Shoutout to the girl in the gym locker room for inspiring this post.
After finishing up on the arch trainer, I was in the locker room changing out of my gym clothes. Two girls were perched on a bench near the lockers, coaxing their friend onto the scale. She was too scared to look at the number, she announced for several minutes.
I'm just shaking my hair out of it's ponytail when I hear, "5 pounds! I've gained 5 pounds!"
I've never heard the words sound so horrifying. As the girl weighing herself finally noticed me standing at the sink, she blushed and said she didn't realize anyone else was in there besides them and that she was so embarrassed.
I wanted to say something. Something like, "It's ok, I gained weight too my first year." I really wanted to tell her she was beautiful and that she wasn't heavy at all because this was the obvious truth. Instead, all that came out was a quick smile and "no problem" as I grabbed my bag and headed out.
So, girl-in-the-locker room, this is for you. And all that are worried about the weight they have gained or the weight they don't want to gain. I am not a nutritionist or an exercise trainer, but I have lost the weight I didn't need and I did so in a healthy way. Don't let a scale tell you anything about yourself. It's all about being healthy....
To avoid gaining the freshman 15/excess weight, you have to first recognize what situations will cause you to put on unwanted pounds and go from there...
Meal plan
At my school, it was pretty hard for me to find healthy (and still tasty) options while on the meal plan. Realize that if this is the case for you, you're just going to have to pick up the slack. Instead of spending money on another gameday dress, go to the grocery store and get some healthy food to keep in your room. That way, if the chicken salad you got from the dining hall wasn't satisfying, you can have something nutritious in your room.
Stop the glorification of eating out
It's very trendy to go to the most-popular ice cream stop near school. So much so that one can easily find themselves there a couple times a week. It's kind of like the old smoking ads from the 90's: "Just because it's 'cool' doesn't mean it's good for you." Have fun with your friends, but try to go to something other than ice cream/pizza/chicken nuggets. (But you should definitely go every once in a while because yum.)
Make the gym fun
You can do this by working out with a friend, creating a fun gym playlist, or queuing up some great YouTube videos to watch while you're on the treadmill.
>>I get a lot of questions about who I follow for health motivation and my favorites are BreeLovesBeauty, The Daily Marissa (Marissa Lace), and Gotti Gets Fit.
Get exercise in other ways
I love going for a walk either by myself or with a friend- especially when the weather is nice and the leaves begin to change! Just walk around your campus. (Especially if it's hilly like mine.) If you're really adventurous, you could try hiking! And as I've mentioned before, I also love taking barre classes.
Late-night study snacks
This is typically when us collegiates reach for the not-so-good-for-you stuff. This pack of skittles will help me get through this 10-page review, right? Ehhhh...not so much. Try healthy fats for brain food like avocado on whole-grain toast. Or maybe a sweet snack like a Kind bar is more up your alley. Make good choices and you won't see those extra pounds.
Watch out for liquid calories
I'm not talking about alcoholic liquid calories (but that can do it for ya, too). I'm really referring more towards coffee drinks. Trust me, I still sampled the smores frappe when it hit my Starbucks, but I knew it wasn't a healthy decision for me to get one every day before class. I do love coffee, but I only add a little bit of almond milk and sometimes stevia for extra sweetness. Try it!
Try to avoid mass amounts of stress
I know it's scary, but you can gain weight from stress. I know it's practically impossible to not be stressed as a college student, trust me. However, you can try to allieviate some of it, so you're not overburdened. And guess what helps to ward off stress? Exercise and a healthy diet! Who knew?! Also, I have some de-stress tips here if you'd like.
Beauty sleep is important
Make sure you're getting your 7-9 hours! Ask anyone - I go to bed early. And no, not like 10:30 early, like grandma-in-her-nightgown early. But, I really saw a difference in my physical and mental health when I started getting more sleep. People who are tired tend to make poor decisions when it comes to what they eat. Get a good night's sleep! Be a grandma like me!
Boost your metabolism
You're not 12 anymore, your metabolism isn't what it used to be. You can always give it a boost to ensure everything works properly! Do this by drinking lots of water and choosing beverages like green tea or anything with real lemon! Also, eating smaller meals more often can really give your metabolism a boost.
Do you have any tips on how to stay healthy? What has worked for you?
X,
Cristina
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