Change it up!

Let's face it, there is nothing fun about the routines of day to day living. With careers & school most of us are pretty much married to these schedules. However, there are things you can do to help ease the monotony of your routine without falling off the band wagon completely.

Mix up your meals:
Last semester, I fell into a terrible rut of eating almost the same thing every day. With the amount of Cheerios I was eating, you would have thought I worked for General Mills. While trying to be healthy, cost & time efficient, my meals were becoming as tasty to me as cardboard. So, I decided to stock up my kitchen with healthy, efficient meal alternatives. Some of my favorites are:

1. FAGE Greek yogurt with berries and granola, Kashi 7 Grain waffles with almond or peanut butter, & Museli with apples & grapes.
   
2. Weathering permitting, on your lunch break, eat outside. Trust me, it'll help you to not feel so stir crazy.
   
3. Prepare a meal or two. I know it can be tempting to go with the convience of prepared food especially after a long day, but it will do nothing to help your waistline or daily routine. Try preparing something easy for dinner at first like a simple summer salad.

Move it:
I work out 5 days a week, more so for physical & mental health than physical appearance, but I know how much of a drag exercise can be. The last thing you want to do at the end of a long day on your feet is put on your sneakers and hit the pavement. So, I have found some other ways to get my body moving even when my brain has stopped.

1. Turn it up. Put on your favorite music at the end of the day, and dance around. Time will fly and you will get in a great workout at the same time.
   
2. Watch it. You can buy exercise DVDs just about anywhere these days, and I have even seen tutorials on you tube. For me, I purchased the Celebrity Fit Club Bootcamp video on iTunes. It's a complete cardio and strength training exercise that can be done from the comfort of your own home. I nearly fell over at the end of my first 45 minutes.
3. Get out. Instead of stepping up to your favorite exercise machine, go for a walk or run outside. The time will pass much quicker than on the elliptical.

Make a date:
Whether you meet up with your friends, family, or significant other, try to do something social at least one night out of the week: dinner, a movie, yoga/pottery/dance classes, or even movie night at your apartment. Incorporating your social life into the work week will help with those Monday blues.