This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Iowa chapter.
Summer is right around the corner and everyone knows what that means: swimsuits. If you’re like me and need to lose a few pounds before you can be seen in that adorable new bikini you just bought, here are some tips on how to obtain the coveted “beach bod” just in time for swimsuit season:
- Don’t use a cafeteria tray – you can pile too much food on it and cause you to overeat. Only eat what you can carry to the table with your own two hands and never go back for seconds.
- Eat slower – you’re more likely to realize that you are full when you eat slower.
- Eat in moderation –Try using a salad plate as your dinner plate. This will help you eat less and keep the calories down.
- Dessert– Avoid soft-serve ice cream—one ice cream cone is 280 calories. Go for yogurt instead, but avoid the toppings. One scoop of yogurt is already 113 calories and when you add all of the delicious toppings, it really adds up.
- Don’t Binge Drink – The beer and margarita calories really start to add up—five shots of liquor is 1,000 calories, five beers equal almost 800 calories, and one 8 oz. margarita is a whopping 2,500 calories. Also avoid playing Beer Pong, Flippy Cup, Connections, etc. You will end up drinking a lot more than you thought.
- Eat Breakfast – I’m sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast in the morning makes you less hungry later in the day and helps you eat less at your next meals. Eating in the morning also gives you more energy throughout the day by jump starting your metabolism.
- Get to the gym – visit the rec center a few times a week for an hour. Make time out of your busy schedule to get a good workout in or sign up for intramurals. Get your friends together and join a softball league or sand volleyball is always fun.
- Stay away from fast food – as tempting as it is, it’s not good for you and I bet you already knew that.
- Set Goals – Set your goals, write them down, and work hard to achieve them. Make sure your goals are realistic. It’s always better to aim lower than higher and become disappointed when the results aren’t showing right away. Start slow and shoot to lose 1-2 pounds a week.
- Be positive –in addition to writing down your goals, write yourself positive messages or facts to remind you what you’re working towards and hang them up where you can see them. For example, “To loose one pound, you must burn 3,500 calories more than you consume.”
- Sleep!– I understand that it’s college and your schedule is hectic, but sleep is a must.
- Drink water –drink plenty of water! And if you get bored of water and resort to something different, like juice, make sure it’s 100% fruit juice—most juices contain high amounts of sugar.
- Don’t eat late at night –try to not eat after 9 P.M. it makes a big difference.
- Find healthy snacks –eat healthy snacks like fruit, whole grain rice cakes, pretzels, or peanut butter and apple slices. Also, don’t eat your snack straight from the bag or box. Poor them in to a little bowl so you can stop yourself, because we all know how addicting some snacks can be.
- Start a food journal –try writing down everything you eat so you can see where you need to make changes or so you know what you’re doing right. You could also start using an online calorie counter to keep track of your daily intake.
- Don’t beat yourself up –keep in mind that you will mess up sometimes, but it’s ok. It’s going to happen.
With all of these tips, you will be ready for summer in no time with your hot new beach bod!