Summer is has come and gone. We are back to our dreadful schedules of classes, homework, long nights of studying, and many other miserable academically related things. For most, going back to school after a fun and exciting summer sounds like it sucks. But there is one group of young, energetic people that really look forward to this time of year. These people are called “Freshman”. Freshman (in college terms) are first year college students. Freshman spend a good chunk of their year meeting people, going out to parties, eating endless amounts of food, and starting a new lifestyle. This lifestyle usually leads to Freshman 15.
What is Freshman 15?
What is Freshman 15, you ask? Freshman 15 is a way to describe the weight that a lot of students gain during their freshman year. Students in their freshman year typically gain a lot of weight because their lifestyle dramatically changes after high school. College makes students busier, with classes, clubs, parties, social events, studying, etc. Because of this, they become less active and less focused on what they consume. This leads to weight gain. How do you avoid Freshman 15, you ask? In this post, I will give you 5 things you can do to reduce your chances of falling victim to Freshman 15.
1.)Exercise
This might seem like common sense, but it is good to be reminded. Enter it in your Reminders app, put it in your scheduler, write it on paper, just make sure you do whatever you can to remember. A lot of universities have very nice gyms and exercise facilities for their students to use, equipped with many dumbbells and bench press machines. Exercise doesn’t just have to be going to the gym and lifting weights either. Go for a nice walk outside, listening to music. If you’re too lazy to leave your dorm room, there are exercises that you can do in the comfort of your own space. You can find many workout videos on Youtube that show you ways to workout in your room.
2.) Portion Control
If you’re moving into the dorms, chances are you’re probably going to get a prepaid meal plan. This is usually a prepaid card that provides you with a certain amount of swipes into the school dining hall. The dining hall is typically an all you can eat buffet style dining area. This place leads to weight gain. Learn to control your portions. Grab exactly what you need, and don’t go beyond that. Just because the dining hall is serving all you can eat fried chicken, doesn’t mean you have to grab 9 pieces. Just because they serve all you can eat chocolate cake, doesn’t mean you have to grab 12 slices. Also, there will most likely be a salad bar in your dining hall, you should probably try to incorporate some of that in your diet as well.
TIP: There are many benefits of eating healthy beyond not gaining weight, but one of the most beneficial ones when it comes to college is that eating healthy helps you to not feel sluggish and tired, which can be beneficial when you’re trying to get your homework and studying done.
3.) Don’t Drink Alcohol
One of the things that you will most definitely see when you move into the dorms is partying. Partying is not illegal for freshmen, but partying with alcohol is illegal, given that the legal drinking age is 21 (in the United States) and freshmen are in the 17-19 age range. Not only can drinking alcohol lead to some legal trouble, it can lead to you making bad choices that can lead to some detrimental stuff. Not only that, it can contribute to you quickly gaining weight. Beers are nice and refreshing and they go down very easily, especially after a long week of school. You start off with one can of beer and the next thing you know, you’re drinking your 7th one. That’s easily 1000 calories, unless you’re drinking the low calorie nasty ones. What if I drink the low calorie, alcoholic seltzers, you ask? Well, although I would say that is a smarter choice over beer, the calories on seltzers can quickly add up to. The seltzers usually have around 100ish calories in each of them and they’re very light and easy to drink. They go down easier than beer, and don’t leave you bloated like beer does. This leads to more cans being consumed. You drink 5 of these cans, and that’s already 500 calories. You mix that with a post drinking meal at McDonalds, and that can easily put you in a caloric surplus.
4.) Drink Water / Stay Hydrated
Freshmen tend to forget to drink water. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a cool water bottle, like a Nalgene or Hydro Flask, and start drinking away. Water not only keeps you hydrated, but also has many health benefits as well. It boosts your metabolism, it helps suppress your hunger, and it helps flush out wastes from your body.
5.) Limit Your Snacking
Snacking is one of the fastest ways to fall victim to the freshman 15. With all the late nights studying and doing homework, it’s easy to want to munch on candy, chips, caffeinated beverages, and other unhealthy snacks. This will quickly add some lbs to your midsection. If you feel the need to snack, maybe go for healthier options. Perhaps some peanuts, almonds, carrots, or other delicious organic snacks. Obviously, this probably won’t taste better than junk food, but it will definitely make you look and feel better!
College is an exciting time. It is a time to really live life and explore new things. Don’t let the worries of gaining weight prevent you from trying new foods and doing some unhealthy things. The goal is to be mindful and do everything in moderation!