Everyone knows that once classes start, it’s not hard to fall into a pattern of eating unhealthy on-campus foods. You’ve been in classes all day, haven’t eaten since breakfast, and none of your classmates are answering the GroupMe about your upcoming project. The last thing you want to do is to go home and take the time to cook yourself a healthy meal. It’s understandable, we’ve all been there.
If you feel like you’ve fallen into this vicious cycle, and are on your way to gaining the not-so-freshman 15, don’t stress about it. Keep in mind this is totally normal, and there are several steps you can take to resist the temptations of mediocre pizza.
The first, most important thing to remember: Don’t fall for online fitness marketing.
If you have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, you’ve probably seen advertisements for products like Fit Tea or Flat Tummy Tea. These teas are often endorsed by celebrities such as the Kardashian family, fitness models, supermodels, etcetera. Most of the time these women are already in great shape, and probably don’t even drink the tea in the first place.
The companies claim that their products “detox” the body and “promote digestive health.” However, the components of the products are all generally natural ingredients that haven’t actually been proven to do any of those things. There are hundreds of products on the market like this: waist trainers, weight loss pills, detox drinks. They are all scams, save your money!!
Staying fit and healthy is super easy, and can be done by simply incorporating a few healthy habits into your lifestyle.
Bring a snack to class.
In my experience, most professors won’t mind if you have a bag of carrots sitting on your desk. This can really help you feel less hungry during your long days on campus!
Ditch the shuttle, bike or walk to class.
You can never tell if the shuttle will be on time, and we all know how scarce parking is on campus. Biking or walking is a great way to burn a few calories on the way to class.
Meal prep!
I know this sounds painful, and it definitely isn’t for everyone. However, I’ve found that I feel way less tempted by fast food if I make a few meals at a time and put them in my refrigerator to heat up later.
Completing these steps will help you feel better, look better, and save you from falling victim to an online marketing scam!
Photos from: fittea.org, flattummyco.com, instargam.com (@kimkardashian, @kourtneykardash).
-Shane Miller
IMC Hawks Blog 
I think this is a great and educating article! I believe that in today’s day and age, false advertising in the beauty and health industry is such an important issue. Everyone wants automatic results when they are not happy with how they look and they do not even consider what they eat/inject/put in their bodies to get those “desired” results. Being educated and made aware of this false advertising benefits all of our society and helps people become healthy in the correct way.
I found this post to be very helpful! The strategy of “meal prep” is so beneficial. Making multiple healthy meals while one is not feeling lazy to heat and devour when tired , is a clever method I plan on implementing .
Along with the steps above, doing an hour of exercise 3-4 days a week is a great way for almost anyone to lose weight and be healthy!
Also, as someone who has taken a “natural supplement” to help “detox” my body – it did absolutely nothing to help and didn’t have me feeling much more healthy after the 7-day “program.” Unfortunately, I think this is a consequence of how these products are marketed and presented to us as an “ultimate solution,” if you will – a product that oversells itself on unrealistic promises only to have the consumer feeling like they got robbed afterwards.
I totally have to prep and think about healthy options with my busy schedule. These are great Ideas…I think anything that is endorsed by a Kardashian I will steer clear of haha.
I enjoyed reading this article and agree with your points! I used to be the worst at falling for these traps. I’m big into nature, eating healthy, spirituality, and fitness and found myself searching for Youtuber’s who also brand their self with these same words. They would endorse an item maybe it would be an essential oil brand for a certain diffuser and then I realized the truth when I looked in the description box and saw “This video was sponsored by..” (said oil diffuser). This taught me to never believe what you see/hear even if you think that person is that “true, eco-friendly” person you think they are and would never fall for endorsements. Always research yourself and look at ingredients.
I could not agree with this article more! Being a tired college student, the idea of coming home and cooking, on top of doing the dishes after, is not an appealing thought. I feel like many women especially will turn to an easier way to stay healthy, such as the teas or shakes mentioned above. Exercising and eating right are the only ways to see results and feel better about yourself in the process. I love how you mention bringing snacks to class. I am the type to be hungry at random times and if I do not have a snack on me, I will end up buying something bad for me on campus. It is so much harder to be healthy while in college than Universities portray. But the tips listed above are very helpful!
Hey, Shane I loved hearing your take on staying fit without online marketing scams. I absolutely agree! these things are scams, they never end up working and are way overpriced. It is sometimes tempting to just take the “easy” way out and do a “detox” but they do not work and who knows what you are putting in your body. I also like your tips on staying healthy and doing it the right way, meal prepping and walking are great options and once you get into the routine of them it will make a difference. Great Job!
I loved this article. As a blogger myself, I enjoy reading and writing about fitness articles because… well, it’s SO relatable. I think the best tip is to meal prep and have food ready at your finger tips so that you won’t have to slave over an oven after a long day of school. Another tip that I personally use and that comes in handy, is drinking plenty of water. Water can keep you full and fill your stomach even without food- not to mention it’s very important for many other factors!
This post is an wonderful example of a few easy things to incorporate into your life that will provide for a happier school year. Your point about mediocre pizza is all to true, most of my friends, even the fit ones, would rather grab a quick slice than sit down and take the time to eat healthy. I also enjoyed your point about false advertising in the fitness/lifestyle community. A lot of people want immediate results and all to often get sucked into fit tea craze or the 60-second abs article. With the easy steps you listed it will definitely help other students get on the right track to a healthier lifestyle.
Good article!
I thoroughly enjoy working out and I agree meal prep can be rigorous and a pain in the butt, but it is also very beneficial. One thing I have recently incorporated into my diet is “intermittent fasting” it is gaining a lot of steam in the fit community lately and I can say from personal experience, it works. Any one interested in increasing overall health and burning fat while eating more of the foods you enjoy eating should really look into intermittent fasting.
I thought this post was very helpful. As a college student I agree that it is often hard to find the time to eat healthy. This showed how simple it really is when it is broken down like that. I think meal prepping is a pain but in the end it always pays off. I read one facebook post that said watching tv or a movie while prepping makes it go so much faster.
I love how honest and realistic this post is. It’s also very useful. It calls the BS out on these brands and their reps and leaves helpful indepth tips to follow up with. I think this approach should be taken more when writing. You gave relevant examples and got straight to your point.
I like your ideas on how to get consistent nutrients and exercise as well as your point on eating healthy snacks in class! I used to be mortified by the thought of eating in class but in the few times that I have brought a small snack my professors have not cared a bit and I always feel so much better and find it easier to focus. I do feel that this post was generated towards women and I think it would’ve been interesting to see something like 210 here as well which has male endorsements – just to show variation and that the target market isn’t merely women but anyone who wishes to lose a little weight or live a healthier lifestyle.
I think this post is particularly helpful for this time of year! Classes are picking up and I really found myself diving back into old, and not so good habits. However, I do always make it a point to walk to class! I never thought about meal prepping before though. It seems like a very simple way to stay on track and will definitely have to try it out. I’ve never payed much attention to online weight loss. Luckily that won’t be an issue! I do love the tips though and will probably use them this year.
Thanks so much for the insight Shane! I always look at the Instagram’s, and twitter posts and wonder how valid they really are. Hard to believe that just because a Kardashian says we should “jump” half the country asks “how high?” but I guess that is the world we live in today. I wonder how companies like that stay a float because I am sure they for out a ton of cash for celeb endorsements? Really appreciate all of the helpful tricks that are so simple but we forget to do on a daily basis.
This article is very well thought out. Even healthy or so-called healthy lifestyles are promoted through media for money and market value when sometimes it is not even worth all the investment. Endorsement create a lot of buzz and support, but your takes on a simple (and cheap) take on a healthier lifestyle can really go a long way if done correctly and not by cheating with any detox teas or food.
I follow both Kim K and Kourtney on Instagram and I see them endorsing those brands all the time. I completely agree with what you said that the tea did not make them look like they do, they were already in great shape before the endorsement. I also like your suggestion about bringing a snack to class. When I do that, and my hunger is definitely satisfied throughout most of the school day because of it.
This article is great and everyone should read it. Everyday I come across numerous ads for weight loss/gain supplements. 95% of them are false advertisements and are not as effective as they claim to be. Being active on social media, I see majority of the ads on social sites. For example, the weight loss diet pill ads are targeting mostly females who are seeing the pictures of Kylie Jenner and other celebrities and american teenage girls are trying to imitate those stars. They think that if they take the diet pills, that they can lose 15 pounds and have that “Kylie Jenner body”. It’s sad because majority of those diet pills are scams; the key to the weight loss and being healthy is your diet and nutrition. As you stated in the article, meal prep and regular exercise is important to live a healthy lifestyle rather than those scamming diet pills.
Thanks for this refreshing article! I always feel like every time I get on social media there is ALWAYS some type of endorsement or fitness ad that pops up. I can totally understand how some people can get wrapped up in them. The tips and tricks you shared are ones that I’ll definitely keep in mind. I know I’m always complaining about not having enough time to cook when I’m done for the day. I think meal prepping would be a great solution to try out!
Shane, I enjoyed reading this article. I think this pertains to all college students, myself included. I love social media, Instagram especially, that’s why I see how often these advertisements are shown. Big celebrities use these ads to swoon individuals into purchasing their product! I haven’t yet tried these, but I have been tempted too. That’s why I think this article is so refreshing, and I appreciated your tips on how to stay healthy even during the busy school year. I am all for bringing a small and healthy snack. One thing I would like to try is meal prepping, even though it takes time I’m sure it is worth it!
This article hits the spot. Honestly, ever since school started my diet has gone downhill. Over the summer I’d stick to light lean meats and vegetables (you know, for the summer bod) and now I find myself eating ramen with oreos. My only excuse is Winter’s coming and I can eat what I want. However I’m also thinking that feeling like crap from this crappy food is not all that great either. This article highlighted a couple things I’ve been trying to incorporate already, as well as some that I definitely need to apply. I’ve seen a lot of things on the meal prep and I’ve always been so lazy, but I think it could really save some time and cut out all the messy foods!
This is some good advice. While meal prepping does suck, it does make a worlds difference. I don’t meal prep whole meals or anything crazy like that, but I do prep a sandwich and other snacks if I have a long day of class. It saves me money instead of eating on campus for one, and I feel better afterwards because my money isn’t being wasted and I am actually eating what I bought! (I struggle with that as food I buy normally goes bad and then I throw it away.)
I love this article! I myself have even been approached by people trying to get me to endorse/ try their products. Three girls in the past month have messaged me about different weight-loss supplements trying to get me to “join their team” which in other words scam my friends into believing they can be a size 0 in a few months without actually working out. Social media is filled with celebrities like the Kardashians trying to get their followers to try these “healthy” supplements rather than just eating healthy and in moderation. I think the tips you pointed out are spot on. I use to walk to campus from my apartment everyday which made me feel better about myself than any cup of tea would have. Meal prepping is also a great tip, as my mother use to say everything in moderation! Meal prep can help with portions as well as types of food your eating. Being in college I find myself picking up fast food rather than cooking but if it was already done I would do that.
This is a great article! It is tough trying to manage eating healthy, especially with how many different food choices are around now. It is important to live a healthy lifestyle and that depends much on what you eat, and how much physical activity you are doing. I liked the idea about skipping the shuttle and walking to class to burn a few extra calories throughout the day. Planning meals out for the week is also a great tip since it may prevent you from eating out and could save you some money.
I love this, I think it is great that college-age individuals are doing more to take control of their health. Unfortunately it is really hard to avoid or ignore all of the online advertisements about “quick ways to shed pounds”. This article is a great example of what people our age need to realize, following the fads won’t get you where you want to be. I have attempted meal preps a few times and I love them but I have a really hard time keeping up with it. I’ll do great one week then my schedule will change and I end up just grabbing something on campus. Reading this article has definitely made me want to start meal prepping again though!