Going to college is a major life transition. Whenever we experience such a big shift in our lives, it’s normal for our bodies to change along with us. But diet culture and arbitrary beauty standards tell us that our weight shouldn’t change after high school; that remaining the same size throughout our adult lives is an achievement and that gaining weight is a personal failure.
When you are struggling with disordered eating and body image issues, changes in weight can feel catastrophic. Intense anxiety around weight and body size can be all-consuming. It’s easy to internalize toxic messages about how our bodies “should” be.
Even though it’s nothing more than a diet culture myth, having anxiety about the “Freshman 15” in college is real and valid. Warnings of this supposedly inevitable weight gain are more fuel for your disordered thoughts and behaviors around food and exercise. But the “Freshman 15” doesn’t have to add to your fear and anxiety.
What is the Freshman 15?
The ‘15’ in Freshman 15 is an arbitrary number. We could all eat and move the same way and we would still be different shapes and sizes. The idea that everyone experiences this change in weight during their first year in college is not based on any actual research.
Weight fluctuations in college and throughout our adult lives are completely normal. “The setpoint weight for each body is more of a range than a number,” says Casey Kettering, a registered dietitian at Kindful Body. “[Weight changes] are to be expected especially when there is a lot of novelty, like your first taste of independence and increased access to alcohol and foods that were previously unavailable.”
When you have an eating disorder, even accepting the possibility of weight gain in college can be terrifying. Here are some tips for dealing with fear and anxiety around the Freshman 15.
Reframe weight gain
Weight gain is never a moral failing; weight loss is not a positive achievement. Changing how you think about weight gain won’t happen overnight. It’s part of the eating disorder recovery process and there’s no timeline for when you will start to feel neutral about changes in your weight.
Working with an eating disorder therapist in college can help you challenge your fatphobia and negative perceptions of weight gain.
Start by getting curious. When you fear weight gain, what are you really afraid of? Is it rejection? What does weight gain mean to you?
Focus on what matters
When you’re struggling with obsessive thoughts about food and your body, health, fitness, and appearances tend to become your top priorities. There’s often very little brain space left for anything else.
College is the time to discover what you really want in life and what is important to you. When you are able to identify your true values outside of your eating disorder, you can start to shift your energy toward the things that matter most.
Have a plan
Eating in college will present new challenges, so having a game plan is the best thing you can do to ease your anxiety. Stock up on snacks, find a dining hall buddy, and be prepared to be flexible about when and where you eat. An eating disorder dietitian can help you navigate food in college, whether you have a student meal plan or intend to cook in the dorms.
Clean up your social media feeds
Unfollow fitness accounts and anyone who makes you feel bad about your body on Instagram. “What I Eat in a Day” videos will never be helpful, so unfollow people who post those as well.
Fill your social media feeds with body-positive and body-neutral creators and other things you like that have nothing to do with food or looks. When you can’t control your exposure to food and body comments from those around you, you can make your online community a safe place.
Think of the FOMO
Going through college with rigid food rules and/or a strict workout schedule is a surefire way to miss out. Your social life will suffer if you avoid everything that might alter your daily routine. The possibility of gaining weight may be scary, but your biggest regrets will be lost time.
Going to college with an eating disorder is already a challenge, but fears about the “Freshman 15” don’t have to make it worse.
Start Online Eating Disorder Therapy in California
Our eating disorder therapists in California work with busy college students and high school students transitioning to college through online therapy. Your Kindful Body therapist will help you develop healthier coping strategies to navigate life’s stressors and support you in healing the underlying issues that caused your obsession to spiral out of control. With time you will learn to stop obsessing about food and your body, gain a better understanding of yourself, and develop more confidence to take on life’s challenges. Use these steps to begin online therapy:
Our offices are located throughout California via online therapy. These areas include San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Palo Alto. If you’re ready to make peace with food, your body, and yourself, you’re in the right place. When you’re ready, contact us for a free 15-minute video consultation for online eating disorder therapy to find out how we can help. Eating disorder treatment for students in college is just a click away.
Other Services Offered By Kindful Body
Kindful Body understands you might be dealing with more than one mental health issue. Other services related to eating disorders include eating disorder treatment, body image therapy, therapy for binge eating, and nutrition therapy. The Kindful Body therapists also offer anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, relationship counseling, and grief counseling.
