Keep Weight Off In College
Every college student has dreaded the freshmen fifteen, but if you are no longer a freshman and you think you’re off the hook, you may be mistaken.
Every college student has dreaded the freshmen fifteen, but if you are no longer a freshman and you think you’re off the hook, you may be mistaken.
Many upperclassmen will agree that gaining extra weight is not only limited to the new kids. Snacking whenever you get bored and relying on campus dining for every meal is an easy trend to fall into when living in the dorms, and it’s a recipe to help pack on the pounds. But once you move off campus, you have your own kitchen and a lot more freedom to eat what you want when you want it. This independence makes it hard not to order out constantly or eat macaroni and cheese and pizza every night.
Being able to take over your own diet can be a complicated task alone, but trying to regulate your weight along with it can make it feel like an impossible mission.
However, there are ways to stay healthy without going on a strict diet or starving yourself. Here are three easy tricks that anyone can follow to drop some weight and feel better about the food you put in your mouth.
1) Work Out. The single most important thing you can do to stay fit is to exercise. If you aren’t one to jump on a treadmill and run miles at a time there are other alternatives. The Student Recreation Center offers different aerobics classes everyday to keep you excited about working out. If you have a hard time getting yourself to the gym, recruit a roommate or friend and go down to the park to play a game, climb on the climbing wall or just go for a walk. Make sure you are moving.
2) Cut Sugar. It sounds hard because we all love sugar, but it really is somewhat simple. You do not need to stop eating sugar all together, but you should cut out most of it. The easiest way to cut sugar is to watch what you are drinking. Cut out soda and Gatorade! According to www.thedailyplate.com, a can of Coke has 39g (about 3 tablespoons) of sugar, and a 12 ounce bottle of Gatorade has 22g (about 2 tablespoons) of sugar.
Sugar will energize you for a short period of time, but in the long run it actually slows you down and makes you feel groggy and tired. Try not to over-do it on candy or chocolate either, it is ok to eat it in small doses but less is more. According to Dr. Reynolds, a nutritionist in New Jersey, the more sugar you eat, the more cravings for sweets you will have, “It’s a vicious circle that you have to break, but once it’s broken it is easy to control.”
3) Drink plenty of water. There is a reason why we are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day. Encarta Online claims that the body is 65% water. Two very important responsibilities of water in the human body include transporting oxygen through your blood to cells and removing waste from the body. Drinking a lot of water will help minimize headaches, give your more energy and even make your skin clear. With more energy you will burn more calories and feel great.
So if you are one of those people who has tried a bunch of diets without success, has gained a couple of pounds, or just wants to feel better during the day, try these steps. They are quick and easy and you may notice that within a couple of days you will feel like a new person.
I think they need to come up with a term for the weight you gain after you graduate college and get to eat Mom’s good cookin’ every night. ‘Graduate 25’?
i lost about 10 pounds my freshmen year, but now i’m gaining it back slowly