How to avoid the freshman 15

CHRIS SEALEY|

ST. CROIX- Freshmen beware! one of the most feared things that can possibly happen to you is lurking. We are not talking about failing a test, or arriving late to a midterm. We are talking about the dreaded “freshman 15.”

The freshman 15 is an expression often determined by the amount of weight freshmen gain after their first semester of college.

A 2006 study by researchers at Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, NJ, found that out of 67 freshmen, 18 lost weight and 49 gained an average of about 7 pounds each. In another study at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 44 freshmen were studied; 16 of them lost weight, two stayed the same and 26 gained an average of about four pounds.

Hence, along with worrying about your exam tomorrow, or five page essays for English class, managing your weight is a must! How so? By avoiding the horrible freshmen fifteen.

The transition to college from high school gives most freshmen a sense of independence.

Eating what you want is one of the many privileges of being a college student, but what you eat makes a difference and college students typically the young adults eat poorly.

A University of Illinois at Chicago study found that when young adults eat fast food, they consume an extra 309 calories between deep-fried food, high-sugar drinks and side orders.

On average people sometimes eat in response to anxiety, homesickness, sadness, or stress, and all of these can be part of adapting to being away at school.

After speaking with University of the Virgin Islands fourth year student Kareem Eugene, he shared the advantages of the wide selections of foods available each day. He also added, that the UVI Snack Bar has the tastiest and fastest food, and available all day long.

 

 

Junior Garcia, a student and fitness trainer at the university, and was kind enough to share some tips:

• Eat three meals a day

• Eat a big breakfast

• Workout once a day for 3 days out of the week

• Eat healthy snacks in between meals

(nuts, granola bars, etc.)

• Always eat from the food pyramid

• Eat lots of colorful food for example fruits and vegetables

• Eat more meat than carbohydrates

• avoid eating when stressed, while studying, or while watching TV

• eat slowly

• eat at regular times and try not to skip meals

• keep between-meal and late-night snacking to a minimum

• choose a mix of nutritious foods

• pick lower-fat options when you can, such as low-fat milk instead of whole milk or light salad dressing instead of full-fat dressing

• watch the size of your portions

• resist going back for additional servings

• steer clear of vending machines and fast food

• keep healthy snacks like fruit and vegetables on hand in your room

• replace empty-calorie soft drinks with water or skim milk

If you abide by these helpful guidelines you will have absolutely nothing to worry about.