Ah, the great myth of the Freshman 15. You might have heard about it in a conversation with your best friends over lunch, or you might have seen it happen when your brother came home after his freshman year looking 20 pounds bulkier than when he left. However, it’s no myth. The truth is, most students struggle with their weight, whether it’s putting on the pounds or even just maintaining it, not only their first year, but for their entire college experience.

Gaining weight can be especially troubling when trying to balance between a hefty workload, enduring a new environment and making friends. An overabundance of food is always comforting, it seemingly takes away all our problems ‘ not to mention that the taste usually brings us back for more.

Many tremble at the fear of this reality, but it’s no secret that eating right and exercising regularly can help maintain one’s weight or even help them drop a few pounds.

EATING RIGHT

Sodexo, Binghamton’s food management provider, offers many different types of food to encourage students to eat healthy. Stations at both retail and residential dining halls include a fresh salad bar, a sandwich station, quick grill withdraws and hot-food lines. Although bad decisions can be made, there are just as many good ones available to make up for it.

In a recent CNN article, Elizabeth Summers, a registered dietician who works for WebMD, said that you should ‘monitor your progress by keeping a food journal record [of] what, how much, when and where you eat, as well as your hunger level and mood before and after the meal.’

It’s important for students to keep track of what they’re eating because not only can they visually see how much they might be putting inside of them but they can also plan out meals to adjust portion sizes or limit themselves to fewer unhealthy foods.

‘It is also important that students take things in moderation, it’s not necessary to quit cold turkey or to label certain foods as ‘forbidden’ as that might even increase a student’s want for those things,’ Summers said.

MIDNIGHT SNACKS

Late-night cravings also attribute to students’ adding on pounds. Since the dining halls close at such an early hour, students are left hungry late at night ‘ leaving greasy, over-priced foods at the local Night Owl or ordering in from the local pizza parlors the only options for their midnight carb fix.

Delmar Dualeh, a sophomore majoring in human development, thinks this is one of the main reasons students find themselves gaining weight.

‘I think the problem with [on-campus food] is that the food is so fatty and that’s the only option students get. There aren’t many low-fat choices for students, especially when they’re hungry at night and all that’s available are deep fried chicken tenders at the Night Owl,’ Dualeh said.

Lauren Chen, also a sophomore majoring in human development, thinks that the variety of foods offered on campus is so limited and repetitive that she ends up skipping meals to eat junk food instead.

‘I found myself pigging out most of the time and barely eating actual meals because I was so sick of the food,’ Chen said.

WORKING IT OUT

Other than trying to eat healthy, another great way to keep the pounds from packing on is exercise. The terrain around Binghamton University and the Nature Preserve offer a generous amount of walking distance for a quick and simple workout.

The campus gym has recently been relocated to rooms in the Old and New University Unions due to construction, and the change allows easier access in the winter months. Equipment and group classes will still be provided for a full FitSpace experience.

All in all, the Freshman 15 is certainly preventable. There are a ton of simple changes you can make in a day to beat the system but most importantly, as Summers said, ‘don’t let your failures undo all your efforts. If you go overboard, pick yourself up and start over again at the next meal or the next day.’