Hello from Utah State University
Hi, my name is Ashley, and I'm a freshman in college. I've always had a weight problem.
My freshman year of high school I weighed 180lbs, and I thought I was on my way to getting in shape when I made my school's soccer team. Unfortunately, I became so wrapped up in my extracurriculars, and was forced to quit the team by my mother. I still managed to be decently active. I didn't have too much of an apetite back then, so at the very least, I wasn't gaining weight.
Right before my sophomore year, we moved to Texas, and I became very depressed. I gained about sixty pounds that year.
Before my junior year, we moved to Utah. On two separate occasions, my mother and I got gym memberships and started working out. The first time we did that, I last about fifteen pounds before we moved houses and the gym we went to wasn't in convenient distance to our home. As a result of that, we didn't go anymore. I gained that weight back.
The second time we began trying to lose weight again, the summer before my senior year, but then she got pregnant and was too tired to do anything. I lost about 10 pounds before we stopped going. I gained that back as well. The second semester of my senior year I took a weight training class. That alone helped me to lose 16 pounds during the semester. My teacher was fairly surprised at my weight loss, because according to her, people usually didn't lose much more than four pounds or so in that class because they didn't put in the effort. Unfortunately this summer, I gained that weight back, too.
Now I am a freshman in college. I have moved out of my family's home, which I think was the biggest benefit to me. I have access to healthy food, which I didn't have when I was living with my family. The dining hall in the student center is very friendly to those who want to eat healthy, since they always have a well-stocked salad bar and fresh fruits.
I'm taking a weight training class, but it's only twice a week. My biggest focus has been on eating well, because I think that's been my biggest hinderance. I have changed my diet in small, but effective ways. I choose whole wheat in my bread and pasta rather than white. I choose marinara or pesto over alfredo sauce. I add more vegetables to my plate. I reach for grapes and apples when I want a snack. I have yogurt and fruit for breakfast. I don't deny myself desert, but I limit it to smaller portions which I have less often. I don't at all feel like I'm depriving myself, or like I'm 'on a diet'. In the two and a half months I've been living here, I've made this a legitimate lifestyle change. It's normal now to load up on veggies when I go for pasta.
I have set for myself a simple, realistic goal. I want to lose about 100 pounds before I graduate. So my bare minimum goal is to lose 25 pounds every school year. If I lose more, that's fantastic. I'll be thrilled. But if I just make it to 25 pounds, then I'm on track, and that is also fantastic. I've jokingly told some friends that I was going for the "Reverse Freshman Fifteen".
Now that I see how my change in diet has affected my weight, I understand exactly what I need to do as far as physical activity. On the diet change, I've lost weight very slowly. Not much more than a half a pound a week. But it still means that I'm burning more calories in a week than I'm consuming. So now I'm going to start going to the gym multiple times in a week. I have a friend who has expressed interest in working out, so maybe extending an invitation is all it would take to get her to come along as a work out buddy. These things are always better with friends.
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