So let’s talk about it! First of all, the reality is, you might gain weight in your first year of university, and you might not! The fact of the matter is that you’re probably going to be entering a new routine. Habits could include: snacking after late night study sessions, meal-hall food, and the glorious in-house ice cream machine. You’re adjusting to a new lifestyle that includes new mental, emotional, and physical habits. Of course finding ways to be active and eating foods that will give your body the right fuel is incredibly important! But that’s only one side of the coin…as we know it’s equally important to take care of your mental health.   

Entering a new social setting is anxiety inducing, and that anxiety manifests itself in different ways - like in eating habits. So, we might skip meals or be very restrictive about our food choices to gain a sense of control. This is a totally valid reaction to genuine stressors, but it definitely doesn’t serve us in the long run. The good news is, I can promise you won’t be the only person feeling those pressures.  

Here are a couple tricks that helped me establish a healthy relationship with food amidst all the wonderful chaos of first year:  

It’s important to eat healthy but mending your relationship with food and unlearning fat-phobia and diet culture are (in my opinion) more important. If I could go back to first year I would spend more time trying to understand why gaining weight has such a negative social connotation than trying to restrict my caloric intake. There is definitely no quick fix…it takes years to unlearn the misogynistic, ableist social pressures that convince us our worth is rooted in our physical appearance. But, it’s never too early to work towards mending your relationship with food. In fact, first year is a great place to start!  

When you look back on first year I hope you will remember enjoying a Mel’s milkshake with your dorm mates, or crushing a late night slice from Jack’s. Missing out on these quintessential Mount A experiences is simply not worth it. In your first year you should be concerning yourself with making meaningful friendships, discovering what you like to study, and joining clubs that speak to your interests - not skipping meals! Your weight is not a reflection of your worth…not in freshman year and not ever!