It’s that time of year again! The guilt of holiday eating has faded away, and that New Year’s resolution to live a healthier lifestyle is looming over your head. The only problem is living on campus can seem like a trap. With the same options for food day after day and an intimidating gym filled with meatheads, it is really hard to stay motivated without getting discouraged! Don’t worry! This is your guide to overcoming those obstacles and transforming your lifestyle from drab to fab on campus.
1. SET REALISITC GOALS FOR YOURSELF.
The most difficult realization in regards to being healthier is that results do not happen over night. Transforming your eating and exercising habits is a gradual process that has many rewards in the end. Create weekly and monthly goals for yourself. This can help keep you focused. However, make sure to keep those goals realistic! Too far-out and you’ll find yourself giving up.
2. USE YOUR FRIENDS AS YOUR MEAL GUIDE!
With a limited number of eateries on campus, it is easy to get bored and forget paying attention to what you are eating. Have your friends hold you accountable and vice versa. Go out to eat on campus together, and establish what you each are looking for in your meal whether it is low fat, low calorie, low carb, etc. Then work together to find something on the menu that matches each of those criteria.
Can’t meet up with your friends today? Finding healthy options on your own can be just as simple! The Agora’s Einstein Brother’s Bagels offers a wide selection of healthy go-to foods. Try some fresh sushi with edamame (soy beans), or if sushi isn’t your thing, try a wheat bagel-thin with bacon, lettuce and avocado! Seymour’s Subway also has a large variety of healthier options, and all of their fat-free sauces are listed on the counter, as well as the fat-content for several meals listed on the menu. Another helpful tip to remember is that all of the nutritional information for each of the different eateries on campus can be found on the university website!
3. THINK OF THE GYM AS FUN!
Let’s face it. Very few people actually get excited about going to the gym and with good reason. You walk in, and everywhere you turn is a big, buff guy or a tanned, fit girl all of whom you know will show you up, leading to insecurity and embarrassment. Sounds like a lose-lose situation, right?
Well, not when you change your mindset! The main reason that people feel that way about the gym is because they forgot to focus on the reason they went in the first place. You didn’t go there to compare yourselves to other people. You went to improve yourself! And believe it or not, so did all the other people that are in that very same gym!
Another thing to remember is that a gym doesn’t have to be all weight lifting and treadmill running. In fact, the Payne Center at Southern Miss offers yoga, pilate and zumba classes that many collegiettes (and even guys) take! They are super fun and give you just as much of a workout as anyone else in the gym!
Transforming your lifestyle is easier than you think! It’s time to stop saying that it is too hard to achieve your health goals while living on campus. Many college campuses offer great food and exercise options. It’s up to you to use them!