Q + A, Part 4

15 May, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

Today I’m answering another handful of the questions y’all have submitted. Be sure to readpart 1, part 2, and part 3 to see if I answered your question or just to check out the answer to something you probably wanted to know anyway. If you’re still feeling snubbed, please submit any question you’d like!

Will doing 100 ab crunches a day for thirty days give you evident results?
The most definitive answer I can give you to this question is no. Unfortunately, you can’t really target fat loss that way and, more often than not, the moves you make in the kitchen will deliver more results than the moves you make in the gym. Think about it this way: you can consume calories far faster than you can burn them. So, if you’re looking to get bikini-ready abs, I’d suggest a calorie-conscious diet full of whole foods, cardio, and strength training (including those crunches, if you’d like).

You mentioned that you did Weight Watchers when you were younger. What are your thoughts on it now?
I’ve had a couple stints with Weight Watchers and excluding my undergraduate nutrition education, it has probably provided me with the most knowledge about healthy eating. Recording your food as PointsPlus is a great way to exercise portion control and hold yourself accountable for what you put in your mouth.

My only qualm about their new system (assuming this is still how it works) is that fruit is zero points. For most people who don’t particularly enjoy fruit as a snack, this is probably an effective way to get them eating more. And while fruit is a nutrient-dense alternative to many snacks that are nutritionally empty, it still has calories. As someone who loves fruit, I was happy I could consume cups of it between meals to stifle my hunger without dipping into my daily PointsPlus for the day. That extra couple hundred calories or so, however, definitely stifled my weight loss, as well.

I have the BIGGEST sweet tooth ever, which has been a problem since I am trying to lose the 20 pounds I gained freshman year. What can I do to keep me away from the sweets?
I think your best bet will be to indulge in your cravings from time to time, but in a slender way. There are lots of lower calorie alternatives to satiate a sweet tooth, and totally avoiding the things you love is just going to set yourself up for failure. I like to have a 100-150 calorie “safety net” left over at the end of the night for sweets that satisfy my sweet tooth. This includes things like sweet slender nachos, single serving mug brownies, or chocolate Greek froyo.

The List

4 April, 2013 by Claire | 6 Comments

I often struggle with how personal I want The Slender Student to be. I hesitate to put it all out there for two reasons. Firstly, you could all be Craigslist Killers, or strangers with candy that want me to get in your van. Secondly, I’m just some random college girl whose blog you stumbled upon after clicking through some pretty food pictures on Pinterest. Admit it, you’re here for the healthy food porn, not to hear my life story.

Recently, however, I was telling an acquaintance something about a fast food venture fueled by libation, leaving her in complete disbelief that, “The Slender Student drunk eats?! At WHATABURGER?!” In that moment I realized that in sharing my healthy tips and recipes, I’ve (unintentionally) made myself out to be a nutritional saint. So today I’ve decided to share my list. My list consists of five things (though I’m sure there are more) I’m working on to improve my health. These are the things that I know I should be doing as a nutrition student, a health blogger, and a human, but that I don’t do because I’m well…a human.

I know from my own experience (and a buncha geeks’ research) that writing things down helps keep you accountable, so feel free to leave your own lists in the comments section. Immortalizing your goals on the interweb could make you that much more likely to achieve them, plus I’d just love to see them.

Spring Break Slender Down Swaps + Freebies

27 February, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

If you’re reading today’s post then you must’ve it through yesterday’s shocking announcement: spring break is less than two weeks away! Fortunately, there’s the Spring Break Slender Down meal plan, a no nonsense set of meal suggestions that will help you become the lean, mean, poolside-laying, (slender) margarita-sipping machine that I know you are.

Today’s post should give you a better idea of how to make the meal plan your own.
The swaps can be used to change up the meals I suggested yesterday. Just make sure you check the nutrition information per serving before switching things around, as everything will have different calorie and nutrient content. Of course this list isn’t all-encompassing so if there’s something you have a question about incorporating into the Slender Down, let me know!

Freebies should get you through the day by either adding some spice to your meals or giving you something free to snack on between designated meals. Keep in mind that not every meal plan can work for everyone, so if you’re absolutely starving while on the Slender Down, you should think about adding 100-200 calories to the plan.

For more tips and meal suggestions, follow me on Instagram and check out the Spring Break Slender Down Facebook album!

Also, if you wanna show off your Slender Spring Break Meal Plan creations, tag me on Instagram or Twitter and add #springbreakslenderdown!

Spring Break Slender Down Meal Plan

26 February, 2013 by Claire | 1 Comment

So, uh, spring break is really soon. That means bikini pictures plastered all over Facebook is really soon.

If that thought has sent you running into the back of your closet, looking for the nearest maxi dress, chill. I’m here to help. Today’s post is a meal plan that will have you treating your body well during these dire times. It’s nothing extreme, because that’s not what I’m about. But, depending on your goals and your starting point, it could help ya trim down a bit before it’s time to tie the knot in your bathing suit top.

Now, as a warning, these meal plans have calorie counts on them and they get pretty specific regarding their source. If that totally freaks you out, ignore it and follow my meal suggestions in terms of portions and ingredients, making appropriate swaps as needed. The calorie count is just there for those that are interested. If you’re in that pool, I’d suggest downloading either the MyFitnessPal or Calorie King apps to your phone so you can keep track on the go.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see how I’m following the meal plan. I’ll be posting Spring Break Slender Down suggestions in case you need further inspiration from the list below. Those are just jumping off points for you to get creative.

Sound good? Let’s continue.

Here’s the meal plan to follow on days when you don’t hit the gym. Those freebie calories can be used for a post-dinner snack like a Deep Chocolate VitaTop, or throughout the day for the little things you can’t live without– a sprinkle of grated cheese, a spoonful of salad dressing on your green salad.

*Non-starchy vegetables include things like broccoli, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, etc. Basically not potatoes, corn, beans, winter squash, pumpkin, etc.

This is the plan to follow on days when you hit the gym, which should happen 3-5 days a week for about an hour of combined cardio and strength training. Aim to burn at least 300-400 calories. Freebie calories can be used the same way you did on your rest days.

*Have your pre-workout snack 30-60 minutes before you start sweating, whether it’s before breakfast or between your lunch and afternoon snack.

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If you have questions, please post them in the comments and I’ll try and help you the best I can! No single meal plan will fit everyone’s needs, so let me know if you have an issue and I’ll see how I can tailor things to suit you.

Also, if you wanna show off your Slender Spring Break Meal Plan creations, tag me on Instagram or Twitter and add #springbreakslenderdown!

Slender Sororities

25 February, 2013 by Claire | Leave a comment

After a week off from blogging and a weekend off from slender eating thanks to Moms’ Weekend, I’m so happy to be back with a a full arsenal of posts that I think you’re all going to love.
The girls of UT AEPhi take Bar Method classes together, listen to a talk on portion control from yours truly, snack on slender alternatives, and team up for a mud run!

Melissa, a freshman Alpha Phi at Wash U, shares her tips for staying slender and how her sorority helps her do it!

Some UGA freshmen Chi Os making slender post-workout choices in their dining hall!

Texas KKGs post-Bar Method burn!

Victoria, a freshman Pi Phi at Vanderbilt, on slender sorority bonding. Tulane Chi O throws it back to Jazzercise!

Thank you to all the slender sorority girls who sent in their photos and tips. Way to rep ya crew. If your girls weren’t featured today, please feel free to send in how y’all stay slender and I’ll be sure to put you in the next Slender Sorority post! Also, a big thanks to the always awesome girls of Team Slender (Nicole, Alexis, and Cara) for helping me put this together!