Freshmen, Welcome to College!!
Reality Check: You are no longer living under your parents’ roof.
Now it is up to you to adopt healthy habits.
Use the following “Fit Tips” as a guide to help make your transition into college seamless.
Fit Tip: Make Time to Exercise
A workout will leave you feeling energized and less anxious about your schoolwork.
10 minutes of exercise is better than no exercise at all.
Once you have gotten into the swing of things, schedule time to work out, even if you think you don’t have time. Instead of spending 30 minutes to an hour on Facebook, spend that time wisely by working out!
If you need a little push to get your blood pumping, sign up for a PE class and take care of your PE credit!
For workout ideas, check out previous Shape-Up Rhodes articles here
Fit Tip: Go easy on the Alcohol
Consuming three 8oz regular beers will add 450+ “empty” calories to your daily caloric intake…
Know the facts before you face the consequences.
Check out this alcohol calorie calculator to calculate the empty calories you’re consuming!
Alcohol Advice:
• Drink an 8oz glass of water in between every drink to avoid a hangover
• Make your own drinks and measure them yourself so that you know exactly what you’re consuming
• Always hold a drink in your hand at a party to avoid pressure from others to drink more
• Never drink on an empty stomach or substitute alcohol calories for food
• Be true to yourself and to your values! Understand that saying “no” to someone is acceptable.
Fit Tip: Nix Night Time Cravings
Stock up on healthy snacks at the start of the school year to prevent unnecessary 2 AM Taco Bell cravings on a school night. Your friends may tell you that they avoid keep food in their room because they do not want to gain weight. The reality is that the students without food in their dormrooms are often times the ones leaving their rooms at night to buy junk food off campus. Even if you sign up for 21 meals a week in the dining hall, you still need to be prepared and keep snacks handy when your hunger strikes.
Check out Late Night Snacking Solutions for some guilt-free snacking ideas.
Fit Tip: Make Sleep a Priority
Your body NEEDS sleep in order to function properly. This is pretty self-explanatory, but does not click for most freshmen. Be smart. Don’t pull an all-nighter the night before an exam. Get in the habit of studying over the course of the week instead of cramming. Do not party Monday-Sunday and expect to do well in school and live a healthy lifestyle.
Fun Fact: Less sleep triggers more weight gain. When you are sleep deprived, the hormone that controls your eating habits (ghrelin) sky-rockets, while the hormone that controls your cravings (leptin) diminishes. More ghrelin + less leptin= weight gain
Get a good night’s sleep as often as possible (7-8 hours is considered a good night’s sleep). Check out Getting Sleep in College for dorm room sleeping tips.
Fit Tip: Understand a Balanced Diet/Dining Hall Options
There are a billion different guidelines, diet tips, and theories out there about eating healthy.
Understanding how to fuel your body properly will take you a long way and help you in all of your
college endeavors—academics, mental health, and physical health.
Here are a few tricks of the trade to help you understand the importance of eating properly:
• ALWAYS eat breakfast—your metabolism starts up after you consume your first meal of the day. This means that if you skip breakfast and wait 4 hours until lunch, you are more likely to gain weight and eat excess amounts of food later in the day.
• Know your options in the dining hall. Check out Makeover Your Salad in the Rat for ideas
• DRINK WATER
• Eat Protein with every meal—protein will help keep you fuller longer and will energize you. Check out Protein Pick-Me-Ups for energizing snack ideas!
• Check out this quick guide to eating a balanced diet while in school!
Fit Tip: Be Optimistic and Have Fun!
Freshman year of college is one of the most exciting times of your life. Enjoy yourself, indulge a little, and remember to stay true to yourself and always commit to your health!