It’s halfway through February and you know what that means—time to start over with the New Year’s resolution you broke two weeks ago. Please don’t fret, though. You were just setting yourself up to be let down with high hopes of shedding that persistent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s footprint within two months. I am here to tell you that you aren’t going to reach your Victoria’s Secret dream bod by spring break, no matter how invested you are. But the good news is that now is the the perfect time to establish healthy lifestyle habits and build the foundation for a strong and confident next 8 months on the pathway to reaching your goals (at least until Halloween rolls around…). Here is what you should not do before March 17th, because cramming for weight loss is just about as ineffective (and much more harmful) as pulling an all-nighter for that Econ exam you nearly failed last semester.
1. Don’t be extreme.
If you are reading this article, I assume you’d like to lose some weight or get toned or maybe even “shredded.” And chances are you’d like to stay this way after break. So don’t skip meals. Do not slave away on the stair master for hours. You may lose some water weight in the next month, but depriving yourself with some crazy juice fast or fad diet may cause “decreased attention span, fatigue and irritability,” according to Livestrong. In other words, if the bikini pics are your priority the next few weeks, you will be sacrificing your grades, your energetic personality, and your friendships: not worth it.
2. Don’t be afraid to explore
Have you ever tried the hummus in the grains line of Stav Hall? Ever been bold enough to tackle the daunting rock climbing wall at Tostrud? How about the foreign tea flavors in the Cage? (Turmeric ginger I’m looking at you). Not only can changing up your routine surprise your metabolism and kick it into high gear, but keeping your body on its toes will make eating healthy and exercising less of a chore; you might even grow to adore it!
3. Don’t obsess over the scale
You may be tempted to open Google right now and search “how to lose 20 pounds in 20 days.” Please do not do this. Besides weighing yourself once a week with controlled conditions, it is best to go by the way you feel (stronger? More energetic?) rather than by that highly unreliable number on the scale (water weight gains are a real thing). Plus, muscle weighs more than fat, and building muscle will lead to a more noticeable transformation than simply losing fat and doing cardio (see #strongnotskinny on Instagram). Once you fully understand that weight does not matter, a whole new world of possibilities opens up!
4. Don’t be negative.
Understand that it took months to put on the weight you now so desperately want to rid yourself of, and it will take even more months to shed it off. So focus on your day to day actions that will add up to big progress, rather than focusing on how far you have to go. This negative thinking is completely unproductive and will only slow your progress when you become exasperated.
5. So what should you do?
Everything you hear over and over in weight loss articles is true. Workout regularly (aim for 5-6 days a week of moderate intensity exercise, 30-60 minutes per day). Eat 3 balanced meals a day and 1-2 small snacks if needed. Focus on eating fresh, non-processed plant foods with small amounts of fats and control your portions. Most of all, take it one day at a time and focus on the process because the small achievements along the way are almost more gratifying than reaching the end goal!
Motivating quote of the week:
“A river cuts through a rock not because of its power but because of its persistence.”
– Jim Watkins
Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/524507-the-negative-effects-of-a-starvation-diet/
Photos:
http://www.smartfoodfoundation.org/nutritional_education.php
https://heidicopeman.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/positivity/
http://www.solsticewi.com/losing-body-fat-vs-losing-weight/
http://quotesgram.com/img/famous-quotes-about-routines/13332366/
http://tbadal.com/lifestyle-photography/venice-beach-california