Foil the Freshman Fifteen

Your first taste of life on your own can be terrifying, exhilarating, and hazardous to your health.
While your new found independence allows you to break all the old rules, it can also add to your waistline. Many students make the wrong choices about what--and when--to eat, leading to an all too common weight gain known as "the Freshman 15." There was a reason mom forced you to eat breakfast every day, and hounded you about drinking too much soda. Once your eating habits slide, the pounds start piling on. Here's your first university lecture: College Eating, 101.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Eating the same meals, in the same dining hall, at the same table will quickly bore you and send you straight to the golden arches in lieu of the same old thing. Mix it up and try new foods and flavors. Take your food to go and eat outside. If your school has different dining halls, a change of scenery will do you good. College is all about experimentation and learning about yourself, so try new foods and test out some vegetarian fare. You may just find yourself a new favorite.

Third Time's a Charm

Hate to say it, but your mom was right--a good breakfast is key to starting your day off right. Food fuels your brain, and hitting your first class without something in your belly will leave you distracted, tired, and doodling. And no, coffee isn't going to cut it. The rule is, three meals a day. Even if your first one is when you roll out of bed at noon.

Hydrate The Right Way

Keep a bottle of water handy in your backpack. This way, you can stay hydrated on those hot, early fall days when you have to hike across campus to your first class. You also save money and calories by not feeling the need to stop for a soda.

An Apple A Day...

Every time you leave the dining hall, grab a piece of fruit for a mid-morning snack, mid-afternoon break between classes, or a post-dinner sweets fix. Compared to your vending machine options, you'll save on calories, fats, and quarters!

Speaking of Snacks,

If you don't stock your room with the right kind of snacks, you'll find yourself making late-night trips to the vending machine or worse. For those long study sessions, try the following: pretzels, low-fat popcorn, high-fiber crackers, unsweetened breakfast cereal, or 100-calorie packs of your favorite snacks. Get your vitamins and nutrients by stocking your fridge with fat-free milk, yogurt and individually portioned canned fruits, puddings, bags of ready-to-eat lettuce or carrots. Don't keep high-calorie cookies or ice cream in your room. If you must have something sweet after dinner, have a small portion in the dining room. If it's in your freezer, you are bound to overindulge more often than not.

Homesick?

On your first trip home, con your mom into making a big dish of your favorite lasagna, (or any other home-cooked favorites) divide into reasonable individual portions, and stock your dorm freezer. Mom's specialties are certainly better than grocery store frozen foods, and are likely to be healthier. Just remember portion control!

The Salad Bar's Healthy...Right?

Yes, but probably not the way you prefer to eat it. Lots of fats and calories live in the salad bar, so make your choices wisely. Salad dressings are loaded with calories. Take a look at the back of your favorite dressing bottle and notice the calories and fat grams. Now multiply that times three, because it's likely you use well above the recommended serving. Scary, right? Stick to small amounts of lite, low-fat, or fat free dressings. Oil and vinegar are a decent choice also, and taste surprisingly good. Avoid anything creamy, like macaroni salad. These types of salads are made with gobs of mayo, and we're not talking the light kind. Go easy (very easy) on the cheese, nuts, and seeds and steer clear of the croutons and bacon bits, real or imitation. Add beans for extra protein, and voila!

Get Active

The last thing you should be doing in college is sitting around watching television. Get out and be social! Any exercise is better than none at all. Take the long way to dinner. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk home from your last class instead of hopping on the shuttle bus. Colleges often have free gyms and weight rooms, so take advantage. In addition, most are overflowing with club and intramural teams as well as great PE classes, so try your hand at a new sport or keep up with an old favorite.

It's not difficult to stay ahead of the game and foil the freshman fifteen; little decisions daily can make a big difference in the long run. Want more info? Try The College Student’s Guide to Eating Well on Campus

-- Melissa Miller

Babysteps to Health

Slow and steady wins the race. When you slowly take off the pounds and stick to an exercise program, you are more likely to keep those pounds from coming back. Look at every pound lost as a small victory in the road to health.
Don't set yourself up for failure; set goals that are attainable. Lofty goals are hard to meet and only leave you frustrated.
Make it easier on yourself--use half the cream and sugar in your coffee. Make small changes that add up to a big defecit but don't leave you feeling like your giving up everything you love.
Reward your success--the right way. We'd all like to celebrate that 5 pound milestone with a hunk of chocolate cake, but consider treating yourself in a different way. Why take five steps forward and then two back?
Keep it interesting. Variety is the spice of life; try new things and new foods. If you eat yourself into boredom, you won't be able to stick to a diet or workout routine.
Small changes for big results. Love eggs? Ditch the yolks. Chicken? Lose the skin and try baking or grilling instead of frying. It all adds up over time.
Keep track of activity. Keeping a log or journal of your workouts not only keeps you honest, it allows you to take a look back and see just how far you've come.
If you must eat sweets, eat dark chocolate because it has many health benefits
Stay away from the scale. When your clothes get looser and your measuments shrink should be proof enough that you are on the right track. Numbers on a scale are just overrated.

When is a Fad Diet a Bad Diet?

Time for a reality check: there is no magic bullet, instant cure, or easy way out. Losing weight is not easy, and many fad diets fall easily into the bad diet category. Be wary of any diet or weight-loss program that:

Promises rapid weight loss. Any weight loss of more than 2 pounds per week is too rapid, unsafe, and is unlikely to stay off.
Promises easy weight loss without exercise or that weight loss can be maintained without lifestyle changes.
Uses miracle or magical foods. No food can melt away fat or undo years of overeating and lack of exercise.
It's basis lies in consuming only one (or a limited number) of foods, encourages consuming certain foods in mass quantities, or calls for specific food combinations.
Relies on undocumented case histories. Testimonials and anecdotes mean nothing if there is no scientific data to back up claims.
Promotes unproven or inauthentic weightloss aids such as herbs, supplements, body wraps, pills, cellulite creams, etc.
Sound too good to be true. Most of the time it's because they are.

Splurge vs. Smart: Dining Out Without Breaking Your Diet

High-calorie, fat-laden, large portioned restaurant meals don't have to be a diet breaker. With some careful reading, you too can enjoy a night out without the guilt of a caloric splurge.

When dining American, be wary of words like buttery, fried, pan-fried, crispy, au gratin, creamed, sauteed, and hollandaise. Look for items that are described as steamed, broiled, grilled, roasted and poached to help cut back on calories and fat.

In the mood for a little Italiano? Sauces created from cream or cheese, such as Alfredo sauce, quickly pack in the fat. Go for sauces that are tomato based, and take half home with you--almost all pasta dishes weigh it at well over a serving or two.

Craving some late-night Chinese? Stay clear of batter-coated, breaded, or deep-fried foods and go for the stir-fry. Plain rice is better than fried, and go easy on the sauces; soy sauce and other Asian sauces tend to have high sodium content.