The 'Beginning' (but not really)

As I sit here chipping away and eating my frozen Tillamook Marionberry Lowfat Yogurt, (I cannot eat yogurt at it's normal consistancy - it makes me gag - so I freeze it.  Tillamook doesn't have the underlying yogurt taste in their berry flavors - so it's great for me!) I decided to tell you all about what I have done today to begin my journey - which begins tomorrow.  For one - today was the day that I decided to start my journey, but I made a few other goals/restrictions/guidelines today.

Goals/Restrictions/Guidelines:
Eat Breakfast containing protein!

• On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when I have later classes - some sort of cooked eggs w/ ham or something
  
• On Tuesday and Thursday, the dreaded 8 AM class days, pre-prep Hard Boiled Eggs or a Smoothie

Cook at Home!

• With less night classes - I have the opportunity to cook at home
• It's cheaper - healthier - and just better!

Pack My Lunches!

• Being a college student, I am surrounded by fast food joints and peers endulging in their fatty goodness, which is temptation galore, but it's so bad for me!
• I feel that I don't have much time for lunch - but I have more than I think and eating a packed lunch takes no longer than eating a fast food one

Practice Earlier!

• If I practice during my afternoon timeslot, I can go home and change and exercise after classes are over.  
• I can still practice later that night, but I will feel less guilt for exercising (or cleaning my apt.) when I could be practicing

OK - Goals/Restrictions/Guidelines in place!  However - I need a few things before I can start exercising these.  So what did I do?  After putting my Christmas Cash in the bank, I went shopping. No - I didn't go buy pants 2 sizes too small in hopes that I would use them.  I went to Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com) in search for a much needed cookbook.  After all - you can't cook your own meals without knowing what to put in them!  I had very few recipes at home that I stole from my mother and a cookbook put together by the ladies at my church - which consisted mostly of casseroles.   My cookbook of choice:  How to Cook Everything: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food by Mark Bitterman.  Note key words: EVERYTHING, SIMPLE, and GREAT!  Everything: I need lots of options - I can be persnickety depending on the day.  Simple:  I'll admit it, I'm a cooking idiot, and this cookbook goes specific on the instructions.  Great: If I'm going to eat at home, the foods gotta freaking rock!  A few recipes I'm excited for:  Lobster Bisque ("No Soup For You"), Homemade Pizza, the many ways to Cook Veggies, Crepes, Cinnamon Rolls, and so, very much more!  While at the mall (where our B&N is located), my mom wanted to get her 50% off Sudoku Calendar, and while at the Calendar store, I found the Joy of Cooking Daily Calendar!  It has various recipes and tips - I couldn't be more excited!

After that I went online to LaptopLunches.Com to purchase my very own Bento Box.  This will help me take my own lunches to school with me and exercise a sort of portion control.  Any lunch ideas are TRULY welcome because I cannot stand home-made lunches.  I want to find a good Vinaigrette so I can eat some salads for lunch or something - but I want to keep protein in it too!  Indeed!

Tomorrow - though I'll be trying to 'start', I'll need to do some Grocery Shopping and such to get going ya know!  Thanks for your support everyone!  Comments and ideas are always welcome!
Live, Love, and Play,
Luna