University Weight Gain - How I'm Losing The "Fresher 14"

My first year at University has been great. New friends, independence and new experiences but unfortunately these have come at a price for me. I've put on the dreaded "Fresher 14" - for those unsure, this is 14 pounds or a stone in weight. High carb, high fat and cheap foods just seem like the easy quick choice when you don't have much time or money.

When my size 10's stopped fitting and my 12's started feeling way too snug, I thought it was time to face the facts - I have just put on too much weight. I spent much of the summer thinking I'd shift weight in uni due to always being busy and not wanting to cook much but it turns out that my body can't take eating badly without bloating up. My BMI was looking pretty rubbish. I was just embarrassed. It's taken enough courage to admit I hate my body so I thought a little guide on losing the extra few pounds would be a helpful thing for prospective Uni students or people struggling with weight.

I've had advice from people before "Eat less, move more" but in my case, that hasn't really helped. It's more what you eat rather than the portions. Of course, everything in moderation is absolutely fine but if you're eating the wrong foods then the pounds will start piling on. Some people are lucky. They can eat as much processed crap and drink as much alcohol as they like and still stay slim and healthy looking but being petite makes weight much more noticeable. As a result, my dress size changes at the snap of my fingers.

My mum has been on the Slimming World diet (which I found out was not for me) and although I hated doing it, the logic of it stuck in my head. Bread is possibly the biggest of my foes and 2 slices of bread a day is the absolute maximum anyone should eat if they struggle with weight. Also, fat content. If the fat content is too high, then forget about it. Start reading labels if you don't believe it. When there is a red colour on the little food labels on the front of packaging, pay attention to it. Do you really need to eat it? I sound like a bore but there's no point complaining about my weight if I just ignore stuff like that. Easter has been torture for me with all the chocolate about but as long as you don't gorge, it's absolutely fine. A creme egg a day is chocolate in moderation.

An interesting subject is the Quorn debate. It is indeed fake meat, made from fusarium venenatum (Basically, a high protein fungus) but it is so low in fat, it's too good to be true. If you REALLY need a cheeseburger (I sure crave them), then whack a Quorn burger in the grill, grab a wholemeal roll, stick some relish or tomato sauce in it and bam, a slightly better-for-you burger! I also tend to use quorn chicken pieces if I can but the mince just tastes plain weird so it is best to use real meat mince and drain the fat out of it.

Fruit and veg - most teenagers groan at the thought of eating it but it's so important. Not only does it lower your blood pressure, it has a heap of vitamins in that we're just not getting from cheeseburgers and ready meals. Even just a few pieces of broccoli on the side of the plate, a portion of sweetcorn mixed in with your pasta and rather than munching on a chocolate bar, pick up an orange. Lots of energy and to be honest, they taste pretty darn nice. A tasty snack to make is a fruit salad (just chuck some grapes, pieces of apple, pineapple and whatever you like in a bowl). My all time favourite diet snack is fat free strawberry yogurt mixed with fruit salad. Definitely try it if you're craving some sweetness.

Another issue is exercise. Exercise is such a boring thing to me. The thought of putting my body through sweaty workouts just to feel tired just bothers me. I worked out I was walking over a mile every day in Southampton which is probably why I didn't put on any more than a stone. Walking is an incredibly easy way to exercise and if you're eating healthily, you should see benefits. It tones your calves and makes you feel pretty good without being sweaty. I have been dabbling in some aerobics for 20 minutes a day which is just enough to feel pumped but not too much so you feel gross.

This has probably felt like a naggy lecture from your parents or doctor but it's just so if you have felt yourself put on weight and you don't feel comfortable with yourself, you shouldn't feel bad. It's so easy to put on weight when you're not living at home with your parent's cooking and when you just don't have the time/money to make delicious healthy meals. Just incorporating little bits in to your diet and reading labels can really benefit your health. If you've read this far, good luck on a new healthy you for the summer!

Will British rail ever be prepared for winter chaos?

It is that time of year again. Worrying reports of snow fall in the North of Britain are creeping on to headlines and causing us to start questioning our travel plans for the winter with threats of another “Big Freeze”. 

Last year, snow was already falling all over the UK by late November, causing chaos to the nation.

Retailers suffered during the cold snap due to reduced transport links, students were stuck in university over a portion of the holidays and families could not travel to see their loved ones due to the snow affecting the infrastructure of the UK.

Met Office forecaster Barry Gromett said the mean temperature for the first fortnight of December 2010 was -0.7c. These conditions caused disruptions on transport around the country, particularly rail links.

Arguably, ScotRail see the worst cases of weather with Scotland facing moderate to heavy snow fall every year, particularly in the Highlands and Northern Scotland.

ScotRail recently announced a £2million investment in to winter equipment which could be retaliation to the criticism of the way the government handled the extreme weather conditions of the last few years.

ScotRail improvements at a glance:

• A new £1million engineering train which can be used to defrost the tracks and transport engineers and equipment when other transport links are not possible.

• A thermal imaging helicopter to discover spots where severe weather could cause major disruptions.
• Insulating heater strips which will keep the infrastructure from failing.

• NASA-grade insulation to insulate the inside of points machines to prevent freezing.

• Staff will receive smartphones to aid with communication and updates on the train.

• “Power Showers” to defrost the tracks and prevent ice from forming on the locomotives.

Despite the improvements in ScotRail engineering, will the rest of the UK fare well if another Big Freeze hits?

 Jo Coverly, the Customer Relations Senior Officer for First Great Western, insist they are prepared for future chaos on the routes they serve. “We work closely with the Department for Transport who expect to see robust plans in place.

“We believe we have achieved this in previous years and have every intention of doing so in future.”

The introduction of social networking and better technology in the past few years has helped to improve communication regarding travel in the UK.

Twitter has proved a hub for frustrated travellers, with many Twitter accounts specifically made for disruption announcements. Until May 2011, an unofficial account named @uktrains which was run by Ben Smith who felt frustrated by the limited and pricey ways rail travellers could receive travel alerts.

Mr Smith received content from the BBC Backstage Project and regular Twitter users who would message the account and have their tweets retweeted on the feed.

National Rail created official Twitter accounts after the closure of uktrains tailoring to the specific needs of the user. First Great Western also have a twitter account which is primarily run by Ms. Coverly of First Great Western: “We very much value the immediacy of Twitter and Facebook and we will use it alongside our website to keep our passengers informed about changes to their services.”

Even the smartphone industry cash in on chaos with apps specifically made for ease of communication. UK Train Times By Agant Ltd costs £4.99 on the app store and shows train times, service bulletins and ticket purchasing.

So, is Britain really ready for potential winter chaos this year?

The investment in rail infrastructure as mentioned in the Autumn Statement could mean a brighter future for rail in times of chaos.

David Higgins, CEO of Network Rail, said: “The news of further rail investment is great news for passengers and for our supply chain, with tangible benefits for rail users.”

If the government invest in infrastructure as promised, it could be a giant step forward for rail travel in Britain which faces criticism for delays, extreme weather or no extreme weather.

The promises of NASA level technology on our railways should hopefully mean we are prepared for the next big freeze and the end of Britain grinding to a halt every winter we see snow.