Finally, a much-needed spring break is almost here. Whether you’re going to the beach or just chilling by the neighborhood pool, you’re more than likely going to find yourself wearing a swimsuit at some point. With the Freshman 15, the Sophomore 20, and so on in full swing, we all may not be in tip top shape, and with spring break looming right around the corner, we could all use some healthy tips to help us get swimsuit ready.

1. Avoid Crash Dieting

With crazy celebrity diets and cleanses based around nothing but sipping on cayenne pepper-flavored lemonade, it’s easy to get off track with an unhealthy diet and skip a meal or two. Unfortunately, though, this will not provide the long-lasting results as promised, in fact, quite the opposite. While fiber cleanses and three day military diets may provide a quick, easy weight loss, the results won’t last long, and before you can make it to the sunny beaches of Cabo, your swimsuit bod will have returned back to how it was before. On top of that, you’ll find yourself stuffing you face with anything in sight. Avoid the starve-binge cycle and instead focus on several meals a day that provide important nutrients and vitamins that will give you long-lasting energy and keep you full.

2. Get Plenty of Sleep!

As a college student, it can be difficult to get that solid eight hours of sleep a night, but for weight loss, muscle gain, and overall health, sleeping is extremely important. Not only do you burn calories, but sleeping also rebuilds and creates muscle, and keeps you from overeating the next day. There’s also speculation that not enough sleep leads to a slower metabolism. So aim for at least seven hours of sleep, with eight to nine being the ultimate goal. Your body will thank you, and hey, it's just another excuse to sleep in.

3. Hit the Gym at Least Three Times a Week!

We all know that working out burns calories and builds muscle, but what exactly do we need to be doing to get into shape fast? While running, biking, and other cardio-based workouts are a great way to burn the most calories, don’t skip out on weight training. If getting in shape is what you’re really looking for, weight lifting will build muscle and keep you burning calories throughout the day, and having a mixture of lifting and cardio will get you on your way to a healthy body. That being said, don’t completely rely on the gym for your bikini body goals. Ever heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen?" This statement is completely true when it comes to your spring break body goals, and while exercising helps out, what you eat is the real deal breaker.

4.Enjoy Cheat Days!

Cheat days, also known as the best part of a diet, are something we should all enjoy. For some reason, though, a lot of people skip out on cheat days, thinking this will just cause weight gain, but in fact, cheat days help in weight loss. Having an occasional cheat day gives you the opportunity to enjoy the foods you’ve been missing since starting your healthy eating. If you chose to skip it, you’ll be more tempted to overeat when you come off your diet, and all of your newfound results can easily slip away. If you’re still not into the whole cheat day thing, then focus on eating in moderation, and have a sweet or salty snack every once in awhile.

5. Love your Body, No Matter How you Look!

Your body does a lot for you, and even if it doesn’t look exactly how you want it to, hating it and pushing it to levels of starvation or over-exercising will not help with anything. Take care of yourself, love yourself, and not matter how you look, stay confident. That’s the best look you can have for spring break.