When going to college, many are worried about trying to stay in shape but, most importantly, eating healthfully. It’s easy to just stay in all day trying to finish homework, order some pizza while staying up studying for an exam, or grabbing some food as your group works on a project together. Staying healthy in college is tough but very important, so here are some tips to staying healthy at college!
1. Never skip meals!
Skipping meals seems like a good idea, but it almost always leads to overeating later on. Eating four to five small meals a day is ideal for keeping hunger away and boosting your metabolism. If you skip meals, your metabolism slows down basically going into “survival mode.” Eating your heavier meals earlier in the day and having lighter meals in the evenings is better than the usual “American” way of eating huge heavy and late dinners. Breakfast will always be the most important meal of the day -- why skip it?
2. Drink plenty of water!
When you are bored, you tend to think you are hungry when you are, essentially, only thirsty. On average, you need around eight glasses of water a day, or about half a gallon. That’s a lot! Most of us are dehydrated and overeat, thinking we need more food. Drink a glass of water before every meal and eat slowly, and you will see just how fast you feel full. Water helps flush out waste and bacteria in the body, and also improves mood and can prevent headaches. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere.
3. Get more sleep!
I know how hard it is in college to get enough sleep but sleep is the base to a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough sleep reduces stress and regulates your hormones that make you feel hungry or full. There are so many benefits to getting enough sleep and sleeping around the same time every night keeps the body on a schedule allowing you to fall asleep easier and sleep a little better. We need around seven to eight hours of sleep, which seems impossible in college, but staying up late to study and waking up early to go to class causes most people to grab caffeine to keep them awake, which is very unhealthy. Lack of sleep also leads to little or no exercise due to exhaustion.
4. Exercise!
Lack of exercise is probably the biggest change from high school to college. You do not have to go run for miles or lift for hours a week, but little things daily can add up to staying active. “Not having time” is not ever an OK excuse… if you have time to watch television daily, you have time to exercise. A combination of moderate weight training two to three times a week mixed with 30minutes of cardio four to five times a week is ideal but this is hard to obtain, especially if you are not used to it. You can grab some friends and play little pick-up games, join a club team or local rec league, it doesn’t matter what you do - just get outside and enjoy the sunshine. If the weather is bad, get to the gym or swimming pool and play around with friends. The easiest way to get active daily is to walk or ride your bike everywhere. I like to study on an elliptical or while walking on an incline; doing that also helps me focus on what I am studying. It is great to find local places to hike, take walks, and attend yoga, dance classes, or even Zumba. There are endless ways to stay active and get your mind off of school and relieve some stress.
5. Eat clean!
This is the hardest, yet most important part in obtaining a healthy lifestyle. You can exercise and get enough sleep but if you do not attempt to eat correctly you will not make much progress. The biggest point I can make is cutting down on bread. As Americans, we tend to eat an unhealthy amount of grains. Take a day to write down everything (yes EVERYTHING) you eat in one day. It will shock you! Try and substitute foods to eat more natural and wholefoods, more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Keep a food diary and log your food each day. Having to write down everything you eat helps you become more conscious and rethink some of the unneeded snacks.
It is tough to be healthy in college, but it is very much possible. It just takes determination, control, hard work, and some willpower to treat your body right. Your health and body are all up to you - they are the result of only you and what you put in, no one else. You only get one life with one body, so sculpt it into who you want it to be and do not give up. Tomorrow will come no matter what - will you wake up with regret from the day before, or the determination to stretch even further and push your limits even further?
