Your freshman year of college has come to an end, and as you look in the mirror, you realize you've put on quite a bit of weight. Was it the midnight trips to the diner? Or the countless vodka sours and tequila sunrises? Maybe it was the endless stream of free food found pretty much anywhere on a college campus. Regardless, you've packed on the pounds, and now desperately want to lose them before summertime. Here's how.
1. Know your goals.
How can you achieve what you want if you don't even know what that is? You might be saying, "Uh, yes I do. I obviously want to lose weight." But that's not specific enough. That's not a goal that will work. That's like saying, "I want to be a millionaire." Anyone can say that, but without a very specific plan to get there, it won't happen.
Make goals and don't be afraid of them. Do you want to fit into that dress that's been sitting in your closet? Put it on the list! It can be scary because you don't want to feel like a failure if you don't get there, but you certainly won't fit into that dress without trying.
2. Do not go from zero to 100.
It's a marathon, not a sprint. Now that we've gotten that cliche out of the way, I want to truly emphasize that you can't just go from zero to 100. It's unrealistic and it just won't work. I've seen it a million times before. People decide they're going to eat nothing but fruit and veggies on Monday, but come Wednesday, they're binging on Twinkies, pizza and everything in between.
So what's a gal (or guy) to do? Make. Subtle. Changes.
They key is to cut things out slowly, rather than go completely cold turkey and drive yourself insane. That means if you've been drinking Coke every single day for the past five years, don't get rid of it completely. Simply cut back. Maybe have it only four times a week instead. And then three. And then two. And then before you know it, you'll be ready to rid yourself of that bubbly poison altogether.
3. Realize that it's all about your diet.
You could run a mile a day, do Pilates multiple times a week, and have a killer ab routine, but none of that matters if you're putting garbage into your body. If you're serious about losing weight, then you need to be serious about changing your diet. Exercise is a nice supplement, but it really is all about what you eat.
4. Don't buy it.
If you won't buy it, you can't eat it. It's as simple as that. It always baffles my mind when people say they're going to eat completely clean, but then have an entire drawer in their kitchen devoted to chips, cookies and cakes. Are they just there for show? Of course not. They're there to be eaten. Don't even give yourself the option to fall off the wagon.
Pro tip: Don't go grocery shopping hungry!
5. Make water your new best friend.
I know you've heard it before, but if you're about to embark on a weight loss journey, then water is about to become your new best friend. Many times when we think we're hungry, we're really just dehydrated. Water has zero calories; it fills you up and it's refreshing. What more could you ask for?
6. Load up on the fiber.
7. Write it down.
I can't think of a more effective way to kickstart a health and fitness journey than to write it all down. Your food, your exercise routine, how you feel; everything. I know this might seem tedious to some, but I'm telling you from personal experience that it makes a big difference. Not only does writing force you to truly examine things you might have otherwise not even noticed, but it also holds you accountable. When I did this there were so many times I didn't want to go to the gym, but I did simply because I didn't want to write down a big "DID NOT EXERCISE TODAY" in my notebook, so I got my butt over to the gym.
8. Don't skip meals.
Skipping meals is like taking one step forward just to take five gigantic steps back. Not only does it slow down your metabolism, but it makes you that much more inclined to eat way too much later. When trying to lose weight, your first instinct might be to just not eat, but it doesn't work like that. It's not a sustainable way to live and I can guarantee you won't drop any pounds in the long-term.
9. Look at nutrients, not calories.
We're programmed to look at calories when deciding whether or not we want to eat this meal or buy that food. But really, calories are pretty meaningless and tell you nothing. Macronutrients, on the other hand, are what you should be looking at. There are three main macros that you need to worry about.
Carbs -- they've gotten a bad rep throughout the years, but all carbs should not be feared. Bad carbs (think french fries, chips and cookies) should be kept to a minimum, but what many people don't realize is that there is such a thing as good carbs.
10. Cut back on the dairy.
Did you know that the purpose of milk is to turn a 65-pound calf into a 700-pound cow? Its sole purpose is to literally increase tissue, growth and ultimately, weight. Personally, I'm not trying to turn into a 700-pound cow, so I'm going to be taking a pass on milk products.
11. Eat a filling breakfast.
Breakfast truly is the most important meal we eat. It determines how your day will go, how much you'll eat, and more importantly, what you'll eat. If you have a 100 calorie breakfast bar, chances are you'll be starving in an hour, and chances are you'll reach for something not so healthy.
Pro tip: I eat Kashi Go Lean cereal with soy milk almost every morning. It fills me up and tastes great.
12. Bring on the veggies.
You've heard it since you were a little kid: Broccoli is good for you. And not just broccoli. All vegetables have amazing health benefits and are rich in nutrients, vitamins and fiber, which will keep you full and satisfied.
13. Avoid the extras.
14. Throw away the scale.
Now, I'm not telling you to throw away the scale and never step on it again, but daily (and even weekly) weigh-ins have got to go. Yes, I understand that you want to see your progress, but this just isn't an accurate measurement of that. How you look, and more importantly, how you feel, are way better indicators of how you're doing. Weighing yourself too often could backfire and lead to discouragement.
15. Remember: this is a lifestyle change, not a diet.
Repeat after me: Diets. Don't. Work. They just don't. Your goal shouldn't be to lose 15 pounds and then revert back to your old ways. No, you need to turn this into a permanent lifestyle change. After all, what good is losing the freshman 15 if you're just going to gain the sophomore 20?
