While the freshman 15 may be a myth, some sort of weight gain your first year of college is always possible. The stress of a new place, hard school work, living on your own and a lack of food establishment opinions really can take a toll on your health as you adjust freshman year. As I am finishing up my freshman year at college, I thought I would share some tips on how I beat the freshman 15.
1. Drink a lot of water.
There are endless benefits of drinking water: it keeps your skin looking nice and boosts your metabolism…I could go on and on about the benefits of water. I carry a water bottle everywhere I go, from classes to the library. VCU has special water fountains that fill your water bottle from above all over campus so you will never run out of water! Sometimes to spruce up my water I put lemons in it (usually taken from Chipotle, don’t tell). Drink, drink, drink.
2. Cut soda out of your life.
This sounds challenging and sad because some soda is delicious, but once I got to college I just stopped drinking soda and got used to it pretty fast. There are soda machines at pretty much every dining facility on campus adding to the temptation but almost all of them offer a juice or water alternative with a swipe. Soda provides absolutely no benefits for your health; it’s loaded with sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup making weight gain simple, especially if you have a soda with each meal. So instead of drinking soda with your meals, try drinking something like water or juice. If you crave carbonation, try sparkling water; they come in all sorts of flavors and are much better for you than soda.
3. Sleep!
As you will learn, sleep and college don’t go together well. But, a lack of sleep can negatively affect your health including increased weight gain. If you are sleep deprived, your metabolism won’t function correctly. The average amount of sleep recommended is seven and a half to eight hours, so instead of a watching Netflix until 2 a.m., (guilty) try to get some extra sleep; it will make you feel more energized and ready to take on the day. As for finals week, well, sleep deprivation is inevitable.
4. Croutons (the restaurant)
Croutons is going to be your best friend. They have custom made salads and wraps for a swipe all day every day. Now, salad dressings can make or break the healthiness of a salad or wrap, so I suggest going with a lower calorie option like oil and vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette over ranch or honey mustard. They also offer fruit and water or chips and soda (try not to get these) on the side with a swipe.
5. Nao and Zen (also the restaurant)
Nao and Zen, if you order right, is one of the healthier dining facilities on campus. They serve a lot of fresh veggies in their bowls, which I love. My advice when ordering Nao and Zen is instead of ordering one of the heavy sauces, get chicken stock in your meal and order your bowl with brown rice. It is just as delicious, but much better for you!
6. Shafer Salad Bar
The Shafer salad bar is going to be your second best friend. There are an array of different toppings, lettuces and dressings (and a hummus bar, yum). Every time I go to Shafer I add a salad to whatever I’m eating to get my veggies for the day! Now if only they would provide more fresh fruit, life would be beautiful.
7. Skip dessert
Shafer’s dessert bar is tempting, but if you go there a lot (as freshman you kind of have to), the dessert intake can become a habit and we don’t want that. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try eating a bowl of yogurt with oats from the salad bar instead.
8. Take classes at the gym
If you are anything like me, your motivation for going to the gym and staying there is at about, I don’t know, zero. Luckily VCU has an amazing gym with awesome classes you can take. The great thing about classes is that you get a great full body work out and have to stay there the full amount of time, so there is no giving up and leaving in the middle of a work out. They offer classes like Zumba, yoga, cycling and more!
9. Buy snacks
VCU dining does not have the greatest (or healthiest) breakfast scene and you are not always going to want to leave the comfort of your room and your Netflix to go get food. Keep snacks like granola bars, oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts in your room so you have some healthy snacks throughout the day! Try to avoid snacks like potato chips and candy.
These are just some guidelines on how to stay healthier during your freshman year at VCU. Don’t hate on yourself if you slip (Cane’s is hard to resist). We all do, and if you are happy with your body the way it is, embrace it!