So spring break is almost upon us — and odds are many students will be undoing two month’s worth of workouts with countless binges of alcoholic beverages and/or junk food. The common mentality seems to be that, while on vacation, it’s perfectly okay to abandon every previous healthy habit, do the polar opposite of each one, and then pick back up where you left off at home seven days later.

But I can assure you — and I’m speaking from personal experience here – that’s not the way to go. The farther you slide back down the healthy ladder, the harder it gets to climb back up. It’s not easy to live off pizza and mojitos for a week and then suddenly go back to eating chicken and green beans.

So with that in mind, I figured I’d share some of my personal tips on how to avoid overdoing it on spring break. I’m not saying following my advice will magically prevent that spring break weight gain, but these tips have worked for me in the past. If you want, give them a try.

If you’re going to drink, watch your diet

A typical margarita contains between 200 and 500 calories, depending on the size of the glass and how much alcohol is in it. An eight ounce, light beer boasts somewhere between 80 and 100 calories and a shot of vodka packs roughly 100, depending on the proof.

That being said, the majority of college students take in quite a few calories throughout a typical spring break day of sitting by the pool and ordering drinks at some resort in Mexico or the Bahamas.

So if you’re going to go that route, I would avoid overeating and avoid junk food at all costs. Control your portion sizes, and make sure the meals you do take in everyday are mildly nutritious.

Get some protein, some complex carbohydrates (like whole grain bread) and some kind of fruit and vegetable in every day. That way you’re at least taking in a few of the MyPyramid food groups. And, if you can, add some kind of olive oil to your salad or vegetable, that’s even better.

So if you’re going to drink, the least you can do to try and make it up to your body is to fuel it with balanced, nutritious meal choices.

Skimp on sugar

I know this can be tough, but try not to take in a lot of sodas, juices and other sugary drinks.

For instance, say you take that typical, 100-calorie shot of vodka and mix it in with four ounces of sprite – you’ve just added another 50 calories, none of which are particularly nutritious, to your daily intake. If you’re going to consume mixed drinks, try using zero-calorie diet pop.

An even better alternative, if vodka is your drink of choice, is to drink vodka with water or vodka with club soda and add in a few wedges of lemon or lime. Remember, alcohol dehydrates you. So vodka water with a lime or lemon is a great way to help your body deal with the booze.

And if you’re not much of a drinker but know you’re going to be taking advantage of your hotel’s massive breakfast buffet and beach bar, opt for fresh squeezed juices instead of the ones from the box.

Be physically active every day

When I say “physically active” I don’t mean workout for an hour — just make sure to do something active every day.

If you’re going somewhere with a beach or pool, go swim at a quick pace for 15 or 20 minutes before you start ordering screwdrivers from the sexy waiter/waitress.

Not into swimming? Walk up and down the beach a couple times. Or, rent a bike instead of taking a cab or bus somewhere.

And if you’re an early riser who wakes up before everyone else in the hotel room, go do 50 pushups, 50 sit ups and 100 jumping jacks on the balcony.

Sure, the roommates might give you some grief — but you’ll feel much better about yourself when you notice their daily exercise is the walk from your room to the pool chairs.

So any final words of wisdom from your favorite health and fitness columnist? Have fun!

Remember, you are still on break — and I’m absolutely not telling you to go on vacation somewhere and spend half your free time counting calories. Just be smart about your choices. That way you’ll avoid an overly-dramatic crash back to reality on March 28th.

Peter is a Senior in Media.