As the final stretch of the spring semester is winding down I have a question for you, is your body ready for summer? Thinking back on our New Year's Resolutions we bailed out only after a few weeks, and so the answer is no for most of us. Like Frank Ocean said, "we all try, the girls try, the boys try." If you need some help trying, here are a few tips on how to shed some weight and get your body ready for summer!
1. Close your laptop and lock your phone
Before you roll your eyes, hear me out. This is the hard part. We all talk about getting up and being productive, but cannot step away from technology. Why would we want to get off our comfy bed and get all sweaty? Believe me, it won’t be the end of the world.
2. "Get'cha head in the game"
Beginning to workout out of the blue is never easy. How can we go from being wrapped in a blanket burrito binge watching our favorite show on Netflix to going to the gym? Listening to the right music will help you to keep going when it gets tough. “Get your head in the game” because it's game time, summer is almost here.
3. Motivation is key
Finding motivation is hard, and to stay motivated is harder. If you start working out with a friend it can be easier because if one of you says that you do not want to go, your partner can be your motivation to go. Also look at pictures of fit people, whether it be your role model athlete or old pictures of yourself as motivation.
4. Cut out unhealthy drinks
From someone who used to drink soda and iced coffee every day, stop! Substitute those bad drinks with water and you will notice a difference. I know how hard that sounds, “cutting out iced coffee is he crazy?” Especially since America runs on Dunkin'. But trust me it will be worth it if you cut them out, trust me.
5. Switch up your diet
It was winter, we were cold and we did not want to walk to dining halls to grab food. So we got the next best thing: take out. College students chow down on Domino's and a plethora of Ramen noodles. Start eating salads instead. I never ate salads until I started working out, now a grilled chicken salad is one of my favorite meals. Making little adjustments in your diet adds up and you will notice improvements.
6. Consume less alcohol
Sounds like Mission Impossible for some college students. If you continue to keep pounding down drinks every weekend after killing it in the gym all week, you will lose your progress. I'm not saying that you have to completely stop, you can still have fun. Just cut back a little and relax. I'd rather have a six pack of abs than a beer belly.
7. Actually Workout
When in the gym, give each exercise your all and do not half-ass a workout. When cheating on a workout, you are not cheating anyone but yourself. Go hard in the gym and you won’t regret it. The quote "blood, sweat, and tears" comes into play because that is what should be left behind in the gym. Don't play yourself, word to DJ Khaled.
8. Cardio
Cardio is funny because it will be your best friend and your worst enemy at the same time. It can be your best friend because you will see a lot of improvements the more you run, ride a bike, use the elliptical, etc. However it is your worst enemy because some of us just hate running or sweating.
9. Stick with it
Working out for one day will not get you into shape right away, and neither would a week. You have to keep with it, stay motivated and keep grinding. Make a schedule for when you can go to the gym and stick with it. It is not easy to work out all the time but once you get the hang of it, you might start liking it.
10. Results
After listening to the pointers above, results should follow. It worked for me last year when I lost 60 pounds between Thanksgiving of 2014 and Thanksgiving of 2015. The weight should start dropping if you use these tips. Remember this, the only time you should ever look back is to see how far you've come.
