Whether it’s the unlimited dining hall swipes or the munchies kicking in at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night, the opportunities to overeat are plentiful in college. As the weekends come and go, you may find yourself on Sunday morning nursing a hangover more often than you’re hitting the gym. As the temptations of college begin to take over, so does unwanted weight gain. But, there are plenty of ways to balance all the delicious foods and beverages college has to offer while keeping yourself in shape.
The college dining hall can be an incredibly intimidating space. There are people moseying everywhere with no regards for anything but slopping food on their plate and sitting down at a table. The most intimidating aspect, however, is the sheer number of options. You can eat literally anything you want every day. There is no such thing as self control when you can eat a bowl of Fruity Pebbles for dinner if you want. If you’re looking to stay in relatively good physical condition, however, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and eat something clean. A salad is a great start, but once you start being more creative eating healthy can be fun.
My typical “clean meal” consists of a lean protein (usually chicken), a starch (brown rice is my fav), and a mixture of some of my favorite vegetables. If you can eat a balanced diet for most meals, you’re going to feel better about yourself in the long run. However, if that mac & cheese is calling your name, go for it. If you’re hanging with your girlfriends and you order a pizza from Papa John’s late night, have a slice! You’ll just be unhappy if you don’t indulge a little, and no one wants that!
Eating well is only half the battle. Exercise is essential and can be really fun, especially if you go with friends! In college your schedule is going to be packed and if you can make it to the gym everyday, that’s incredible. However, our busy lives and demanding schedules may not allow for that, and that’s totally okay too. For me, all I need is one hour at the gym to get in both cardio and weights, so I try to find time in between classes to go if I can. If that doesn’t work for you, most college gyms are open really early in the morning to late at night, so you can go literally any time you can! Plus, most gyms have a range of equipment to make it easy for anyone to get a good work out in. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been a runner, because most gyms have ellipticals and bikes you can choose to use instead. Once you’ve gotten a good sweat in, mix in some weights! There are plenty of videos and articles on the internet you can read to learn about weight lifting to make it a little less intimidating, but once you start you won’t be able to stop. I know making it to the gym is quite the effort and sometimes you are just too tired (or hungover…) to make a workout really count. But, even if you have a bad workout, at least you were at the gym making an effort, and that’s better than laying in your bed doing nothing. A little bit of exercises during the week will be worth it once you’re out at the local Mexican restaurant Saturday night crushing margaritas and tacos, trust me.
In order to benefit the most from your unlimited meal plan, it is important to balance what you’re eating and try and make it to the gym. It can be really overwhelming trying to remain in shape with all the temptations to eat like crap, but it’s easier than it seems. Once you start getting into the habit of working out and eating well, you will see that the exercise and food might start to cancel each other out. Remember, it is key to take advantage of the healthier options at your dining hall while also allowing yourself to indulge in the junk. Once you get into a routine of eating well and getting into the gym, you’ll be happier and healthier as you continue your college career!