Remember the days when all you had to worry about during the summertime was getting through those painfully boring summer reading lists and enjoying yourself on vacation with friends and family? Well, the minute that you enter the realm of internships, you realize that summer isn't as relaxing as it used to be. Don't get me wrong, you can still have fun when you have an internship, but staying on track is a much more tedious task.
Working 9-to-5 usually means waking up at the crack of dawn to get to your internship, sitting in a cramped, sunless cubicle for eight hours and then commuting back home. Internships provide you with great experience and a fantastic first look at what your life may look like when you enter the real world after college. However, they should come with a label that says, “WARNING: Internships will leave you extremely tired at the end of the day, with no motivation to exercise and craving alcoholic beverages.”
Going into my internship, I was planning on working out every single day either before or after work, cooking my own meals, detoxing from the copious amounts of alcohol I drank at school and relaxing on the weekends. I didn't realize that instead I would be resorting to binge-watching Netflix on the couch after an exhausting day of work, snoozing my alarm until the last possible minute, munching on the snacks in the company kitchen and casually drinking on the weekends with friends and family to de-stress.
Now as my internship is coming to a close, and the start of school is quickly approaching, I realize that I need to get back on track with my fitness goals and to start eating healthy. Not because I want to lose weight or am unhappy with the way I look, but more so because I just feel plain gross and low on energy.
Here is my plan for getting back on track this school year:
1. Make a plan.
I've found that every time I go off track, the only way I can start again is by making or finding a good day-by-day plan to follow! One great plan that I am definitely going to start following is Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide (follow her on Instagram at kayla_itsines). Her 28-minute long circuit workouts will leave you panting, sweating and chugging water, but you'll feel so proud of yourself when you're done. There are two editions of the guide each with 12 weeks of workouts included. She posts transformation pictures on her Instagram and website, and the outcome is truly amazing! Plus, all of the BBG (Bikini Body Guide) girls are so supportive of one another and can help to motivate you along the way!
2. Find friends to follow your plan with you!
Getting up in the morning to work out or hitting the gym after a long day of classes can be a struggle. That’s why I recommend finding a friend or group of friends to push through it with you! You can motivate each other to keep going through the sweat and possible pain! Plus if you and your friend start the same plan, you can also help remind each other that eating half of a Domino's pizza is probably not the best idea when trying to eat healthier!
3. Take it slow.
Getting back on track and seeing the results won't happen overnight. With that said, being able to successfully complete tough workouts after a summer of gym mishaps might not happen. Be patient and don't give up. You will slowly get back in shape and feel great when you are able to complete more and more rigorous workouts! Also don't expect to notice changes in your body right away! It has been said that it can take up to four weeks for you to notice changes in your own body and up to six weeks for those around you to notice changes in you! Give it time, it will happen! It’s all about sticking with it and not getting discouraged.
4. Mix up your workouts!
Most healthy lifestyle plans allow for some flexibility when it comes to cardio and your workouts. Try mixing it up so that your body is always challenged with something new! Go for a long hike, a hilly walk, do a yoga class or have your butt kicked in Tabata. There are so many fun options!
5. Find healthy food ideas that also taste delicious!
I will be the first to admit that I LOVE food. I eat anything and everything, which is great, but it can also be difficult when I want to stay in shape. Lately my go-to for healthy recipe ideas has been Pinterest. You can find healthy versions of all your favorite foods and don’t have to deprive yourself! It’s great! I personally love all of the healthier versions of brownies because they are something that I definitely can’t live without!
6. Start a food journal!
I am by no means encouraging you to start counting calories, however, I do know that logging what foods you eat can help to make you more aware of what you are putting in your body! For me, if I have to write down everything I am eating then I am much more likely to eat healthy, so I don't feel guilty when I have to write down four pieces of pizza or half a cake.
7. Commit!
This is definitely the biggest challenge for me. I am really good at starting to get back on track, but it is sticking with it that really brings me down. I constantly find excuses for binging on my favorite junk foods or for skipping the gym. My claims that “I will work it off at the gym tomorrow,” or “I will go twice as hard tomorrow instead of today,” usually just end up with me eating poorly the next day and skipping the gym again. So my goal for myself, and the most important part of getting on back on track for anyone, is to not give up! Believe in yourself and believe in your goals! Of course a cheat meal here and there plus skipping a few workouts when you really can’t get yourself to do it won’t kill you! But really push yourself to stay with the plan and to avoid unplanned binges or skipping workouts for an extended period of time! You can do this! Work hard and you will feel great, look great, and find the best healthy version of yourself!
