What is this freshman 15 everyone talks about..?

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virichi08
virichi08 Posts: 465 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OKay, i know it is 15 lbs that "every" college freshman gains, but why IS that? Is it due to studying or the partying. Im starting college this year and i dnt party but i do study... so what causes this mysterious 15 and how to i manage to not gain it? What did you all do to avoid the freshman 15?
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Replies

  • ChrisRS87
    ChrisRS87 Posts: 781 Member
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    Meal plans and partying. Usually dinner and breakfast are done buffet style, and lunches usually comprise of fast food around the student union. I've seen the freshman 40, and it's not a pretty sight....
  • pittskaa
    pittskaa Posts: 319 Member
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    i know for me personally it was the fact that during the week i wouldnt eat all day because i was so busy with classes/hw/work, and then i had marching band right after until around 10pm, at that time i would go to the dining hall and stuff my face to try to make up for the whole day.
    then on weekends the partying is what got to me i think.
  • ShannRenae
    ShannRenae Posts: 54
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    They say its when a person starts college & their 1st year of college they gain 15 lbs....
  • basslinewild
    basslinewild Posts: 294 Member
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    I didn't party or have a meal plan. I would go to WalMart and buy a ton of food every week. Then sit around my dorm all day, besides when I went to class. That caused me to gain weight.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    1. Less exercise
    2. More alcohol
    3. Smaller energy needs (Most college age people have stopped growing by now so they need less energy than when they were teens in Highschool)
    4. More meal options / high calorie meals

    Factually speaking it is not really a Freshman 15, it is closer to 20 and occurs slowly (about 5 a year) over the course of college.
  • mellyanne612
    mellyanne612 Posts: 2
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    Its mostly about a change in lifestyle - ordering in when you want, eating whatever you want, not having as structured of a lifestyle - i didn't like dining hall food and actually lost 15 my freshman year - Its just important to take care of yourself and not go crazy
  • robinhardysmall
    robinhardysmall Posts: 246 Member
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    It also comes down to a differnt lifestyle- you may be used to living at home with your parents- they fix dinner at night, etc...at school you have to make the best choices for your diet (and I'm not using diet as a term in lowing calories but just overall food intake).

    You have to remember to get some exercise in between classes, studying and possibly working. You don't have parents to do a lot of the day to day stuff for you so you have to take care of yourself as well as daily chores.

    Just remember- not every freshman will gain- but alot will- make healthy choices, exercise and it will pay off at the end of the semester.
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I actually LOST weight when I was in college.
    I couldn't afford gas money so I walked everywhere, and the cost of food on campus was stupid so I always carried my home-cooked foods with me...

    I assume the GAIN is from the kids that are lucky enough to have their parents support them by buying meal cards, bus passes and chipping in towards their tuition.
  • gshoemaker06
    gshoemaker06 Posts: 264 Member
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    They say its when a person starts college & their 1st year of college they gain 15 lbs....

    Wow... did you even read the post?

    I didn't get the freshman 15, I actually lost 20 lbs. But as others have said it's the increase alcohol and buffet style dinners. Also you don't have your parents telling you what to eat or making you food, you're on your own. Most dorms don't have kitchens/ovens so instead of chicken and brocolli you're probably eating pizza or junk food.
  • Nicole610
    Nicole610 Posts: 17 Member
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    I didn't necessarily gain weight my freshman year. It was probably my soph and jr year that the weight crept on. I think it's a mix of partying and the endless food options. The food court was open at all hours so it was convenient. I was a very picky eater so it was chicken fingers, fries, and ben and jerrys ice cream for a late night snack. I never worked out either unless spring break was coming up. :)

    If you are already watching your weight and what you eat you will be fine. Just stay active and if you do start partying watch those liquid calories. They catch up with you quickly!

    Have fun!!! I had a blast in college.
  • rubytOU
    rubytOU Posts: 154 Member
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    For me it was the fact that I was super, duper active in high school with sports and then going from that to having to sit on my keester and study all the time... coupled with parties, a long commute... led to weight gain.

    When I transferred from the branch school to the main campus, I started going to the gym for classes every night before or after dinner if my class schedule allowed it. Dropped weight and then I got so busy with engineering courses that I didnt have time to mindlessly eat all day long like before because I was in lab or a study group.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    for me it was the lousy food in the residence meal plan. For a lot of my pals it was the beer.
  • EmilyTwist1
    EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
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    I don't know about men, but for women I think a lot of it has to do with biology. The late teens and early twenties is often a time when women's bodies build up fats stores for bearing children. I'd be curious to see if women in the same age group who don't go to college also experience weight gain.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    I'm old (33) but during my first year away at school I lost 20 pounds. I walked everywhere (which was different than home when I drove most places) and I took 2 gym classes. Keep active and the weight won't go on. Most Freshman go into college with a "rebellion" streak. It's the first adult thing you've done away from your family. You start partying, eating LATE and not doing much but sitting around and studying. You are young and your metabolism is still really high, you just need to keep it moving by keeping active!
  • MsTanya77
    MsTanya77 Posts: 357 Member
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    Alot of freshman end up staying up late studying and in the process, they are usually snacking or eating really late at night and since their budget is usually limited they end up eating alot of not-so-healthy processed food. The best way to avoid it is to take walks on campus and utilize the campus fitness rooms and gyms, also eat healthier options such as salads vs. high fat fast foods. And drink lots of water instead of sodas and fruit drinks. Let your late night snacks include fresh veggies instead of chips, pizza, etc.
  • dldnvr
    dldnvr Posts: 22 Member
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    No parents to help you make better choices and have portion control and all you don't even have to cook.

    Many Freshman eat in a dining room. All you can eat buffet Breakfast Lunch and Dinner most days.
    Ah, those were the days . . . but I regress.
    Add in some parties, Food and Beverges. and poof.
  • wwk10
    wwk10 Posts: 244 Member
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    Beer
  • rugbygirlca
    rugbygirlca Posts: 85
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    It is a combination of a lot of things. It is often bad diet (poor choices, plus often way too much food), drinking, lack of sleep and lack of exercise.

    My university meal plan was different in that you only paid for what you ate, so I kept healthy breakfast food and healthy snacks in a fridge in my dorm room. This saved me a ton of time, a ton of money and certainly 15 pounds. I joined intramural teams for exercise and tried to get to the gym a couple of days a week. I walked wherever possible.

    Make decent food choices, get decent sleep and make time for exercise.

    Enjoy yourself, but make sure that the choices you make don't have long term consequences (that pretty much applies to everything though) :smile:
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    I lost weight my freshman year, and I was already skinny. Lugging 40# of art supplies and books all over campus will do that.
  • malinen23
    malinen23 Posts: 34 Member
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    I did the freshman 50. Came mostly from eating all the time. I think I ate cheeseburgers and pizza everyday for the first 2 months of college. I got lazy playing video games and sleeping in. It all contributed to my weight gain. It wasn't until I went back home before I realized I was overweight. In fact, my uncle thought I was sick because I gained so much weight. But one of cousins (in front of everyone) yelled, he's not sick, he's just fat. I eventually lost the weight and go in shape. But yep, the freshman 15 is real. Be careful, it'll sneak up on ya.

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