<p>My D came home a few days ago, and she probably a size two now (used to be a four) and looks skinny.
This is a girl who ate so much in HS, that I told her to join a sport club in college, to keep the pounds away.<br>
Her appetite is not the same. I don't know if the sleeping marathon that she is currently in, has something to do with that. :)
She complained a lot about how bland, and repetitive the school food is. The problem is, I use more herbs and spices in my cooking, than the average person, and she expects the school food to be the same.</p>
<p>I hate to say this, but there is a chance that it may be an eating disorder, particularly when involving females. I don’t want to scare you, but please watch your kid and see how she is eating now that she is back home. I’d also have her doctor examine her (a typical thing many hold off to when a kid is back from college anyway).</p>
<p>you know the drill- dentist (if she’s bulimic, dentists are the first to know); Dr for a physical complete with blood work.</p>
<p>If she’s physically fine, make sure she gets her sleep, physical activity, and eating back on track.</p>
<p>I hated school food and I think I lost some weight on it too. I hate to sounds elitist or anything, but my parents are both excellent cooks. My father makes pizza from scratch, and I love. A lot of people I know loved the all-you-can-eat pizza in the dining halls, but I just thought I was pretty awful pizza. Same for omelets. I know so many people who thought the omelet bar was the best thing ever. I tried it (maybe twice) and concluded that these people did not know how to make omelets. Seriously though. They only offered two colors of American cheese and didn’t cook the vegetables at all before dumping them on top of the egg.</p>
<p>Anyway. Some schools have good food, but a lot really just have average food. A year of that can get very old. I also noticed that getting food at local sandwich shops and such was often healthier, tasted better, and ultimately cheaper. My meal plan (10 meals a week/minimum allowed freshman year) cost $11 a meal when you average it out! Does she have any way of preparing her own food, or is it feasible to try to eat less in the cafeteria. I don’t know how far away you live, but if it’s not too far, even preparing a few servings of some of her favorite food and giving it to her when you see her, so she can reheat it (if she has a mini-fridge and microwave) can be a treat.</p>
<p>My kids both stayed about the same weight so far in college & neither gained ANYTHING (nor lost anything). They both are the correct weight for their bodies & are actually healthier than they were in HS, so I’m not complaining. They’re happy that they continue to fit their clothes & don’t have to shop (which both hate to do).</p>
<p>Both my kids were able to cook in their apartments as well as eat on campus or near campus, whatever they preferred. Kids these days aren’t all that thrilled about dorm cooking (for the most part), since they’ve generally been fed pretty well at home & some of them DO lose weight as a consequence.</p>
<p>I agree with Blossom & CTYankee about these options.</p>
<p>If she was exhausted in college, that can burn calories as well as any medical issues that need to be checked out.</p>
<p>DD1 lost weight from all the walking she and her friends do around campus (especially with the hills the school has). I also think the same thing came up about eating the same food throughout the year being boring. I guess it makes home cooking seem that much better!</p>
<p>Freshman 15 evolved into 30 or more.</p>
<p>My daughter lost 15 pounds during her freshman year – from a combination of all the walking and the need to go to another building to obtain food, something that wasn’t always convenient. Since then, she has maintained the lower weight.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t assume that a one-dress-size weight loss is indicative of an eating disorder. It may just be indicative of a lifestyle change.</p>
<p>S2 lost a little weight. My guess is from the walking (big state u.) He was a football player (lineman) in h.s. who was constantly trying to keep his weight up but put on unwanted weight after his senior season with no spring workouts last year. So it was good for him to lose a few pounds his fresh. year. He did tell me recently that he “just can’t eat as much as he used to”. I’m hoping he will keep it off. He is living off campus now so no more “all you can eat” cafeteria food .</p>
<p>I lost weight during my freshman year (a looooong time ago) for the reasons Marian cites. I was a commuter, and the parking lot was nearly a mile away from my classroom buildings. The food was mostly junk and my schedule wasn’t conducive to a lunch break anyway. So I’d go off campus during odd hours for food, which meant either walking downtown or walking to my car to drive somewhere. I was in really good shape at the end of freshman year! I had difficulty finding clothes small enough – size 2 was sometimes too big. Trust me, I recovered. :o</p>
<p>I’ve noticed this year that my son (age 18, rising frosh) goes through phases where he’ll eat very little – even when there’s good food on the table – he just isn’t hungry. Other times, he’ll eat every bite and eyeball my plate. Pretty normal stuff for the late teens, if you ask me. It wouldn’t hurt to get dental and medical checkups, but the daughter’s behavior doesn’t sound alarming to me.</p>
<p>Freshman 20 (I’m guessing) for my D. Even though she complains about the cafeteria food, I think there’s a lot late night snacking among her friends.</p>
<p>If your daughter continues to sleep a lot, it might be a sign of depression. I agree that it’s worth looking into.</p>
<p>I lost a few pounds my freshman year. Like your daughter, I thought that the food wasn’t worth eating. The mystery meat was just scary. I pretty much survived on Caesar Salad.</p>
<p>DS lost some weight this first year of college. He attributes it to (1) the awful tummy bug that made the rounds of the dorm first semester, (2) the even worse tonsils that made him sick most of the year (since removed), (3) playing a college sport, and (4) school food that was not particularly appetizing. (I lost weight my first year in college too. Was not on the meal plan and walked everywhere. Kept it off til. . . my first pregnancy.)</p>
<p>OP–I don’t know how long your daughter has been home, but I’d give her a week or two to rest up/readjust to life at home. My kids always have check-ups during the summers anyway. Maybe sooner rather than later for your daughter?</p>
<p>
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If your daughter continues to sleep a lot, it might be a sign of depression.
[/quote]
Or just catching up. 
Freshman year is a pretty big adjustment. Once she’s caught up on her sleep, if crummy dorm food was the problem, you’ll probably see her appetite perking up a bit at the smell of home cooking. I’d give her a little winding down time, cook all her favorite foods for a week or two, and then go for the checkups just for peace of mind.</p>
<p>Ctyankee and Blossom, I agree with the two of you and she has an appointment with her doctor and dentist. She sleeps too much, but since she had her last final last week, I think she is making up for lost sleep.
Eirean, like you, my D is used to food made from scratch. Her biggest complain is that the food is tasteless. I don’t understand why she is not cooking.
Her school is on the opposite coast, and all she wanted me to send her were granola bars and nuts.</p>
<p>My son lost weight but he was packing on about 15 pounds he didn’t need so we were happy to see him at a good weight when he came home after freshman year. He’s kept it off for a couple years. But I would definitely keep a close eye on your daughter. My college roommate ended up an anorexic and was hopitalized way back when. I left for college with ten pounds I didn’t need and lost weight which was a good thing. Everyone is different, but I have a girlfriend who is currently very worried about her college junior and possible anorexia. If you are concerned enough to comment there may be something to be concerned about. I schedule my boys for a physical every year just because they always needed one for high school sports and now I schedule S1 when he’s home from college. You might think about doing that for your daughter just to be sure she’s not harming herself. There is thin and then there is too thin.</p>
<p>I am glad to see that loosing weight is not uncommon. Almost all the kids I know gained weight in college.
Geek_mom, I am going to cook all her favorite.
Marian, I hope you are right.</p>
<p>It’s also possible that she’s just not eating 3 meals a day at college. I certainly skipped breakfast a lot more than I should have, and also, I didn’t eat as much per meal at school as I did at home.</p>
<p>When you schedule the appointments, you should mention your concern about D’s weight so the doc/dentist can look out to see whether there is a medical issue that needs attention. They really can’t read your mind (have way too many patients anyway) & it would be much less awkward than mentioning it in front of D.</p>
<p>Hawkwings, you are right, she did not eat lunch (because of her schedule).
HImom, thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely tell her Doc.</p>