A photograph can play various roles through a lifetime. It can bring a smile to our face, send laughter through our lips or a tear to our eyes. It can cause a flood of painful memories or a wave of joyous thoughts. But for Rebecca Stephens, a photograph was a wake up call.
It was the end of her senior year at Marshall University and Stephens was working as the managing editor of Marshall’s school newspaper, The Parthenon.
Stephens recalls the job requiring a lot of late nights for her and her fellow editors. From 6 p.m. until around 11:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday, Stephens remembers sitting at a desk, working. “We’d occasionally get up to stretch our legs or someone would want to leave and go hit up the drive-thru or the Student Center’s food court around dinner time.” And of course, this was college, so the night didn’t always end for her and her friends when the paper was finished.
With night after night in this routine, it wasn’t until she was nearing graduation that she saw a photograph of herself among her group of friends and realized just what an impact the last year had played on her body. “I just saw myself and thought, “Oh wow, this doesn’t look good at all.” And from then on I decided to do something to fix it.”
During her senior year in school, Stephens packed on 20 lbs. due to her lack of activity and the fattening foods she was consuming. But she’s not alone in this. A group of researchers at Auburn University in Alabama followed 131 students over four years of college and found that a whopping 70% of them packed on pounds by graduation (an average of 12 pounds and up to 37 pounds1.) The researchers attributed the weight gain to late night study habits, fattening food choices, and lack of activity.
Post-graduates, like Stephens, might be able to look back on their poor health decisions while in college and learn from them. “The first couple of years [in school] my weight stayed consistent,” Stephens said. “Back then, I commuted, ate most of my meals at home and my jobs I had at the time required a lot of moving around.”
After graduation, she knew she wanted to make a change in her life. So, she joined a gym near her new apartment and began cooking her own meals – rather than eating out all the time.
Looking back on her time in school, Stephens feels that college campus’s need to be more aware of the way they dress their food. “When you find a “healthy” option, it’s no longer healthy when it’s dressed with fattening sauces or toppings. [Schools] need to be careful that they’re not tricking the students into thinking they’re eating something that’s healthy, when it’s not.”
While the dreaded “freshman 15” has been proven a myth and is more of a cautionary to incoming freshman, studies have shown that the average college weight gain is 11 pounds2. Close enough, right? According to The Journal of Exercise Physiology online, the high school to college transition is what the majority know was the “freshman 15.”
“The transition from high school to college is a critical period in life where the risk of weight gain is significantly higher than other time periods. Weight gain for University women can be approximately 20 lbs. per year, college freshman are exposed to a variety of new experiences and potential lifestyle changes that may influence their health and risk of obesity, including changes in eating habits, living environment and daily physical activity and possibly increased alcohol intake. These changes in lifestyle and stresses may increase the risk of gaining weight during the firs year of college, and thus increase the risk of becoming overweight or obese in adulthood.3”
After losing nearly all the weight she packed on her senior year, Stephens now finds making healthier life choices to be a part of every day life. “The weight loss and being healthy didn’t just happen over night,” she explained. “It’s an every day thing. I wake up and make the decision to either eat healthy and workout or not that day.”
For Thanksgiving, Stephens knew she would want to loosen up on her strict diet for the day, so instead of just having that second piece of pumpkin pie and feeling guilty about it later, she made the choice to start the day out at the gym – burning 1000 calories so she could be thankful for being guilt-free.
“Ever since I started working out and being in control of the meals that I eat by preparing them myself, I count calories like crazy. I use apps like MyFitnessPal to keep track of what I eat. Things add up more than you think they do and when you see the numbers, it’s an eye opener.”
Stephens advises current college students to do the best they can to pack their meals. “It will save you money, and you’ll be able to control the amount of calories you’re consuming.”
There are many ways to stay fit during your time in school. Jacob Longoria, senior criminal justice major at Marshall University, is proof of that.
Freshman year, Longoria was talked into trying out a Zumba fitness class that the Recreational Center offered with one of his friends and from then on his life was never the same. Over the course of four years, Longoria has become a licensed Zumba instructor, now teaches three class a week at the Rec and has lost a total of 90 pounds.
According to Longoria, diet has had nothing to do with his dramatic weight loss. “I love my fried foods and I eat fast food all the time! I do Zumba so I can eat.” He does believe, however, in portion control and being aware of what you are eating.
“It’s your body and your health,” Longoria said. “Some people may feel like they need to get in shape to try Zumba, but dancing doesn’t have a weight limit.” Longoria believes working out will also boost your confidence. “When you nail a dance and you see yourself getting it, your confidence will soar! The more you keep it up, you will lose weight like I did.”
Marshall University’s Rec Center, along with the majority of other campuses across the country, offers a variety of workout classes that students have access to – the key is taking the time to use the resources at hand and knowing what options are available.
How-to guide
Here on some tips from Fitbie, an online health and fitness resource, for incoming freshman on how-to avoid the “freshman 15” and stay fit and healthy while at college:
1. Make time for breakfast –It’s true what they say: breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Research shows that breakfast eaters actually take in fewer calories throughout the day than those who miss the meal.
2. Pencil in your workouts –You schedule classes, why not schedule workouts? Take a look at your class schedule and block out a specific time each day to hit the gym. You won’t be sorry!
3. Eat smaller portions –Try eating your cereal out of a coffee mug and eating your meals on smaller plates. Train your eye to know the sight of a correct portion.
4. Consume mainly greens –Make salad your main course when dining rather than turn to high-calorie, high carb foods. Load up on veggies to feel full, but for a fraction of the calories.
5. Eat lots of fruits –On the go? Grab fruit cups or handheld fruits, like bananas or oranges, to take with you.
6. Try drinking seltzer – Trade our your pop for seltzer. You can mix in fruit for a sweet, fizzy treat when water gets boring.
7. When at a tailgate, skip the buns – Save calories and say good-bye to the bleached wheat. Eat your hotdog and hamburger sans bun!
8. When at a party, start slow and nurse your drinks – When you go to parties, start slow. Drink water or a diet beverage. If you choose to drink an alcoholic beverage, stick to one or light beers or a white wine spritzer.
9. Snack smarter – Keep healthy snack options around you, like pretzels, nuts, granola bars or string cheese. This way you won’t be tempted to binge on unhealthy food when you’re stressed.
10. During finals (and all the time) prioritize sleep – Skimping on sleep can cause you to pack on the pounds. Canadian researchers found that people who slept 5-6 hours gained an average of 4.4 more pounds in 6 years than those who got 7-8 hours a night. 4
Online Sources:
1. http://news.health.com/2012/09/26/college-gain-weight/
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09/17/freshman-15-weight-gain-_n_18912…
3. www.asep.org/asep/asep/Ferrara%2012(1)23-35.doc
4. http://www.fitbie.com/lose-weight/tips/15-ways-avoid-freshman-15/tip/5