The Freshman 15

Is it really true that the average college student will gain about 15 pounds in their freshman year? Those just starting college are likely to gain weight, but the number 15 is a bit high. On average, students gain between 3 to 10 pound in their first two years, the bulk of which happens during their first semester at college.

For many students, this is the first time that they are solely responsible for their breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try adding that responsibility to a semester of classes, a job, and a social life. Food gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list and fast foods helps to keep it there. If you’re not thinking about how much and what you actually ate that day it’s easy to fall into a trend of sugary, fatty food consumption.

We don’t just eat in response to physical hunger. Anxiety, stress, homesickness, or depression can trigger a desire to surround ourselves with comfort foods.

If you’re gaining weight, don’t freak out. As the adolescent body grows metabolism will shift. This is normal and not something that should trigger a series of crash dieting. Take a look at your eating habits and try to cut back on that extra soda.

MyPyramid.gov offers some great nutrition guidelines and even offers a meal tracker to help assess your food intake and physical activity. Their latest feature is the Foodpedia which allows you to find nutrition information for hundreds for food items.

One of the newest features to the pyramid we all grew up with is the emphasis on exercise. Now termed “physical fitness,” getting your body moving is essential if you want to burn calories. You don’t have to make it difficult, just make some adjustments to your usual routine.

-Walk to campus
-Take the stairs whenever possible
-Go for a walk when taking a break after studying
-Play a sport with friends on the weekend instead of watching a movie
-Get off the bus or subway one stop early
-Park in a farther parking spot
-Join a sport
-Do some physical activity you enjoy
-When exercising, do it with a partner
- Walk a neighbor’s dog
-Take dancing lessons, or just go to dances frequently