Many students can agree that during the first semester of college, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is hard. There are plenty of unhealthy choices that students can choose from whether it be a cake pop from Starbucks, a slice of pizza from the University Center [UC] cafeteria or a bag of Doritos from the UC store. But what comes with the unhealthy eating habits is the. . .drum roll please . . .Freshman 15, otherwise known as the first 15 pounds that a college student gains during one’s first semester in college. If one continues to eat unhealthily, the result can have a negative impact, whether it is clogged arteries or becoming a diabetic. Well, for anyone who is up for a challenge, or for anyone who wants to lose weight, head over to the third floor lounge of the New Freshman Residence Hall [NFRH] on Monday, February 2, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. for an information session of the Freshman-15: 14 Week Weight Loss Challenge.

Resident Assistant [RA] Julio Garcia, senior, communication/ public relationships major, thought of this challenge “because I myself have had my own struggles with weight.” Garcia explains how he came to Kean University as a freshman being overweight and began his journey of losing the unwanted weight during his spring semester of his freshman year.  “Over the course of the years I [have] managed to lose altogether 80-90lbs,” explains Garcia, and continues to explain how maintaining that weight wasn’t easy, “unfortunately, as my schedule became tighter, and school became tougher I put on 10-15 pounds and for me that is unacceptable.”

The idea of the 14 week challenge “came to me at this time because the Zumba studio I was teaching at is closing and I saw that as an opportunity for me to get myself in better shape” Garcia explains, “then I thought why not, in the process, find other people who are interested and get a support group going.”

Garcia is looking for 5 to 10 students who live on campus and who are very much interested in losing weight. This challenge will begin on Monday, February 2, 2015, and conclude on, Sunday May 10, 2015.

Anyone participating in this challenge will have to commit to the regulations listed below:

• Take a picture before beginning the 14 week challenge and after finishing the 14 week challenge
• Exercising for a minimum of three to five hours a week
• Eating healthier meals on a daily basis
• Bi-weekly weigh-ins

Students participating in this challenge will be receiving motivational quotes, tips on exercising and on what healthy bites to eat via group chats. Prizes will be given to those who lose the most weight at the end of the challenge with a $20 Visa Gift Card given to third place, $35 Visa Gift Card given to second place, and a $50 Visa Gift Card given to first place. Remember that spaces are limited and only students that are residents of Kean University can participate. For more information about this program please visit Cougar Link or contact Julio Garcia by email: gajulio@kean.edu.