Freshman 15!

[DareToEatAPeach]

Okay so I'm going to university in September and everyone keeps telling me about the freshman 15. In my brother's first year, he must have gained 30-40 pounds. However, he was pretty much anorexic, so he actually needed to gain 20 of that. But I'm already a little over my ideal weight and I'm trying to lose some pounds over the summer. So is there any advice someone could give me so that I can continue my diet and exercise plan? I was feeling fairly confident that I wouldn't gain anymore weight, but people say it happens to everyone.

[Jay]

Try not eating too much junk and fast food, lay off drinking and working out regularly.

One of the reasons I'd think many college or university freshmen gain weight is because the crazy parties where they get booze, even if they're underage. You have no idea how much useless empty calories a beer or a shot has. Also, if many people state that "drinking is a must, you're in college!" then be sure that you can still go there and nurse that one beer for a couple of hours--or just decline completely and grab something slightly healthier like a coke or water.

Or, you can mix some Sprite/7up, a little of water, some lemon and ice and pretend you're having a vodka. If they ask where did you get it from, just state that you prefer not sharing your secret stash

Another reason is that, with the load of work they receive and the change of lifestyle, most freshmen decide it's smarter to buy junk and fast food over a healthy home diet--they need more time to do more stuff. It's easier to spend 5 minutes in line for a burger at McDonalds or at the local hot dog stand than to wake up one hour earlier and cook some healthy lunch to have it ready for noon.

Good luck!

[Zontar]

Lose the Sophomore 50 like I did: no soda, no snacks, bicycle every day.

[bookworm43]

ahh, the freshman 15...i am so not looking forward to that. my blind suggestion is to eat the salads at mcdonalds, instead of the happy meal. good luck!

WARNING: If there is a self serve frozen yogurt machine in the cafeteria and you are an addict. REMEMBER to look the other way

but basically try to the best of your ability to eat healthy and dont' stick to fast food and ramen/cup noodles sort of thing.

[Cody]

Originally Posted by bookworm43

ahh, the freshman 15...i am so not looking forward to that. my blind suggestion is to eat the salads at mcdonalds, instead of the happy meal. good luck!

Actually I've never really heard of it as applied to girls (which doesn't really make sense), only guys. I'm only a couple months into my freshman year, and I've already kind of pudged up a bit . All of my girlfriends seem the same as the first day though, so take it as you will...

[DareToEatAPeach]

I'm fairly good about controlling what I eat now since I make almost all of my own food. So lets hope I can resist that frozen yogurt machine. ahaha

And also I've started back into running and I've been pretty good. I run 1 and 3/4 miles three times a week, but I'm moving this Saturday, so my schedule will probably be a little out of whack for a while. But I really want to keep that up.

[stad90]

I have what my parents describe as the unfortunate subtle rebellious attitude. So when I was home and they were pressuring me to lose weight, I never did. But once I was 922 miles away at school I gained the motivation to lose weight via a combination of tracking everything I eat on my iPhone and a lack of car (thus having to walk everywhere).

I dunno. I don't drink either, which helps a lot

[KaraBulut]

Three things that will make you gain weight in college:

1. Shitty food- Those fast food meals, pizza deliveries, scarfed meals between classes and stuffing yourself with free food when you find it.. those calories add up. And when you skip breakfast, your body just packs it on faster.
2. Not enough sleep - the body responds to stress by retaining water and packing on the pounds.
3. Not enough exercise- given the choice of exercising, studying or partying... well, exercising always seems to be pretty far down the list.

The only way to deal with it is to plan your days to include healthier snacks and time for a jog, a quick workout and some "me" time.

[4alex6]

If you want to lose weight: cut down on your fast food intakes, only have fast food about 1-2 times a month. Run or bike everyday, if you run about 4 miles a day like I do then you can build up muscle and lose weight. Also make sure you stay hydrated, you don't want to pass out during one of your exercises. Good luck!

[DareToEatAPeach]

Okay so I already know my schedule and I have class every morning starting at 8:30. I would like to get up early, go for a run, come back, have a shower, get some food, and then go to class. The problem is, it might be too tempting to just hit the snooze button. So do you guys generally run in the morning or at night?

[rebz]

I gained almost 20 pounds in my freshman year, but in my case it was muscle.

I just ate a lot of healthy foods, avoided processed crap and empty carbs, and made sure to stick with lifting heavy 3-4 times a week.

[BenIsScared]

The easiest thing is watching your diet. But going to the gym might be a good way to meet muscular guys!

[Weatherguy101]

Avoid the unnecessary sugar like soda or desert.
Don't eat until you get full.
Eat healthy snacks
Get exercise if the school has a gym
Stay motivated to keep looking good for the guys!

[IThinkInCircles]

Yeah dude, no soda. And make sure you're snacking constantly throughout the day, keep crackers and granola bars and other crap in your backpack. If you go all day without eating, and then defeat an entire Thanksgiving feast at 10:00 that night while your metabolism is already at a dead halt... that's the kiss of death.

[DareToEatAPeach]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'll do my best to adhere to it! :P

[507bro]

I gained weight but it wasn't fat it was muscle. My advice is proportion, a buffet style lunch is the worst. Instead of having a plate full of food. Try lowering it two 1 or 2 items, and make sure they are reasonably sized. Avoid soda as much as possible and drink a lot of water. You can cut a lot of calories if you drink water instead of soda.

[Austin]

Eat healthy and exercise.

[zerogravity]

Basically the reason people gain weight in college is because they get put on a "meal plan" through their college residence, and they start drinking. The college meal plan at my residence cost about $3000 dollars and was a HUGE RIPOFF, basically consisting of unhealthy junk foods and coffee.

This is what my residence food court contained:

- Harvey's (gross hamburgers)
- Swiss Chalet (gross chicken)
- Mr. Sub (ok sandwiches)
- Taco Bell (gross)
- Rotating Cafeteria Meal (:i.e.Chicken à la King, Lasagna, Meatloaf) ie. gross
- Coffee/Muffin Place

Now think about how much food 3000 dollars can buy you. You are at University for 8 months of the year, that's or almost $100 a week for groceries!!


Take that $100 dollars a week, and buy sandwich stuff, yogurt, fresh fruit, cereal, juice, salad stuff, and some protein powder like Casein, Whey or Vega sport. Go out for a healthy meal once a week, cause you'll likely have plenty of money left over from the $100 a week grocery budget.

the main reason for the freshman 15 is that you are not at home anymore and you are not on your regular home schedule. also, you are not eating home cooking either. you are eating institutionalized foods that are heavy in salt, sugars, and carbs. imagine having to eating your school lunch for breakfast, lunch and dinner. also, you are also staying up late at night studying or getting late night snacks like pizza. since many of the dining halls shut down by 7pm, sometimes you get hungry after that and you need food. many of the colleges now have after hours food options that you can eat but they are not healthy. my advice...they have healthy options in the dining halls, you just have to pick them. also, i would suggest getting a fridge (mini one) and stocking it with healthy things you can snack on (fruits, etc.). also, maybe there is a kitchen on your floor, you can try cooking meals too but that is a lot of work. just watch what you are eating and you can always work out at the gym. working out at the gym may be a great place to meet new freinds too. stay away from sodas and booze. try getting water to drink or maybe juice sometimes.

oh, another pitfall is that the dining halls are buffet style usually. so instead of getting one serving many people keep going back for more and more and trying different things. they will load up pizza and burgers and all of that stuff onto a plate. so make sure you dont go overboard on what you normally eat.

---------- Post added 19th Jul 2011 at 08:26 PM ----------

zerogravity is right. the meal plans can be a rip off but think about it. if you dont have a fridge and if you dont have a car, how are you getting to the grocery store every week to buy food. also, many old dorms dont have a kitchen on the floor and if they do its one kitchen for everyone. plus, you are going to have to cook and wash dishes. another thing is when you first get to school the dining halls are where you hang out with your friends, laugh, joke, meet new people. so if you do not have a meal plan, you are not able to get in and you will miss out on making a lot of new friends. when you are in college those first couple of weeks and months are critical in terms of making new friends because once people start getting in cliques and pairing off, its harder to get into the circle. see if you can get a lower meal plan if you know you are not goign to eat all thsoe meals. also, check out your dining options. many schools have various dining halls and fourt court options and other places that accept the meal plan. check to see what is healthy and pick those options. i had a meal plan for all of my years in college but i think i reducted it when i got to be a senior because i had transportation. the reality is you're going to be busy with school and clubs, and studying and if you dont have a meal plan you are probably goign to end up taking that money and eating whatever is around or whatever is closer instead of buying groceries.