Final’s season is every university student’s nightmare, the sad reality being a semester’s worth of procrastination leads up to many late nights spent cramming and crying over stacks of notes with boxes of cookies in hand. Unfortunately, the result is a lack of sleep and unhealthy eating habits. However, below is a list of tips to combat the typical weight gain during finals season.
1. Stay Hydrated
Drinking a lot of water during your study time is equally important to combat weight gain while maximizing brain gain. In terms of weight, water contains no caloric content and actually helps the body to metabolize fat. At the same time, according to recent studies being hydrated does wonders for test takers as those who are fully hydrated had up to 10% higher test results. On average, a fully hydrated woman should be drinking about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day.
2. Eating Breakfast
Breakfast is commonly described as the most important meal of the day and rightfully so. Eating a healthy breakfast is very important while you are studying for exams as it improves concentration and provides your brain with the necessary nutrients to solve complex problems. This also happens to be one of the most important weight loss tips considering a morning meal fast tracks your metabolism for the remainder of the day. An ideal healthy breakfast should include protein, calcium and fibre, yum!
3. Snack Appropriately
Eating a snack or two between meals can sideline hunger so that you don’t inhale the dining room table when dinner finally rolls around. I am quite familiar with bad snacking habits and how hard they are to break, my guilty pleasure while studying is chocolate, which happens to be high in calories and fat. I find the key to counter bad snacking is to keep chewing, whilst snacks such as edamame beans, almonds and apple slices are great ways to curb hunger and avoid the bad fats associated with chips.
4. Natural Energy Boosters
The Starbucks on Sherbrooke never sees more action than during exam season, as students fuel their study sessions with lots of caffeine. Sure, coffee can seem like your tasty saviour, but it’s not healthy for you to drink it every day. These sugary drinks can be an enemy for your waistline and heart health. Try substituting coffee and energy drinks with some green tea. Tea in general, actually gives you plenty of natural energy without the negative effects coffee leaves on your body.
5. Go On Study Walks With Friends
Keep active and maintain your social life by taking walks around the ghetto with friends. Being around people and taking study breaks is good for your mental health, and walking is a great way to get some exercise. Even though the Montreal winter can be terrifying, the fresh air and natural light outside is good for you and will give you an energy boost.
6. Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep
Naturally, students everywhere are pulling all-nighters to accommodate for a semester’s worth of procrastination, but not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to your health and attention span. The goal for students should be to try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night, to ensure you don’t get worn out. Controlling your sleep schedule helps you create a solid studying agenda which will maximize your productivity.
McGill finals are stressful enough without the added worry of gaining weight prior to seeing all your family and friends during the holidays. With the help of these tips, you can avoid establishing unhealthy habits and losing your mind over days without sleep. Essentially, doing everything in moderation will minimize the lasting effects of finals.
Images Obtained From:
https://img3.stockfresh.com/files/e/elenaphoto/m/50/124013_stock-photo-g…
http://www.letmegroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Health-Benefits-Of-…
http://www.zoeticnutrition.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/healthy-snacks.jpg
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/DSC_7766.jpg
https://cdn1.dailyhealthpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/13-how-much-…