Why did I title this the "College Fifteen" as opposed to the obvious "Freshman Fifteen?" Because the "fifteen pounds" that you gain during freshman year doesn't just evaporate after the year is over. It will stick with you and make you wish you could get your high school body back every day until you do something about it. Luckily, it isn't too difficult to avoid the dreaded fifteen and stay healthy and in shape, if you know how to do it.
First of all, you might wonder why it is that all of a sudden you gain weight when you enter college. IU is known for being one of the greatest party colleges in the whole country. Well, with parties comes alcohol, with alcohol comes lots of calories and hangovers, and with hangovers comes being too lazy the next morning to get your butt out of bed and to the gym. Not a drinker? You're already a step ahead of the game. But also remember that you aren't getting mom's home cooked dinners every night, and as deliciously greasy and amazing the IU food court food is, it's no secret that it's not the healthiest. Unless you're munchin' on salads every day, (which, if you are, you are doing something wrong), you might notice that you've packed on a few pounds after being here for a while. On top of all of that, you are probably so caught up in the new academic and social life that you are beginning to create here that sometimes, going to the the gym might get shoved to the farthest back burner in your mind.
So what can you do about it? Exercise, portion control, water.
Tip # 1: Schedule time every week to get to the gym, go for a run, go play tennis, really anything that will get you up and moving. And don't just tell yourself you'll squeeze it in; actually add it to your planner. What helped me freshman year was finding a few girls on my floor who also wanted to work out, and making a weekly schedule of days and times that we all had free time to head to the SRSC. Going with friends honestly motivated me to go so much more than if I would've had to motivate myself every day. Even just 30 minutes of exercising per day, or every other day, is enough to stay physically fit.
Tip # 2: Portion control is everything. In our buffet style food courts, it's so easy to go back and take more and more helpings of food, and we don't even realize that the calories just keep adding up. I am not at all a believer in calorie-counting... it's way too much work, and I've seen friends become obsessive to the point where it affects their quality of life. If you just manage your portions, you will notice a difference.
Tip # 3: Drink a lot of water. A lot of times when you feel like snacking, it's triggered by emotions, and causes you to have cravings, more specifically, salty or sugary foods. When you feel like snacking, try drinking a glass of water. If you are still hungry after you drink the water, chances are you are actually hungry and should have a snack. But if you are feeling satisfied after a glass of water, chances are you weren't actually hungry, and just wanted to fulfill a craving. You can also tell the difference between actually being hungry and not by if you even have a craving. If you are truly hungry, most any type of food will sound satisfying, as opposed to one specific food group like salty or sugary snacks. If you want that specific type of snack, drink a glass of water instead.
Tip # 4: If your jeans aren't zipping up as easily and you're not feeling so hot in your yoga pants anymore, cut back on or eliminate processed foods and starch from your diet: pasta, potatoes, white rice, corn, cereal, cookies and anything made with flour and/or sugar. Simple carbs are a gut bulker and do nothing more than increase our cravings for more of the same. So many of us are used to eating bread and starchy foods with our meals, but our bodies really don't need them. Choose carbs with a high thermic effect, or complex carbs that require our bodies to burn calories just to metabolize them. Some examples are steel cut oatmeal, quinoa, flax seeds, nuts, brown rice, actual whole grains (instead of "whole wheat bread," which can be very misleading). The less a food item has been processed or handled, the better.
Who am I to always be giving you these tips, you might ask? You're right, personal experience really is my prominent outlet for giving you advice. But for this blog post, I have had help from my mom, whose expertise is health and wellness, as she is a personal trainer and fitness instructor.
Anyways, it's obvious that being in college can be stressful. That stress alone can definitely contribute to weight gain, but being proactive about staying in shape and eating the right foods will not only help you stay healthy, but will take away some of that stress, as endorphins are released through exercise. So you'll start lookin' good and feelin' good.
Well that's all I have for now. Hope I wasn't being too preachy... I guess I got it from my mama ;)
Until next time!
xx, Maddy
