It’s about time for midterms so if you’re in your first year, by now you might be noticing some changes. New classes, new friends, new school, new… pant size? If you’re having to dance a little more to get into your skinny jeans, you’re not alone. You may be experiencing a very common problem: the Freshman 15.
There are many reasons why this is such a common occurrence but one of the biggest reasons is the dining hall. You suddenly have unrestricted access to buffets full of food. At home, your parents and tight schedule might have kept you a bit more reigned in as far as your eating habits were concerned. But now, there’s no one there to swap out your cupcake for an apple. That’s up to you now.
To overcome this problem, try to remember what your eating habits were at home and revert back to those. Also, try keeping a log of everything you eat each day. At the end of the day you can look back through your food log and realize how much your eating habits have changed and adjust accordingly.
Another reason many new students experience the freshman 15 is stress. With all the new things introduced into your life so suddenly, many students begin to eat for comfort. More difficult course work also results in less time to prepare healthy home-cooked meals and often lead to ordering take-out food instead. This is especially true when you live in a dorm with no access to a kitchen. This one is a bit trickier to overcome, but in time you will adjust to your new surroundings and things will get much easier.
Another way to combat the freshman 15 is to take full advantage of your college’s rec center. Basically every college in America has some sort of rec center and the cost to use them is usually included in your bill so you might as well get your money’s worth! Combine regular gym time with healthy eating habits and you’ll see that freshman 15 disappear in no time!
How do you combat the freshman 15?