Fitness for free:)

Let's be honest here...it's difficult to have a work-out schedule in college.  Coming from high school I had a gym membership with Elements, an amazing all woman’s gym.  There were classes every night and an infiltrated sauna that was just the cherry on top:) but once it was time for college, bye-bye membership and hello on campus food.

I like many gained that infamous freshman 15 and was so self conscious about it.  My body was in shock from switching from home cooked vegetarian meals to the questionable chicken in the dining hall.  So I made a pledge to myself to get back on that wagon of healthy eating and being active.  My trick? Utilizing the college gym.  Listen up everyone, if you’re enrolled in college the gym on campus will be free!  Take advantage. J  If you’re not enrolled in college, but want to find an affordable gym, look into Planet Fitness or Curves (woman only).  Both have affordable monthly memberships as well as yearly deals.  Good luck and get moving!

Go Organic

So that expression you are what you eat is true…go figure.  Be the best you, go organic! J

 

Let’s be honest, a lot of people forgo organic products because of price and I completely understand that hesitation.  That’s why grocery stores like Trader Joes are such amazing finds!  The food is all organic and the price is unbeatable.  

Still not convinced? Here’s some incentive provided by experts at why eat organic that really convinced me.
Enjoy!

Affordable Finds

Affordable finds

With the motivation to eat right, now it’s time to find a place to get the food!  Being a college student my food money comes from my babysitting job…not exactly a limitless budget!  But whenever anyone is in a pinch, solutions are madeJ  I’ve explored the grocery stores in my area and I’ve found the cheapest organic market where quality is top notch, and good news, it’s a chain!  And the store is, cue the drum roll, Trader Joe’s.  Visit Trader Joe's and find a location near you!

Motivation Matters

Changing lifestyles is never an easy endeavor, but having motivation is key!  Be your own inspiration.  People who dropped pounds for personal reasons such as feeling confident were more likely to lose weight than those who were driven by external reasons!  So even more incentive to put yourself first, you’ll not only feel better but you’ll look better too!  Today is the first day of the rest of your life so wipe your slate clean of the 'fast food, couch potatoes days' and get ready to surprise yourselfJ

So now that you have a made a commitment to yourself to be the best you possible, here’s some of advice from lifehack.org to get yourself started. 

1. Enjoy a pint of water first thing in the morning.
If you haven’t got time for anything else in the morning, make time to drink a big glass of water. We lose a lot of oxygen through the night and to rejuvenate our cells, we need to supply them with water and oxygen. Drink a glass of water and within a week you’ll begin to feel less tired. I like the taste of water, but I know some people do not so if you’re one of them, squeeze some fresh lime into your water to give it taste and drink up.

2. Grab a few fresh fruits on your way out.
Wherever you’re going – whether it’s a walk or drive to the supermarket or on your way to a meeting – pick up one or two fruits and eat them. If you leave for work in the morning and don’t return ’til evening, take a few fruits and eat them throughout the day. Fruits are great for their nutrients, vitamins and sugars that are required in our body.

3. Avoid going to junk food shops with your work mates.
If your work mates are going and you want to go along, go ahead but don’t order the burger or french fries. Go for a nice salad instead. Or any other healthy meal that takes your fancy. Junk food is full of “empty calories” that do nothing for your body but put on extra unneeded and unhealthy fat.

4. Exercise on the go.
If you work in an office, get up every 30 minutes and go for a walk. If you have an office with stairs, run up and down the stairs every couple of hours. Get your blood flowing and your muscles moving.

5. Drink herbal teas.
When at work or home, many people love to get a cup of tea or coffee. Decide that you’ll be more healthy and get a warm cup of herbal tea. The selection available today is absolutely massive, so you’re guaranteed to find one you enjoy. I like mandarin and ginseng tea as well as fennel seed tea.

6. Eat a handful of nuts.
Get your favorite selection of nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.) and raisins and have a big handful of them at around 3pm. This has been shown to increase afternoon energy and productivity.

7. Say yes to freshly squeezed juice.
 Energy, body health and vitality will increase!

8. Deep breathing.
When you’ve got time – at your desk, driving the car, cooking food – do some deep breathing. Inhale and count up to 5 seconds, hold it for a few seconds, and release slowly. Exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is one of the best things we can do for our blood and cells.