So I'm an RA... (Advice?)

Watch out for the carbs and avoid unhealthy late night study snacks!

When I was a freshman, I had no idea that calories really mattered that much. I thought it was all about carbs and fat. I know, I know. Dumb. So I would put something on there about calories in/calories out, just to make them aware of it.

Maybe you could also give them healthy snack suggestions, like nuts and berries, etc. That sounds lame, but honestly I was so uninformed about food and nutrition at that age that it would have been news to me.

I have no suggestions for the board (probably because both of the RAs I had while living in the dorms SUCKED), but PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD when you have hall meetings/programs, provide something to eat other than pizza and cookies. Like, on occasion it was nice, but the most irritating thing was during finals week when RAs in my dorm would have programs about managing stress and all the food would be unhealthy.

I was an RA for 3 years so I know where you are coming from:) you might want to put info on how detrimental the late night take out can be. The importance of having healthy snacks available when the dining hall is closed. Maybe a suggestion list of things they can keep in their micro fridge. Maybe encouraging them to choose instant oatmeal over ramen noodles. Suggest keeping a fruit bowl in their rooms. Suggest getting a blender and post smoothie recipes or protein shake recipes. Host floor supper nights when the floor all gets together in a community kitchen a cook healthy foods together or bring healthy dishes for a healthy potluck.. You could even do trivia. Cut out pictures of different foods from magazines and put them on the board then have the words " which is healthier" or which has more sodium" or " which has more fat" " which has more fiber/calories/sugar" etc THEN put the grams under each picture under a little flap that they can peak under to find the answer. That would make it interactive. And back to the recipes. You could staple a little pocket to the board and keep copies of the recipes that people can grab as they go by. And lastly, you could post the MFP website, encourage the girls to join do you all can encourage one another and create community. If they do create an account they can write their names on the board so everyone can add each other.

Let them know there are tools like MFP out there, if they're interested in controlling their weight (for the gainers too).

You can also provide the option of assessing their regular daily calorie intake against their height/weight/activity and forecasting weight gain/loss.

It's ultimately up to them, but a lot of people don't even know where to start with weight control.

I am an RA for freshmen as well, but recovering from anorexia which resurged for me when I came to college I am very careful when I do my nutrition bulletin board and I try to make it about debunking common myths about nutrition or explaining what proper nutrition is and making sure it's about balance and not diet. Also, your school most likely has a registered dietitian who would love to give you information. This is my 3rd year as an RA....enjoy it..its an amazing job!

How about a chart showing how many calories in a slice of pizza, wings and other late night snacks compared to healthier options? Something of a eat this not that type of thing. You can also plan after dinner floor walks. Plan a mile route and try to get as many people as possible.

Also, I'm not sure how your cafeteria works, but if it's anything like mine, one card swipe gives you an entire buffet of self-serve food. Maybe a gentle reminder that just because it's all in front of you, does NOT mean you should attempt to eat it all in one sitting...