Incoming freshman: Avoid the “15”

You can fight the unwanted pounds; it comes down to making good food choices and participating in physical activity, said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service nutrition education specialist.

“When students go off to college it means being in charge of their lives and parents aren’t there to tell them what to eat and when to be home,” Hermann said. “Oftentimes, students gain bad habits such as late night eating sprees and with the added stress of school, bad food choices are often made.”

Students can overcome the temptations of fatty foods and a sedentary lifestyle by making healthy food decisions and becoming active.

Hermann said a good start is to eat a healthy breakfast.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it contributes to overall health and performance,” she said. “By jump-starting the day with breakfast, you are doing your body a favor by fueling it for the day’s activities.”

Many cafeterias offer healthy food choices that will not overload your calorie intake and increase your waist line.

It is important to load up on healthy items such as vegetables and fruit and choose whole grain breads and pastas, Hermann said. In addition, pick foods that are grilled or steamed, instead of fried or sautéed. This will help with avoiding the extra fat.

In high school, students may have been active on their varsity team and coming to college may result in a lack of physical activities on a daily basis.

“This doesn’t need to be the case,” Hermann said. “Students should take advantage of the fitness facilities their college offers. Easy changes such as walking across campus instead of catching a bus or doing sit-ups while watching television allows for some type of physical activity during the day.”

Hermann suggests these tips on staying healthy and avoiding the freshman 15:

-         Remember health, not appearance, as the weight management priority.

-         Set practical goals.  Try to stabilize weight rather than focusing on weight loss; this may be a more realistic goal.

-         Opt for healthy eating, not “dieting.”  Dieting usually lasts for a short term and rarely produces long-term success.  By eating healthy, the focus is more non-restrictive.  Try eating a variety of foods from the MyPyramid. It can be found at http://www.mypyramid.gov.

-         Be physically active.  Those who are physically active are more successful at weight management.  Recommendations are to adopt a physically active lifestyle accumulating at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day to prevent chronic disease and 60 minutes each day to prevent weight gain.

“Going to college is an exciting experience for young adults,” Hermann said. “By establishing a healthy lifestyle students won’t have to worry about gaining a few extra pounds and will build healthier lifestyle habits that will stay into adulthood.”

###

Katie L. Reim
Communications Specialist
Agricultural Communications Services
140 Agriculture North
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Ok 74078
405-744-6792 (Phone)
405-744-5739 (Fax)
katie.reim@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating: The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer.