Despite the difficulties of keeping one’s behavior in line with specific physical goals, some are able to push through the hard parts and make it happen.

Motivations are high, but they differ for each individual.

Junior Sierra Shaub said she has lost 35 pounds and now still considers herself a work in progress, focusing more on toning,  strength and fitness in general.

“I’ve never been happy with myself or my weight, but I never could find the motivation to make the change until one day it just clicked.”

Shaub said support from family and friends has made her feel like the results are worth it.

Junior Robert Marino said he lost 50 pounds over the past summer.

To him, the motivation was an unexpected gift from his last relationship.

“After we (he and his ex-girlfriend) broke up, I was determined to lose weight and get back into shape.”

Shaub said she got better weight-loss results from running than using an elliptical machine, and she runs 2.5 miles daily.

However, toning and strength is another story.

“I do a lot of abs to tone my stomach. I do pushups and free weights for my arms and other leg exercises with squats,” she said.

Marino said watching what he ate was all that he did.

He said working two full-time jobs demanded enough exercise from being on his feet.

He said he followed the South Beach diet strictly. Steamed broccoli with a little bit of Italian dressing and salmon is his favorite from the diet.

Shaub said she ate healthier in general but was not following any specific diet. Salad, fruits and vegetables are preferable for her than anything else.

Eating on campus may give some students who want to keep fit a hard time, since the varieties of fast food provided and snacks in the vending machines can be alluring.

“As far as food from the school, most of it isn’t healthy but there are some choices,” said Marino.

One thing he has done at the Varsity Café is request a made-to-order plain chicken or fish.

Shaub said an alternative healthy choice would be eating in at Brioche Doree because the salads and soups are good.

She also suggested anyone who is interested in keeping a physical goal should go to the gym often, as part of a lifestyle change.

“It (the gym) could have more equipment because, depending on the time you go, it can be pretty full of students.  Otherwise, it’s good.”

Marino said he bought a scale and weighs every morning and it helped him stay on track with his weight-loss regime.

As for improvement for the Wellness Center, he said he would like to see a larger lifting area.

Personal preferences on music choices during a workout can be an interesting topic. For most, it makes the hard time flow much faster.

Marino said he usually listens to any kind of dubstep music when he jogs.

“It would just help me get lost and before I knew it I was done.”

Shaub said she used to listen to the older pump up kind of songs that are played before sports games, and now she listens to Spotify’s cardio playlist.”

Both students mentioned that they prefer to eat after exercising.

Marino said the reason is that if one eats after exercising, the body burns what it has stored rather than what one just ingested, and that helps lose weight.

Shaub said it was mainly because of her sensitive stomach that she doesn’t eat too much before a workout.

She said when she does, however, she eats something light with protein, such as nuts, a granola bar or peanut butter.