News-Letter

Media Credit: Will Shepherdson Learn the healthy FFC options to avoid packing on the pounds

You are now officially a college student. You have more control over your life, more responsibility, more spending capability and possibly more inches in your waistline.

So, what exactly is the "freshman 15"?

According to common beliefs, many freshmen tend to put on weight - as much as 15 pounds - throughout their first year of college.

Free food, eat-all-you-care convenience, bad food choices, excessive drinking and the unlimited meal plan option: they could all lead to potential weight gain. Combined with snack cravings during an all-nighter and too much time in front of your laptop, you are at high risk for tipping the scales.

The truth is that weight gain is all about calorie intake balance. An average 18-year-old male needs approximately 2400 kilocalories (kcal, or Calories with a capital "C" on the nutrition facts), and an average 18-year-old female, 2000 kcal. You obtain these calories simply by eating (intake).

These calories are then used as energy for daily activities (output), such as walking, running and even sitting by your desk. If your intake exceeds your output, you gain weight; likewise, if your output exceeds your intake, you lose weight.

Now that you know how many calories you need to survive, we shall look at the calorific content of common food choices. A slice of pizza contains approximately 300 calories (1/8 the requirement of an average male freshman). Hence, six slices of pizza contain around 1800 kcal. Translating the figures into words, eating two slices of pizza every meal, three meals a day, will not make you heavier.

A serving size (two ounces) of french fries provides 225 kcal. Adding that to your pizza meal, you consume 525 kcal. Then, your daily cup of soda provides 170 kcal, bringing your meal to a whopping 695 kcal. When you top off your meal with that sinful slice of brownie, you add another 240 kcal, which gives you 935 kcal in total. Sometime throughout the day, you may reach for the occasional bag of chips, which contain nothing but another 160 kcal.

Your calorie count for the day is officially 2965: approximately 1000 more than you need. Now, your body converts every excess 3500 kcal into 1 pound of body weight. Thus, within a week, you have successfully packed an extra pound on your body.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools