Learn to avoid eating out of boredom and stress
Cookies, crackers, and candies, oh my! It’s hard enough being a full-time student, juggling classes, homework, and a social life; but adding in meals and midterms can really throw off a Gee-Gee. You know what I’m talking about: Those long days in the library, at home in front of your laptop, or up late with your head in that ridiculously large textbook counting the pages until you’re done.
There’s nothing worse than cramming for a midterm or pulling all-nighter after all-nighter writing those essays. That’s why we head to the corner store at 1 a.m. to fill our arms with ice cream and chips and any kind of chocolate bar in sight. Yes, I’m talking about the dreaded midterm munchies. I mean, how else are we supposed to combat the awful feeling of information crams before a midterm worth 50 per cent of our grade? We grab anything around us that tastes good in the hopes that our excited taste buds will lessen the stress and monotony of studying.
It seems impossible to stay on track when the midterm munchies come a-knockin’. Never fear my follow Gee-Gees, the Fulcrum has some sure-fire solutions to curb your sweet tooth and prevent those midterms from getting to your mid-section.
If we want to know how to stop then we have to look at why we start. Among frequent Sports Complex users and chronic Netflix enthusiasts, boredom and stress are the major enablers of midterm munchies. Avid gym goers often use fitness as an outlet for the stress and monotony of university. Instead of letting the midterm munchies get him down, fourth-year criminology student Cole Jackson says he hits the gym.
“Stress definitely increases but I have always used the gym as a stress reliever. When I hit a high level of stress I go lift rather than eat,” he says.
Even taking a 10-minute walk around the block can make a big difference in your productivity and energy levels. Sometimes instead of walking to the fridge, we all just need to walk out the front door.
Other students use similar tactics. From not keeping junk food around the house to using placebos, it seems that every Gee-Gee has his or her own way of combatting that all-too-familiar urge to scrounge the house for anything sweet or salty.
Third-year student Ally Battah says she fights the midterm munchies with a bit of planning.
“I find that pre-making my meals really keeps me from munching. Knowing my meals and snacks are ready and waiting stops me from justifying those munchies moments and thinking I’m hungry,” she says. “Other than that, I just make sure to keep a lot of tea and water handy when I’m studying.”
As university students, we have all been there. It’s easy to give in and give up, but with a little bit of planning and will power, even the laziest of Gee-Gees can bump up their grade point average without bumping up their pant size.
