http://student-body.blogspot.com

It’s about finding unique weight control solutions for the unique college lifestyle and also addresses the body image issues that are so rampant in the 18-21 age bracket.

Hope your college reader will stop by! (and anyone else interested)

Really big thing that has changed is that on the whole, most colleges over real healthy food options, most of the time. And there are gyms and often exercise classes and so on, so the infrastructure that lets you keep fit is a lot better than when I was first in school. And at least at the college that I teach at, there is much more awareness of it. I’d say that the majority of my students play a sport, at least on an intramural team, or take dance classes, or spend time at the gym. And they’re building good habits that will become better habits over a lifetime, hopefully (instead of doing it the other way around, like I did, sigh).

I’m with everyone who says that to some extent you shouldn’t worry about it because this is a rare time in your life (possibly anyway; I hated being an undergrad!), but on the other hand, it’s also a time when you’re learning how to become YOU. And the you that you want to become is one who will do what she wants to, what she feels is right, rather than one who will feel compelled to do what everyone else is.

So my best advice is, enjoy who you are, and find friends who enjoy who you are, too. Don’t make compromises based on what other people think you should do or be.

(And on a purely practical note, what everyone’s said about beer in particular is perfectly right. No nutritional value, high calorie, high carb, and it’s the easiest way to screw up fitness and motivation. It’s a huge part of weight gain in college students, and it accounts for tons of other issues, too. Moderation in everything is just a really good way to live.)

Emailer/CR – I totally know how you feel. I too felt that I was not cut out for the drinking/partying/crazyness of so-called college life. I much prefer hanging out with friends in a more intimate/intelligent capacity than passed out near a keg of beer.

What helped for me was to join a group. I met like-minded individuals and we went out for the odd beer together but mostly hung out and indulged our interests. Depending on the size of your college, you might have a group that are like-minded to you, perhaps an ultimate frisbee team like someone suggested, or maybe a slightly more serious sports team.

Good luck with it

And I thought I was the youngest one round these parts, Sagen I had no idea!

Anyway, I didn’t gain a lot of weight until I got out of school, just over one year ago and got a sedentary desk job. This is something I have had to learn to balance and am oddly enough scared to go back to a school environment (law school starts in two weeks!)

I think the biggest tip I could give you is to watch out for dorm food. Eating at the 24 hour burrito joint once a week wont kill you, but the salt and fat laden food served in most dining halls will. I would say if you don’t mind check out the vegetarian options because often they are fresher, tastier, and full of nutrients. If they have salad bars hit that up instead of getting fries all the time. Also if they do omelet bars on the weekends go for egg white omelets every now and again. (A trick I always use at Vegas buffets). Also, try not to get addicted to the soft serve machine like I did!

Feel free to email me via my blog if you want to chat about it further! Good luck, try not to stress!

M.

V.

I do think that for a lot of people, as you mature, you start to realize you aren’t going to live forever, and you start to take notice of little aches and pains and stiffnesses…and that’s when you begin to understand that this is for real. This is forever. This body is the only one you’re going to get for this life, and it’s up to you to take care of it. Youth seems to carry a certain sense of indestructibility and invulnerability, unless you’ve had a brush with a serious health problem. I think having children also tends to make one more aware of the fragility and finite nature of life.

I know this isn’t universally true, but it’s certainly the way it’s happened for me. I am finally at a point in my life where I understand the importance of real health and real fitness – not a number on a scale, because I weigh more now than I did when I was 25, but I’m a heck of a lot healthier; and not how I look, because of course I’m never going to look as fresh and smooth as I did 20 years ago! But real health, that starts on the inside and grows outward.

It’s all about balance. I truly believe this, in every aspect of life. Anything that gets seriously out of balance in either direction is going to create problems, whether it’s eating habits, activity levels, weight or anything else. Learning to balance a joy in life (that can encompass nights out with friends, days spent at the mall or the beach or even at the gym, and YES, the joy of exercise-endorphins) with a sense of purpose and responsibility to oneself and one’s body is, I think, both the hardest and most important step you can take toward true health.

And that would be my advice to the emailer, as well as to my own college-freshman-in-two-years daughter. Live life. Don’t spend time obsessing about how you look or how much you weigh. Just pay attention to what your body really wants and how it feels, try to give it the things that make it feel good and right and strong, and enjoy every moment you’re given. If that means you’re a size 14 – if you feel strong and healthy and energetic, that’s fine. It’s the health that’s important, not the size or the number on the scale.

I think I wish I could have told myself that too. heck, I think I wish I could tell myself that right now…

V.

CR