Dieting To Lose The Freshman 15

How long does it take to lose the Freshman 15?

One to two pounds of weight loss per week is considered a safe, gradual weight change. If you are able to lose two pounds of weight per week, you can lose that Freshman 15 in as short as two months. But if you are a little bit slower and maybe you can lose one pound per week, also a very helpful weight change, you might need as much as four months to lose that Freshman 15.

What's the best diet to lose the Freshman 15?

Well I never recommend one diet that has the true answer for weight loss. Someone needs to be really cautious of fad diets that promote a lot of weight loss really quickly. They may be effective but often times they lead to yo-yo dieting. Where someone loses a lot of weight and then gains it right back and yo-yo dieting is a risk factor for chronic disease. So, we really want to avoid that. Making small changes over a long period of time contributing to one to two pounds weight loss a week is what I recommend.

Should I take diet pills to lose the Freshman 15?

I strongly do not recommend diet pills as a aid to weight loss. Diet pills that are sold over the counter at the drug store are not regulated by the FDA for safety Every year there are thousands of adverse events reported to the FDA about diet pills often times they contribute to kidney failure, liver failure, heart attacks maybe even death so someone really needs to do their research before considering a diet pill and I recommend strongly consulting with a registered dietitian before consuming one of these products.

Are there herbal products to help me lose the Freshman 15 faster?

To my knowledge there are no Herbal products on the market that can gain weight loss. Herbal products, natural products are often promoted for weight loss. We need to be aware and weary of these advertisements that promote a lot of weight loss in a short period of time. I tell my students all the time that if it sounds stupid to be true , it probably is, just because a product is herbal or natural does not mean that it's safe.

How many calories should I cut to lose the Freshman 15?

It's recommended that you cut down 500 calories. Create a 500 calorie negative energy balance in order to lose a pound or two per week. So you can do this by cutting a little bit of calories and increasing your energy expenditure a little bit. I recommend doing both so then there is not too much preoccupation on one or the other. So a combination of reducing calorie intake, a little bit, a few hundred and increasing energy expenditure, a little bit. Maybe an extra half hour per day together can pare up to about a 500 calorie deficit.

What foods should I limit or avoid to lose the Freshman 15?

I don't think there's any bad foods. I think any of your favorite foods can be a healthy part of your dietary intake. If your favorite foods are maybe not so healthful choices, perhaps you have to moderate those a little bit more. And leave those for special occasions or perhaps just once a week you splurge on your favorite foods. But I don't think there's any one food that's a good food that you need to eat a lot of or one food that's the bad food that you totally have to cut out. Moderating intake of those not so healthy choices, and focusing on those healthful choices, fresh fruits and vegetables that are unprocessed. That's what I recommend.

Should I avoid eating late at night to lose the Freshman 15?

Well research shows that what we're eating between 8pm and 4am can significantly contribute to weight gain. We need to think about whats promoting that eating late at night, midnight snacks, after parties stops at the fast food restaurant on the way home. Often times we're not making the most healthful choices for our midnight snacks, pizza, popcorn, chips, ice cream these are often the foods that are consumed in those wee hours of the morning that can contribute to weight gain. On the other hands students have very hectic schedules they may not be getting out of class until 10pm, so eating dinner at 10pm may be total normal and healthful for some people, wouldn't want you to skip dinner just because its after 8pm. What we need to avoid is having extra snacks and meals tagged on to our normal three meals or two snacks throughout the day.

What should I do if my Freshman 15 is becoming the Sophomore 20?

With the Freshman 15's creeping up and now leading into a Sophomore 20, we need to do something about it now. Recognize the problem, set a goal, make small gradual changes that are realistic that can be evaluated on a daily basis or perhaps even a weekly basis. Start on it now.