What can cause weight gain in college?

Any combination of factors, including but not limited to

• Irregular eating schedule
• Poor food choices
• Lack of moderation
• Late-night munchies
• Empty calorie beverages (this is a big one!)
• Less exercise and activity than in high school
• Stress
• Lack of sleep

Eating Well on Campus is Easy!

For optimal health, choose a well-balanced diet from USDA's MyPyramid; practice portion control; be active; and get plenty of sleep.

• Develop a routine, making breakfast a priority.  Eat frequent small meals and snacks within one hour of waking, and again at least every 3½ to 5 hours.
• Fill your plate to look like a "peace sign" - putting a lean protein food in the first third, a starchy food (preferably whole grain) in the next third, and a vegetable or fruit in the last third.  Top off with a glass of fat free milk or soy milk.
• Never avoid a food group, and be very wary of fad diets and diet supplements.
• If you are trying to lose weight, never eat less than 1200 calories, striving for a minimum of 1500 calories daily.  Eating less than this will slow your metabolism down, and your muscle will preferentially be used for body fuel.  Also, deprivation can lead to binging.
• Do not deprive yourself of dessert, just learn to enjoy small portions (e.g., take one cookie instead of two; share a peace of cake with a friend; or only chose dessert when it is your very favorite).
• Choose fruits and vegetables with dark, rich colors for more vitamins and antioxidants.
• Try Dine Smart choices and vegan entrées (tend to be low in calories, high in fiber and nutrients).
• Maximize your selection of baked, broiled, grilled, fried, roasted, steamed, stir-fried, and sautéed foods; minimize your selection of deep fried, creamy, cheesy, and sugary foods.
• Keep healthful snacks in your room and back pack - try baby carrots and dip; low fat string cheese; frozen, fresh, or canned fruits and vegetables; yogurt; nuts, seeds, granola bars and whole grain cereal.
• Limit empty-calorie beverages and alcohol - two 12 fl oz glasses of soda daily adds 300 calories to your diet (assuming the rest of your diet and activity remain the same, this would result in one pound of weight gain in 12 days as well as increased risk of dental cavities).
• Stay active, striving for a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity most days of the week. This is essential for stress relief in addition to healthful weight management.