Oh no, it’s October and you’ve been eating the same sandwich and chips for the past month of school. The dreaded “freshman 15” worries start flooding your mind. How do you find time to eat healthy, do your homework and go to the gym all in one day? Not to mention, everyone needs a social life, lets be real, we’re in college. So now there’s the pressure to eat healthy, go to the gym, finish your homework and find time to make new friends. HOW can anyone do that is the real question.
Here are six ways to complete the hardest college challenge; being healthy.
1. Replace your midnight cookie snacks with veggies: Okay, I know, veggies aren’t any fun. Discover your favorite vegetable whether it be tomatoes, celery or cucumbers, grab a handful and chow down. You’ll feel much better about yourself afterwards and when you wake up the next morning after eating those rather chocolate chip cookies.
2. Dress for the gym: Every time I throw on my Nike air maxes and a pair of leggings, I automatically feel like going for a run. Classes can be stressful and take up a lot of time but dress for the gym and head there after your last class of the day even if it’s just for 45 minutes. It’s a short period of time but the results will go a long way.
3. Have a salad for one meal out of the day: Instead of packing carbs into every meal, go with a light salad. There are tons of ways to make a salad interesting. Load up your dining hall plate with the greens, stack on the veggies or throw on some grilled chicken with a fun choice of dressing. Bon Appétite!
4. Portion control: It’s all about moderation. Just because the plate is huge, doesn’t mean that the chicken alfredo that’s calling your name has to fill the entire plate. Put a small scoop on your plate and fill the rest of your plate up with the healthiest dining hall findings. It may be hard to work with the same foods everyday, but not impossible!
5. Cheat day: If you were groaning at all of the healthy options above, here’s your relief. Everyone deserves a cheat day. Choose a day out of the week where you don’t focus so much on healthy eating, and give yourself a break. Having a cheat day will motivate you for the rest of the week to eat clean and feel your best.
6. Find a workout routine: With all of the Instagram and Facebook pages dedicated to clean eating and working out, there is bound to be a workout routine that works for you. Follow some inspirational people and come up with what workouts are best for you when you’re at the gym. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself!
I know clean eating and working out can be a serious challenge, but once you make it part of your daily routine, it will become much easier. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day to make it all work, but you’ll never know if you don’t try. Use that cheat day for motivation, get to working out and make salads your friend.