Let’s be real everyone, you are not prepared for what it truly means to be away from home for the first time as a college freshman.
When you come to college, you have wide eyes and are overwhelmed with all the meal options: on-campus dining that includes both prepared meals and fast food options, surrounding restaurants and fast food places, and freedom to purchase whatever groceries your stomach desires.
What you don’t consider is how much of a responsibility it is to take care of and provide for yourself.
When you move to campus to begin your first semester of college, it probably isn’t into the fancy dorm that has a kitchen, or even a stove. You find yourself looking for the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to eat between classes, studying, and trying to establish some sort of normal life for yourself while away from home.
One thing I wish people would talk about more is that you should consider your meals -ALL of them- when doing all of these things.
For starters, don’t be sucked in by the easily accessible fast-food. Yes, it is available with your meal plan, Skyhawk Silver, and your debit card. No one is saying that you can’t enjoy it every once in a while. However, you should try to fit in more beneficial meals.
It will be tempting to run by On the Fly and grab three chocolate bars, a Coke, and a bag of chips on the way to class. Mom and Dad aren’t there to stop you, so why not? It’s not the most optimal choice you could make, obviously. Instead of grabbing the brightest colored — strategically placed– junk food that is kept by the door, walk a little further and grab something from the prepped food fridge. There is always a variety, and it only takes a few steps to do so!
I know that we’ve generally been focusing on the “do not do…” things so far, but I promise it’s important. It is so easy to get carried away with the freedom to eat whatever you want.
I’ll be honest with you, it can take a dangerous turn.
“An individual can engage in disordered eating patterns and not be diagnosed with an eating disorder. Usually the individual suffering from the eating disorder does not recognize the signs they are exhibiting themselves,” said Dr. Lori Littleton, assistant professor of Nutrition and Food Systems Management.
The threat of the feared “freshman 15” is all to looming and ever-present. It can create just the smallest bit of anxiety that may contribute to disordered eating.
It’s easy to fall into patterns that are recognized as disordered. You may find yourself wanting to purge your body of all the junk you had, whether that be through excessive exercise or binging and purging.
Falling into a mindset in which you reward yourself with food can lead to disordered eating because you are really binging on whatever junk food you want and then working (purging) it off at the gym.
You are exposed to so many new people when you move to campus, and it can be all too easy to compare yourself to them. You may think that one girl or guy is more in shape than you, their face is less broken out, maybe you want to gain weight but can’t. They’re all human, just like you, and they probably have to work hard to be that way. They may even envy you for something you consider a reason for insecurity. These are among the many things that can lead to disordered eating, and you don’t even recognize you’re doing it!
To the first UTM freshman class of COVID-19, I want you to know that you are not alone in these stressful and extremely uncertain times. It will be too easy to stay in your dorm or apartment and eat or starve yourself all day because you have nothing else to do.
“We all know that we are stressed, living in stressful times, and being a college student males us react differently. These reactions could be eating too much, too often, not the right kind of food OR restricting the intake,” said Littleton.
Your anxiety levels may skyrocket because of all the responsibility you will now be faced with; It’s important to keep your physical health as important to you as your mental health is because the two are more connected than you know.
If you are concerned about your health and eating habits and want to learn healthy ways to manager them, you can contact the Student Health Clinic. It’s important to recognize the early signs of these things before they grow into something life changing.
