New Year, New You

Kelsey McCormack
Gamma Phi Beta

Not only did we come back to school with several more items than we brought home, we also return with hopeful resolutions for the new year. Unfortunately, most resolutions do not stick. And most of the resolutions that are created are those to lose weight. My knowledge of this is strictly based on the amount of new faces that are swarming the gym. Jan. 2 hits and suddenly there is a wait to use the elliptical. It’s too bad that most attempters end up back to their old habits of “I’ll do it tomorrow” and late-night pizza deliveries. But the avid and regular attendees are thrilled mid-February when there is a treadmill available that isn’t in between two other treadmills in use by sweaty strangers too close for their liking. By the end of March, the Rec seems like a ghost town when spring break ends and the desired beach bod isn’t as desirable. 

As nice as it is to have more space at the gym, it is upsetting that becoming more healthy cannot be a year-round goal. I have discovered a few useful tricks to help ensure that you can stick to a routine and your resolution this new year. 

Don’t expect instant satisfaction. Losing weight is a process. Working out a few days is not going to change the unwanted number you see just North of your toes. It can take a normal person several weeks to lose anything.

Cardio is key. The magazine articles and fitness pins on Pinterest showing you that planks and crunches are going to give you rock hard abs are misleading. While it will not hurt to do these exercises, cardio is what is going to knock off the fat along with strength training. 

Now, not later. Stop scrolling through Facebook and go to the gym. Putting it off is only going to make it never happen. The fit celebrities on the covers of magazines don’t sit on their futons. They get up and work for it. Like any other aspect of life, you get out of it what you put into it. (Yeah, they also pay ridiculous amounts of money for personal trainers but that’s beside the point).

Eat. Skipping meals seems like a great way to cut calories, but then your next meal you will end up overeating or snacking. This includes fad diets such as The Special K. Sure, eating only cereal for two weeks straight will probably help, but you are depriving your body of nutrients that it needs. Once you return to a normal diet, the pounds will pile back on incredibly faster than they came off. As a college student, it is easy to skip breakfast because we are either jumping out of our beds 12 minutes before our 8 a.m. classes or waking up at lunch time. Even though you are waking up late, you still need to have three meals. 

Find alternatives. The three meals a day you choose to indulge in can be delicious AND good for you. Instead of quitting your favorite meals, find similar alternatives to them instead. Put down the cheeseburger, and have a turkey burger or chicken breast on a sandwich thin. Toss away the bag of Cheetos, and grab a handful of almonds.

Read carefully. Just because a six-piece McDonald’s chicken nuggets have less than 300 calories, does not mean they do not contain fat and whatever other secret ingredients they stuff in that breaded pouch. It is not always about calories. Look for items with no saturated fat, low in sodium and sugar, and are also filling enough to keep you from gazing into the refrigerator almost directly after you finish your meal. 

Instead of a resolution to lose weight, the resolution should be to eat healthier and exercise more. It will prevent you from giving up. I once read that it takes four weeks for you to notice your body changing, eight weeks for your friends and family to notice, and 12 weeks for the world. Keep going. Hopefully at the end of March this year, there will still be a packed parking lot at the gym (even as annoying as it is for everyone else). 

Kelsey is a junior studying elementary education. You may contact her at kelsey-mccormack@uiowa.edu.