There is so much more to college life than worrying about your weight, especially as a freshman.
College is a time when most people are hyper-focused on themselves, specifically with how they look. That’s not me saying that college students are selfish or self-absorbed, I say it because college is a time to start your life and get going on what you want in life.
The problem is this: those in college focus too much on what they look like. The freshman 15 is the main thing I’m talking about here. This specific saying needs to be banished.
The whole idea that, “Once you go into college, you’re going to gain a bunch of weight,” is terrible and automatically puts students in a bad mindset and even gives them a bit of fear, and that saddens me. There is SO MUCH more to college and starting your adult life on your own than just worrying about your weight or how you look.
These constant thoughts about how you look or how much you weigh can lead to a lot of dangerous paths, especially if it’s all those around you are talking about. It can lead to body dysmorphia, diet culture or a hyper-fixation of health fads. This should not be your main focus in college. If it is something you want to prioritize, do it the right way and not out of fear of freshman 15.
Simply taking care of yourself by staying fairly active on a daily basis and eating well are simple steps to avoid big weight changes, but that’s also not to say that college students aren’t going to gain weight.
Entering a new phase of life and going into your 20s is automatically going to come with changes in not only your mindset but your body as well. Your teenage body is not going to be the same in your 20s and your 20s body isn’t going to be the same as your 30s and so on and so forth.
The key is to understand that your body is going to change and blaming it on freshman 15 is not a good excuse. That is like if you were to be in your 60s and have weight gain, then call it the senior 15. It doesn’t make sense.
If freshman 15 is a fear of yours, then take a step back and look at the big picture. College is an exciting time and the time of many students’ lives when they get to live on their own for the first time. Take that opportunity to take care of yourself and see what works for you. Try not to fall into health fads and live your life to the fullest without the constant fear of the freshman 15.
