Be Ready For Spring Break

Meaghan Hennessy  

If you are anything like me, the minute you hear Spring Break you think, “I need to hit the gym and go on a diet.” While these are surefire ways to get in beach body shape, they can be tough to stick to. In light of Spring Break and the anxiety that goes along with it, I decided to give you all some ways to slim down without going to the gym or dieting per say.

One easy tip for the winter is to add soup to your diet. Who ever knew curling up on the couch with a broth based soup can severely cut your calorie intake. It’s important to stay away from the thick, creamy soups like “loaded baked potato” because those are high in fat and calories, but minestrone, Chinese won-ton, or chicken noodle, to name a few, are great choices. The soup will curb your appetite and force you to eat slower which gives your body time to tell you it’s full. If you want to make your own soup, add some broth or canned soup to a pan, then add some vegetables and let it simmer. Who ever knew cutting calories would be so delicious!

The next extremely easy “dieting” tip is to chew strong mint gum. It may seem goofy, but chewing gum with flavor will decrease your chances of having a snack attack. We encounter tons of scenarios throughout the day (class, surfing the web, watching TV) that usually result in mindless snacking. The gum will give you the flavor you’re craving, but not the calories.

As you probably know, water is important for essentially all body functions. One function you probably are not as familiar with, however, is weight loss. Drinking water helps curb your appetite and results in eating less. It’s shown that eating foods that contain a lot of water (fruits and vegetables) will fill you up faster. The craziest way cold water helps however is by speeding up your metabolism! When it comes to staying hydrated, opt for some good old H2O to whip your body in to shape.

Now for the easiest, most enjoyable way to shed some pounds: SLEEP! Sleep actually ensures healthy eating habits. Studies show people who are tired eat more. Also, when the body is tired it functions poorly and ends up storing more fat. A study was done here at the University of Michigan that discovered sleeping an extra hour a night could help you drop 14 pounds a year! Not bad for being able to do it in pajamas.

I hope you have learned some useful tips! Dieting does not need to be synonymous with starvation. These simple lifestyle changes usually help many lose as much weight as other dieting practices do because there are no cravings or feelings of deprivation.