So I've had an epiphany....being a college student and trying to eat right is really difficult! I just went over eight months of ignoring the task of writing my blog posts and ignoring eating right, to focusing all my concentration on good grades and writing papers. So, I would like to share my issues in finding food motivation I had this last year, and the numerous challenges college students face in making health a priority.
Week one of year two in a graduate program: I'm loaded with hundreds of pages of reading and tons of writing. Of course, depending on your course of study, it may look slightly different but overall the same issue....we have so much to do in so little time. I mentioned the issues of time management in preparing meals and finding time to plan. I faced this issue head-on this past year. During times of stress, I put my health aside and focused on delicious comfort food such as pizza and beer (a staple for any college student over the age of 21). With my resort to comfort foods and lack of exercise, not to mention increased levels of stress, my health was on the decline. So what is a college student to do? Let's not only look at this from a student perspective, but what if you are a full-time employee with a similar issue of non-stop projects/tasks and little time for health? Ladies and gentlemen, it comes down to this: you must have the motivation.
I lost my motivation for taking care of my body. It's easy to do, and thousands (if not more) people are guilty of doing it every day. You have a bad day, a large workload, a stressful event.....and you could care less about going to the gym and decided to focus on the delicious food/drinks/comfortable couch and free time before you. You have the time restraint of finishing a work project, rather than cooking a healthy meal or going for a walk. I realized a few months after my semester started I had to make a change. What did I do? These simple steps:
1. Write it down on your calendar: If you are determined to maintain your weight (let's not even focus on weight loss), making a schedule and sticking to it will be KEY. Everyone in this hectic world is busy. Find 30 minutes to take a break and take care of you. Go for a walk. Do a yoga class. Run....whatever your exercise of choice is find it and do it. You're more likely to stick to your schedule than if it was never written down.
2. Have a "cheat" day: I hate using this terminology. I hate thinking about a "cheat" day, but if you attempt to restrict yourself of foods you enjoy or want, you'll purge. Once you purge, you may give up on maintaining healthy goals, or feel guilty for those few bites of (insert weakness food here). Have a day to do whatever, then get back on track! Realize you can jump back into your healthy meals and planning routine. Life gets in the way. Let's not forget that.
3. Reality Check: You are going to face tough times-your schedule may be overloaded, you may be dealing with family/school/work and have no personal time. Stay motivated. Realize a healthier you is a happier you = Less illness, less stress, and supplying your body with the nutrition it needs. The more you keep your body in shape, the better you will do in preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.
So I apologize folks. I had my ups and downs in motivation-especially when it came to writing my blog posts. I want to focus on my next few blogs that encourage everyday tips and goals for a healthier you. Whether you want to lose weight, maintain weight, or just keep eating right, I will be providing some interesting posts. Please stay tuned! I won't let you down (now that school is over for me). For those students who are still going....stay strong. To be continued....
Happy Eating,
Sarah
