Today’s workout began with 20 minutes of incline walking on the treadmill (4.0 pace with the incline varying between 7.0 and 9.0). I then meandered into the weight room to tackle this upper body workout:
Breakfast
Today’s breakfast was overnight oats… Yes, I made another batch after I ate the first one last night.
In the mix:
- 2/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup strawberry banana Greek yogurt
- 1 sliced banana (added this morning)
Looks gross, tastes great!
Freshman 15 Myth
This morning when I was at the gym, a new study was mentioned on the news stating that the Freshman 15 is “just a myth.” Study results stated that, in reality, women gain an average of 2.4 pounds during their freshman year while men gain an average of 3.4 pounds.
I remember hearing about the Freshman 15 in high school and even on the tours of various college campuses when tour guides would joke about it when discussing the meal plan options.
The study, conducted by research scientists at Ohio State University’s Center for Human Resource Research, examined weight data from 7,418 young people and found that female students gain on average seven to nine pounds and male students gain 12 to 13 pounds during college.
The study found that no more than 10 percent of college freshman gained 15 pounds or more.
I always figured the Freshman 15 was fairly accurate, but looked at it more as an overall college weight gain rather than weight gained solely during freshman year. To me, bodies are still changing when students enter college and students are still evolving into men and women, so some weight gain seems natural.
Of course tons of beer and excessive trips to the dining hall can make weight gain increase at a more rapid rate, but, according to the study, it seems like the Freshman 15 is more or less a myth.
Questions of the Morning
- Are you surprised by the findings reported by this study?
- Was the Freshman 15 ever a concern for you?
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I went a little crazy my freshman year, and in the opposite way that most people do. Instead of eating and drinking a ton, I decided to diet and exercise a bunch and ended up losing about 10 lbs instead of gaining the freshman 15. I was determined to not gain that 15 lbs that everyone seemed to talk about. So yes, I guess it did take a toll on me in some way..but for the better. 🙂
the study actually said 1/4 of the freshman reported losing weight!
Yes same for me, I went a little crazy but in the other way. reflecting back I think I missed out on some of the fun though but that’s probably because I didn’t have like minded friends who like to eat well & exercise. I came home from my year abroad in june where I put on 10pounds mainly from alcohol and eating out so I guess that’s the freshman 15 for you 😀
Trying to get it off now!
I saw this last night too. I actually LOST weight my freshman year of college because it was a tough adjustment period for me, but I gained it back and came out of college almost 15 pounds heavier than when I went in. It was actually a good thing for me- I was very, very thin when I started- but yes, I definitely think the late night pizza and lots of beer put more of that on than healthy eating did!
I always thought 15 was a high number for freshman year. Now entire course of college, I can see that being more accurate.
I am a little surprised by the findings in the study. I would think that the weight gain would be closer to 15 pounds. I was a little concerned but my campus was widely spread out so I did a lot of walking. I also managed to eat quite healthy. I didn’t care for the dining hall at the first college I went to for 2 years so I pretty much made my own meals as best as I could from whatever healthy items I could find. The college I ended up graduating from for the last two years, I loved the dining hall. I don’t think I gained all that much weight but I noticed I gained weight when I left college. Go figure 😉
i would love to see a study about weight trends for the first 1 – 3 years AFTER college. i felt SO much more sedentary after college!
Hope- definetly feel you on that post college gain! I don’t think enough is said about how much your lifestyle changes after college/how much those changes lead to weight gain. After college my schedule became less flexible and I was more tired from long hours in the office meaning less workouts during the week. Add that to more hours sitting behind a computer and a nonstop flow of goodies and free lunch and it’s amazing there’s no “cutesy” name for the post college 15!
My school, Cal Poly, is doing a study seeing the difference in health and weight from freshman through sophomore or all 4 years, I can’t remember which. It is called FLASH study
I actually lost the freshmen 15 my first year because my schedule/dining hall hours were weird. Sophomore year was totally different though, so things evened out 🙂
I got into my weight loss kick in junior year of high school so the freshman 15 was never an issue for me- I was the rare health nut around campus :)! I’m not feeling so great today so hopefully some rest will also do me a world of good !
i don’t think i know anyone whose weight was stable in college… pretty much everyone i know lost a lot of weight or gained a lot of weight.. i’d say i have very few friends who only lost or gained ~2lbs. most of the guys gained a lot because of all the drinking. unfortunately, lots of my girlfriends lost a lot because of body issues, new pressures, etc. while i attended the gym religiously, i gained probably a good 20lbs and became anemic (eating lots of food but nothing good, i suppose) and didn’t lose all of it until law school.
This is exactly what happened with me! That and physical activity classes with my degree and I am the most active I’ve ever been!
It’s obvious that most people gain some weight – but I never believed it was actually 15 for most people. College was the first time I started working out on a regular basis, to make up for the fact that I wasn’t playing highschool sports anymore.
Oops- I’m new to this, I meant to reply to Claire’s message. Sorry!
It was definitely true for me, although I don’t know that it was specifically 15 lbs. We always had some type of food service place open, including a “snack bar” until midnight. When you’re living on your own for the first time, the prospect of heading out at midnight with a friend to get a snack sounds soooo cool…and I sure didn’t think of the consequences until later 🙂
I’m a little surprised about this study! Looking around my campus I’m always amazed at how much the people I started my freshman year with have changed. I am now in my third year and it seems like the “freshmen 15” have carried into subsequent years! I remember hearing about the dreaded 15 when I started university and it always kind of worried me, however growing up I the house I did, real dinners were the norm – protein, 2 vegetables, salad and a starch of some sort. This really set me up to expect real, wholesome meals when I started post secondary – thanks mom!
Since starting uni I’ve lost about 13 pounds and really shaped up! Im doing what I love with weekly yoga and TRX classes as well as keeping up in the weight room. I am hoping to learn how to swim next semester so I can train for triathlon sprints in the near future! I’m pretty sure my degree choice really helped me choose the lifestyle I have – I’m taking my B.Sc in Kinesiology and it has really given me a new outlook on life. I love being active!!
Also, LOVE overnight oats… Okay, I love any oats! Toss a little coconut, walnuts, dried fruit of choice and vanilla in the pot and I’m a happy girl!!
So I pretty much gained the freshman 17. And I’m pretty sure it was all attributed to Taco Bell, pizza, and cake…oh and inactivity. If only I could go back and talk to the old me!
2 a.m. taco bell trips are a college staple 🙂
I actually didn’t gain any weight my freshman year but i did gain a few lbs throughout college….which I needed! I was a competitive cheerleader in HS and got too thin! In college I walked everywhere and I did drink but I ate a healthy b fast in my dorm and chose pretty healthy options in the dining hall. After college I have gained about 5 pounds partially because I sit on my ass all day between law school and homework, partially because I have gained some muscle from running and doing sprint tris, and partially from getting married…but I think I look more womanly and great now. It’s all about give and take and of course my body is different now at 25 (almost 26) than it was when I was 18! It should be! What was your experience in college and after?
i think i will consult with the myth busters….
I always thought about the freshman 15 as an overall college thing. I never really worried about it because I didn’t go away to college – I did the first 2 years while living at home – and then the 2nd 2 years later on while I was working full time.
I gain and lose weight so much, I figure I have the Life 15. Hee.
I was concerned about the freshman 15, but actually lost a little weight my first semester, since I was so busy and trying to figure out a schedule.
2nd semester though – that’s when I packed on the pounds. I had made friends with people who ate way too much domino’s (hello, cinnastix!) which translated into me eating way too much unhealthy foods at all hours of the night. I probably gained a solid 10 pounds, and didn’t take it off until I got my own apartment after sophomore year, decided I wanted to lose the weight, and was able to cook for myself. I think I ate veggie stir fry every day for several months. I was just so happy to be eating vegetables!
I actually lost weight during my freshmen year because I didn’t adjust terribly well, but I gained a lot more than 15 pounds in the following years. I’ve always thought that colleges should require gym classes every semester as part of each major. I’m sure it would improve productivity, grades, and overall health on campus… but it would never fly because people wouldn’t fight having to pay for a course that wasn’t strictly necessary for their major.
I actually LOST 20 pounds my freshman year. I wasn’t used to all the walking or the cafeteria food. I ate salads all the time. I wasn’t trying to lose weight; it just happened. Of course, I gained it back in later years…..
I can definitely see why everyone tends to gain a few pounds during college: the dining commons with their “all you can eat” buffets, the beer, the 2 am pizza deliveries, and not having Mom or Dad cook healthy meals for you every day. But I also feel that more college students than high school students tend to work out and go to the gym. At least there’s something to counter balance it then!
I’d been warned about the Freshman 15 too, but by the time I got to university, I’d already lost 70 lbs to get myself back to my healthy weight, so I was pretty confident that I’d know how to maintain it. Having said that though, I know a lot of people who certainly did gain weight – not sure it was as much as 15lbs but I’d say 10 would be about right.
I was still at home for my Jr years of college and didn’t change my weight much. In the years following, when I was out on my own more, that was really when my weight started skyrocketing. I think the change in “freedom”, so to speak, has a lot to do with it. Then again, so does a persons habits and expectations of them selves.
Unfortunately, my weight has continued to climb for the last 6 years. Yesterday I weighed in at my highest weight ever. Talk about reality check. It was not a good moment.
It was true for me! Binge drinking and eating the stereotypical “hungover food” for months definitely caught up with me. In high school, I went had an aerobics class + went to the gym after school Mon-Fri. Freshman year, I replaced the gym with the bar 🙁 Needless to say, I gave up that lifestyle, started eating right, reading blogs, and jumped back on to exercising!
I wrote my Master’s Thesis on the relationship between food quality and female college students’ body composition–so this research is ALL to familiar to me 😉 You are right, the studies are so varied, but for the most part, the number “15” is a total myth.
However, in the research, it has been shown that depending on where a woman lives (I focused my research on women because of the Thesis), what her major is, and how active she was BEFORE she entered college, these factors would help to determine and/or explain a bit more about weight gained/or not gained.
It is a fascinating topic, and as such, my Thesis (all the research I did personally as well –with over 150 subjects) was 60 pages long 🙂 So I’ll stop here. Haha.
Your breakfast does not look appetizing–but I bet it sure tasted good! I am off to teach some BP-wahoo!
oh how interesting! did you by any chance do a blog post about it? i’d love to read more about what you found!
Haha. I was just thinking, I should write a post about this all-and then I thought, why haven’t I yet?! I slept,breathed,ate,studied,read, and wrote about this for over 1.5 years, so why haven’t I?! And then I realized…..that IS exactly why I haven’t. Hah. I think taking that few month hiatus was good-but I will gather my thoughts and publish a post soon 🙂 I’ll let you know when I do! Probably within the next week or so!
yes, please let me know! and i don’t blame you for wanting a breather… 🙂
I agree with you, I think women’s bodies are still changing between 17-22. I feel the bulk of the weight gain is probably due to that fact.
On the other hand, I think the booze and late-night study sessions definitely contribute to a few pounds.
I think it’s easier to gain after you have that post-college sitting office job.
While I didn’t work out a lot in college, I still did maybe 2x per week, walked miles across campus to my classes and dorm, and also had a job cashiering where I was on my feet/moving.
So I never gained anything. I just stayed normal. Now 4 years later I find it’s easier to gain even when eating better than I did back then!
I agree that bodies are still changing. I was only 17 when I entered college, so there’s no way I was done!
However, I was already overweight when I entered college and didn’t really know what I was going to do to stop the Freshman 15. I ended up losing about 25 pounds as the result of a) living in far away dorms and walking uphill to class and b) being a shy little twerp who walked a mile to the salad shop rather than go to the dining hall alone LOL.
I liked the weight loss and picked up a healthy lifestyle because of it!
I think dining halls set kids up for weight gain. Endless buffets three times a day? Who ISN’T going to overeat?!
I was already overweight when I entered college, but I definitely packed in at least another 10 lbs my freshman year. However, once I started working out that spring (and started eating better that summer/moved off campus with my friends sophomore year and thus had more control over my meals), that weight (plus another 35 lbs!) came off pretty quickly.
I think I gained about 5 pounds first year, I didn’t mind I needed it! Haha 🙂
I think your analysis is spot on…just a change in dining habits and socialization. I know in my dorm, it was always a “oh, she broke up with her BF? Let’s all get ben & jerry’s and commiserate”…plus the parties, haha
Like some of your commenters here, I actually was in the best shape of my life my freshman year. I was walking everywhere, I had a dance class a couple times a week, and I discovered free group exercise classes at the student gym.
And then I discovered vodka.
LOL – ah yes, vodka. my liquor of choice to this day!
I gained about 10 pounds in freshman year. I think it was a combination of a lot of things. I never “worked out” in the gym sense before college, so I didn’t gravitate toward there in college. Coming from my mom cooking very healthily, the dining hall was just a bit overwhelming and honestly I was too busy having the time of my life to be considered. I lost it all in no time when I moved back home. It kind of taught me a lesson, sometimes gaining a little weight when you’re really enjoying life isn’t that bad…you’ll get back on track easier than you think.
I always thought 15lbs was high but could see 7-8lbs throughout college or university. It is a big adjustment, and unhealthy convenient foods are usually what a lot of students turn to when they are not used to cooking for themselves. Myself, I think I gained 8lbs from high school grad to the end of university (5 year span) but then after took it plus more off!
I was so concerned with the Freshman 15 that I ran almost every single day and actually lost 10 lbs when I first went away to college. I gained that back pretty quick and over the course of my college career gained about 5 lbs total. But my weight definitely fluctuated depending on my lifestyle. I always lost weight when I came home in the summer and gained a little more back during the school year.
I went on the pill my senior year of high school, so I got a “pre-freshman 20” (my BMI was too low and I was built like an ostrich.. I needed to gain the weight). 😉
However, that extra few pounds put on during freshman year were most definitely latenight trips to the caf, 2 a.m. taco bell and cookout trips (if you haven’t experienced this NC chain with the BEST hush puppies/milkshakes in the world, you really need to).
…because food like that is 50 times better after some booze. amiright?
i’ll never forget one day after a long night out, i woke up at a friends house and was practically spooning a personal pan pizza box from pizza hut. apparently we had a late night love affair the night before. the pizza didn’t live to tell the tale.
I gained the freshman 20 — and then did a tailspin and ended up losing twice what I’d gain, 40 lbs!, in a very unhealthy way.
Thankfully I was able to be pulled out of a cloud of craziness after getting married a year after graduating. My husband is amazing and supportive and reminds me of all the good things I want in life — and if I’m not healthy, I won’t be able to live the life we dream of together.
I ended up losing weight in college, but that is because I lived in a suite-style dorm and shared a kitchen with four girls. One of my roommates and I cooked dinner every night together, which was probably better than I was eating my last two years of high school with working a couple nights a week. As well as being walking distance to the gym. I think I only ate at the cafeteria five times….if that.
P.S. I am impressed by your pushups. Good job!! Pushups kick my ass.
I lost 13 pounds (I went from 118 to 105 and ended up being TOO thin) my freshman year because of the adjustment. It was my first time dealing with bad weather and if it was snowing around dinner time, I’d just skip and snack in my room because I didnt want to put on long johns just to walk to the dining hall! I also had a hard time being away from my dad and my friends from home so I was pretty stressed.
Most people I know packed on the pounds though. No one went to the gym freshman year and everyone stayed up late eating pizza, taco bell, and Hokie sticks!
Um, I think I gained the freshmen 45. Ok, maybe not, but it felt like it. I was also REALLY big at the time. Not cute.
I definitely didn’t gain it all in my freshman year, but over the course of 5 years (4 years of undergrad and 1 year graduate program), I went from 115lbs to 140-145. Between inactivity, increased calorie intake, empty calories in alcoholic drinks… yeahhhh… but I’ve worked hard to get back down into the 120’s and am feeling fit and fabulous now, 10 years after high school!
You are so right about the dining hall!….endless cereal, breadsticks, pizza and caesar dressing?
I cringe just thinking about it now! 😉
oooh i LOVED the cereal station! so many sugary childhood cereals to choose from. 🙂
I was just reading this study! I was a little disappointed that they just seemed to downplay the overall weight gain as if it didn’t stem from unhealthy college habits and didn’t stress healthy eating and exercise habits. Also it’s tough to mention this topic without talking about drinking and late night pizza runs. College is the first time in the lives of many young adults where they are feeding themselves. Hopefully people stop worrying about a 15 lb weight gain and instead focus on their health! Also-when I was a college freshman, I probably gained and lost 3 or 4 lbs about 6 times. It was an unhealthy cycle of drinking and eating too much and then restricting food intake. Sooooo..net weight gain might have been small but it doesn’t reflect healthy habits. wheph-sorry for the long comment. have a great day!
Freshman 15 was a little bit TOO much of a concern of mine. Instead of gaining weight, my anxieties caused me to exercise too much and eat too little. I ended up losing weight and developing some unhealthy habits. Fortunately, I got through them. I think there’s just way too much talk about it to be honest. If you gain a few pounds going away to college, so be it. Like you said, bodies are still potentially changing and you’re learning how to live on your own.
i agree, which is why i’m glad this study is showing that it’s more or less a myth. i think all the talk about the freshman 15 freaks a lot of people out and causes them to overcompensate w/ exercise or dieting when, in reality, if we just focused on making healthy food choices and exercised a reasonable amout we’d be completely fine.
I’ve actually gained and lost the “freshman” 15 three times in my life:
1. freshmen year- thank you dining hall, drinking 4X a week, and $2 drunk pizza slices…then lost it all the following summer
2. junior year abroad for a semester in florence…totally worth it- not gonna skimp on pasta, pizza, and wine when in italy!…lost all the weight the next semester
3. first year out of college- i went from being active nearly all day with the exception of a couple hours of classes to sitting on my ass at a computer 10+ hours a day. luckily managed to lose this in the past year by upping mileage on my runs and doing more races.
i’m hoping there’s no fourth cycle for me!
I came out of college heavier, but in better shape than when I went in. I started working out more, and I know I gained weight when I joined the crew team because of all the lifting we did. I think most of my friends who stayed on campus gained, while the ones who got their own places lost, but the big drinkers tended to yoyo more. My little sister is a freshman now, and she’s kind of worried about the freshman 15 because she was so so active in high school and now she’s less so, but her school has lots of healthy options at least, so that’s good.
I love that you ate the overnight oats yesterday- I’d totally do that.
I def gained weight over freshman/sophomore years, but it was definitely not 15.. more like 5-10, although I’m really petite so it was more noticeable. 15 in one year though does seem intense, although booz has a looooot of calories haha.
Mine was like the Freshman 20! Yikes! Ha. I lost most of it my second year. Wouldn’t have changed a thing though. That was the most fun I have I ever had.
I’m currently a sophomore in college and can definitely say that I’ve probably gained about 5 pounds. Nothing major, but still a slight difference. Making the transition from high school to college, none of my close friends gained more than 5-6 pounds. I think part of the problem is continual gain throughout college years, not just freshman year!
I see it as the freshmen and sophomore 15. I definitely gained it. And actually, I kept it through senior year. I wish I could blame it on my growing and changing body, but I know better. It was the rum buckets and late night pizzas that I couldn’t work off, despite dancing up a storm all night, too 🙂
The freshman 15 was never an issue until my junior year. I played lacrosse for the 1st 2 years of college, then I switched schools and majors and ended up not as active so my weight gain was my junior and senior year. I was thankful I was able to live at home so I got nice home cooked meals by my parents I just needed to learn portion control!
It is an interesting study though.
I actually gained 16lb my freshman year but it was this weight gain that got be started on my wellness journey. The next year I lost 30lb because I started working out and eating clean and fell in love with leading a healthy lifestyle. So, here’s to you freshman 15 😉
I did not gain weight in college. In fact, I have weighed the exact same (to the ounce) since I was 17 (10 yrs ago). I am an aerobic instructor and high svhool teacher, so those jobs keep me active. I will say that 50-60% of my former kids gain at least 15 lbs their freshman year. A tiny % lose weight, but must gain a noticeable amount.