’s convenient for me.

One of the things I’ve decided is that I need to see a nutritionist as soon as possible so that I can figure out how to meet all of my nutritional needs (high-protein and high-fiber), while also meeting my diet requirements (low-cal, low-fat), AND meeting my personal requirements of being tasty and relatively easy to prepare! Shoot, doesn’t seem like that should be asking too much.

I’ve been staying motivated by regularly looking up information on trips to the Galapagos Islands, which is the “reward” Holly and I are giving ourselves when we meet our fitness goals. I understand now why weight-loss programs suggest you have a goal in mind…when I am sweating, swearing and ready to give up while at the gym, thinking of myself in something like this, soaking up the Galapagos sun really helps keep me going.

Want to join me on my weight loss journey? Find me on The Daily Plate:

Hey, y’all!

I’ve decided to try to be better about blogging here, even if I don’t have something photo-related to talk about. I’m following the advice that Becker gave on a [b] school episode (which I just caught up on this weekend during an hour-long stint on the elliptical machine at the gym!), where he pointed out that our blogs aren’t JUST to showcase our photography work. One of the huge advantages of a blog is that you get to know who we are as people. That’s so much more important when your field—photography—is so much about building relationships and connecting to others. So, I’m taking that advice and I’m going to try to blog more regularly, even if all I have to blog about is my life!

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I had an AMAZING breakfast yesterday with Jonathon at The Blue Dog Kitchen. Violet turned me on to the place last June, but I haven’t had an opportunity to go back. Jonathon’s birthday was Thursday (yep, he’s one of the unlucky to be born on V-day!), so we went to brunch to celebrate. If you live in Seattle, definitely check out the Blue Dog Kitchen. I had a sundried tomato and basil frittata with cheese, and it was just heavenly. I was especially excited that, unlike most restaurants, the portion sizes were totally reasonable. I am so tired of restaurants loading up a plate with about two and a half times more food than is necessary, so it was wonderful to go to a place that makes excellent food in good portions. I suspect I’ll be going back there soon to try some of the other delicious-sounding items on their menu soon.

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So, I mentioned above that I was catching up on the [b] school videocasts at the gym this weekend…that’s because I’m back on the horse with regards to getting healthy. I’m finally really excited to be on this path, and I want to share what got me excited. Holly told me about The Daily Plate, and my health goals haven’t ever seemed so reachable! The site lets you say what your weight loss goals are, and will tell you how many calories you may consume in order to lose the weight you’d like to lose. I’m going to use myself as an example to show you what the site does…I’ll be brave here and tell you specifically what my goals are because I have nothing to hide!

My goal: I want to lose 130lbs.

• I told the site I’d like to lose 2 lbs./week.
• The site tells me that I can consume 2,107/day to reach my 2 lbs./week goal, and that I can expect to reach my goal of weighing 140lbs. by May, 2009. (That may seem a long way off to you, but to me it sounds really amazing!)
• I type in what I’m eating (it even lets me enter my own recipes!), and the site calculates the nutritional info for me.
• I type in what my average activity level is (not much, since I have a desk job that keeps me in front of the computer all day!), and that’s how it calculates my target calorie consumption.

I signed up for a Gold membership so that I could use some of the special tools that will let me watch my progress as I continue to lose. I find that really helpful and motivating. If any of you would like to join me on The Daily Plate, you can search for my username—mollybennett—and add me as a friend. Let’s support each other in our path toward living healthier. You can also check in over at Bobbi + Mike’s Blog, because they’re doing a weight-loss program, too, and have a great little community going in the comments.

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I have decided to devote a large part of my 2008 summer schedule to second-shooting for Dani Weiss Photography. She invited me to be her second this season, and I am thrilled for the opportunity. Dani has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I’ve been a fan of her work since I moved to Seattle. One of her fine art pieces even hangs in my bathroom! With more than 20 years of industry experience under her belt, I know I will learn a lot from her this summer. One of the challenging things about being mostly self-taught is that many of the technical details of photography have slipped through my fingers. I’ve spent the last few years honing my “eye” and capturing the emotion of my clients. I can’t wait to see what I’ll be able to do when I fill in some of the gaps in my technical know-how!

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What about you? How was your weekend? If you’re in Seattle, are you enjoying this sunshine we’ve been getting? It makes me want to crank up my favorite house CD and drive around in my new wheels…

My backyard declared a statewide emergency!

Okay, so it’s not my backyard in the strictest sense, but Woodinville is not even 10 miles from our house. Holly works in Woodinville, and had to leave the office around noon yesterday because firemen came and evacuated them from the building.

This is a view from that building yesterday, taken with Holly’s camera phone:

And this was the view from my old office in that building last August, taken with my iPhone:

We’re fine, the pets are fine, no problems here so far. We live midway up a hill—and Redmond in general has been pretty un-touched so far—so we’re not too worried about flooding. Lots of people haven’t been so lucky, though. If you’re inclined and able, please consider a donation to the Seattle Red Cross to help support the work they’re doing to help flood victims.

As an aside, if you’re wondering how the iPhone photo quality compares to that of regular camera phones, this is a pretty darn good example!

I try to avoid making posts that are strictly personal…but I couldn’t resist. Which season do you think Harper likes better?

Fall…

…or Winter?

Hmm, tough call! Talk about appropriate weather for the first day of December. I think Harper is less excited about it than I am.

Okay, this has been a BIG week of BIG announcements around here. As if the WPJA acceptance wasn’t enough, I have also accepted a full-time job as a graphic/web designer with Imagekind.com!

From the Imagekind.com website:

Imagekind.com is one of the fastest growing online art sites on the internet. Our newest partnerships allow us to bring almost unlimited options in the world of framed art, poster art and wall art.

Imagekind is about three things:

• Creating art from digital files
• Providing an online marketplace for selling art without any actual inventory
• Providing the world’s largest online venue for shopping for unique fine art prints

Our goal is to develop a fresh new online art experience that allows both consumers and professional artists a new outlet for sharing, creating and buying actual wall art from digital files. We often describe Imagekind as a cross between an art gallery, a photo-sharing service and a print-on-demand service.

Could a job GET anymore freakin’ perfect for me? I am so excited about this opportunity! I’ll be honest: I wasn’t even LOOKING for full-time work. I love freelancing (and I love all of my clients), and it’s been great to focus on my creative vision and freelance business for awhile. I updated my Monster.com resumé to toss my hat into the ring for some steady contract/part-time positions, and got a call from an iMatch recruiter for Imagekind the very next business day. As soon as I looked at the Imagekind website, I was in love. I love the Imagekind.com business model, their Web 2.0 flare, their Flickr partnership, and the fact that they have an office dog named Fenway. (Go Sox!) I knew that this was my Next Right Thing. There’s a paradigm in my life of the Universe (God/higher power/fate/the force/whatever you want to call it) presenting perfect opportunities to me exactly when I’m ready for them. Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, says, “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.”

I am being hired because of my background in user interface (UI) design. While I always design with the user in mind, I rarely get to do UI design on projects for which I am the actual target audience! I am so excited to bring my web, design AND photography experience to the Imagekind team to further the business and vision.

So, what does this mean for you, my amazing freelance photo clients?

Well, I’m finishing up the last of my family photo sessions by the end of the day tomorrow because I know you’re excited to see your photos and have them ready for the holidays. I am still booking wedding, portrait, pet, kids & families, and coquette sessions for 2008. You know me—I’ve always done my own freelance thing on the side when I’ve had a full-time job. I love what I do; photographing candid moments, authentic memories and real people is my passion. I imagine I will be more selective about the sessions I take so that I can sort of pretend that I know what “work/life balance” means, and I might take a look at my stated image processing times. What WON’T change is my dedication to excellence while capturing the important moments of your life that tell the story of who you are. So if you have a session you want to book, drop a line!

Happy Black Friday, everyone! In honor of today’s unapologetic consumerism, I’m posting my list of recommended gifts for the people on your list this year. Happy shopping!

GO SOX!

In honor of Labor Day, I wanted to take a moment to share with you a few of my favorite quotes that relate to doing what you love:

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
: Henry David Thoreau

If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that…I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it.
: John Lennon

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
: John Lennon

I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.
: Madonna

No woman is required to build the world by destroying herself.
: Rabbi Sofer

When you love what you’re doing, you’re not working.
: Henri Cartier-Bresson

What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.
: Julia Cameron

Leap and the net will appear.
: John Burroughs

Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.
: Joseph Campbell

Hate what you’re doing? Have an unrealized dream career? I have two recommendations:

1. GigZig your current job at PayScale to see what you could be doing in five years
2. Pick up a copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and work the program in the book.

Happy Labor Day.