College! Need tips to lose instead of gain Freshman 15!

So I'm starting my freshman year of college(yay!) and definitely do NOT want to gain the freshman 15, even though I don't think I will. But, I want to lose some weight. I have a motivation now, I am going to be a bridesmaid and would like to lose some weight before the wedding in June. Are there any other college students who have some tips on weight loss in college and with dorm food? thanks so much!

Hi!  I'm just starting my junior year of college, and let me tell you, it is really not easy to keep the weight off.  BUT: it's also not impossible!  Dorm food is very tempting -- there are so many fatty options right there in front of you;  try to fill up at the salad bar and choose the best option in the hot food, like fish or chicken.  Also, eating wraps and lower-cal soup is a good way to be satisfied without sacrificing your goals.

Another REALLY important thing is to make exercise a priority.  You will be very, very busy and it's really easy to let exercise fall to the wayside in the midst of homework and your booming social life.  Try to schedule in at least three exercise sessions a week, and treat them like classes with mandatory attendance!

And finally, try to keep alcohol to a minimum.  This, sadly, is something that I have been struggling with.. haha.  Then again, I go to the former #1 party school in the nation (Wisconsin).  Either way, be conscious of the significant caloric impact binge-drinking can have on your diet, and adjust your lifestyle accordingly.  Personally, I have tried to limit drinking to one night per week.

Good luck at school!  I hope this helps.

I'm glad you're excited about starting college, I'm going into my Junior year, and even though I'm more than ready to graduate...college is a great experience.

I agree completely with asuncame.  The only thing I can think of to add is...watch out for late night food runs with your friends.  This has happened to me countless times...it'll be like midnight and I'm studying or just hanging out with my friends and one or two of them will be like "I'm starving...lets run over to George Webbs(a local restaurant)"...and even though I'm not hungry I run over there with them cuz I don't feel like hanging in the dorm alone...but inevitably...I'll order some fries or something.

By the begining of Sophomore year I FINALLY was able to build up the will power to say no to late night snacks. 

I just graduated from college and although it's hard at times to not make bad eating decisions...it doesn't have to be so bad. When I was getting ready to start my freshman year, like you, I promised myself I wouldn't gain the freshman 15...in fact I was so motivated that it wouldn't happen to me that I lost 10 pounds. I noticed that I ate better at school...I actually gained weight when I came home for breaks. But yeah definately take advantage of ur school's fitness facilities...our gym saved me! Make sure you add working out as part of ur weekly routine.

And yeah a lot of dorm food isn't the healthiest to say the least...doesn't mean you have to eat it. They usually have some kind of deli place in each food court...skip the fried food line and get ur favorite sandwich or wrap like someone mentioned. Then treat urself to one of the "bad food" lines every now and then...won't hurt you if don't make it a daily habit. Try not to buy junk food snacks for your dorm because they are so easy to grab and binge on when working on a paper or studying. If they are not there, you don't want them.

Also as someone else mentioned, try to resist the urge to eat late at night...probably one of the biggest reasons college students gain weight cuz you're up at ridiculous hours of the night. So don't give into the "pizza sounds good...should we order breadsticks too?" Just say no! Every now and then it won't kill you, but it's just not worth it.

You should be fine. You sound quite motivated. As long as you stay motivated and just eat the way you normally do, you'll be fine! Enjoy it! Wish I could live it all again...goes fast...have fun and best of luck to you!

I found that the meal I was most likely to overeat on was breakfast, so I began eating breakfast in my room instead of in the dorms.  Its really easy to just buy some cereal, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, etc, but something in pre-portioned amounts so that you don't go overboard!

Also, I would strongly encourage you to either a) chose friends who know how to have fun without alcohol or b) resist the temptation and learn how to have fun without alcohol! lol.  I mean, a few drinks ocassionally is fine, but its like shoving doughnuts down your throat.  Highly unpleasant afterwards and unhealthy.

Also, make working out a social activity. 

Just my two cents. 

Those are all great piece of advice.  Here's mine:  Do not take more than 12 units your first semester or quarter depending on which system your university uses.  I don't care how brainy you were in high school, or how easy you think some particular assortment of 15 to 17 units appears to you, stick with 12.

High school and college are very different, and while I'm sure you're well aware of that - you really don't know how you'll manage things until you've actually started.  Some people lose weight when they're stressed out, but most of us gain.  If your schedule is too packed, working out will be one of the first things you cut out of your schedule. 

Once your second semester/quarter rolls around, you should be reasonably acclimated to campus life and you'll likely make friends with at least a few sophmores, juniors, and seniors who will be able to tell you which classes are awesome and which ones to avoid.  Geez, that's a long sentence.  Sorry.  But anyways, once you get settled, you can still opt for the 17 unit semester/quarter if you really want to, just don't do it your first.

Unfortunately, I fell victim to the dreaded freshman 15 last year. My advice: Watch your alcohol intake. I really can't stress that enough. So many empty unhealthy calories that will wreak havoc on your body. I'd also stay away from pizza at all costs ;)

I think the freshman 15 is a myth of sorts.  At least, I don?t think it has anything to do with dorm food.  (Trust me?it?s not something you would want to binge on).  I think the weight comes from sitting around studying, sitting in VERY long classes, and drinking.  You best bet is to avoid alcohol and make time to exercise.  You will notice a huge increase in study time compared to high school courses.  Take regular breaks from studying to go for a walk or to stretch for about 10 minutes.  Not only will it help you lose weight by being more active, but it will help your grades.  Marathon studying will burn you out and add a few pounds. 

ice cream got me

& late night beers

Congratulations on starting college! :)

Don't start drinking soda with every meal (just 'cause it's now available in the dining commons) and alcohol has a lot of empty calories, so don't go overboard (plus, beware the late-night pizza that goes on once alcohol has been consumed!).  My college actually had lots of healthy choices, so just go for salads/soups/veggies/fruit/etc instead of things that are obviously unhealthy :) 

I'm not sure what kind of campus you're on, but try to walk to all your classes and join the university gym (they're usually really cheap or free, so after your last class of the day try and stop by).  Or, take a fitness class in your schedule as often as you can - you'll be forced to attend, and your college might have some cool things you've always wanted to try (fencing, rock climbing, figure skating, karate, etc)

yeah i gained the freshman "18" or so last year but luckily have lost it all this summer. My sophomore year will be different though. I definitely could have avoided gaining all that weight. I wasn't very conscious of what I was eating. I think the biggest problem is that by staying up so late, you're starving by around midnight.I ate bowls of cereal and spoonfuls of peanut butter in the middle of the night-- how could I NOT gain weight? Then, I'd wake up feeling full because of what I'd eaten at 3 a.m., skip breakfast, but later eat way more than I should. Beer did n't help either. I don't think you'll gain a lot of weight though, since you're so concerned about it now and will make good choices. I didn't think the freshman 15 could happen to me because i'm an athlete. so anyway,
1. wake up and eat a healthy breakfast (400 cal or so)
2. do some physical activity everyday. aim for like 4-5 structured workouts a week, but even if the other days are just running around playing frisbee with some friends outside the dorms or something, that's fine..
3. eat snacks like rice cakes or fruit to fill you up between meals so you don't pig out..
4. try eating dinner a little later so you aren't starving by midnight
5. if your friends are going out for food late at night, go and have a coffee or split a small order of fries if you must :)
6. if you're gonna drink, vodka's usually lowest in calories, and drink it straight or mixed with a low cal mixer like club soda...don't do pepsi or like a margarita mixer cuz that's almost as bad as the alcohol itself....good luck!!

The advantage I have is that I don't live in a dormatory, so I cannot possibly be tempted by what you call "dorm food". I'm also a freshman and personally the best decision I've ever made to fulfill my goal of losing weight in college is join the Army ROTC physical training class. In my school you don't have to be contracted in ROTC to sign up for it, though I eventually will be.

It's hell for someone as out of shape as I am and they push you pretty hard, but it's so worth it. So I guess I do treat excercise as a class because it is one for me.  :/

Wow! Thanks for all the great tips everyone! I definitely plan on taking advantage of the free recreation building.

Some people have touched on this, but what types of food should I keep in my dorm?

Thanks!!!

I was lucky enough to live in an apartment instead of a dorm for my 4 years (I graduated last spring) but I managed to keep the freshman 15 at bay (I didn't get it till AFTER college). Here are my tips:

-Get enough sleep: This is a real toughy. Believe me, I know, but it was one of the things that kept me alert and kept my mood up so I didn't crave all those wonderfully sugary morning foods to wake me up.

-avoid soda: It's pretty self-explanitory, but yeah. Not good for you, so don't drink it :)

-avoid alcohol: I only drank one semester in college and avoided it for the rest of my college career. I'm not saying you have to do this, but by limiting or cutting out alcohol, you save yourself a lot of calories and avoid the dreaded drunken munchies. Your liver will also thank you later in life (not to mention your grades!)

- plan meals ahead: If you are living in a dorm, it's obviously harder to control what food is available to you. Try your best to plan your meals ahead of time. I found that most dining halls have staple foods that they always have available, which should make meal planning a lot easier. When I would have lunch on campus, I always had a big salad first, then tried to choose a good protein after that. If your dining hall offers menues online, this is a big advantage too!

If you want to keep food in your dorm, go for fruits and veggies, low cal dairy and whole grains. Lean proteins if you have the fridge space. Since this is what you will most likely be reaching for during those late night study-sessions, the healthier choices you have available, the less likely you are to binge on junk food.

Walk: I didn't really work out in college (lack of time being mostly to blame) but I did walk everywhere. This alone helped me keep my weight steady. One semester I took the campus bus to class because I was in design and had a lot of supplies to carry, and I noticed a definite weight gain that semester, because I wasn't walking. As soon as I started walking to class again, the pounds came right off.

Treat yourself!: All important rule! Allow yourself to have the things you truly like, even if they aren't the best for you. Just remember: Everything in moderation!

Thanks for all the great tips!

I am really nervous about the freshman fifteen and this is all amazing advice!

I'm going to lose 15 pounds by the end of my first semester.  Just you watch :)

 

I also have a pretty basic, pretty yummy meal plan that I stick to:

 

Date

Sleep

Goal

Breakfast

Oatmeal / Cheerios

Milk / Yogurt

Nut / Seed / Egg

Coffee + Multivitamin

Lunch

Milk / Yogurt / Cheese

Vegetable

Vegetable

Bean

Fish / Poultry

Dinner

Milk / Yogurt / Cheese

Vegetable

Vegetable

Bean

Fish / Poultry

Exercise

notes for tomorrow...

 

 

 

Pick one option per line, it totals around 35% protein, 15% fat, 50% carb, its high in calcium and fiber, and is 1200 - 1400 calories a day

I also have a piece of fruit or two per day as a snack

And I live on a HUGE campus spanning two cities, so I walk (or bike) everywhere

I actually lost about 5 lbs (dropping to 16% body fat) my freshman year.  Now, my first year of graduate school was another story.

Anyhow, I think that one "secret" is to join an intramural sports team.  I joined an ultimate frisbee team, and not only did I meet a bunch of really cool people, but I got a fantastic workout every day.

College is probably one of the easiest time to fit in whatever workouts you want to do.  You just have to manage your time.  And figuring out time management is an extremely important life skill, so the sooner you solve that one, the better.

As far as food goes, I generally avoided the dining halls as much as possible.  I had a minifridge and a microwave my freshman year, and even with such meager equipment, I did a fair amount of eating from the dorm.  Being off campus (with a real kitchen) makes it really easy to cook at home.

And take it easy with parties.

Good luck!