15 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15

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The idea of possibly gaining the “Freshman 15” lingers in the back of my mind whenever I enter the dining commons or grab meals off campus. I then think to myself, “How much can and should I eat?”

But, the answer doesn’t solely reside in the number of calories I intake in a sitting. It relies on what you do what, when, and how you eat as well as what you do before and after you eat. (The following points were taken in accordance with Great Value College and Washington Post.)

1. Eat breakfast. – Though it is extremely hard for some to wake up early for breakfast, doing so helps you avoid binge eating during your next meal.

2. No late-night snacks. – Late-night snacking prompts the consumption of unhealthier and calorie-packed snacks, the decrease in the number of calories burned, and the increase in risks of diabetes and chronic diseases.

3. Take in lesser carbs. – Replace carbs with protein and fruits. Your body can burn those more easily.

4. Stay hydrated. – Drinking water increases your body’s metabolic rate. Since fruits and vegetables also contain water, your meals should consist of them to an appropriate amount.

5. Exercise at least for 30 minutes a day. – Doing so lowers the chances of heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes (WebMD). A study with people who exercised for 30 minutes and 60 minutes a day showed that those who did the former burned and lost more weight. This is probably due to more energy remaining after the workout to stay active and eating less to compensate for burned calories.

6. Do aerobic exercises after meals. – Walking, hiking, swimming and other aerobic exercises bumps oxygen, which ends up burning calories. Other important benefits of aerobic exercises are that they lessen the risk of cancers, diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, and heart disease!

7. Eat healthy snacks. – Most people still have trouble refusing junk food and sweets. Take out all the unhealthy snacks from your drawer and replace them with fruits, vegetable slices, or nuts.

8. Eat your meals slowly. – Take about 20 to 30 minutes to eat. This prevents you from over-eating and eating more later in the day.

9. Focus on eating when you are eating. – Multi-tasking while eating is an easy way to eat more and eat unhealthier than you should. Know what you are eating!

10. Use self-control in the dining halls. – Having the ability to eat however much and whenever you want can be awesome, but choose what you will eat wisely and choose to not eat more than you should.

11. Take the number of calories into consideration. – Keep in mind the calories your meal has with the help of online nutritional information provided by your university or ask the staff! Better to be informed than ignorant about what your body is taking in.

12. Don’t drink calories. – Soda and juices can be tempting, but try to drink water or tea if you want an energy-boosting drink.

13. Manage sleep wisely. – A lack of sleep causes an “imbalance between hormones ghrelin and leptin” which results in more consumption of food as stated by Dr. Michael Breus, author of Beauty Sleep.

14. Don’t follow fad diets. – These diets can help you lose weight quickly, but you can gain the weight you lost quickly or gain even more once you stop the fad diet! Look up healthy and reasonable diets online.

15. Create a regular eating schedule. — Eating three meals a day leaves you feeling more satisfied, resulting in intaking less calories during the day from calorie-impacted snacks (LiveStrong).