The freshman 15 every senior in high school is warned about doesn’t stop after freshmen year. As Abbie Dorwart pointed out in her blog last week, there are so many ways to balance eating and working out. Unfortunately, this struggle continues throughout college.
My biggest weight gain in college happened well after freshmen year. Once discovering the bar scene and turning the coveted 21, the opportunity to gain weight rises significantly.
Alcohol has a lot of calories.
The habits that follow a night of drinking such as late night orders of pizza from Five Star also contain a lot of calories.
Even when you live off-campus, it is easy to eat fast food on campus when you are stuck there all day.
Stress is something all college students experience no matter what classification. It too is a factor that contributes to weight gain.
Here are some tips I have found on how to not fall into the freshman 15 trap all over again:
1. Decide how many nights you are going to go out drinking.
2. Plan ahead how many drinks you want to have when you are out.
3. Substitute sugary mixers like soda for healthier juices or make sure order diet.
4. If you tend to eat when you are drunk, leave out healthy snacks to munch on when you return home instead of junk food. Do not default to Pizza by the Slice on your walk to the bus stop.
5. Continue a regular workout regimen.
6. If you’re like me and don’t even know what the inside of the gym looks like, make sure to walk to and from class instead of taking the bus.
7. If you know you are going to be on campus all day, pack a lunch instead of buying.
8. If you want to buy a meal on campus, opt for a healthier option like a Subway salad over a Burger King meal.
9. On the weekends, cook for yourself. Eating out options usually contain more calories than if you made the same meal from scratch at home.
10. Order water over soda when eating out.
11. Instead of ordering a latte from Starbucks, brew your own coffee. If you want to treat yourself to a specialty drink, ask for skim milk and to hold the whipped cream.
12. Snack on fruits or vegetables instead of potato chips or pretzels.
13. Check serving sizes! What you may think is the right amount could be different from what the proper amount is. Check out Sunday's blog to learn more.
14. Moderation is the magic word. If you are craving something sweet, it is fine to eat it once in awhile in a proper serving.
15. Don’t skip meals. Not eating confuses your body, so make sure to eat every meal.
Weight is an issue people with all ages deal with whether you are a freshman or a law school student. We all get in the habit of eating what is convenient, binge eating during stressful exam weeks and drinking more than we should whether it is soda or alcohol.
You know your body best and how it responds to certain foods and stress, so make sure to listen to what your body needs to stay your healthiest.
