The freshman 15 is a very real thing I once thought would never happen to me. I didn't find my motivation until halfway through my junior year, but I am here to tell you it is possible, even if it’s years later. Here are my five tips on how to lose those dreaded 15 pounds.
1. Limit your nights out
I was going out usually two, sometimes three or four, nights a week. I would start my night out with a carb-filled dinner because I thought it would help me not throw up later or have a bad hangover or something. Then, I would start my night off with a good, high-calorie wine or chase my vodka with a sugar-filled chaser. When I got to the bar, I ordered a Long Island or cranberry vodka, and I could never get just one. After the bar, I, of course, would be hungry, so why not eat a whole pizza and some chips and maybe some fries? Looking back, I wonder how my body even handled that three nights a week. It is OK to stay in on a Friday night and go to the gym and eat a healthy meal because I promise, your Saturday will be more productive anyway. On top of looking and feeling better, this also helped my GPA because I wasn't hungover every time I tried to study.
2. Stop snacking.
The easiest way I stopped snacking was not buying those snacks in the first place. When I went to the grocery store, I would buy things like chips and queso, Oreos and Chex Mix, so I just stopped buying those things. It’s that simple. Whenever I would go into my kitchen, I was forced to grab an apple instead of an Oreo because there was no Oreos. Super easy, but it does take some will power.
3. Get a workout buddy.
I always told myself I would go to the gym, but it would never happen until I got a workout buddy who held me accountable. For me, that person was my boyfriend. I wouldn’t just be letting myself down if I chose not to work out that day, but now, I would be letting him down. It’s also way less intimidating walking around the gym with a friend rather than by yourself. Finally, make sure your workout buddy is someone who will encourage and motivate you. Yeah, I would run a mile in nine and a half minutes, but my boyfriend always told me good job and acted impressed, even if he finished his mile three minutes before me.
4. Buy a nice water bottle.
This sounds so stupid, but for me, it worked. I was never a big water drinker, but you always hear experts talk about how drinking enough water every day can aid in weight loss. I invested in a Swell bottle that cost me $25. Yeah, paying that is ridiculous for a water bottle, but who is not going to use something like that all the time? I carry it everywhere and drink enough water now. This is just like when people tell you buy an expensive gym membership or cute workout clothes, so you’ll actually do the workout. On top of helping me lose weight, drinking a lot of water has made me less tired, and now, I suddenly have clearer skin. It’s like killing three birds with one stone, so do it.
5. Have a cheat day.
I never had an assigned cheat day. I just went with how I felt throughout the week. Sometimes, I would save it for Sundays, but there’s also times when I had three exams in one day and needed a pint of ice cream. Usually the day after my cheat day, I was more motivated to go to the gym and eat healthy anyway. Without having a cheat day, you might go crazy, and no one has ever gained 15 pounds over night, so live a little.
Always remember no has ever had a good workout or lost 15 pounds and regretted it.
