Happy Monday!

I am in such a good mood this week because I get to go home this Thursday! I am beyond excited.... although this means I have a major pile of work to do before I leave so this post is going to be short and sweet but hopefully informative!

This post is actually on request of my friend Olivia, so here you are girl!

We all know that staying fit in college is a struggle. Between the mountains of studying, papers, and tests to the social aspect and fitting in time to sleep, college is all about juggling your priorities. I went into college my freshman year weighing about 20 pounds overweight from the stress of senior year and applying to colleges. When I got here, I decided to make a change and this is how! (By the way, I've lost 15 pounds since that first fall freshman year)

1. Get in a routine.
I know this is hard when your workload is consistently changing and different social opportunities arise, but try to keep a similar schedule. This helps your body in keeping a consistent rhythm and also just makes you feel less crazy. For example, I get up at 7:30 in the morning every. day. This sucks when I initially wake up but once I get moving I'm incredibly productive.

2. Buy your food at the grocery store.
If you're in a dorm room, this is a hard one to accomplish because you most likely have a dining plan. However, when you buy snacks, go to the grocery store instead of the on-campus shop because it's both cheaper and you're more likely to make healthy choices when candy and pizza aren't staring you in the face at 3AM. Your wallet will thank you.

3. Exercise every other day, if not every day.
When I get up at 7:30 during the week, I go for a 2-mile run. It's not much, but it is exercise and every bit helps. Usually I'm not even running the entire time because I'm completely out of shape, but by putting forth the effort every day I'll eventually get there. Some days I wake up and know that running is not going to happen, and that's okay. You can take a break. And I definitely don't run on the weekends.... way too much effort. Commit, but you don't need to be hardcore about it.

4. Eat actual meals.
I get satisfaction out of putting together a small meal, even if it's just toast, eggs, and some orange juice. You feel accomplished like a real-life adult (even if you're pretending... I won't tell). If you're snacking throughout the entire day it's much easier to rack up those calories because you're constantly hungry. If you sit down for three meals a day, you're much more likely to really get the nutrients you need.

Alright, that's all for me this week! Let us know if you have any comments/questions/requests!

xx
Jen