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Freshman Fifteen, Twenty, or Thirty

Four hour finals, crazy roommates, and the freshmen fifteen all make incoming freshmen tremble in fear. And they should. But not all freshmen gain the dreaded fifteen pounds. Some gain twenty or thirty pounds; some gain no weight at all. I am one of the few who battled the freshmen fifteen and won. No, I didn’t starve myself and no, I didn’t live off of carrots. I simply made smart choices.

First I should confess that I love cookies and eat them often. Knowing that I frequently indulge by eating multiple desserts daily, I decided I would have to do something to keep off the dreaded fifteen pounds, or else forfeit my cookies and size one jeans. I began by working out the summer before college started. Once in college, I frequented the gym several days a week. To keep off the weight, I did not have to stay in the gym for hours on end. A simple half hour, but effective, workout kept me in great shape so I could eat my desserts and still fit in my clothes. By working out with friends, I did not dread going to the gym. We would switch up our workout routines for the dual purpose of thwarting boredom and preventing our muscles from becoming used to the same exercise and thus not toning as well. I did both cardio and weights at the gym.

In addition to going to the gym, I biked. Though at the time I did not see the blessing in my parents decision to deprive me of a car my freshmen year of college, I now realize that their choice to give me a bike instead of keys helped me keep off the freshmen fifteen. I biked everywhere: to class, the market, the gym (I always found it ironic that people would drive to the gym if they could walk or bike). My laziness also contributed to my biking everywhere. Why would I power walk and leave my dorm twenty minutes before class just to arrive hot and sweaty when I could bike and get there in half the time and hardly break a sweat? Most universities have bike paths through campus, but not as many people take advantage of them as I’d have thought, especially considering the fitness benefit of biking.

Not wanting to rely completely on biking and working out to keep off the weight (after all, I have seen people gain weight who work out), I made wise choices when eating dorm food. I know eating healthy dorm food sounds like an oxymoron, but most colleges offer relatively healthy meals if students take the time to look for it rather than just grabbing the nearest slice of pizza. For example, at breakfast I would eat eggs or cereal and fruit and choose to skip the doughnuts, pancakes and French toast. Though I did occasionally indulge, I did not make waffles a daily habit. Simple choices like drinking water or juice over soda also helped. At dinner, the dorms served salads, rice dishes and chicken almost every night, providing me with healthy options; these foods were not the main dish the dining halls advocated, but I took the time to look for them and avoided deep-fried and fatty dishes.

Simply eating smart and doing some physical activities can thwart the freshmen fifteen. I am a living testament that entering college does not guarantee an increased dress size. When fall rolls around, bike places, work out and be aware when eating…. And indulge wisely, so so you associate muffin tops with something to eat rather than the shape your abdomen and thighs assume when you wear pants.

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Check out our Health & Fitness section for more tips to help you get through college.