There are two key parts to any weight loss or muscle building regimen: nutrition and exercise. First let's start off with nutrition. Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day so make sure you don't skip or skimp on it. I know how hard it is to get up the extra ten minutes early it would take to prepare a decent breakfast but it is definitely worth it and very important. Eating more in the morning will help curb your appetite as the day progresses and it is always better to eat earlier in the day than right before you go to sleep. For your breakfast, try to pack in a lot of protein and whole grains. Egg whites, oatmeal, all natural peanut butter on wheat bread are some of my favorites. A couple of slices or pieces of fruit are always welcome.
A couple healthy tips for eating throughout the day are first to spread your meals out throughout the day. Try and eat about five meals a day spaced roughly three hours apart. This can be a bit tough especially for those on a busy schedule, but there are still ways to keep to this all it takes is a bit of preparation and effort on your part. In the morning pack some snacks for you to munch on between your meals. Trail mixes or just bags of your favorite nuts are a great snack to have. Of course fruit always works too. The key is to just keep your metabolism up. If two people were to eat the same type and amount of food a day, but one were to space it out into five meals while the other only two, the one that spaces it out would be leaner due to his metabolism being constantly up.
Another tip is to drink plenty of water. Try to always have some with you and sip some as you go through the day. It is a really simple thing that does so much to benefit us, so make sure to plenty.
I will put in a quick word on supplements. Many people start to look towards supplements as some kind of miracle drug that will instantly make them leaner, healthier, or bulk. The simple truth is that it is not going to happen. Supplements are exactly that. Supplements. They supplement what you are already working on your own to achieve. That being said the one supplement I recommend everyone takes is a good multi-vitamin. No matter how much we try our diets will never be perfect, and in most cases it is far from it. A multi-vitamin will help plug up those holes in our diet. Another highly recommended supplement is fish oil. It contains omega 3 which is an essential fatty acid that is found on the skin of some fish.
Time is passing and the New Year is already underway so what are you waiting for? Throw down that pizza pick up and head out to your local grocery store. This is the year you meet your resolution.
Many students think that professors will give them some slack because it's the start of a new semester. They were recently in vacation mode so the students expect that the first few weeks of lecture and labs will start off easy. Student's who think this way couldn't be any more wrong. Though it may be true for many of the lower division classes, but the higher the number goes the less likely it is for you to have an easier time to adjust back into school.
Instructors expect higher level students to be more mature and together so therefore start the first day of class with a long lecture, pop quizzes, and enough homework to keep you busy for the entire week. Students who are still trying to adjust back from their lifestyle during vacation back into the lifestyle of a studious student may have some trouble getting back into this format. This is why many upper division classes have their students already failing at the beginning of the semester.
But to make it easier for students to understand how much workload they can carry, students are usually given a grace period usually lasting only for the first two weeks of school where they can drop the class without receiving a withdrawal on their permanent transcript and up to four to six weeks until they can drop the class without completely failing the class. However there has been talk amongst many professors across campuses about a withdrawal limit for students.
This isn't kindergarten. The teacher isn't going to hold your hand when you need to go to the restroom anymore. You're a big kid now and you need to start getting your act together or you will suffer the harsh consequences which usually results with a big fat F on your transcript. Though for many lower division classes you can get that replaced with another grade if the take the same class or an equivalent class in a future semester and have it averaged out for upper division classes, but remember that to attempt these require both time and money both which is incredibly precious and important in today's mainstream society.
So remember when going into the first class of a new semester don't go in empty handed. Make sure you have writing materials such as a notebook and pencil and have the textbooks required of the course you are taking. Some students wait till the last minute to buy their books but it is always better to buy them as soon as possible. Many students find it annoying to go to the school's bookstore to buy the book or to see which ones they need to buy but many school's put that information on their bookstore's website so it is easily accessible by any computer with an internet connection.
Books can be bought online at many online stores, new or used, and more importantly at a much cheaper price saving you money you can spend towards something else you need or possibly just want to indulge yourself in.
So in all, don't be like many of the unprepared students out there who think they can get off easy. Life isn't easy like that and to succeed, you need to give it your all.