Eating healthier and getting in shape are probably the two most common resolutions made in light of a new year - the tricky part is making these resolutions happen, and maintaining them once they do. Given the amount of time average Auburn students spend on campus, achieving these goals appears impossible with the limited campus dining options and the ongoing student ACT construction. However, by making small changes in habit and utilizing the resources Auburn has to offer, the classic getting in shape resolution can actually be done.
Setting Manageable Goals
Proposed solutions to living healthier can easily fall to the extremes. Absolutely no junk food diets and two-adays work out regimens come to mind when weight loss resolutions are brought up, but often times crash dieting and exercising are the enemy to a healthy life style.
"It's really hard to just cut things out of your diet. I'm a big believer in eating what you're craving, but eating it in moderation," said Katherine Cain, a junior in nutrition and dietetics. "For resolutions some people say they don't want to eat as many sweets or as much bread, but don't just cut it out. It's better to cut back than to quit cold turkey and not even have it in your diet."
Moderation is decidedly key in maintaining a healthy diet and exercise plan.
Choosing What To Eat
It's tempting to find a go-to healthy option on the menu in an on campus dining facility, and letting it become the regular selection that easily gets worn out. "Freshman year living on campus I ate the same salad from ABP every day, and I was tired of it, but I could have gone and found other things," said Kelly West, a junior majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics.
After spending a semester performing food service rotations through all the different dining facilities for a Food Service class, West knows this is not the case. "Everywhere you go on campus has at least one vegetarian option. There are also salad bars in The Village, Foy and Terrell" said West.
Cain suggests simply modifying regular orders with a healthy spin. "There's honestly different foods at different places that you can modify to eat. For example, having a sandwich at Lupton's and making it wheat bread instead of white bread or adding vegetables to your pasta. Little things like that can make it healthier.
Both girls suggested Auburn's recent Chicken Grill Go Greek addition, which serves up plenty of healthy options. "There are a lot of healthy choices there," West said.
Part of the problem with finding healthy options for on campus dining is that students might not always be aware of what's available to them. "I think that one of the best things that students can do is educate themselves about what is available on campus in our dining options. We do have a lot of 'healthful' options that are available, but I feel like a lot of students really aren't aware of that," said Jessica-Lauren Newby, a registered dietitian. If you're still looking to find more out about healthy dining options, Auburn's Tiger Dining web page has tools that will allow you to search menu options for any dining facility on campus, find vegan or vegetarian options, calculate calories and much more.
Getting In Shape
One of the most beneficial, but not as well known resources Auburn has to offer for healthier living is a Health and Wellness assessment that can be accompanied by a personal trainer in the student ACT. Students who are interested will be required to first perform a fitness assessment followed by the submission of a three day food journal.
That information would be turned into Jessica-Lauren newby, who then works to- gether with a nutrition team to provide feedback to the per- sonal training client. "I sign off on that, and we do our best to get that back in the hands of the personal training client. We really believe that this affects their success in person- al training and maintaining a healthy life style," said Newby.
Personal training sessions are offered in the ACT for $60 a semester which includes two sessions a week. Aside from personal trainers, there are also a multitude of fitness classes offered daily in the ACT.Though personal training and health assessments are great resource, some people might be cut out for a more laid back method of training. If this is the case, there are still plenty of options. Auburn's Health and Wellness Services has provided a wealth of resources, my personal favorite being the running and walking maps. There are 11 different courses, all ranging in location and length, but all designed as loops to make the running process easier.
Either way, there are plenty of options to suit whatever your fitness options may be.
Staying In Shape
During the height of the resolution making season, it's easy to get excited about setting goals for the new year. hard part arrives once January has come and gone, and resolutions no longer seem as attainable. There are steps you can take, however, to ensure this doesn't happen. Kelly West suggests dieting and fitness apps (such as Lose It or My Fitness Pal) or keeping food journals.
"If you're trying to lose weight, you're actually writing down everything you're eating. If you do that then you don't eat as much and will stick with it better," said West. Another idea West proposes is having an accountability partner, "Maybe a roommate you could cook with or someone to go to the gym with," West said.
Now that you have the tools you need to keep your resolutions, it's time to get started. So whether you're trying to lose 20 pounds, or are just aiming to live a little healthier, there are plenty of on campus options for you, all you have to do is take advantage of them. A few deliberate steps in the right direction are all you need to take in order to live a healthier lifestyle.
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