Ah yes, it is that time of the year where people want to lose some weight for spring break. But wait, there are only a few weeks until then and people have waited until the last minute. Luckily, I am here to give some of my diet tips that I have taken from my own personal weight loss journey.

Firstly, make vegetables your best friend. Like every meal you have should consist of 50% or more of vegetables. And no, this does not mean have a full meal and add a side of vegetables doused in olive oil on the side, I mean you make half your plate vegetables and try to steam them or tone it down on the olive oil. This will keep you full but cut a lot of calories at the same time.

Secondly, drink more water. You should be peeing almost after every class. Have a water bottle on hand and keep drinking water as if your life depends on it. This will keep you full and is good for your overall health anyways.

Thirdly, maybe try counting calories. Now, this has a very bad connotation associated with it; however, it can help you see if you are eating too many calories in a day. I am going to be brutally honest here, it DOES NOT matter what you eat, if you eat more calories in a day than your body burns, you will put on weight. Whether it be keto, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, etc. you will not lose weight in a caloric surplus. I lost 60 pounds by eating in a caloric deficit (this means eating less than I burn) consisting of carbs, carbs, and more carbs. It was after the diet itself that I realized that I need to eat healthy in order to keep off the weight.

On top of it all, if you are trying to lose body fat fast, cut carbs at dinner. I truly cannot stress this one enough. If you exercise after school, do not eat carbs afterward until morning. Your body stores carbs after a workout and if you deprive yourself of these carbs, your body turns to fat for energy. I lost 4% body fat by eating the same amount of calories but cutting carbs at dinner. Lastly, exercise! Do some cardio and weight bearing exercise to burn extra calories to get to that spring break body faster! Ultimately, the big takeaway from this is to cut your caloric intake, carbs after dinner, drink water, and exercise! I wish you the best in your spring break weight loss journey!

*Editor’s note: the opinions and advice expressed in this article are those of the author who is not a licensed medical professional. Please do not engage in any form of dieting if you have a history of disordered eating patterns or an medical conditions which may be worsened by altering your diet