By Mary Ellen
Our younger son is off to college. He’s lean, fit and health conscious but I told him about the freshman fifteen. The freshman fifteen is all about gaining anywhere from five to fifteen pounds. Dorm students left to their own devices of eating at limitless buffets morning, noon and night find that their waistlines increase over the course of their freshman year. Also factoring into the weight gain equation is sleep deprivation along with new stressors. As sleep time decreases and stress increases the desire for extra fats and sweets goes up. Will power goes down. Filling up on Mountain Dew and cupcakes makes matters worse, not better.
It may be true that many of us finished our freshman year long ago, but how does our weight today compare to then? Can you find a few pounds that have snuck on over time? The Freshman Fifteen turned into the I’m Fifty Fifteen.
Here are a few tips, whether you are off to college for the first time or if you are off to work for the thousandth time. We can all be reminded about healthy steps to take.
1. Make time for sleeping
There is always more to do than there is day for – accept that. I love to cross items off my list, work out, tidy up, take care of business, but I cannot do everything in one day. It is important to take time in the evening to wind down. That might be reading a book, doing a puzzle, or taking a bath. Studies indicate the lights from your computer screen reduce the production of melatonin, a critical element in for your natural sleep cycle. That means shut it down well before you get horizontal. Aside from the light, you really don’t want to read an upsetting email or piece of news right before you want to go to sleep. A good night’s sleep allows your body to repair itself. It also supports you to make more sensible eating choices the next day.
2. Pay attention to what you eat
Are you driving? Watching TV? Reading? Stop – and just eat. You can visit with your friends and family and listen to pleasant music, but get rid of the other distractions. The distractions limit your eating experience, so you don’t know when you are getting full and you don’t appreciate what you are eating. This leads to overeating. Put your food on a plate, sit down and enjoy.
3. Eat when your body is hungry
Yes, that seems painfully obvious, but we often eat for other reasons. We eat because it’s lunchtime, because someone brought in a cake or because the dish looks good. With the abundance and availability of food from morning to late night, we add excessive calories just because the food was there. When you are truly hungry, eat.
4. Eat food with vibrant colors, varying taste and textures
A crisp rosy apple is easy. For a magnificent salad with the elements of sweet, crunchy, colors and taste, here’s a recipe: fresh spinach leaves, crumbled or cubed feta, whatever berries are currently available and nuts (I like toasted pecans but you can use walnuts or almonds). That is perfect, but you can certainly add anything else (apples, zucchini, etc.) you desire. For a dressing that pulls the show together mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a little sugar and salt. Shake and pour. Don’t drown your leaves – you just adding a little moisture.
5. Consider that the meal you are eating is probably not your last
The extra piece of juicy steak, the last few French fries, one more muffin – you don’t need it. Relax. There will be opportunities to eat in the near future. If you grew up in a Clean Plate Family, you don’t have to live there any more. Give it up.
Sweet Tip: The buffet of life has many desserts, most are calorie laden and very few offer incredible nutrition, but they are fun. My son likes to end his meal on a sweet note. He puts fruit (and sometimes salad) on a separate plate. After eating most of his dinner (always with some protein), he enjoys a serving of fruit. It’s sweet, filling and wonderfully good for the body. THEN, he picks a single cookie or a small piece of something. This way he does not over-do the dessert.
Don’t be thinking about dieting. Your diet is what you eat every day. Think about what you eat on a regular basis. Making healthy choices every day add up to a lifetime of well-being.
Eat Well. Be Well.
