As so many of us have come to learn, everyone has a particular time of year they restrict best in or feel most motivation to lose weight. Some like summer; with bikini thinspo, where the freedom of not having to go to school means you only expend energy on exercise, and you promise to be thinner and tanned when you go back to school. Many hate the summer, watchful parents forcefeeding you at every meal, stuck up in your hot bedroom trying to do enough calisthenics to burn off dinner, being forced to wear pants and suffer the heat, or shorts and embrace scars. Some like winter; big fluffy sweaters and thigh gaps, snow days of you're lucky, reading Wintergirls and dreaming of a pure, clean, skinny new you for the new year approaching. Or you're panicking about holiday dinners and looking chunky in two jackets. Some of my more experienced friends of mine love spring; the gradual warming of cold hands, the looming freedom of summer to get us through final exams. Prom and graduation if you're lucky enough.
But there is a manic crazy, a drive that incites us to restrict in the fall, especially for those returning to school. There is no consensus on whether it's the feeling of a fresh start, the relief from the heat, the reemergence of hoodies, or the freedom of being out if watchful eyes; it's likely an individual combination of these things for everyone. But we all feel it. There's a need to plan; meals, calories, diets, goal weights. "Get skinny for Halloween/before Thanksgiving/to go on a holiday trip/to eat Christmas dinner without guilt." We know the drill. We know our reasons.
But there is a manic crazy, a drive that incites us to restrict in the fall, especially for those returning to school. There is no consensus on whether it's the feeling of a fresh start, the relief from the heat, the reemergence of hoodies, or the freedom of being out if watchful eyes; it's likely an individual combination of these things for everyone. But we all feel it. There's a need to plan; meals, calories, diets, goal weights. "Get skinny for Halloween/before Thanksgiving/to go on a holiday trip/to eat Christmas dinner without guilt." We know the drill. We know our reasons.
However, for those who are still in school or college, this can be a major hindrance for their success.
You should never put losing weight in front of your education. Think of it this way; your weight will change through out your life. There is no way to indefinitely control your body. Being thin in your teens and 20's doesn't equate to much, but having knowledge that you learn in high school and college will stay with you for the rest of your life. I recommend at least 500 calories on days you attend classes, more if you exercise as well. Feed your brain with nutritious foods such as fish, leafy veggies, and whole grains. Fruits and fatty meats count up your calories quick but don't provide a lot of the nutrients you need for good memory. Eat at least half your calories before you go to school, so that you aren't distracted by a grumbling belly in class. While most agree it's easiest to restrict while at school, don't forget the reason you are going!
