We all hear about it…the Freshman Fifteen, that weight gain that haunts many incoming students. We all have a common enemy, the battle of the bulge. And with Valentine’s Day over I am sure we all ate more sweets than we originally planned. Below are everyday myths and tips a college student can use to stay healthy.
1. Eating healthy is expensive BUT so is eating out. A college student can spend, on average, $8-$10 a meal if they eat out at a restaurant. An idea is to take the money from two or three meals that you would eat out with and use it to supplement your grocery budget. I am familiar with the argument that many students don’t have a kitchen or can’t cook but there are options out there that just require you to eat up a meal. For example, Bertolli has pasta meals that are whole grain and natural that you can heat up in the microwave. They even now have grocery store brands that do the same thing. You can buy steamed vegetables in the frozen section, and you just heat the bag in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
2. Don’t skip meals! Everyone thinks that skipping meals will make you lose weight. That is not true. When you skip meals your body slows down its metabolism so you don’t burn as much fat throughout the day because your body wants to protect itself from malnutrition. If you have class all day try packing snacks. That way your body gets energy throughout the day without having to slow down and you won’t binge eat when you do finally get to sit down to eat. A good snack choice would be peanut butter and jelly, carrot sticks, jello, craisins, raisins, baked chips and fruit.
3. Always take the stairs if that is an option and walk. Being in college guarantees you two things: you will have to share a room at some point and you will sit down a lot. It is very easy for a student to sit down to do some homework and end up sitting for hours. When you are walking to class take the stairs when you have to go up or down levels, in your dorm don’t ride the elevator (and to be honest anyone under the 4th floor shouldn’t ride the elevator anyway), and when you are parking your car to go to class find a parking garage that is just five minutes farther away from where you would normally park. Those minutes walking and taking the stairs can really add up.
4. If you have it, make time to relax. I don’t know about you but I understand that most people are stress eaters. Whenever you get overloaded with work and exams people start to eat their comfort food. Generally comfort food is full of dairy and fat because your body uses those things to release hormones into your blood to calm you down. Similarly when you eat chocolate there is a release of hormones that give you the sensation of love, this might also be why so many people love chocolate. A trick you could use would be to ask yourself if you are really hungry. Drink a glass of water because sometimes when you feel the sensation of hunger your body is just dehydrated.
5. Don’t deny yourself. When your body has a depletion of a nutrient it will crave a food that has the nutrient in it. For example, when someone craves chocolate that usually means that they have a magnesium deficiency. The trick is too not over eat on that treat, instead of eating the whole chocolate bar eat a couple of squares or eat something else before you eat the thing that is not good for you. Eat a carrot before you eat the large order of fries or order the cheeseburger with a side of steamed vegetables instead of the full order of onion rings.
There are many ways to avoid gaining the dreaded freshman fifteen. Just remember to make good choices in your eating habits, and ultimately you will feel better for being healthier. Forget Dominos and Papa Johns, check out the picture for a great homemade pizza alternative. Healthy and delicious!