Foo - has the freshman 15 turned into the freshman 25 ?

Due to my job in academia I work with alot of kids from 17-21 yrs old. Its well known about the "freshman 15" weight gain but it seems to be that lately its turned into the freshman 25 !!! I am blaming it on booze, food and no exercize.

Tack that on to the highschool freshman 40, and things start coming into focus.

Yeah, I was going to say add 25 to high school. Then the beer diet in college adds 25 more.

People are just getting fatter, that is all.

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL

College, when the 6 pack abs start to look like a beer keg.

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL

1) Stop smoking
2) Consume fewer carbs
3) Cycle more
4) Profit

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL

That is the dummest reason to not stop smoking. You have an oral fixation. You have to have something in your mouth at all times. It's either a smoke or food. Stop smoking and eat a healthy diet. Losing weight is not hard when you are serious, but it is VERY hard when you make excuses. At 260lbs I imagine you eat just about everything you see. All the working out in the world won't help if you over-eat. Get smart, stop smoking and stop making excuses.

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL
If all you plan on doing with that gym membership is cardio, cancel it. There are plenty of ways to do cardio workouts for free. If you insist on keeping the membership, make sure you include weight training. You don't have to bulk up, but simply toning up a bit will help you lose weight faster.

And if you refuse to give up our nicotine, at least have the common courtesy of using one of those electronic cigarettes that only give off a water vapor for those of us who value fresh air. Or try chewing gum instead- it'll help you burn calories.

Yes

I dunno, I think beer was more accessible to freshmen "back in the day."

I dunno, I think beer was more accessible to freshmen "back in the day."

I know it was more accessible where I went to school. The old coke machine we redid the coin slot on to turn it iinto a break even beer machine comes to mind.

Shouldn't it be more like the "American 75?"

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL

Go to the gym and lift. Heavy. Squats, deadlifts, OHP's, power cleans and benching. You will not get bigger unless you are eating at a caloric surplus and it will not hurt your flexibility.

Cardio wise, do intervals or tabata.

1) Stop smoking
2) Consume fewer carbs
3) Cycle more
4) Profit

Yeah I know, but I got to want to quit first :-\


That is the dummest reason to not stop smoking. You have an oral fixation. You have to have something in your mouth at all times. It's either a smoke or food. Stop smoking and eat a healthy diet. Losing weight is not hard when you are serious, but it is VERY hard when you make excuses. At 260lbs I imagine you eat just about everything you see. All the working out in the world won't help if you over-eat. Get smart, stop smoking and stop making excuses.

Nah I don't everything I see, I only eat 2 times a day but its junk. However this week, all I have really ate was salads and fruit.


If all you plan on doing with that gym membership is cardio, cancel it. There are plenty of ways to do cardio workouts for free. If you insist on keeping the membership, make sure you include weight training. You don't have to bulk up, but simply toning up a bit will help you lose weight faster.

And if you refuse to give up our nicotine, at least have the common courtesy of using one of those electronic cigarettes that only give off a water vapor for those of us who value fresh air. Or try chewing gum instead- it'll help you burn calories.

I have actually been using an electronic cigarette in an attempt to ween myself off regular ones. I am a 17 year smoker and I don't really want to quit, so its a bit of an issue but I am sure I will do it. However, I did once quit for 6 months straight while on CHANTIX, I am thinking about doing that again because it made me not want to smoke, it really works but it gives you crazy dreams to boot, haha.


Go to the gym and lift. Heavy. Squats, deadlifts, OHP's, power cleans and benching. You will not get bigger unless you are eating at a caloric surplus and it will not hurt your flexibility.

Cardio wise, do intervals or tabata.

I am doing some upper body working outs with machines. I don't free weights because I am scared I will hurt myself but for the most part I do cardio... tonight I did 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of upper body on the machines.

----

I do understand you all in telling me I shouldn't smoke. Its a nasty habit but oddly enough, I don't want to quit 100% and it really takes that 100% :-\

is it only 25?
Actually, I bet they are coming in fat now...

I used to be skronny to a point where I could eat massive amounts of food a day and never gain a pound. This ended at about age 21 which so happened to be when I got heavily into bar hopping lol. I don't do that anymore (I am 27 now) but I suffer from a beer gut now haha. I just got a gym membership and plan to do cardio 5 nights a week, 2 hours a day and cycling on the weekends and maybe a spinning class or two a week. I am 6'5" and 260 LBS, while I don't appear too big, I am technically obese according to my BMI readings. My BMI wants me to be 190 at least. I am going for 170 myself. I want to be skinny again, it looks healthier than being overweight. My only bad thing is I smoke (since age 10) and drink occasionally. I don't want to quit smoking because I am afraid of getting fatter as I have done before when I quit in the past, but if I keep smoking, I could have all sorts of problems... Life is so grand and proper isn't it? LOL

Quit the cigs while you're young and it's easier to battle the post-smoke weight gain.

I have actually done something good about the smokes, I went to the electronic cigarette so... No second-hand smoke dangers, no smell, no carbon monoxide which is starts lung cancer... just water vapor and nicotine, it is a better way to smoke, much healthier from what I have read. PLUS, I think when I finally do decide to quit, it may not be so hard. So far I have went 3 days without a real cigarette so that is a good thing, IMO.

I am doing some upper body working outs with machines. I don't free weights because I am scared I will hurt myself but for the most part I do cardio... tonight I did 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of upper body on the machines.

----

I do understand you all in telling me I shouldn't smoke. Its a nasty habit but oddly enough, I don't want to quit 100% and it really takes that 100% :-\

I missed this post, sorry. Should pay more attention.

A whole lot of people choose not to work out with free weights, especially people who work out alone. I'm not that smart, my first 350lb squat was done alone with free weights with the safeties not set. Yes I am an idiot. The advantage with free weights is that you don't have to think about muscle isolation, so while doing your machine work, do some research as to what works which parts of your body and try and balance it out. I wouldn't be able to tell you. I will say you're better off with cable machines than the smith machine IMHO, the smith gives me knee trouble because I already have a bad right knee.

Really most important is how you feel. If you're happy with how you're doing and how you're feeling, what I tell you is irrelevant, I'm just sharing what worked for me.