The dreaded freshman 15 is NOT a myth. Throughout my first year at UofA and seeing other college freshmen on social media, I have witnessed and experienced this weight gain mayhem. In this article, I want to identify what causes weight gain, and I am going to help you get and stay on the right track of keeping it off.

So what causes the weight gain? Freedom. You no longer have mom and dad telling you what to eat. If you want that Big MAC, nothing is stopping you. You no longer have all these extracurricular activities going on. Unless you are doing something at the collegiate level (which good for you if you are) you have a crap ton of free time that you have no idea what to do with. You will find yourself eating the same way, or worst, but you are doing way less activity.

So let’s break it down: You can not eat more than you work off. Think of it as a reward system. Have a hardcore work out, heck yeah get that banana pudding milkshake from Cookout! Spent all day sitting and studying, maybe stick to water or something with less sugar.

Pro Tip: Sugar is your worst enemy. It clings to all the wrong places. Avoid a lot of added sugar.

Exercise

Pro Tip: Find a workout buddy. Maybe it is someone who knows what they are doing, or someone it is someone who knows less than you, the gym always feels more comfortable if you have a buddy with you.

If lifting and gym equipment is not for you, look at the free classes offered. There is most likely a cycling class, or dance class, yoga, or some hardCORE workout that focuses on women’s curves. If you have the budget to look outside of what your college or university offers, you have more options. At home, I did a fitness barre class. For those who do not know what that is, it is a mix of ballet barre, yoga, pilates, and dance to tone up. That was what worked for my body, and I loved my body in high school.

So naturally, I searched for a barre class in Tuscaloosa, and I love it. So if you were some kind of dancer in high school, definitely take one of these classes. It’s a must. Maybe you like something more upbeat and harsh, try kickboxing. My sorority had a sisterhood event at the kickboxing chain, 9Round, and let me tell you… it kickboxed my butt.

Pro Tip: Have a hard time taking time to go to get exercise? Place it in your schedule like a class with mandatory attendance. My friend from UGA told me this, and it changed my way of working out. *Thank you, Kelsey!

Eating

You can workout all you want to, but the biggest thing is what you eat and drink. I have been on a heavy health food kick lately. I am not going to lie, it is hard to start eating the right way, but I am here to tell you that it gets easier. If you do it long enough, you will start to crave health food, and turn your nose away from junk.

Pro Tip: Don’t tell your body it can not have something. It will only make you want and crave it even more.

I suggest starting with cutting fried, sugar packed, and mega processed foods first. Trust me, I am southern… I love fried okra more than most people, but I can’t expect to live a long and healthy life if that is all I eat. Let’s start off easy: Pick 3-4 days where you eat healthier than normal. After 3-4 weeks, move up to 4-5 days of eating healthy. After 6 weeks of that, eat healthy 6 out of the 7 days of the week. Find the balance that works for you. Do you believe me? For Lent, I gave up all drinks besides water.

As soon as Lent was over, I decided to have a small glass of Coke. After hydrating with only water for 40 days, my body literally refused to drink such a thick syrup. Your body will respond to what you put in it. Give your body the best you can, and your body will be the best it can for you.

One factor of weight gain that if forgotten about is alcohol. I will list a few calorie averages below for you to see what you are putting in your body (at 21 years old of course) Beer: 154 cals. Each shot of vodka: 110 cals. Each shot of whiskey: 64-80 cal. Each shot of tequila: 98 cals. Glass of wine:115-144 cal.

There is a reason I am not calling it a “diet.” “Diet” gives a bad taste in everyone’s mouth after saying it. Diet means a way of eating, however people perceive it as a temporary change. Diets, and especially Fad Diets make you suffer for a while to get the results you want, but once you see those results, you go right back to how you were eating before. This is horrible for your metabolism and will take those results away. Possibly even making you look and feel worse.

My goal is to help you reach your prime mind and body, while you are still this amazing young adult age. We all deserve that.

Find healthy cheats. Find what works for you.

Thrive on,

Lily