How to Survive the Freshman Fifteen

Everyone has heard of the “freshman fifteen.” When I was younger, people would tell stories about how especially during their first semester of college, they gained between 10-20 pounds. They made it out to be a horrible thing and that there was no way to avoid gaining that weight. But if you follow theses steps, it will ensure that you do not gain the freshman fifteen.

Step One: Eat Right
We all know that you need a balanced meal to maintain healthy. Be sure to eat a a good amount of grains. Grains include food like bread, cereal, crackers, rice, and pasta. Grains provide you with your carbohydrates. To make this healthier, look for whole grain products. Next, be sure to have dairy products, which give you your calcium. This will include things like milk, cheese, and yogurt. To be healthy, make sure it is low-fat or fat-free. The next thing you should eat are vegetables. Make sure that you eat different types of vegetables, like dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, dry beans and peas, and then any other kind of vegetable. Then you should eat fruits. You should eat a variety of fruit and you can choose from fresh, frozen, canned, or dried; although fresh would be the healthiest. You should avoid fruit juice that isn’t 100% juice. Vegetables and fruit provide your body with nutrients like dietary fiber, potassium, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Next, eat meats and beans. These provide you with protein, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6), vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. You should always choose low-fat or lean meats and poultry. If at all possible, bake, broil, or grill the meat and try to avoid deep-frying it. Try to vary your choices—with more fish, beans, nuts, peas, and seeds. The group you should have the least of is oils, or fats. Be sure to know your fats, and which types are bad for you. Polyunsaturated fats (which are the good type) contain some fatty acids that are necessary for health called the “essential fatty acids.” Make most of your fat sources from fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Limit the solid fats like butter, stick margarine, shortening, and lard. Along with eating the right types of food, be sure not to eat too late at night. It is said that after you eat, you should wait three hours before falling asleep. This lets your stomach completely digest your food.

Step Two: Exercise
You should make it a regular habit to go to the gym at least two to three times a week. The gym offers a wide variety of things for you to choose from. There is a climbing wall, racquetball courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, badminton courts, a squash court, 1/8 mile track, indoor pool, outdoor pool, free weights, weight machines, elllipticals, treadmills, immobile bikes, steppers. Along with all of that, there are also 3 studio rooms, where faculty teach classes like cardio, mind-body, strength, and dance. These classes include things like kickboxing, yoga, BOSU step, water aerobics, Abs and back, and hip-hop. I have only been able to go to one class so far, but when I went I liked it. One of my friends went to the hip-hop class even though she can’t dance, she said she had a lot of fun. Even if you have a test to study for, you can still go to the gym. I have been working out before and then look to the side and see a girl on the elliptical reading over their notes for the class.

Step Three: Watch your drinking
It is a good idea not to drink alcohol because it is mainly just “empty calories.” This means that it has no nutritional value. Yes, drinking with your friends can be a lot of fun, if you are serious about making sure you don’t gain the freshman fifteen, you should think about cutting out or at least reducing your intake of alcohol. If you want, you can make days where you aren’t going to drink or are going to just drink a little bit. Just think about the facts; a regular beer has about 148 calories in a pint while a light beer has 99. Dry wine has about 106 calories and sweeter wine has about 226 calories. Double shot 80 proof has 97 calories and double shot 100 proof has 124 calories. As far as mixed drinks go, a bloody mary has 115 calories, gin and tonic has 171, pina colada has 262, and a whiskey sour has 122.

As long as you watch watch you eat and try not to eat too many greasy, fried foods, eat anything late at night, go to the gym on a regular basis, and watch what and how much of it your drinking, you should have no problems not gaining the freshman fifteen.