<p>I do find it somewhat ironic that by exercising hard you end up with injuries like torn ACLs. I’m not particularly fit but I’ve never had the problems that some of my athletic friends have had lol.</p>
<p>Oh, no, it wasn’t from exercising hard. She fell on her foot weird playing sand volleyball in the fall, and didn’t have time for surgery/recovery until winter break. It wasn’t the first time she’d torn her ACL, and the first time was an overly aggressive tackle in co-ed soccer. She was just making more of an effort to work out 1) PT, and 2) looking good at the pool</p>
<p>I actually maintained/lost weight in college and gained weight over this current summer break. How so? Easy. During the academic year, I have free access to the gym (on top of this, it’s convenient as in it was a 2 min walk to the gym from my dorm). This summer, I don’t have access to the gym (and it’s very inconvenient for me to get to the gym. I would have to take two buses and pay 4.50 total on the buses just to get to the gym ON TOP of the a gym membership fee, so I just don’t go to the gym). Plus I’ve been eating more unhealthy foods this summer compared to last academic year.</p>
<p>SO point of my story is that it varies from person to person. I’ve heard stories of people who gained 15 lbs and lost 15 lbs. It really depends on the person.</p>
<p>This was my first year and I lost weight - my campus is absolutely huge and I had to run between buildings to make it to class on time. I’m small and fairly active to begin with, but I probably lost about 5-7lbs this year. I also had a crazy busy semester and so I ended up eating small meals throughout the day - in class, during breaks - compared to the breakfast-lunch-dinner that I was used to eating at home. To be fair, I lived off-campus so didn’t have a meal plan - I brought all my own healthy snacks and avoided buying campus food whenever possible. I imagine if I had been on a meal plan it might have been different…I have a weakness for grilled cheese sandwiches :-)</p>
<p>Does the walking help you lose weight a lot?<br>
- It doesn’t hurt, but I don’t think it will do too much in terms of weight. It also depends on how far you need to walk.</p>
<p>Do a lot of people become lazy or do they take advantage of athletic facilities?
- Some are lazy some are not. I have crew, so that is cardio for me, and I also frequent the gym.</p>
<p>Do you get hungry often at first on the meal plan?
Absolutely. I try to eat more ^.^</p>
<p>Do you like college food and is there any healthy stuff?
College food gets old, but I still found it good by the end of the year. There definitely is some healthy stuff. In one of the dining halls we have an entire buffet line to fruits, vegetables, and etc. That said, there is a lot of unhealthy food. With some control, you are good. I made it a habit to only go to the snack bar once or twice a week - I never really thought about it.</p>
<p>Do most people lose or gain weight?
I don’t ask people this, but looking at this threat it obviously goes both ways.</p>
<p>Has anyone ever become malnutritioned in college because of the change?
Lol. If anything I eat more healthy at school. I don’t eat as much fruits and whatnot at home.</p>
<p>Does the walking help you lose weight a lot?
Honestly, not really. It does help your endurance, I suppose, but not if you have an average metabolism.</p>
<p>Do a lot of people become lazy or do they take advantage of athletic facilities?
That really depends on how well you can keep yourself motivated. </p>
<p>Do you get hungry often at first on the meal plan?
Personally, I scheduled my courses to only give me enough time to grab a quick bite (about 20 minutes) for lunch, then ate dinner after all of my classes. It’s all about controlling how much and how often you eat.</p>
<p>Do you like college food and is there any healthy stuff?
I honestly don’t know the definition of “college food”. My school serves nearly everything. </p>
<p>Do most people lose or gain weight?
If I had to guess, I’d say most gain weight due to poor time management and willpower to reduce their intake or work out.</p>
<p>Has anyone ever become malnutritioned in college because of the change?
I have not. I eat better at school than I ever did at home (more amounts, healthier food). In high school, about half of the time that I donated blood my iron level was dangerously low. While in school, my iron is always at a healthy level. </p>
<p>What are your experiences with weight in college…?
Being completely honest, during the lazier semester (summer), I gained a few pounds due to, well, being lazy. In the fall, I got in the mindset of working out at least once a week. Just 30 minutes on the treadmill per week can keep you balanced. It’s all about keeping yourself motivated. </p>
<p>If you really want to avoid gaining weight in college, here are some tips that have worked for me and for my friends as well:
- Keep your mind open to new foods. Instead of eating pizza and french fries every day, try the healthier options.<br>
- Stop drinking soda. When I stopped drinking soda, I lost three pounds in a matter of less than a week. I felt fantastic, like I had gotten rid of a poison in my body. I haven’t had it since. Fruit juices are so much healthier and tastier. Besides, soda along with your meal makes you full much faster, so you’ll be hungry again earlier than you should be.<br>
- Do at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week. That was my amount of exercise, but it varies per person. And walking doesn’t count. Do some running, get on the elliptical, go biking, or swim. Swimming is a great cardio and muscle-toning exercise.
- Try to spend the least amount of time sitting down / laying down possible. Always be doing something. Go visit a friend. Walk around campus with friends. Wonder around the town. Go on adventures. Don’t waste your college life sitting in front of the TV / computer.</p>
<p>Does the walking help you lose weight a lot?</p>
<p>It definitely helps. How much depends on the ratio of walking to calorie intake.</p>
<p>Do a lot of people become lazy or do they take advantage of athletic facilities?</p>
<p>I took advantage of the gym, and because of it I actually gained weight in muscle (before I was skinny as a rail; I’m still skinny, but I at least have SOME muscle).</p>
<p>Do you get hungry often at first on the meal plan?</p>
<p>I didn’t. It’s buffet style, man. If you’re hungry, eat more.</p>
<p>Do you like college food and is there any healthy stuff? </p>
<p>Yes there is healthy stuff, at least at Michigan. Fruits and veggies are at every meal. I enjoyed the college food, but some people find it too boring.</p>
<p>Do most people lose or gain weight? I’d guess gain; the “freshman 15” is a meme for a reason. I gained weight, but almost all of it was muscle (I gained 10 pounds, increasing from 140 to 150).</p>
<p>Has anyone ever become malnutritioned in college because of the change?</p>
<p>Doubtful</p>
<p>I went up and down, I lost some my first year because I was actually being fiscally responsible (and didn’t have a credit card >.>). The 2nd year I put a lot of it back on, biggest issue was the daily drive took you past a ton of fast food places, and I never ate before class. Plus night classes made them more attractive. </p>
<p>This last year I lost a lot of weight again because it was easier to cut back on fast food (and made some changes, like limiting how often I went etc), I was walking instead of driving (expensive parking), and only ate small meals once a day.</p>
<p>I’ve lost about 10 pounds since coming to college and that was only during one semester. </p>
<p>To answer your questions:</p>
<p>Yes, I think walking helped me a lot. I have classes and work all over campus, so I log at least 30 minutes of walking (usually at an accelerated pace) a day, which is at least what most people suggest.</p>
<p>People at my school do take advantage of the workout facilities, although I found that I do not. I’ve never had a workout regime though, so I don’t really know where to start or how I should go about this. If you are used to working out, then you will probably use the facilities.</p>
<p>I find that I’m not really that hungry at college. I’m always doing things so I guess I just keep my mind occupied and don’t think about it. Although, I’ve also found that not keeping snack food in your room in helpful because then you don’t mindlessly eat when you aren’t really that hungry. </p>
<p>I like the food at my college a lot, and we also have healthy options daily, but remember that nobody is watching you so it really is up to you to eat well. If you want to eat crappy foods every day that will pack on pounds, nobody will stop you.</p>
<p>Some people lose weight and some people gain weight. I’ve lost weight, but some of my friends have gained weight, especially during finals, so again, I think it depends on the person and the environment.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard about any malnutrition, but I guess it could happen to some people…</p>
<p>I am pretty darn lazy and never use the athletic facilities…but not everyone is like me. I play intramural sports occasionally (softball and soccer) and very occasionally will play flag football or volleyball with friends, but generally my only exercise is walking a lot. I don’t think that walking itself helps you lose a lot of weight, but it helps me maintain/keep off weight (for the record, I walk almost everywhere and my campus is huge). </p>
<p>My school meal plans if you live on campus are required to be unlimited. So I never was hungry. I liked the food enough - I eat a lot of crap food and I am not very picky…I did eventually get tired of it though. There is definitely healthy stuff - always vegetables and fruits and pita/hummus and other healthier options - you just can’t be a picky type. Now that I live off campus, I am forced to choose between going hungry in-between classes because I am too busy, or wasting money eating out. I eat more processed/frozen food now that I’m living off campus, but I also eat more fresh fruits/veggies so I think it is a pretty balanced tradeoff. </p>
<p>Most people gain weight in college overall…the freshman 15 was not true for me and most of my friends because we stayed active. At first I lost weight because of how much walking we did…but eventually the food (and the drinking) catches up to you. I got lazier sophomore and junior years so I gained a few pounds then. For the amount of fried foods I eat and my lack of exercise, I have a pretty good metabolism so I’m luckier than most. Although eventually age will catch up to me and I’ll have to get better habits.</p>
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I walk a few miles a day, but I’m a bit underweight, so I doubt I have much to lose.</p>
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Totally depends on the individual. 77% of incoming students in my class were varsity athletes in high school, though, so I’d say my school is probably above average for physical activity.</p>
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My school mandates a full meal plan, so no one goes hungry (though everyone has to pay for it, of course).</p>
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Yes and yes, for me and my school at least. It’s a pretty subjective question.</p>
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No idea. The stereotype is the “freshman 15,” but I have no idea whether that’s true, and I don’t know of any data that backs it up (I’m sure there’s a study somewhere, though).</p>
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I’m sure some people have, with the millions who have gone to college, but I don’t know any.</p>
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I’ve gained a few pounds, but just from extensive daily boxing workouts. I haven’t noticed anyone’s weight fluctuate noticeably.</p>