This Year Make Every Season, Bikini Season

A short post on resolutions, bikini season, and my past year

2016 is just a few days away! Maybe you have thought about a resolution, maybe you have blown it off. Well this year, I urge you to make a resolution that you will keep, one that sets you up for success.

My resolution for this year is to make every season, bikini season. Winter can make it very difficult to think about wearing a bathing suit, because if you're anything like me, you are hiding away in an oversized sweater. Sure the sweater covers the fat and you don't have to worry about it, but what follows winter? Spring and summer, aka Bikini Season. When it's nice and warm outside, chances are, you won't want to be wearing a sweater. So this year don't wait for bikini season to come around to push you to get into shape, treat every season like it is bikini season.

There's no better feeling than feeling good about your body all year long. Last year, in early March, I decided to get into shape for "bikini season", and I did. But I wish I would have started earlier. Don't put yourself in a time crunch, go ahead and get started, what's stopping you?

Watching myself progress, was an amazing feeling, one that, if you are ready to, you should feel. It's easy to say you're going to eat a little healthier and go to the gym a little bit more, but to actually do so is completely different, and this year, if you set your mind to it, you can do it. 2016 should be the best year of your life, as 2015 was by far the best of mine. In 2015 I completely changed the track of my life. I went from being a stressed out, overweight, college student, to being a confident, healthy, and fit, college student, and I've never been happier.

Now is your chance. Make every season, bikini season, by sticking to your goals of eating right and working out. 2015 may have been my year, but 2016 is yours!

Get started by referring to my previous blog posts on how to go about starting and have an amazing new year :)

A good post to get you started...

http://stressedtoskinny.blogspot.com/2015/06/how-to-change-your-life-and-get-rid-of.html

Tips for a Healthy Exam Week

That time of year has quickly come around again, unfortunately. Exams. This can be a very stressful time for college students, and stress leads to some very unhealthy habits. Here are my tips on being successful this exam week:

1. Sleep: Sleep is obviously crucial for your health and well-being. With little to no sleep, the body does not function well, which leads to bad food choices and lack of motivation. Aim to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night, I would normally say 8, but I know that for most people this can be close to impossible during exams. 
2. Take a study break: Taking a short study break here and there is very important! Take this even a step further by going to the gym, going on a walk, or doing an ab routine. This will help you reduce some of the stress and then you will be able to come back to your studying with fresh eyes. 
3. Stick to your normal eating habits: Continue to eat healthy foods at the times you normally would during the day! Try to avoid eating foods that will make you tired, and stick to healthy greens and proteins. Also, don't overdose on caffeine this week. A cup of coffee won't kill you, but too much caffeine is not good for anyone. Another exam week temptation to avoid is late night snacking. Late night snacking is the cause of weight gain for many college students, as tempting as it is, don't do it. Try not to eat three hours before you go to bed!
4. Exercise: Taking thirty minutes out of your day to exercise is easy! Plus, who wouldn't want a thirty minute break to procrastinate at the gym?! Working out is an amazing stress reliever. You will leave the gym, or wherever you workout, with less stress and lots of positive endorphins. 
5. Meditation: Stress is the worst part of exam week. It hits most students hard, and many end up as balls of stress. You'd be amazed at how much a little deep breathing and meditation can help. When I'm feeling stressed, I turn to meditation. I use a guide online called www.calm.com. Calm.com has so many great options, including how much time you can choose to meditate, so you can do 2 minutes to an hour. I have found that 5 minutes is the perfect amount of time to calm my nerves. Try it for yourself! 

I hope these tips help you get through exam week! Have a fitastic Wednesday :)

5 Tips to Making this December Your Healthiest Yet

Update: I had a wonderful thanksgiving and break last week. I ate so many sweet potatoes, I may just turn into one. But overall, I made healthy choices in the food department, and I worked out every day (twice on Thanksgiving, miraculously). I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving as well!

Anyways...

Still feeling bloated and tired from Thanksgiving? Feeling like you are on a slippery slope to an unhealthy end to this year? Well, November is now in the past, and so is that Thanksgiving feast, so jump into December with a healthy attitude! Listed is 5 tips to making this December, which is usually a time filled with unhealthy choices, your healthiest yet, so that you can end the year right :)

1. Drink LOTS of water- Up your water intake this December! It's so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of hot chocolate and holiday flavored coffees, that sometimes we forget about our best friend, water. It's important to drink water throughout the day to keep your body healthy. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you might really just be dehydrated. Personally, I wake up every morning and drink about 20 oz of water before doing anything, but even just a cup will do! If you prefer hot drinks in the winter, drink hot water with a slice of lemon, not only will you be hydrating, but it will also serve as a natural detox! 
2. Set several small goals and one large goal- To keep yourself on track set goals. Set a large goal first, for example, lose 5 lbs this December. Then set small, attainable goals that will get you to the larger goal, for example, go to the gym five times a week and only allow yourself one treat a week. These are just examples, and it's up to you to come up with your own goals, but it is important to have goals to keep yourself on track this month, and every month. 
3. Don't rely on the gym- It's getting cold and motivation is low. Perhaps you don't feel like leaving the house to go to the gym. Well..... that's no problem at all! Don't rely on getting your exercise in the gym, but also don't just not workout because you can't make it to the gym. Working out in your living room, or wherever you have space, is easy. Go through my workouts I've posted, and watch some youtube videos, because I know it isn't always easy. This is also important to consider when you are traveling. You can do jumping jacks and push ups anywhere, trust me! 
4. Make your own meals when you can- Around the holidays eating dinner at a restaurant is a common occurrence, at least for me.  If this is also the case for you, try to restrain from eating food on the run or in a restaurant when you don't have to. Obviously, it's okay to get together with the girls on Friday night or with the family, but on a Tuesday, stay in and make a healthy home cooked meal. Plan ahead and try to eat healthy throughout the whole week, so when your weekend restaurant trips come around, then you won't feel as bad. You can even make it one of your small goals to cut back on your restaurant food intake. 
5. Build willpower and use it- It may be hard to restrain from the Christmas cookies and eggnog, but use willpower. While having a cookie here and there is okay (MODERATION), use your willpower to not eat too much. It is important to build willpower, and this is the perfect chance to do so. Tell yourself that you don't need another cookie or another cup of hot chocolate. Restrain yourself and give yourself the useful gift of willpower this December. 

I hope this helps you end the year in a healthy way!