How to Maintain Weight in College and Avoid the “Freshman 15”
How to Maintain Weight in College and Avoid the “Freshman 15”
Going to college induces a major change in lifestyle for the average 18 year old, and this adjustment does not come easy. Due to many obstacles, many students find it hard to stick to their normal routine and this can result in weight gain. Here are some tips on how to avoid the “freshman 15” and maintain a healthy weight in college.
The first tip is to watch the amount of liquid calories you intake everyday. This can include alcohol and sugary beverages. Most people don’t realize how much sugar is actually in these beverages and they can easily consume a ton of sugar without realizing it. If you’re consuming more sugar than your body needs, then the excess is going to be stored as body fat.
Getting enough physical activity is also important, not just for maintaining weight, but for your mental health as well! A great goal is to aim for 150 minutes of physical activity a week. This can include walking on campus, cleaning your dorm, or going to the gym.
Stress can increase appetite by releasing hunger hormones. As a college student myself, I can say that stress arises frequently during the semester. Although it might seem difficult to manage your time with your classes and extracurriculars, it is so important to take some time to relax.
Getting enough sleep is essential for maintaining weight in college. Not enough sleep can affect hormones and the processing of blood glucose which controls appetite. It’s easy to let difficult classes invade the amount of time you sleep, but it is critical that you try to aim for more than 7 hours of sleep every night.
The last tip is to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. Protein is essential for repairing and building your muscles. It can also help keep you full longer, so you aren’t constantly hungry. Some other benefits of protein is its ability to boost your metabolism.
Although going to college is a completely new environment that takes a lot of time to adjust to, it is essential that you still focus on yourself and keep yourself healthy. Keeping yourself healthy and maintaining a healthy weight is also a great way of reducing your chances of developing pre-diabetes.
Written by Guest pre-med student at Virginia Tech “Meera Bhakta”
