The people who have never been warned about the Freshman 15 are probably few and far between, but avoiding it is easier said than done. While you’re putting all your energy into making new friends, doing well in class, and exploring frat row, it’s easy to leave your health and well-being by the wayside. Somehow, those little “treat yourself” moments turn into your whole lifestyle, and in a matter of months, you could be totally unrecognizable.
Here are ten things that not only can save you from something that is far worse than the freshman 15, but will also make your life a thousand times healthier.
1. Get a good night’s sleep.
Your parents were only trying to help you when they forced you to go to bed early, and now that you don’t have them looming over your shoulder, you should remember their advice. Since your workload has steadily increased since high school, it’s more difficult to get a full night’s sleep, but it’s also become way more important. Don’t put your body through hell ‑ give it some well-deserved rest.
2. Eat breakfast.
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is another true cliché. Your body needs a healthy and balanced breakfast to jumpstart your metabolism in the morning. Your body is pretty sluggish from the lack of energy overnight – in fact, your metabolism and blood sugar levels are at their lowest right after a night of not eating. The foods you put into your body determine how well your metabolism will work, which will determine how quickly you digest those foods. In short, how you begin your day is the key to every other process that makes your body run efficiently.
3. Eat small and often.
It can be difficult to eat anything outside of three major meals in the dining hall because of a swipe or point system, but it’s important for your body to ingest food every two to three hours. Eating small, consistent meals is a vital step towards shedding unnecessary pounds and sustaining a healthy body chemistry. Your body needs to be constantly replenished to maintain peak performance throughout the day. Try taking snack-sized portions of fruits and vegetables with you to classes or meetings to munch on between all of your main meals to keep your metabolism working smoothly.
4. Control your portion sizes.
It makes perfect sense that eating too much food will lead to weight gain. If you’re eating too much, your body won’t know what to do with the excess nutrients and will consequently store them as fat. However, not eating enough can lead to the same result. If your body doesn’t have enough of the nutrients it requires to break down into energy and other essential functions, it will enter “starvation mode” in order to keep itself from shutting down. Your metabolism will slow down and you will not process and digest food and nutrients efficiently. To avoid this, make sure you don’t go too crazy in the caf (even if it is grilled cheese day).
5. Eat nutritious foods and drink lots of water.
There are many foods that are advertised as healthy, but are really packed with things like trans fats, simple carbohydrates or high quantities of simple sugar. For example, avocados or legumes are good sources of protein, but they’re also extremely high in fat content. Almost everything can be enjoyed in moderation, but always be careful of what you’re putting into your body. As for water intake, you should drink at least eight cups a day. There are probably a hundred benefits of water, but one of its most important functions is aiding in the digestion process and weight management.
6. Exercise.
A lot of people think they can escape an unhealthy diet by pushing themselves harder and harder at the gym, but sadly, there’s no way to outrun poor eating habits. After all, you are what you eat. The good news is that complimenting a well-balanced diet with a consistent exercise regimen will help you reach your goal twice as fast. I’ve found that going to the gym regularly not only helped me lose weight, but also relieved a lot of my stress and anxiety. Most colleges offer use of the gym facilities for free, so there’s really no excuse for you not to go. If you absolutely hate the treadmill or lifting weights, Dickinson offers classes like Zumba and spinning. In my opinion, there are few things that compare with the feeling you get right after a solid workout.
7. Don’t deprive yourself.
Being miserable isn’t the goal. There’s always room to treat yourself, but it’s vital that you never go overboard. Trying to rationalize that an hour on the treadmill equals a dinner of half a pizza pie and a slice of cake won’t help you, but treating yourself to a guilty pleasure after you know you’ve done an awesome job staying healthy is something you’ve earned.
8. Don’t stress eat.
Finals week is an extremely stressful time. Some students cope by partying, some with excessive napping and others with stress-eating. Even if you’ve had a long night of cramming, give your body what it really needs to carry you through exam week. Eating an entire family-size bag of Funyuns isn’t going to propel you through the end of the semester, so prove to your body that you really love it.
9. Limit your alcohol intake.
I’m sure no college student ever wants to hear this, especially a freshman who is new to the world of social drinking. But, if you’ve ever wondered where the “dad-bod” movement came from, it probably stemmed from the fact that some college students have a beer gut, which formerly only seemed to affect 40-year-old dads. It’s weird to think a drink can contribute so much to weight gain, but alcohol can also harm other parts of your body besides the liver. In your body’s perfect world, it would never have to process alcohol, but in reality, try sticking to clear liquors with less sugar content, and avoid the beer altogether.
10. Stay organized.
I can be hard to stay organized with such a hectic schedule, especially when exams are looming around the corner. However, organizing your social and academic life can lead to the same positive effects in terms of your health. With an organized mind, it’s easier to create a more organized body. You will feel more in control of your life and in return, will be more inclined to make better eating choices.