Have you heard of the ‘Freshman 15’? Rumors are spreading about the ‘Freshman 15’, does it really happen or is it a myth?
According to recent studies, Freshman students were found to gain 15 pounds in their Freshman year, did you or are you putting on weight in your Freshman year? Yet it’s not a good news at all. Doctors are concerned that college students who gradually increase their weight are establishing a weight gain pattern that may lead to a lot of health problems if they do not look to do something about it.
Statistics show that college students on average gain 3 to 10 lbs during their first 2 years in college. It is seen that most of this weight gain took effect during the first semester of freshman year.
Starting College can lead to many new temptations, it may be the first time that you have lived away from home and you are now responsible for making your food choices and controlling your portions. This can be difficult especially when the food options may not always be healthy ones.
But how can you avoid not getting fat or not to allow yourself to go overboard and be labelled as having this ‘Freshman 15’. Here are 7 effective tips on how you can achieve this goal.
- Eat breakfast and don’t skip meals. Your mom always said “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and it is! Eating breakfast kickstarts your metabolism and gives your body the fuel it needs for the rest of the day. If you skip breakfast and other meals your body goes into starvation mode and produces fat to protect itself.
- Make it a habit to drink lots of water. Try to avoid drinking soda and juice as your main drink, have these occasionally with a meal. Choose water as your main drink to quench your thirst and avoid the excess sugar from soda and juice.
- Eat a lot of fruit. If you’re looking for a sweet treat, then why not choose fruit. Fruit contains natural sugars so you will still get the energy boost without the added calories of the bad sugars from chocolate or cakes. Fruit is also a great portable fruit, carry an apple or banana in your bag with you for when you’re feeling peckish during class break.
- Treat but also watch. When it’s time to reward yourself for a job well done- go ahead and eat what you like BUT don’t go overboard. Some people choose to give themselves one day a week, where they are allowed to eat anything, but remember everything in moderation!
- Avoid eating up late. Try not eat late at night or just before bed. Your body needs time to process the food that you consume, so eating just before bed when your body goes into sleep mode can cause you to gain excess weight because you have no opportunity to burn the calories. You may also find that your sleep is effected if you are eating late in the evening. If you’re feeling peckish while studying have some nuts or drink of milk.
- Eat healthy snacks during late night sessions. If you must eat when up late studying eat nutritious snacks such as plain popcorn (no butter or salt), fruits, pretzels, nuts and nutritious bars.
And lastly, include regular exercise as part of your daily routine! Run, jog, walk, bike, do aerobics and other routines that would help you maintain regular circulation of body fluids and thus helps you to digest the food you have eaten. Everything in moderation and keeping yourself moving for at least 30 mins per day will help you avoid the ‘Freshman 15’.