“You don’t want the freshman 15 do you?”

“You pay to use the gym in your tuition, so why don’t you use it?”

“Are you sure you want to eat Burger King when you can just get Jamba Juice?”

If you have heard any or all of these phrases before, then you understand how stressful it can be to be fat in college. Not only are you reminded of your weight by the subtle comments made by others, but you look around and see that fat is a rarity in college.

You see athletes who are incredibly fit. You see students who live in the gym. You see girls who can wear leggings and yoga pants and look good. You never see fat students.

Being fat in college is not entirely our fault.

It’s hard to lose weight when you drink as much as everyone else, eat at the on-campus eateries, and get cravings when you stress out about passing all of your classes. In short, it’s hard to lose weight and enjoy college like everyone else does.

Your weight shouldn’t stop you from experiencing college.

It shouldn’t be a barrier to fun. It’s a shame that we talk about weight in college as a negative, such as the freshman 15. College should be a time of experiences and fun that is not allocated to the physically fit only, but to everyone and should be a time to learn to love your body the way it is.

Plus, the most important part of college is getting an education, not losing weight. <— Click to Tweet

So yes, maybe I should use the gym since I pay for it. And yes, I am aware of the freshman 15. And yes, I could have Jamba Juice instead of Burger King. But, at the end of the day, if I am happy with my body, none of that matters.

Are you fat in college? Were you in the past? What is/was your experience? Share in the comments below.