Summer is finally here (thank goodness ha-ha)! This summer, instead of focusing on television and social networking, I’ve decided to make a more personal decision and focus on my body! That means eating right and dedicating time to exercise. I can honestly say I’ve never really done this before. My usual lifestyle consists of eating piles upon of piles of junk food. My favorite fast food restaurant is actually McDonalds. Fast food is ok to eat here and there as a “treat”, but it definitely isn’t healthy to eat on a regular basis. It’s filled with unhealthy things such as sugar, sodium, and trans fats, which can lead to serious health problems in the future.

The main reason I decided to make this change is because I want to feel good, both emotionally and physically. Over the past few weeks I observed that every time I consumed anything classified as “unhealthy”, I would feel sluggish and tired, and my stomach would hurt. Junk food can do that to you! Personally, that wasn’t a good feeling to have because final exams were literally right around the corner. Being more energized, aware, and ultimately happy is important to daily living, especially as a teen.

The first step I took so far was changing the things I eat. I can tell you that was NOT easy at ALL. Temptation will get to you; it’s everywhere. When you’re trying to eat healthier, the advertisements for salty fries, juicy burgers, large milkshakes, and cheesy pizzas become almost irresistible. I immediately stopped purchasing fast food, and started making my own lunches. I’ve come to find out that making your own lunch is way less expensive and takes less than five minutes! Today, instead of eating school lunch, I ate a sandwich that I made right at home, filled with lettuce, tomatoes, slices of turkey, cheese, and a pinch of mayonnaise, all on wheat bread.

Starting this week, I also exercised at home. In the morning, I decided right before anything else, I would put on some sweatpants, walk outside, and jog around the neighborhood park. Not only did I feel good about myself and my perseverance, but it sparked a new interest in possibly running long distance on the track team next year (hmmm)!

I’m so happy with my progress so far, even though it’s only been a few weeks. We’ll see how it goes for the rest of the summer!

-Christina