BUT. Later on I gained weight, especially as my work load got heavier and my life got busier.
So, I thought..."Why not help people (especially my friends and readers who are in college) learn how to prevent that inevitable weight gain??"
There are multiple reasons you gain weight in college. It's a new environment, stress, you have a more flexible schedule and more down time to eat extra snacks, you stay up WAY later than normal and obviously are hungry far past supper, the caf food might not be the greatest thing nutrition wise for ya, being social means eating, etc....I'm here with some great tips that I came up with to help you stay healthy, still have fun, and remain sane while in college!
1. DRINK WATER. Invest in a water bottle and take it with you everywhere. Yes, you will pee more. But it keeps you fuller longer. And if you can, replace your sodas with water. Try to keep those sugary and calorie filled drinks out of your system. (You will need coffee ;) )
2. 6 SMALL MEALS - I wish I would've known this in college. Instead of gorging myself on those three meals of endless buffets in the cafeteria, I would snack (healthy!) and small throughout the day and keep my metabolism working! Almonds, fruit, veggies - these things are affordable for college students and easy to store in back packs! Limit yourself to one plate at breakfast, lunch, and supper, knowing you have snacks in between. This will help with the dreaded buffet...
3. PLAN - College can be overwhelming, but amazing. It's like high school with a work load times 10. If you keep organized, plan well, and get your work done in a timely manner, you'll be less likely to stress and less likely to stress eat. However, we all have those late night papers that we wait on and procrastinate on! But do your best!
4. LATE NIGHT SNACKING - this was probably my biggest problem! I would eat dinner around 5:30, but stay up until midnight! 6 hours later and I'm obviously hungry! DUH! you are going to be and you are allowed to be...HOWEVER, instead of picking up popcorn or chocolate and a soda, I should've been grabbing an apple or an orange. Keep your snacks healthy and I promise you will remain the same!
5. WORKING OUT/EXERCISE - this was hard for me. SUPER HARD. Freshman year, I worked out every day! Sophomore year, I worked out some, Junior/Senior year - kinda, but not really until I got engaged and it kinda fizzled out anyways. But I can't stress enough how important 25 minutes of even just walking around the track changed my mood. I'd jump on an elliptical for 25 minutes, do some reading for class, or even watch Netflix like I would've done in my room anyways. Take advantage of that free membership! My grades were up when I'd exercise more because I was able to think clearer and get rid of that stress! It's so important and so healthy for you! You are going to veg out when you come back from class anyway, just do some mindless exercise to keep your body working great. 6. SOCIAL TIMES - often, social times are accompanied with food...of the greasy variety. Pizza, McDonalds, wings, etc. The list goes on..and college towns literally make their living from college students gaining weight and going all out on food! THIS IS WHAT I RECOMMEND!! Sometimes, you won't be able to avoid the social times with food, but other times, you can help yourself! 1. Eat before you go so you aren't hungry 2. Plan social events that don't require food...nail painting party, arts and crafts, mattress wrestling, anything you want to do! - make that the time to be social :)
College takes such a toll on you on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, social. This is such a pivotal time in your life and it's so important to remain healthy and still care about your body! I'm still dealing with all of these today as I encountered my first year of teaching and my first year of marriage in one! Same things...stress, different routine, social time, late night snacking and movies...it's tough stuff! Follow these tips and I'm sure you'll do great! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment