Becoming spatially blessed

Health and Fitness

[Comment Below]

By Kyle Walker

In comes the new fall semester and with it the influx of freshman. It seems like just yesterday that I was moving into my newly renovated dorm room with the help of my parents.

Being a scrawny 135 pounds at almost six feet tall I wasn’t too worried about the infamous “Freshman 15.” In fact, I wanted to gain that weight. However, I wanted the weight gain to be on my terms, and I wanted it to be as lean as possible.

Living in the dorm and off of a meal plan makes gaining lean mass difficult. Although the food at the dining hall can be pretty tasty at times, it’s not always the best thing to eat to avoid plumping out.

So, if you are a freshman, or any classification for that matter, looking to put on a little weight then this article is for you.

The biggest reason people get chunky their first year of college is that their diet goes to crap. Mom isn’t cooking for you anymore, and cheap food is the center of every meal.

If you live in a dorm, then dining halls are you main option since you can’t really cook. Try your best to take advantage of the healthier dining hall options but make sure you eat plenty.

Obviously, try to avoid the fried food. Grilled is your best option. Meats like chicken and fish are always good, but don’t forget your fruits and vegetables.

If you are living in an apartment, you have a little more available to you. Try to cook as much as you can.

Cooking gives you more control over what you put into your mouth and generally saves you money as opposed to eating out.

The goal with this diet is to eat more each day than what you expend. Go online and find an active metabolic rate calculator and figure out how many calories you burn each day.

Try to eat an additional 500 calories each day, and you will gain about a pound a week. Reevaluate your calorie expenditure every few weeks and try to balance your macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats.

An extreme drop in physical activity in college usually leads to unwanted weight gain. Sure, you are walking to most of your classes, but you have most likely dropped any sport you participated in while in high school.

Try to stay active. Intramural sports are good to keep you committed, but if you’re determined and self-motivated, try a workout routine.

Many people will try to convince you that you only need to work your upper body. This is simply not true. There are tremendous benefits associated with working your lower body as well.

I would suggest finding a pre-made routine as these are usually developed to help you avoid imbalances.

Diet is truly the most important aspect of staying lean but it is also important to stay active. A good Web site to use is FitDay.com if you have trouble tracking how many calories you take in each day.

I would also recommend keeping a workout journal to help you stay motivated and keep track of how much work you are doing each week.

Originally Published: Issue 701 - August 19, 2008

Share on Facebook

Back to the top