Dear Miss Terious,
I’m having a problem right now and I’m not really sure what to do about it. I’m a newish student here and I’m not getting along with the food in the dining room so well. Since
I’ve been here, I’ve gained at least 20 pounds. They lied about the freshman 15. I’ve tried to make healthier decisions at lunch and dinner, but I’m usually so tired from the day that I just grab whatever sounds good. What is really killing me is that if I don’t like the meal, I just grab a bowl of ice cream and call it dinner. Snack isn’t helping very much either, I’m eating chicken nuggets and wings and grilled cheese sandwiches at 9:00 at night! I want to go to the gym, but I’m always intimidated by the athletes and healthy people working out. I don’t want them to see me get out of breath after 5 minutes. I know there’s probably an easy fix out there somewhere, and my jeans need an answer soon. Do have any advice on how to gain some willpower and not be so workout shy?
-Worried About My Waistline
Dear Worried About My Waistline,
You are not alone! Several college students fight the battle of gaining weight while in college. I know when I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I gained weight too.
What I noticed was that meals were a social time for my group of friends. We would stay past the time we were finished eating and just talk (and eat a little more!).
The first thing you should do, is keep track of what you are eating. Are you eating past the point of being hungry at meals, just because it is sitting in front of you? If so, when you are finished, take your tray up so you will not be tempted. If there isn’t anything you want for dinner find an alternative to eating a bowl of ice cream. Instead, make a sandwich, have a bowl of cereal, or salad. It is okay to have ice cream, but eat it in moderation. Have A scoop and not 4-5 scoops.
Getting healthy and fit is a lifestyle change too. Watch what your liquid intake is, drink a lot of water! Watch the amount of soda you are drinking (that is empty calories!) and keep the alcohol to a minimum (more empty calories!).
The next thing to focus on…snack time. It is okay to have a snack after dinner (especially if you did not have dinner). However, you have to make smart choices about it. Anything ‘heavy’ or fried is not a smart choice. It is okay to have these items occasionally as a treat to yourself, but not every night. If you think you will be too tempted to make un-smart choices, DO NOT GO TO SNACK! If you know it is chicken nugget night and you know you cannot eat just one, just stay in your room.
The next item to concur…working out. Working out can be intimidating to any new person, especially if you are surrounded by fit athletes. My first word of advice is to start out slow, do you overdo it and get discouraged. Here is a link to getting started. http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/tipsandtricks/a/gettingstarted.htm
Also, if you do not want to use the weight room there are other ways to exercise. You live on a beautiful campus with wonderful outdoor facilities! You can: go for a walk, play tennis with a friend, take a bike ride, play a little basketball, or go for a run.
If you want to use the weight room, USE IT! Find a buddy to go with you. There are so many great things in there and you should not be embarrassed! I am proud of you for starting the year out on a great foot and trying to get healthier. A few quick pick me up quotes to leave you with…
“No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.”
“A year from now you will be glad you started today.”
YOU CAN DO THIS!
Miss Terious
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