As students return to Pace, many are greeted once again with the stress of balancing classes, studying, staying involved in clubs/organizations, and working.  Along with these stresses, students often find themselves grabbing the quick yet not-so-healthy meals within reach.  Whether it’s Kessel or the many fast-food choices available locally, the idea of grabbing a quick bite to eat as opposed to cooking for oneself is often far more appealing.

Everyone fears the freshman 15, but it is like a slow plague that creeps up on students – they don’t know how it has taken hold of them until they step on a scale or try to squeeze into their favorite old pair of jeans.

So how can it be avoided? There are several things that can be done daily to keep the pounds from latching onto one’s stomach and thighs. Here are a few tips to help ward off the dooming freshman 15.

1. Walk to class! Pace has a pretty small campus. Although the trek back and forth from Martin Hall or the Townhouses to Willcox or Miller might seem annoying, they add up calorically. The average male will burn 88 calories walking a mile while females burn an average of 74 calories per mile.
2. Don’t grab the soda! Kessel and the Briarcliff cafeteria offer an abundance of sweet carbonated drinks that seem refreshing and fit perfectly along with that pizza slice or bowl of pasta that you just paid for. However, if you were to cut out all the soda or only drink just one or two a month, you will cut out almost 10-16 pounds.  That’s almost all of your freshman 15 right there!
3. Bar night calories! College students – preferably of drinking age –have tons of opportunities to pound away the beers and the liquor; just know that this is where the majority of all college students gain the most weight throughout their educational careers. Students should be selective about the drinks they choose. Hard liquors are high in calories and offer no nutritional value. Liquors such as gin, whiskey, vodka, rum, and tequila have 98 calories in just one ounce. Throw in juice or soda as a mixer and the calorie count shoots up to at least 170. Multiply that by the three or so that will be ordered and that’s another meal’s worth of calories that the body cannot use for any nutrients, leaving those calories to go right to the body’s problem areas.
While guys may not always grab for that fruity little cocktail their lady friend may be sipping on, beer is going to make them look like their fat uncle Bob in no time. Beer can have anywhere between 78-105 calories in one cup or can. Instead of trying to prove that they aren’t a lightweight, guys and female beer lovers alike should pay more attention to their bodies and be responsible.  Try sipping on a glass of water in between drinks.  It helps avoid becoming a drunken mess and it keeps the body hydrated.
4. Gym Time! Pace offers many ways to stay fit and active, even for people not on a sports team. Goldstein Fitness Center is free for any Pace student to use and is open from Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.-12 a.m., Sat. 6 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sun. 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
The gym offers open swim hours for the pool, free classes ranging anywhere from Zumba to kickboxing, and the use of fitness equipment throughout the week.  Other options include an open basketball court, track and a variety of intramural sports to play.  Outside of the gym, campus also has a fit trail for hiking, jogging, and bike riding.  Miller lawn is also a popular place for frisbee or kickball.
5. Grilled or Crispy? This is a popular question in the Pace cafeterias when ordering food and in the drive-thru line at McDonalds after a night at Paulie’s or Michael’s. It’s time to make the smart choice. The media, doctors, and nutritionists have been telling the world for years that all that comfort food, fried and crispy, is going to lead to all sorts of health problems in the long run – so why is it still being questioned? Simple, it’s fast and it’s tasty.
The first few weeks at college are the best – burgers, pizza, or chicken strips any time you please. That salad bar stocked with veggies and hard-boiled eggs may seem invisible at first, but keep in mind that without working twice as hard at the gym to keep those fries from sticking, that salad bar will become your new best friend.
Make an effort to grab that piece of fruit in exchange for the fries, make a chicken salad for lunch instead of that Philly cheese steak, and trade in those candy bars, chips, and cookies at the kiosk for some grapes, yogurt, or a granola bar as you run to class.
6. Catch some ZZZ’s! While it will be very hard to avoid the late night cram sessions or all-nighters, a consistent sleep schedule is needed for a healthy mind, body, and soul. On average, anyone between the ages of 18 to 24-years-old needs a minimum of eight hours per night. However, most only get an average of six to seven hours per night. Studies have shown that while every once in a while the late nights will not hurt the consecutive all-nighter can seriously affect previously healthy bodies. Those students who don’t have a proper sleep schedule tend to have lower grades, become depressed and irritable, form bad eating habits, and are more prone to illnesses. So ladies, log off of Facebook and boys, put down the game controllers – healthy bodies and high grades will serve as the reward.
Above all, students should lead healthy lives for themselves, not for others. One’s love for his or her body should be acted on by making smart choices and, with luck, these healthy choices will ensure that he or she will be comfortable in his or her own skin.