Freshman Fifteen. Sophomore Sixteen. It’s like the impending weight gain never leaves us. College is a time where we are in our supposed to be in our prime socially, academically, and physically. But with the amount of stress CMU brings forth, the limited healthy food options on and off campus, mid day stress snacking, late night or drunk night binge eating, and lack of time to work out, it seems like we Tartans are running on no sleep, sugar rushes, and absolutely zero endorphins. Next thing you know, it’s November. Your pants don’t fit right. Your dresses for semi-formals seem a tad tighter in the wrong areas. Your stomach is looking like you are past your first trimester. The greasy foods, the fattening foods, and the alcohol weight are all clinging onto you too comfortably for your liking and you’re cursing yourself for forgetting your own health.
Lucky for you, there are many ways to get back in shape and prevent this from happening next semester!
1. Eat three meals.
I know this is hard. I have hated breakfast since I was a kid. I barely wake up in time for class, forget breakfast! Sometimes when I’m in my “hell week,” I barely remember to even eat lunch or dinner. Do not do this. It doesn’t matter if your breakfast is just a little baggie of cereal, a piece of fruit, or an energy bar. EAT SOMETHING. Same goes with lunch and dinner. There are going to be days when you are just not hungry. Still force a little something down. The best way to maintain a healthy weight and fat to muscle ratio is if you make sure your metabolism isn’t constantly being thrown off with odd eating habits.
2. Do not snack often and unhealthily.
It’s tempting to snack a lot when you’re stressed or you need some energy to get through a long study session or late night studies. It is fine to snack, but do not snack to the point that you do not have room left for main meals. A snack is supposed to fill in that time gap between lunch and dinner to keep you going, or even during a late night at the library. It is not supposed to replace meals. If you know you need to snack often throughout the day, snack healthily. Eat nuts, fruit, yogurt parfait, power bars, or even a small bag of blander crackers that are not covered with sodium or fat.
3. Dedicate certain time slots to fitness.
It doesn’t matter how hellish your week is, you need to set a goal of how many hours you want to work out per week. I used to aim to work out four times a week, each time varying from forty-five minutes to an hour and half. When work started building up, I knew I had to narrow it down to maybe only twice or three times a week if I was lucky. Either way, I knew that I had to work fitness into my schedule. This not only helped me work faster and more efficiently in order to make it to the gym, it also kept me more energetic by allowing me to pump some endorphins through my system. Yes, it seems like allocating time is impossible but you can do it! If it means watching less TV or not hanging out with your friends in order to get your work done in time, do it.
4. Replace carbs with protein.
After a workout, you may be ravenous or barely hungry for a bit. Regardless, it is crucial to put some protein in your system. Working out means you are turning fat into muscle. In order to gain muscle, you have to eat more to gain some “fat” to burn and turn into muscle. The only way to really gain muscle is by consuming protein. Don’t forgo the protein, ladies!! Do it for the toned legs, abs, and arms.
5. Detox every now and then.
I would tell you to watch what you eat, but it’s almost impossible. If you head out to a restaurant in town, there is no way of telling what oil or how much grease is in your meal. Not every dining place on campus uses healthy ingredients either. So while it is wise to be more selective with what you put into your body, it is also good to combat the bad ingredients through detoxing. Detoxing includes flushing out fatty foods with citrus fruits, drinking or eating things with antioxidants (such as berries), consuming more vegetables, cutting out all types of complex sugar for a week or so, limiting beverages to just water, replacing coffee with tea, or even going on a healthy cleanse once or twice a month. Those include consuming plenty of fiber and vitamins for a bit, or sweating out toxins through hot showers, yoga, or saunas.
6. SLEEP.
Irregular sleep patterns not only mess with our mental agility but also our metabolism, which can cause weight gain. Sleep is important! I know that studying that extra chapter for tomorrow’s exam seems crucial, but you may remember more by getting enough sleep than you will by cramming till the crack of dawn. Sleeping will prevent your immune system from being down and give you the energy you need for the next day!
So there you have it. Six easy ways to get back on the healthy track! Do keep in mind that it is easier to gain weight than lose weight. Everything will take time, so don’t worry if it takes till early next semester for you to get back to where you were. Also keep in mind that the number on the scale does not matter. What matters is the fat to muscle ratio on your body and how healthy you look, feel, and are.
Grab your sneakers. I’ll see you on the elliptical, Lady Tartans!