I don’t know about you guys, but college sucks sometimes. Legit. College can really suck. Assignments due on the daily, jobs that can’t be put on hold because you need that cash money to survive, and a social life because you need to stay mentally sane. Whatever it is, I think we all have one issue in common: eating.
Eating can be tough during college times. While some may simply not have the time to eat due to the overflow of work from classes, others can also face food insecurity, not able to find an available food source at times. Usual eating patterns can be disrupted, resulting in lowered food intake, and meals can turn into unsatisfactory ones with money and time both coming short.
Personally, my feelings and emotions have definitely fluctuate during times when I eat a lot or eat a little bit. I thought in order to find out the significance of having sustenance in our body, eating nothing might seal the deal in an extreme form of experimentation. So, here is a chronological breakdown of my day with absolutely no food and just water. FYI, it was NOT a fun time.
12:00 am
Photo by Emma Delaney
I’d typically be eating a nice bacon and egg omelette rice bowl right about now. But I asked for this. So, I can’t complain or quit in literally the first hour. I trudge on back into my room, but not before sneaking a peak at my housemate enjoying a nice bowl of homemade ice cream. It’s like he intentionally wants me to suffer.
1:00 am
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Filling myself with a lot of that Brita water, since I’ve heard that people can get “full” by stuffing themselves with a lot of liquid. Kinda working, but it obviously isn’t equivalent to a meal.
2:00 am
Photo courtesy of the-elbowroom.com
I am slightly hungry at this point, but it’s late already and I shouldn’t be eating anyway. Time to go to bed, I guess.
4:00 am – 6:50 am
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Pee. Much pee. So much pee. I’m annoyed.
10:00 am
Photo by Becky Hughes
I’m awake and the first person to talk to me when I woke up was my stomach. Literally, this loud growl to warn me of negative repercussions if it was not sated with sustenance soon. I ignored it and went on with my day. No breakfast for me. Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling tired at all. In fact, I was feeling pretty energetic, thanks to the immense amount of water I was drinking.
11:00 am
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First class was going fairly well, until my stomach began to communicate its displeasure again. This time, its discontent was voiced to both myself AND my fellow students, creating a rather embarrassing situation for me. 75 whole minutes of shame and hunger.
12:15 pm
Photo by Amanda Shulman
I typically go to the university center after my first class to wait for my 2 o’clock to start. Inside the center, Subway, Panda Express, Wahoo Fish Tacos, and other establishments mocked me with their delicious smells, and for the first time, I felt absolutely famished — a feeling that scared me because it’s literally only been half a day.
2:00 pm
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My stomach continues to bother me (and others around me). Halfway into class, I fall asleep until the very end. The lack of energy is really hitting me; not even a billion gallons of water consumed and multiple restroom trips can put me at ease.
3:15 pm
Out of class and now I have a paper to do. I get home and right when I crack open the document, it takes me literally more than a minute or so to write the heading of the paper, something that usually takes 10 seconds to do. My brain was scrambled (I wanted to make and eat scrambled eggs so much) and my thoughts were noodly (I wanted to make and eat ramen so badly). I just passed out from being so tired.
6:30 pm
Photo by Lauren Lim
Woke up after a three-hour nap and I still feel like poop. I smell marinated meat in the kitchen and I know my housemates are cooking up something delectable. My stomach whines once more and I tell it to shut up.
I lock the door and try to get to work on my essay. Cognitively, I am out of whack, feeling a tad bit crazy, and I already know that this essay will not be the best piece of art I’ve ever created.
9:00 pm
Photo by Katherine Baker
I peer out of the room and see the contents of my fridge, ridiculing and teasing me. Three more hours. I didn’t think I can even make it for three more hours because I was ready to pass out and go to bed. I knew I couldn’t, however, because all I did that day was go to class and sleep; my body and my paper needed attending to.
11:00 pm
GIF courtesy of giphy.com
I’M SO READY TO EAT! OMG!
12:00 am
Photo courtesy of Angela R. on Flickr.com
LET’S GO! I’M GETTING FREEBIRDS NACHOS RIGHT FREAKING NOW! I DON’T EVEN CARE ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL GUAC CHARGE!
The moral of the story is to never, EVER skip meals, even in the most dire situations like when a paper is due in a couple of hours or if you’re late to class. Eating should not be a chore.
Whether it’s eating some instant ramen while doing the work your procrastinated on or taking a mighty tasty KIND bar with you to lecture, eating is essential for giving yourself energy, preventing you from overeating later in the day, and keeping you from becoming a drama queen. Find your local food bank or food pantry and just make sure you get some sustenance in your body.
GIF courtesy of giphy.com