During the holidays you will be doing a lot of eating. Whether you are attending a potluck, a get-together with high school friends, or it’s a holiday meal with the family, there is a reason that people call gaining weight during this time of year the “holiday hundred.” Don’t bring in the new year with regrets (and needing to buy bigger pairs of jeans). Here are some tips on how not to gain the holiday hundred.

Do not go to parties/meals famished. Try to eat before a big meal, even if you just have a snack. Going to a party or a big meal on an empty stomach could cause you to over-eat. Eating a little over time will also keep you from becoming impatient while food is almost done, because your blood sugar will not be too low.

Drink water. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you might just be dehydrated. Drinking more water can help to prevent overeating and benefit weight loss because it makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster. Many beverages contain high amounts of sugar, fats, and calories, and very little water. Since you are going to be eating lots of desserts, casseroles, and treats, cut back on those extra calories by having a glass of water.

Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol is pretty high in calories. If you must drink, try to sip at your beer over time rather than downing it. You could also choose diet-friendly drinks such as wine (Zifandel White Wine contains 100 calories per 5-oz serving) or liquor with calorie-free mixers like diet soda. Read More »

Somehow I think Chinese delivery was a contributing factor here.

This week I’ve been inspired by ThisIsWhyYou’reFat.com… or my own personal struggle with winter weight. Between the Christmas cookies, Starbucks peppermint mochas and, oh yeah, lifting my drinking ban, these have all caused me to pack on the weight over the past three months. I could not be more annoyed with the term “winter weight,” or having to rationalize that I’m not getting fat, just fluffy.

Which is why the only thing I’m asking Santa for this year is a gym membership.

Here are some of the things that might be unfavorably tipping the scales, particularly in this binge-y time of the year.

10. Brunch
My favorite unnecessary meal of the day. At which almost all items on the menu are dripping with syrup. Not good.

9. Driving
Not exactly caloric, but how many times do you hop in the driver’s seat to a destination that’s walking distance? Or for that matter, pile into a cab when you’re only heading ten blocks away. Bad for the bod and the environment.

8. Late night snacking
Those munchies add up, and if you believe the hype, eating after 8 PM is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Read More »

"She's gonna get fat."

As college students, we are constantly inundated with new knowledge. It can be useful, thought-provoking, or crammed into our head on a Starbucks-fueled binge several hours before an exam. However, very rarely do we question the validity of all this new knowledge (unless you take philosophy classes, then you’ll question away).

That’s where College Candy comes in. We’re not going to debate whether or not the Theory of Relativity actually exists (a disappointment, I know, but I’m a communications major and stopped taking science classes after Baby Bio fresh year). However, we are here to thoroughly investigate the most widespread college knowledge (no, not rhyming): the myth.

Alright guys, I’m gonna level with you: I’m a big fan of the brewskies. I like Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale, Sweetwater 420, the occasional stein of Newcastle, and the slightly more frequent funnel full of Bud Light. I particularly like that I can drink copious amounts of beer without the consequences that would come from drinking the same amount of vodka, water & lime. Most of all, I like that beer lends itself easily to day-drinking.

What I don’t like about beer (besides how much it makes me want to sing drinking songs) is that it makes me fat.

It’s not even the eventual, slowly-creeping-towards-your-thighs fat. It’s like an immediate, “I’m so carbonated and delicious and I’m going to make you so full you can’t suck in anymore” variety of fat. So it’s no wonder that beer contributes majorly to the Freshman 15, right? Ehh, yes and no. Read More »

Although the thought of trying to gain weight makes me more than a little nervous, I can accept that there are lucky ladies out there who naturally resemble sticks.

So I’m going to put aside my jealousy and tell you the secret to packing on the pounds. If you’re looking to lose ten pounds, do the opposite. It’s as simple as that.

Case Study:

One very thin New Yorker (5’8, 105 lbs) was tired of looking like a model and vowed to bulk up. When her buddy told her that he lost 10 pounds after giving up his two-beer-a-day habit, she started drinking two beers a day.

“Unlike Ensure, beer is tolerable to me, has loads of carbs and is low in sugar,” she says. “I’ve been swigging everything from monk-made ales to fruity lambics.” She raves about the quick results. Keep her words in mind you beer pong lovers. If you notice your pants are a little tight, maybe it’s time to cut out the sauce.

According to Sharon Akabas, a nutritionist at Columbia University Medical Center, a consistent daily increase of 300-500 calories should be enough to help someone put on ten pounds in 6 months. With 12 oz of beer ranging from about 110 calories (Bud Light) to 210 calories (Anchor Porter), it’s easy to see why drinking can help you gain weight. If each game of beer pong requires about…let’s say 4 beers. That’s about 440 calories if you’re using Keystone Light. Read More »

Everyone’s heard of it, and no, it’s not a first year’s urban legend. The Freshman Fifteen is all-too painfully real, and extremely hard to avoid.

However, if you’re smart enough to check up on CC before heading off to the most fabulous four years of your life, there’s still hope!

Just follow these guidelines and you’ll be happy to return home next summer with your washboard abs (or, you know, minimal love handles) still in tact.

1. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Don’t deem your shiny new meal card a free-for-all twenty-four hour all you can eat buffet. It’s NOT. Yeah you’re in the mood for pizza but ooh a burger might be nice and holy mother of Mary unlimited soft-serve? Before you know it your quick lunch between classes could feed an entire third-world country.

It’s okay. Focus. Eat what you’d eat at home. A sandwich on wheat bread. Some chicken breast and salad? Keep it healthy, the binge drinking will make up for the slice of chocolate cake you so wisely skipped.

2. Stay active you fat lard! Not only are you no longer working out five days a week for your high school cheerleading squad, but you’ll likely be lounging and snacking a lot more (I’ll get to that later, you’re not off the hook.) so it’s important to exercise! Not only do you probably have free membership to an on campus gym (take advantage of all that tuition you’re paying for mama’s sake!) but it’s a great way to meet all the cute muscley boys. Yummy! Read More »