Laura Scott
February 7, 2011
When in high school there is constant pressure to look a certain way, hang out with a certain crowd, be prom king or queen. Once you get to college none of that “drama” matters anymore. In college it is perfectly acceptable to wear sweatpants and you can hang out with whomever you want, the pressure to fit in is no longer an issue. College is really more about finding friends who have similar interests and surrounding yourself with them. So although your social life becomes a little easier, unfortunately it’s the other things that become more difficult. In the past most kids worried about getting along with their roommate, or doing their own laundry, however in the past few years there is another concern on the minds of many, the freshman fifteen.
When you are living at home chances are good that your diet has become pretty steady, but once you get to college it’s a whole different game. Now you have a dining hall with tons of different options, ranging from burgers and fries to subs or salads. With all these options it’s hard to remember correct nutrition and appropriate portion size. Another obstacle with dorm life is dorm food, most commonly consisting of Raman noodles, easy mac, or Chef Boyardee. Now gaining weight isn’t completely the students fault. College is a very stressful time. For most people the common eating triggers are anxiety, homesickness, sadness, boredom or stress. All of these emotions are completely normal and acceptable, however if eating is what makes you feel better then there are certain tricks to avoiding that weight gain consequence. The first trick is to watch what it is that you are actually eating. Unfortunately although Raman, easy mac and Chef Boyardee are all rather easy to make, they are horrible for our bodies. All three are loaded with sodium, calories, fat, and chemicals. Stick with foods that are good for you like whole grain cereals, animal crackers, protein bars, oatmeal, nuts, raisins, or peanut butter crackers. All of those foods are completely body and dorm friendly.
At Rowan there are actually a lot of good places to eat. On campus we have the Market Place, Garden Fresh, Poblano’s, The Press, Pronto Fresco to go, Profs, The Rec Cafe, The Robinson Cafe, Jazzman’s, and The Owl’s Nest. No matter where you go there is always a healthy alternative to typical fatty foods. In the market place there is a section with burgers and fries, however there is a beautiful salad and sandwich bar, as well as another counter where you can get things like roasted chicken and mashed potatos. The cafes have a variety of salads and sandwiches as well as coffee and other beverages available. If you are looking for something later in the evening Prof’s Place is the place to go. Inside Prof’s there are two places to eat, Yellas Grill and Yellas Deli. Both places also give you a caloric inventory on almost every option, so there is a perfect opportunity to see exactly what is in what you are eating. All nutrition facts for any food served at rowan can also be found on the Rowan website under dining services.
Anyone that says they eat so well they don’t have to work out is either a freak of nature or is lying. Being healthy requires a healthy diet as well as physical activity. order to maintain your current weight most experts recommend getting your heart rate in between sixty five and eighty five percent of your total heart zone, for at least twenty minutes, at least three times a week. It is completely up to you how you get that heart rate up. For some people it’s the issue of motivation. Well a great solution for that is group exercise or exercise classes. This way you have someone there telling you what to do and you’re not wasting your time on exercises that aren’t going to benefit you. Classes are also a great way to meet people, the people are so inviting and warm that you don’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable.
Rowan has a really nice Rec Center, fully equipped with basketball courts, volleyball courts, a track, a pool, ping pong tables, racket ball courts, and then there is the actually fitness center. In the fitness center there are treadmills, ellipticals, stair-masters, stationary bikes, and well as state of the art weight machines. In addition, the rec center also offers a range of fitness classes taught by certified students. The classes include a range of aerobics, strength training, and stretching.
Other things you have to watch out for are smoking and drinking. Smoking is said to decrease your appetite, and while that may be true, it is going to make any physical activity more challenging. Drinking is another major issue, you really have to watch what all you are drinking, alcohol is extremely high in calories and sugar. Also remember that sleep is very important. Although it is college and getting eight hours of sleep isn’t always possible, do your best to make sure that you aren’t pulling all nighters too often. Not only will fatigue make you feel sluggish but it also lowers your tolerance to things like stress or anxiety which can prompt poor eating. I am not going to tell you that maintaining a healthy weight is easy. It’s not, it takes work and dedication. The point of this paper is just to make you more conscious and maybe to make the idea of gaining a little less stressful, by giving you tools to “nip it in the butt” before it becomes a real problem.
http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html#
No comments:
Post a Comment