Spring break is just around the corner, and if you’re planning on hitting a beach but have hit too many drive through windows this semester, here are a few easy ways to help put you on the right track to a slimmer beach bod!
1. Drink Up! And no, I’m not referring to alcohol! Drinking plenty of water helps to keep your body hydrated as well as clean your insides by flushing out toxins. When your body is dehydrated it panics and stores whatever H20 you do drink, just in case. Not drinking water actually causes you to retain water and bloat, and nobody wants to hear the words “bloated” and “bikinis” in the same sentence. Try carrying a water bottle around with you throughout the day and start warming up for those 12 ounce curls (and yes, this time I am referring to alcohol).
2. Eat More Food! It sounds counter-productive, but eating actually helps you lose weight. Just like with water, if your body isn’t getting enough of what it needs food-wise, it goes into “starvation mode” so to speak, and ends up just storing all of the unhealthy stuff you ate last weekend (s/o to you, extra-large cheese pizza). Choosing healthier food options and making sure you’re eating enough of them throughout the day will help keep your metabolism moving and fat burning- being afraid of food won’t help your swimsuits fit better.
3. Get More Sleep! You can blame your professors for giving assignments that force you to pull all-nighters, but late-night Tweets and vigorous Vine-watching until 3 a.m. doesn’t help either. Not getting enough sleep inhibits appetite-regulating hormones ghrelin and leptin from controlling your cravings, which will cause you to feel hungrier and increase your chances of grabbing something unhealthy to munch on. 7-9 hours of sleep per night is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation specifically for young adults ages 18-25. Plus, the more you sleep, the more energy you’ll have, giving you the willpower you need to resist 12 a.m. temptations.
4. Veg Out! No, not on Netflix but on veggies! Eating your fruits and vegetables is super important because they provide you with the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly, and they’re loaded with antioxidants to help keep you from getting sick (sniffle-sick, not Svedka-sick—sorry). An even bigger plus is that 100g servings (about the size of a good handful) of foods like broccoli, carrots, grapefruit and watermelon are all under 50 calories, meaning you can eat up and still slim down!
5. Switch Up Your Exercise! If you’ve been doing the same thing every time you do to the gym or workout, you could definitely be hitting a plateau and not seeing any changes. Think of it this way: when you work out you put stress on your body which causes it to respond to the exercise (ie: you lose weight, gain muscle, etc.). Remember though, your body is super smart (brilliance is blessing and a curse) and the more your body practices the same workout routine, the easier the routine gets, and in turn, your body stops responding so drastically. Keep your body guessing by shocking your muscles with different varieties of exercise, like mixing in some resistance training if you usually only do cardio or trying a class that you’ve never done before. This will challenge your body to change just in time for margaritas in Mexico.
6. Ditch Liquid Desserts! By this, I mean the frozen mocha frappuccino with extra whip, the Red Bulls, and yes, the alcohol. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on your consumption after you set up your beach chairs! Until then, cut back on the intake of sugary drinks and empty calories that cause you to store fat and retain extra water. You don’t want to inhibit your slim-down success by crushing countless Budweisers with the guys (145 calories each= 870 calories in a 6 pack) or indulging in a mid-day Mohito...or three (225 calories each= the same as eating 2 brownies)--your six pack (abs) will thank you.
