When Bennet Gavrish, a Boston University College of Communication 2010 alumnus, took philosophy in the spring of his sophomore year he was looking for an easy semester full of hypothetical discussions.
Instead, he said, he found a launching point for major life change.
“All the readings and all the lectures were about death and dying — it was a really depressing class,” he said. “It got me thinking, I would look at myself and I could barely sit in a desk in that classroom, which always really frustrated me, and I said ‘what am I doing?’”
At the time, Gavrish weighed about 300 lbs. After his realization, Gavrish lost more than 120 lbs. in a year by avoiding the pitfalls of college dining, which he recounts in his book “Secrets to Losing Weight in College: How I reversed the Freshman 15 & Dropped 120 Pounds in One Year.”
Many students said they worry about gaining the rumored “freshman 15” in college, but also see options to avoid becoming unhealthy.
“I think you have to have a sense of self-control if you want to stay healthy,” said School of Education freshman Dominique Bray. “But it’s definitely hard with all of these choices [available in dining halls].”
Gavrish said the trick to staying healthy while navigating the dining halls is to choose the right line. He said that often the shortest lines are healthier, since most students wait for hamburgers or macaroni and cheese.
“I stuck to the sandwich line for sure and the burrito or wrap station, where you could customize your meal and see exactly what’s going into it and how it’s being prepared,” he said.
As for why students often gain weight in college, Gavrish said inexperience could be the cause.
“Having to make your own food choices, you don’t have your mom and dad buying your food for you, putting it on the plate for you,” he said. “In terms of food freedom, it can be negative if people aren’t prepared coming into school.”
However, the same freedom that allows students to become unhealthy also can help them get back in shape, Gavrish said.
”I look at that [freedom] as a great opportunity,” he said. “With that extra freedom you have the chance to have complete control of your diet and your exercise habits. So I think college can go either way — it’s just a lot of mental toughness and whether you’re going to be focused on staying healthy at school.”
While Gavrish had to overcome unhealthy habits, some students said they were not concerned with gaining weight while at school.
“It’s winter, no one can see your tummy,” said Amber Li, a COM sophomore. “[I usually eat] pasta or anything with a short line.”
Li said if she were trying to be more health-conscious she would eat more salad, but she mainly focuses on going to the gym twice a week to do yoga, especially since the walk from Bay State Road is an exercise in itself.
Walking is a staple for Jessica Malloy, a College of Arts and Sciences senior, who said she never consciously tried to be healthy before.
“I never went out of my way to lose weight my freshman year,” she said. “I lost weight actually because I had to walk all over to get to class.”
For students who are trying to lose weight while in college, Gavrish said he suggests they eliminate all beverages other than water so they “shock” their bodies with new eating habits, eliminate random snacking, stop eating at least three hours before bed and try to get at least eight hours of sleep.
“Your body has to have time to recover and digest before the next day,” he said.
Gavrish said students should try to expand their dining options beyond what is closest to find the food that works for them.
“When I was a freshman I lived in Warren Towers, so I’d always get Warren food,” he said. “But once you get a chance to explore other dining halls, even walk to one and burn some of those calories on your way, there are different options.”
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