Let’s face it: no one wants to gain the Freshman 15, but we’re all told about it coming into college. My family said it would come from all the junk food; my friends said it would come from an excessive amount of alcohol. While students often put on weight now that we’re away from home, we can definitely maintain our current weight if not lose weight if we stay on track.
I can already hear all the excuses.
“I don’t have the time to work out enough”
“I don’t have the money to follow a strict diet”
“Drinking is fun. I don’t want to stop drinking”
While these are all somewhat legitimate excuses, making progress really doesn’t take all that much change. What it will take is moderation. Yes, you’re going to have to work out some. Yes, you’re going to have to cut out the alcohol and junk food sometimes. But, the good news is that you’re not going to have to cut them out completely. You just need to follow some common-sense tips that I’ll talk about below, then you’ll be able to enjoy your college experience and stay in shape (get in shape for some people).
Exercise
The first step to not putting on weight as a freshman is some type of working out. I take advantage of lifting and running. But, if lifting heavy weights isn’t for you, it could be yoga class, riding bikes, hiking, etc. If you want a pleasant place to run, try running along the river. Here at the slice of heaven we call the University of Alabama, the choices for working out are limitless. There are even classes at the Rec Center that take the guess work out of it. The most important part of working out isn’t necessarily the type, but the act of actually DOING IT. Find something that makes working out at least a little enjoyable and stick with it. Obviously, the more you work out, the better. But, aim for workouts that are around an hour at least 3-4 times a week to see a noticeable impact. Working out on its own will help tremendously, but like the famous quote goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”
Caloric Intake
The biggest part of not gaining the Freshman 15 is your diet. If you’re slamming beers and eating Domino’s all the time, working out is not going to have near as big of an impact. I’m not telling you to not enjoy life, but you need to exercise moderation. Enjoy all the great food Tuscaloosa offers, but limit your indulgence to one or two cheat meals a week. I like to have mine on the weekends so I can reward myself for a week of hard work. For options during the week, believe it or not our thousand-dollar meal can go a long way. The dining halls have a salad bar, vegan and vegetarian options, lean meats like chicken and turkey some days and if you’re feeling young again you can even get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The dining halls can work for our goals if we stick to the healthy options and control our portions.
Try to limit your drinking to once or twice a week as well. Alcohol is empty calories and can completely ruin the effects of eating well. Alcohol also amplifies the effects of junk food. When you have alcohol in your system, instead of metabolizing food and burning off the calories, it’s more focused on burning off the alcohol. Because of this change of focus, more of the large pizza you just ate will be absorbed by your body.
Final Thoughts
The Freshman 15 might sound daunting. But, if you exercise moderation and follow the tips listed above, the Freshman 15 will be reduced to an afterthought. The most important part of watching caloric intake is staying healthy. This can mean different things for different people, so make sure to listen to your own body. Whatever your goals are, with a little tweaking, these tips are sure to bring results. I have even lost almost 20 pounds since school started while maintaining most of my strength from these tips; I know they can work wonders for anyone else willing to give them a try as well!