How To Stay Fit Over School Breaks

Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holidays.Besides being home with my family and friends, the food is always amazing for these special occasions. From turkey to sweet potato casserole,there are endless delicious dishes to choose from. My family,like many others, starts cooking these meals earlier in the day and this can be a problem. If you are like me, you might find yourself constantly licking the cake batter bowls, or "test tasting" the pasta for the fifth time, and before you know it, you've eaten a lot of junk. The best part is you haven't even had the actual holiday dinner yet so more calories are to be added later. For the next week or so, you will be eating the infamous leftovers. Not just one plate of leftovers but plates on plates on plates. The goal is to not "waste" any of the  food your mom has slaved in the kitchen making. 

November and December are the biggest weight-gain months of the whole year, and it is easy to see why. So, how can you prevent gaining weight and stay healthy over these holiday breaks?  I have listed  a few steps that have helped me below.

1. Eat smaller portions- Eating smaller portions of that sweet potato pie will cut a lot of calories.  Don't rush and try to stuff your face with as much food as possible, you are gonna have leftovers for days.

2. Don't get lazy - Yes, I know it is  a school break and exams are finally over, but don't just curl up in your bed and eat all day. Stay active and make a holiday workout schedule. Just think about how great you'll look when you get back and how much less work you'll have to do to prepare for Spring break!

3. Lastly, choose your meal times wisely. Just because there is food in the kitchen every hour, doesn't mean you have to eat it every hour.  Try not to eat at least 2 hours before you go to bed. This will help your stomach settle and ease your sleeping.

 With these tips you are sure to stay healthy and fit.Remember Consistency is key! Happy holidays my friends!

Don't be a Druggie

                                                       Just Say No
Exams are right around the corner, and you have to ace this test. Your GPA is borderline and you may even loose the Hope scholarship. So what are you gonna do? That's right you are gonna spend all day and  night in the library. I know it doesn't sound fun but you gotta do what you gotta do.  The night before the test you decide to pull and all-nighter. Your friends mention to you that you should try Adderall or Vyvanse to help you focus. Even though you are not medically prescribed to take these drugs, you need all the help you can get to ace this test.  Your buddy brings you a pill he got from Joe who sells them for $3 dollars a pop. As soon as you take the pill you feel funny. You are very focused on your tasks for a few hours and all of a sudden you crash. You are back to your normal self and head out to take your exam. The next day you see you have aced your exam. You give all the credit to the Adderall, and now you take before every study session. You seem to have found your saving grace, and you become addicted. One day your hearts starts racing and you collapse during class. You are rushed to the hospital where the nurse finds your blood pressure is low. Turns out the combination of Adderall and Vyvanse has made you go into shock. The doctor instructs you and your friends to stop selling and taking these medications. So what is the lesson of this story? Don't take unprescribed medications for diseases or disorders you do not have. The side effects are much worse than you think. To improve your test grades try studying ahead of time. This  will insure you retain the knowledge better. No matter how much you think you will be better off with meds don't take them they will do more harm to your body than good. If you're  really in need of a boost of energy, try to go for coffee a more natural source.  Stay tuned for my next post.                                   

Welcome to Pizza and Push-ups (You made it to college! Now what?)

                                     Welcome to Pizza and Push-ups!

It's your first year as a student here at the University of Tennessee: Knoxville, and things are going well. You've made new friends, learning time-management skills, and met a cute boy at a date party last night. All in all you're enjoying you experience. Until one day, your jeans start to fit a little snug. You wonder, "maybe I bought the wrong size, they fit me last month." Then you think back to all the Cookout trips you've made at 3 a.m. with your friends. Taco Bell every other night. And who can resist those McDonald's french fries. You also realize that last week you went a little heavy on the Jack Daniel's. You haven't been to the gym saying," I'm too busy to go." Well listen up If you have time to drink your liver away  you can spend 30 minutes at the gym.  Right now, you're thinking,"how?"  Don't worry I am here to help. As a rising sophomore I was once in your shoes.  I am here to tell you the ins and outs of health and fitness, and how to avoid the dreadful Freshman 15. Thank you for visiting this blog, and stay tuned for more posts!