Getting a routine, setting goals, and sticking to them!

So for the last nine months I have been "unemployed" which has given me an opportunity to really focus on school and getting back into shape.  I have always worked out and tried to eat relatively healthy but being away at college there were always many temptations.  I have done Jazzercise since I was in highschool with my mom.  It was to the point where I was doing it twice a day but seeing very little results.  This was probably do to the fact that after a class I would meet up with friends at a resturaunt or bar and indulge in appetizers or drinks.  Working 12 hour shifts three to four times a week and being a full time student didnt help either.  Many nights after leaving work at 7:30 I found it easier to just stop at one of the many fastfood resturaunts that were right by my apartment.  I thought well I will work it off by making it to an extra Jazzercise class tomorrow.  Yes Jazzercise is fun and I am not saying anythign against it but it wasn't enough for me.  Once I had moved from Las Cruces and settled in Albuquerque I decided I would start hitting the gym with my boyfriend who also enjoyed working out.  I told him I want to go to the gym and I want to start lifting weights with you.  So he helped me get going and also introduced me to spin classes (one of my many new addicitons)  Together we both decided that we were going to start eating healthier and hitting the gym as much as we could.  In the beginning we started off slow.  He knew the gym part of it and I new the nurtrition part of it.  Anyone who knows what it takes to lose weight and maintain a Healthy lifestyle knows that diet is 80% of it and working out is only 20%.  Lets not forget lovely genetics also plays its role but only 10% the rest is completely up to you.  When deciding that you are going the start eating healthy and working out you have to set goals for yourself and really stick to them.  It isn't easy and you won't see results overnight it takes a lot of patience and time.  So the first two goals I set for myself were to start looking for ways to cook healthier and I wanted to lose 10 pounds.  I went through the kitchen cabinets and realized I am a huge carb junkie pasta, breads, and rice! I love it all!  Not all carbs are bad for you so the first thing I did was throw out all the bad carbs and replace them with good carbs.  Examples of good carbs are whole grains such as pasta, rice, breads, and oatmeal.  So with these two goals set I started off.  Within the first month I was down the ten pounds and was eating healthier.  First two goals accomplished time to set new ones.  I decided ok now time to lose another ten pounds, start defining my muscles, and add more yummy clean foods to my diet. I started looking for recipes, asking for fitness advice, and researching.  It was easy to stay on top of things because I wasn't working.   Well that wasn't going to last forever so about a month ago I started back to work only part-time but I am still in school full time.  The first thing I thought was how am I going to stick to my healthy diet and get in work out time especially working in an office when there are many temptations.  I started planning ahead.  Every weekend I spend a day preparing snacks and easy to warm up meals for the week.  I plan my dinners ahead of time and get it all together in the morning before I leave so when I get home I just pop it in the oven or on the grill.  Nothing is ever deep fried and I use only olive oil or canola oil (great source of Omega-3's).  Another thing I though would be hard at work especially in a busy medical practice is getting in my 4-5 meals.  This has not been a problem at all.  The night before I make all my snacks an meal for the day so that when I get up in the morning I just pop it in the cooler and go.  I know getting up in the mornings is hard and many of us are always in a rush and don't have time to eat breakfast.  I have always been a breakfast person so I have to eat.  I give myself at least a half an hour extra in the morning to eat a good hearty breakfast.  Breakfast is where I do my most protein and my most complex carbs of the day.  This helps me get through the day without crashing mid-morning and heading for a donut or bagel.  I also have more energy throughout the afternoon when especially after lunch you tend to crash.  Since working I have become more determined to accomplish my goals and my will power has greatly improved!