Avoiding the Freshman 15
Posted on September 7, 2011 2
Rumor has it that many new college students pack on about 15 pounds (the Freshman 15) during their first year in college. While there are several factors that may contribute to this phenomenon, like stress and lifestyle changes, students don’t have to fall victim to unwanted pounds. Follow these simple guidelines for transitioning to life away from home -- you may even shed a pound or two.
Walk everywhere. Don’t drive your car to class and, during the daytime, skip the shuttle. The additional exercise you get from walking or biking to class will help you keep off weight and give you a chance to see more of the campus. Who knows, you may even make a friend or two along the way.
Eat smaller meals more often. Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast not only helps kick-start your brain in the morning, it also reduces the risk of over-indulging at your next meal. Be sure to pack healthy snacks to take with you and munch on between classes. By eating four to six smaller meals a day, you are less likely to overeat and gain weight.
Drink lots of water. Replace those sugary sodas and sports drinks with water. It’s important to stay hydrated. It's recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day. If you dislike the taste of plain water, use a flavor enhancer, such as Crystal Light or MiO. Skip the caffeine and sugar, which may cause breakouts, and give your body plenty of H20 instead!
Limit alcohol intake. Did you know that alcohol lowers your blood sugar level? When your blood sugar drops, your body signals that it needs energy (food), and you get the munchies. This can result in overeating and indulging in less than healthy choices late at night. Drink in moderation and never on an empty stomach.
Stock up on healthy snacks. Keep a small refrigerator in your room. 
Stock it with plenty of healthy snacks, such as fruit, yogurt and cheese. When you get the urge to nibble during those late night study sessions, simply reach for the healthy options instead of calling for a pizza or running out for a burger.
Get it grilled. Skip the fried foods at the cafeteria and restaurants. Ask to have your food grilled, baked, broiled or steamed. By eliminating fried foods, you help reduce your fat intake and become more heart healthy!
Implementing these simple suggestions will not only help you avoid the Freshman 15, but it will also condition you to live a healthier (and happier) lifestyle. The choices you make during your college years will have an impact on your future self as well. Packing on the pounds is a whole lot easier than taking them off. Eat smart from the start, and the only thing you will carry with you at graduation will be your diploma...not a lot of unwanted weight.
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V. W.
Sun, October 09, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Not only all of the above, BUT DON’T BE LAZY! Even if you have to eat a mostly raw diet of fresh fruits and veggies if you’re living on campus, do this! You can always buy out protein or drink shakes. Don’t buy fast food, you’re wasting your money on cheap food. Considering we students have so little money to throw around save it for an apple over a beer. Go by the need not want rule and you will maintain your weight. If you live off campus, again DON’T BE LAZY! Learn how to cook if you’re on your own! This is coming from someone who hated to prepare food out of laziness and ate mostly salads, fruits, veggies, all raw. Then for protein I ate protein bars, or drank shakes. I did not life a finger to cook an egg to save my life. Now that I’m 3 years older, living on my own. I’ve learned that all those bars and shakes are expensive and it’s cheaper to buy eggs and cook an omelet. Not only do I cook a variety of meals now, I bake like Betty Crocker! If you have to choose between sleeping, exercising, or cooking on top of your homework, always choose sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep no amount of weight lifting will make your body look or feel good. Next in line is eating right, and lastly is exercising. It takes a lot to run our bodies 24/7, so yes, walking as mentioned above can keep your muscles in the same condition they were in. So if you aren’t looking to slim down with more muscle, you’re good to go. Oh and yeah, alcolhol, drop it, unless it’s wine, or once in a blue moon otherwise say hello to belly fat, thigh fat, cellulite, yeah…I saw one of my close friends after her freshmen year. 20 lbs….she hates herself for it. She said “All I did was drink 3 beers every day while doing my homework to de-stress and I stopped working out because I didn’t have time.” Yeah, drop the beers, do 30 minutes of yoga even if you don’t have time to party 
cause you’ll be kicking yourself in the butt if you don’t.
V. W.
Sun, October 09, 2011 at 4:04 pm
PS: Get a cat, they help with cortisol which is what stresses us out, which makes fat cells form when you’ve had too many carbs. If you can’t have a pet, get a punch bag, stress ball, yell a lot, set limits on what you can do. If you know you’re paper is due in two weeks, work on it a little a day, don’t wait till last minute. Don’t stay up late if you take day classes. Get up earlier to exercise and do any homework you have left over. So long as you put a schedule in place like “I will work on homework four hours a day”, you will be fine. It’s when you try to do things all at once, or not at all, that stress accumulates. Also, ask questions if you need help, don’t wait till the day before a test because you felt “stupid” that you should need to ask a question. We’re going to school to educate ourselves, so do it!