As some students prepare for graduation and others for the holidays, the pressure of shedding a few pounds is still weighing heavy on the brain. With the stresses of 16-hour schedules, part time jobs and internships to maintain, healthy eating gets thrown out of the window.
As a result, some students go to great lengths to slim down for the season’s festivities.
Dieting is among the most common forms of weight loss for college students as the demands of a regular work-out schedule may add more strain to an already busy agenda. Among the popular Atkins and Weight Watchers diets, is the General Motors Weight Loss Diet Program or ‘GM Diet.’ This specific program is said to have been created by the General Motors Corporation and catered for employees working within the company to help stay healthy and fit.
This seven-day weight loss management plan has found the interest of students looking to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.
Camille Daniels, a third year psychology student from Bradenton, believes the lack of time in her schedule permits her to start the diet.
“I can’t dedicate as much time as I would like to go to the gym because of my job and school work,” Daniels said. “The GM diet is really convenient because I actually enjoy eating the food unlike with most other diets that I’ve tried.”
The GM Diet, which was created in the 1980s, is a diet system that requires the consumption of certain foods on specific days. It focuses on fixed servings of fruits and vegetables and very strict amounts of meat, which seems easier for most dieters. Others find this diet plan to be a little more difficult to maintain.
“Well I love to eat and those small portions aren’t really enough to fill me up,” said Kiara Hamilton, a fourth year business administration student from Tampa. “I feel like this diet is harder for me, but it’s a sacrifice that I’m willing to make to get the rapid results.”
According to Freddy Kaye, a clinical nutritionist and licensed dietician in Tallahassee, diets like that of General Motors are good for short term purposes but exercise still remains an essential role in weight loss.
“When it comes to this type of diet it’s good for a short amount of time, but in the long run you can’t live like that,” said Kaye. “You will eventually have to change your habits and behavior because routine is the key in weight loss in addition to portion control.”
As some look for the speedy alternative to trim the fat, other students continue to flock to the old fashioned work out in addition to dieting.
Centralia Hines, a fourth year social work student from Riviera Beach, holds fast to a regular exercise plan while monitoring her food intake by working out five days a week and setting up a curfew for the evening hours .
“When you’re dieting you have to exercise because if you’re eating and not burning the calories, the fat is going to stick,” Hines said. “It makes me feel better to exercise along with the diet because it keeps me energized and ready to go even more.”