Why do college freshman gain weight? What is the difference?
What is their nutrition? What causes it? What habits should be avoided? Why is
it hard to keep the weight off? Why 15? Answers HERE!
The Huffington Post recently posted an article after talking
with a nutrition specialist from Penn State University. The truth is revealed…
Mom and dad are no longer there to tell us no– no snacks, no McDonalds, no to a
whole pizza. The whole concept of making our decisions is new to us. Add in the
stress of school, new friends and environment, lack of sleep, no motivation to
go to the rec, and peer pressure to drink; no wonder college freshman are known
to gain some weight. High school and college are two lifestyles that are
completely different, which would seem reasonable on why college freshman
usually gain weight. So, how can this be
fixed?
Well according to the Huffington post some of the habits to
avoid are late night eating. This is where the highest calorie foods are
consumed. Another habit to avoid is large portion sizes and constant snacking.
While doing homework most college student snack, and this is a problem because
it is uncontrolled and usually full of saturated fats. Also, avoiding the grab-and-go
meal instead of traditional sit-down. Avoiding the newest trend in diets is
huge. None of them work! The best diet you can have is eating the right amounts
of each food group and get the recommended exercise daily. How do you know what
is the right amount for your body?
Well, we have all at least once in our lives learned the
daily food pyramid. But, do college kids actually come close to the daily
amount of nutrition to keep their bodies need? We have learned for many years
the basic food pyramid of 6-11 servings of grains, 3-5 servings of vegetables,
2-4 servings of fruits, 2-3 servings of both dairy and protein, and very
limited fats, oils, and sweats. The problem with this is that everyone is
different. So, the best way to know what is right for you as an individual is
to use a food and fitness planner. Two of the best ones out there are http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/
and http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate-daily-checklist-input. But how do you
use them and what do they do?
These are actually very simple websites. When you go on they
ask a few simple questions like: age, sex, weight, height, and physical
activity. With this it will tell you exactly what is right for your unique
body. For example, calorie intake, daily exercise needed, water intake etc. All
that is left to do is keep track of yourself each day. The easiest way to do
that is to print the food journal sheet off and hold yourself accountable.
So, I challenge you to try these websites and see how you
stand on nutrition. And.. for extra fun if you cannot remember what you need
for daily nutrition here is a fun rap to help. Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/AQ25MBWiaXg
Tarullo, J. (n.d.). Nutrition in College: Answers From the
Experts. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julianne-tarullo/college-health_b_6704896.html
Your post has some amazing true facts. I always ask the question WHY do i have to gain weight and now being in college its impossible to keep the weight off. Snacking while studying or doing homework i believe is many people weaknesses which i do not understand because when i snack it usually makes me tired. I will definitely look into the sites you have posted to see exactly what my calorie intake should be and so on.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. It had some great facts and many of them I did not know until I read this article. I think many of us can benefit from reading this blog because personally I think I can say for everybody that we all struggle with nutrition while in college. I'm looking forward to looking into the sites and learning more about nutrition what we should and shouldn't be eating.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog. It had some great facts and many of them I did not know until I read this article. I think many of us can benefit from reading this blog because personally I think I can say for everybody that we all struggle with nutrition while in college. I'm looking forward to looking into the sites and learning more about nutrition what we should and shouldn't be eating.
ReplyDeleteYour post hit way too close to home. Last year I gained the freshman 15 so quick, it was ridiculous. I thought it was an urban legend, but it was true. It was so hard to lose that weight, nd get back to a healthier eating habits. It's really hard to monitor the food intake here in the beginning, because the dining halls are like buffets, and late night of course. There are many websites that can help a person track their food intake, and eat healthier. I liked your post, and thought it was informative.
ReplyDeleteNutriton plays a big role in the college outtake. Students assume that once you're in college you don't really need to worry about what you eat except your school work. I can say for myself that I have gained some weight through the year being here. Nutrition is an important part in your life and you should still keep track of what you need to eat.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is perfect for what I am going through lol it was really hard to stay healthy in college because we're all on our own now and like you said stated we don't have our parents around to tell us what to eat and what not to eat and they're not around to make us meals everyday. I enjoyed reading this and i'm looking forward to more of your post
ReplyDeleteI love ittttttt. I love how everything ties together. I learned a lot reading your blog. I am guilty of being a snacker while doing homework. I gained my freshman 15 my second year and I could not do anything about it because it happened so quickly, and I did not even notice. I'm looking forward to healthy tips from your blog. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteNutrition has been a major issue on college campuses so this post is extremely helpful in grasping an understanding of what college students are dealing with. I loved this post because it relates to me because i've experienced the foods and im going through the process of improvement,
ReplyDelete