Avoiding the Freshman 15
After writing my book Off to College: Now What? A Practical Guide to Surviving and Succeeding Your First Year of College (Atlantic Publishing), I decided to offer additional helpful info. In the days when New Year’s Eve resolutions have been made (and possibly already broken), this advice should be help to any college student looking to shed a few Freshman or holiday-related pounds.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the stories. Every freshman gains 15 pounds (give or take) in their first year of college. Even Wikipedia has a page dedicated to this phenomenon. Don’t worry, your fate to gain weight in college is not sealed. With some common sense and a few helpful tips, you can beat the statistics and maybe even shed a few pounds instead of gaining them.
So, it’s your first year of college, no more home cooked dinners or mom-packed lunches. You are on your own now. You eat what you want, when you want it and how much of it you want. There is no one around to tisk-tisk your decisions or tell you not to spoil your supper by eating dessert first. Making wise decisions and having a plan on how to avoid weight gain will help you not be another victim of the Freshman 15.
To avoid packing on weight in your first year of school, it’s important to look at what most likely causes the Freshman 15 and what you can do to combat those temptations.
Temptation 1: Cafeteria Food
Most college freshmen live on campus and eat cafeteria food and not all cafeteria food is healthy. Opting for pizza and fried chicken every day is a sure way to packing on the weight. Try the salad bar (with a low fat dressing and little or no cheese and bacon bits) or choose grilled meats instead of fried. And don’t forget your veggies!
Temptation 2: Cramming
Late night cramming for tests, often includes cramming snacks foods as well. Get a mini-fridge for your dorm room and stock it with healthy snack choices. Keep yogurt, low-fat popcorn, baby carrots, celery sticks, fat-free pudding snacks, cereal (no cocoa-puffs), and low fat or skim milk handy to avoid trips to the vending machine or ordering Chinese at midnight.
Temptation 3: Beer/Alcohol
Many college Freshman are tempted by beer bash invites. We all know beer is high in calories and another culprit for craving munchies. Limit your beer intake (this should help keep grades up too) and if you do indulge, try a light beer. Any alcohol, besides containing empty calories, will slow down your metabolism and push you on the path to love handles. Less is best, when it comes to any alcohol consumption. And be sure you are of age to partake in such adult beverages. Most campuses (not to mention law enforcement officers) have strict penalties for underage drinking.
Temptation 4: Stress
As a Freshman, you will face many new challenges, scholastically, socially, and financially. Many people find the most comforting thing when going through stressful situations, is food (a carton of ice cream or a large cheese pizza to cheer you up). Instead of loading up on calories, relieve your stress with exercise. Find a club, group, or just some friends that enjoy the same active events you do (many campuses have running, biking, hiking or other sporting clubs). If you’re not into any sports, find some form of exercise you do enjoy. Whether it’s lifting weights, yoga, or kickboxing, being active on a regular basis will help you keep your weight down, relieve stress, and make studying easier. (Scientists have actually discovered that physical activity increases brain function.)
Temptation 5: Time Crunch
So, you don’t have time to exercise? Walk or bike to class. Don’t drive to class, to lunch or even to the mall if it’s in reasonable walking or biking distance. Find ways to make exercise or physical activity a routine part of your day.
College is a great time to learn about life and about you. You can decide to make wise decisions or to blindly stumble through the next four years. You can choose to start healthy long-lasting habits or pick up some bad ones and a few extra pounds. By choosing wisely, you can avoid the Freshman 15. If you aren’t motivated to avoid the Freshman 15 simply for the health factor, consider how many fewer dates those added pounds will cause.
