<p>My freshman D just told me that she has lost 7 lbs since she moved into the dorm 3 weeks ago. She is thin to begin with (wears a size 1 in jeans). That seems like a lot of weight for someone her size to lose in 3 weeks. She said she eats 3 meals a day and that the food in the dining hall is very good. Should I be concerned?</p>
<p>I would check first on whether she was using the same scale before and after. The scale at my doctor’s office adds 6 pounds over the one in my bathroom. </p>
<p>Assuming she is feeling ok and showing no signs of infection, psychological issues (anorexia anyone?), or other malaise, there is probably nothing to worry about. Things will level out as the semester goes on. My weight fluctuated dramatically until I was around 26.</p>
<p>I asked her if she used the same scale and she said she did. She does suffer from anxiety and depression, but that has been under control for the past 6 months.</p>
<p>I am also thin and my weight often fluctuates. She may just be exercising more as well or eating healthier… I wouldn’t be too concerned unless the weight loss becomes more drastic. Have you voiced your concerns to the RA or her roommate or dorm-mates? They may know if it is an issue or not…</p>
<p>See if she’ll stop by the campus medical office for a check. They’ll not only weigh her, but look her over for other symptoms that she may not spot in the mirror or on the scale. With new food in a new environment, I’d want to rule out parasites. They could also do a mental health screening, based on her history. Good luck.</p>
<p>This sort of thing happened to my daughter during her first semester. She didn’t eat snacks unless she was actually hungry because it wasn’t worth the trouble of going somewhere to obtain one (unlike at home, where snacks were readily available). And she walked a lot more than at home. She lost so much weight that she needed to buy all new jeans by Thanksgiving; her old pants were way too big for her.</p>
<p>A couple of years later, she moved into an off-campus apartment and gained back all the weight she had lost and then some.</p>
<p>I know what it takes to lose two pounds a week (check out the weight loss for dummies thread 
)…basically a net 1100 calories a day for someone of my size. For a 110 pound person, it’s 600 net calories a day. That’s not enough calories.</p>
<p>I think she needs more calories…maybe she’s eating more salads than protein, etc. Add more meat, pasta, snacks and shakes?</p>
<p>Unless you weigh yourself semi-religiously, at the same time each day with respect to your meals, with exactly the same clothing, and on a very good scale (doctors balance scale preferred, or high end electronic scale) you don’t really know what you weigh. You can rock your weight forward and backwards on most bathroom scales and influence the reading by 5+ pounds. That’s useless. </p>
<p>The issue is whether you’re losing flesh, and the only way to tell this is to keep a log for several weeks done with precision.</p>
<p>One thing that could have an effect, in addition to changed eating circumstances and offerings, is daily routine regarding calories burned. More time on your feet means more calories consumed.</p>
<p>Doesn’t your calculation assume a sedentary lifestyle?</p>
<p>A student on a big campus is likely to burn a lot more calories than most working adults do just by all the walking she has to do on campus. And many kids participate in sports, PE, or other physical activities on top of that. So she may be eating more than 600 calories per day.</p>
<p>One thing that the OP might want to ask the daughter is whether she finds it hard to eat a substantial enough meal at mealtimes. Some people can’t eat a large amount of food all at once, and these people can have trouble with the dining hall system, where you’re expected to eat large meals two or three times a day, with pretty much nothing in between. It might be necessary to provide the student with some extra money to buy snacks if she can’t get enough calories at mealtimes.</p>
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<p>Or just see whether there are any changes in the way your jeans fit, if you’re female. Young women tend to buy jeans that fit their bodies rather closely (unlike young men). If they gain or lose more than a few pounds, they know it from the fit of their pants.</p>
<p>S is having trouble adjusting to the hours during which dinner is served. Apparently service ends at 7 in the dining hall. We eat very late at home, so he is not used to eating before 7.</p>
<p>Same thing with my daughter - 5’5" 107 pounds at hs graduation. Always a light eater, but would graze several times throughout the day. At college, there were less opportunities to eat, so she was restricted to two or three meals a day - lost several pounds (probably a little deviation among scales or exaggeration there). I also think this was a result of so much walking, plus her normal tennis and other exercise. When I saw my daughter, she looked great - I really couldn’t tell that she had lost weight. As long as she is eating, I would chalk this up to the change of lifestyle.</p>
<p>When will you see her next? Ask her to send a photo via text message.</p>
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<p>Good point. I have the program set for “light” activity.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback from everyone! I think there are a couple of explanations why she is losing weight. She is getting more exercise walking around campus. She is also going to the gym once or twice a week. Therefore, she is burning more calories compared to when she lived at home. From what she has told me, it sounds like she is eating less for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When she goes to late night dining with friends, she usually doesn’t eat anything. Plus, she said she hardly ever snacks. She used to eat multiple snacks each day when living at home. I sent her to school with plenty of snack foods. Since then, I have offered to bring her more snacks (we are only 30 minutes away). She said she doesn’t need any.</p>
<p>I wonder if she is afraid of the “freshman 15” and is eating less to avoid weight gain? Or is she suffering from a return of her anxiety or depression which can affect her appetite? Or is this just an anomaly due to the scale she is using to weigh herself?</p>
<p>My H suggested that we wait a few more weeks and ask her for a weight update at that time. If she is still steadily dropping pounds, then we will address the problem with her.</p>
<p>Does she seem concerned? Are her clothes fitting differently? Were food issues significant when she was depressed? It is hard when you have a history of multiple factors that could affect her weight. Is she pleased with how the transition to school is going? You know her well and have supported her through challenges. Hopefully, this is similar to my DDs first time at summer camp- she lost weight initially because she didn’t add up how increased activity and not deliberately seeking her preferred food choices left her without quite enough fuel. She figured it out pretty quickly and upped her intake. New environments can be challenging to food routines.</p>
<p>If she is feeling okay and eating at least 2 solid meals a day, I wouldn’t worry too much. Weight can also fluctuate, not only between different scales, but also from day to day. I’m about 120 lbs, but there are days when my scale says I’m 117 and other days I’m 122. So on average, I’m about 120 lbs and I certainly don’t have the variations that an 18yo college freshman experiences.</p>
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<p>If she has a history of eating less with depression, be doubly on guard.</p>
<p>Check out [Around</a> the Dinner TableSupport forum for parents and caregivers of anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorder patients](<a href=“http://www.aroundthedinnertable.org%5DAround”>http://www.aroundthedinnertable.org). </p>
<p>These parents will be able to listen to your concerns and help you decide if this is the beginning of an eating issue or just a fluke, and how you can proceed.</p>
<p>The seven pound figure may be an estimate or based on water weight loss. As others have posted, if she’s walking around a lot, she may be losing weight. Also, the fact that she’s telling mom about it is a good sign; it suggests that she’s not hiding an eating disorder.</p>
<p>I think a lot of new college students go through an adjustment period regarding diet, because for the first time in their lives, they are not having their food intake managed or directed by someone else. This adjustment is often manifested through the infamous freshman 15 but it may also be manifested this way as well. From my observation, I really do think a lot of kids need to “learn to eat” in a healthy, self-regulating way in an unstructured setting.</p>
<p>When S2 was a college freshman, he never ate breakfast, choosing more sleep over getting up early to go to the dining hall before classes. He had always eaten breakfast (if you call Pop Tarts and milk a meal) when living at home. </p>
<p>He attends a big state u. with lots of walking required. He ended up losing almost 25 lbs. his freshman yr. He was a big guy (high school football lineman who had gained weight when football ended) so it was a good thing for him. But the point is, he wasn’t trying to lose weight and still ate plenty of junk food (burgers,fries,pizza). The everyday exercise plus skipping breakfast just made it happen.</p>
<p>Is your daughter underweight at baseline or just thin? With the 7 lb loss is she now underweight? If she is underweight, I would definitely ask her to add snacks, eat more during meals and check her weight weekly to see that it has stabilized and/or returned to baseline. </p>
<p>Given what you have written, it is likely that her weight loss is due to transitioning to college- increased activity, decreased snacks, missed meals (from sleeping in) can lead to weight loss in some students. If this is the problem, it can be remedied with increased snacks and increased amounts/calories at meals. </p>
<p>I would be concerned and have her go to student health services if
- she is underweight and does not want to gain weight back, increase snacks and/or eat more etc.
- she has symptoms of depression or anxiety currently
- she has a distorted body image
- she has other symptoms which might suggest physical illness (fatigue, diarrhea, fever, etc)
- her weight continues to drop despite attempts to eat more.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman who started the year very thin. He’s been hungry (emailed “Send Peanutbutter”, missing breakfast, and not having enough snacks. I have been trying to help him brainstorm how to eat more at school and crossing my fingers that he won’t be too thin when I see him at fall break.</p>