It’s that time of year again -- where the nights get longer and life gets better. A year of college has ended, the sun is out and it's summer (also known as bikini season). After your first year of college, you can tell if you have gained some weight or not. For most of us, you realize if you have put on a few pounds at the end of the semester and you know that it's time to get back in shape.

The binge-drinking, greasy food, late-night pizza orders and dining hall food has come to an end for a few months, so you know that it's time to get back on track. With the right tools and motivation, you can (hopefully) get back into a good routine. Here are some tips and motivation for my girls during the summer.

Drink lots of water.
Water is your friend. After all, it makes up over half of the percentage of your body. Drinking at least eight ounces of water a day will not only keep you hydrated, but it will also make you feel more full. It's time to stop (for now, anyways) with the vodka in the water bottles and pulling the whole, “yeah, this is water” trick.

Exercise.
Embrace your inner Fergie and “be up in the gym working on (your) fitness.” We all hate the thought of exercising, but once you actually start doing it, it's really not that bad. Since it's summer, there are more options for physical activity than just going to the gym. Go on a run outside, go for a swim, go on a hike, take a walk with your friends, play a game in your backyard; the options are endless!

Rid yourself of unhealthy habits.
In college, our unhealthy habits just seem acceptable. We don’t think twice about sitting in our beds watching Netflix while eating Oreos, the endless amounts of Easy Mac and ramen, getting fast food at midnight, going for ice cream, drinking beer with friends, etc. Stopping these habits that you know are bad for you will give you both a physical and mental boost. You’ll not only look better, but you will feel better and your body will, too!

Don’t set unrealistic goals.
This will just make you crazy. You have to accept the fact that you’re probably not a six-foot tall bikini model and that is perfectly OK. Set realistic goals and you’ll feel better about yourself and accomplishing these goals will be a great feeling!

Sleep.
For now, you don’t have to pull all-nighters finishing a paper or studying for exams. It may sound silly, but sleep is actually important! Use this time to catch up on all of the sleep you lost last semester.

Follow a routine.
Set a routine for yourself! Waking up early, exercising before going to work or sleeping until noon, walking to work and then hanging out with friends is just one possible routine that you can get into this summer. Whatever it is, set a routine for yourself that works for you and stick to it!

Portion control.
Eating healthy is always a good start, but getting back in shape is much more than just that. Eating healthy isn’t going to be effective if you’re eating huge portions of healthy foods. Limit your portions because, honestly, every food is OK in moderation.

Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Don’t let the idea of losing weight take over your summer. Getting back into shape and a having a good routine is a great goal to have, but you can’t let yourself get crazy about it. Having good health isn’t about the weight you lose, but it’s about the life you gain.