It starts so innocently, that sweet emotion.
You spot the one you think you love, and you start to close in. You break out in a frantic sweat, your hands clammy, frantically hoping you are making the right decision. You move in closer … closer … closer. Finally, your lips lightly touch and emotion rages over you.
You find yourself in a euphoria only that sweet, sweet sauce can give you. You take a breath and realize that for the third time this week you have indulged in yet another late night pizza run.
We all have our late night weaknesses. Be it Goodfellas at 1 a.m., a trip out for USD milkshakes after a long night at the bars or Chicken-N-Waffle when you refuse to say the night is over – we all have our go to spots.
In a time where we should be conditioning our bodies to be our best, we are busy shot gunning beers, taking those long, romantic walks to Goodfellas and not realizing what we are actually ingesting.
We want to immerse ourselves in the comfort food at our doorstep without fear or acknowledgement of consequences like weight gain. For some lucky people, their metabolism will forever be on their side, but for the rest of us … it is not.
The simple fact is, I would never ask anyone to give up any of the heavenly foods Athens, Ohio, has blessed us with. That is just inhumane and wrong.
You can’t give up all that is good just because you want to shed a few pounds, but you do have to be sure to watch what you consume along with the portion you consume. You have to be willing to wander over to the mysterious recreation building that is Ping even just for a thirty-minute workout.
You deserve to love the body you are in. You deserve to rock that new dress or your new kicks while feeling your most confident.
If your weight is the issue that keeps you from strutting your stuff down the Athens brick road, I would like to offer you my top five tips that after my twenty-pound weight-loss journey I can personally back up.
Enjoy what you eat. Cutting out the good stuff will never work. Just be sure to add some healthy things in the mix. If you want that Goodfellas, eat that Goodfellas. Just, be sure it’s not every night.
Keep a food journal. As soon as you see how much you’re eating – it will really help you realize where your problem areas are – see where you need to add or take away, and make adjustments that fit to your personal goal.
Exercise. Sure, you can go to Ping, but if large recreation centers like Ping are not your cup of tea, learn some small workouts in your room. Just a simple 30 minutes a day can work wonders. Even just an extra walk will leave your body saying thank you.
It takes 21 days to turn something new into a habit. Your 21 days can start today.
Sarah Vaughn is a junior studying Education at Ohio University. What is your favorite exercise to do at the gym? Tweet your answers to Sarah using her Twitter handle @_suraaahhh
