The “freshman 15” is a cliche for a reason. You come into college with the best of intentions, but come winter break, you notice that your jeans are a little tighter already, and you’re not as confident as you used to be. The narrative is always the same: eat less, move more, work harder. However, you must understand that weight gain in college isn’t always about willpower.
When you gain weight in college, it’s natural to attribute it to a lack of discipline, but not knowing how your body reacts during those years is what keeps you from achieving your ideal weight. Learning about those changes early is quite liberating because you can address the issue only when you know what’s really happening behind the scenes.
Your Metabolic Rate Is Changing
College years align perfectly with the time when your body is naturally undergoing physiological changes. Between 18 and 25 years, your metabolism shifts quite significantly, which has a direct impact on your body composition. You may have had a higher metabolism rate as you were going through puberty, but your Basal Metabolic Rate is no longer as forgiving as it was when you were 16.
It’s vital to understand these metabolic truths and react accordingly. That’s exactly why a growing number of students turn to evidence-based strategies rather than taking a shot in the dark. Weight loss programs like Shed weight loss solutions can help in this regard, as they’re designed specifically considering your unique circumstances and body composition. You get personalized plans with supplements that may help boost fat metabolism while giving you mental energy to deal with all the stress you experience during college years.
Stress Eating Is a Coping Mechanism
When you’re stressing about an exam, feeling overwhelmed with social stuff, or freaking out about what’s next, your body doesn’t crave a salad. Your brain craves dopamine. Loading up on carbs and fatty foods is like injecting your body with serotonin and dopamine. This is not laziness or loss of control. This is your brain taking care of itself because it’s hardwired to do so.
College students don’t always get to decide what food they can eat. You may be eating what’s available in your college dining hall for its cost-effectiveness, not for its nutritional value. You may also have to deal with social eating situations where you don’t always have the choice to decline food. You may not have direct access to fresh produce just because you’re managing food with a college budget. All these structural constraints play a role when addressing the issue of gaining weight in college.
College Life Often Works Against You
Another important part of the equation is that the college lifestyle simply doesn’t allow a constant weight to be maintained. You’re in small dorms with crazy schedules. Meal times are not planned, and activity levels are all over the place.
Structure and accountability often trump willpower. When people have a plan and a support system to guide them along the way, they lose and maintain their ideal weight more easily than those trying to do it alone with their own willpower.
It’s never going to be easy when doing it alone since you’ll be managing the most demanding years of your life. However, the fact remains that this isn’t a problem for you not having enough self-control, but it’s about trying to solve a structural problem with a non-structured individual effort.
Endnote
Understanding what’s happening under the surface when it comes to weight gain means the narrative shifts to a systemic issue, which can’t be solved with willpower alone. If you’re struggling with weight issues in college, the answer is to find structured support to see the best results.
