PHOTO: The Signal blogger Bianca Salinas. PHOTO: The Slacker Chronicles with Eric Yanez, The Signal blogger and social media community manager. Image by The Signal Staff Member Bianca Salnias. — The Signal blogger Bianca Salinas. PHOTO: The Slacker Chronicles with Eric Yanez, The Signal blogger and social media community manager. Image by The Signal Staff Member Bianca Salnias.

Exercising more, eating more and saving more

By Bianca Salinas Last updated Feb 10, 2016 149 0

If you are anything like me, you spend your time studying, napping, spending too much and eating more than you planned. I never thought I would be the epitome of the freshman fifteen gang, but, sure enough I gained fifteen pounds plus ten more. I never meant to gain the weight, but it’s been so difficult to maintain school, work, a social life and my health. I’m managing to keep these aspects in control, but maintaining my weight has always been an issue for me.

I come from a family who is predominantly overweight and I know how difficult it is to just say no. It’s so easy to order a McDouble and large fries when you are in a rush and on a budget. UHCL’s bookstore is extremely overpriced and I refuse to pay $3.99 for a cup of yogurt at the Patio Café when I can order a burger with fries and a drink for just a dollar more.

In this series, I hope to share my journey as I explore my weight loss options with a college schedule and a student budget. I am no expert in this field nor can I guarantee any results – I am only a student hoping to keep myself accountable and maybe even inspire my peers. I’ve gained twenty five pounds this past semester and I’ve seen how much my body is being affected.

This past week, I’ve made major adjustments to my diet and exercise habits and, although I am not where I want to be, I am closer than I was yesterday. A daily struggle of mine is figuring out what I should eat. I know skipping a meal is worse than eating something unhealthy, because our bodies maintain our fat. I decided to meal prep and cook for the whole week in advance. In order to begin meal prepping, I had to plan ahead.

Establish a budget
- Look at your bank statements and determine how much you are willing to spend, take into account any living expenses – and don’t go filling up your whole pantry.
Browse retailer’s coupons
- Couponing is a great way to save money and get the most out of your dollar. Any of your local food markets will do. It’s also a smart idea to sign up for any reward systems that any of the food markets may have. Also, sign up to receive any notifications on in store specials!
- Once you decide on a store, don’t go around and buy anything you think is healthy. Take your time, do your research, come up with a plan before you enter and have your coupons on hand.
Meal prep
- Don’t feel the need to buy a variety of foods. For the first week, stick to a solid meal schedule. Have the same thing every day, or every other day. As time goes, you will learn how to get creative with your foods.
- I went ahead and bought a week’s worth of Tupperware for lunch. If you want you can stock up for dinner as well, but I prefer to have all my lunches ready to go since I am at school during lunch hours.
Exercising
- A healthy diet is nothing without physical activity. Since it’s only week one, I decided to workout at least four time a week for at least 30 minutes. Whether it is walking, dancing, or playing sports be sure to get your heart rate up.
- It’s okay to break up your workout into sets. Decide which areas of your body you will like to improve on and work on those parts different days of the week.
Patience
- You might not be there yet, but you are closer than you were yesterday.

Photo: Chicken and vegetable meal prep. Photo by The Signal Social Media Community Manager Bianca Salinas. — Chicken and vegetable meal prep. *Photo by The Signal blogger Bianca Salinas.*

To begin my meal prepping, I decided to have three meals a day and two snacks throughout the day.

For Breakfast: I alternated between organic cereal, oatmeal, fruits and organic granola bars. It was quick, easy, and gave me the energy I needed to start my day.

For Lunch: I baked chicken breast thoroughly and cooked frozen mixed vegetables in olive oil. It’s also a great bonus to add brown rice to the mix.

For Dinner: I’ve learned it’s not a great idea to freeze a salad and let it thaw out the next day, because the texture of it is somewhat slimy. So I decided to take my time chopping up fresh spinach, kale, lettuce, carrots, and chicken for dinner. The more colors, the better! Feel free to add fruits and/or nuts.

Snacks: Snacks are a great way to stay on track. They allow you to get your daily fix without feeling guilty. Almonds are a great snack, they are high in fiber and get you fuller faster but they are quite pricey. Check out some other nuts that a re good for you!

As my blog proceeds, I will share cooking recipes and describe my weight lose journey. I firmly believe it is important to set goals. When you look in the mirror, don’t think about what you see at the moment. Think about what you will see. Perspective is just as important as diet and exercise.