You’ve heard of the Freshman 15—the trend where college freshmen gain 15 pounds in their first year of school.
The truth is, it’s not exactly the Freshman 15. It might be more, or may just be a couple of pounds. Or you might gain no weight at all.
But whatever the number is, it is true that it’s easy for college freshmen to adopt unhealthy habits—from not filling nutritional needs to developing full-blown eating disorders.
Here are 7 ways to keep your body healthy in college— and to enjoy the college life without gaining unhealthy weight.
1. Forget About The Freshman 15
You do need to focus on staying healthy—but just looking at the number on the scale isn’t the way to do it.
Trying to avoid the Freshman 15 can actually do more harm than good. It’s more important to focus on health and wellness in a holistic way, rather than focusing on weight as a number to be avoided or achieved.
Instead, look at health factors like whether you:
- Have enough energy
- Feel well
- Get enough sleep
- Don’t get sick frequently
2. Say No To The 2 a.m. Pizza Run
You need to keep up a regular eating schedule— but that doesn’t include late-night pizza-and-junk-food parties.
Late-night snacking is common in college, and it’s easy to order a pizza, or grab a chocolate bar and soda from a vending machine. These foods don’t just cause weight gain—they can also cause problems like insomnia or digestive disorders.
However, that doesn’t mean you can never eat late at night. A light snack can even improve sleep patterns.
Keep healthy options in your room for late-night snacking. That way, if you are awake late at night hanging out with friends or studying, you will have something nutritious available to eat rather than running to the vending machine.
Chances are, you’ll sleep better and feel better in the morning.
3. Eat Smart When Dining Out
When you just can’t handle campus food anymore and don’t feel like throwing something into the crock pot, going to a restaurant seems like a great option. However, dining out is known to be less healthy than cooking for yourself.
At restaurants, people tend to eat foods that are higher in fat, saturated fat, and calories. In fact, meals eaten outside of the home add an average of 134 calories per menu item, compared with the same snacks or meals prepared at home.
Healthy Is In When Dining Out
When you’re heading out to a restaurant, keep these healthy-eating tips in mind:
- If you know you’re going out for a meal, cut back on calories earlier in the day.
- Look at restaurant menus ahead of time and choose a place that has healthy options.
- Skip the fries—choose sides like fruit, a small salad, or a plain baked potato.
- Split a dish with a friend, or bring some home for the next day.
- Don’t assume all salads are healthy— some restaurant salads are over 1,400 calories.
Source: American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (November 2015)
4. Get Enough Sleep
About 70% of college students are sleep deprived, meaning they don’t get enough sleep to stay alert during the day. Lack of sleep can lead to problems with memory and academic performance— and it can also affect your body.
Your body needs to get enough rest to maintain normal metabolism—which is important for regulating your weight.
So skip the temptation to pull all-nighters, and try to get about 8 hours of sleep per night.
5. Stay Active
Exercise is critical for keeping your body in shape, losing weight, and boosting your metabolism. But between classes, homework, and campus events, it can be hard to find the time to hit the gym. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend hours exercising.
Some studies suggest that exercising just three days per week for 30 minutes at a time, would be enough to improve health and wellness in college. Try adding 30 minutes of exercise three to five days per week that incorporates cardio, flexibility, and resistance training."
6. Don’t Go Overboard
Gaining a pound or two isn’t the end of the world—and it’s certainly not a reason to harm your body.
Focusing on the ‘Freshman 15’ can be harmful for people who are prone to eating disorders, which are very common. Some studies suggest that 25% of college students have had one.
There are many types of eating disorders, but two common ones among people trying to lose weight include:
- Anorexia nervosa: starving yourself and losing an excessive amount of weight
- Bulimia nervosa: eating large amounts of food, and then trying to prevent weight gain with behaviors like self-induced vomiting or using laxatives
7. Recognize The Signs
Students shouldn’t fall into self-blame or shame if they’re developing an eating disorder. But they do need to get help.
If you notice the following patterns, contact a physician or counselor:
- Skipping meals
- Not eating in front of others
- Losing weight but still complaining about feeling overweight
- Exercising obsessively and compulsively
- Thinking that problems can be solved by losing weight
- Using laxatives or diet pills
Contact Penn’s Center for Weight and Eating Disorders