College had many ups and downs. Unfortunately, one of those ups was also a down. The number on the scale began to skyrocket throughout my time in college. There were so many things that I was aware of, but didn't do anything to change. That's why I wanted to share my experiences. I want people entering college to learn from my mistakes. Whether it was the stress or the lack of exercise that caused the weight gain doesn't matter. What does matter is it happened. Here are the reasons why I gained weight in college.
Stress
I can't begin to explain how stressed I was during college. Maybe it was because I was taking as many classes as possible while also trying to work or maybe it was dealing with being robbed at knife point while on the job. Regardless, I know that stress played a hand in the amount of weight I gained. You need to do whatever you can to stay stress-free during college. I know this is easier said than done, but it can help prevent weight gain.
Poor Food Choices
I'd like to say that I ate healthy during college, but that would be a lie. In fact, I ate horribly. There was lots of fast food and quick fix meals that were loaded with fat and calories. It doesn't have to be this way though. While college students are known for their love of pizza, you can eat healthier. Whether you eat salads from the college campus food court or you purchase healthy dinners to fix in your microwave. Either way, you can eat low-calorie, low-fat food.
Lack of Exercise
I always told myself that I just didn't have time to exercise. I was going to college full-time and also working full-time. It was hard to find time for anything and it helped cause the pounds to pack on. I wish I had made the time. If I had just walked in between classes or done a few aerobic exercises in the mornings, it would have made a huge difference.
Too Many Sugary Drinks
Last, but not least, I drank way too many drinks that were high in calories due to the amount of sugar. I drank soda, coffee drinks, sweet tea, sports drinks and other drinks that were loaded with sugar. If I had just stuck with water, I could have avoided consuming hundreds of thousands of calories.
I made many mistakes, but the good news is you don't have to make the same mistakes. There are a lot of things you can do to prevent college weight gain.
