As New Year’s resolutions fade and the stress of schoolwork and finding a summer internship starts building, many students find themselves struggling to eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
If you find yourself among the Binghamton crowd hoping to lose weight and live a healthier existence this semester, Mission Meltaway, offered by the Health Education Office, and the Weight Loss/Healthy Lifestyles support group, facilitated by the Counseling Center, might be perfect for you.
Mission Meltaway is a free, eight-week “jump start” weight loss program, which teaches students in a 20 person support group how to lose weight through behavior modification, physical activity and healthy nutritional choices, especially for those students who dine on campus.
“We talk about moderation and how students can get nutrition when they have a challenging daily schedule,” said Bridget McCane Saunders, health education coordinator. “A healthy weight loss program is slow and progressive; we want students to learn how to make healthy choices that are long term and sustainable.”
Mission Meltaway also comes with perks such as pedometers to measure daily walking steps and free eight-week gym memberships to either the Binghamton or Johnson City YMCA. Sodexho representatives also offer dining hall tours, while answering questions regarding on-campus dining nutrition.
According to Saunders, her experience with the program has taught her that students’ biggest nutritional downfalls are their meal portions. At Mission Meltaway sessions, students are able to physically visualize correct serving sizes. Saunders also understands that students are not always aware of the hidden fat content in their meal choices.
“Students sometimes think that when they choose the salad over the Big Mac from McDonalds, they are eating healthier,” she said. “But once they add dressing to the salad, the salad ends up having more calories than the Big Mac.”
In addition to Mission Meltaway, students can also take advantage of a weekly Weight Loss/Healthy Lifestyle support group at the University Counseling Center. The group is offered as a complement to Mission Meltaway, and is an ongoing support group without a specific beginning or ending date. Students can join the group at any point during the semester. Similar to Mission Meltaway, the group offers support regarding balanced eating, exercise and how to make healthy behavioral changes.
Randi Scheiner, senior counselor and support group facilitator, agrees with Saunders that living on campus and hectic daily schedules often deter students from healthy eating.
“Making a commitment to eating well is hard to do as a student,” said Scheiner. “Students often tell me that although there may be a lot of choices on campus, the choices are still not their own; they don’t have a lot of control if they can’t cook what they eat.”
Scheiner feels confident in the fact that students involved in the support groups gain hope from the program, and even if they are not able to make the changes in their lifestyle immediately, they are able to use the information down the road when time permits.
Starting Feb. 23, two Mission Meltaway support groups are held on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. There are still openings in the Monday group; if interested call the Health Education Office at 777-2254 or e-mail healthed@binghamton.edu. The Weight Loss/Healthy Lifestyles support group will be held tentatively on Wednesdays 1:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. If interested, visit the Counseling Center in LN-1202.