The 1L 15 lbs. - Its Actually A Thing.

Disclaimer - before reading any further, please please please note that this is all based off of my personal experience. The products and services mentioned below are ones that I have found to be helpful with MY own goals. Please conduct your own research and make your decisions based off of your own personal inquiries. What I post below is merely recommendations and nothing more. 

I was lucky in undergrad when it came to not gaining the dreaded “Freshman 15”– I stayed active through college volleyball and once I had to give that up I consistently worked out. I ate healthy about 85% of the time and forced myself to get to the gym. At that point my body hadn't gone through any major changes - the joys of being a woman. But that all changed once I headed into 1L year. Fall semester wasn't much of an issue - in fact I lost weight from the stress of adjusting to classes, a breakup, consistently forgetting to grab my lunch off the counter and getting to the gym at least 3 times a week. But Spring semester was a completely different story – it was like a switch flipped and instead of not eating when I was stressed I overate – I lived off Starbucks coffees/sugary drinks and their yummy pastries, ordered from Grub Hub while I was at school or fell victim to my parents wanting to go out to eat all the time instead of making meals at home. I gained about 15lbs from all this and my lack of motivation to get to the gym. To say the least this has been the most self-conscious I have ever been in a long time – so what am I doing to change this feeling? Well there’s a couple things I have done to kick start my motivation, self-esteem and healthy habits.

1. I got a tattoo on my ribs.

Stupid I know but I’ve been wanting one for a long time and while I was down in NC visiting my best friend I decided now was the time to do this – if I have one on my side (no it didn't hurt, my sunburn hurt 20x worse than the small needle stabbing me) && it has become one of my motivations to work out and be happy to show the simple three words "Miss you already". Honestly it has worked, especially since it's "bikini season".

2. Gym membership

Unfortunately, I had to purchase a gym membership because even though I am 15 minutes away from my school’s gym (and its right down the road from work) my parking pass is not valid during the summer so I would have to park almost a mile away to walk there which would be fine except I can’t get to the gym until around 8 at night and I’m not a huge fan of walking places by myself at night. Instead I purchased a gym membership to planet fitness for $15 a month without a year long contract. It’s perfect because PF has all that I need and I can cancel it before school starts without any penalties. Even better is that one of the besties signed up too and we have been going consistently together – having a workout buddy (or even joining a fitness community like bodyspace) is definitely helpful in getting that motivation to get to the gym, which tends to be the hardest part. 

3. Fitness && meal plan

SHEDFAT – I decided to purchase a fitness / meal plan to help reach my goals and I did this because over the years I’ve learned so many different workouts from my time as a college athlete that I just don't know what to do in the gym – there are too many options. I purchased a 12-week plan, and I'm am currently on week 4 and ABSOLUTELY LOVE the plan. It’s easy to follow, kicks your ass and you see the results quickly but you have to stay on track especially with the meal plan. But so far it’s been good and I’m not going to lie I get off track but that's because I’m not the type of person that can eat salad and quinoa 24/7 ... it becomes a snooze fest - I like flavor.

If you aren't ready to throw down some cash for a similar 12 week plan I have also tried the 21 Day fix – I tried this last year and I loved it but it was complicated to do while living with my parents. Our schedules collided making it extremely impossible for me to get the workouts done when no one was home, without waking everyone up or being in the way.

4. New gym clothes

Splurg a little. Buy yourself a new pair of sneaks, pants, shirts, sports bra, socks, hat whatever. I find that whenever I do I can't wait to wear them especially if you feel good in them. Im a sucker for Nike and under amrour but I am in the market for a good pair of running shoes so any suggestions are appreciated (comment below)!

5. Ditch the Scale

I've come to the conclusion that weighing myself constantly has been one of the things that has pushed me to over eat. In high school I had an eating disorder where I would weigh myself about 5 times a day and depending on what the scale said would determine if I would eat and what. Once I got to college I continued with that very unhealthy lifestyle until I almost passed out on the volleyball court from a lack of food. It scared me enough to where I knew I needed to take care of myself or else I was going to do some serious damage to my body. I threw out my scale, began eating healthier options - fruits veggies etc. I put on weight but it was muscle from volleyball. I was happy. Now, not so much. But I have been trying to stick with the phrase "its not what the scale says, its how your clothes fit and how you feel when you look in the mirror".

Instead of weighing myself, i take progress photos and compare them to see the changes that are happening. I limit to weighing myself once a week on Sundays if that. I've noticed that when I weigh myself and see an increase it causes me to stress and leads me to over eat for the entire day.

6. Meal Prep

Have you ever hear the saying "abs are made in the kitchen"? Welp, its true... for the most part. I find that meal prepping has played a significant role in my progress especially when it comes to unnecessary snacking. So how do I meal prep? First thing to note is that everyone meal preps differently, if they meal prep. I try and get it done on Sunday's because well Sunday is usually my refresh and restart day to get prepared for the up and coming week. I try and cook enough food to last me until about wed/tr. I really really really dislike left overs so I typically prep all my salads, rice, quinoa, cuts up all my fruits and veggies on Sunday and cook two-three days worth of meat so its still pretty fresh. Then I'll cook the for the remaining days on wed/ Thurs night. Like i said, the plan i purchased included a meal plan and it has been a bit hard to stick with at times (especially when my mom decides to skip out on grocery shopping) but for the most part I do okay. 

310 Shake - In addition to all the nonsense I also drink a protein shake. I really really love 310 shake - its a meal replacement shake when you mix it with fruits veggies etc. and it definitely does its job but I typically use it as a post work out / breakfast shake. I love that its light, not chalky, taste good, mixes well with other ingredients and isn't outrageous in price compared to others. I purchased the bundle and got the shakes, fat burners(thin and metaboost), teas and lemonade. As far as fat burners, be careful with these. I don't mind the one 310 includes but i know that my body can really only handle one per day or else I don't sleep/ feel woozy all day. Love love love the tea and the lemonade 

Really when it comes to supplements its a trial and error type thing. I highly suggest doing research on the product, how it fits with your goals, and testimonials from others who have used it before even purchasing a product. 

7. Sweet Sweat Band

I LOVE SWEET SWEAT like an unhealthy amount. I’m like to put in work at the gym, getting gross and sweaty is just something that doesn't bother me and sweet sweat takes that one step further. I love the band, it’s not uncomfortable in terms of fit – the material is light and soft– and it gives so it’s not super tight. You will sweat, A LOT when wearing this band especially if you use the thermal enhancer stick. Now I know that there are tons of people against using anything close to these products but it’s all personal preference and I really enjoy that extra sweat in my “problem area” (my waist) So if you’re looking for something to help sweat it out a little more definitely check out their product

Other options?

JUST STAY ACTIVE. Because it is summer there are definitely some days where I just don't want to be inside working out. I have purchased a few sets of dumbbells, resistance bands, exercise ball and a jump rope and I modify my gym workouts to be able to do them at home. If you don't have equipment at home or don't want to spend the money go for a walk - take the pup if you have one - go for a swim, hike, play outdoor sports (i'm hoping to do co-ed beach volleyball next summer), sign up for fitness classes (total body, spinning, yoga, kick boxing) Find something that you will enjoy and will challenge you.

I think its important to take a second and note that I'm not doing all this just to become any sort of stereotype. I have a goal, and that goal is reasonable for me. At the end of the day, I just want to be comfortable in my own skin and to do that I need to do this. More importantly I'm not doing this for anyone but myself. If you feel like you have to be or do something for anyone other than yourself, in a way that jeopardizes your happiness, then its not worth the time or energy. Do whatever you have to do to reach your happiness && do it unapologetically.