Avoiding the Freshman 15 this Fall Semester

Starting college is certainly exciting. During this time period, students get to take classes in courses that interest them, build friendships and explore a new area. For some students, however, the dreaded freshman 15 is frightening. Fortunately, gaining this extra weight is certainly not something that has to happen.

Bring Healthy Snacks

While they are likely to eat out in the cafeteria and at restaurants often, students are also going to procure some of their nourishment in their dorm rooms with the snacks that they bring. It’s okay to have a treat sometimes, but they should make sure to load their rooms up with healthy snacks. When unhealthy food isn’t available, students can’t eat it.

Head to the Salad Bar

Students often gain a great deal of weight because they aren’t used to having endless options for breakfast and dinner every night. Many college cafeterias allow students to eat as much as they want for both of these meals with only one swipe of the card. Heading for the salad bar can help to reduce the amount of food that is consumed. Some students might think of the salad as only an appetizer; however, if they load their plate up with vegetables and the like, they might be too full to have much more afterward.

Stay Active

It’s true that college campuses can tempt students into eating too much food, but these spaces also tend to provide ample opportunities to get healthy. For example, colleges usually have gyms on campus and they may offer classes, club sports, or other activities that help students stay in shape. It’s a good idea to consider pursuing these healthy activities with friends. Sometimes, college students feel pressured into consuming too many calories because that’s what all of their friends are doing. Instead of allowing these unhealthy activities to reign supreme, they can look into activities that are good for their health and that they can do together, thereby promoting physical fitness and social bonds.

The freshman 15 likely sounds scary to many young adults who are entering college for the first time. They may seriously worry about how they look and how they feel. Fortunately, they are not fated to gain this weight. They can take steps to ensure that their first year is healthy.

Originally published at garyvanzinderen.com on July 5, 2018.