Every year, the same story. It may be a fresh start to the second semester, but the same habits reoccur every year and it revolves around this saying, "New year, new diet." Lots of college students make this their resolution and only the strongest survive. Want to know why? Here are some tips and reasons why many don't follow through with their lifestyle change and how you can be successful this 2019.

For starters,

I am not a professional. I am just a college student, with a decent workload, involved in Greek life, and have multiple internships. I can't lie, it is very important to know your priorities and make time for what is important to you. Many people have been asking me to teach them my ways on what to eat and how to hit the gym, but the easiest answer I give them is it all depends on what you want and how much work are you willing to put in.

1. Start Small

Wrong

Many go on crazy diets that have quick results but trust me it may be fast, but as soon as you go back to your old habits you will gain much quicker. Many who indulge in crazy diets deprive themselves of the things they once loved and that their body miss. In this case, this leads to overeating and unneeded weight gain. Usually, those who go on crazy diets gain more when limiting themselves too much.

Right

My friends..... START SMALL! make an obtainable goal and a time frame that you want to achieve this. These goals include:

- Losing one pound a week

- Cutting out sugary drinks

- Going to the gym a couple times a week

The truth is one minor tweak to your everyday life will help you achieve these goals. Once you have achieved one, you will feel that satisfaction of not only achieving your goal but feel better and motivate you to keep going or even push yourself to do more! Only tackle what you can and consider your schedule because school always comes first!

2. EAT CAKE

Wrong

Just because the Kardashians don't eat carbs or cake doesn't mean you can. Professionals can do these absurd diets because A. They have the money and the staff and B. They are not telling you EVERYTHING they do behind the scenes. Usually, those who cut out the things they once loved overeat the treat when given the chance to or eat things that they immediately regret.

Right

Set a time in your schedule to treat yourself. Maybe it is a Friday after all your classes and all you want is a chocolate shake to reward yourself for all your hard work in the classroom and in the gym. One treat will not throw off your gym grind and will only motivate you to keep pushing forward. Many are too focused on the goals they want to achieve and forget to live in the moment. Trust me I am one of them and I have learned that life is way too short to neglect the time worrying about how much weight you have to lose.

3. Weight is Just a Number

Wrong

Social media is the worst example or reason to lose weight. Many who look to their favorite people on social media want to look exactly like the models they follow and never consider the difference in lifestyles and the amount of editing that goes into the pictures. NEVER COMPARE YOURSELF AND NEVER PUNISH YOURSELF FOR BEING DIFFERENT. The truth is your body is different than mine and we both have different goals and limits. Be proud of what you have achieved and what you already have.

Right

Learn to love your body! I have a booty and I am learning to love it. I use to hide my curves because people I looked up to didn't have them. People always want what they can't have, so only improve what you can and embrace what you have to rock! It is okay if you never look like a Victoria Secret model because I am not six foot, so there goes my chance. rock your own runway because you make the rules. use the scale as a helpful tool. Limit the number of times you step on it just to see progress and room for improvement. I limit myself once a month to see how I am doing and it is okay to never step foot on one. when I feel comfortable in my own skin, stepping on a scale is the last thing on my mind!

The truth is I used to be that crazy fit nazi that never had fun with their food and shut everyone out that did. Life was more stressful and I wasn't living it to its fullest. If you notice that your habits are going in a bad direction or you don't see the progress you want, seek some professional advice!

The most important thing is to stay motivated, motivate others, never shame others for not agreeing with your decisions, and always support one another. Never neglect the body you have and enjoy life to the fullest and have that slice of cake too!