Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2!

1. My goal for this week was to eat fast food only once while eating more whole foods.

2. I was able to limit my fast food consumption to only once this week, but I struggled a bit with consistently eating whole foods. I was rather busy throughout the week so I ended up eating simple fast meals instead of taking the time to make a quality meal. I also failed to make it to the co-op this week so I was unable to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. My friends and girlfriend aren't big on eating healthy whole foods much so that has been somewhat of a challenge for me. All in all though I thought it was a decent start to my program.

3. I felt a little frustrated with myself for not making it to the co-op. Every time I ate a processed meal I kept thinking how I could and should be eating something better for me. As for fast food, it was hard to resist at first but after a few days I basically forgot about it which came to me as a relief.

4. This week I learned that I need to work on forming new habits. I'm not used to making trips to the co-op, so including that into my patterns will be important. I think with fast food its simply going to be a matter of willpower, and getting better at saying no to my friends when they want to go.

5. I think I will continue with my current plan for next week, however, I will also include an itinerary for the week so that I don't forget anything.

Eye Opener 1

The quiz that I took came from: http://www.iuhpeconference.net/pages/sustainable_conference/ecological_footprint.php.

The results of my quiz said that my footprint is about 4.5 Earths. Though I feel bad that I am harming the Earth, I can't help but feel my main drains on the environment are mostly out of my control. I did well in most of the categories except for power and shelter. In regards to me eating habits I felt I was right about where I should be. Being a college student I feel that there isn't much I can do to effect the power situation within my community other then using less power (lights, tv, etc.). Not having much money and climate also plays a big role in the type of shelter that I can afford. Though it would be nice to live in a totally green home free of electricity, I cant imagine it being possible to achieve considering my life circumstances and climate. The quiz and readings were interesting to go through none the less, and I plan to do my small part to continue improving my diet and consumption rate of electricity, water, and gas.