So we are in a little bit of a predicament, my friends. On the one hand, summer is almost here, meaning bikinis, boats, and (hopefully) cute boys to hang out with in said bikinis on said boats. On the other hand, summer is almost here (wah wah), meaning we are not only spending these weeks studying our little (or big) badonk-a-donks off, but any moment not spent studying (or stress eating) is spent drinking with our pals because hey, we only have a few more weeks left and we want to remember all those good times we spent drinking together until we didn’t remember drinking together. Ah, those times are the greatest. I think.

The only problem is that situation numero dos (the drinking/not remembering eating that entire pizza at 2am) doesn’t help us out with situation number one (bikinis and fitting our booties into one).

When we drink (and we all know this by now), we’re not only consuming a ton of calories from our friend the frozen marg, but much like that fabulous children’s book “If You Give A Moose A Muffin,” if you give me a tequila shot, I’m going to want some mac and cheese/pizza/other late night snack to go with it. And that means may-jor (Rachel Zoe voice) extra fat and calories.

Unless you have some healthier versions of your favorite tasty treats up your sleeve, which – yay! – I do.  I’ve spent some time playing around my kitchen and come up with a trusty arsenal of late night foods that satisfy the late night craving minus the late night calories. Seems too good to be true? Well, whip these up in your kitchen (or dorm room) and you’ll realize that it’s not!

Mac & Cheese:
1 pack of Tofu Shirataki noodles
2-3 wedges of Laughing Cow Cheese (any flavor)

Strain the noodles, warm them in the microwave and mix in the cheese until it gets all gooey and mac and cheesy. Benefit aside from the lo cal count (these “noodles” have about 40 calories in an entire package!)? This recipe is easy enough to make while wasted.

“Pasta”
Okay so by pasta, I mean not pasta. Take any leftover or frozen veggies (I love broccoli or cauliflower), heat them up (oven, stove top or microwave depending on your level of sobriety) and toss them in some tomato sauce and a little Parmesan and you get the taste of pasta minus the muffin top. It’s a win-win.

Sweet Potato “fries”
Take one large sweet potato and slice into thin rounds, toss in a little bit of olive oil, sea salt and paprika, throw on a cooking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes.

“Chocolate” bark
I’ve written before about the amazing benefits of coconut oil - it’s really great for ya! Now I’m going to use it and give you the satisfaction of chocolate….in a healthy way! Note: Make before you go out so you can just nom nom nom when you get home.

1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 packets of Stevia
1/2 tablespoon of agave (optional)

Mix the cocoa powder and Stevia, then add in the melted coconut oil. Pour onto a cookie sheet or into cupcake holders and freeze. Feel free to add a few drops of a Stevia flavor to make it even better, but you won’t need it. This stuff is decadent and tasty and will hit the late night spot.

Peanut butter
Sometimes late at night, I like to eat peanut butter on a spoon. Sometimes with jelly. Sometimes with chocolate chips and sometimes just by itself. It’s true. and it’s good, But it’s not the healthiest of late night snacks. Swap out peanut butter for Better ‘n Peanut Butter as a healthier alternative while still getting that PB taste. (It has only 100 calories per tablespoon!)  It’s especially tasty on a whole wheat pita with sliced banana on top!

For even more healthy alternatives to your favorite unhealthy snacks, click here. And if you’ve got a favorite “late night snack” swap, share it with the rest of us below! 

Ladies and gents, it’s called VANITY SIZING.

In short, companies are starting to realize that when their consumers think they can fit into a smaller size, they feel better about their body image. Let’s face it: when we can fit into pants that would normally be difficult to zip, it’s super exciting. As a result, stores are thinking that we’ll keep coming back to purchase more stuff because, well, we are always guaranteed to feel good when we try on their clothes.

Personally, I think that vanity sizing is completely ridiculous, but I’m sure all you business majors know that it’s a great marketing tactic. Just as long as consumers are aware of the size differences, it’s not a big deal. But you see – that’s the thing. People are starting to believe their true size is not what it really is.

Girls are going around thinking that they are a size 6, when they really might be a size 8. For me, it sucks when I try on a different brand of jeans to learn that it is shockingly inaccurate. Plus, how annoying is it that you never really know what size to order online because every company follows a different sizing chart? Let’s face it – not every 34” waists fit the same.

In addition, a lot of girls are in the mindset that they only wear one size and refuse to buy anything bigger than that. As a result, when they do come across a cute pair of jeans, they are more likely to purchase their regular size – even if it fits more snuggly than if they had gone a few sizes up. Little do people know…not all sizes are the same.

How do we fix this? The only way to really tell what size you are is to take a measuring tape and measure yourself inch for inch. This way, you can refer to each brand’s sizing charts and purchase accurately.

As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, size should not be the main determinant for someone’s healthiness. Yet, when it comes to vanity sizing, it concerns me to hear that stores are doing this. Is it because they are ashamed of their heavy set population or is it because they are promoting larger waist lines? Why is it so satisfying to think that we need to wear clothes that are smaller? Sure, it makes us feel better to hear we’ve gone down a size, but what does it mean if all of that is a lie?

According to Esquire, the biggest vanity sizing culprits include H&M, Calvin Klein, Alfani, Gap, Haggar, Dockers and Old Navy.  The shocker is that stores also do this for guys! And we thought girls only had body issues…

Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about vanity sizing except for be aware of its existence. Don’t let a store reel you into their web of deceptions. Be informed and if you’re ever unsure, measure out their clothes yourself. You might find that their 27’s are really 29’s. At the end of the day, buy outfits because they make you look and feel awesome, not because of the size on the tag.

If you are the type to use clothes to monitor your weight loss, keep track by measuring yourself every so often and use clothes you already own to see how the fit changes overtime. Do not rely on the latest clothing – the newer the item, the more likely the sizing is off.

All in all, be proud of your body and know that how you feel is more important than what the label says. Wear clothes that accentuate your figure and watch those heads turn (towards your fab abs and lovable legs) as you walk down the street.

What do you think about Vanity Sizing? Twitteroo me @jackelynho.

Thankfully, since all our favorite TV shows did the rerun thing this week (well, except for Jersey Shore’s lame ass finale), it’s not like there was much else going on to occupy my time. That meant plenty of time to focus on making myself more approachable, and answer the many pressing questions CollegeCandy proposed:

What are the most ubiquitous college student stereotypes?

Why is everyone making such a big deal about the Glee GQ photos?

We call ourselves accepting?

Why are people still dating John Mayer?

Why are Yale frat boys so disgusting?

What does a girl’s drink of choice say about her?

At what point in a relationship can you forgo condoms?

What is it really like to live in a sorority house full of estrogen?

What happens when you wear sweat pants every day? (Hint: it starts with muffin and ends with top.)

Where is the best place in the world to be a woman?

Somehow you ended up with four 9am classes this semester. WTF? You can barely get up for your kickboxing class at noon on Fridays, and someone expects you to make it to class (ready to learn!?) by 8:50am the rest of the week?

Oh hell no.

You hope your professor doesn’t expect you to look presentable. Hell, he should just be happy you left yourself enough time to brush your teeth. Your morning routine is always the same: you roll out of bed at 8:30, grab the first pair of sweats you can find on the floor, throw your hair into a ponytail and run out of the house. You pop into the campus coffee shop en route to lecture and grab a coffee (“Giant, please!”) and something to munch on (“Give me the butteriest bagel you’ve got back there”).

What? It’s early and you need comfort.

You slide into your seat just as the Power Point appears on the wall in front of you. If it weren’t for the food, you’d probably fall right back to sleep – you’re just so comfortable. When class is over, you go to your next class, or to the library, or home for a nap. Whichever you choose, you sport the sweats for the rest of the day: through the classes, the breaks, the meals…

You spend so much time in your sweatpants during the week, in fact, that when the weekend comes and it is time to wear something that doesn’t say “Pink” across the ass you have trouble getting into them. No, not motivating yourself to get dressed; actually getting into them. After the first few weeks of classes your clothes feel a bit snug but you can still make em work (“I must have shrunk these a bit in the dryer….”). As the semester wears on, however, putting on your going-out-jeans has become a sweaty workout.

When the pants stop moving at your thighs, you begin to pull harder. You grab the belt loops and yank, squeezing your thighs, butt and belly into the denim sausage casing. Then you jump around a bit. Then you lay on the bed and see if that helps. If you finally do get those suckers closed, you start lunging around your room, doing squats, and sitting down to see if the denim gives a little bit.

It does not, but you’ve already tried on every other pair in your closet and these fit the best. You decide they will have to do. You throw on a loose shirt on top (to camoflauge the muffin top), throw back a few more drinks and head out.

Your legs and feet begin to fall asleep at some point in the night due to decreased circulation. You have trouble bending your knees to get up the stairs to exit the bar. Your jeans nearly tear as you sit in the cab. When you finally get home and peel those things off  – and notice the deep red line across your belly – you know you’ve got to do something.

It is then that you vow never to wear sweats to class again; those elastic waistbands are far more forgiving of the donuts, the bagels and the sugary Fraps you fill yourself with on a daily basis. (Note: when sober you also realize that cutting those things out of your diet may be a good idea, too.)

We know how you feel. We’ve all had the sweat pant weight gain before. Just get up for that kickboxing class and you’ll be OK.

Best friends. Waiting home for you with open arms when you take that first walk-of-shame (or hip to hip, if you’re in the good fight together). Your shoulder to cry on, owner of every secret known to your embarrassing character.  A best friend is there for you when you need to decode that late night text from your crush.  A best friend is there for you when all you want to do on a Friday night is veg out and discuss the important things… like Octo-mom. A best friend will accompany you on the dance floor and be honest if you’re ‘shopping cart’ move is outdated.

And a BFF is there for you to tell you you’re fat?

OK, let me put down my Caramello Bar, and let’s figure this out. A recent survey of 3,000 women revealed that one in five women secretly think her best friend is fat but won’t dare share this information with her.  The study also suggested that the truth was a big “no no” because 1 in 5 women ended the relationship post dishing the info. Now, this seems a little extreme. You mean to tell me relationships end because your BFF tells you to put down the bread stick?

On the surface, as natural as being there for me to watch trashy reality TV, I would want my BFF to be there to tell me the truth about my weight (especially after sifting through my freshman year Facebook album).  Double chins and Smirnoff do not go well together and maybe I need a little outside perspective (sans beer goggles) to see that. Best friends are supposed to be honest with one another and if she can’t tell me the truth about my ever growing muffin top, who can?

But on the other hand, I would be pissed off, hurt and embarrassed.  Maybe, when I attempted to squeeze into all 12 pairs of my jeans with no success, I already realized that. I don’t need someone else to point it out to me and make me feel worse. And maybe I feel good about what I’m wearing and my Beyonce curves; who is she to tell me the cupcake doesn’t add into that happy equation?

I guess I am contradicting myself here, because as much as I want someone (especially my best friend) telling me to lay off the Sun Chips, I want them to lay off my weight issues.  Those issues are mine to control and while I’d like my BFFAEAEAE to be honest with me, there is such a thing as too honest.

What do you think?
Is there an unspoken pact in a friendship to bolster each other and leave the mirror and a scale to do the dirty work?  Do you want your friend to lie to you, or is it your friend’s duty to tell you the truth?

Except most resolutions get tossed out the window by February, leaving the resolutioner in the same exact place they were one year before. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are lots of ways to ensure you stick to your goals, one of them being accountability. Simply sharing your resolution with others so you have someone there watching you along the journey will help keep you strong.

So that’s what we’re gonna do. Three CollegeCandy writers have agreed to share their big resolutions for 2010 and document their quest to success. Every month we’re going to check in on them to see how they’re doing and keep them motivated to complete the goals they set for themselves.

Did you make a resolution? Do you want help keeping it? Come along for the ride each month and share your ups and downs in the comments section below. If we all work together we can be happier, thinner, stronger, smarter, richer, whatever-you-want-er come 2011.

Brittany: Happiness

New Year’s Resolutions scare me. No, they really do.  The minute I want to be a good person and lose 20 pounds, I have dreams about blueberry muffin mountains and an ocean full of margaritas.  Please tell me I am not the only one. On this account, I have decided to tackle my resolution at a different angle this year: by simply, being happy.  And there is a little equation I have come up with to help myself through, and it is actually fun!

My new resolution is: When I wake up in the morning, ask myself “What is it that you would really want to do today?” And do it. Every day.  It doesn’t need to be climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, or to learn the 5th symphony on the piano.  It can be easy as telling someone how I really feel, or going on a drive simply to have a mini-concert in my car starring me, myself, and I.  I should just do it. So that’s my plan for 2010. To be happy. Follow me on my journey and maybe we can all have a happier future.

Sara: Marathon

Running is more than just a hobby for me: since I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2008, it regulates my stress and helps keep my digestive system in order. Before my diagnosis I was sick nearly every day, with very little energy and without passion to do the things I love. Once I changed my diet and started running seriously, I’ve been symptom-free and, well, really happy! (Runner’s high is real, I’m telling you!) That’s why my New Year’s resolution is to maintain a running goal (really, a dream) I’ve had for years: to finish the New York City Marathon in under 4 hours, something I thought was impossible when I was ill.

This is a resolution two years in the making; I spent the last year qualifying for this year’s 26.2 mile race, which takes place on November 7. Until then, I will be running a half-marathon in each borough of New York City, to maintain my fitness and aid in the marathon training. Over the next few months, I’ll be reporting back to CollegeCandy on my progress and race results, all while trying to stay injury-free. Who knows, maybe I can convince you to try distance running!

Lauren: Fit Into My Old Jeans

I’ve put on about 15 pounds in the past two years. It came on slowly so I barely saw it happening, but it came on nonetheless. And now I see it. Jiggling back at me in the mirror. So my resolution for this year is to stop letting the little things (a cookie here, a half pizza there) slide and finally get my weight back down to its happier place. I have all the tools to do it – the gym membership, the healthy food, the knowledge. And now I’ve got the fire under my (larger) ass to make this happen for myself.

I want to go back to the days when I felt good in my clothes… and when I could sit down without a giant muffin top pouring out. I want to feel healthy. I want to feel proud. I want to feel sexy and happy and content. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve been the happiest I’ve ever been in my life these past two years. But somewhere I let myself go and now is the time to fit the last piece in the puzzle (…and fit these thighs into my favorite jeans). I’m motivated and I’m ready to be my bad-ass, healthy self in 2010. Let’s see how this goes.

Can you believe it’s 2010? Where did the year go? Where did the decade go? Hell, where did my sequin jacket go? And why did I think that chasing a Jager Bomb with a bottle of Andre was a good idea? Oh lord.

Right now it’s probably hard to think about anything but a greasy breakfast sandwich, a gallon of water and how you’re going to get that rando out of your bed, but it’s the first day of the new year and you know what that means: it’s massive hangover resolution time.

This week I asked the CollegeCandy writers to share their resolutions for the new year. Most of the girls are on their own with sticking to their list, but every month we’re going to check in with a few of them on their quest for self improvement. Will they stick to their resolutions and become the best they can be? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’ve already ruined my personal resolution of treating my body well (I’ve got a stack of pancakes and a giant latte sitting next to me at the moment), so I just hope they fare better than me.

Arielle – Quinnipiac University: Stop going on Facebook and the internet, and read some books instead!

Nina – Michigan State University: I am going to stop watching brain-suckers like Keeping Up With the Kardashians and watch more health and knowledge related shows. Maybe.

Brithny – Duke:  To fit into my skinny jeans without having to do the after-laundry lunges. You know the ones I’m talking about.

Meg – University of Delaware: cut down my severe caffiene addiction

Anna R – Northeastern University: To finish paying off my credit card debt and save at least $1000 next semester… Somehow I’m hoping I will achieve this while doing an unpaid internship in NYC.

Kim – Stanford: To get a job in NYC and move there after graduation!

Jessica – Hofstra: Stop procrastinating, and start saving money by finding boys to buy my drinks at the bar!

Lauren – University of Michigan: To figure out the difference between need (healthy food) and want (Marc Jacobs handbags and vodka). Oh, and to stop convincing myself that my jeans from senior year of high school still fit. If I can’t breathe, they do not fit. It’s that simple.

Charlsie – Hollins University: To stop reading Perez Hilton. He spreads negativity around and I’m sick of participating in it.

Jackelyn – San Francisco State University: To go for what I want. There’s no better time than today to get things done!

Sarabeth – University of Texas: To legitimately work out this year, no more of this “walking to class counts” crap.

Noa – CU Boulder: To learn how to make Thai food. I swear I spend half of my money on Pad See Ew.

Zahra – Northwestern University: To choose one or two resolutions and stick to them! I always end up with, like, ten. I’m still not sure what the actual resolutions will be but, hey, it’s a start!

Caitlin – University of Alabama: To stop letting people take me for granted! I deserve some thanks for all of the things I do dammit.

Emmy- Loyola University Chicago: To focus on academics and own all my classes next semester.

Erica – Kent State University: To be a better friend. And to find shoes like this.

Ricki – University of Michigan: I will stop buying so much overpriced coffee and learn to make it myself. I will also not count coffee on my parents credit card as “me not paying” because I am actually just fooling myself.

What do you want to do better this year?

Wait, what?

According to a poll of 2,200 women conducted by (who else?) Special K cereal, more than a quarter of women, 29.1 percent to be exact, said that “fitting into an old pair of jeans” would feel BETTER. THAN. SEX.

Let’s be honest here. I’m in college – I drink copious amounts of alcohol. I eat bad food..and a lot more of it than I should. I would love to be able to shed a few pounds and pull my high school pants over my muffin top. But, better than sex? I don’t know about that one. Maybe if I was somehow fitting into my leggings from middle school. Or that awesome 98 Degrees baby tee I picked up at a concert.

Other responses included 28.9% who said squeezing into those skinny jeans would “beat a promotion,” (being thin > being rich??) and one in ten who said it would “beat a marriage proposal.”

WTF?

I can see how there’s a connection between small jeans and sex (but more in that trying to squeeze into a tight pair of jeans is about as painful as your first time between the sheets….), but these results are really just shocking.

Honestly, who are these bitches having all this bad sex?

Yes, there are many up-sides to this little trip: we get a break from all the homework, we get to eat something other then cafeteria mystery meat for a change, and we get to curl up with Scruffy on the couch for a couple of days.

But with the comfort of being home comes a few downers as well. And I’m not talking about being woken up at 9am on a Saturday or having to empty the dishwasher. It’s those little comments from mom and dad that really get under your skin. And no matter how hard you try to be nice, you just can’t help but snap, say something mean and beeline to the car/airport (clean clothes and leftovers in hand, obvi) as soon as humanly possible.

Here are a few of the worst offenders:

“Honey, your pants look a little tight”
Yes mom, I realize that drinking 5 days out of the week and eating delivery pizza has done a number on my waistline. Am I happy about it? No. Do I know it is there? Yes. Is it helping that you pinch the muffin top and poke the underarm flab? Absolutely not!

“Have you found a nice boy yet?”
If by “nice” you mean “a tall pre-med student who considers hanging out in the library fun,” then no, dad, I have not found your ideal son-in-law quite yet. But I have hooked up with a couple of the guys on the football team who can barely form coherent sentences but have 8-pack stomachs you can bounce a quarter off of, if that counts for anything.

“Are you getting straight A’s?”
Don’t you think if I was acing every test I probably would’ve mentioned it to you in our weekly phone calls? It’s the fact that I am failing Bio miserably and barely ever making it to the 9 a.m. calculus lectures that has kept this topic out of our discussions. Maybe next semester. Keep praying, I know I am.

“We’re not just your ATM, you know.”
Ok, so they’re right about that, but between classes and everything else I’m doing on campus (napping?), I just don’t have the time to call and chat every day. Hell, they should be happy they hear from me at all.

“We saw your pictures on Facebook, you look like you are having…a lot of fun”
Get off Facebook! This is not a tool to stalk your children and befriend your old high school classmates and catch up. This is my website where I stalk my ex boyfriends and post sloppy pictures of myself, neither of which I would like you to monitor.

“Why can’t I see your Facebook pictures anymore?”
I have no idea, mom; Facebook must be crashing. It’s been having a lot of issues you know, giving people viruses and stuff. You should really terminate your account.

“We are still trying to plan that visit”
Oh goody. I can cancel all the party invitations for a 4-day weekend filled with quiet dinners, giving campus tours, and being yelled at for living in a pigsty. Wonderful. I’ll just pray you don’t find the handle of rum under my bed, or the textbooks still in their wrapping in the desk drawer.

What else do your parents pester you with over break that drives you crazy?

But Halloween’s not all candy and luminescent trousers. You’ve got to be careful that you know how to get rid of full-face makeup before you make a move on that chubby but hilarious cutie in the SuperJew costume. You’ve also got to remember to watch the volume after taking him home. And try to manage your expectations about the encounter—this isn’t a movie, after all.

It’s also important to make sure you don’t accidentally raise the dead. Of course, if you do have any encounters with a zombie, it’ll be easy enough to find another final resting place for him—just stop into your local Walmart .

Either way, you’ll definitely have a ton of sweet pictures to add to your Facebook on November 1. And if your overindulgence on Saturday gives you a little bit of extra cushion for the pushin’, you can always call your friendly neighborhood plastic surgeon and get that flab turned into something fabulous.

Transformations: they’re not just for Halloween anymore.