Before going into college many people will tell you “the freshman 15 is real." For those who don’t know what the freshman 15 is, it’s a myth of some sorts that going into college students gain 15 pounds. Now, this does happen for many students who gained 15 or more pounds starting college, but there are many students who don’t gain any weight. In fact, some students will actually lose weight. There are a few ways that I’m gonna talk about that can help students beat the freshman 15.
Of course, these are some easy steps to help anyone with losing weight.
The first and maybe the most important way to help maintain or lose weight is be eating better. I get it the curly fries just can be so delicious, but replacing the curly fries with fruit or a side salad can make your meal well worth it. Whenever I go to the dining hall I always start by getting a salad. I always load it up with spinach, black beans, black olives, some croutons, and ranch dressing. Usually, by the time I’m done eating my salad I’m pretty full and will maybe have a slice of cheesy bread.
Usually, if I’m gonna have a snack I normally choose a cup of fruit or some hummus and pretzels. Just making these few changes are some ways people can try to prevent weight gain.
Another way to prevent yourself from getting the freshman 15 is by working out. A lot of college students just eat bad and don’t work out. They’ll say “I’ll do it when I’m not busy” or “I’ll start tomorrow” when in reality they usually don’t start tomorrow. Now I get it college is hard and when you have time to relax usually people don’t want to fill that time with working out.
Also, my dorm is across campus from where pretty much everything else is so my workout is walking about an hour every day. Personally, for me, I like cardio better than lifting, so I like walking being my main form of exercise. Walking is also a very easy way to burn some calories, just by walking to places instead of driving. Another way is just by making yourself go to work out, even if it’s just for 30 mins a day, and maybe start by working out 3 days a week.
The last main way students start gaining weight in college is by drinking. Even though it’s illegal, let's be real here — kids drink in college, it happens. The excessive drinking is what gets to kids and causes a lot of weight gain. Personally, I haven’t drunk anything, and no that’s not a lie because I’m underage, but I am not like most college students. I still go out, and I just don’t get drunk when I do and I can assure you I still have fun. The drinking and drinking excessively is another REALLY big reason why kids are gaining so much weight in college. Some kids feel pressured into drinking but they also just want to do it for their own pleasure. Then one day they’ll wake up and realize that beer belly that they can’t lose and will regret it. Just simply drinking alcoholic beverages with fewer calories, limiting yourself, or just not drinking at all are some of the ways students can prevent any unnecessary weight gain.
These are just a few ideas that can help people with not gaining weight throughout college. I get being a student and not having unlimited money makes it hard to be healthy 100% of the time, but there’s little things you can do to help slow down the process. I get that stress and a heavy workload can cause bad habits, but these habits are easy to fix with a planned out routine.