The “Freshmen 15”: Six Simple Ways to Avoid Gaining Weight (3562 hits)

Article Reposted from You, Your Body, and Your Health via www.NinaCheriePhD.com

With every passing year a new pool of incoming college freshmen are faced with the sudden risk of double digit weight gain commonly known as the "freshmen 15". While some folks call it fiction, the fact of the matter is that many students do experience weight gain during the first couple of years of college oftentimes due to a newly found food independence and subsequent changes in customary eating patterns, social influence, peer pressure and even stress. Given the ever-lurking threat of the dreaded freshmen 15, here's a crash course on avoiding all that unnecessary weight gain.

Tip 1: Be Physically Active Each and Every Day
College time is one of the best times to be regularly physically active as there are gyms and countless other recreational resources available to students. In addition to making use of such resources, take some time to walk or bike to your classes as opposed to taking campus transportation. Doing so is an easy and effortless way to accumulate 60 or more minutes of daily physical activity thereby warding off any potential weight gain. It's also important to perform some type of resistance (weight) training at least two days a week. Such training is critical for maintaining your muscle mass, boosting your metabolism, and enhancing your overall health and well being. If you don't want to be stuck in the gym incorporate an 'in-room' body weight training routine comprised of simple calisthenic exercises like burpees, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges, mountain climbers, and planks.

Tip 2: Take Full Advantage of Salad Bars
Most if not all college dormitories and residence halls have fully equipped salad bars that offer a variety of vegetables, fruits, healthy fat and lean protein sources. You can eat these salads as either an entree or a hearty side dish. Some ingredients to consider when compiling your salads include romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, carrot, broccoli florets, cucumber, tomato, avocado, berries, apples, nuts and seeds, eggs, grilled chicken breast, and salmon. In addition to selecting the right ingredients, try making it a practice to choose oil-based dressings over creamy ones and limit your portion to 1-2 tablespoons ... Read the rest here: http://www.ninacheriephd.com/you-your-body-and-your-health/the-freshmen-15-six-simple-ways-to-avoid-gaining-weight

Posted By: Nina Cherie Franklin Franklin
Saturday, August 15th 2015 at 2:04PM
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