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Wellness > Health

Lose the Freshman 15: Tips for Starting the Week Off Right

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Ally Lopez

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Hey collegiettes™!
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Now that your Easter egg and chocolate bunny candy fix is over and done with, it’s time to get back on track and start the week off right.

I know we all loathe Monday mornings, especially if you have to wake up early for classes and finals (ugh, finals) but if you plan ahead, staying on track with your diet and fitness will be a piece of cake:

1. Plan your meals and snacks: Don’t be tempted by ordering pizza or Chinese take out or the appealing smells of fast food hamburgers in your student union building. Pack a healthy lunch and a few snacks to put in your tote so that when you sit down with your girlfriends that afternoon, you get sleep easy knowing that you only put healthy meals into your tummy.

2. It’s all in the numbers: I can’t be the only collegiette™ that would be totally lost without her planner. From group projects to reading assignments and student group meetings to lunch with the boyfriend, everything in my weekly 42b0a59aschedule is set in stone (or preferably pencil) in my lovely zebra patterned planner. Write down your weekly weigh in numbers, take note of your calorie intake, or even jot down your alloted gym time— keeping tabs on yourself will benefit you and your health.

3. Pace yourself: Whether you’re an avid runner or a beginner at cardio, you’re not going to get 901909 65093517anywhere any faster by not pacing yourself. I know we’re always told to dream big and that the sky is the limit, but sorry collegiettes,™ there’s certainly a cap here! Safety comes first! Start off with the smaller dumbells, the lowest speed setting on the elliptical, and maybe even the lower of the incline options for that treadmill– work your way up! You’ll get there soon enough!

Do you have any tips to add to my list? Let me know! Leave a comment below, e-mail me at allylopez@hercampus.com or  Tweet  me (@allylopez).

If you’d like to join Ally in her healthy, happy weight loss (and please do), go register for the Jump Start Diet on SELF.com and be sure to use the SELF logs to keep track of your daily workout and meals, which is an awesome way to keep track of your calorie intake and how much you’re burning off!

Have a great weekend, collegiettes™!

Love,
Ally

To follow Ally’s journey on the Jump Start Diet, check out her out on Twitter (@allylopez), and while you’re at it, follow the latest news from SELF (@SELFmagazine) and Her Campus (@HerCampus)!

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Ally is a senior print journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park with a concentration in magazine journalism. In addition to blogging for the Her Campus and SELF magazine “Lose the Freshman 15” program, she writes for the sex & dating section of College Magazine. Her previous internships include being a UMD “style guru” for the Web site CollegeFashionista, an editorial intern for ARCHITECT and eco-structure magazines, as well as a copy editing intern for The Working Press, a daily tabloid that covered the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2010 national convention. Additionally, she has contributed to the USA TODAY College blog. When she isn’t in her bubble of journalism, Ally enjoys spending time with her family and friends, spending insane amounts of money at the mall, and watching every flavor of the Real Housewives.