One Life, One Body
Your body is a temple, treat it as such.
by SOPHIA DOSHI ★ OCTOBER 31, 2023
As a girl who doesn’t diet and works out a lot while still balancing college work, I want to spread the word that healthy living doesn’t mean cutting out dessert or skipping meals entirely if you can’t work out on a particular day. Dieting when working out is not necessary, and it’s important to remember to eat what you want and when you want. Balancing college and having a healthy lifestyle is challenging, but we have to remember that college isn’t everything.
However, the term ‘healthy living’ has some mysticism as well. For example, how can someone balance college, exercise, and eating all at once? You may have had these thoughts when scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, watching an influencer show her gym progress after three or four years of consistently working out. You admire her, yet simultaneously wonder how she manages to go to the gym for an hour a day and also get her assignments in on time. As someone who used to wonder but figured out the secret ingredients, I have three words for you: preparation, patience, and pattern. Yes, they all start with the letter P, but hopefully that makes them easier to remember.
Let’s start strong with preparation. I want to make it completely clear that I do not meal prep–but that is a personal choice. I also want to make it completely clear that I am not a certified health professional. I am speaking purely from my own experience, yet I’ve found that many of my experiences and techniques have benefited others. On that note, I don’t think it is necessary if you’re not a bodybuilder or looking to achieve a certain aesthetic. By aesthetic, I mean physique—if you’re trying to build muscle in your glutes or diet to define your abdominal muscles more, then meal prepping might be right for you. Just remember to do your research!
In the realm of healthy living, food is something to be enjoyed. Sure, balance your daily meals with fiber, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, but you don’t need to regulate how much or how little you eat. I never have, and with my fitness goals, I never intend to. Grab that chocolate chip cookie that you’re craving; in fact, grab two! If you want to have a bagel with cream cheese and some fruit on the side for every meal, go for it. If chicken tender Thursday at Ernie Davis is your jam, eat however many you want. What I mean is, don’t let your fitness dictate how you eat. Focus more on tailoring the time you spend in the gym to your academic schedule, and strive to maintain a positive relationship with food.
Next up is patience. Starting your fitness journey can be challenging. But with time, motivation, and consistency, your body will become accustomed to the exercises you do, and you’ll be able to train with more intensity. You also have to remember to be patient with your body. Sometimes noticeable results manifest quicker for some girls than they do for others, and that’s totally normal. You may need more than one rest day a week to recuperate and heal from working out, and that’s also normal. Regardless, progress always comes with time. The way our bodies work is unique to us and it is essential to keep that in mind!
Lastly, we have pattern. Once you figure out your routine, apply it to navigating college and finding (and sticking to!) a gym schedule. For me, having a consistent routine of going to the gym between my first two morning classes helps me stay on track and meet my fitness goals. Once you’re inside the gym, develop and build on routines that strengthen the parts of your body that you want to work on. Having a bit of consistency when your world is constantly changing around you really helps to stay mentally and physically healthy.
Once you put the three P’s into practice, I can guarantee that you’ll see progress. But don’t start off at one hundred percent, take small steps that graduate into larger ones. Keep track of your progress (or don’t, it’s up to you!) and be proud of your successes, big or small. You’ve got this!