One big college myth (which happens to be true for many people) is the dreaded freshman 15. For anyone who doesn’t know, the freshman 15 are 15 pounds of weight that supposedly every college student gains their freshman year of college. Only a handful of people (like me) don’t put on those 15 pounds. Good thing for you, I’m here to give you 10 ways to avoid those 15 pounds.
- Go to the gym.
- While this may seem like the most obvious thing to do, it is actually harder than it seems. There is honestly so many things that you would want to do besides go to the gym. The most important thing is to try and be consistent because even working out for an hour will make a great difference.
- Cut out the late night snacking!
- Imagine this: You’re up late with some friends cramming for your math exam in the morning. It’s no surprise that you’ll want to snack on some chips or pizza, but for goodness’ sake, please make the decision to pass on it! Late night snacking leads to weight gain, and that’s the last thing you want.
- Don’t be tempted by the HUB
- The HUB-Robeson Center is at the center of campus and for this reason it is the go-to spot during the lunch hour (also because they offer us Panda Express, Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, and many other delicious choices). Even though most students I know love the HUB (especially for Starbucks) it is the quickest way to fall into bad eating habits.
- If you do go to the HUB, get Jamba Juice
- Even though we should try to limit the fast food that we eat in the HUB, one thing that could never be bad for you is Jamba Juice. If you’re in need for a quick pick me up or energy boost, then Jamba Juice is the best thing to help with that. The fresh fruit smoothies make everyone feel great!
- Utilize the Salad bar at North Commons
- Almost every dining hall is known for something; South dining halls for late night meals, East dining halls for their pizza and wing bar, Pollock dining halls for breakfast, and North dining halls is the go to for salad. While it is not the biggest dining hall of the bunch, they have an amazing salad bar. This is a great healthy option and replacement from more fatty foods.
- Skip the Loop and walk to class
- Here at Penn State, we conveniently have 4 free buses that take you around because its no surprise that its a pretty big campus. We have two Loops that circle around campus and the downtown area, and two Links that go from east to west campus. Even though campus may seem larger than life, its not impossible to walk from one end to the other in a practical amount of time. So yes, your first class may be across campus, and yes you may have to leave a couple minutes earlier to get there on time, but that little bit of extra walking can definitely make a difference.
- Take your Physical Ed credit now
- One thing that a lot of people don’t know about college is that you actually need to take a gym class like you did in high school. You only need 3 credits to fulfill the requirement however, so you should be able to knock it out in one semester. There are so many classes that Penn State offers to fulfill this requirement like basketball, jogging, and even yoga. A great way to make sure you stay in shape is to take a physical education class so that for at least 2 days of the week, you get at least an hour of physical activity.
- Take West African Dance with Kikora Franklin
- Just like there are classes set aside for physical education, there are some classes set aside for arts. West African dance is one of those, and while it is a form of art, Professor Franklin really gives you a work out! West African dance is a high energy dance class that allows you to learn about different styles of West African dance and culture. Being engaged in this class means getting your body moving and performing dance moves to your best capability. Definitely a way to shed some pounds.
- Join an IM team or Club sport
- So since everyone can’t be on an official Penn State sports team, there are Intramural Teams, also known as IM teams, and club sports. There are IM teams and club sports for basketball, flag football, soccer, rugby and so many others. This is a great way to stay in shape and have fun playing a sport that you love.
- Give yourself a cheat day.
- With all the hard work it takes to stay in shape, it is good to at least allow yourself one guilty pleasure every once in a while. So go ahead and eat that free cake and ice cream that THON is giving out in the HUB without feeling guilty.
This is my gift to all future Penn Staters. May good luck be with you on your quest to avoid that freshman 15. And even if you happen to gain 15 lbs, don’t feel too bummed out about it, it happens to all of us. Yes, even me who got lucky freshman year and missed the extra 15 lbs (I gained them my sophomore year).
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