The beginning of college always starts with a list of things you should and shouldn’t do. There are always the things you need to try and the things you need to avoid. One of the definite “don’t dos” was ‘The Freshman 15’. Living away from your parents for the first time and not having to deal with the restrictions of them telling you what to do, college kids often tend to go a little too crazy. I remember going to the cafeteria and eating cookies and ice cream for dinner one day – it was a delicious meal if I do say so myself. Life was good eating what I wanted when I wanted till I stepped on the scale or got sick.
After a while, the food got old quick and I started resenting eating only hotdogs and fries for every meal. Living on campus and surviving on only cafeteria food and takeout, it can be tough to find good food that won’t be doing harm to our bodies. It took a while but experimenting and finding out what was best for me slowly became possible. The first thing I did was look for healthier eating options that I could order off campus besides pizza and Chinese takeout. Instead of soda, I looked for healthier smoothie options. I found restaurants that gave me healthier varieties, and eventually, I began to crave my junk food less and less.
The last thing I did was utilize the resources I had in the cafeteria. I stopped heading straight for the ice cream bar and began using the cooking stations. I found that experimenting with food and ‘chefing’ it up was actually fun. I was able to create my own mini recipes and make food that was both edible and healthy.
I began feeling a lot better both physically and mentally and it allowed my semester to continue very smoothly. While others were getting sick with things like the flu, I remained healthy because of my eating habits. I’m not saying don’t enjoy some junk food every once in a while, but moderation is definitely key.