#DeepThoughtsByKeren

Ten things that may motivate you to work out and eat healthy:

1.     You’re sick of not being able to see the numbers on the scale over your stomach

2.     You realize “it’s the personality that counts” is the biggest lie in America

3.     You can’t afford to buy another – and bigger – pair of jeans

4.     Or underwear

5.     The gym won’t let you cancel your membership

6.     The muffin top is more evident when you look in the mirror than when you walk into a bakery

7.     Bathing suit season is over and the snow is on its way, but crop tops are in style year round

8.     The 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. staff at Uhots knows your order by heart

9.     So does the Just Pizza staff

10.  Halloween is just around the corner and you’re planning on wearing, well, nothing

After gaining the inevitable 15 pounds freshman year, students hope to shed weight over the summer.  Sophomore year, though, many students prepare for their first semester off campus, away from dorm food and home-cooked meals. Ramen Noodles, Zetti’s pizza, McDonald’s drive through and chips become go-to meals.

Some students grow out of the “what’s a gym?” mentality. Others do not.

According to livestrong.com, teens that live and go to school within a short distance of a fast food restaurant are more likely to be obese than those that are farther away.

For some, the epiphany strikes and these students realize they’re ready to trade their six-packs of beer for the six-pack hiding underneath their flab.

The 10 reasons listed above may cause some to chuck the Doritos, get off the couch and exercise. But the desire to fit into a size 0 for the sake of a Halloween costume diminishes when a piece of cookie cake is brought into the picture.

Below is information that I hope changes your mind about exercise and healthy eating – permanently.

Six things that should motivate you to work out and eat healthy

1.           Exercise prevents high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides.

Some of you may be thinking, “I’d rather eat cheerios to lower my cholesterol; I’m skinny, anyway.” That doesn’t matter, though – you can be a size 0 and still be unhealthy. You may not care now, but when you’re 50 years old and you’re constantly in need of blood tests and taking medication because your cholesterol is too high, you’ll be wishing you took this advice.

2.           Eating unhealthy food can lead to obesity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated three out of every five Americans weigh more than they should. Overweight people are at increased risk for all of the diseases listed above, as well as: type II diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, arthritis, respiratory problems and cancer.

3.           Exercise boosts energy. Physical activity improves endurance and muscle strength. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your heart and lungs, which helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently, according to mayoclinic.com.

4.           Exercise promotes better sleep. Many of us college students find ourselves exhausted during the day and incapable of falling asleep at night. Exercising early during the day gives us the strength to complete all of our tasks with energy and helps deepen our sleep at night. Saying goodbye to the melatonin and hello to the elliptical can do wonders in your life.

5.           Participating in regular physical activity and eating less junk food enhance sexual arousal for women and lessen the chance of erectile dysfunction for men. In addition to feeling better emotionally about your body during sex, due to exercise, the intimacy can actually feel better physically.

6.           Exercising helps reduce stress and relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to exercise.about.com.

There you have it, ladies and gents. There are 16 reasons to exercise and eat healthy listed in this column. I hope one of them jumps out at you and serves as your wakeup call to pick up the slack and start focusing on your health.

Email: keren.baruch@ubspectrum.com