Freshman 15? HA! Honey, I can tell you how to master and effectively gain the “Freshman 20”.
Breakfast: Eat nothing.
Lunch: Eat the brownie calling your name and the one next to it. Eating two won’t hurt, right?
Snack: Devour half a row of the Oreos your mom kindly sent you in her last care package, followed by a can of Diet Coke.
Dinner: The chicken nuggets are scrumptious, the french fries too. On top of that, they have mint chocolate chip tonight.
Late Night Snack: I hope mom sends more Oreos, I’m running low.
It only took me one semester to gain 20 pounds. I finally caved in and bought the one thing I thought I never would: jeggings. The extra stretch stopped my muffin top from curling over my pants, plus they were a fancier version of leggings; which I’m pretty sure everyone in my classes thought were the only form of pants that I owned.
After fulfilling a lifelong accomplishment of gaining 20 pounds in four months, my roommate got sick of listening to me complain about my “rolls”, so she brought me to the place I dreaded most (besides my mirror): the gym.
Now, just a couple months later, I have become somewhat of a gym junkie. Please don’t think I’m completely jacked and have a six pack that would make any guy jealous, though I wouldn’t be opposed to Ryan Gosling wanting to take a peak.
Anyways, I have lost the 20 pounds I gained; however, I still wear the jeggings (they have been with me through everything, how could I break up with them?)
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So how did I do it? Well, it was not easy; actually, it was hell. However, I will spare you the gruesome, humiliating and tear jerking stories for now.
How will my column work?
Every other week, I will update you on my personal journey to becoming a healthy and fit woman as well as my tips on how to stay fit in college. Please be aware, that I am not a nutritionist nor a doctor, so if you are following me and what I do, please work at your own pace. Also note, this column is not about being “fat” or “skinny”; rather, it is about being fit, trim, strong and healthy (side note: losing pounds is more about being at an appropriate BMI rather than a goal weight). Which brings me to my biggest point and the first of my personal commandments: Thou shalt never call thyself the “F” or “S” word.
How do you start? Set a goal. My personal goal is to run a half marathon at the end of this school year and to run a full marathon before my 21st birthday (a little ways from now). So maybe you don’t set one that stretches so far in advance or that sounds as undesirable. Perhaps you want to be that girl who takes strides up those deadly stairs to upper campus; the one who when you pass others they think, “That girl is cray-cray.” If you are already in great shape, such as our amazing lady falcons that represent us on our sports teams (GO FALCONS!), your goal could be to run an extra lap at the end of practice, because you can.
Drake was right, you do only live once; so why not make it a healthy life? My personal belief is that being able to say I finished a marathon is so much more of an accomplishment than being able to say, “No big deal and all, but I’ve eaten a whole cake in one sitting. Costco sized.” I’ve experienced the one, but now I am ready to do the other; stay tuned till the end of the year and I will let you know which is more thrilling.