Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

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1. My SMART goal was to drink 56 oz. of tap water 5 days/wk. I accomplished my goal this week!!
2. I have still been using my Nalgene while I'm at school, which I have measured that by filling it up just over 3/4 of the way twice during the day, I will reach my goal. I like to have fresh, cold water... so by only filling it up 3/4 of the way, I can drink that and fill it up again afterwards. Some challenges that I faced this week was the fact that I wasn't in school 5 days out of the week, so I did not have my water bottle on me. I had to count the number of cups (same size cup every time) that I drank, which I would sometimes forget to do, and which is tedious work. I still stuck to exchanging milk and other drinks for water though, so I was able to keep up with my goal.
3. I have been feeling a lot better about myself lately, simply by drinking more water. It's weird, but somehow it has been putting me in a mood that makes me want to exercise and eat better (more than normal anyways). It has also helped me curb my hunger at times, which helps with my bad snacking habits. 
4. This week I learned that by picking up one good habit, it has a tendency to lead to other healthy, good habits. I feel that I am cleansing myself, and that this gives me more motivation and energy to exercise. Sometimes you just need to aim towards one small step, and eventually you will climb the the top of the staircase!
5. This week I will change my beginning SMART goal of drinking 64 oz of tap water 5 days/wk. I've been successfully reaching my 56 oz goal, and feel that I am ready to fully challenge myself and try to hit the daily recommendation.


Blogged for the Eco-Chic lifestyle change Week 4 Hosted by Amy@Amy in the rain

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

 I decided to show some aspects (good AND bad) of restaurants that have to do with environmental issues. First off, at Perkins, I noticed that ALL of the lights were on, even though it was at the sunniest point of the day and lit up the entire restaurant regardless. 

They also tended to be very wasteful with their water. Only 3 people were drinking water at our table, and the waiter filled up a pitcher for our table, even though we hadn't even asked for refills. I'm assuming the water was just poured down drain afterwards.

Only a few of us drank all of the water or pop that we ordered. All of this waste also it just poured down the drain without a second thought. 

On the bright side of things, other restaurants do well with composing and recycling. At Grandmas, the restaurant I work at, we started separating our food scraps from everything else. We have biodegradable bags that we fill to the top, and then bring them to compost sites. 

I'm glad that I could find eco-friend aspects of restaurants. I expected to find all bad things, but actually found some good. I'm proud to work at a restaurant that contributes to composting, especially since we go through so much waste/food every single day. It's ridiculous to just mix everything together when it is so simple to separate them. Though it's a little extra step to do so, it is worth it. I hope that all restaurants find new ways to reduce their waste and start finding more appropriate practices to help out. 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

1. My SMART goal was to drink 56 oz of tap water, 5 times/week. I completed my goal this week.
2. I succeeded in obtaining my goal this week. It definitely helped that I have my Nalgene that measures the amount of water that I drink. I've also been working out during the week, and I have been drinking a lot more water so that I won't get dehydrated. However, I am still struggling with drinking as much water during the weekends. I don't carry my Nalgene around with me, so I'm not sure how much I actually drink. 
3. I feel very proud of myself being able to achieve my goal. I've always liked water, but it's an extra incentive to have to drink 56 oz each day of the school week. I haven't felt thirsty of dehydrated this entire week.
4. I've learned that by simply setting goals for oneself, it changes your way of thinking. I didn't think that it'd be as easy to drink such amount of water.
5. I plan on keeping the same goal this week, I feel that I still had to work towards achieving it, but still was able to obtain it. 


"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain."

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

1. My SMART goal was to drink 64 oz. of tap water 5 days/wk. Though I DID drink much more water than I usually do, I could not fully achieve this goal throughout the week.


2. I always keep my nalgene hooked onto my backpack at school, so that way I am reminded to constantly be drinking water. Also, a few times I exchanged beverages such as milk or iced tea with water at meals. As goofy as it sounds, a challenge that I faced was always having to go pee when I drank all of that water!! It's quite obnoxious having to go in between every class. Another challenge was that if I did not drink 64 oz one day during the week, I'd have to try and compensate over the weekend and I did not bring my water bottle with me everywhere, so I didn't know how much I was actually consuming. 


3. I've been actually very content with how hydrated I've been this last week. I rarely get the feeling of thirst, and it is actually becoming easier to incorporate water into my lifestyle as I continue on through the week. It is not so much as of a force to make me drink it, I actually WANT to drink it. 


4. I learned that it is so important to keep hydrated. I feel like I have more energy, and I know that it is actually refraining me from drinking other substances that may not be as beneficial. 


5. For week 2, I think that I will alter my goal a little by drinking 56 oz of water 5 days/wk, instead of 64 oz. The daily recommendation is 64 oz, but since I did not reach my goal every day for 5 days, I want to see if I can achieve it by lowering my intake by 8 oz (1 glass) of water. If I achieve my goal then, I plan on increasing my intake again. 


"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain"

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

1. I will drink 64 ounces (2 full Nalgene water bottles) of tap water every day, 5 days a week.


2. This goal is eco-chic because I am going to be measuring my water intake with my BPA-free water bottle and I will be drinking tap water, which both reduce the amount of plastic bottles being used and wasted. Not to mention, it is pushing me to consume the daily recommended amount of water needed.


3. I chose this SMART goal because I feel as if I am dehydrated a lot, and am not getting a sufficient amount of water in my diet. Water is essential to life and our state of functioning, and I think it will really benefit me. I think that by carrying my Nalgene with me to school every day, I can reach my goal and will hopefully see results soon. 


 "Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain."