Congrats, you’ve made it to college. Now what? Well first, there’s the exhausting moving in process, then the search for your Medieval Literature class in the bowels of the library, and finally, you have to make the crucial seat decision. Which seat has optimal views of the board while also having someone who looks nice and smart nearby? It’s stressful and while adjustment can eventually take place, with each semester brings change.
The ups and downs of a first year in college can start to be reflected in your diet. You may find yourself skipping some meals instead of having the standard three a day. Why wake up for breakfast when you can use that time to get an extra ten minutes of sleep instead? The rationalization of bad eating habits begins and it seems like an unstoppable force.
A big factor that also stands in the way of pursuing a healthy lifestyle is the dreaded dining hall. While it differs between schools, most state universities offer slim pickings to their students. A burnt piece of chicken with dry rice on the side somehow passes as acceptable. In my case, I end up nibbling on this “real” food and then going back to my room and snacking on whatever's available. The selection ranges from crappy chips to some stale Pop Tarts.
If that doesn’t satisfy me, I might end up doing something drastic for a broke college kid: pulling out my wallet. I’ll check out the Papa Johns website (which I can sadly say is bookmarked on my computer for easy access) and start playing the “what’s the cheapest but also gets me to the delivery minimum” game. Ordering can seem like the only option when you feel so unsatisfied and hungry that it’s interfering with your focus. When I know I have a huge test coming up, I’ll get a pizza because I know it’ll help in that time span, but in the long run? Probably not.
Unfortunately, a lot of aspects of college lead to a bigger gut, such as late night snacking and stress eating. Therefore, the freshman fifteen is no myth, but close to a scientific fact. You have to stay on top of yourself and not be a picky eater if you intend on staying the same weight. It involves exercise, fruit smoothies, and passing on a third cup of beer at a frat party. So yes, it's very possible to stay healthy in college but it's a challenge and no one will blame you for adding on some pounds. It’s very important to not freak out when you first realize that you don’t fit in into your favorite pair of blue jeans anymore. I’ve had to get a size up in all of my clothing and it was really disheartening at first. I would look back at summer pictures and think about how I really let myself go. My situation had affected me physically and I wasn’t about to let it get a hold of my mental state. So, I decided not to be upset but rather embrace my new body. After all, I did get a shopping trip out of it.
