As the fall semester continues on, vacant time that was once used for going to the gym and working out is now consumed with textbooks, exams and essays. Unfortunately, this allows gaining the freshmen (or sophomore, junior or senior) fifteen to weigh heavily on almost every female Terp’s mind.
Whether it’s getting back into the swing of going out on the weekends, or eating comfort food after a failed test, extra calories seem to be sneaking their way into student’s diets. Despite this, the idea of going to the gym still seems far out of reach after students prioritize their schoolwork.
“In the beginning of the semester I was able to go to the gym almost every day,” said sophomore business major, Nicole Cors. “Now between all my tests and papers, I just can’t find the time.”
Although going to the gym is sometimes too hard to fit into your day, there are still plenty of ways that you can make sure the freshmen fifteen stays off your body and out of your mind.
Many students don’t realize this, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make an effort to wake up an extra twenty minutes early to give yourself more time to eat in the morning. Not only does breakfast give you a jump-start to the day, but it also keeps you feeling full longer while giving you the entire day to burn off the calories. If you’re running late, grab a granola bar to eat on the way to class.
According to WebMD.com, eating breakfast in the morning keeps you from “starvation eating” later on. It was also found that people who were regular breakfast eaters were more likely to exercise than non-breakfast eaters.
Instead of hopping on the bus in the mornings before class, leave a little early and walk. The University of Maryland’s campus is beautiful; take advantage of it by walking to class in order to burn some extra calories throughout the day. Believe it or not, but even just walking more will lead to calorie loss.
What won’t lead to weight loss is guzzling all your calories in your drinks. It’s not a secret that soda is full of sugar and even diet soda can increase your chance of obesity, but what students don’t realize is that fruit juices can actually cause you to pack on the pounds too. While a glass of orange juice or apple juice may be good with breakfast, at about 120 calories per serving, these juices really add up.
Water on the other hand is a drink that will help you lose weight and keep you full. Drinking water before meals allows the stomach to become more full so you eat less.
“Whenever I’m hungry but I know I shouldn’t eat, I just drink a glass of water so that I’m no longer hungry,” said junior kinesiology major Lauren Johnson. “It curves my hunger without causing me to feel guilty.”
According to a study done by Prevention.com people who drink water throughout the day lost more weight than those who didn’t. It’s good to aim for eight cups of water a day, and on the occasion that you do make it to the gym, drink up even more.
So before you look at yourself in the mirror and wish you could have done something to keep the weight off, try these simple things, which will help keep you looking your best. It may not be going to the gym, but that doesn’t mean it won’t add up. Â
Photo Credit: Katie Takacs