You can Avoid it!

There are those two words that ever freshman in college dread to hear…

I bet you could guess, it the terrifying “Freshman Fifteen”.

Gaining weight is very common especially your first year of college. Most freshmen have the 7 day unlimited meal plan, and abuse it, getting burgers, fries, and all those other greasy foods.
Coming from high school, most students were involved with a sport or club, and were forced and required to stay active. Having so much extra time and freedom, freshmen either just sit around or eat out of boredom, because they have no one telling them what to do; no one to motivate them.
Since we are on a college campus, of course there is going to be parties, and believe it or not, there will be alcohol, I know shocking. Alcohol believe it or not is full of calories and if you’re drinking every weekend, those calories will build up and you will start packing on the pounds. Now, I’m not trying to tell you how to spend your weekends, but just realize all play and no work, you will gain weight.
In order to be successful you need to be mentally strong. Avoid the pizza. Avoid the burgers. And especially avoid the fries! If you don’t think you can do this alone, get a friend to do it with you! Having support from someone else makes everything easier.
When it comes to the gym, start off slow. If you don’t know how to work out, ask someone. Employees at the Rec Center are very friendly and would be more than happier to help or assist you while working out. If you’re afraid to work out alone, take a class there! The Rec Center has multiple classes every day and various times to fit into all students’ schedules. They even have a brochure with the times of every class so you can’t forget! If you’re not a fan of working out, just stay active by getting involved on campus.
Now how do you go about this? Start a plan!
Decide what days you can go to the gym and what you are going to do on those days when you go. Try to make every meal healthy and well balanced. But, also remember to treat yourself, look forward to something in the week. For example, back at home my mom would buy ice cream every time she went grocery shopping, and every time I would eat it all in about a week. Now, since I’m on my own I only eat ice cream once a week, crazy right? But, now every week I have something to look forward too.
Avoiding the freshman fifteen is very do-able. Try to eat healthy, work out or just stay active somehow. Stay mentally strong, and if you can’t bring a friend with you. Having support from someone else is huge a part of staying on track. Well I hope my advice was somewhat helpful. Good Luck!