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‘Avoiding the Freshman 15’ Category

  1. Metabolism Myths: Fact v. Fiction

    04/10/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    There are many myths that I’m sure many of you have heard regarding metabolism. I recently came across an article that distinguished the difference between which myths are fact and which are fiction. We are always looking for ways to speed up our metabolism but are the ways we attempt to do this actually working? Here are some of the most commons myths:

    1. Drinking ice water can help speed up your metabolism. This myth is actually true. The effect is small but drinking about 5 glasses a day could potentially help you burn about 10 extra calories per day! (Global)

    2. Celery and some other vegetables are “negative calorie” foods. This myth is false. You may have heard of the term “negative calorie” meaning the food you are eating takes more calories to burn off then are actually in the food. Celery has about 6 calories but takes about  a half of a calorie to burn off. So according to the article on Global Health and Fitness, negative calorie foods are more wishful thinking than anything.

    3. Protein helps to ignite your metabolism. This myth is true. Interestingly enough, your body burns up to twice as many calories while digesting the protein. Eating about 10 to 20 g of protein per meal will greatly boost your metabolism.

    In perspective, there are more myths about metabolism that are true rather than false. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two!

    negative-calorie-food-329x390*image taken from Google

    Works Cited

    “Metabolism Myths..GLOBAL HEALTH AND FITNESS.” Metabolism Myths..GLOBAL HEALTH AND FITNESS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. <http://www.globalhealthandfitness.com/metabolism myths.htm>.


  2. Dorm workouts

    04/03/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    We all know that sometimes it’s just impossible to make time to go to the gym. Whether we be swamped with school work, sick with a cold or flu, pledging a frat or sorority, it just isn’t easy to make time to walk ten minutes to go workout for an hour or so. The good news is there are a few simple workouts you can do right in your dorm.

    drworkout_lead1 *image taken from Google

    1. The first one is recommended to do right before you get in the shower. It’s pretty quick and not too hard: 50 jumping jacks, 5 push ups, 20 crunches, 20 mountain climbers, and a 30 second plank. This workout uses a lot of important muscles like your abs, triceps, biceps and quads.

    2. Another workout that can give you a good sweat in your room is this “full body meltdown.” It is very similar to the previous workout but a little longer: 40 jumping jacks, 15 squats, 20 lunges, 40 mountain climbers, 5 burpees, 50 bicycle crunches, :20 superman, 5 push ups, 40 high knees, 20 vertical leg crunches, :30 plank, 40 mountain climbers  (Pinterest). This workout will get your heart pumping and work even more muscles.

    3. The last workout is called the 300 abs workout. This one consists of 300 reps that specifically targets the stomach area. It is: 30 crunches, 20 bicycle crunches, 30 toe touches, 20 reverse crunches, 15 side plank hip lifts (R), 30 crunches, 15 side plank hip lifts (L), 49 Russian twists, 30 bicycle crunches, 15 oblique v-ups (R), 20 reverse crunches, 15 oblique v-ups (L), 10 leg lifts (youmefit.com)

    All three of these workouts are good to do in the comfort of your own dorm and you will definitely burn some calories doing them! A good tip to keep in mind is that if you go through the entire work out and don’t feel tired, it won’t hurt to go back and do the whole thing again!

    Works Cited

    “300 Reps for Six Pack Abs.” You Me Fit. N.p., 12 July 2012. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. <http://www.youmefit.com/2012/07/12/how-to-300-reps-abs/>.

    “Full Body Meltdown.” Back on Pointe. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. <http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/24692929171/another-quick-workout-to-get-your-heart-pumping>.

    Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2013. <http://pinterest.com/cmhaurin/i-be-up-in-the-gym-just-workin-on-my-fitness/>.


  3. Ways to help motivate yourself to workout!

    03/27/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    We all know that sometimes it’s very difficult to find that motivation to work out instead of take a nap or go out to lunch with friends.  Or sometimes we just plain and simple do not feel like working out.  Personally speaking, if I am really tired or have an invite to go hang out with friends I usually do that instead of working out. However now I know a few tips that will definitely make me rethink my decision next time!

    1. Tell yourself you will go to the gym just for 15 minutes. After that 15 minutes of working out, if you still really do not feel like being there then leave! At least you still got somewhat of a sweat in. However, once your body starts going, chances of you wanting to quit after only 15 minutes are very slim.

    2. Ask your friends to come work out with you! Working out with a partner or group of friends is always easier and more enjoyable. You have each other to stay motivated. This is also a good way to learn new workouts from people!

    3. Get dressed for the gym and put on some pump up music. After listening to some music that livens your mood, you will already be dressed and ready to go workout!

    4. The last tip is try to fast forward through your potential workout and think about how great you’re going to feel afterward. No regrets that you took that nap, and chances are your workout will have given you more energy for the day!

    workout

     

    *image taken from Google

    Works Cited

    Nichols, Nicole. “40 Things to Try When You Don’t Want to Work Out.” DailySpark RSS. N.p., 6 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. <http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=40_things_to_try_when_you_dont_want_to_work_out>.


  4. Metabolism Boosting Foods

    03/20/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    As we all know being healthy in college is tough. Eating the right foods proves to be difficult when everything looks so delicious at the commons. The good news is there are a few foods that will naturally boost your metabolism.

    1. The first thing that will boost metabolism by about 30% from just one glass is water. Although water is not food it is still a “natural appetite suppressant” (fitday.com). Ice water in particular will help to speed your metabolism because your body works extra to maintain your normal body temperature.

    2. Another food that will help to boost your metabolism is oatmeal. Oatmeal alone has a number of benefits for your body. It is rich in fiber and fills you up quickly. It also gives you a lot of energy.

    3.  Like oatmeal, any food that is rich in fiber will prove to be a good metabolism booster. Foods like “beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables” (fitday.com) will provide the body with nutrients and prevent the body from storing unwanted fat that will lead to weight gain.

    In the end, it all comes down to what we put on our tray at the commons. If we can add more of these things into our diet, we will not gain as much weight!

    oatmeal

    *image taken from Google

    Works Cited

    “9 Metabolism Boosting Foods For Faster Weight Loss.” / Nutrition / Weight Loss. Fit Day, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2013. <http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/weight-loss-1/9-metabolism-boosting-foods-for-faster-weight-loss.html>.


  5. Importance of Sleep

    03/14/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    Sleep: the one thing college kids need most. We all know that during the week it is especially hard to get a proper night of sleep. This means, for most people our age, we need from 6-10 hours (most people need 7-8). A good indicator on whether or not we are getting enough sleep is ask yourself: do I find I sleep at least an extra two hours per night on the weekend? If you answer yes to this then you definitely need to get more sleep during the week. There are a bunch of great benefits to sleep! The first is that there is a strong correlation between sleep and weight gain. The less sleep you get the more likely it is that you will gain weight faster. Also, students who get more sleep tend to do better in school. This makes sense because if you get a good night sleep you will not have to spend half the day napping, you will have plenty of energy to get work done! In addition to this, more sleep strengthens your immune system so you will be much less likely to get colds and the flu. So, after all is said and done, sleep is much more important than we think!

    sleep-on-books-1.10.12

     

    *image taken from Google

    Works Cited

    “Sleep Rocks! …get More of It!” University Health Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.uhs.uga.edu/sleep/index.html>.

    Rosen, Dennis. “11 Reasons Why a Good Night’s Sleep Is so Important.” Psychology Today. N.p., 20 May 2009. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleeping-angels/200905/11-reasons-why-good-nights-sleep-is-so-important>.


  6. Vitamins you should be taking

    02/27/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    Being in college we all know that sometimes we don’t get enough sleep, are really stressed at times, and don’t always eat as healthy as we should. Also, I know that sometimes we may forget that Vitamins are there for our benefit. Here are a few vitamins that will help us get nutrients we need.

    1. The first one is a multivitamin. It’s hard to get all the nutrients we need from the food at the commons so by taking a multivitamin we can ensure that we get the proper nutrients we may miss out on from our meals at the commons.

    2. Vitamin C is another vitamin that is very useful for college students. Vitamin C promotes a healthy immune system. In college, the common head cold is a very popular virus that a lot of us are affected by. I’m not saying that if you take Vitamin C every day you’lll never get sick, but your immune system will be stronger so therefore you will most likely get sick less often.

    3. B Vitamins are the last type of vitamin that are beneficial for the typical college student. B vitamins are known for energy production. They also aid in healthy nerve and cognitive functions. In addition to this, they help with “memory and emotional well-being” (Naturomedica.com).

    All in all, vitamins are a simple fix to ensure we get added nutrients to our college diets here at Penn State.

    vitamins*image taken from Google

    Works Cited

    Monster, Jill. “Blog.” What Vitamins and Supplements Should My Kids Be Taking While They Are Away at College? N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.naturomedica.com/blog/post/what-vitamins-and-supplements-should-my-kids-be-taking-while-they-are-away-at-college>.


  7. A deeper look into Pilates

    02/22/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    pilates-back-pain

     

    *image taken from Google

    What is Pilates? According to WebMD, Pilates is  “the system of strengthening and stretching exercises designed to develop the body’s core, mobilize the spine and build flexibility.” If anyone has ever done yoga, Pilates is very similar but doesn’t just focus on breathing and the yoga pose. There are many health benefits to taking this class. The first is that it really focuses on moving with your core. In turn, if you do enough Pilates you will have a flat, toned stomach. Another benefit is that Pilates works the entire body at once. Although you really focus on your core, throughout the course of the class you will engage every muscle in some type of exercise.Another cool thing about Pilates is that it makes you more aware of how your body moves. You start to pay more attention to your posture…sitting in class slouched over all day and then going to the gym is a recipe for disaster. WebMD made a really interesting analogy: “Think of a tree, Pilates experts say. Does it have all its strength in its limbs? No. The tree is only as strong as its trunk and roots. Without a strong trunk, the tree would topple over.” When you think about it, this is very true. If we do not have a strong core then working out is harder and less effective. If you have time definitely try to work Pilates into your weekly schedule, you won’t regret it!

     

    Works Cited

    Sarnataro, Barbara Russi SarnataroWebMD Weight Loss. “Pilates Exercises and Workout Benefits.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/the-benefits-of-pilates>.

     


  8. Working out can be fun!

    02/14/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    Besides eating right, working out also helps in avoiding the freshman 15. Sometimes it’s really hard to find the motivation to choose the gym over taking a nice nap. Buuuttttt did you know Penn State gyms have some really fun classes you can take for free if you have a gym membership? Every day the White Building offers a variety of different classes you can participate in. I have done quite a few myself so here’s a small review on some of them:

    Total Muscle Conditioning: This class, in my opinion, is very tiring. Basically it’s an hour of doing different exercises with weights, stability balls, etc. I didn’t really like this one because I’m not much of a weight lifter but if you’re into that then I would highly recommend this class!

    Calorie Killer: This class will literally leave you sore for a few days after. Calorie Killer is an hour of interval training. In other words, you do about 5-7 minutes of challenging cardio exercises and then 5-7 minutes of strength training (involving weights, push-ups, etc.). This one is not my favorite class but if you’re looking for a solid all-around workout you should try it out!

    Power Remix: This class is 45 minutes of dancing, basically. It’s fun and you get a little sweat in!

    Pilates: This class is a personal favorite. It’s 45 minutes of doing different Pilates exercises. If you want to have a relaxing workout but still feel sore in the morning this is the class for you.

    Washboard Abs: This one is only 20 minutes but it is pure ab exercises. I like it because it’s short but you really attack those ab muscles. It’s challenging but effective!

    As you can see there’s quite a variety of classes you can take. The best part is you can go with friends and workout together in a fun setting. Here’s the link to the class schedules, enjoy!

    http://www.athletics.psu.edu/fitness/schedule.html


  9. Preventing those dreaded 15 pounds

    02/06/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    College seems to make it almost impossible to be healthy. But here are a few tips that may help the everyday struggle of being healthy:

    1. Don’t skip any meals! This may sound weird but eating 4-5 small meals per day instead of 3 big meals will keep you full for longer and keep your metabolism always working.

    2. Drink alot of water! Not only is water a healthy substitution for soda, it also helps to keep you full for longer. A quick tip to eat less at the commons…drink a full glass of water before you start eating. This will make you feel full quicker so therefore you will eat less junk food while at the commons.

    3. It’s true when they say the more color on your plate the better. When picking your food out at the commons try to go for more fruits and veggies, they really are the healthiest option!

    4. Know what correct portion sizes are. To help put it into perspective, here is an image I found on Google that demonstrates what the correct portion size is for certain foods: Serving-Size-of-Common-Foods1_001

     

    5. One last tip that may seem obvious is to exercise. It can be as simple as walking to class instead of taking the bus if you don’t really like going to the gym. Every little bit counts!

    If you stick to these 5 simple tips, avoiding the freshman 15 will be easier than you think.


  10. How does the freshman 15 happen?

    01/31/2013 by Chelsea Haurin

    In college, weight gain seems inevitable. The “freshman 15” can creep up on you without you even realizing it. There are many different, some subtle, ways for these extra to pounds to add on to your weight. As you may guess, many of the ways to gain this weight involve eating habits. Whether it be eating out of boredom instead of hunger or just completely changing your diet, food is definitely a big contributor to the freshman 15.

    junk food

    *picture taken from Google

    As I just mentioned, eating habits strongly affect weight gain. Growing up at home I can personally say that my mom usually planned my meals. I had breakfast almost every morning, ate a good lunch, and came home to cooked meals almost every night. Eating my fruits and vegetables was never an option, I always had to do it. In college, there is no one to tell you what, when, or where to eat. Options for meals are endless especially when you eat in the commons. Also, it is very easy to snack while studying or watching Netflix in your room without even realizing you’re eating. Another “crime” college students tend to make is eating emotionally. Whether it be eating because we feel sad, homesick, or stressed, emotional eating affects many.

    On top of changing eating habits, another major factor that affects weight gain in college is drinking. Many college students engage in drinking activities during the weekends. Alcoholic drinks are very high in calories. To put it into perspective:

    1 regular beer= 150 calories (1 light beer= 116 calories)

    1 glass of white wine ranges from 110-130 calories

    1 glass of red wine ranges from 114 to 120 calories

    1.5 oz shot glass filled with liquor will vary, but one shot of whiskey= 98 calories

    (livestrong.com)

    Not only is alcohol high in calories, it also affects muscle tissue. Muscle tissue will eventually start to deteriorate from binge drinking which in turn will lower metabolism. So as you can see alcohol definitely contributes to the freshman 15.

    All in all, changing eating habits and excessive alcohol consumption are the two main contributors of the freshman 15. It is not easy avoiding these extra pounds but it is do-able!

    Works Cited

    Wilkinson, Juliet. “How Many Calories Does a Standard Drink Contain?”LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 20 Dec. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.


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