Centsibly Chic post

Here's my latest Wasatch Woman magazine blog post.
Check it out.
http://www.wasatchwoman.com/blogs.php?cont=post&id=127

I wanna be a yogi!

I've been wanting to take a swing at yoga for a while now. I have one dvd that has two twenty-minute sessions on it. It's great for beginners, which is good, cause I'm nothing if not a beginner.
I've always wanted to be flexible and yoga seems to deliver that. And since I can't get my husband to go to the gym with me in the mornings, I decided I should do yoga. Every morning!
So, does anyone know of a good beginners yoga dvd? I'm sure I'll bore of the one I've got fairly quickly, so I'll need something new.

Walking; Hey, I can do that!

I was waiting in line at the grocery store today when the cover of a Prevention Guide caught my eye. "Walking Fit: Walk Off 5, 10, 20 Pounds" Intrigued, I purchased it. The issue outlined a 6-week walking program that can supposedly burn more fat than running, even possibly dropping a dress size in said six weeks. I'm hooked.

But how can this be possible? I mean, walking? Anyone can walk, right? To say the least, I am skeptical, but optimistic. If I can somehow lose twenty pounds by walking, well, I could certainly handle that.

So, I started it today. It's a ridiculously simple plan to follow. And with the Wasatch Woman Magazine women-only 5k/10k run coming up in August, it seems like good timing. Here's hoping.

New Favorite Workout & Snack

New favorite workout: Walking lunges. The first time my trainer had me do the (three sets, 15 reps each leg) is LITERALLY could barely walk for a full week. My thighs have never hurt that much, but even worse (now better) I've never felt it in the spot right under my butt before. Now when I do it, it's just that good kind of sore. And my butt! If anything's going to tone that sucker, it's walking lunges.

New favorite snack: Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss. This stuff is so good. I feel like I'm eating something bad for me, but it's only 35 calories a serving. It's good on sandwiches, on apples and pears, or all by itself. Oh, Laughing Cow, I don't know what I did without you!

My attempt at getting healthy

Some of you may recall about six weeks ago my telling you I joined a gym. Well, it's been six weeks and I still haven't seen any results. Needless to say, I'm quite frustrated. I figured I'd at least feel better, if not have lost a few pounds.

Unfortunately, I believe I've been sabotaging myself. Motivation has never been my strongest asset. I wouldn't even call it a weak asset. And while I'm almost enjoying going to the gym now, my diet (or lack there of) is making it nearly pointless. What's interesting is I love good food. I love cooked veggies, fish, chicken, salads, whole wheat pastas, fruits, legumes. I love it. My problem, it seems, is that I'm too lazy to cook anything like that for myself. For lunch and dinner I'm usually too, well, lazy to do much more than hit a fast food chain. And I really hate that about myself. I need to change if I'm ever going to lose this disgusting weight and finally get healthy.

So, what's my plan, you ask? Well, I'm going to start with making a list of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks I like and are good for me. Then I'm going to make a menu for the week of dinners I'll make. Finally, I'm going to force myself to drink WAY more water and eat a healthy snack between each meal. There's no secret here. I need to quit eating fast food (also a money saving idea) and start eating the way I know I should be.

Wish me luck and cross your fingers. I'll keep you posted.

New music video by "Get Scared"

AWESOME!!!

Closet Chaos

My first blog post for Wasatch Woman magazine. New posts every Thursday.
http://www.wasatchwoman.com/blogs.php?cont=indv&id=15

Fashion without the fortune

Check out my article "Becoming Cents-ibly chic" at Wasatch Woman Magazine and starting Thursday, follow my blog on the same subject!

I need help

As some of you may or may not know, I've been trying to get healthy. My husband and I joined a gym about a month ago, and we've been trying to get into shape. Problem is, I'm not getting anywhere. No weight loss, no loose clothes, still feel like I need a nap in the middle of the day. And, well, it's pissing me off!

I've been trying to eat better as well. But I have this problem. Nothing but fat, oily, deep-fried foods ever sound good to me. Particularly lunchtime. I hate figuring out what to make myself for lunch. Everything I think of either takes too long or is just plain boring. I hate sandwiches. Cold sandwiches are just not appetizing to me at all. I have to eat on campus three days a week, and cold lunches are just never satisfying to me.

What's worse is I'm disgusted by my fast-food habit. When I'm not hungry, fast food seems just gross. I mean, we've all seen Supersize Me, right? It's quite literally poison. But when I get hungry, I just don't care and I want something hot and savory.

Savory is the hardest thing for me. If you offered me the choice between french fries and ice cream, french fries would win every time. I don't have a sweet tooth. It's not even a salty tooth. It's a savory tooth. It's like I can't feel satiated without eating something fatty.

So, here is my plea. What do you eat for lunch? Keep in mind I don't have very much money, I don't have a lot of time, and ideally, I'd like to be able to pack it with me. Quick, cheap and tasty.

Feeling Adventurous

Do you ever get the sudden desire to be adventurous? I do. Almost like clockwork, February would roll around and I'd have this crazy itch to just get away. It's lingered into April this year, and I'm thinking I need to do something about it.

Of course, I don't exactly have the money to go do anything too crazy. (Darn this recession.) But I'm thinking even a night out would do it for me. Between the end of my semester getting the best of me and the workload at Mat's job picking up, we've been lucky to hit an Ihop and see a movie.

I'm thinking trying a new food would probably hold me over until my life settles down again. I've been wanting to try sushi, Indian food, and Greek food. Maybe I'll try the Indian Oven on Logan's main street. I just hope they serve something Mat will be willing to eat.

What do you think it is that makes me feel the need for adventure? I think it has to do with getting so busy I forget to stop and live my life. I focus so much on just getting by, that I forget to take the time to make life memorable. So while trying a new cuisine may not seem impressive, I think it's enough to step out of my comfort zone. Even if it is just a baby step.

I'm a little upset.

Here's why. Thanks to the economy and budget cuts to Utah's higher education, there have been some serious and heartbreaking changes to my department. They've made it so the journalism department is combining with the languages, philosophy and speech department. It will no longer be called a journalism department. On top of that, USU has been offering early retirement, and one of the best professors I have ever had is taking it. This is her last semester of teaching.
I've been assured over and over again that since I've already started in my major that they can't change anything on me. The classes that I need to graduate will still be available. But that's really only half the issue. The classes being available is important, of course, but so is the quality of instruction in those classes. I feel like I see the journalism department crumbling before my eyes. I know I've only been in this major for a year, but it has quickly felt like home to me, so to see it going through such changes is, well, heartbreaking. So, as I said, it's made me a little upset.