With a new school year, comes new challenges, especially in college. College offers many new temptations that leads to more responsibilities. The famous “Freshmen 15” is a phrase that is common on every college campus.
Your first visit at Sparky’s can be very overwhelming. There are many choices and different stations. At first you might grab a slice of pizza with fries, but then you crave tacos and end up with a heaping amount of food on your plate topped off with desert cookies. The beverages let alone can be very unhealthy, from Gatorade to soda. This food routine is probably what you experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the end of every meal you have 4 or 5 empty plates stacked in front of you with a rather overstuffed stomach.
Stress from homework, lack of sleep, and time management make it impossible to find time for the gym. The Freshmen 15 seems unavoidable that many of us just give up and give in. However, there are a few tricks that can make fighting the freshmen 15 easier than you think.
1. Eat Breakfast! You can start off any day on a positive note if you eat in the morning. Studies show that it doesn’t matter what you eat for breakfast, just as long as you eat something. As a result, throughout the rest of the day you are apt to be less hungry and crave snacks. Protein is very important as well. Protein can fill you up, so you are not eating constantly. Be sure to not skip the bacon, or Greek yogurt for fat-free options.
2. Portion control and eating in moderation is one of the most crucial aspects to live by in college. Going into college and having a buffet style with each meal is not only tempting, but dangerous. Eating one slice of pizza at a time, rather than loading 2 or 3 on one plate is a smart decision. Also, take your time eating and wait for your body to digest before getting seconds. It takes 20 minutes for your brain and body to realize you’re full so in the meantime, sit back and have a conversation. Before you realize it,the desire to get more food will be gone and you will be glad you didn’t get another slice.
3. Try getting into healthy eating habits. Sticking to the pizza or fries is not only unhealthy, but will easily get tiresome. Once you get sick of your go to foods, you tend to just plop a bunch of different foods on your plate. To avoid this, first walk around to the different stations to get an idea of what you would like to eat. Don’t overlook the salad bar, because most of the time it’s not only the healthiest, but freshest option. Pizza and french fries are a once a week indulgence because we know it’s good, just in proportion. Fresh burgers and wraps are a great choice as opposed to pounds of pasta. Ice cream is always a favorite, but get into the habit of eating it only once or twice a week. When you decide what you want to eat and try to make healthy choices, you can enjoy what you eat, but at the same time eat less.
4. Eat only when you’re hungry not bored. Do what most college students do and brush your teeth at 8 or 9 PM. That way when those midnight cravings hit while doing homework, you’ll realize that you’re already tired from studying and want to go straight to bed. By not wasting another 5 minutes brushing your teeth you will not get the urge to eat again. Simple time savers like these are huge when you wake up the next morning feeling thin and great.
5. Be sure to drink a lot of water. In college, water will become your new best friend. Nothing says weight gain like drinking mass amounts of liquid calories such as coffees, sodas, and alcohol. If you’re thirsty or even sometimes hungry, drinking a glass of water can cure that hunger. If you’re going to drink alcohol try mixing with 100% juice, diet or unsweetened tea that all have the taste of a mixer, but without the empty calories. There are many water fountains and soda machines around campus, so just carry that water bottle with you and just fill up regularly.
6. Make time for exercising. It’s hard balancing studying, work, club meetings and eating. It may feel like there is no time to exercise or have the motivation to do so. At the end of the day, the last thing you want to do is work out, but working out doesn’t have to be such a drag. If you don’t like to go to the gym and lift weights, try going to some Zumba or yoga classes with friends. Going to classes feels like you’re not even working out. Working out with friends empowers you to not flake out on going to the gym, therefore creating the gym to be more fun. If you don’t have time to go to the typical gym, try exercising in everyday routines. Take the stairs instead of the elevator to class or your dorm. You walk everywhere in college anyways, so stick to it. When you’re going to the store or just to a friend’s room, you may not realize it, but you are getting quite a cardio workout. When you’re cramming for a test or need a break from homework, try doing some sit ups or jumping jacks for no longer than 15 minutes. Not only do you instantly wake yourself up, but after a few reps of 20, you’re craving to get back to your homework. You don’t necessary have to be sweating, but lack of exercise is a major contributor to freshmen 15 and even the smallest efforts can go a long way.
7. Get some sleep! Sleep is essential in college and it’s known that students who are more stressed out have lack a of sleep. If you’re tired in class you can grab a coffee to temporarily wake you up. Later you might skip the gym because you’re too tired and end up ordering in food. It is proven that your body stores fat more efficiently when you’re tired and stressed. It starts out innocently enough, when you are running low on energy and go for a bag of potato chips. When we eat such comfort foods, our bodies release a chemical when tired, which slows our metabolism down. Although you think it’s not necessary, sleep is one of the most important tricks that can help you to not gain weight.
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