Avoiding the Freshmen Fifteen: A Diet-Friendly College Guide

Graduating high school can be a lot of stress. In one handshake and a quick snatch of your diploma, you've said goodbye to four years of your life and left the comfort zone. Afterward, it doesn't get any easier. As an incoming college freshmen, there are lots of problems to worry about. For some, dorming means living away from home for the first time. For others, the workload can be intimidating, or perhaps you're afraid of having roommate issues. By far, though, the biggest problem we all want to avoid is the dreaded freshmen fifteen. So, what causes the freshmen fifteen? Is it the stress? The late night pizza? The lack of healthy options in the dining hall? Here are a few tips on things to avoid and what you can do to keep the pounds off.

Lesson 1: Smart Choices in the Dining Hall

Let's face it, most college dining halls aren't exactly diet-friendly. The buffet-style food selection in some dining halls allow our conception of portion control go out the window completely. Sometimes the only food that looks like it's worth trying is deep fried and covered in fat. When all else fails, we rely on those beloved soft-serve ice cream machines.

There are a number of ways to avoid such food disasters. The key is getting familiar with your dining hall. In many cases, dining halls offer a lot of food that most students don't know about. Because they have to accommodate so many students, it's easier for them to keep "special" food behind the counter and have it available upon request. There are tons of lactose-intolerant or vegan students out there, even more vegetarians, and probably quite a few kids with some sort of gluten intolerance or other health condition. This means the dining hall needs to provide things like veggie patties when they're serving burgers and vegan pizza for those who can't eat cheese. Try looking into these options when all else fails.

If you're hesitant to request special food or aren't a fan of tofu burgers, check out the salad bar. There are tons of options that will allow you to spruce up that salad and make a meal of it. Try adding some hard-boiled eggs or hummus for protein, and stick to fat-free dressing or a tasty vinaigrette. Remember to switch it up, too. People dread eating salads not because they're bland and tasteless, but because many of us were conditioned to hate vegetables and believe that all salads are a tasteless combination of our most hated foods that parents try to force-feed us with our chicken nuggets as children. It doesn't have to be that way!

If your school doesn't offer a very extensive salad bar, try fixing yourself a sub. My school has a wonderful deli line with plenty of options for bread -- including some of my favorite whole wheat rolls -- and healthy options like vegan deli slices and hummus. Just be careful not to overload on things like mayo and cheese!

When all else fails, there's always cereal. Just don't go straight for the Lucky Charms -- try some Special K with berries. It's even tastier than those dinky little marshmallows, trust me! If you're feeling really adventurous, swap that glass of whole milk for soy (or at least 2%).

Lesson 2: Late Night Snacking

Up late writing a paper? What about pulling an all-nighter for your morning exam? We've all been there -- but having a lot of work to do is no excuse for downing an entire bag of potato chips or eating a box of chocolate chip cookies for dinner. I know Ramen is probably your cheapest option in terms of keeping your room stocked with food, but there are plenty of healthy options you can keep on hand for almost as little. Why not keep some fruit on hand? I keep a bowl of apples, oranges, bananas and other fruit in a basket above my fridge. There's always something to eat during the night and something quick to grab on my way to class. And it costs me nothing! Grab an extra piece of fruit on your way out of the dining hall, and you'll have a snack ready for later. If you're a self-proclaimed dining hall swiper like me, you'll understand the joys of tupperware. Pack up a salad for yourself or take a bowl of cereal with you for later in the day, and you're all set.

Lesson 3: Eating Out

As a college student, it seems like everyone wants to go out all the time. Haven't seen a friend in a while? Meet up for coffee. Don't feel like having a third meal at the dining hall for the day? Walk down the street for some pizza. Feeling extra lazy? Order in take-out to share with your buddies. The problem is, this little treat for yourself tends to turn into more of a daily habit when you live in a dorm. It's easy, convenient, and tasty, so why not?

Try this: invite a friend over for dinner and offer to cook. Last semester, my friends and I went down to our main lounge and used the communal kitchen to cook a huge dinner for all of our friends. It was wholesome, delicious, and a lot more fun than ordering in. Not only did we save money and have a great meal, but it was a lot healthier than pizza smothered in cheese fries or whatever other concoction the local restaurants have come up with. Where I go to school, "fat sandwiches" are a big deal -- but they come at 2,000 calories a sub! Hardly worth it.

Lesson 4: Beverages

No, I'm not talking about the whipped cream you occasionally like to add to your morning coffee. And I'm not talking about your dining hall's giant soda machine, either. It's no secret that college students like to have fun, and beer pong is one of our favorite Thursday night activities. It might be fun to brag about how many drinks you downed last weekend, but watch out for those calories! It takes a lot of beer to get some people drunk, and it has way more calories than hard liquor when you add it all up. Mixed drinks can get just as bad. For safety reasons, you should always dilute your drinks -- but you can easily consume a whole liter of fruit juice by the end of the night just by mixing it in with your vodka. And that's not even accounting for the alcohol itself! Limit yourself to a few shots and down it with water. A lot of students go on diets as soon as they reach college, in anticipation of that freshmen 15. They're shocked a few months later when they've already reached it -- but it's not because of food!

Lesson 5: Munchies

Along with alcohol comes one more favorite substance among college students. The benefits are that you won't wake up in the morning only to half-remember a night of regrets, and you're less likely to vomit on your roommate's sheets. It also has no calories of its own, and in fact, when you smoke it, it raises your metabolism! Unfortunately, that's also why it makes you crave all kinds of sugary and salty goodness. You might think you're safer with weed than drinking, and that might be true, but the munchies are where those calories come to get you. Watch your food consumption when you're getting high with friends -- if you wait a bit before starting to eat, you won't go as crazy with your snacks.

Conclusion

There you have it -- 5 lessons to remember if you're worried about packing on those pounds in college. Continue to eat sensibly and exercise regularly, and you'll have nothing to worry about as you transition to dorm living -- especially if your dorm happens to be conveniently located near the school gym! Try making it fun and setting up an exercise group with friends. If you go running together instead of going out to pizza together, it'll help you to stay motivated and not feel like you're missing out on social opportunities in order to stay fit. Being healthy doesn't need to be a drag!