Avoiding the Freshman Fifteen : 4 Rules to Live By

18Aug11

Alright all you soon-to-be college students, let’s just be honest here. What is your biggest fear for your first few months/year at college? Is it getting lost around campus? Is it not understanding what’s required of you for your first assignment? Is it the potentially hazardous situation of living with a roommate whom you’ve never met before and having to somehow make it work? Nah, it can’t be any of those things because if you’re lost, you ask for directions; if you don’t know how to begin your first assignment, you ask your professor for help; if it’s living with a crazy roommate, you step up and be the man/woman that you are and deal with it in a very mature way – with a masking tape border that you very graciously place from one end of the room to the other to divide up your sides, and tell them that if they cross it, you’ll call the R.A.

No, I think that most students are worried about putting on the dreaded “Freshman Fifteen”.

Looks like this dog is in his first year at college...had one too many Milk-Bones.

Let’s face it: no one wants to put on weight, but when you’re living away from home for the first time, it can be easy to do. And it’s not just about putting on weight, but also about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After all, if you eat well and remain active, you will achieve higher results in your studies (I know, I know…I can hear you all right now saying, “Yeah, okay…thanks Mom“). I’m not trying to be all “preach-y Mom-like” here, but…oh, who am I kidding? Yes, I am. I just think it’s extremely important for you to remember that, without a healthy lifestyle, you won’t have as much energy and therefore, your grades will slip.

So, what can you do to avoid those horrible extra pounds that seem to somehow find their way to every single freshman body?? Good question.

1) Eat your vegetables: I know that this is pretty obvious, but I read an article today that honestly shocked me. It said that studies shown that “many post-secondary students aren’t eating one serving of fruuits or vegetables a day – a far cry from the recommendation of 5 servings per day in the U.S. and 7-8 in Canada”. Seriously?? That’s ridiculous. Eat a vegetable or two each day…it won’t kill you. And if it does, well, you can hold me accountable.

You see this? Eat some of it.

2) Exercise: Even if it’s only for 20 minutes a day, get your body moving. You’re going to be sitting in class for hours on end throughout the day, so utilise your time wisely: instead of taking the elevator to get to your prof’s office, take the stairs; instead of asking the only guy on campus with a car for a ride to your class, really push yourself and take the extra 15 minutes it’ll take to walk there. If you’re not the kind of guy/girl who likes to jog/ swim/box/play a random game of “Tag” with unsuspecting students on campus run, well then, take some time to find out what will actually motivate you to move your body and do it!

Just in case you weren't sure what walking was...feel free to have arms, though.

3) Go to sleep: 4am is not a bedtime. It’s a time when no one should be doing anything except sleeping (or possibly watching Die Hard for the 17th time. Then it’s okay.) If you stay up late, then you sleep late. Sleep late, and miss your classes. Miss your classes, and get behind in all of your work. Get behind in all of your work, your grades will make you cry. Grades make you cry, and you will be a poor performer in school. And, if that happens, then you probably won’t get a very good job as you may not even graduate. So, is all of that really worth the 4am Facebook chats and Twitter updates what Lil Wayne tweeted, what made you “lol”, or where to buy the best Jumbo Shrimp (or whatever you kids talk about these days…)?? Probably not. When you’re well-rested, you have more energy and don’t need “sugar highs” to get you through the day, thereby (yes, I said “thereby”) you avoid the vending machines.

Photo via: http://www.visualphotos.com

4) Alcohol isn’t water: We all know that we’re supposed to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, but I think some college students mistake beer for water somehow. I mean, yes, they are both liquids, but one has tons of empty calories in it and the other, well…the other is water. Enough said.

As exciting as your first few months/year at college may be, remember that in order to be a successful student, you must also be healthy; hate to break it to you, but the two kind of go hand-in-hand. I know it’s tempting to eat hamburgers and cheese fries (or, here in Canada, poutine) everyday, but if you do that, I can almost guarantee that you’ll be subjected to the Freshman 15.

It’s okay to indulge once in a while, but remember to eat a balanced diet, get yourself moving each day for at least 20 minutes, get proper rest, and go easy on the alcohol.If you do, you’ll be a stellar student. Also, I’ll even give you a shout out on the blog  and who wouldn‘t like that? 😉

 

 

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Filed under: College, Education   |  14 Comments
Tags: alcohol, College, Education, exercise, Freshman Fifteen, healthy, humor, school, University, weight