The Least of Your Worries

Hey there! How’s your day going? I hope well. It’s Tuesday, so that means it’s busy day for me. But last night I had a little bit of time and I lot a bit of thoughts, so here are… some of them 😉

Since I’ve been away at school (it’s really crazy to think that it hasn’t even been two months), I’ve met a lot of new people, experienced a lot of new things, and been semi-independent. I say that because I definitely still depend on family members for questions and care packages.

Also, because college is definitely more sheltered than the “real world”. So, semi-independent it is. The thing is, every other person here can say the same thing.

Everyone, from first year to fourth year, undergoes some sort of adjustment when they come to school. Classes differ from quarter to quarter, year to year, and so does workload. Even the way you need to spend your spare time is different. Some people are studying for the MCAT or LSAT and others are looking for a good organization to volunteer with. Others want to find a job or internship. And some people just want to make some really good friends (hi!).

All of that is a long way of saying that everyone has more than enough to worry about.

But people seem to like to add one more really silly little thing to that list: the freshman 15. (Alternatively, “sophomore/s spread” and “junior junk”.) Basically, a lot of college students are overly concerned with their weight. And maybe… at least, if you’re reasonably healthy and functioning, that should be the least of your worries.

Now I’m really not one to be talking from a “must-avoid-weight-gain” point of view – I would take a couple extra pounds if I could come by them. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t know what it’s like to worry about my weight (low weight comes with its own issues). What I do know is that obsessing over it… really doesn’t do you any good.

And a lot of things should receive preference to weight when it comes to the brain space you allow them to consume. Classes and friendships and clubs and family? All of those – and many other things – are more important.

So, the point is I’ve heard a lot of people refuse to eat the bread at Friday tea, turn down a cookie offered by a friend, or gaze longingly at the $1 milkshakes on Wednesday as they walk by because they’re afraid that eating x will make them gain weight.

Now, I’m all for eating healthy foods and doing what’s best for your body, but I believe that there is a time and place for both kale and candy. So sometimes, turning down a certain food is probably the right decision. If you’re full or it just doesn’t sound like what you want, go right ahead and say no. But if you’re tired and hungry and you need fuel, eat something rather than skipping breakfast. If you’re crashing midafternoon because all you’ve had is a granola bar, eat a nice meal. And if repeated rejection of delicious food is consistently causing you unhappiness and all you want is to pile Oreos on top of a chocolate milkshake on a beautiful Wednesday…

… please do it.

Eat the milkshake: why the freshman 15 should be the least of your worries. #fitfluential Share on X

No questions today, just your thoughts.