What The Tour Guide Didn't Tell You About.....The Freshman 15

Ahh, the return of the college advice series. With all of the tour groups on campus the last few days (and taking up room in the Caf) I was reminded of the dread that most people experience when being off on their own their first year of college. After thinking back (and watching this video) here are my top 6 "dilemmmas" that occur surrounding the freshman 15- and how to fix them.  

The High School Sports Dilemma Bad news for anyone not on a sport team anymore- you are going to have to work out in college, it's an inevitable fact of life. One of the easiest ways is to set a time aside everyday to get this done (like your own personal practice) and it will be much easier to keep up. 

The Snacking Dilemma Out of all the things that It is way too easy to eat an entire box of Cheez Its and call it a night instead of walking to get dinner. As much as people talk about having snacks around in case you get hungry in the middle of the night, the temptation is too real. Honestly, the best way to avoid the dreaded midnight binge (see below) is to keep small amounts of healthy food in your room and avoid jars of Nutella and packs of Oreos at all costs. 

Some great healthy snack ideas

The "Drunchies" Dilemma Oh college- so young, so fresh. In college people are going to drink. While drinking alone can be a huge contributor to weight gain in college, eating afterward can be even worse. Like snacking, sometimes this can be unavoidable, but by keeping tons of snacks in your room you will be thankful in the morning.  

The "First Year" Dilemma Though it may be called the freshman 15, that definitely does not mean it's limited to your first year of college. Unfortunately weight gain in college can occur at any time- finals, study abroad, over the summer and likely will occur, even if it's a few pounds. The key is to be aware of understanding that healthy eating is about the daily choices that you make. 

The "70/30" Dilemma Something that my mom always told me and I never believed was that most of your health is 70% off diet while only 30% is exercise. I always grew up thinking I could eat whatever I want whenever I wanted, but in all reality it's all about what you put into your body...kind of wish someone had told me this last year.

The Schedule Dilemma Without parents and a set schedule everyday, it can be really easy to overeat or eat too late in the day, which prevents your body from being able to properly break down food before storing it as fat. Keeping a set schedule will reduce overeating and constantly snacking throughout the day. 

Happy Monday!
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