Jessie Opoien, Editor in Chief:

I’m probably in the worst shape of my life. I was told this would happen when I stepped into the role of editor in chief, but I didn’t entirely believe it. I’m almost always eating in a rush or on the go, which means unless I cook something in advance, I eat a lot of takeout. I think I’ve worked out a total of three times during this academic year. My clothes are a little tighter than they used to be, and I don’t have much energy. I’m tired of being one of those girls who complains about getting her picture taken.

I’d like to lose about 20 pounds, but I’m not very concerned with the number, as long as I get in shape. I want to fit back into my favorite clothes by the end of the semester, and get rid of the flab that comes from too much soda and pizza.

I don’t have much time to dedicate to food – so if I don’t plan ahead, it’s either takeout or go without. You can guess which option I choose, most days. When I’m stressed, I crave things like cheeseburgers and chocolate – not together, of course. The convenience of unhealthy food, combined with the fact that I’ve always used food as a comfort and a reward, makes eating healthy difficult at times. Because of my busy schedule, I really don’t have much time to work out – and when I do have time, I’m really tired. Oh…and if you couldn’t tell, I’m really good at making excuses to avoid taking responsibility for my health and fitness.

I love to cook, so I’m looking for healthy recipes all over the place. My mom gave me a book called “The Flat Belly Diet,” which has a lot of easy, tasty recipes. I figure if I can cook a large portion of a healthy meal, I can eat healthy leftovers in place of takeout throughout the week. I’m doing my best to cut out soda, but I’ll allow myself the occasional Coke. I’m also going to start working out regularly. I’d like to say every day, but I’ll set a goal of 3-4 days per week, to start. If I need to ramp it up from there, I will. I’m also using a website and app called LoseIt to track my calorie intake, workouts and weight progress every day.