Listen Here
By Julianna Koballa
@UFPulseKoballa
Moving into my first off campus house, I am suddenly hit with a lot more “real life” situations. I pay real bills, deal with real outside people, I fight real drama, and I am starting to cook real food. This past summer a lot of us got our bodies back. What if I told you it is easy to maintain those fit, summer bods on campus? What if I told you that you can’t make anymore excuses? What if I told you that there shouldn’t be such thing as the “freshman 15?”
Living in my own house now, I feel as if I have been eating a lot healthier. The truth is, I am. Not to knock Hendo, but I remember swiping in there day after day so much so that the food started to all taste the same. I remember sitting in the green pod of the Vill last year trying to come up with different meal selections. Between Hendo, Jimmy Johns, and Vito’s pizza something had to give. I will admit, I came home for fall break last year looking fuller. Hendo, Jimmy Johns and Vito’s were all to blame. It was at fall break, though, that I realized it didn’t have to be that way.
Believe it or not, if you have a microwave in your dorm you can boil water. If you can boil water you can make any type of noodle or any kind of rice. In living in my own house this year, my housemate Jenna Huff introduced me to a microwaveable steamer. They are so handy. I have made steamed brussel sprouts and carrots already. I also recall one of the residents on my floor having a George Foreman grill. I’m not sure if those are allowed, but the chicken she made on it was fantastic.
The biggest weight and health management change that I have personally made is simple: I eat breakfast. Breakfast is way more important than we know. When I lived in the dorms, I NEVER ate breakfast because I was never hungry in the mornings. A cup of coffee usually did the trick. You can keep bananas in a dorm room. You can keep milk and cereal in a dorm room. Have something other than a cup of coffee and a little granola bar. Since living in my house, I have been forcing breakfast down and feeling so much better. The days are better when you eat breakfast.
Not living on campus, I regret not being able to walk to the FRC every day. Take advantage of that as on-campus residents. It’s almost better than being at home. At home I had to drive to the recreation center every day. UF’s campus is so small that an elliptical or treadmill is literally in your backyard (and if you live in Myers, Fox or Bare, it really is in your backyard).
So although you might think the late nights, the alcohol, the stress, and the senseless snacking are all inevitable and take a toll on your physical appearance, think again. The fact is that you can easily take care and have a love for your body no matter where you live.
