Health on a Budget Tips??

Anyone have any tips for Healthy eating on a VERY tight budget?

Disappointments and Improvements

Well the week seemed to be go by pretty well. I had been sticking to slimfast for breakfast and lunch, crystal light all day getting my 8 cups of water and dinner HealthyChoice Steamers. Every meal under 300 calories. Light yogurt when hungry for a snack. The whole weeks food costed me less then $20. This week I'll buy some bell pepper and cucumber to slice up and take to work as well. Too broke this past week to add that however.

I was feeling pretty good, diet on track (I'm not keeping the slimfast thing forever just as a kickstart until I can afford to do some proper healthy grocery shopping ... which will be awhile away thanks to set back after set back financially). I could not wait to start classes for school, I had my first year all planned out, then it happened. I got a call. Apparently, me hearing I had gotten the gov. loan was a mistake, I didn't get it. Now that I'm working full time I don't qualify. It's not fair. I thought I was prepared for it not going through but after having thought I had it....and then losing it. At first I thought I was just angry but when I called my boyfriend to say it outloud I ended up having to run to the ladies washroom at work and cry in a stall. I felt like I was in a silly movie. I feel like I should have handled it better, but I didn't think Id get it, then I thought I had it and .... gone. Arg Im so angry I could scream. I tried distacting myself by looking into all other option, other schools, waht it would take to take less classes over longer time, different schools etc. Sadly I had already looked into all other funding options. I dont have the credit for any bank options, now I can't get government loans, and.. well the point is I feel like I'm going to be an underpaid admin assistant forever. I'm never going to get my degree, or get into law school. Feeling completely lost.

On a sort of bright side I did lose 3lbs this week. Yay. And I had a really great workout today. Tomorrow I'm going straight from work.I think I'm going to take a break for a week or so from trying to figure out school and focus on my weightloss and book. I;m almost done The Help.

Anyway, hopefully this week is a bit less disappointing. Hope everyone else had a better week!!

Almost forgot to mention!

Almost forgot to tell you but I did plan my mini-challenges:


Book: Cider House Rules
Activity: Yoga, 2 times this week
Recipie: TBA
Daily Goal: very lame and basic but, 8 glasses of water a day. Totally made it for the first time ever in my life today! Thank-you crystal light.

Lent and Extra Motivation

Forgive me if this blog seems scattered or rambles today my mind is everywhere at once. For lent I have decided to give up a few things I typically can't seem to resist. Pop, hot chocolate, bagels. It's perfect really, if I can make it through lent I may be able to kick the habits altogether. I did, however, miss my first Ash Wednesday mass. It feels a little strange. I haven't even found a catholic church in my new area yet.

As for my new motivation. My boyfriend and I have made a deal. I officially hit the end of my patience with his video gaming. It has become unbelievably ridiculous the amount of time he spends gaming. Completely unacceptable. Never less then 4 hours a day, almost always more. Add on work and a 2 hour nap every day and he barely makes time to speak to me. I couldn't take it anymore. I basically told him that it just doesn't work for me. He came up with a compromise:

For every day I go to the gym, the following day he wont play ANY video games, except, if I am at the gym. He can spend that time playing games. And, he has to spend his new found spare time with me. Agree to go on walks, play games, actually spend some quality time together. I think it will be good for us. We seem to be in a very long rutt. Everyday is the same. Come home, he naps followed by hours of video games, me asking him to spend time with me, him saying I never let him play, and then me just leaving or watching tv upstairs. NOT healthy, not at all okay and not the way it used to be. And it seems he is finally agreeing with me.

The confusing bit is that he is usually a very active person so I'm not sure why he's been so lazy lately. Never wanting to do anything but play COD. Usually he can't stay inside that long but that last four to six months that all he does, it's weird. He stopped going to the gym, isn't currently in any sports leagues, only went snow boarding once this winter... what is going on?!! I'm beginning to think my inability to join him makes him feel guilty for leaving me home and he's just replaced his active nature with laziness. When I was doing Jillian Michaels work outs, he was doing his own workouts, I stopped he stopped. WTH?! I am really hoping that by losing weight and getting fit enough to join him in activities he will start wanting to ride his bike, go hiking, get out of the house again. And the awesome part would be that we could do it together. I can't wait until I can keep up with his fitness level. I know he wants us to even work out together I'm just not comfortable... that seems to discourage him somehow from his doing it himself. My final goal really, to be able to go running with him. He LOVES to run. Or he did. I really want him to get into it again and I want to be able to join him this summer. Running has always been something I have wanted to get into. 

So, the point was. That I'm very excited for this deal. I think it will do us a lot good in so many ways. And, it will start to prepare me physically for what I had planned for us this summer. Hiking! All the time, days and days of free to cheap all day activity. And, as  a bonus, an amazing workout! I used to love hiking so so much. Now I'm out of breath going up the stairs. But not this summer! This summer I'm going to be ready, and I'm going to hike all summer long. I may not reach my final goal but the time summer hits but believe me by the time fall arrives I will definately be past my goal and ready for new challenges!

Also, heard from student loans and will be starting classes April 1, 2012 for sure now. Super excited )

Challenge Plan

Now I know I said that one challenage a week seemed like a good idea. But here is what I'm discovering about myself. I NEED things to do. All the time. Everyday. I go insane without something to do and I start to feel blah and miserable and next thing I know I'm on the couch watching tv bored out of my mind but lost for what else to do and feeling awful. So why on earth do I do it?!! It has been way too long since I've been in school (God I hope I can start classes by April, hurry up student loans!) and I'm not used to it. Since I was 14 I have always done school and work and studying, who had time to be lazy? Until this past year I never even watched tv. Until 2 years ago I didn't HAVE tv. My point was, that I have a new plan....sort of.

Because my challenges vary so much in nature I have decided not to limit myself to one a week. For example- My challage for today was create a new exercise routine which will entice me more AND work in my favour taking into consideration my workout buddy's tendancy to bail. A day to day commitment was too much for her. So I've created a 7 day plan which will only require one maybe 2 days a week from her, most days I'm on my own and it's planned so if she cancels on one of 'our' plans it doesn't change a thing for me. I'm pretty excited about it. It's a mix of Jillian Michaels at home and group finess at the gym.

Challenges for the week:

1. Finish a book. This is not to say I don't read, I read all the time but for some reason I tend to start more then I finish. I either get busy and forget or lose interest. I recently purchased The Help however it seems to have vanished.... how I managed that I'm not sure. I don't know what book it will be for this week yet but I'll chose it tonight.

2. Impement new exercise plan- Tomorrow= Jillian Michaels at home followed by yoga at the gym.

3. Stick to Slimfast Plan- shouldn't be hard with fixing my car costing more money then I have.

4. Organize myself at work-which contains it's own challenges for the week.

5. Play Kinnect with boyfriend

6. Begin attempt to get up early morning for exercise so it's out of the way before work- this should be the best time to attempt the challege as Ian will be working evenings for the week to supervise some work that apparetnly can't be done during the day. So I can easily go to bed very early. I'm hoping if I can manage this that it will give me tons of energy throughout the day at work.


So we'll see how this goes!

Finally! An Update.

It's been a very long time since I've updated. Sadly my weightloss plans have been set back yet agin by an unexpected, very bad cold. Not only have I felt absolutely miserable but being drowed beneath more mountains of work and stress I can handle resulted in being unable to take time off work to try and recover. So, naturally it took weeks to get over it. Add on a road block to student loans and my car breaking down and its been a very long few weeks. Now I'm glad to say I have little more left then a hint of a stuffy nose remaining.

 I should be able to pick up my car tomorrow which wasn't as expensive as I was worried it would be. While it will still leave me broke atleast it was manageble. I just wont eat for the next couple weeks. Makes me wish I worked somewhere more transit friendly. I suppose it will be a great diet technique. Hello Slimfast powder? Cheap and filling I suppose. And tastes alright.

The thing I feel like I've been missing lately is direction. I feel like I need more to my life to keep me going. Have you ever seen Julie & Julia? I'd seen it before and I remember thinking it wasn't anything spectacular but sitting home alone tonight I watched it on TV. And for some reason I thought that thats what I need. I realize that it may seem like trying to over do it when I already have exercise and diet goals along with everything else, but that's not living. My life needs something more. I spend my time between work, studying, now diet and exercise. It's all fairly necessary. Basic. Any spare time is completely and utterly wasted. TV, napping, facebook. But what if I had a challenge that wasn't because I had to or because I should. What if it was just something I wanted to do for me? For fun? For purpose? I'll admit the getting fit challenge is for me. For confidence and to bring more joy and opprotunity to my life but I need something different. But what?

I'll admit that I really want to improve my cooking skills. So the Julie & Julia is similar to what I was considering but I feel it would injure  the dieting. I could certainly try it with a healthy cook book however I also doubt the ability to afford such an idea. So here is my idea:

I want to tackle a new challenge every week. Whether it be a  new recipe, reading a book I've always meant to but never get around to, try re-learning how to knit or crochet again. Complete a painting, achieve a hike. etc. Tomorrow I'm going to decide what challenge #1 is. Maybe it will come to me during my workout.  Wish me luck!

Update/ Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred Day 3 (again)

It's been awhile so here's a quick update:

I found a workout buddy!!!! I just finished day 3 of Jillian Michaels 30 day shred again. Tomorrow morning is day 4 :) We did measurments and weigh ins. Doing this with someone else is so much easier. I know that I can definatley do it this time! We've set weekly and final goals. Even made a sexy collage of gorgeous women in the dresses that we wish we could wear. Can't wait to see our progress.

Work is...miserable, Don't really want to talk about it.

Sent in my student loan applications...fingers crossed. If I get it I can start class in March. Thats what I'm hoping for.

I'm still trying to sell my car. No luck :( One scam attempt but I told him to go screw himself. Is anyone that stupid? I hope someoneis interested soon.

Hope everyone is doing well with their goals!! Doing progress weigh in and measurements next Monday. Eek!