<p>I know a lot of people who lost weight (you're walking everywhere, all the time, with very little opportunity to snack between mealtimes), and a lot who gained weight (great food, lots of it, lots of people stop doing sports in which they participated through HS). I know some who lost the weight and gained it back, some who gained it and lost it, and people who've generally ended up near where they started, but I don't know very many people at all who've stayed steady their whole time. It happens, obviously, but for the most part, the stress of a big change (such as going to college) can take as much a toll physically as in any other way. Different people handle it differently, I'd say if you put your mind to it, you have the option to go either route (lots of healthy choices available, lots of not-so-healthy choices. People with a specific goal in either direction should be fine).</p>
<p>I'm sure it's possible for it to happen. But none of my friends at my college have had that problem.</p>
<p>I was 180 as a high school senior, and by the time Christmas rolled around, I was at 200.</p>
<p>wise words student615 :cool:</p>
<p>What, really, is the best way to avoid the Freshman 15?</p>
<p>To all people who've been to college: What would you say are the biggest pitfalls to avoid in college: Ordering pizza? Late-night snacking? Making excuses not to exercise?
Your comments and tips on how to avoid The Big One Five would really be great!</p>
<p>From my friends in college, the best advice I've gotten is stay away from beer and schedule some time between classes to head to the gym.</p>
<p>Also, just because it's all you can eat, doesn't mean you should eat until you're about to explode.</p>
<p>Thanks dima343. People always feel they have to eat as much as possible to "get their money's worth". Must be hard in college to resist - afterall, you've paid for it...</p>
<p>Well, kids on financial aid won't have to feel pressurized to eat all they can, it's not them paying for the meal so they can just consider it a kind donation from a rich alumnus :D</p>
<p>Freshmen 15? I've never heard of it but hopefully it's true. 6'1" 140lbs</p>
<p>
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Well, kids on financial aid won't have to feel pressurized to eat all they can, it's not them paying for the meal so they can just consider it a kind donation from a rich alumnus
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gianievve-you obviously have not had to worry about money much in your life.</p>
<p>It's not so much the cafeteria food that causes you to gain weight. You can always select to eat healthly and nutritious meals, if you really want to. It's those late-night beer and pizza parties in the dorm that kill you. Drinking beer, eating pizza and playing football in the snow at 2 am was so much fun as a freshman (way back in the stone ages), especially for a native California boy like me who chose to go to school in Michigan! It only lasted one year for me though, because I got too homesick for sunny California.</p>
<p>I think the real problem for most students is the combination of being away from home (ie, no more of the kinds of meals you're used to eating at home, be they good or bad) and those things people have mentioned before.</p>
<p>I know that at home, I had regular meals and various healthy snacks. Now that I live "alone," and have control over my dietary concerns, I don't think so much about what I'm eating, or how often, or things like that. </p>
<p>Just a thought.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Quote:
Well, kids on financial aid won't have to feel pressurized to eat all they can, it's not them paying for the meal so they can just consider it a kind donation from a rich alumnus </p>
<p>gianievve-you obviously have not had to worry about money much in your life.
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</p>
<p>wow Lindsaylu, I wonder how you came up with that assumption.</p>
<p>thanks for the helpful comments undecided and gsp<em>silicon</em>valley :)</p>
<p>I did a precollege program over the summer for six weeks. I went from eating 1.5 meals at home to eating 2.0, occasionally even 2.5 meals a day (couldn't handle 3 -_-'''). And I actually lost 5-10 pounds - I know I lost at least 5, but since we don't have a scale at home, it's hard to say. I think it's because I was in Boston, and there was some major walking/running to get to classes and explore downtown,etc. FYI, I'm short - 5'2ish.</p>
<p>As for being there for fin aid, I went on full scholarship, and the person helping me sign up for stuff put me on a 3 meal plan. I basically ate what I wanted when I wanted, so long as the cafeteria was open. Didn't feel bad about "wasting money"; I ate what I could and that's the end of the story. What I did feel bad was the extra spending I got and spent getting addicted to Starbucks or paying the fare to Harvard Square.</p>
<p>depends on you really, I've lost 10 pounds since college started last september, i want to gain some weight, but things aren't looking good for that right now</p>
<p>Here at Cal-Berkeley, we have the Freshman 50. I came to Cal at 190, I was 240, and now back down to 220.</p>
<p>...of course, this is sort of a joke, in a sad, ironically truthful way. The thing is, we have a lot of good looking students come in, and after their first year with our dorm food, they put on enormous amounts of weight and perpetuate the myth that Berkeley girls are ugly and Berkeley guys are fat.</p>