One of the biggest jokes and fears going around between all college freshmen students, is the legend of the freshman 15. For boys, it's something they brush off ever so easily, and laugh about it as a sign that they drank a little too much during the semester. For girls, it means the exact opposite.
Girls are constantly worried about how much they weigh or how much weight they've gained. And let's face it, no matter how hard you try to eat healthy at college, overall, it's practically impossible. How could you expect me to choose a salad over a warm chocolate chip cookie or even a frappuccino? With summer coming to an end, you have to think about those skinny jeans you're going to need to fit into in a month or so. So how exactly can you fight the freshman 15 with reasonable goals of eating food that tastes good?
For one thing, stop stress eating! I understand your workload is over the top but is that ice cream really going to help you get your papers done? Eating garbage isn't going to motivate you to do your work. If anything it will make you feel more tired than you did before. If you need to stress eat, eat fruit. Fruit provides lots of vitamins and even gives you an almost instant energy boost.
Always remember, water. Obviously your body needs it to keep functioning, but it actually makes you feel fuller. If you drink a glass of water before you eat, you are more likely to consume less, and your body can digest your food easier. Drinking water instead of soda or coffee is also an easy way to cut your calories fast.
Stocking your dorm with healthy snacks is also never a bad idea. When you're sitting in your room trying to finish your assignments, the first thing you're going to want when you get bored is a snack. Only keeping nutritious foods makes it easier to stay healthy instead of binge eating an entire bag of Doritos.
A few simple workout will also make it easier to stay fit. On average, 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a day will keep your muscles toned, and your body healthy. Going with a friend or listening to music always makes this go faster. After all, this is really only about the time of six songs.
Following through with these simple strategies to keep the freshman 15 away will surely be worth it. You don't have to change your eating schedule or work in time to go to the gym. Don't be afraid to let yourself live the college experience, and eat all of the delicious junk food we're all tempted with everyday. After all, that is why there are so many different restauraunts around every campus.
