Post Spring Break Reality Check

Chances are many of you participated in the 3 week power-slim down leading up to Spring break. Now that you’ve returned, those chips and guacamole binges and beer bongs have caught up to you. Sound familiar? Before you let it all go, remind yourself summer is not too far away and that bikini will be beckoning you once again. This is the perfect time to really implement a healthy lifestyle so that you never have to power-diet like that again.

I’ve always said nutrition is 80% of losing/maintaining weight. That doesn’t mean exercise isn’t important. It is possible to lose a significant amount of weight just by eating right whereas that is not necessarily true just by exercising.

Both diet and exercise are ideal but let’s be honest, sometimes our college lifestyle just does not allow for that. Our lifestyle is the environment for healthy living. Staying up late to cram for an exam throws our sleep cycle off which is detrimental to our bodies. Fast-food or cheap cafeteria food is typically our only choice making it near impossible to make healthy food decisions. To make matters worse we hardly have a moment to ourselves and to fill that ever-shrinking time with exercise is less than desirable.

It is difficult but not impossible. Simple things like walking rather than taking the bus, take the stair rather than the elevator, pack an apple and string cheese instead of resorting to unhealthy snack options. The key is to plan. Trust me when I say you will feel better, have more energy and prevent illness. Make the change now so come summer you can throw on that bikini and feel ready for fun in the sun!