Changing your lifestyle and bad habits from 2016 won’t happen magically overnight. Bippity boppity boo you're not going to have an unrealistic Victoria Secret body in a week. Eating right and regular exercise should be priority #1. Accept that progress will take time, patience and dedication.
How to stick to those New Year’s Resolutions
1.Make one change at a time
One way to stay on track with your resolutions, is to make one change at a time. If you want to exercise and eat right don’t go to the extreme right off the bat. Running 10km and going to the gym all in one day will not only discourage you from the pain you’ll be feeling in the next week but it is also not a reasonable plan. Start small and work your way into things. This will avoid injury, discouragement and will help you maintain your goals long term. Start by eating only one bad snack a day and then work your way out of cheat snacks all together by the end of the week. Having a day off is also healthy so your body can have time to recover. Also, having a cheat day will satisfy your cravings so you don’t lose control of your eating habits all together. Same goes for exercising. Start by going to the gym a couple times a week. Eventually it will become easy to work in gym time into your schedule. Making one small change at a time is an effective way to reach your goals and keep up a healthy lifestyle long term.
2. Grab a buddy with a rocking playlist
Being responsible for your own resolutions can be difficult if you’re the only one you have to answer to. Grab a friend and make sure you both encourage each other. Keep one another on track with your goals. This will make cheating on your diet or skipping leg day a lot harder when you’ve made a pledge to a friend. Make a pump up playlist and head to the gym. It is proven that music can boost your motivation by 15%. If America's Top 40 will motivate you to go for a run. Play your playlist every morning to get that adrenaline flowing.
3. Have a mantra
Exercise and eating right is not always a walk in the park. Being completely devoted to a plan will be hard but recognize the long term benefits. Having a mantra can facilitate your journey. The psychological aspect of eating right and exercising regularly is half the battle. Having a phrase, saying or word to push yourself will be constructive. For example, Nike’s famous line “Just Do It” can be more than motivating. Sometimes we need a push that will get us out of bed in the morning before a workout. “Mind Over Matter” is also a commonly used mantra when it comes to willpower and pushing yourself in the gym. “Abs are made in the kitchen” so on and so forth. Find one that sticks with you and you’ll be amazed at how well these mantras can come into play when you’re feeling weak or taunted with irresistible temptation.
How to avoid the dreaded Freshman 15
1.Trade your Whiskey for water
Though water seems so simple, the benefits are miraculous. There are endless reasons why everyone should carry around their favorite water bottle at all times. To start, partying 3 nights a week will not only take a huge toll on your liver and murder your brain cells, it will also contribute to the famous freshman 15. Perhaps you've just put them on or you have been carrying them around for a few years. Either way, it’s time to take it easy on the drinking. Of course Country Pub or SRO is a must every now and then to alleviate stress but watch out for all those calories! Water is proven to promote weight loss, flush all the bad toxins out of your body, improve the appearance of skin, boost your immune system, relieve fatigue, increase your energy…..etc. In reality everyone should be drinking about 2 litres of water a day. Though that sounds a little excessive, you’ll be amazed at how great you'll feel just by simple drinking some good ol’ H2O.
2. Hit the snooze button
Sleep is an essential part of losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Roll over and hit the snooze button! Lack of sleep can not only contribute to an unhealthy body weight but it can also affect your learning. When one is sleep deprived it can alter your concentration, impair your attention, cognitive abilities and will hinder your ability to learn efficiently. Lack of sleep can be directly correlated to an increased appetite, hunger and obesity. Make sure you're getting a full 7-9 hours a night. For a busy University student taking a quick half hour nap is also a good way to unwind and catch up on your sleep.
3. Find an activity on campus that gets you moving
There are endless activities offered on and off campus to get you moving. The gym is an obvious one but isn’t for everyone. Let’s say you have a big test coming up or you had a fight with your roommates; what is going to be your go to activity to get your frustrations out? Is it getting a good pump in at the gym or is it heading down to Zumba? Find your activity and exercise will quickly become more enjoyable and help to alleviate stress.
Overall going to the gym and eating healthy can be quite the struggle. In University it is hard to find the time. However, if you stick to these little tips and utilize the school's resources, keeping off those new year's pounds will be a breeze. See you in the gym!
