College is about learning (sometimes the hard way) how to find balance in your life in order to be mentally, physically, and socially healthy.
They say college is the best four years of your life, and what could be more true? No parents watching over you, no one making you go to class or eat three balanced meals a day, and getting the required seven-and-a-half hours of sleep a night that a person needs to function. But at the same time, all these freedoms also lead to unhealthy and not-so-smart decisions. While you no longer have parents breathing down your neck forcing you to do homework, you also no longer have someone stopping you from ordering delivery at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday before your 8 a.m. class.
On a campus where the most popular food options are fried and the dining hall has very limited hours, it can sometimes be difficult to not want to grab something quick and greasy on your way to class. As tempting as that may be, for those who are trying to avoid the infamous Freshman 15 there is always a way. However, as a freshman I did not have anyone to teach me how to make better choices when it came to eating healthy and time management, so I unfortunately gained the “Freshman more than 15.”
For the majority of my spring semester I felt sluggish and exhausted. I wasn’t sleeping because of assignments I put off and then had to complete at the last minute. I sacrificed time at the gym to spend time watching movies with my friends. My motivation and general health were suffering because of it.
When I came home for spring break that was when I had my realization that my life and my health were not my priorities. As I sat in an Old Navy fitting room crying over gaining a size and having not realized it until that moment, I knew I needed to relearn how to prioritize and that I possessed the tools to eat healthy and be healthy as long as I was willing to implement them. I finished out my freshman year still not making the wisest choices but knowing I had to do something about it because this was not a path I wished to keep going on.
As sophomore year started, I was in an entirely different place. I had been working out all summer, getting back into that routine I had been in the summer before of working out three days a week and eating healthy foods that kept me energized throughout the day. Getting back to school and maintaining a routine of classes, working out, and eating properly was a challenge. Balancing 15 credits plus a lab and being a student-athlete takes a lot of time out of your day, especially when you try and get a decent amount of sleep so you aren’t constantly drained. There were many days I wanted to skip the gym and stay in bed, days where grabbing fried food as I ran to class late sounded amazing, but I knew I couldn’t do it to myself because I would regret how I felt physically after.
Having said all of that, there is always a time and a place to allow a cheat day, or a cheat treat. College is about having fun -- but not going crazy all the time. One of the best lessons my mom taught me is that “there is a time and place for everything, and it’s just a matter of knowing when and where.” Since starting sophomore year I have lost all the weight I gained my freshman year, and I don’t feel sluggish or weighed down anymore. I have made time in my schedule to get to the gym and have figured out how to eat the things I want at the right times.
College is the best four years of your life, and it’s all about the choices you make on a day-to-day basis.
