10 Ways to Beat the Freshman 15

It’s that time of year again. New college freshman are out on their own for the first time, junk food is plentiful, and classes are stressful, so many new students find themselves raiding the dorm fridge late at night or joining buddies at the Chinese Buffet to combat stress. Here are 10 ways to survive school without inflating your waistline:
1. Take advantage of the campus gym. One of the nice things about paying an arm and a leg for tuition is that you gain full-access to a well-stocked gym which usually includes cardio and weight machines, pools, tracks, basketball and racquetball courts, and fitness classes like yoga and kickboxing. You’re on campus all the time anyway, so sneak up to the gym at least three times a week. Need extra study time? Read a book on the elliptical or stationary bike. Takes a little practice for your eyes to follow, but you’ll never fall asleep during your study session.
2. Stock the dorm. Most students live in on or off-campus apartments, but some get stuck with the dorms. Either way, the principle is the same: keep a good supply of healthy food and get rid of the junk. Stuff that dorm fridge with string cheese, baby carrots, yogurt, and fruits. Hide some healthy snacks like Nut Thins or gluten-free granola bars under your bed. You’ll always have nutritious snacks to choose from when you get the munchies so you won’t be at the mercy of the hall vending machine.
3. Organize food-free hang-outs. Most social gatherings in college tend to revolve around food, so why not plan some alternatives? Instead of meeting at Dairy Queen for shakes, play flag football or soccer. Take a dance class with your friends or just play board games. If you really want snacks for late nigh dorm parties, you’ll always have those tasty Nut Thins under the bed.
4. Get some zzzs. College students are notorious for pulling all-nighters, but I’m here to tell you that nothing will mess you up faster. When you’re tired, your appetite goes into overdrive to get energy (i.e. food) to compensate for lack of sleep. Food won’t recharge your batteries, so skip the candy bar and take a powernap.
5. Eat breakfast. Sleeping in till five minutes before your first class often means that breakfast is toward the bottom of your to-do list. Try waking up five minutes earlier for a bowl of nuked quick oats, or at least grab a yogurt and some almonds to eat on the way to school. Not eating breakfast causes you to overindulge later, and you won’t perform as well in class, which leads to stress which leads to late night chocolate binges which leads to a bigger pant size.
6. Pack snacks. If you have long blocks of classes with no time to run to the cafeteria, pack a baggie of almonds or grapes to hold you over till your next meal. You need food everything three hours or so, otherwise you get ravenous and wipe out the cafeteria buffet later. Keeping your hunger levels low also helps you concentrate, which means better grades and less stress.
7. Nix the midnight snack. Those late-night study sessions often cause us to crave something, just to break up the monotony. Drink a glass of water every hour or two to stay hydrated and fight off the munchies, but if you do get truly hungry, stick to fruits and veggies. The water and fiber will fill you up for fewer calories but won’t overload your stomach.
8. Know your resources. Learn which cafeteria store has a menu for your needs. Know where the health food stores are, or which grocery stores have a gluten-free section. Scope out walking and hiking trails in your area. Figure out which restaurants and fast food places have healthy food that suits your needs. Knowing your allies helps you stick with healthy eating and avoid any emergency purchases or stomach aches.
9. Deal with stress. For me, stress is the biggest munchie trigger, so this is step one in controlling emotional eating. Take yoga classes at the campus gym. Take walks outside between classes. Keep up with homework and don’t over schedule. If you need a break, take one. Take fish oil and vitamin D supplements of you start to feel depressed and don’t eat much fatty fish or get much sunlight. Also, see if your school has a stress lab. Some health departments have these, and their full of fun stress reducing gizmos. If they don’t put you on the fast track to nirvana, you might at least get a laugh.
10. Sign up for PE. Most schools offer dozens of PE classes, so try something new! Look into fencing, rock climbing, scuba, martial arts, sports, or even a basic fitness class. Actually having the class in your schedule improves the chances that you’ll go and work out, so give it a shot. Bonus: most of these classes are easy As. All you have to do is show up.