The horror stories of gaining the “Freshman 15” have been a concern to college students at least once during their time away from home. Whether you believe in the phenomenon or not, no one wants to gain weight while being at college. But how easy is it for students to stick to routine diet and exercise?
The start of every semester brings new classes and usually, a new mindset as well. You tell yourself all of these goals you plan to accomplish and have the full intention of following through with them. Somehow, you expect to achieve a 4.0, be in good shape, eat super healthy and maintain a busy social life. You want to make the most out of your college experience, while making yourself proud of the decisions that you make.
For the first week of school, you have your shit together. You attend all your classes, only eat Chick-fil-A once a week, and make it to the gym at least three times. You are feeling pretty pumped that this semester is going to be your best, by far. After the first month, you can feel yourself slipping up. Your grades are still doing okay, but your diet and exercise are slightly affected. You do not have time to cook your own meals, nor do you have the willpower to resist Chick-fil-A more than once a week. The long walk to the gym becomes too much of a struggle, and so you convince yourself that since your college campus is so big, you already completed your workout for the day.
Now we can fast forward to the middle of the semester. Midterms are about to hit you like a wall of bricks and you are running out of ways to keep your sanity. The library is both your best friend and worst enemy, and you can barely recall how it feels to get seven hours of sleep every night. This type of stress calls for junk food therapy and you cannot afford to waste your time at the gym. At this point, you are okay with eating macaroni and cheese for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and consider that a healthy diet, because of all the calcium you are getting. Coffee is also now flowing through your bloodstream as you fight through exam weeks. Sleep is for the weak, and so is decaf.
If you are lucky enough to have time in between exam weeks, you are thankful, and slowly start to get back to somewhat of a routine. Your biggest accomplishments are that you made it to the gym at least one time and you ate a salad for lunch instead of Chipotle. However, when your exam grades get posted, Coldstone ice cream is always there for you. You get it to celebrate the good grades and to also comfort you through the bad ones.
By the end of the semester, you are just thankful to make it out alive. You are excited for a break, but most importantly, you are excited for home-cooked meals. You have actual groceries in your house again, your parents feed you nutritious and enjoyable food, and you have time to work off all the weight you probably gained this semester. It has been quite the struggle, but you are ready to have your shit back together -- that is, of course, until next semester, when your willpower is put to the test once again.
