One of the greatest challenges of Freshman year is avoiding the dreaded “Freshman 15”. When you are suddenly responsible for all of your own meals and often do not have access to a kitchen, it can be easy to gain weight. In high school, I rarely worried about food because after school, there would be a homemade meal prepared for me. In addition, I had more free time to devote to sports or other forms of exercise – my weight rarely changed. When I started university, I was suddenly hit with the reality that I would be eating cafeteria food for the next eight months, and have little time for the gym. When my favourite pair of jeans no longer fit, I decided I needed to make some changes in order to stay healthy.
Here are my tips for avoiding the Freshman 15:
1. Avoid eating the caf fries/hashbrowns for every meal
Having unlimited access to deep fried potatos feels like what dreams are made of at first, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare. I didn’t think anything of having hash browns for breakfast each morning, but when my jeans started fitting tighter, I decided maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. I’m not saying to never indulge in deep fried goodies, but avoid having them everyday.
2. Do not go out drinking every weekend
When you throw a bunch of young adults together without supervision for the first time, of course there is going to be a lot of partying. Because you are drinking your calories, they may seem insignificant but they add up quickly. Simply cutting back on drinking will definitely help avoid gaining weight/bloat from all the empty carbs alcohol gives your body. Bonus: your grades will also benefit from less partying.
3. Have a plan for eating before you step into the cafeteria
This may seem daunting when you do not have access to a kitchen where you can make your own food, but it is still possible. Make a plan to ensure that you are getting enough fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, and proteins while you are attending school. Keeping the normalcy of a balanced diet that you had from home cooked meals will assist you in maintaining your weight. I personally suggest loading up at the salad bar with spinach, your favourite veggies, quinoa, and nuts. Having set food goals will also prevent you from grabbing a burger and fries for dinner the fifth night in a row.
4. Try to fit in exercise
At UBC, memberships to the BirdCoop are only $30.00/semester. This provides you with a place on campus to fit in workouts in a typical gym setting (tip: try to go earlier in the day to avoid crowds). If that doesn’t interest you, there are drop-in options for students to try new workout classes, swimming, skating, dance, and many more – check out their website here. If classic workouts aren’t your thing, there are tons of sport clubs to join for whatever your interests may be (i.e yoga, skiing, rock climbing, slack lining, etc.) Fitting in time to workout can be difficult when you are adjusting to a university workload, but even just trying a drop-in class every other week will improve your overall physical and mental health.
5. Avoid stress eating while distracted
The stress of school may make you want to curl up in a ball, watch Netflix, and binge on junk food. Or, you may get so caught up in studying that you substitute a proper meal for chips, ramen noodles, etc. Not only is this bad for your weight, but the empty cards will not provide you with the fuel you need to study effectively. I’m not saying you should never give into cravings and have movie night with all of your favourite snacks, but it is when you make it a habit that it becomes a problem. Even dedicating fifteen minutes to go to the cafeteria and eat something healthy makes a huge difference. Another idea is switching out unhealthy snacks for nuts and fruit while you study. If you still feel like you need the comfort only junk food can provide, try placing your snacks into a bowl to avoid mindlessly eating an entire bag of chips or box of candy.
Although this article is about avoiding the Freshman 15, it is important to keep in mind that gaining weight in university is completely normal and acceptable. You are going through a big transition in life and it is understandable for your body to reflect that change. Instead of worrying about gaining weight, worry about staying healthy. Nourish your body with foods that help your brain during study sessions, get a decent night sleep, and keep in mind that feeling happy and strong is always more important than what size of jeans you wear.
All GIFS taken off of https://giphy.com/