Everyone always talks about the freshmen fifteen, and how much of a killer the dining hall is to your college body. The first two years of college, I didn't notice it. It helped that eating dining hall food for every meal got really old really fast. It also helped being an underclassmen and living far away from all my classes, forcing me to walk almost a mile to campus every day.
This past year though, I decided to drop my meal plan and fend for myself to save money. Naturally, as a busy college student that meant lots of trips dining out and fast food. What small amounts of food I could store in my room were typically not the healthiest, and none if it was fresh. I also lived a lot closer to campus, which was super convenient but also a lot less walking exercise than previous years. Suffice to say, I put on my freshman 15- or 20- a little late in the game.
After the spring semester ended and I prepared to start my internship in Carrboro, I decided to make some changes to improve my health. Not only for the way my body would look, but also to improve my physical health and food choices. I set some goals for myself and began to reorient the way I viewed my body and my health.
I decided to run my first 5K ever, as a way to give me a goal to work towards. As a type A personality, I needed the motivation and structure to force me to actually go out and run everyday. I've since been running nearly every day outside, which is a huge accomplishment for me. I've never been much of a runner, and still don't claim to be, but it's definitely become something I look forward to doing each day. I may not be fast, or look graceful while doing it, but running helps me to track my distance and time to give me the milestones I need to see self-improvement.
Another significant change has been my eating habits. Instead of going out to eat or eating unhealthy frozen foods, I've started cooking for myself. As a novice cook, I picked up The Healthy College Cookbook to get me started on the right track. There are tons of delicious and healthy recipes that list out the nutrition facts for each recipe, so you know exactly what you're eating. Another great feature of this book is their understanding of a college budget and culinary background. They keep ingredients to a minimum, and explain everything in very explicit, basic detail.
To be candid, it's definitely been a struggle reorienting myself to a more healthy way of life. I truly love and enjoy food, but to get where I want to be physically I have to be aware of what foods I eat. I've decided to give myself one day a week where I treat myself to the foods I've been craving the past week- everyone needs a break every once in a while!
Additionally, if my budget allows me, I want to start going to hot yoga. I've been a few times in the past and really enjoyed it, and I think it would be an interesting way to mix up my workout routine throughout the week. All in all, the most important thing is that I'm consciously trying to make the effort to live healthier. The harder I work, the more results I'll (hopefully) see!
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