Gaining the Freshman 15 seems to be the only weight concern that plagues new students. Understandably, an unlimited meal plan and the sweet taste of freedom can really get the best of you in the worst way possible.
But there’s one more monster to tackle before graduation, and seniors I’m looking at you…
The Senior 17.
You made it through the majority of your undergrad years at least trying to avoid fast food and actually learned how to make a few delicious meals only to meet a bigger beast, say it ain’t so!
According to a Huffington Post article, a 2010 study showed that students actually gain more weight toward the end of their college years mostly because they’re significantly less active than freshman. The total weight gain from freshman to senior year totaled an average of 18 pounds.
While 18 isn’t a whopping or life-changing amount, look up a photo of five pounds of fat. Imagine three times that amount in your body and then some, ew.
So why the sudden turn off to exercise?
Luckily laziness isn’t entirely at fault here, with age comes more responsibilities, less sleep and an incredible amount of stress, as presented in a My Health News Daily report.
As a current senior myself I’m definitely feeling it, and I’m right there with most of you.
The crunch of school, work, extracurriculars, and not to mention, actually knowing what I’m doing with my post-grad life (roughly, anyways) is a spot-on reason why weight gain happens.
I shamefully admit that I packed on a few pounds because of last semester’s finals week, but at least I’m paying back for it and currently on week 3 of T25.
(By the way, don’t ever underestimate the power of 25 minutes of exercise.)
Ultimately, the whole idea of weight gain during college is nothing new, but after finding out about this whole idea of the “Senior 17” it was a quick reminder that health has to be managed at ALL times. Your 20s are actually pretty crucial to mapping out how your health is going to pan out, and I’m 100% guilty of sabotaging the first year and beginning of the second.
Today though, I’m officially pledging myself to healthier choices.
"I'm ready for spring now!" by Wayan Vota, used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
