No one told me about the Freshman 15 in high school or right before I moved away to college. In fact, people didn't say much about it after. I'm sure people thought it was a myth without a basis. It couldn't possibly happen to young, healthy adults. The fact is I should have known it was as real as the senior ethics requirement course.
At 5 foot 2 inches, my weight fluctuated anywhere from 120 to 130 pounds. Home-cooked meals at home and perfectly portioned meals on Styrofoam plates in high school spoiled me. On weekends, McDonalds and Pizza Hut were a treat. I jogged around the track during physical education classes and never understood what people meant about a slow metabolism. Overeating and gaining weight was far from my mind.
Imagine my surprise the first night of college when my roommate and I stood in line waiting for dinner. There was an endless buffet of fried chicken, hamburgers, tacos and Oreo pudding. People stayed for hours at a time grazing until full tummies gave way or staff started to clean up. Sure, it was weird getting used to the copious amounts of food, but it felt good to have the freedom.
I ate with zeal and without a care. School and work impacted me intensely, and being away from the usual food I'd grown accustomed to made me weak. Here I was with barely any money to buy groceries, and all I could rely on was a bunch of fried foods! Before I knew it, more than 70 pounds crept up on the scale. It didn't feel great seeing myself this way. I simply had no more energy to do practically anything. Walking hurt, and the only relief was getting a night of sleep.
It was tiring to live in what felt like a foreign body. Old friends no longer recognized me and, honestly, even I didn't know who I was. About a month after college, I decided that things needed to change. BuzzFeed became a source of inspiration for meal prepping and new recipes. Yoga helped the back problems that developed over the years, and I found better walking shoes for daily walks. I've even taken up kayaking!
I still have a long way to go. It's not going to be easy getting back to my goal weight, but I feel committed. There are days when I would give anything to eat pasta and Cheetos and not do anything, but it's not worth it. Because if I get a cheat meal too often, the numbers add up on the scale again. Let's just say addition is not my favorite at the moment.
Some days are really hard, and I'll eat a burger and fries in a hurry. But afterwards I feel mentally and physically defeated. Each day is a fight and a healthy meal of sweet potatoes and grilled chicken is something I relish now. I can't wait to see the improvement in the next few months!
For anyone easing back into a healthy lifestyle, it's never too late to start. It's going to be slow, but you can do it! Find the inspiration and go for it!
