Live, from New York, it's Saturday night!

While everyone else was dreaming to be a ballet dancer, a fireman, or an astronaut, I had a different wishlist for my life. And although I did love the idea of being an astronaut (even though I am terrible at science), more than anything, I dreamed of being a host on Saturday Night Live.

More specifically, I imagined what kind of poses I would do for my pictures before and after commercial breaks. Those little photos show so much about a person, and I always thought "What poses could I do that are completely original and have never been done before?" I am no genius with photography, so those original ideas usually came slow.

In addition to hosting, I always thought I'd be the first Abby on SNL. I just had to be. Unfortunately, that dream came to a crushing end about two years ago when Abby Elliot (daughter of Chris Elliot, a former cast member) joined the cast. Even though I majored in journalism and could never ever do stand up even if I had Ellen DeGeneres as my coach, my self-esteem was still bruised when I saw Abby Elliot had become a featured player.

Reading an article in Rolling Stone magazine about Jimmy Fallon last night (and after watching the hilarious episode of SNL with Jesse Eisenberg - and the real Mark Zuckerberg) helped me rediscover that love for SNL and my dreams of joining (or hosting) are still intact.

"I remember saying to myself, 'If I don't make it on Saturday Night Live before I'm 25, I'm going to kill myself,'" [Fallon] casually confesses one night. "It's crazy. I had no other plan. I didn't have friends, I didn't have a girlfriend, I didn't have anything going on. I had my career, that was it." As much as I love SNL and would give anything to see a taping live (and have entered the lottery for SNL seats about five years in a row, to no avail), I'm not as drastic as Jimmy to say I'd kill myself if I never was a part of the show. I have applied for NBC Page positions multiple times, never to hear back from NBC/GE.

This is not supposed to be a sob story about how I'll never be on stage at SNL, but if I were ever asked to host SNL for some crazy reason, I know I would savor every moment that I was there. Is it warped to have the dream that I become successful enough to host SNL? I would love that kind of lifestyle, for a little while, anyway. I couldn't be a dramatic actor or a comedian, but I would love to be enough of a topical newsworthy person in order to host SNL - that would be my greatest achievement and I dare say I'd be fine dying right after the show was over. It wouldn't get any better than that.

Lorne Michaels, if you read this, and are looking for any help whatsoever (I'd happily clean the writer's room every night if you needed it done), just understand you would help make my dreams come true.

Jimmy Fallon didn't have a master plan in order for him to host his own late night talk show, but now look at where he is. It started with a little dream of being on SNL, and now he has a wife and famous friends and the best late night band in the Roots. It seems that Fallon's success couldn't have happened to a greater guy, and I would hope that my success could be a sliver of what he experiences daily.

Let's not be cliche...

With the new year, I am becoming like the other 75% of Americans who make the resolution of losing weight. But unlike the majority, I will actually keep this promise to myself for a happier, healthy life.

First of all, I am setting myself some ground rules so that habits are created and stick with me into my adult journey. I've completed my Bachelors, I'm moving on to a new city and a new life (although the last two are TBD).

Some rules for the next following days/weeks/months, until they become habitual:
1) Drink only 225 calories of liquids per day. I read in "Women's Health" that the average person drinks approximately 450 calories a day, which could be the same as a small meal. So, first rule is I must limit my drinking from sodas, wine/beer, etc.

2) If I head to the gym, I must clock in at least three miles on the treadmill. Whether that be running, walking, or a combo of the two, I must do three miles on the treadmill. If I do the elliptical or bike, three miles would be acceptable as well - but I usually don't use the elliptical or bike often, so that's basically a moot point.

3) I need to reduce my refined carb intake. There isn't a set limit on that, which might get me in trouble, but I know that it will be the key to my success. My carb intake is out the roof right now... Bagels for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or so it feels like).

4) I want/need to bring my weight down. I'm currently at 135, and although that is not overweight for my height (5'4), it is still on the higher end of the spectrum, so I'd like to get down to approximately 125 - and to stay at that weight. Also, my jeans used to be a loose 8 or tight 6 last year, when I worked out nearly every day, and now they're a snug 8. In inches, my waist toggles between 28 and 31 inches. It would be great to know my waist was under 30 inches with certainty, and if I could fit comfortably into a size 6, I'd be even happier.

5) I don't want to set a number on how many days I must go to the gym, mostly because I feel like once you don't meet that number, you feel defeated and then you get discouraged and into a downward spiral you go. So I would like to say that I want to make room for exercise daily, even if it's a 15-minute walk, or doing squats and push ups during commercial breaks while watching TV.

6) Probably the most important rule is putting healthier foods into my body as a whole. I became a vegetarian a little over a year ago, and so far it has been great (although I still eat fish for protein, but I am trying to cut that out slowly but surely). Being a vegetarian isn't for animal rights or diet, but mostly because I am not a fan of big businesses or food processing. There is a lot of animal cruelty when certain businesses that run the, say, chicken industry because they need chicken at a much faster pace than what normal, healthy chickens grow - but that isn't the sole reason I became a vegetarian. If you ever get a chance to watch the documentaries "Food Matters" or "Food, Inc." those films helped me stop eating poultry, when I was done eating red meat. I don't try to press this lifestyle on others (especially guys, because I know they love their meat-and-potato dinners), but if you are curious about vegetarianism, I am more than happy to answer any questions.
All of that to say: I don't eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible. And not the occasional yogurt or hidden vegetable, but actual natural fruits and vegetables. For instance, I will incorporate red pepper strips into my diet as a snack with ranch dip instead of always grabbing crackers. Making simple switches that will add to my health will be great for me in the long run.

So, those main six rules are what I am hoping to revolve my life around so that I am a healthier person. I ran a 5k in October, and although I have ran since then, it is still few and far between. I have no excuse not to work out more than I do now - I can easily make the time to do simple, effective exercises daily.

If anyone has a recipe they want to offer or try, I'd love to be a part of that too - I have been writing down recipes for the past couple of days to try (including lettuce cups filled with light tuna salad, or making my own fried rice). If anyone else has some surefire work out methods, I'm completely open to that as well.

Since you are reading this, I want you to keep me accountable for what I am doing in terms of my health. It is important to know where I am falling in terms of my diet or exercise. Even if I don't feel like working out, I know that 10-15 minutes walking outside can improve my mood (which has been clinically proven). There is no excuse, and I will lose approximately 10 pounds this year (although that sounds slightly scary as I type that).

Thank you for reading,
-A