Back to reality!

The last few months have been a whirlwind.  Ever since I decided to become a freelancer, I've had some ups and downs.  On the one hand it was great to be my own boss, make my own schedule and not have to deal with all the bureaucratic nonsense.  The freedom was something that I thoroughly enjoyed.

However, the downside to all this was that getting started and trying to get clients and contracts proved to be very slow going, and therefore money, or lack thereof, became an issue.  I had somewhat planned ahead for this, I had some savings aside for a rainy day, but even with that, It got tough.  I started getting more and more contracts, and invoiced my clients for my work on a weekly basis, but It took almost 3 months before I started getting regular income.  That was really the hardest part for me, because I was always used to having money and not worrying about it too much.  And then I just saw my savings go down and down, and nothing was coming in, I was getting nervous.

So as anyone would do in my situation, I decide I had to look for a job.  Ideally I wanted to find something either temporary or part time, just so i could make ends meet and be able to pay for my essentials.  And low and behold, as of last week, I finally got the ideal job for me.  It was actually the place that I had interviewed with 3 times and who never bothered to call me back to let me know what the situation was.  It turns out that the HR person I had met with and that was taking care of my file, had left the company and my file kind of got lost in transition.

I am thrilled that they ended up calling me back, because this was definitely the ideal job for me at this time.  Not only is the job itself right up my alley, it is a 10 min walk from my house, and it's a temporary contract position for 6 months, which is ideal because that will be just enough time to see if I like it and if they like me, and if i end up not liking it for whatever reason, at least I'll know that it's only for 6 months.  If they happen to have an opening for me after the 6 months, and I like the place, that would be great, but if not, I'll be just as content going back to freelancing. Especially since I'll have kept up doing contracts during my free time, so I won't lose any clients and I'll have had the opportunity to save up a bunch of money to prepare for that eventuality.  It always pays to be prepared in any given situation...Those boy / girl scouts know what they're talking about!

I have mixed feelings about going back to work as an employee; on the one hand I'm ecstatic about working so close to home and getting a regular, secure income again.  On the other hand, I'm going to miss the freedom of freelancing and being able to come and go as i please and work in my jammies if I want to and not have to answer to anybody.  But I am mostly happy about this new chapter, It'll be nice to learn something new, meet new people and just see and talk to people everyday.

I've had the ''New job Chapter'' part of my life so many times, that It's become a running gag with my friends and family. But all I can say is that I just know what I want, I know what I like, and life is just too short to be doing something you don't like, or working somewhere that makes you miserable, that's just not living for me.  Plus I am a big fan of change and new challenges and changing jobs as often as I have really feeds into that perfectly.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this time around will be a worthwhile challenge!

Yet another good reason for becoming a freelancer

A few months ago, after leaving my last job, I thought about what to do next and decided to become a freelancer. A lot of people would think it's crazy to do that in this economy and without really having a specialty to speak of, and the reasonable voices in my head pretty much agreed with them, but there were the other voices that said that I should just try it out and see where it goes. I had nothing to lose at this point and I was convinced that it would be infinitely better than working at a job that I hate and that made me miserable.

I was right, it was by far the best thing for me. However, after a couple of months, I started stressing out a bit, because I really didn't have a lot contracts and I just kept seeing my bank account get lower and lower with no replenishing of it in sight. So, I decided that I had to do something about it and started, yet again, to look for a job. I was hoping to find something part-time so that I could still keep freelancing, but part-time jobs that don't involve me serving people food or coffee or anything of that nature are hard to come by. I got a few interviews, and I have to say, that most of them were just wrong, or weird but It made me realize that Freelancing is really looking better and better and that I really should push harder and try to get more contracts somehow.

One of the interviews, went somewhat well, but I got a bad feeling from the place just sitting at the front, waiting to be interviewed. The offices were in a crumby location, right on the side of the highway, the people that I saw come in and out of there just seemed very stiff and unfriendly and really not my type of environment. But i went through the interview regardless of all that, and throughout the whole interview, I was thinking that maybe it wouldn't be bad to work there. Until the end of the interview, where they asked me how I would feel if they told me that they didn't have voice mail here, and that everybody answers everybody's phone and takes everybody's messages!! I was taken aback by that, and just asked if they were serious? And they said yes, we don't believe in voice mail here, it's poor customer service!! Euh, OK, now I am sorry, but I believe that NOT having voice mail is much worse for your customer service than having one. So what? You're on the phone with a customer and then you have to drop them to answer another incoming call because there is no way for that person to leave a voice message? That was just too weird for me. I even asked them what the receptionist at the front desk was doing there if they were the ones to take all the messages for everybody. And their answer? She only transfers calls! Wow, I was blown away. Needless to say, after that I wanted the interview to end as fast as humanly possible so I could move on. The minute I got home, I sent the person i met an e-mail thanking them for their time, but that I was retracting my application as this is not the place for me...I would have called her and left her a voice mail message but they don't believe in that!

Then I have this other interview, which didn't go so well either. First off they made me wait over half an hour before coming to get me and interviewing me...not very cool. And then we go through the motions of the interview again, and one of the two people i met was the VP of the department and I didn't like him right off the bat, he was smug and arrogant and really not someone i would ever want to work with. And then after I've basically sold myself to them with the usual pleasantries of my work ethic and skills etc., the smug guy, just sits back in his chair, and says, OK, i need you to sell me on you because I'm not convinced!! Euhh, what have I been doing for the last 45 minutes buddy? If you're not convinced now, than you never will. Besides, It's a two way street, I was also not convinced AT ALL that I wanted to work there, and he did a poor job of explaining what the company does and convince me that this is the place I want to work at. So needless to say, once again, I just wanted this interview to end and put me out my misery.

Then finally, comes a call from someone that had gotten my resume months ago, and that the position I had originally applied for was filled, but that something else opened up that they thought I would be perfect for if I was interested! I was very much interested and did a preliminary phone interview with this person that went really well. I genuinely liked her and the job she was offering and so she called me in for an in-person interview. This one was great, I hadn't had such a good job interview in years. The conversation just flowed, the company seemed really good, very professional but still very much pro-employee. It felt like you were valued as an employee and a person there rather than being treated like a number or like you were disposable. I left this interview with a really good feeling and with the hopes of getting called back, as not only did the job seem perfect for me, it was a 10 minute walk from my house! I get called back the day after for my second and final interview with the head of the department who I would be working with, and got a bit excited. I thought, OK this is great, my final interview, this should mean that my chances of getting this are great. This final interview went just as well as the first two, I got along really well with the guy and the conversation just flowed so easily. The guy even tells me that He thinks I would be a perfect fit with the team, and not to worry that my chances of getting this are excellent and to expect a call shortly from HR. And so I wait...and I wait...and I wait...and Nothing. I sent a quick e-mail to the HR person reiterating my interest in the position and that I look forward to hearing from them etc. And still...Nothing! A week after that, I called her and left her a voice mail message...At least they believe in voice mail!! And I basically asked her to call me back and let me know what was happening, and to just keep me posted, regardless if it was a positive response or not. And yes, you guessed it...NOTHING! So here I thought they were this awesome company, super professional and once again, I couldn't have been more wrong. To me that is a total lack of professionalism if you don't even bother calling the person back or at the very least e-mail them back to update them. Even if this meant that I didn't get the job, at least tell me!! Don't end it saying that my chances are excellent and to expect a call and then leave me hanging for 2 1/2 weeks. I'm an adult, I can handle it if you tell me that I didn't get it, that's fine...just tell me!

So this kind of brings me back to thinking that becoming a freelancer was probably the best thing I could have done for myself! Granted I don't have the same salary as I did when I was a full time employee, but now I am getting more and more contracts and the money is starting to come in regularly so it's really not bad. And the fact that I don't have to deal with unprofessional companies and a lot of bureaucracy just makes me realize that this is exactly where I want to be right now and I'm going to do everything in my power to make it work longer term.

Eating healthy without depriving yourself!

So many people think that ''dieting'' means to completely deprive yourself of all the little treats that you like, and eating nothing but salads and things like that.  They couldn't be more wrong.  First off, I am a firm believer in everything in moderation.  The key is not completely cut out all treats, but to moderate their consumption and find some healthier, lower fat, lower calorie alternatives.

For example, I am a huge fan of chips, I absolutely love them, and have a lot of trouble resisting them when they are in front of me.  The key to resisting such temptations, is to just not buy them, which works out great...except on those days, when you just really need that salty, crunchy snack.  I was ecstatic to find a much better alternative to chips...Quaker Crispy Mini rice cake snacks!  These are an absolute life saver when you have that little voice in your head telling you that you need to have that crunchy, salty snack.  You still have to keep track of those pesky calories however; don't eat the whole bag just because they are lower in calories than chips.  These Crispy Minis have 90 calories per 20 gram serving (about 12 chips)...so make sure you actually count them out, because it is easy to gorge on these and eat a lot more than 12!  Now again, these should be consumed in moderation, you can't start eating these every day as a snack, because they are a nice replacement of chips, but are by no means a healthy snack and shouldn't not replace a healthier snack.  I normally save this treat for the weekend.  On weekdays, I chose much healthier snacks that actually fill you and are good for you.  My two favorites are non-fat yogurt and 1/4 cup of mixed nuts which amounts to about 230 calories.  I usually eat that snack when I've had a lower calorie intake for breakfast and lunch.  The other healthy snack of choice is Hummus (2 tbsp) and baby carrots (or any other raw vegetable).  This one is my all time favorite, as it combines all the things i love about a snack, it's tasty, it's crunchy, it's healthy and fills you up until your next meal, and it totals up about 100 calories which is awesome!

Desserts are also a major issue for a lot of people.  Many of us really enjoy a sweet treat after a meal, and find it hard to resist.  Well there are a lot of sweet treats out there that can totally satisfy your sweet tooth, without boosting you with fat and calories.  I can't name them all, but I've recently discovered these Jell-O sugar-free pudding cups that are to die for!!  You'll find them in your grocer's refrigerated products section, and you have many different flavors to choose from.  For all you Chocolate lovers out there, the Chocolate flavor is a must.  And best of all, they are only 60 calories each!

Another healthy dessert that you can make at home, that requires very little time is home made apple sauce.  Just peel and cut up an apple, add a bit of Splenda for sweetness, or even a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey, and a dash of cinnamon, put that in the microwave for a few minutes until desired consistency.  I usually put it in 2 minutes at a time, and mix well after each time.  This is healthy, delicious and won't cost you a lot of calories.

You can even have pizza, yes that's right pizza!  OK, not the kind you order or that comes from your freezer, as those ones are loaded with fat and calories and are not at all healthy.  But you can make one yourself that is nutritious AND delicious!  What you need:

• 1 whole wheat pita bread
• Tomato paste or tomato sauce (that you would use for pasta)
• Assorted vegetables (peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc... just load them up) cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup Low-fat, skim mozzarella (shredded)

- Spoon the tomato paste or sauce (about 2 tablespoons should do it) onto the whole wheat pita.
- Add the cut up veggies on there, enough to cover the whole pita.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and starts to brown slightly on top (I usually just use the Broil setting and watch it carefully so it doesn't burn).

Voilà, you now have a great, healthy pizza that will set you back about 230 calories in total.

So as you can see, there are many ways to eat healthy without completely depriving yourself of those little things that make you happy, you just have to know about them, try them out and you will soon feel like you don't even need all those fatty, unhealthy treats, because you've managed to satisfy your cravings and you didn't compromise your health.

Effective weight loss tools

So the last time I started my weight loss journey, I did very well, I did everything I was supposed to do and then some, and It had paid off; I lost 85 pounds in about 1 year.

However, since I had lost all that weight I took a little break from the whole keeping a food diary and exercising 3 to 4 times a week.  I thought to myself that I deserved a break after all the hard work I put in for the last year.  Unfortunately, the break was extended for a bit too long, and low and behold, some weight crept back on.   I also injured my back at one point and was not able to workout at all for a few months so that really didn't help.  Thank fully, I noticed the weight gain  and stopped it before it got out of hand, but I still managed to gain 25 pounds in about a year, which is shocking to me!  It never ceases to amaze me how hard it is to lose weight, yet it takes no time at all to put it back on!

But now, I am definitely back on track, and have begun yet another weight loss journey to get rid of those 25 pounds and keep them off for good.  The indispensable tool I use this time around is a website called the Daily Burn and it's great!  I track all my food intake, my workouts as well as my weight.  It is so helpful to have this tool at my disposal, because it really helps me stay on track with my calorie intake as well as my calories burned with my workouts.  Not only that, but they have an iPhone app as well, so I can use it even when I'm not at home on the computer!
Another great tool is books...Yes, those old things!  In this electronic age, people seem to forget the old classic method of reading a book.  A great place to start is to get yourself some cookbooks.  There are tons of them on the market that have low fat, low cholesterol, low calorie recipes, and you can get them at your local bookstore such as Chapters or Indigo if you live in the Montreal area.  Not only do they have a vast selection, but you can get books in French and in English, which is awesome.  A great cookbook that I bought is the Weight Watchers New Complete cookbook, there are some amazing recipes in there, and all usually fall within the right calorie range if you are counting calories.

I try to find inspiration and motivation wherever I can get it.  I watch a lot of those weight loss shows like The Biggest loser which is one of my favorites, I watch it pretty much religiously every Tuesday!  You can also find inspiration from the trainers Bob & Jillian's books, which will have tons of great information to help you along the way of your weight loss journey.  Another show I am totally addicted to is The Last 10 pounds Bootcamp.  I love that one too, because they address both the exercise issue, and the nutrition issue, and they both go hand in hand in any weight loss journey.  The fact that the host of that show is disturbingly hot helps a little too...He can come help me shed my last 20 lbs any day!  But regardless of that, I have incorporated a lot of the exercises from the show into my routine, and I've taken some their tips from the nutrition plans they built for people and used them in my own nutrition plan.

So once again, my weight loss journey continues, I am happy to say though, that It is starting to pay off;  I've lost 6 lbs, and I am starting to see more definition in my abdominal area and my thigh and butt area, which is where I need the most toning!  Hopefully by the time I go to Florida in February, I'll have lost a lot more weight and will see a significant difference in my toning...Gotta look good in that bathing suit!!