The College Routine

The College Routine

Lately, I have been asked about my daily routine and how I stay in shape with such a busy schedule. Here, I will give you a basic layout of what I do every single day to help keep myself in tip-top shape!

Food Food Food!

Breakfast: 

Eggs, fruit, and a glass of water.

(or) Special K cereal.

(or) If I am in a rush (almost always), a granola bar and a glass of water. 

Lunch:  

I usually eat grilled chicken with some type of vegetable. Also, a side of fruit. I try to keep it around 500 calories. 

(or) Salad 

Dinner:

I like to eat something with carbs such as potatoes, and noodles for a small side. Then, I eat a piece of meat such as grilled chicken. I generally stay away from red meat.

(or) Salad

Here are pictures I took of a few of my meals this week. 

From left to right: Spinach salad with Mangoes, Hummus Wrap on Wheat bread, Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla with Lettuce and fresh salsa, Salmon Sandwich with salad, Chicken breast with Tomato soup cup and salad, and lastly, Spinach and Bean salad. 

IMPORTANT 

- Keep a small snack with you throughout the day. I do this to keep my metabolism going!

- If you are choosing from the items in a school cafeteria, PAY ATTENTION to the nutrition facts! 

- If you have the opportunity to eat fish at least twice a week, do it! However, if it is fried, take off the breading. The fried part is where all the fat is. 

Read more about the benefits of eating fish here: https://www.drgourmet.com/eatinghealthy/meddietfish.shtml

- Be creative! There is a lot more in your school cafe than you think! Cut up some fruits or vegetables to make your own kind of healthy wrap or sandwich! 

Keep Track

I use the MyFitnessPal app on iPhone to record the calories I put into my body, and burn off each day!

Workouts!

Cardio:

Personally, I love cardio. I try to fit in cardio at least three times a week. I find that the stair climber at the works really well! It burns over 200 calories in only 20 minutes. Oh, and it gives you a fantastic butt! I also run on the treadmill for at least ten minutes a day. The bike is also one of my favorites on those days I am feeling tired, but still want to get some cardio in. 

Toning:

Squats (my favorite) 

Jump Squats

Free Weights

Lunges

Crunches

Burpee

Opposite arm leg raise

Plank

Leg lifts
+ many many more!

Note: I do not do all of these workouts every day. When I come in for my daily workout (even if it’s only 40 minutes), I try to target one area for the day. Be sure to stretch so you don’t get cramps in the middle of the night. 

Read more about the top 10 best workouts here: 

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/the-top-10-best-exercises-us-en/

Read more about the best ab workouts here:

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/abs/exercises/top-10-abs-exercises/

Protein!

I usually have a scoop of protein mix after my workout mixed into water or skim milk. 

Read more about the protein powder I use here:

http://shop.lifetimefitness.com/Nutritional-Products/Life-Time-Fitness-Peak-Performance-Whey-Protein-Isolate.asp

If you are looking to lose weight and want to have protein as a meal replacement, I highly recommend fast fuel complete. 

Read more about fast fuel here:

http://shop.lifetimefitness.com/Nutritional-Products/Life-Time-Fitness-FastFuel-Complete.asp

If you cannot afford a protein powder, try to eat eggs, a few scoops of peanut butter, or anything high with protein after your workout! 

This is just a basic guideline of what I do every day to keep myself healthy on a tight schedule! If you have further questions, feel free to shoot me a message, or ask in the comments below!

The Importance of Drinking Water

The Importance of Drinking Water 

One of the MOST important things you can do for yourself is to drink plenty of water.

 Here are some reasons why: 

Weight Loss
Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. But it’s also a great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen. 

Heart Healthy
Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses. 

Energy
Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired — even mild dehydration of as little as 1 or 2 percent of your body weight. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated — and this can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms. 

Headache Cure
Another symptom of dehydration is headaches. In fact, often when we have headaches it’s simply a matter of not drinking enough water. There are many other causes of headaches of course, but dehydration very common. Healthy skin Drinking water can clear up your skin and people often report a "healthy glow" after drinking water. It won’t happen overnight, but just a week of drinking a healthy amount of water can have positive effects on your skin.

Helps Digestive Problems
Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

Cleansing
Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. Reduces Cancer risk Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Reduces Bloating

Eating anything with a lot of sodium can contribute to bloating. Therefore, by drinking more water with your meal, you can reduce this bloating. The extra water can help make the fluids in your blood less concentrated.  So basically, consume less sodium. But, if all else fails, drink more water.

 
More Effective Exercise
Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise. 

How much water is too much water? 


This question is debatable. It is not good to just drink when you’re thirsty — you’re already dehydrated by then. Best is to form a routine: drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. 

Drink water with the following tips: 

Carry a Bottle
A lot of people find it useful to get a big plastic drinking bottle, fill it with water, and carry it around with them all day. When it’s empty, fill it up again, and keep drinking. 

Set a Reminder
Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don’t forget to drink water. 

Substitute
Substitute water for other drinks. If you would normally get a soda, or an alcoholic beverage, get a glass of water instead. Try sparkling water instead of alcohol at social functions. Also, if you are like me, sometimes you do not want to drink water because you don't like the taste. Try investing in some crystal light packets (an off brand of course) because it will add flavor to your water. You can buy them in low-calorie or zero calorie!

Filter
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, either invest in a filter for your home faucet, or seek out filtered water on campus. It will make tap water taste like bottled water, without burning a hole in your wallet. 

Exercise
Exercising can help make you want to drink water. If you’re going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time so it will get through your system. Drink during and after exercise as well. 

Track it
When forming a new habit, it helps to keep track of it — it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you’re staying on track. Keep a log on an index card or a notebook, which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.

Drinking water is an essential part of every day living! You need to constantly fuel your body so you can look and feel your best! Keep checking my blog for more updates on exercise, healthy habits, and much more!

Avoiding the Freshman Fifteen

It’s that time of year! You are a new college student. Fit, healthy, and still in the best shape of your life. However, little do you know about the opportunities for weight gain that lie ahead. Bottomless food in the cafeteria, fries whenever you want it, an ice-cream machine ready for business, salty snacks during those late-night study sessions, and let us not for get the biggest one of all…. alcohol consumption. College is a time of stress and anxiety for some, which can trigger over eating. Some people eat to help them through their homesickness, anxiety, nerves, sadness, or stress. All of these  are ways that students help themselves adapt to their new life. So what can be done, and how can it be controlled?

Meal Plan: 
Most colleges offer what they call a “meal plan” which  determines how often you will need to go to the cafeteria. When choosing what line to enter, (fries, pasta, vegetables, etc) you have to consider the effects it will have on your body. For example, some people might eat two cookies every day at the end of the day. But, those cookies are 150 calories each.  Those calories add up! Just by not eating those two cookies every day, you’re saving yourself 300 calories! Search around for a healthier alternative.  Heed the 2/3rds rule! Fill 2/3rds of your plate with whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The fiber will fill you up on fewer calories. Or, grab a smaller plate. It will trick you into thinking you have more food than you do. If all else fails, look over at the main course line, choose small portions of what you would like to eat, and make sure to include a vegetable.  Are you still craving something sweet after that? Search out some fruit like a banana or strawberry and drizzle chocolate syrup on it. Or, find a low-calorie cereal that is still very tasty, such as Special K! Here is my suggestion for those of you who have a sweet tooth like me. Something my boyfriend and I started doing in college is saving one day a week where we can eat anything we want. The day we happened to pick is Friday. It gives Friday extra special meaning to us, and gives us something to look forward to every week. Most people don’t know this, but it is GOOD to stray from your diet at least once a week. It gives your body a chance to boost its metabolism!

Liquid Calories:
We all knew it was coming, and it’s practically unavoidable. The consumption of alcohol in college. If you are going to drink, skip mixed drinks which are loaded with calories! Choose light beer, sipping no more than a few. Also, alcohol tends to increase the urge to eat, therefore, do not skimp on any meals during they day time, or drink on an empty stomach. But, “I want to get drunk” you’re thinking. Well, if you are truly not willing to change your lifestyle in order to stay healthy, nothing is going to change. My suggestion is if you’re planning on getting drunk, do not make this an every-single-weekend occurrence. Make it special. Getting drunk every weekend is a good way to pack on the pounds. Alcohol is not the only culprit here. When choosing what to drink in the cafeteria, rather than filling up on sodas, switch to diet soda, water, or even unsweetened ice tea.

Exercise:
You have three classes a day, you have to study, find time to eat, work, hang out with friends and somehow make it to an extra curricular by 7:00.  I get it, you are busy. However, any time you find to exercise, is great time.  An hour a day of exercise is ideal. But if you are crunched for time, do a mini workout in your dorm room between classes. Look up the insanity workout on youtube, do some crunches, or even get up and go for a jog if you are feeling up to it. Exercising also helps minimize stress, which in turn, will keep you from unnecessary snacking.  The fact is, some exercise is a must. Especially if you want to maintain those high school good looks.


Keeping yourself healthy in college can be very challenging. However, if you have the right tools and knowledge about what to do and what not to do, you will be on your way to a great first year.
These are just a few ways to keep yourself from gaining the freshman fifteen in college. In my future articles, I will talk about good exercises, ideal meals, the importance of water, and much more. Check my page every day as I will be updating frequently!