Sticking to Your Diet During the Break

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Natalia Clement

This low calorie snack (under 150) is a healthy alternative to any craving your sweet tooth might have.

Natalia Clement, Staff Writer

Year-round people strive for the ‘summer body’, but all is lost as summer rolls in along with the food. Self control is lost as we binge on every item in our fridge, while watching seasons upon seasons of mindless TV shows. Learning to avoid the sweet section at our annual family gathering can be easy, if we decide we want to carry the ‘summer body’ ideal into the fall.

  • Motivation – Without motivation, there is no point in doing anything. Setting small goals will keep you going, with the ultimate one always in mind.  There’s millions of ways to encourage yourself, from inspirational daily quotes to having a dieting buddy as support.
  • Pick the lifestyle you want – Dieting isn’t something you do for a month and then go back to pigging out, it’s a lifestyle that one has to get used to. Once you reach your goal, you can alter your diet so it maintains your weight. It’s important to pick the type of eating lifestyle that best works for you. Remember that it’s not supposed to be a punishment – there’s tons of healthy and delicious diets to pick from.

“A diet should be a lifestyle. It doesn’t necessarily mean starving yourself, but making sure you eat healthy and moderately. Eating a slice of pizza once a week isn’t a bad thing. My diet consists in a good breakfast, a simple lunch and a small dinner. I like staying on track and having a healthy diet to keep my “summer body”. This helps me come to school looking better than the previous year,” sophomore Emily Garcia said.

  • Craving vs. hunger –Learn to differentiate real hunger – when the pit of your stomach growls for food because it hasn’t been fed in hours – and the craving in your mouth set by a delicious temptation. This will guide your eating schedule and help avoid unnecessary and fattening foods.
  • Stay healthy – This couldn’t be emphasized enough – don’t skip meals. Not only does this throw you off of your schedule and inclines you to gorge on less healthier options as filler snacks, it can lead to malnutrition. Eating less than 1,200/1,500 calories a day for women/men is considered starving or not getting the sufficient nutrients which can affect our still growing bodies.  If you’re hungry  between meals have a healthy snack; there’s tons of ideas online for variation.
  • Allow yourself summer sweets, once in a while – It’s okay to give in, with moderation. Going two weeks dessert free deserves an ice cream cone at the beach. A reward system can be established for extra motivation, where if x goal is met, you treat yourself to the sweet of your choice.
  • Supplement with a workout – Going for a run isn’t for everyone. Don’t torture yourself with a workout you hate. Try new activities to burn calories, like joining a gym if that commitment motivates you; plus lots of gyms offer a variety of classes.

“It’s important to diet if you’re trying to lose or gain weight; the working out part acts as your limit. It all depends on what they’re trying to achieve. The gym can be a fun place when you go with a friend because you motivate each other to push yourself, or even just seeing others working hard can inspire you to do the same,” junior Sidney Farina said.

Dieting during the summertime can be accomplished with the right motivation, mentality, and balance. With the right amount of dedication to your lifestyle, reaching the perfect figure and keeping it will seem effortless.