We all know you’re getting drunk at school.
Let’s not pretend that as soon as your parents drop you off in your dorm that it’s going to be all study groups and late night homework sessions…
…because we both know it’s not.
One of the hardest parts about building a shredded body while you’re at university is simply damage control.
And one of the most damaging factors is living the typical wasted, college life.
Now I’m not going to tell you to NOT drink.
Instead, let’s come up with a strategy that lets you have the best of both worlds…
(Before I go any further, I need to get some legal stuff out of the way. I don’t endorse underage drinking. You should be of legal age before you have alcohol. Also, I accept no responsibility for any physical or mental harm caused by my alcohol recommendations. You accept full responsibility for your own actions.)
Cut Your Drunkin’ Party Nights Down to 2 Nights a Week
The real big wins that come from drinking and having a lean muscular body are limiting the number of times that you get plastered.
First of all, you should be focusing hardcore on your studies.
Homework, research papers, and exam prep is where your head should be at.
After that’s taken care of, then you can figure out where the next kegger is going to be.
So really, if you limit the number of nights that you get crunk down to 2, trying to hold onto your hard-earned abs won’t become so big of a deal.
Restrict Fat and Carbs During the Day
High carb diets are effective at losing body fat.
High fat diets can also be just as effective at dropping body fat too.
However, when you pair them together in high amounts, food is more likely to be stored as body fat if you’re not careful.
Then, when you throw alcohol into the mix, it makes things worse…
According to this study, drinking alcohol jumps in front of the natural oxidation processes that keep your carbs and fats from being stored as body fat.
What’s why I recommend restricting fat to no more than 0.6 g/lb of bodyweight and eating no more than 1 g/lb of bodyweight in carbs.
On the bright side, have as much protein as you want before the party, but make sure it comes from lean sources so you’re not eating as much fat.
Give Yourself a Beer Threshold
I could tell you NOT to drink beer, but you’re in college and unless you want to be completely outcast, there’s really no way around it.
So, instead of shunning beer altogether, give yourself a limit of about 2 beers that you won’t exceed.
Beer has more carbs than most alcoholic drinks and will contribute to your overall fat gain if you don’t watch it.
Now, I didn’t say “stop drinking”… I just said limit the beer consumption because I have some other ideas for you…
Drink These Things Instead of Beer
I know that cheap beer is the drink of the gods once you hit campus, but here are a list of things that are better to drink instead of beer because of their low-carb tendencies and low calories…
- Dry wines
- Cognac
- Gin
- Rum
- Scotch
- Whisky
- Vodka
- Tequila
The last few are basically zero calories and if you mix them with some diet coke or something, you still have a tasty drink that allows you to get shwasted without as much guilt.
No Late Night Eating (4th Meals)
As much as most guys think that all the “drinking” is what causes weight and fat gain, it’s mostly the food that does you in.
And believe me… I love a late night Taco Bell run as much as the next guy.
The thought of shoveling my face with a freshly grilled crunchwrap supreme makes my heart skip a beat… but if you want to keep your abs… don’t eat ANYTHING until the next morning.
Sure, have a handful of chips at the party, but don’t go through the drive thru with anybody and don’t pull into Perkins at 4 AM either.
Just go back to your dorm and pass out like a good student.
Be Smart About Your Partying
The moral of the story is… as long as you give it a little thought before you go out with your buds, you can keep your abs and wake up in bed with a stranger without increasing the size of your gut.
And of course, don’t drink and drive or make any equally stupid decisions while under the influence.
Remember, you’re in school to get a degree (but make some fun memories along the way).
Now that you’ve gotten this far, leave me a comment below and tell which of these areas is your biggest problem.
THEN… tell me what your action plan will be for the next party.