Tips to avoid "Freshman 15"
July 22, 2009
College freshmen everywhere dread the so-called “Freshman 15” and students at Mercyhurst College know all too well how annoying those pesky extra pounds can be.
With three sets of finals to stress out about and not a lot of food options on the Mercyhurst campus, it is easy to see why students gain weight.
Without the stocked kitchen at home, freshmen are forced to choose their own diet, and it is common knowledge these days that lack of sleep and proper exercise will lead to weight gain. Of course it is easier to prevent the weight gain then to shed the pounds, and if incoming freshmen take the advice of upperclassman, it will be easier than it seems.
“If you are smart about it, you don’t have to gain any weight, just make the right decisions” said senior Krystal Johnson.
Here is a list of tips from those who survived freshman year and still fit into their skinny jeans:
· Find a work out buddy. Friends offer motivation and company during light or grueling workouts.
· Carry a water bottle and keep packets of Crystal Light in your dorm room. By always having a refreshing, low-calorie drink in your bag, you will be less tempted by the pop machines.
· For coffee drinkers: order skim milk and sugarless syrups in your latte from the bookstore or Café Diem, or try tea. It offers the same pick-me-up with none of the calories—cheaper too.
· Walk past Arby’s. Theresa’s, Quizno’s, and Subway are just a short walk down E. 38th Street and offer healthier, yet just as tasty, selections.
· Participate in intramural sports. They have all the fun of athletics with none of the stress.
· When drinking, go easy on the beer. Even light beer is high in carbohydrates.
· Keep low-calorie snacks in your room for late night study breaks. It will save you a trip to the Laker and prevent you from ordering greasy cheese sticks.
· Just grab one dessert from the Egan Hall dessert bar. It’s pretty much the same selection daily and there is plenty of time to try them all.
Although someday there may be a 100 calorie hamburger, these days they register between 400 and 1,000. A salad is usually between 200 and 400.
By making the healthy choice, a lot of stress about weight and time at the gym losing the extra pounds can be avoided.
And if you don’t initially head the advice and begin to feel a little jiggle in your walk, don’t get stressed out.
All the things you can do to prevent the “Freshman 15” are the same things you can do to lose them.
