Eating healthy is probably one of the hardest things to do. When you finally decide that you are going to change your diet and eat healthy, you feel like you can’t do it because you’re the only one out of your friends to break the bad food habit, and you feel like temptation is all around you. It’s really challenging to stay focused when your roommates order two large pizzas, one with pepperoni and the other with everything on it. How are you not supposed to give in? In your head it’s much tastier than that salad you had for lunch with no dressing on it. It is much easier to give in to the delicious pizza, but there is a way where you can stay strong and continue eating healthy even if your friends are scarfing down cheese balls and cheeseburgers.
1. Go Grocery Shopping Alone: When you go grocery shopping with your friends, you are more likely to buy unhealthy items because you are going down aisles that you don’t necessarily need to go down. You don’t need to go down the cake and cookie aisle. Going alone allows you to buy the things you need and not those foods that you want because they taste so good. You also won’t have someone saying, “It’s only a box of doughnuts.” You will be able to think clearly and make wise decisions.
2. Healthy Delivery: There are always those nights where you and your friends just want to relax and order in Chinese food or a box of pizza. There are two things that you can do: you can cook your own meal or order a healthier option. Cooking your own meal is boring, so just order with them, but instead of getting on the Hawaiian pizza bandwagon, order the vegetarian pizza. Every restaurant has healthier options that are tasty and have fewer calories; you just have to find them.
3. Mealtime Is Not Quality Time: Grabbing a bite to eat is usually the centerpiece to any social gathering. It’s just easy because everyone needs to eat at one point or another. You can go get your Chai Tea Latte, but then instead of sitting and letting your meal sit in your stomach, go take a walk. Do a little walking and talking. It’s a nice way to catch up and a great opportunity to get a light form of exercise in your day. Don’t always make mealtime, friend time.
4. Monitor Your Drinking: This is probably the hardest for college students. Cocktails and certain drinks can pack up to 400 to 500 calories. They are full of sugar and juices. I’m not saying not to drink, because that is quite impossible when you go to a bar on a Friday night, but order stuff for yourself. There are low-calorie drinks out there and if you buy them yourselves you won’t have to worry about your friends buying you something sugary. Another piece of advice is to sip slowly, because, you know the drill, if you are empty-handed someone from across the room will notice and march over with a drink that is not the best for you.
Make sure to check the Her Campus UCF Pinterest board “Too Fit To Quit” for healthy meal options that you can make with your friends and some crazy exercises that you can share with them as well!