Late night snacking has become the bane of my existence. Before college, as the girl who went to bed consistently every night before 10pm (hashtag loser status), I never ever had a problem with not eating past 8pm. College has completely and totally turned that upside-down. Now, as I find myself still semi awake by midnight with my stomach growling, I continuously turn to quick, easy and generally unhealthy snack foods for my quick fix. Living in South has only made my snacking problem worse. Redifer Commons has a late night buffet open from 9 to 11pm with lots of awesome foods like doughnuts, bacon, bagels, cookies, fries, chicken and (I hate to say it) ice cream. Of course they also have veggies, wheat bread and salad, but at 10 at night, I am hardly in the mood for a healthy snack. As my eyes feast on the piles of doughnuts, but willpower seems to just float away, and I stalk up on all sorts of delicious and fattening goodies. Sorority recruitment has only made this snacking problem worse. After a long 5 hours night of talking to girls about EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN, I am really in the mood to treat myself to some sugary food. The result has been a disgusting weight gain in only the last week.

Here is the science behind late night snacking. Basically, after a long day of working overdrive, your body begins to slow down around 9 or 10. This includes your metabolism! When a person’s metabolism slows down, so does digestion. This means, that any food you eat after 9 generally only half digests before you fall asleep. Because your body is inactive when sleeping, this means that the majority of the calories from your food are being directly absorbed into your body and are not actually being burned like they would normally be in the daytime when you are active. However horrible it may sound, you are actually putting on weight while you sleep. Ugh right? Here are some three tips and tricks to avoid that extra pound or two you never should have gained.

1. Try to limit snacking after 9pm. It’s so obvious! Take the Nike saying, and do the opposite. JUST DON’T DO IT. We all know how hard that can be, so read on…

2. Only keep healthy food in your dorm room. When you are tired and hungry at midnight, you probably won’t be likely to get out of bed, into appropriate clothing and walk to the nearest grocery store. Therefore, you will probably turn to eating all the food in your dorm room. If all you have in your room are cheese puffs and chocolate, then that’s what you will eat. Follow the “Susan philosophy” (Susan is my Mom) and stalk up on veggies, apples and healthy cereals. In my fridge, I have a healthy supply of carrots, apples and shredded wheat along with a lot of water and milk. I also have yogurt and granola for the REALLY late night snacking that turns into becoming my breakfast.

3. If you do end up hauling yourself out of bed and to the nearest dining hall, try to use self-control. I know it’s hard. I am still struggling! Try to limit the amount of bad food you put into your to-go container. For every cookie you grab, take twice as many veggies, and try to eat those first. That way, you might be full by the time you actually get to the cookies. When in doubt, fruit is always the way to go.

Late nights will always be a norm in college, but a 30 pound weight gain is not! Stay away from the unhealthy late night food guys! Your metabolism and body will thank you later.

As a Penn State student on a campus that is famed for its’ creamery ice cream, I knew that my ice cream addiction coming into college was going to be a struggle. As an addict, I know that the first step to taking action is admitting the problem, so here it goes. I HAVE A HORRIBLE, AWFUL ICE CREAM ADDICTION. There. I said it. As far as addictions go, let’s be real. Ice cream is hardly the worst thing I could be addicted to (something I constantly tell myself as I am working through by second helping of chocolate fudge swirl.)  Some students just have to have their morning cup of coffee. I simply have to have my daily three bowls of ice cream. Of course, I put all the blame for my addiction on my dad. We have the same horrendous sweet tooth, and he kept the freezer stocked with ice cream for the majority of my childhood. Luckily, my Mom took a stand against unhealthy food a few years back and slyly swapped out our “thickly churned” flavors for sorbet and frozen yogurt. My Dad and I took an immense pride in the fact that slowly, our everyday ice cream eating binge turned into a once or twice a week habit.

Everything changed, however, when I lived in Ecuador for a year and had 30 cent ice cream tempting me at every single street corner. I ate it every day. Multiple times a day. I just could never seem to get tired of the stuff! Although I tried to blame by 15 pound weight gain on the Ecuadorian rice I ate for 3 meals a day, the true culprit was probably my 9-a-day ice cream cone habit. Now, as a freshman in college, I am trying to change this bad eating habit before it is too late. Unfortunately, thus far, I have been doing a God awful job. Here are a few things I have decided to do in an attempt to lessen my ice cream intake in college. Notice the key work LESSEN, not eliminate completely…

1. Frozen yogurt is still ice cream. I somehow managed to get it through my head my first week of school that frozen yogurt was a healthier option and could hardly be considered ice cream. My five bowls a day were justified! Well, I was WRONG. After doing some research, both frozen yogurt and ice cream still have the main ingredient: cream. Although there is a slight calorie difference (272 vs 235 for a small vanilla cone) it still does not justify eating all five bowls. Plus, my tummy felt just as bad after five bowls of frozen yogurt as it did after the same amount of ice cream.  A sure sign that I should not be substituting frozen yogurt into my diet.
2. SIT AS FAR AWAY FROM THE DESSERT TABLE AS POSSIBLE. This is a method that I have developed and honed to a T. My thought process is something along the lines of, “Maybe if I don’t have to see it, I won’t want it.” It has about a 30 percent success rate, but I am trying to improve! Really, I am!
3. Stick with one small cone on the way out the door. I am not trying to eliminate ice cream completely. I just need to cut down on the amount that I do eat. I have decided, that instead of putting it in a bowl and then having multiple bowls following my meal, I will grab a small cone on my way out the door. That way my penny pinching self will not want to swipe back in just for another cone. I will also save myself time by eating it on the walk to my next class!
4. Replace dessert after dinner with fruit. Because I tend to eat dinner so late, whatever I eat tends to sit and digest in my stomach while I sleep. This means that my body is absorbing more of the fats then it regularly would if I was active. Replacing ice cream with fruit for dinner would probably make me feel better in the long run and would also allow me to stay awake for a longer amount of time. Studies have shown that the complex sugars in fruits do not make you as tired as the “sugar rush” of the quick sugars in ice cream.
5. Do NOT binge. I know from past experience that trying to cut ice cream out of my diet completely will only lead to a binge later in the week. I am hoping that my new system will help me to gradually wean myself off of ice cream and avoid the binges!

I encourage each and everyone one of you to search deep inside yourselves. Are you addicted to fried chicken? Can you simply not live without that late night cookie dough? Confront it! Take action! If I can start a new eating plan, so can you.  This week and the next, strive to limit your favorite unhealthy food, and let me know how it goes. Hopefully, the two weeks will kick start a whole new eating plan.

Images from:

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&hl=en&biw=1188&bih=539&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=binge+eating&oq=binge+eating&gs_l=img.3..0l10.27532.29050.0.29198.12.8.0.4.4.0.164.665.6j2.8.0….0…1c.1.26.img..0.12.727.iyDS_II9I5A#facrc=_&imgdii=Epv1s05qd-3frM%3A%3BN_N4S3ssS7R-IM%3BEpv1s05qd-3frM%3A&imgrc=Epv1s05qd-3frM%3A%3BjH_RBzru2-e9cM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.diseaseproof.com%252Fuploads%252Fimage%252FDP%252520-%252520the%252520anatomy%252520of%252520a%252520binge.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.diseaseproof.com%252Farchives%252Fcat-binge-eating.html%3B525%3B294

Waking up in the morning is always rough, especially if you are not a morning person. Let’s face it, mornings are usually rushed, and between grabbing that cup of coffee and finishing up a homework assignment, the last thing a person has time for is breakfast. The mantra of “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” has been ingrained in my head since I was little. I never found it difficult to eat breakfast until I got to college.  This morning, as I was rushing around gathering materials for class and getting dressed, I almost forgot to eat breakfast. If a breakfast lover like myself almost doesn’t take the time to eat a small granola bar and an apple, there are probably many more people who skip the meal completely.   

Completely skipping breakfast is bad enough and is addressed later in this blog, but what is almost worse is students who eat all the wrong foods for breakfast.  I was one of those disgusting breakfast eaters only a few short years ago.  The delicious doughnuts, French toast covered in syrup and pancakes piled high with butter were always a scrumptious way to start out my morning. When I began eating healthily, however, that all changed. My breakfast this summer usually consisted of yogurt after the gym with fruit and granola. Luckily, this trend has continued into college. By buying my own yogurt and granola, I can usually make myself a quick and easy breakfast before running out the door to class. The few mornings I do go to eat breakfast in the dining commons, however, I have developed a system to avoid eating the foods I shouldn’t.

I usually always go to buffet styled breakfasts. They have the healthy food I enjoy eating, and I can pick out the portions I want. The buffet comes with some serious side effects, however. Here are a few tips and tricks to healthy buffet dining hall breakfasts:

1. AVOID THE DOUGHNUTS. Not only will these iced temptations provide you with almost your whole saturated fat intake for the day, but they will also give you a quick sugar rush which will then fade and leave you feeling exhausted. The same concept can be applied for sugary cereal.
2. Avoid fried breakfasts food. Although those hash browns might look amazing, they aren’t for your body. Avoid anything fried when it comes to breakfast food. 
3. Limit syrup. There is nothing wrong with the occasional pancake, waffle or French toast breakfast. Eating all three in one day, however, will lead to a cholesterol, carb and sugar overdose. Limit portions and the amount of syrup! When in doubt, yogurt and applesauce often make for a great healthier topper.
4. Fruit all the way. Try to eat as much fruit as you can in the morning. Whether it is piled on top of oatmeal or yogurt, fruits are complex carbs and healthy sugars that are a nutritious filler! Plus they also taste delicious. My favorites are strawberries and pineapple. Both are usually available in all buffet breakfast commons.
5. Drink fluids. Coffee actually can dehydrate your body. When drinking coffee in the morning, make sure you are also getting other fluids such as milk, water, tea and/or juice. My favorites are usually skim milk or caffeinated tea. Fluids will also fill up your stomach and make you seem fuller than you actually are. That will prevent overeating during all meals.

Obviously, not everyone eats breakfast. I am writing to convince you that you SHOULD! When trying to lose weight, eating breakfast will make your metabolism kick in and will actually help to burn more calories throughout the day. Whether it is eating a quick meal in your dorm room, a granola bar on the way to class, or a quick trip to the dinning commons nearest you, there are easy ways to eat a healthy breakfast! So tomorrow, set your alarm a measly 5 minutes earlier and grab some food. I promise you, and your body, won’t regret it.

Photos from: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=904&q=healthy+breakfast+foos&oq=healthy+breakfast+foos&gs_l=img.3…1123.4348.0.4491.22.10.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0….0…1ac.1.26.img..22.0.0.kpKFMP8_o4I#facrc=_&imgrc=PpPmVIDJqObx6M%3A%3BO9s2AMh9BlLC9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fblogs.bu.edu%252Fsargentchoice%252Ffiles%252F2012%252F02%252Fbreakfast-cereal-desk-lg.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fblogs.bu.edu%252Fsargentchoice%252F2012%252F02%252F07%252Fbecause-i-said-so-backing-up-moms-advice-to-eat-breakfast%252F%3B460%3B360

I have to admit, I felt that this was a daunting assignment, and I have had a blog for more than a year! I began blogging about my exchange year in Ecuador last August and was able to remain faithful to my blog for the majority of the year.  Looking back, I am so happy I did it as it provides something for me to look back on and helps me to remember all of my experiences. If anyone is interested, that blog is under the web address shannonecuador.blogspot.com.

Probably the most daunting thing about blogging is setting it up and picking a topic. Setting my blog up as been a disaster. I have changed themes about three times, my font will not “flow” correctly and my pictures will not save and download. Talk about frustrating! I have, however, come up with two ideas for my blog.

As a fitness fanatic, my options were obvious: healthy eating and workouts. Eating healthy is something I have struggled with my whole life. Cursed with my father’s sweet tooth, I am an ice cream and sweets addict.  Surprisingly, I have managed to stay away from fried foods, but I swear that the ice cream machines in the dining hall call my name. As I was thinking about blogging options, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, if I blogged about healthy eating habits, I actually would be able to following my own advice. Option one is a blog about healthy eating and the toils and trials of attempting to eat healthy on a college campus.

Option two is a little more intense. I love fitness. All aspects of it. I may not be the fastest, strongest or most agile, but I try my very hardest to keep up with the others around me. I have participated in a wide variety of sports ranging from basketball to cross country to swimming and have finally ended up doing crossfit. For those of you who haven’t heard of crossfit, it is a cardio weight lifting program that is just starting to be used in the military. Due to my obsession, I have quite a bit of fitness knowledge that I am ready to share with the world. Option two for blogging would be a blog about different aspects of working out in college. This could range anywhere from fitness gear, to stretching, to fitness classes to attend.

Of course the option of combining the two blogs would be ideal. To do that, however, I would have to talk about my general fitness experience at PSU. I had originally thought that was too general, but if I was able to focus each individual blog post, it could be possible. Thoughts are appreciated, and I would love feedback!!