Healthy lifestyle in college. Advice needed !

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tennisball80

tennisball80

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I will be a freshman college student in this fall. I would love to have a healthy life style during my college life. I never drink, smoke or do drugs. I organize my room and study binders almost everyday. I also manage my time wisely to get everything done as early as possible with a daily planner and Microsoft outlook. Now, I am looking forward to read a book about healthy diet.

Curiously, what are some good books to read for a healthy diet/living style for college students?

Also, do you have any advice for freshman students about healthy living ?

Thanks for any comments in advance !
 
dont bother, abuse your body while its young and can handle it. Enjoy college its too awesome to worry about being healthy etc when you havent even started yet.

The biggest advice though that everyone learns is not to drink soda with dinner, at the dinning halls.
 
tennisball80 said:
I will be a freshman college student in this fall. I would love to have a healthy life style during my college life. I never drink, smoke or do drugs. I organize my room and study binders almost everyday. I also manage my time wisely to get everything done as early as possible with a daily planner and Microsoft outlook. Now, I am looking forward to read a book about healthy diet.

Curiously, what are some good books to read for a healthy diet/living style for college students?

Also, do you have any advice for freshman students about healthy living ?

Thanks for any comments in advance !
Click to expand...

If you want a good book on nutrition/healthy diets....read The China Study. It changed the way I eat completely.

As far as advice, stay active. Its easy to forget about exercising, especially if you go to a D1 school where you probably arent going to be playing any varsity sports (unless you are a crazy athlete, in which case if you are you wont need to worry about eating healthy or exercising b/c you will have someone telling you what to eat, when to eat, when to work out, etc etc). Get involved in sports or something in some way, intramural or something. If you dont like sports, just try stay active in some way. Go to the gym or run around a track or something. Itll keep your mind healthy and will allow you to get away your studies and/or anything medical related. I dunno what I would have done these 4 years w/o sports.

Oh and i almost forgot.....MOST IMPORTANTLY...ignore everything niranjan just said. You can enjoy college while being healthy. And with that being said, you can have a few drinks socialy every now and then and still be healthy.
 
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I drank my liver out freshman year and still exercised a lot. The two aren't mutually exclusive, though you'd certainly be better off without the drinking. Health really boils down to a lot of common sense. Avoid high-fat foods, and get yourself on an exercise plan.
 
I played basketball from like 5th grade to senior year. When I got to college, I found some friends in the dorm and would usually play at least once a week or so with them. Ohio State's campus is also pretty pretty big so I did a lot of walking.

You probably hear a lot about the freshman 15 but I actually lost weight. It is kind of hard to stay perfectly healthy because you will most likely have meal swipes and the food isn't always the healthiest(although you can still find it).

I've always been really skinny so I don't really ever have the problem ever getting even close to being overweight, so I can't really give advice on that, but I definitely think you are at an advantage because you have lived on your own for awhile. Keep up with what you are doing.

I think I definitely over worked my liver freshman year too lol. Do it while you can before you get busy! hah
 
I've actually lost a lot of weight while in college (and still losing). The biggest difference I notice between myself and people from high school is that a lot of them put on pounds. It seems, for them, that the beer and liquor somehow obstructed their path to the gym. You need to work out. Plain and simple. Not only will you feel better, but it will at least help you maintain your weight, if not lose weight. That said, do not seclude yourself from "bad food." Remember, everything is healthy within reason.

As far as foods, I rely on lots of whole grains, periodic meals throughout the day so I don't gorge at any one meal, and I drink a lot of water. I might have soda or juice every once in a while, but you'll be surprised how many calories are packed inside that can or cup.
 
I've stayed in pretty good shape all through college. I think the freshman 15 thing usually hits people who do two things: 1. change their eating habits for the worst and 2. decrease activity. Both are easy to do in college, since you are totally responsible for what you eat, and many people don't have the sports they played in highschool.

My advice:
- pick some decent food to eat. Just because you can eat pizza seven days a week doesn't mean you need to. I know it's harder in dorms to eat well, but try your best.
- If you like sports join an intermural team. It's fun, doesn't take lots of time, keeps you in shape and you meet lots of people.
- Set aside a few hours a week for exercise.
 
I'd also plan a time to go to the gym with people or make your regular occurrence to be there when your friends are. 1) If you are supposed to walk with someone its harder to blow them off and 2) If your friends notice you stopped coming they'll start knocking you for it.
 
Oh I'm gonna get f'd up a lot in college.. I mean you gotta enjoy it, right? Anywho, the two don't really go together, I'm sure drinking doesn't help the matter, but who cares..

Anyway I'd just try to stay far away from fast food and you'll be alright. I'm not going to stay healthy in college though, I'll work out and what not, but I'm not watching what I eat/drink.

FRESHMAN 40 HERE I COME!
 
I recommend taking advantage of all that Student Health Services at your university has to offer. No other time in your life will health care be free (well, paid for at the beginning of the semester as a fee). Most colleges have nutritionists who can lay out a personalized plan for healthy eating and exercise.
 
You don't drink, good for you! You can still make friends and have a good time without it. But, going to parties and the bar is a lot of fun, and you make lots of friends there. Unfortunately for pre-med students (the ones who want to abide by the law anyway), by the time you turn 21, you're already a junior and have many difficult/time-consuming classes, so you really don't have time to party anymore.

My advice is this, have fun while you can and however you want to. Once you leave college, you'll wish you could go back!!

To avoid gaining weight, go to the gym, jog around town, don't feel pressured to eat at weird late-night hours w/ the kids down the hall, don't order out too much (chinese and pizza), avoid fast food, cut out the unnecessary things like soda, mayo, "snacks", and deep fried foods, eat more whole grains, and drink water w/ your meals. Snacks like chips, cookies, and candies are usually high salt, high sugar, and high fat. They are unnecessary and are huge no no's! If you want a snack, buy granola bars or whole wheat crackers. Also beware of the campus coffee shop. Their mochas, lattes, machiattos, etc are full of sugar!!

When you eat in the caf, ask the servers to give you smaller portions. During your freshman year, don't feel like you have to eat as much as you can to "get your money's worth". You have four years to try everything the caf serves!

I didn't read a book to figure this out, it's really just common sense. You seem like a healthy person to begin with so just follow your intuition. And don't forget to ENJOY COLLEGE WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!!
 
Last edited:
huskerdye said:
Oh I'm gonna get f'd up a lot in college.. I mean you gotta enjoy it, right? Anywho, the two don't really go together, I'm sure drinking doesn't help the matter, but who cares..

Anyway I'd just try to stay far away from fast food and you'll be alright. I'm not going to stay healthy in college though, I'll work out and what not, but I'm not watching what I eat/drink.

FRESHMAN 40 HERE I COME!
Click to expand...
Not a good attitude. Its a lot easier to put on than take off.
 
My plans are to learn how to cook some decent meals, and try to stop eating out (might go vegetarian, it's kind of hard to pull off when you live with your parents). Don't completely avoid alcohol, a glass of wine (red is best) at dinner is healthy, as it contains the enzyme Resveratrol which is a good anti-oxidant and slows aging. If you can't afford the wine or are really that prudent then I guess you can get Resveratrol tablets, but that's no fun.

Drink a lot of water, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, you know the healthy stuff. You don't really need a book I don't think, unless you want to be really meticulous.

As far as overindulging your freshman year of college, I guess it depends on if you've "grown up" yet. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. I think there's a difference between growing up and being too self-conscious though. A person who is grown up can achieve the same level of social well-being while maintaining their principles, and can find a good crowd of mature individuals to associate with. A person who is just being extremely self-conscious and prudent, but not really in a mature way, might find it hard to find mature friends and be socially happy.

In other words, to me, there's a difference between the mature self-conscious person and the nerd who is being prudent just to be prudent. The mature person will still attract people to them, but the other person will repulse people from them who see that they're no fun and not really mature.

I definitely don't think overindulging is the right thing to do, maybe indulge some if you have to, but I wouldn't just completely let go.

As far as exercise, go out and run each morning. Do some weight lifting. You don't have to join a sport if you're disciplined enough to make your own regimen and carry it out. Use the time that you're running to relax and get your mind off of things.
 
Crazyday said:
My plans are to learn how to cook some decent meals, and try to stop eating out (might go vegetarian, it's kind of hard to pull off when you live with your parents). Don't completely avoid alcohol, a glass of wine (red is best) at dinner is healthy, as it contains the enzyme Resveratrol which is a good anti-oxidant and slows aging. If you can't afford the wine or are really that prudent then I guess you can get Resveratrol tablets, but that's no fun.
Click to expand...

it can slow aging in some invertebrates and small fish, but they have no idea if it does the same for humans. They think resveratrol has the potential to be a friken super drug but a lot of questions are unanswered since a majority of the research has been in vitro and almost none of it has been done with humans (altho there are clinical trials going on right now with cancer patients). One that is clear is its effect on prevention of atherosclerosis... but even then the mechanisms aren't totally well understood.
 
RySerr21 said:
it can slow aging in some invertebrates and small fish, but they have no idea if it does the same for humans. They think resveratrol has the potential to be a friken super drug but a lot of questions are unanswered since a majority of the research has been in vitro and almost none of it has been done with humans (altho there are clinical trials going on right now with cancer patients). One that is clear is its effect on prevention of atherosclerosis... but even then the mechanisms aren't totally well understood.
Click to expand...

Well it reinforces SIRT1, an anti-aging molecule. It's also thought to reduce the risk of various cancers and especially heart disease/heart attacks. Due to the relatively small amount of Resveratrol intake from a glass of wine, and the fact that little of it will actually metabolize, the effects may be very minor. Even so, it's a healthy way to get your "dose" of alcohol without overindulging, and it can make a nice dinner that much better; and it can help you relax in the evening.
 
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LadyJane said:
You don't drink, good for you! You can still make friends and have a good time without it. But, going to parties and the bar is a lot of fun, and you make lots of friends there. Unfortunately for pre-med students (the ones who want to abide by the law anyway), by the time you turn 21, you're already a junior and have many difficult/time-consuming classes, so you really don't have time to party anymore.

My advice is this, have fun while you can and however you want to. Once you leave college, you'll wish you could go back!!

To avoid gaining weight, go to the gym, jog around town, don't feel pressured to eat at weird late-night hours w/ the kids down the hall, don't order out too much (chinese and pizza), avoid fast food, cut out the unnecessary things like soda, mayo, "snacks", and deep fried foods, eat more whole grains, and drink water w/ your meals. Snacks like chips, cookies, and candies are usually high salt, high sugar, and high fat. They are unnecessary and are huge no no's! If you want a snack, buy granola bars or whole wheat crackers. Also beware of the campus coffee shop. Their mochas, lattes, machiattos, etc are full of sugar!!

When you eat in the caf, ask the servers to give you smaller portions. During your freshman year, don't feel like you have to eat as much as you can to "get your money's worth". You have four years to try everything the caf serves!

I didn't read a book to figure this out, it's really just common sense. You seem like a healthy person to begin with so just follow your intuition. And don't forget to ENJOY COLLEGE WHILE YOU CAN!!!!!!
Click to expand...

QFT

I have lost almost 20lbs, while gaining muscle.

The things that I do that really helps: drink at least a glass of water with any meal, no non-diet soda, and chew gum to avoid snacking.

Unless you go to an Ivy, the food will most likely suck. And even at an Ivy, it's probably not great for you.

Personally, I haven't drank in a while, but that is because I want to lose as much weight as possible before the summer. Go out and get trashed some nights too... the stories that you keep from them are worth it, and the ones from 1st semester keep popping up for me :meanie:

Working out has kept me un-sick while losing weight, too. I dunno why, but I have only been sick once this semester, while my roomate has been sick as a dog 5+ times. He doesn't work out.

One final note: GET A DECENT AMOUNT OF SLEEP!!! I know that my body will tolerate around 6 hrs of sleep each night, and I try really hard to get at least that much sleep. Being really tired throws studying, working out, and going to class off. Also throws off your immune system.
 
LadyJane said:
😕

quoted for truth or quit f***ing talking ?
Click to expand...

Quoted for truth.

And yes, sleep is also very important. Don't neglect your sleep for anything; study ahead of time, so you don't have to resort to cramming the night before.
 
Crazyday said:
Well it reinforces SIRT1, an anti-aging molecule. It's also thought to reduce the risk of various cancers and especially heart disease/heart attacks. Due to the relatively small amount of Resveratrol intake from a glass of wine, and the fact that little of it will actually metabolize, the effects may be very minor. Even so, it's a healthy way to get your "dose" of alcohol without overindulging, and it can make a nice dinner that much better; and it can help you relax in the evening.
Click to expand...

yes i know, its thought to do a lot of things, but we still dont really know how effectively it works in humans. the potential is great tho.
 
tennisball80 said:
I will be a freshman college student in this fall. I would love to have a healthy life style during my college life. I never drink, smoke or do drugs. I organize my room and study binders almost everyday. I also manage my time wisely to get everything done as early as possible with a daily planner and Microsoft outlook. Now, I am looking forward to read a book about healthy diet.

Curiously, what are some good books to read for a healthy diet/living style for college students?

Also, do you have any advice for freshman students about healthy living ?

Thanks for any comments in advance !
Click to expand...


I lived in a substance free, healthy living community my freshman year. It was awesome being surrounded by like-minded individuals who didn't try to pressure me into drinking or anything. Also, my school has multiple resources for healthy eating and lifestyle habits, including discussions and support groups, so see what your University has to offer. One more thing I would advise you to do is to GET ENOUGH REST. Trust me, you will most likely be tempted to stay up until the wee hours of the morning for whatever reason, but I encourage you to shoot for AT LEAST 7 hours of sleep each night, as this will be imperative to performing at your optimum level. Hope this helps 🙂
 
To summarize

#1 Eat veggies and less meat

#2 Go to a gym and exercise regularly

#3 Seek the help from the campus
 
i remember when I was a freshman I started going to Arby's everyday and getting a milkshake. After awhile I started gaining weight! Little things like that can even have an impact....
 
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