This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.
We all want that “beach-bod” with six-pack abs and killer toned muscles all over. But let’s be real. We’re in college and we’re on a pretty tight budget. So while UREC classes are great, who has time to bust out those 20 hours a week and dedicate them solely to working out and eating right? No one, that’s who! So let me break it down for you with a few simple lifestyle changes that can help you get the body you want (it’ll be tasty, too!).
The first set of changes, as referred to in the fitness world, is “ABS DIET POWER”. Each letter in this acronym stands for a different food or food group that work to prevent heart disease, cancers, obesity, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular health and more!
A- almonds and other nuts (keep the skin intact…it carries most of the nutrients)
B– beans and other legumes
S– spinach and other green veggies
D– dairy products (either fat-free or low-fat)
I– instant oatmeal (try to go with plain and add fresh fruits instead of sugars or artificial sweeteners if you need more flavor)
E– eggs
T– turkey and other lean meats
P- peanut butter
O– olive oil (use this instead of butter when cooking if possible)
W– whole grain breads and cereals
E– extra protein (whey) powder (add in things such as milkshakes, smoothies, or just mixed with water)
R– raspberries and other berries.
Next are 11 simple changes that you can make throughout your daily routine to help you to feel happy, healthy, and full that also bring out your natural radiance.
1. Drink one glass of water every hour (more specifically, drink ice cold water). Your body will burn calories just getting water to a normal temperature to digest.
2. Drink 3 cups of green tea daily, it helps boost antioxidants and makes your skin look great.
3. Take vitamins daily, but not on an empty stomach- they need to have something to catalyze with them
4. Take cooler showers, your body burns calories warming itself back to normal temperatures.
5. Sleep at least 7 hours each night, if you get less than 7 your metabolism can lower up to 15%!
6. Do things for YOU! Get out of the house, paint your nails, de-stress.
7. Keep track of everything you eat, and be honest with yourself in relation to your results.
8. Keep good posture, 10% more calories are burned when you stand and sit up straight.
9. Eat lots of fiber! It makes you feel full and takes fat with it out of your body.
10. Count to 100 if you feel that you may be mindlessly eating. Chances are you don’t really want that cake or bag of chips as much as you thought.
11. Eat 100 calories 4 times a day rather than only 400-500 calorie meals. It allows your body to digest and regroup before devouring more than you actually want!
How can you burn more calories while eating? Well first try introducing more of these foods into your everyday diet:
Asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, cranberries, grapefruit, hot chili, cucumber, garlic, green beans, lemon, lime, mango, orange, peach, lettuce, onion, spinach, zucchini, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Also, another good tip is to eat more chewy foods. I’m not talking taffy or starbursts though. I mean lean meats, whole fruits, and veggies. Choose foods in their most “whole” state—for example apples instead of applesauce. This makes you chew longer and leave you more time to realize that you are full and prevent over-eating. Hearty foods, such as fruits, veggies, brown rice, whole grains and cereals, are not only chewy but these are loaded with fiber. Being rich in fiber not only means you will feel full longer, but you will also be getting rid of more when you expel the food later. Foods that take more work to chew literally make your mouth work harder (ramping calorie burn by 10 percent!) and increase the thermal effect of food (the calorie-burn bump we get from eating and digesting any given type of food).
Keep in mind these changes are just a starting point for you. There is so much more that you can do without breaking the bank and without you having to stress about getting to the gym every day! Give your body the love and attention it needs and it will pay off, but it does take time. Allow yourself a minimum of two weeks to begin seeing results, and it may take up to a month depending on the kind of results you are expecting. NEVER GIVE UP!