Even before that deliciously greasy pizza from Riggtown, there were the fresh, hot fries from Chick-fil-A in Sykes. There was that blueberry muffin with a latte from Starbucks before an 8 a.m. class in Main Hall. There was the free-for-all in Lawrence because they were serving both chocolate chip cookies and tacos on the same night. Is it any wonder why those favorite jeans don’t fit? With so many unhealthy choices of food on campus, is there really anything one can do to avoid gaining the freshman 15?
Cafeterias and campus eateries can be a student’s worst nightmare, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tips to help freshman and upperclassmen alike avoid an extra 15 pounds this year.
First, get your fruits and vegtables. Have a banana with oatmeal or toast in the morning. Have some carrots instead of chips with lunch. Start with a salad before dinner and, if when making it, add all the vegetables available.One trick is to make a homemade fruit smoothie with a handful or two of spinach – the vegetable taste is camouflaged, but the health benefits are not.
Secondly, know oneself. The kind of person who is likely to skip a workout after a long day, should wake up a little earlier for a walk, run, or some yoga. If one tends to get the late-night munchies, swap the afternoon cheese steak for some Greek yogurt and berries or vegetable soup. Can’t resist those high-calorie Starbucks drinks? Brew coffee at home and as a suggestion don’t bring a wallet
To avoid gaining the freshman 15, know deprivation never lasts. When it comes down to it, these four years of college are stressful enough without becoming obsessive over food and exercise. There’s a huge difference between having two slices of pizza for lunch every day and grabbing a slice with friends on the weekends. Life and school are all about balance.
Eat right most of the time and spluring every once in a while can help students avoid the freshman 15.
Diane Worthington is a fourth-year majoring in nutrition. She can be reached at DW37489@wcupa.edu