Now that you’re back at school after three weeks of binge drinking, stuffing your face with calorie-loaded foods like fruit cake and lounging on your parents’ couch watching “Elf,” it’s time to get back into shape for the spring.
You don’t want to look like Santa in a bikini nor do you want to stay on this unhealthy track through Mardi Gras. More booze and cakes with tiny gold babies inside them do a number on your waistline, so here are some tips to feel refreshed and healthy again, while also shedding some pounds.
This article isn’t just for women. Everybody adds some extra cushioning to his or her physique during the holidays.
1. Drink water. Put down your soda, beer, coffee or whatever non-water drink you’re consuming. The more water you drink, the less water you retain, which equals less water weight. In turn, you’ll have less bloating, and your gut will protrude a little less. A hydrated body also makes your skin look healthier; it eradicates toxins from your system and can help suppress your appetite.
2. Start taking the stairs everywhere. You’re going to the gym, yet you’re taking the elevator? Really? Get to the stairwell, and make the treacherous five-floor hike. I’ll be praying for you.
3. Cut out the sweets. You don’t need that cookie for your 3 p.m. snack, and you definitely don’t need a pack of candy to get through a study session. You also don’t need to grab ice cream every time you finish your meal in the Orleans Room. If you have a psychotic, insatiable sweet tooth, try using stevia as a sweetener in your morning tea. It has no caloric value and is sweeter than processed sugar.
4. Cut out drinking booze for two weeks. You’ll be amazed at how great you feel if you catch up on rest rather than make it to 50-cent night. Avoiding a night of drinking means less calories from the Long Islands and the eight slices of Boot pizza you’ll inevitably eat. With your extra energy from the night spent in, you may even feel motivated to take a walk around the park. Baby steps.
If you want to see a change in yourself, make 2012 the year you’ll take action toward what you want. You probably challenge yourself every January to stop being so lazy, but you only follow through for the first week of the new year. Stop whining and wishing and actually do something about it!
Caitlin Spieker is a sociology senior who works as a personal trainer.
She can be reached at
