Being at Notre Dame helps a considerable amount in avoiding unwanted weight gain, considering all of the numerous people running around the lakes outside my window all the time making me feel bad for eating cereal at 2:00pm on a weekday in my pajamas because 40 degrees is too cold to get out of bed. True life… But, sometimes it’s difficult when ABP cookies are so readily available all night, and Flex Points seem limitless…until you’re at $2.38 a month before the semester ends.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with gaining a few pounds, and I would hate for anybody to think that they are less than for gaining weight during a very stressful first semester…or second, or third. However, there are a few simple ways to avoid weight gain that are safe and tested by yours truly. Though I risk seeming self-absorbed and materialistic, I’m not really a fan of my brother calling me a chunkster all the time. Additionally, college is the perfect time to explore different ways to eat healthy without having to worry about your parents not being into vegetarianism or whatever eating trend is out there today.
With that being said, here are a few tips for avoiding the Freshman 15!
1. Don’t stress eat
During finals week I went to The Huddle and literally every shelf was wiped clean of chips and jumbo boxes of Goldfish. People tend to eat more when they’re sad and stressed out. Personally, I eat when I’m happy or excited…which happens to be all the time. We have to eat to survive obviously, but eating unhealthy things is what causes weight gain. Your cortisol levels rise when you’re stressed. Which means all the unhealthy fatty stuff you eat is absorbed even more so in more dangerous places than otherwise. I might be making that up, but it sounds pretty scientific. I actually have the opposite issue. When I’m stressed I stop eating and just sleep all day, a very bad habit to have. My advice for stress eating is to eat healthy things. Whoa, what a concept! Instead of running to LaFun and grabbing a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and some cookie dough, opt for some yummy fresh fruit, which leads me to my next point.
Don’t be John Belushi
2. Grab N’ Go is a lifesaver
Currently, my roommate and I have a total of 12 apples in our fridge. We’re not sorry. I literally spend most of my extra swipes on fresh fruit from Grab N’ Go. Having fruits and veggies available rather than bags of chips and sugary cereals is very convenient when looking for a midnight snack. I also like to snatch some extra peanut butter packs whenever I can. Grab N’ Go veggies, pita chips, and parfaits are also low calorie, yummy alternatives that tend to last a while, so stock up!
3. Make time to work out…ALWAYS
Don’t be lazy girl. I see you watching that 5th episode of Breaking Bad in your bed in the middle of the day! Even if you just use the elliptical for 30 minutes a day or lift a few weights, getting active will keep your metabolism up and will even help you become less stressed. During finals week alone I think I exercised more than I slept just because it helped me release all that caffeine energy and pumped up my brain for another all-nighter of studying.
4. Sleep
Contradicting my last statement about exercising more than I slept…sleeping is very important for obvious reasons. But you might not know that sometimes your body mistakes pure exhaustion for hunger and before you know it, you’re face deep in a Taco Bell burrito well aware of your future morning after regret of your loss of self-control. Not that it’s ever happened to me or anything. Get some sleep, though, really. I recently discovered naps thanks to my roomie, so I encourage a nice nap instead of aforementioned exercise, if needed.
5. Drink Coffee and Water
And I’m not talking about a PSL or Vanilla Mocha, or whatever hip drinks you kids are drinking these days. Do you know how much sugar is in one of those?! Well, luckily now you should considering that the LaFun Starbucks has finally caught on to calorie listings on menu items. I’m actually really excited about this because I’m so used to this concept in California, it was weird not seeing calorie listings everywhere in the Midwest. Anyways, put down that 400-calorie drink not matter how much that BOGO sale is, and go for a plain brewed coffee like all the real grown-ups drink. You can add the right amount of sugar and milk to make it almost unhealthy if you really need to.
The Starbucks listed calories, fat, carbs, protein content for a Grande Soy milk based version of each of these! That’s more than a soda!
My Nalgene water bottle is my best friend. I’m not even kidding. I don’t go anywhere without it. Whenever I think I’m hungry I just drink some water and realize I was actually dehydrated from all that coffee I’ve been drinking. Additionally, water is the best alternative to sugary drinks and sodas. I like to avoid soda at all costs. It’s too sugary and carbonated and gross. If anything, bottled Coke is the best because they use 100% real sugar instead of that artificial stuff. A friend of mine stopped drinking soda for Lent and dropped like five pounds in a week. Seriously.
6. Don’t drink…beer
Yuck. Though the only legal beverage permitted by Du Lac, beer is highly carbonated and the classy choice of Natty and Keystone provided by prestigious mens dorms isn’t very good, so I’ve been told. However, reliable sources have informed me that Bud Light and Coors Light have a pleasing taste with significantly less calories than others. As tempting as Forties at Four sounds, beer belly isn’t very cute when you’re trying to rock a body-con dress. I tend to avoid the stuff and opt instead for flat drinks we call A cups (Wale reference if y’all didn’t catch that). Additionally, consume too much and you might find yourself at Pizza Hut at 2:00 am making more regrettable life decisions and downing pizzas and tacos, which of course leads to a pudgy tummy. Yum.
If all this fails and you find your clothes fitting a little bit more snug at the end of your first semester, DO NOT cry and hate yourself. There’s nothing wrong with gaining weight, seriously. You’re not less of a person for gaining 10, 20, or even 30 pounds. They key to being healthy is eating healthy. As long as you do that, don’t worry about a stupid number on a scale, because when you eat healthy foods, your body is happier as well.
If all this talk about food is stressing you out or you think you or a friend may have developed an eating disorder, which is very common among college-aged students, please contact University Health Services. Unhealthy eating habits and disorders are not glamorous or worth the momentary thrill of weight loss. Be sure to check in next month for informative posts on healthy dining hall meals you can make yourself and other healthy eating tips.