For those of you just getting ready to enter college, you have undoubtedly heard about the infamous Freshman 15. If you haven't, consider yourself lucky. While you may doubt this horrible weight gain, I'm here to tell you the Freshman 15 is 110% true except for one thing: it's usually more than just 15 pounds. I personally call it the Freshman 30, because that's about how much you gain. And while many struggle to keep off the weight gained by 2 a.m. cups of ramen or Oreo cookies, my Freshman 15 was a blessing in disguise.
In high school, I had always been the small one who looked about to blow away in the wind. For those who didn't know me, I was often asked if I ate enough or if I had an eating disorder. I was also told to "Go eat a cheeseburger," almost on the daily. If you actually know me you would've known that I eat. A lot. Pizza, cheeseburgers, french fries, and milkshakes are my comfort foods. Despite my love for all things junk food, my high school eating habits left a lot to be desired. I would usually only eat one meal a day, skipping breakfast entirely and eating a small lunch before eating my weight in food for dinner. Sometimes I was too lazy to make myself food and would just munch on whatever was in my pantry, or I just wouldn't eat at all.
I had some body confidence issues during my high school years. I wanted to be skinny and I always felt proud of myself when people commented on how small I was. Until my senior year, I was 5'6" and weighed around 100 pounds. I wasn't happy unless I could fit into size 2 jeans and a small t-shirt. I was always being picked to crawl into tight spaces, and I didn't weigh enough to give blood. Regardless, I was happy, because my closet was full of small clothes.
Senior year of high school changed all that, because I attended a private liberal arts college to finish up my high school experience. While my high school lunches were nasty, my college lunches were delicious, and I spent a lot of time in the dining hall. I ate two out of three meals there, munching on pasta, pizza, chicken, brownies, and anything else that was laid out. At home, I inhaled home-cooked dinners and munched on snacks while studying for classes. Until spring break, I hadn't really noticed that I had put on any weight. I wore mostly leggings and sweatshirts for classes, so my weight gain became apparent when I tried to fit into a pair of jeans and realized I couldn't. When I finished class and came home for the night, I jumped on the scale and was shocked to find out that I had gained 35 pounds.
At first, I was shocked that I had gained so much weight and hadn't even noticed. I'd been so busy with school, extracurriculars, and trying to keep up with two jobs that I haven't even stopped to look in the mirror to see how I was looking. After my initial shock, I realized that I actually liked how I looked. I didn't look sickly anymore, and my bones weren't apparent. I actually looked good. For once in my life, I'm comfortable with how much I weigh. I had expected to be horrified that I no longer fit into size two jeans, but I was surprised to say that I wasn't. Sure, I had to buy new clothes because I didn't fit into any of my old ones, but I was okay with that. I was finally a healthy size and I was happy with it.
After gaining my Freshman 15, I no longer feel the need to be excessively skinny. Frankly, I don't care what size I am, as long as I'm healthy and happy in my own skin. Being a size 2 doesn't make you any better of a person than if you're a size 8 or a 14. How much you weigh doesn't matter, as long as you love the person that you are. I love seeing women of all different body types being so confident in who they are, and I truly gained confidence from my Freshman 15. I no longer feel the need to skip breakfast and eat small lunches. In fact, I can't imagine only eating one meal a day. While I may not be able to fit into my old jeans and swimsuits anymore, I'm proud of how I look now and of the confidence that I gained. So pasta and brownies, this one's for you.
