Back To School Weight Loss Tips

Heading off to college is a great way to gain an education and the skills you need to prepare you for the real world.  But many will also gain something else, something dubbed the “Freshman Fifteen.”  This change in lifestyle can bring a change in the waistline, but with a little preparation and know-how you can make your weight (and health) one less thing to worry about.

Try to avoid vending machines by keeping healthy snacks on hand.

• Participate in an extracurricular activity like softball, kickball, etc.
• Sign up for gym class or your college’s equivalent of a gym class.
• Walk to class. Map out your walking route ahead of time.
• Buy a pedometer and set a goal of at least 8000 steps per day.
• Take up yoga or meditation classes – you will burn calories and relieve stress.
• Put a rainbow on your plate (and not with skittles).  Load your plate with leafy greens, carrots, apples, etc.  Color signals potential health benefits when the item is natural (skittles don’t come from the ground).
• Most campuses have a dietician you could visit with to learn about healthy eating.
• Don’t skip breakfast!
• Keep healthy snacks on hand to avoid hitting up the vending machine.  Fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, whole grain bread and nuts are all good choices.
• Sleep is important for keeping pounds off and to relieve stress.  Try to get at least 8 hrs a night.
• Swap out soda for water or skim milk.
• Make healthier choices when you eat fast food (I would say skip the fast food, but I was in college once and I know how hard that can be).  Pass on the fries, or anything fried for that matter, order the chicken sandwich instead of the 1/2lb burger and get a water to drink instead of soda.