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The Freshman 15
The Freshman 15 Going into their first year of college, most students are familiar with the infamous freshman 15. Most students are much like me in that I thought I was immune to gaining weight. I had been skinny all my life and could eat all the fatty foods I wanted. But, after my freshman year I had gained a startling 50 lbs. I went from weighing 144 lbs my senior year of high school to weighing 198 lbs by the end of my freshman year of college. Although my experience is not typical, many first year college students do tend to gain 15 to 20 lbs.
So, what are the reasons for the weight gain many students experience their freshman year? First of all, eating and sleeping habits change dramatically. A typical college student is awake until at least 2 a.m. and often is not awake in time for breakfast. Breakfast helps to speed ones metabolism, so when an individual skips this important meal they often experience a change in weight. Cafeterias at many colleges and universities also offer an array of unhealthy foods. The all-you-can-eat type cafeterias supply an endless amount of food for each student and many students take advantage of this.
For many students though, drinking is the main reason for weight gain. A typical 12 oz can of beer holds over 100 calories. With binge drinking being so common among the typical American college campus, many students consume anywhere from 500-1500 calories per night out. Also many individuals become hungry when intoxicated and consume unhealthy foods. Students are also more likely to be inactive the day after drinking alcohol because they feel ill. This lounging around and laziness caused from being hung over often takes away from calories which would have been burned had the individual not been feeling ill.
So how can first year students avoid gaining the dreaded freshman 15? First of all, they can try to eat a little something for breakfast. Some fruit or cereal would be sufficient. Secondly, although many college cafeterias offer a wide variety of unhealthy foods, they also contain a lot of healthy foods as well. Take advantage of the salad bars and pasta buffets. Trust me you will not regret it.
I am not going to make an effort to stop future students from drinking alcohol because to be honest, I do not think the threat of gaining weight will stop anyone from drinking their freshman year. But, there are a few things to remember which could help avoid alcohol related weight gain. First of all, try to drink light beer. Light beer contains fewer calories then other heavy beers. Also, when drinking mixed drinks make an attempt to buy low calories mixers. Make an effort to stay active even when you are hung over. It may be difficult at first, but being active actually helps to subside a hangover on top of burning calories.
So, in the end, many students do not realize how easy it is to gain wait, or how difficult it is to loose it once it’s gained. There are many little things which can be done to avoid this unwanted weight gain though. I hope this information is helpful to future students or anyone else experiencing sudden weight gain after high school.
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This intel was contributed by Corey V
Corey V
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May, 2012
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