Catching the Freshman 15

As some of us collegiettes know, the dreaded freshman 15 can sneak up on us more quickly than we had expected. The first few weeks of the fall semester of freshman year are exciting and busy. Between making new friends, bonding with your roommate, and settling into classes, it’s easier to avoid the dreadful binge foods that we resort to when we’re bored or stressed. Now that you’ve been in Boston for a few weeks now, you might find that the strict gym regimen that you and your roommate swore you would stick to, the diet of strictly salad bar and Sargent Choice selections, and the 8+ hour/night sleep schedule that you designed might not all be working as effectively as you had hoped. If you have noticed that your jeans are getting a little snug, or if you are one of the more daring collegiettes who has ventured onto the scale recently and noticed a slight increase in the number it displayed, do not stress! This weight gain is not irreversible and there are plenty of ways that you can loose the few pounds that you have gained since beginning at Boston University. 

Set Goals

That’s right, ladies, goals. Plural. How many times have you decided that you want to do something big- let’s just say lose 10 pounds. Two weeks pass, and you only lost one pound. Discouraged, you turn to food and stop your exercising regimen. If you can’t even lose more than a pound, how are you supposed to lose ten, right? Wrong. Losing weight and getting into shape take time. A lot of time. Losing weight is not about dieting, it’s about changing your lifestyle and making better choices for your health. Results won’t be immediate, and that’s okay- it’s actually good. Delayed gratification has been linked to a host of positive outcomes. What’s better than spending a lot of time working towards and achieving a goal that means a lot to you? Achieving small goals along the way. Break down your ultimate goal into smaller, more simple successes.

Reward Yourself

The feat you’re looking to accomplish is not an easy one. Keep yourself feeling accomplished and excited about successfully reaching your final goal by rewarding yourself at various markers. After reaching one of your smaller goals, treat yourself to a manicure or a night out with your friends. These rewards act as positive reinforcement, congratulating you for achieving one of your goals, and serving as increased encouragement to keep you motivated for further improvement.

Add Variety in the Gym

Study after study has proved that the human body has impeccable muscle memory. If you continue to do the same workout and fail to change it up when you go to the gym, you will find that your workouts will become less effective and you might hit a weight-loss plateau. It is important to add variation not only to your cardio workouts, but also to your strength workouts. While we are on this topic, ladies, please be sure to incorporate strength workouts into your time at the gym! This will help add muscle definition and increase your strength abilities.

Change up your Food Choices

Another important part of the weight loss process is food variation. It is important that you change up your dietary choices to keep yourself satisfied and your body filled with the nutrients it requires, making you an effective student and an improved fitness enthusiast. Think about it: how would you feel if all you ever ate for lunch was the same salad with the same vegetables and the same dressing? No matter how wonderful this salad is, it will inevitably become boring. Change it up! Look up recipes online (check out Pinterest for some great, college budget-friendly recipes) or consult with your friends and see how they navigate the dining halls on campus. Look for the Sargent Choice options on dining hall menu for great, healthy suggestions that will provide you with the fuel you need to wreck your workout at FitRec!

As a fellow collegiette trying to fend off the dreaded weight gain of freshman year, I will not tell you that this is an easy process. But what I can tell you is that it is possible to lose any weight you’ve gained thus far into the semester and keep yourself in good shape for the next four years. I can personally relate to the fear of what people will think if I return home for winter break having gained a few pounds. But it is important for all of us to remember: these past few weeks have been one of the biggest changes that we have dealt with in our lives thus far. Stress from being away from home, stress from class, stress with roommates or friends can all take a toll on our health. It is not unusual for your body to reflect these new stresses. Take your health into your hands now: fuel your body with good foods, sweat out your stresses in the gym, and most importantly stay positive and motivated. These things take time, but a year from now, you would have wished that you started today.