I heart you, Jamie Oliver

So my friends and I are doing a Biggest Loser Competition together.  We started back in January and our weigh-in date of May 1st is coming up quick.  I've done well so far, but lately I'm getting frustrated.  Working two jobs is really taking a toll on my progress.  I'm missing classes at the gym that I love, and I'm also having to grab meals quickly which usually means fast food.  I've gained a few pounds back which is very annoying.  I know that I don't "need" to lose weight, but I can feel the depression sinking back in over that number.  I feel like a failure when I see that happening, and I especially don't want to have to admit that to other people.  Bottom line, making a lifestyle change is just that, a PERMANENT change.  It's going to take ongoing effort to make these changes stick, so I have to figure out ways to be busy and healthy at the same time.  I'm going grocery shopping today, and I found some new healthy recipes that I want to try.  I'm also gonna grab some protein bars and better snacks for when I'm stuck at work. I've become so much better about my eating habits over the last few years, and I just want that to continue.

On a related note, Jamie Oliver is my new hero.  I watched his Food Revolution on Friday night (mostly because I was too exhausted to go out) and I love his passion for helping people make proper nutrition part of their lives.  His simple, common sense approach is so refreshing....especially compared to constant adds about diets like Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig.  That is not the answer to the obesity epidemic in this country.  We need to get back to buying food that we actually recognize and can pronounce instead of all the over-processed junk we fill ourselves with.  I know I feel so much better when I eat fresh, whole foods.  I just need to keep up the motivation to buy and prepare it!  With summer coming I'm super excited for some really fresh produce from the Farmer's Market.  Yummy!

Wrinkle, Shrinkle

Ok, I have a general question for other 20-something females out there. Do you have wrinkles? I don't mean severe lines or anything, but do you have those annoying little creases in your forehead or around your eyes when you smile? I know I do, and I thought was completely normal. I actually can't remember not having little creases in my forehead. They are not super noticeable. You have to be about a foot from my face to see them. The only reason I ask is because I read this article in my Glamour magazine last night (which probably is not the most sound medium for advice) and they stated that in your 20s you should not have ANY wrinkles on your face. AT ALL. They said if you have wrinkles before you're 30 then you've been exposed to too much sun. Now I know that I have been burnt a time or 2, and I do go in the tanning bed once a week, but I have a medical reason to do so. My dermatologist recommended it for my eczema. I don't even stay in the whole time! I use sunscreen EVERY DAY and there is also SPF in my foundation. I just find it hard to believe that every woman out there under 30 is running around wrinkle free. I feel like we as a society are taking much better care of our skin than our mothers or grandmothers did. Goodness gracious, my mother was a baby oil queen, and she still only uses SPF 4 at the beach! I will continue to be devoted to sunscreen and check myself for freaky moles, but I refuse to believe that I'm "abnormal" because of a few little lines on my face. I'm pretty proud of those lines anyways. I think I got them from giving my students "the look" all the time in class. It's worked for me so far, and I will continue to use it to my advantage. ;)