Fifteen Tips to Help Students Avoid the ?Freshman 15? | Liz Pearson

Are most college or university students healthy?? No.? Many students gain weight in their first year of college or university.? While the amount of weight gained is closer to five to ten pounds, rather than fifteen (as is often cited), once the weight is gained, it often sticks around for a lifetime.? Many students are inactive, eat poorly and don?t get enough of key nutrients (including fibre, iron, calcium and folate).? High blood pressure is not uncommon.? Why are students so unhealthy?? There are lots of reasons.? Some kids don?t learn to eat healthy before they leave home.? Eating healthy in the first year takes a back seat to what are considered bigger issues, like getting established socially and academically.? Foods that are high in calories, fat and sugar and low in nutrition are widely available on campus.? Students, with their crazy schedules, often eat unhealthy, processed foods and fast food on the run.? College or university often represents the first taste of freedom and students are eager to stretch the boundaries ? they want to eat and drink whatever they want, including food and alcohol they may have not been allowed to have at home.

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Here?s my advice for students:

1. When you first move away from home, it?s tempting to eat whatever you want, whenever you want.? Don?t.? Make choices you can feel good about.? Growing up means learning to take care of you.
2. Don?t skip meals, especially breakfast.? It can lower your metabolism and lead to overeating later in the day.? Even a small breakfast ? a bowl of cereal or yogurt with a piece of fruit ? is better than no breakfast at all.
3. Stock your room and surround yourself with healthy, on-the-go snacks like bananas, apples, baby carrots, yogurt, high fibre granola bars, peanut butter, hummus, whole grain crackers and cereal.? Too much snacking on the wrong types of foods, especially late night snacking, is a significant predictor of weight gain for students.? Don?t let all-night study sessions become all-night eating sessions either.
4. Keep fruits and vegetables on your radar.? Research has found the vast majority of students stop eating fruits and vegetables once they leave home.? Make an effort include them at every meal and make them your number one choice for snacks.? They?re good for your health and your waistline!
5. Don?t become a white bread junkie just because you move away from home.? College and university students have a low intake of ?whole? grains.? This lack of whole grains is linked to a higher risk of being overweight or obese.? Whole grains deserve a place in everyone?s diets.
6. Drink healthy.? Drink lots of water and other sugar-free, no calorie beverages.? Herbal tea is great for all-night study sessions.? Don?t forget low-fat milk ? your bones are still growing.? Limit 100% fruit juice to one cup daily ? eat most of your fruits and vegetables whole.? Avoid regular soft drinks ? drinking just one can (355 mL/12 oz) daily can add 15 pounds to your waistline in one year.
7. Starbuck lovers beware.? Specialty coffees from your local coffee house can come with as much as 500 calories per serving ? that?s a meal, not a drink!? It?s like eating two and a half chocolate bars at one sitting.? Most of the food items at these places ? the cookies, muffins and other treats ? are not much better.? Enjoy tea or a plain latte.? Dress your latte up with cinnamon, nutmeg and a sugar-free vanilla or hazelnut syrup if you wish.
8. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation!? Many college or university waistlines grow bigger due to alcohol.? Not only does the alcoholic drink itself carry a price tag in terms of calories, your resistance to everything goes down when you drink, including your resistance to high calorie, fatty foods.
9. Fast food can make you fat, as can dining out in general.? Limit your intake and choose wisely when you do.? Go on-line before you dine and determine which foods are the worst offenders and what are your best bets.? Pizza is an especially dangerous and popular student food.? It?s also loaded with sodium, artery-clogging saturated fat and calories.? Don?t make it part of your daily food intake and limit yourself to one or two slices when you do.
10. ?Avoid emotional eating.? Don?t use ice cream, cookies or potato chips to deal with the stress of school.? Keep these foods out of your dorm room.? Make smart choices when you?re feeling sad, homesick or over-worked.? Reading, walking or talking with friends are healthy ways to relieve stress.? Do your best to stay organized and don?t procrastinate.
11. Beware of campus dining hall meals.? Many of them encourage an all-you-can-eat mentality.? It?s tempting to overload plates when there are no restrictions on portions and an unlimited bounty of food.? Load up half of your plate with salad or veggies.? Fill a quarter of your plate with whole grains like brown rice or a slice of whole grain bread.? When it comes to meat, chicken or fish limit your serving size to a deck-of-cards.? Have fruit for dessert most of the time and when you do have a sweet treat, make it small. ?Some universities have ?tray-less? dining.? It makes sense.? Without a tray, you take less food, because you can?t carry as much.? You can always go back for more if you?re still hungry.? Chances are ? you won?t need to.
12. ?Many students who are physically active in high school become couch potatoes when they start college or university.? Don?t let that happen to you.? Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes daily and ideally more.? Join the school gym, sign up for a fitness class, play intramural sports, and walk and take the stairs around campus at every opportunity.? When studying, be sure to take occasional 10-minute breaks for activity.? Be active with your friends ? it?s a great way to socialize that doesn?t involve food.
13. Get some sleep.? Lots of evidence suggests that lack of sleep contributes to weight gain.? Sleep deprivation appears to affect hormones in a way that increases your appetite.? Establish a regular sleep routine as best you can.
14. ?Don?t be obsessed with your weight, but do set a goal weight and try to stick with it.? Consider weighing yourself once a week.? If you notice the numbers on the scale trending upward do something about it right away.? Preventing future weight gain is always easier than losing the weight that?s already there. If you do need to lose weight stay away from restrictive, fad diets.? They encourage an unhealthy relationship with food and they don?t work long term. Healthy weight loss is about eating healthy foods, choosing smaller portion sizes and having an active lifestyle.? Some students develop eating disorders when they move away from home ? if you think you or one of your friends is becoming obsessed with how much food they eat or how much exercise they do, get help.
15. Lastly, watch out for weekends.? Try to stick to a schedule of regular, healthy eating and physical activity rather than indulging in excess eating and drinking all weekend long.? Your whole body will thank you for it.

Bonus Tip:? Educate yourself.? Some universities have registered dietitians on staff that can assist students with healthier meal plans. Many also offer a nutrition course. In one study, adding a nutrition science course to a student?s curriculum was an effective intervention against weight gain.? Most importantly, take responsibility.? The only thing truly coming between you and a healthy lifestyle is you!

Lessons Learned:

• Many college or university students are overweight, inactive and eat poorly.? They need to learn to take care of themselves.? Healthy habits include eating breakfast, healthy snacking, healthy drinking, an active lifestyle and an eating plan that includes foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Source: http://www.lizpearson.com/fifteen-tips-to-help-students-avoid-the-freshman-15

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