Joe String
J Fitness
Summer is approaching and college kids all across the nation are itching to get out of the classroom and onto the beach. With the summer getting closer and closer, it is time to put away the textbooks, break out the bathing suits and begin paying attention to the mirror. Believe it or not, research has shown that when kids move into their dorm/apartment at school (freshman, especially) their weight increases by an average of 4.62 pounds.
Although this may not seem like much, remember that people included in this study may have remained the same weight or even lost weight. Therefore, the people that actually did gain weight gained an up-end of about 8-10 lbs. As a matter of fact, many college students who claim that they are trying to lose weight gain the most! Here we have a problem, and today, as we enter the final months of the school year, I look to give my advice on how to tighten up your physique for the hot summer days.
The Contributing Factors
The first thing that any college student will say in regards to the possibility of gaining unwanted weight is the ever-so cliché, “drinking.” Although this is indeed a large contributor to the problem, it is far from the main reason that freshman pack on the pounds. This is only the first myth behind weight gain; I can and will name up to five.
Coming up next is having the ability to enter the dining hall as many times as one wants in a day. With that said, it is not amount of times that a student may enter the cafeteria itself; it is something else. Third on the list is the, “crappy (‘unhealthy’) food” found in that cafeteria. Fact is, not only are healthy food options available, but also, there are ways to incorporate the less healthy and more tasteful foods into a diet without seeing the number on the scale climb.
Numbers four and five go hand in hand—students’ inability to find time to be active because of studying, homework and class combined with stress levels, causing more eating. All of these theories behind unwanted fat gain in college seem logical, but the real reason resides below.
How do they contribute?
As I said above, the five reasons that students will try to use an excuse for packing on the pounds do possess somewhat logical reasoning. With that said, they all lead to one ultimate fact that has everything to do with the addition of unwanted body weight. They are called excess calories and all five reasons above are just gasoline to the fire.
Alcohol
Contrary to what college kids think, alcohol contains calories. As a matter of fact, it is the second most calorie dense thing that a person can consume, coming in at 7.1 kcal/g. That means one ounce of most hard liquors, a can of beer or a normal sized glass of wine will contain up to 70 calories from alcohol alone. A beer will contain a small to moderate amount of carbohydrates as well, capping their caloric value off at anywhere between 100 to 130 calories.
The biggest problem with alcohol is that when college students get off drinking, they tend to end their night with an oversized, non-nutritious meal…without even knowing it! In combination with all of the excess calories from alcohol, these extra 500-800 calories at the end of the day are sure to put one over his or her daily calorie requirement, which leads to fat gain.
Eating Too Much, Too Often
Many students will be able to make their way into the cafeteria only one time per day. These select few need to grab meals on the go and therefore, are much more likely to snack on low-calorie things like fruit, energy bars and quick go-wraps.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have the kids stepping in line and swiping their card up-ends of five times per day…and loading plates with mountains of fries, cheeseburgers and finishing with dessert—daily. Here, we have a serious issue. Having the option to enter the cafeteria as many times as he or she wants to can absolutely lead to an excessive calorie intake.
The most complained about and over-exaggerated theory about college cafeterias is that the food is, “crap.” This statement can be taken one of two ways, and usually students mean both. First, it could mean that it does not taste great and second, it could mean that it is entirely non-nutritious, highly processed junk.
Consuming Non-Satiating Foods in Bulk
Aside from the fact that a lot of university dining halls do offer highly nutritious, minimally processed foods that do taste good, but foods such as pizza, burgers and fries CAN be eaten while dieting and not cause weight gain. It is called moderation and having the ability to control portion size. Gorging on these foods is not smart because they are non-filling and calorie dense, but they can certainly be eaten. Fat gain will only take place if they are consumed in an amount that leads to a surplus of calories.
Inactivity
It is not just the intake of calories that wreaks havoc on the average college waistline—the lack of output plays a huge role. Most, if not all college kids (hopefully) spend a large amount of their free time buried in the books, trapped in the library and reviewing their class material. Now, saying that excludes the fact that when they are not in the books, they are surfing the web, watching TV or playing video games. That is the problem right there.
Doing things such as those activities requires little to no physical work, resulting in the energy output reminiscent of sitting around…doing nothing. Exercise is a key component to keeping those extra pounds at bay. Alongside the absorption of most free time, schoolwork brings about high levels of stress. One of the most common reactions of teenagers dealing with stress is to eat.
What to do?
There are very simple ways to reduce your calorie intake but first, you want to find out how many calories your body requires. Do this by calculating a TDEE (Total Daily Estimated Expenditure.) This is the number of calories that, if using the correct activity factor (shown below), that your body burns performing the daily activities that it does.
Once you have your daily macronutrient requirements, you want to create a profile on a website that has allows you to track your daily intake with a database of foods that you consume. I recommend using myfitnesspal.com; it allows you to search for foods, add them to your daily log and it even subtracts the consumed calories from your daily goal, which allows you to know how many calories you have left in a day. You can even log your exercise, set weight loss goals and add your own foods/recipes.
The first thing you need to do before determining your daily requirement is decide on an activity factor. Choose from the list:
12-14: Sedentary; Not very active
14-16: Moderately Active; Relatively rigorous exercise 3-5 days/week
16-18: Active; Vigorous training and/or physically demanding job
18-22: Very active or involved in vigorous, strength training
22+: Endurance Athletes and those involved in very heavy training
Once you decide on an activity factor, multiply it by your body weight and then use the Fat/Carb/Protein ratio of your choice. When choosing your ratio, know that your body requires at least .4g of fat per lb. of body mass and .8g of protein per lb. of body mass. You need to reach these requirements to stabilize your hormone balance and to support growth/development.
*Note: The calculation for your daily calorie intake should be done using Lean Body Mass. You can only determine LBM by knowing your body fat percentage, so if you have an idea of what yours may be, find it and subtract it from your body weight. This gives you your lean body mass, from which you can calculate your daily needs.
If you are unaware of your body fat percentage, use the following estimates as a guide:
- If you’re a little on the heavier side, subtract ~20 from your body weight before calculating calorie needs.
- If you are thinner, subtract only 10.
Here is an example of how to calculate requirements:
Male; 5’9”, 155 lbs—exercises with moderate intensity 3-5x a week, works a relatively rigorous manual labor job
Activity Factor: 18
Daily Requirements: 145 x 18 = 2,610 Calories
.4 x 145 = 58g of Fat, minimum (At least 522 calories)
.8 x 145 = 116g Protein, minimum (At least 464 calories)
522+464=986 Calories; 2,610-968=1,642 calories left
These remaining calories can all be consumed via carbohydrate or any blend of the three macronutrients—carbohydrate, fat and protein.
Conclusion
Now that the myths behind college fat gain have been exposed, your daily requirements have been calculated and you know that only a surplus of calories will result in fat gain, there is no reason to look back. Start your journey to a fitter, happier and healthier you and be ready for the end of the school year!
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