For those Bentley seniors going to the Bahamas, today officially marks the start of our one month count-down…30 days until the Atlantis =) Whether you’re a senior at Bentley or not, use bathing suit season (which is right around the corner) as your motivation to be healthier. Forget dieting – we’re too young for that! Dieting is not effective for many reasons, the number one reason being: it won’t last. Sooner than later you will crave all of the foods you ‘forbid’ yourself to eat and when you do, you’ll most likely indulge more than you typically would. Our brains, bodies and metabolism’s count on us to provide them with ample energy (calories) to keep up with our hectic lifestyles. So, listen to your body, don’t deprive it. Instead of dieting, focus on living; living a realistic, healthy, satisfying lifestyle. I’ve created five guidelines to help students live healthier. If you commit to them for the next 30 days, you’ll feel great about yourself & confident to lay out in the sun.
1.Eliminate Fried Food: not the ‘food’ part, the ‘fried’ part. Continue to eat all your favorite foods, but prepare them differently. Everything that’s fried can be baked, or grilled, & most can be boiled. Consider this: a baked potato contains approx. 220 calories & 0.2 grams of fat. That exact potato turned into French fries contains 697 calories, 34 grams of fat and no additional health benefits.
2.Drink More Water: No matter how much water you drink, you could be drinking more. Water is our bodies’ best friend; the greatest natural purifier & body cleanser in the world. The more water you drink, the less hungry you’ll feel. How many times do you eat because you’re bored rather than hungry? (Especially late at night) Whenever you're about to snack at a time when you know you’re not really hungry, drink a glass of water first and then see how you feel. Hint: always carry water around with you (& constantly re-fill your bottle). You’ll be amazed at how much more you drink when you have water with you.
3.Sweat: It’s basic science…you won't feel good if you put more into your bodies than you release. Don’t just exercise – make sure you sweat! Wear a sweatshirt & sweatpants when you work out so you sweat as much as possible. The more you sweat, the better you’ll feel because the more toxins (fat included) you’ll be eliminating from your body.
4.Set Specific & Realistic Goals: Setting goals is so important, because it gives you something to work towards. Be realistic though – don’t set goals that are unlikely to achieve. Start small. Set a goal for tomorrow. After tomorrow, set a goal for the next day; eventually working towards setting weekly goals. Make sure your goals are specific, otherwise they’ll be hard to stick to.
5.Substitute Rather Than Eliminate – Don’t eliminate things you like from your daily routine or your diet – why make yourself miserable? Instead, think in terms of substitution. Let’s take bread for example. Next time you shop for bread buy a pack of 100 calorie Fiber One English muffins instead of a loaf of bread. English muffins are better for you in terms of calorie content, (a full English muffin has less calories than one single slice of bread), and they serve so many purposes: use them for sandwiches, toast, PB & J, as a bun for a burger/veggie burger, etc. Don’t not eat bread. Instead, eat the best bread possible. Wheat bread contains nearly 1/3 more protein, 3/4 more fiber, four times more zinc, & more folic acid, iron and chromium than white bread - such an obvious substitute.
No comments:
Post a Comment