Freshman 15? It’s Not Inevitable If You Make Some Simple Choices!

If you watched the video above, you heard Jeffrey’s explanation of the ins and outs of the dreaded Freshman 15 and ways to prevent it from creeping up. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is thinking that the weight gain is inevitable--it’s not! In fact, college life might just offer you more chances than you’ve ever had to lose weight and to be active and healthy!

If you think about your time spent throughout high school, you’re actually quite restricted for most of your day. You have to be to school early in the morning, you have lunch at a set time every day, and dinner might also have been at a set time in your household. With college, all of this scheduling vanishes! It makes for some refreshing freedom. 

Since you’re not locked into set times for meals and other daily practices, you can take your meals when you like. While this freedom might incline you toward late-night snacking, you can also actually eat when you’re hungry. Let’s face it, sometimes you sat down for dinner at home and you finished that plate just to make mom happy. In college, you don’t have to have a big meal if you’re not hungry. While it’s true that there will be plenty of unhealthy foods offered in your school cafeteria, you’ll always have options during dorm life, another great freedom. If there was a plate of hamburgers and fries on your table at home, you didn’t have many other options for dinner. In college, you do.

Since your day also won’t be as tied up to a regular schedule as it was during high school, you’ll also have a chance to squeeze in more exercise! It’s true that classes can make you tired and finding motivation to hit the gym can be tough, but a big part of not exercising comes down to time. While college life will keep you busy, since your schedule is more relaxed and opened, you’ll be surprised just how efficient you can make your day. Plus, all that walking to class can be a welcomed, healthy change.

Although college life does offer plenty of outlets and opportunities for less healthy choices and lifestyles, it all comes down to making choices. During your high school career, those less-healthy choices were present too! Unless you grew and raised all your own food back home, chances are that there were more than a few unhealthy meals in your diet. So instead of dreading the Freshman 15 and thinking it will affect you regardless, you might hopefully find yourself healthier during college! With some effort and good decisions, you can and will do just that.