From a Keg to a Six Pack: Get the Body You Want by Spring Break

You can almost hear it: the sound of City College students all across campus when they notice what a winter's worth of cafeteria food and beer pong will do to their bodies....and the reality they don't have much time to turn everything around.But more urgently, obesity rates are rapidly increasing in the United States, with more than one-third of U.S. adults-some 72 million people-weigh more than they should, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And obesity is also hitting some college campuses hard and leading young men and women toward heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses.Many students know the risks, but still don't like doing what it takes to keep weight under control and get in shape. I'm sick of my gut," says Phil Howe, 24, as he lounges in NAC eating vending machine delicacies. "But I hate going in the gym, I work out for 10 minutes then I hit the cafeteria, it is so boring!""I hate working out, but I force myself to do it," adds Kelly Cleary, 22, after speed walking on the treadmill in Wingate Hall. "I'm trying to get back in shape like I was last year."Before you read about useful tips on how to lose weight, understand that you can't completely change your body in two months. But by exercising and changing the way you eat, you can make a difference that people will notice once spring break rolls around and you need to fit into shorts and a bathing suit.Here are five tips to help you started:Drink water.Simple enough right? If you get into the habit of drinking one or two glasses of water before a meal, you will get full faster and less likely to over eat. Also, the "hunger pains" we often get are really our bodies telling us we're thirsty. So drink up! Add lemons to your water to give it a little taste.Snack on fruits and vegetables.When you get hungry between meals it's easy to munch on chips or candy, but instead grab a piece of fruit or a vegetable. Eat as many and much as you want without feeling guilty. They are filling and will give you energy.Just do it-exercise.This is the most dreaded part of getting in shape but it is the most effective. "I plan on running and lifting in Wingate," freshman Pat Coy says. "I'm going to Florida for spring break, and I haven't taken my sweatshirt off since September. So who knows what work I have to do."To effectively lose weight you need to burn as many calories if not more than you eat. It helps to get a workout partner to keep you motivated and committed. Start by walking on the treadmill and slowly incorporate running and lifting weights. Use the machines in the gym."I taught myself how to lift weights," says junior Malcolm Warner 23, between his sets. "I would look at the other guys and follow what they did. It's actually easy!""The gym gets crazy every year the closer we get to spring break," a Wingate employee notes. "It is better to come early when the gym just opens."Eat small, healthy meals.Always eat three square meals with healthy snacks in between. Choose wisely: If you need that burger in the cafeteria eat it with a salad. STOP drinking soda, AKA wasted calories. Try to incorporate a vegetable, protein and carbohydrate into each meal. One day a week allow yourself a cheat meal; that way you are less likely to binge on bad food.No more short cuts.Instead of lining up waiting for the City College shuttle to transport you to class, walk! If it's light out and the weather's nice, walk to campus! Take the stairs instead of the elevator on your way to class. Every little bit counts.If you follow these easy useful tips you will be on your way to a fit, healthy body.