It's getting up at 8 a.m. to go running when class isn't until 11 a.m.
It's turning down an invitation to visit Chill or TCBY.
It's choosing fruit versus fries at Chick-fil-A.
Some students spend weeks maintaining a healthy lifestyle with the hopes of shedding a few pounds before debuting a new bathing suit during Spring Break
But it can be easy to gain that weight back while on vacation.
Doug White, professor of nutrition at Auburn, said you can't throw it all away with a week of overindulgence.
"I think the body regulates itself," he said. "It's going to work hard to maintain the same weight. Over a week I don't think that it will be a really big deal."
White insisted on instilling a sense of balance to pair with the body's compensatory mechanisms.
"Now, if you're going to be consuming more, you have to be more active as well," he said. "If you are going to the beach and you are running, swimming, playing volleyball and throwing the Frisbee, then it might be OK to indulge at dinner that night."
White said if we keep this balance in check, our bodies will stay within a narrow range of weight.
Elliot Nolan, junior in public relations, said he has been running and doing the popular P90X workout and wants to continue this while beach-hopping in Florida next week.
"I'll probably go run on the beach and get some swimming in for cardio," Nolan said.
Jessica-Lauren Roberts, registered dietician on campus who sees students, faculty and staff for nutritional assessments, said you should only indulge yourself 20 percent of the time.
Roberts suggests the 80/20 rule as a good rule of thumb for a healthy diet and lifestyle.
"If we make healthy choices 80 percent of the time, then the other 20 percent we are free to indulge," Roberts said. "And this rule really keeps things in perspective because there is no guilt associated when we are indulging 20 percent of the time, and our body can maintain that more consistent caloric and fat intake."
Sarah Smith, junior in communication disorders, said as soon as she gets to the beach, she is going to the grocery store.
"I want to get fruits and vegetables and things I can cook so I don't have to eat out every meal because that always has more calories," she said.
Buying groceries versus ordering out every meal is also less expensive.
The best way to maintain your weight is to be conscious of what you are putting into your body, Roberts said.
She suggested ordering well-rounded meals at restaurants and asking for sauce on the side.
Splitting an entree at a restaurant is also a good option, Roberts said.
"Your light beer is honestly your best choice if calories are your concern," Roberts said.
"Wine and liquor are more dense, and then all of your sugary drinks are going to be high on the calorie end."
Roberts said she heard of females depriving themselves of other food groups in order to drink in their calories at night.
"I cannot express how devastating that is to the body," she said. "If you are already depriving your body of those nutrients, it is an all-out assault on your organs."
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