Party Hard-Bodied

You have a healthy, well-portioned diet, you workout several times a week, and you have a healthy lifestyle, complete with taking the stairs and walking as much as possible. Yet, you are still unsatisfied with all your efforts to look like your most fabulous self. Perhaps, like so many collegiettes™, your partying is getting in the way of your goals and slowing down your efforts to fit in those new skinny jeans. Drinking does take a toll on your body and binge drinking is definitely not recommended for someone trying to get in top shape. However, it is still possible to have a fun and active social life without the side effects. Here are some tips for enjoying the nightlife without negating your efforts in the gym.
 
Limit your drinking to once or twice a week
If you drink more often than this, try to cut back. As you drink less often, your tolerance with decrease as well. A lower tolerance means you consume less empty calories to feel that buzz. Heavy drinking dwindles your bank account as well, so a lower tolerance equates to a slimmer waist and a bulked-up wallet.
 
Opt for low-calorie or no-calorie mixers
Diet sodas, Crystal Light packets, flavored seltzer and Jell-o are great mixers that have low or no calories. A misconception among many college girls is that beer bellies only come from beer, and liquor is much lower in calories. However, this is not true, especially when using high-sugar mixers like juices and regular sodas.
 
Go for a walk
Instead of going straight home after a night out, go for a long walk with a friend to burn off a few calories. It’s so simple and fun, especially when you have someone to chat with.
 
Dance! Dance! Dance!
Dancing is my personal favorite form of cardio, and in heels it’s a killer leg workout! Whether you are with a group of girls or a guy your crushing on, dancing is fun and carefree, especially if you’re a little tipsy. Additionally, if your night out revolves around dancing and music, there will be less focus on alcohol. You’ll be so in the zone, you might even forget the bar is there! So put on your boogie shoes and burn some serious calories to your favorite beats.
 
DDD (Designated Driver Diet)
My mom coined this phrase one Christmas when she offered to drive to my aunt’s house and not drink. If you feel comfortable going out with friends, staying sober and providing a safe ride home, go for it! It’s a way to avoid all the bad calories without seeming “lame” or like a “buzz-kill.”
 
No drunk food! 

If you want to party hard-bodied, drunk food is an absolute no-no. When our bodies are filled with alcohol, they focus on breaking that down first. Therefore, all the food we chow down on is stored as fat. If you can hold off, try to as much as possible. If you simply can’t resist, eat something healthy in your kitchen rather than fried, greasy, fatty food at Pugsley’s or Munchiez.
 
Water and Advil before bed
If you don’t want to wake up with a hangover (why would you??), drink two cups of water and take an Advil or ibuprofen before bed. Hydration is important for cleansing your body, and the Advil will fend off an impending headache.
 
Smoothie and vitamins in the morning
To replenish your body in the morning, take a multi-vitamin and sip a fruit-filled smoothie. This will give you natural energy and restore your body with the nutrition it craves.
 
The best way to spend your recovery day? Shopping!
Shopping is a laid-back form of cardio that can keep a girl on her feet for hours, without feeling like exercise!
 
It is possible to go out, have a few drinks, and have fun- you just have to be smart about it. If you eat right and work out several times a week, why setback all your efforts by guzzling beers three times a week and chowing down on a buffalo chicken roll with ranch from Pugsley’s? Enlist a fit friend to work on improving your party-habits with you. Soon enough you’ll realize you don’t even miss the hangovers or blackouts, and you will be proud to wake up without finding an empty pizza box on the table.