Drop the freshmen 15

written by Amanda Hourt February 3, 2012

Senior Zac Green and his roommate, senior James Rucker, get up at 5 a.m. every day to work out. Why? Because Green is commited to losing weight and Rucker is trying to help him.

“There’s a lot of benefits to losing weight,” said Dr. Jerry Myhan, associate professor of nursing. “So many of our chronic diseases that we have in our culture today such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure — all of those have been very directly linked to being overweight. As a person loses weight they reduce their risk of those diseases.”

Remember, sometimes it takes a while of working out and eating right to start losing weight, so do not be surprised if the scales do not reflect a tremendous weight loss at first.

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t lose weight right away,” Green said. “It’s actually not healthy to lose 10 or 15 pounds in a week.”

With the help of these few tips you could be wearing pre-freshman-year jeans again before finals.

All it takes is a little initiative and maybe some basic changes to what you eat and how you spend your time.

1.Jump for joy: There was a reason why you spent all those elementary school hours jumping around and trying not to laugh at people who tripped on the ropes. Jumping rope uses most of the muscles in your body, whereas many other workout activities use only one set of muscles.

The National Institutes of Health claims about 750 calories are burned per hour of jumping rope, which is more than any other sport except running. Now that is working off the weight.

2.Break up the blues: Emotional eating can cause weight gain, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website. People often eat comfort foods when facing a worrisome event (like a big test), after getting into an argument with someone, or just as a way to stop feeling negative emotions.

When depressed, a person can easily devour a whole 8-ounce bag of plain potato chips, which contains more than 1,200 calories — more than half the calories needed each day. Learning what causes you to eat emotionally and taking care to prevent it will help you lose weight more effectively.

3.Sleep to shed: Getting enough rest seems to be essential to weight loss. Although the exact reason why is unknown, it is possible that the hormones that tell you whether you are hungry or full do not work properly when you are suffering from too little sleep — causing your brain to receive the wrong message. Nutritionist Madelyn Fernstrom told MSNBC’s “Today Health” that her patients who have a particularly difficult time losing weight usually say they are sleep deprived. As a college student it is tough to get enough sleep, but it might be the difference between freshman weight and the 15-pounds-lighter you.

4.Walk away: Walking, even if just for a short distance, burns calories. Every calorie used is a calorie that cannot contribute to your body’s fat stores. The average adult eats approximately 10 to 30 calories more each day than he or she needs, which does not sound like much, yet adds several extra pounds in a year. But an extra 2,000 steps (one mile, or just a few trips across campus) over the course of the day will sizzle off the excess before it builds up, Liz Neporent, co-author of “Fitness for Dummies,” wrote.

5.Love to laugh: Laughing is known to have numerous benefits for the body, and weight loss is a known benefit of laughter. Kerry Beard, creator of the “Laugh Away” DVD series about the positive health aspects of laughter, said she believes that laughter promotes well-being in almost every way, including strengthening the abdominal muscles.

She said that just 100 laughs a day can significantly improve your health. So go ahead and rent that comedy you want to see — it might help you lose your 15 extra pounds.

6.Promote the produce: Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet never hurts. Produce naturally has fewer calories and less fat than other foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on their website that substituting extra vegetables for an egg in your omelet will help you to feel full and satisfied while reducing the number of calories you consume. Produce fills the stomach without adding many fatty ingredients. One of the best things about fruits and vegetables is that they can be stored in the dorm room without needing to be refrigerated.

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