How I've Stayed Healthy in College! (Avoiding the Sophomore Slump)

Hi guys! Since being in my sophomore year of college, I have had little to no time at all to dedicate to writing blog posts and posting content on my Instagram. Now that the year is almost wrapping up (I can't even believe it), I am about ready to start posting again!

This year was particularly difficult for me in terms of health and fitness. Between overeating, drinking (it's inevitable in college), and stress from classes, I gained a significant amount of weight. I want to preface this post by saying, BODY IMAGE IS NOT EVERYTHING! Eating healthy and exercising regularly is something that makes me feel good about myself. They are not the only ways that you can feel satisfied with yourself.

In high school, I never really had issues with my body or my weight. I was lucky to grow up in a home that I was able to eat whole and fresh foods on a regular basis. I had a very active schedule and a fast metabolism growing up, so I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. Starting my sophomore year, since I had already experienced a year college life, I thought I had a good grasp on how to keep my health in check. 

Being a dance major, a lot of my classes are pretty physical, so I know my diet should consist of full meals that will give me the energy the get through the classes and properly nourish my body. However, I believe that I made a number of mistakes in the foods that I was eating (I wasn't eating unhealthy, just not the best choices) and the physical decisions I was making. One December day when I was getting ready for class, my favorite pair of jeans didn't fit anymore, I knew I needed to readjust my habits. 

Here are my three tips that have helped me regain my healthy lifestyle : 

#1. Avoid processed foods! This is a MAJOR TIP. It is so easy when you have limited time to grab highly processed bars and snacks while running from class to class. I even find that in the dining halls, some of the main courses are often super greasy or friend or just prepared in the east healthy way. I highly suggest switching to whole and unprocessed foods as your go to snack. Switch your processed 100-calorie pack of cookies for a ripe red apple with peanut butter. The whole and healthy foods that you snack on will give you good nutrients and keep you full longer! #goodbrainfood

#2. Don't drink your calories! I literally can not stress this enough, cut soda and sugary drinks out completely! This goes back to avoiding processed foods, switch out your soda for an iced green tea with a dash of sugar (steep your own tea, green tea has zero calories, is full of antioxidants, and improves brain function! Even more #goodbrainfood). This next point may be controversial but honestly, something that contributed to by struggle, don't drink sugary mixed drinks or chase with soda. Alcohol is high in calories on its own, don't contribute to that by mixing it with a sugary juice. In addition to this, do not, and I repeat, DO NOT DRINK THE JUNGLE JUICE. I've seen plenty of buckets of this liquid poison being made in my time at school. It's literally a bottle of alcohol, the most sugary and artificially flavored juice, pure sugar (like Domino's cane sugar, you're literally asking for a nasty hangover) and ice. Not only is this an easy way to overdrink since you can't taste the alcohol, it's a risky thing to do in terms of your safety. Rarely are these buckets of juice ever laced with rape drugs, but unfortunately, it does happen. It is always better for you and your friends to bring your own drinks out, unless you're going to a bar where the drinks are made in front of you, so you can be positive that nothing has been slipped and that you can monitor the amount that you're drinking.

#3. Make time for exercise! I know it may seem impossible to get to the gym when bombarded by classes and homework and studying, but sitting at a desk for hours on end is going to have negative effects on the body, like lower energy and a slower metabolism. TIME MANAGEMENT IS KEY! Allot time into your schedule to do simply things, like a half hour to hop on the spin bike at your school's gym before class twice a week. Even spending time walking to class can improve your health by preventing heart disease and high blood pressure.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful and maybe incorporate them into your own life! Something that helped me in starting to make these changes was to remind myself that losing weight was not the most important thing to focus on. I kept my studies as my priority and didn't let my health or body image consume my mind. I started by making little changes that made me feel better. I'm healthy, I'm doing well in my classes, and most importantly, I'm happy.

Thanks so much for reading. I'm so excited to begin posting more content!

Maggie <3