Many upperclassmen have fallen victim to the Freshman 15 during their early years of attending college. Senior Kevin Garza, a biomedical science major, recalls his Freshman 15 phase.
“It’s having those stress meals at 1 a.m. because finals are next week, to just stress eating in general,” Garza said. “It’s the Freshman 15 that can happen to anyone. I remember my first year as a freshman being able to decide when and where I could eat.”
The new school year is here, the first week of the next four years, and with it, the dreaded Freshman 15, when some first-year students gain weight.
Students are living by themselves for the first time, and the stress of new responsibilities can lead some to neglect healthy eating habits.
Jameela Banu, an assistant professor for the Health and Biomedical Sciences department, has noticed this phenomenon.
“The major [factor] is, definitely, stress because they are out of their normal environment,” Banu said. “… The other thing is peer pressure and also the stress that deals with the coursework that they are supposed to be taking. And, it depends on, you know, whether they are comfortable in certain courses or not.”
Asked what happens if a student gains 15 pounds, she replied: “Obviously, it will be difficult for them to shed it off, so they’ll be adding to it. At the most, they can try to maintain it, but that is not going to be easy, either. So, if they keep adding to it, then it will lead to obesity and then, of course, all the complications related to that.”
Exercise is among the things students can do to prevent weight gain.
“Then, when it comes to eating, eat properly at a timely fashion and not miss breakfast,” Banu said. “It is [the] most important meal of the day. Students might be running late to class, rushing, or to work, but breakfast is something that we should pay attention to.”
UTRGV offers physical fitness facilities such as University Recreation on the Edinburg campus, which gives students an opportunity to exercise and stay healthy.
Karehn Lozano, a sophomore who works at the Texas Southmost College Recreation Center on the Brownsville campus, said there are different classes in which students can participate.
“We have classes, like group fitness class, that we have every semester, except for the summer,” Lozano said, adding that there are fitness employees who can suggest workout routines, as well as posters that provide workout information.
The recreation centers host many events that help promote health and fitness.
“Every semester, we have a triathlon and other events [in which] you can win prizes and stay fit,” Lozano said. “We have Zumba, Aqua Zumba and sometimes we have Boot Camp. Each Wednesday, it’s ‘Wellness Wednesday,’ where students, staff and faculty can get their body fat checked and what’s going on with their bodies.”
Losing weight can be difficult for students. There are a few things students should be aware of during the process.
“To lose weight in a healthy fashion, and not to go for advertisements that say you’ll lose 10 pounds in a day or five days,” Banu said. “It’s not healthy to lose weight like that because you’ll just gain it back or more than what you wanted. The best thing to do is to watch your carbs, the fats you’re eating and make sure that you are exercising after whatever you have eaten.”
The UREC, located at West Schunior Street and North Sugar Road in Edinburg, is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. The Recreation Center, at 2000 W. University Blvd. in Brownsville, is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Mario Sandoval, a computer science freshman, hopes to stay healthy while away from home.
“I plan to always have a healthy lifestyle in college, to exercise daily or at the very least take a jog or a walk and to have a positive state of mind,” Sandoval said.
