What to the ‘sup, fellow wanna-be gymrats and health gurus!
Anna’s the name and getting in shape is the game. I almost added ‘hopefully,’ but if I’ve learned anything from my dizzying journey hopping on and off (and on and off) of the fitness wagon, it’s that no amount of working out, eating healthy or changing your lifestyle will beget progress if you don’t believe you can do it.
But we’ll get to the inspirational pep talks later.
For now, let me introduce myself! I’m a 21-year-old junior at Northwestern University where I study magazine journalism. I have spent years worrying about my weight, ever since I became the first girl in my class to sprout a booty. In the years to follow, I went on fad diets and feverish fitness kicks in attempt to shed the weight, all with varying levels of success.
Then college happened. Oh, college. College is a time full of amazing and exciting new things, but dang does it take a toll on a healthy lifestyle. All-you-can-eat dining halls, calorie-dense fruity drinks at parties, Red Bulls to get you through midterms…and that doesn’t even touch on a bursting-at-the-seams schedule that made the short walk to the gym feel like miles.
Now, it’s three years later, I’m 157 pounds (23 pounds heavier than freshman year) and for my usual health-and-fitness-conscious self, I’m embarrassed to admit how hard I fell victim to the famous Freshman 15.
In fact, the only reason I’m happy to post my less-than-stellar stats on such a public forum is because I know my bod will soon be changing. Fellow collegiettes, I’m ready to start anew. So hello, SELF’s Drop10 Diet. Let’s do this.
And yep, I mean let’s. I’m only 8 weeks from being healthier, hotter and stronger, and you know you’re going to wish 8 weeks from now that you did it with me. That, and the more the merrier, right? If you’re interested in following along, you can read all about the Drop 10 Diet and sign up for it here.
I will also be participating in a social dieting game called DietBet. The concept is simple—pledge to lose 4% of you starting weight in 4 weeks, throw money in the pool, work your butt off, and if you reach your goal, split the cash. Yep, seriously: you can earn money by losing weight. Naturally, you’re going to want to join me on this one, too, so check out it here.
Wish me luck, collegiettes. And as for the Drop 10 Diet—bring it!