With all of the studying we have to do during our college years it’s no wonder we collegiettes™ have gained a few pounds here and there. Between classes, studying, and socializing we no longer feel like we have the energy to hit the gym during our busy week, and working out is often one of the first things to drop off our list of things to do when everything starts piling up. Along with this, we are constantly snacking while studying, and the snacks usually aren’t very healthy. Finally, there is the binge drinking. So what do we do to break this cycle? Healthy study snacks. First, put down the chips, cookies, and other fattening snacks that will sit on your body and start eating healthier!
According to Good Housekeeping, there are plenty of great 100-calorie snacks out there to choose from. Here are a few to help get you started:
- O’Coco’s Organic Chocolate Crisps (in Mocha, Original, and Cinnamon): Each flavor is made with 100 percent whole grains.
- FrozFruit Gourmet Frozen Fruit Bar (Chunky Strawberry or Chunky Mango): Both are high in vitamin C; the mango supplies almost half your daily vitamin A.
- Breyers Double Churn 100 Calorie Cups: A brand-new ice cream-good for fiber and calcium.
- Mott’s Original Apple Sauce: This cup of applesauce counts as a serving of fruit.
- Fudgsicle 100 calories: These chocolate pops are a good source of fiber and calcium.
- Stonyfield Farm Light Yogurt (Any flavor): These deliver both protein and fiber, and meet one-quarter of your daily calcium needs.
- Earthbound Farm Organic Mini Peeled Carrots with Ranch dip: Fresh veggies (and only a small amount of dip).
- Sun Chips 100-calorie Packs: This multigrain snack packs 5 grams of fiber and supplies hard-to-find vitamin E.
- Yoplait Light Smoothie: Provides protein and fiber; also an excellent source of calcium.
- South Beach Diet Snack Bar Delights: All three flavors (chocolate mint, chocolate raspberry, and peanut butter) are an excellent source of fiber and calcium. They also provide protein, nine vitamins, and minerals.
- South Beach Diet Whole Wheat Snack Crackers: This snack is a great source of whole grains, containing 3 grams of fiber and no saturated fats.
- Kozy Shack Banana Flavored Pudding: Good for vitamin D and calcium
- Cracker Barrel 2% Milk Cheddar Cheese Sticks: Although the fat is a little high, it has good levels of protein, calcium, and other nutrients.
- Barbara’s Organic 100 Calorie Mini Cookies: No artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives
- Campbell’s Soup At Hand Blended Vegetable Medley: Has 1/2 cup of veggies
Working out doesn’t need to be such a hassle
The second habit we collegiettes™ need to break to stop the weight gain is the excuses as to why we can’t workout.
“I’m too tired from studying, I’ll work out tomorrow.”
“I know I said I’d workout today, but I have no time before I go out tonight.”
“I know I should workout but I’d rather get ahead on my homework.”
Although working out seems like a time-waster at times, you don’t have to go to the gym to break a sweat, and it doesn’t have to be for an hour each day. If you can spend hours going out at night, you have time to workout at home or at the gym. Clinical outpatient dietitian and certified fitness instructor at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. says, “If you don’t have a whole hour to set aside, don’t completely rule exercise out—even 30 minutes would be something, and just 20 minutes would be great. Try to rent a 20-minute exercise video from the library that you could do in your dorm room. Get some hand weights and look up a routine in a fitness magazine or book,” suggests Zumpano. So put down those books for a minute and start breaking a sweat.
Here are 5 benefits of regular physical activity, according to the Mayo Clinic staff, on why working out will not only stop the weight gain, but also improve your health.
No. 1: Exercise Controls Weight
What does this mean? Exactly what it says, exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help keep the weight off. When you are physically active, you are burning calories. Even if you can’t find a large stretch of time to work out increase your daily activity in simple ways such as walking to class, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
No. 2: Exercise Combats Health Conditions and Diseases
No matter if you’re a naturally thin person or a bigger person, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. Being active helps keep the blood flowing and decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. It can also help prevent strokes, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls.
No. 3: Exercise Improves Mood
Are you feeling stressed out from studying and just need an escape? A great way to do this is to hit the gym for a 30-minute workout. A workout at the gym or a quick walk around the block can help stimulate various brain chemicals that will leave you happier and more relaxed. You may also start feeling better about your appearance when you exercise regularly, which can help boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
No. 4: Exercise Boosts Energy
Feeling exhausted all the time, but caffeine just won’t do it for you? Try some daily physical activity it can improve muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and can help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When you have more energy you are able to easily complete those small tasks that used to be a hassle.
No. 5: Exercise Promotes Better Sleep
Having a hard time falling asleep at night? Keep waking up every hour? Try some physical exercise. Daily activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
Being Social Doesn’t Have to be About Binge Drinking
As collegiettes™ we love to socialize, but sometimes too much socializing can lead to binge drinking. Binge drinking is unhealthy for a wide range of reasons, from a simple hangover to liver disease and acute pancreatitis. Physiologist from the University of Liverpool, Ole Peterson says binge drinking significantly increases your risk of getting liver disease and pancreatitis. “Normally, when there is lots of oxygen in your system, alcohol will break down to acid aldehydes, which are not normal,” said Professor Peterson. “But when this metabolism occurs without oxygen, the body starts to produce fatty acids, which are harmful.” Professor Peterson’s research shows that fatty acids also destroy itself and the surrounding tissue. Over-drinking during a night out can be easy to do but the consequences can be irreversible.
Along with these potentially harmful affects consuming too much alcohol can promote overeating. People tend to over eat when they are out drinking. We want high-fat meals to wash down our alcoholic drinks. Whether it’s a slice of fattening pizza from Mesa, or a burrito from Pancheros, our bodies don’t need the high fat after already drinking a ton of calories. Professor of Nutrition and Physiology, Dr. Angelo Tremblay, Ph.D., from Laval University, Quebec, Canada, says, “The energy content of alcohol represents extra calories. Thus increasing total daily intake. This effect seems to add to the over feeding associated with a high-fat diet, increasing the chances of weight gain.”
So how do we limit the amount of alcohol we consume? For starters step away from the drinking games. Drinking games lead to nothing but over-drinking. These games are your typical card games, beer pong, flip cup, etc. They are designed to get you as drunk as possible, as quickly as possible. Secondly, if you hear the words “pre-game” walk away. Drinking before going out is one of the easiest ways to over-drink. When you are going out with friends and are planning on drinking, you don’t also need to drink before then. You could end up drinking too much and still feel like you need to drink while you’re out with everyone. Lastly, it isn’t a race to finish your drink at the bar. If you’re at a bar, buy a drink and hold on to it for a while, sipping slowly so that you can pace yourself better. Chances are if you’re out you are going to be out for a few hours and you don’t need several drinks an hour.
These tips along with eating healthier and finding time to work out in your busy collegiette™ schedules should help stop the weight gain so that you are Spring Break ready!