Working Off That Freshman 15

Working Off That Freshman 15 As many of you have heard, Freshman year is famous for packing on the pounds, and I was no exception. Now that the holidays are over, and I can finally enter a room without festive cookies staring me in the eyes saying EAT ME, I have made my resolution to lose some weight, along with every other person in the United States apparently. But what can you do to lose weight at school where you have a meal plan that serves A LOT, I mean A LOT of carbs? Well one good thing about the dining halls is that they always accommodate for vegetarians in some way or another, so there is usually a salad bar at all times. I like to make a salad with the protein of the day whether its chicken or ground beef or fish. There is nothing I love more than a huge salad. You can, however, go wrong with a salad in some way. Try not to load up on croutons or cheese, but have fun with veggies and maybe even some fruit if youre feeling adventurous. And watch the dressing! Try something that isnt creamy or loaded with sugar. The best thing about salads is you will never really get bored of them because there are so many different ways to make them! But if salad isnt really your forte, then try to find something that isnt smothered in batter and fried. Now on to the hard part EXERCISE! Here at the University of Illinois, we are fortunate enough to have TWO amazing recreation centers, the ARC and CRCE. I, personally, like the ARC mostly because it is closer to me, but it is also bigger. They both have a lot of machines and places to run and indoor pools! The ARC has three floors of workout equipment and theres even a sauna in this secret hallway that took me FOREVER to find. The ARC makes it really easy to get into exercising and have fun while doing it. Theres a rock wall for people who have better upper body strength than myself and the track is pretty awesome. The only problem about the recreation centers is that they are open to EVERY student at the University of Illinois. So you will have to figure out a schedule where you can go to work out without the rest of the university being there as well. I have heard that you can call the ARC and ask them what the best time to go is, but I personally like to go in the early morning or late at night. I hope I have helped anyone who is worried about that Freshman 15 find ways to prevent it or work it off! Freshman 15 or not, though, do not stress out about gaining it. That will be your biggest downfall! College is already full of enough stress, so give yourself a break and do what makes you happy! Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions please feel free to comment below! Alec Class of 2019 I'm double majoring in Economics and Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I'm from a small town across the river from St. Louis called Waterloo, Illinois.