When I walked on campus for my very first day of class as a freshman, the idea of staying healthy in college seemed… easy and simple.
I mean, I knew exactly what I had to do…
- Make healthy food choices
- Count my calories
- Workout at the campus rec center
- Lay off the booze a little
I could do this, right?
But as the weeks went by, those “simple” things that I knew I had to do were slipping through my fingers.
Instead of eating healthier, I was suddenly eating more fried and greasy things.
Instead of counting my calories, I was guessing (and doing it badly) and seeing my weight fluctuate.
Instead of going to the gym 3 times a week, I started making excuses like “I was too tired” or “I have too much homework”.
And limiting my partying to once a week… well… sometimes I just couldn’t say “no” to my friends.
Now, I know that you or someone just like you has a similar story, and fortunately I have a very simple solution for it.
In fact, using this very simple strategy could be a defining turning point in the struggle to transform your body permanently.
On the first day of class, your professor goes through the syllabus and in many cases you have some sort of project, paper, or presentation due by the end of the semester.
And even though this project is due in a few months, why do you work on it?
Why do you get it done?
For myself, I can remember always feeling pressure in the back of my mind that was tugging at my attention if I didn’t feel like I was on track.
But it all comes down to your grades. If you didn’t get that project done, your grade is going to suffer.
Similarly, if you have a part-time or full-time job, you can’t just not show-up whenever you want.
(Unless you don’t want your job anymore.)
So why do you keep going to work?
Your paycheck depends on it, right?
If you want to know how to stay healthy in college and transform your body while you’re balancing school, watch the video and keep reading…
Staying Healthy in College Permanently (The Simple Fix)
The Force that Makes Us Get Shit Done
I was dancing around the answer earlier, but this powerful force that pushes us to turn in our research papers and make us keep showing up to work on time is…
Accountability.
It’s the simple idea that something or someone is holding you responsible for your actions and promises.
It also acts as a slight pressure and reminds you of the consequences of not taking action on something.
With too much accountability, the feeling can be translated into stress and make you worry to the point of overwhelm.
But the accountability I’m referring to is the necessary and subtle pressure that’s just enough to motivate you to move forward with how to get fit in college.
The research on it is pretty good too.
This study found that having a consistent gym buddy increases your motivation for self-regulation which can severely increase your workout consistency.
Also, in other research found that when you workout with someone who is perceived as “better than you” you’re more likely to workout harder and longer.
Friendly competition, eh?
[Tweet “Here’s the permanent solution to staying healthy in college…”]
Accountability is How I Launched This Website (Campus Gains)
I’m going to get “meta” on you for a second here.
I’ve been trying to build a website and online brand for a very long time…
…and if I told you just how long you’d probably be like “Wow, I would have given up by then.”
Well, I did give up. Multiple times. But each time, I tried something new and got back on the horse only to give up again in a few short months.
And staying healthy in college was NOT what I started with… I had Blink 182 fan sites, karaoke machine review sites, and even a blog on how to do metal screaming (I was all over the place).
It was a vicious cycle and even though I was continuing to take action, I was creating new sites and online properties only to convince myself later to quit when things became too difficult to manage.
It wasn’t until I made a YouTube video on a previous website that someone approached me and asked if I would like to be his accountability partner.
Immediately, I thought “No, I don’t need that sort of thing. I’m doing fine.”
But then I had to be honest with myself and realize that I hadn’t been getting shit done and in fact, I really DID need something like this to push through the problems I was having.
So I said “Yes” and almost a year later I’m still working every single day to provide high-quality content on fitness for college students.
Had I not done that, I may have moved onto something else, only to give up and quit just like in the past.
Here’s What an Accountability Partner Should Do
Despite your first instinct, you can’t just pick anybody to be your accountability partner.
Actually, picking the wrong person can have worse consequences than someone not having a partner at all in some cases.
That’s why the person you choose should:
- Have a similar goal – So you can share strategies, tips, and ideas that help both of you.
- Be in the same time zone – Preferably someone you can meet in person, but if they have to be online, it’s nice to know you can talk to them anytime you’re awake.
- Have the same motivational intensity – You want to team up with someone who’s actually interested in staying healthy in college and not just someone who’s doing you a favor.
Overall , this person needs to be someone who you can count on to be honest with you.
They’ll call you out when you’re not following through and getting your shit done.
If you tell your partner that you’re going to workout 3 days per week and you only workout 2, he should ask you why this happened, remind you of your promise, and motivate you to get it done next week.
It might take some work in the beginning to get a flow between the two of you, but the benefits will be awesome.
Where to Find Your Accountability Partner
You can find an accountability partner almost anywhere, but I’m going to give you a short list starting with the top pick for good partners…
- Personal friends that you know are into fitness
- Members of a fitness-based club at school
- Classmates in some sort of fitness class
- Online in a forum or on Reddit
Commit to Staying Healthy in College (and more)… Permanently
I want you to commit to staying healthy in college by leaving a comment below and telling me the next steps you plan to take to find an accountability partner including…
- What your current goal is
- Where you plan to look for a partner
- How often you plan to check in with each other
Seriously do it. This is how goals are accomplished and bodies are transformed.
I’m gonna hold you accountable … for your accountability.
Inception.