Fighting the Freshman Fifteen By Pamela Kripke
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 How not to eat your way trough the first year of college.
It's the kind of dream you'd have if you went to bed hungry. Tables of apple pies, miles of fudge brownies, your very own silver ice cream freezer. There are homemade breads and hamburgers and salad things, the likes of which you've never seen. And all your friends are there, laughing and having a great time. It's an absolute paradise. And it's not a dream. It's college. It's fun. And it's fattening.
For many freshman girls, going away to college means more than new friends and hard work. It means gaining weight. The Freshman Fifteen, as it's known. if you're a senior and you like the way you look now, it's not something you're looking forward to. If you want to lose a few pounds, it may be something you dread.
lt all starts in the dining hall. Most first-year students aren't used to having such huge quantities of food (inducing endless desserts) available at every meal; most haven't had to decide -meal after meal- what should go on their plate and what shouldn't, either. Dining halls also display everything, often inches from where you sit. "You just walk by and it's there," says one freshman who gained seven pounds by Thanksgiving vacation. "At home you had to go and look for it, and very of ten it wasn't in the fridge."
Despite the temptations of dining halls, the problem wouldn't be half so bad if students only ate there - and at set mealtimes. But college life means that you eat just about everywhere - and around the clock. There are latenight pizza parties, make-your-own-sundae socials, convenient candy and soft-drink vending machines, grilled-cheese-sandwich get-togethers . . . it's endless.
So the food is there, and the inclination to eat may well be, too. "There's a need for new ways to handle new pressures," says Lisa R. Silberstein, Ph.D., of the Yale University Eating Disorders Clinic, in New Haven, Connecticut. "Many times kids work out these anxieties through food." Also when you're worried about getting all the work done and getting good grades, "It's hard to give yourself permission to break from studying," she adds. "One of the few sanctioned things is a food break."
Another factor is that "freshmen may not have much in the way of a sense of belonging," says Dr. Richard Kreipe of the Adolescent Eating Disorder Program at Strong Memorial Hospital, in Rochester, New York. "Because they tend to be lonely or homesick, they often find consolation in food-the classic example is the Care Package." The social life of a dorm or house of ten revolves around communal snackfests, too, so it's easy to fall into eating just as a way of being part of the group.
Add to this the fact that it takes many freshmen a while to figure out how and when to get exercise, and gaining weight becomes even more likely. Even if you've always worked out, it can seem as if it's too complicated or that there's just too much going on to keep it up once you get to college. Trying to find the tennis courts, let alone a partner, your first week on campus can seem like an overwhelming challenge.
The good news for those who do gain is that the Freshman Fifteen really is a freshman phenomenon, and it doesn't have to be permanent. Before you even see those brownies, pies, and stacks of pizza, though, you should know that there are ways to avoid eating out of control.
DON'T GO ON A DIET. Unless you're drastically overweight, you should simply concentrate on eating sensibly. Eat foods that taste good and that satisfy you. And eat three regular, healthy meals a day so you maintain energy and aren't ever starving.
FIND REGULAR EXERCISE. When you get to school, check out the athletic facilities and sign up for a class or join a team. Take advantage of the track. Use the pool. Most schools have a lot of resources, and they're free.
KEEP MOVING. Use the stairs instead of riding the elevator. Skip the shuttle bus and walk to class. If you pick a new route every day, you'll learn your way around campus that much faster. Don't just sit in your dorm and vegetate.
BEWARE OF KEEPING FOOD IN YOUR ROOM. When it's too easy to snack, you can find yourself eating just because you're bored or fidgety or lonely. Make yourself go out when you want something, and you may just solve all of those problems - without food.
STUDY IN THE LIBRARY. That way you won't be in your room every night at 9:30 when your suitemates crank up the toaster oven.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DRINK. If you're of legal drinking age in your state, watch out for beer and liquor, both of which are very fattening- and plentiful on most campuses.
LOOK FOR FOODLESS WAYS TO MAKE FRIENDS. Join a singing group or club. Go to campus-sponsored movies and lectures. Play Ping-Pong. It may take a little more effort on your part, but it's worth it.
Most important, accept the fact that if you gain a few pounds freshman year, it's no big deal. There's no reason to overreact at the expense of your schoolwork and your general happiness. If you're eating properly and you're not hungry and not stuffed, then you probably shouldn't worry about your weight. That way it'll be easier to concentrate on the things that really matter.
Source: Seventeen Magazine
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