Way too cold.

I have had a severe problem this week. I can’t stop being lazy. This is due, in part, to the luxurious but unintended 5 day weekend I had last week. Monday was MLK day and Tuesday and Wednesday were cold days. Let me elaborate on what a cold day is for those lucky people who don’t live in the upper peninsula of Michigan. It starts like this on a Sunday night…

…and keeps dropping to –17 degrees F (without wind chill) for three very long days. I guess the rule of thumb up here is that if it’s –25ish or lower with wind chill, they cancel classes. I think the wind chill was down to around –35 degrees on Tuesday, and it warmed up slightly on Wednesday to –25.

After my long weekend, a few of my professors cancelled classes for Thursday and Friday, so I ended up with a very short week. However, that came back to haunt me this week as my professors pound everyone with homework and lab catch-ups. This is why I cannot be lazy this week. I have been drinking coffee like there is no tomorrow, and I still can’t stay awake during the day.

I’m hoping to start getting back into the gym routine soon. I’ve decided to give myself a little credit for at least making an effort to eat healthy while I try to get my mojo back. I know that going to the gym is great for keeping your energy and mood up overall, but it’s way easier said than done.

To push myself in the right direction, I set aside a specific time each day that I need to go to the gym. Since I already had this schedule mapped out for my classes, I just added it in. I’m going to keep my shoes and clothes in my car and go right after I get out of class since I drive right by the gym anyways.

I printed out a few copies of this and stuck one on my fridge, one on my desk, and one in my car. There is no way I can forget about it this way. Chances are, I’ll feel extremely guilty if I skip a workout because I’ll have a constant reminder wherever I go.

I also made this calendar to tape next to my schedule. I made it a very basic plan to give myself some wiggle room if I decide to change my workout. I usually do a few strength training exercises every time I workout, but I will be doing a much longer and more focused routine on Wednesdays.

One last complaint before I end this post… It was just starting to get nice again. Now we’re getting pounded with this baby.

Snow day?

Guess I won’t be running outside anytime soon.

Long time, no see!

Hey folks! Sorry for the disappearing act; I’ve been busy getting back into the school/homework/life routine. My school gave us an entire month for winter break, so I definitely got a little too used to the easy lifestyle that comes with a break from school.

I’ve definitely had a hard time getting myself back into a healthy eating and working out routine. I got out of the habit of reaching for veggies instead of junk food (not that it was 100% great before break) over break, and I’m trying really hard to break it.

I’ve been trying to sneak in a few vegetables to my meals when I can. One of my recent favorites is roasted asparagus.


Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies. It’s super quick and easy to make. I usually preheat my oven to 400, wash the asparagus and slice the ends off, brush a small amount of EVOO on foil, lay the asparagus down, cover with a little more oil, salt and pepper, then let them cook for 15-20 minutes or until the desired crispness is reached.



This particular snack was eaten while Skyping with my best friend, Sarah. She is currently going to school over seven hours away from where I am, so I don’t get to see her often. She’s also the one that kicked me in the butt to get a blog post up, so thanks Sarah!



For tonight’s dinner, I made parsnip fries, roasted potatoes, and salmon. Not too shabby for getting back on track, eh?



These yummy fries were made by baking parsnip slices in a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes (flipping halfway through) with EVOO, salt and pepper.



This was definitely a good batch of potatoes, too!



The final verdict of the fish was not very good. While it looks pretty (besides the hideously cut lemon), the fish has been in my freezer a little bit longer than I should have let it sit. I’ll be buying fresh fish only from now on.



Oh well. Not every meal can be spot on, right?

One more bad habit acquired over break:



I LOVE this stuff. I promise I try really hard to have only one glass a day…. and I water it down…. that makes it okay, right?? ;)

Speaking of trying to exercise portion control, has anybody else tried this flavor of Chobani? If you haven’t, you absolutely must drive to a grocery store this minute and pick it up.



I also love to stick it in the freezer for an hour and make a frozen yogurt out of it. Delicious! It’s the perfect midnight snack… so long as I can stop at one serving! :)

I’d like to end this post by saying that I think I’ve finally decided to do a New Year’s resolutions post. I’ve been debating on doing it because I have a lot more personal goals than I do fitness related ones, but I know I really like reading those types of posts, so I figured you guys would too. Check back soon for it!