How to Control Your Weight Your Freshman Year in College

We've all heard about it: the dreaded freshman fifteen. The combination of a new environment, increased access to drinking, lack of money, and the stress of a life transition can be deadly to your waistline in your first year of college. Whether you've always been skinny or chubby, the freshman fifteen strikes indiscriminately. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this dreaded poundage, and even lose weight while you're at it. Of course, there's no "magic bullet" when it comes to weight - it all comes down to calories in and calories out. But there are some creative ways for college students to work with that formula.

1. Take the Long Way
Walking around campus actually burns a lot of calories. Most of your walking will probably be from class to class, and of course you'll have a set schedule for that, but you can get a lot of benefit from sneaking in extra steps here and there. Take the long way to your classes if you're not pressed for time. If you have a few extra minutes before you have to go in to the building, take a lap around it. A long walk in the evenings, or even a short one, is a nice way to clear your head and take a break from studying, and it burns 100 calories for each mile you walk. Walk to the coffee shop to study instead of sitting in your room to study. When you get there, however, make sure you don't ruin all your good work by getting a venti full-fat caramel latte! Opt for brewed coffee, tea, or even a non-fat latte instead.

2. Know Why You're Eating
So many social situations in college involve eating. That cute guy in your psychology class asks you out for coffee and you end up getting a jumbo-sized chocolate chip cookie. Your neighbor invites you to her dorm room to watch Grey's Anatomy and you eat a pint of Ben and Jerry's. You go out with your friends for pizza on Saturday night. There's nothing wrong with these situations, but they can really take a toll on your body after a while, and nobody wants to be the girl drinking Diet Coke while everyone else has milkshakes. You don't have to be. Just know why you're doing what you're doing - are you actually hungry or are you just eating because it's the thing? - and know that there are always alternatives. Get a fruit salad instead of a cookie, or stick with one slice of cheese or veggie pizza. You can still have fun with your friends without all the calories. It's easier, in this sort of situation, to not make an issue of what you're eating either way. If you don't comment on what you're having, no one else will either.

3. Have Healthy Food On Hand
If you live in a dorm, your food options will probably be limited. Sometimes the hours of your dining hall aren't exactly convenient to your schedule, and even when they are the food is not exactly Healthy Choice. Here's where it comes in handy to have healthy snacks that appeal to you in your dorm room. Some good suggestions are nuts (but be careful because they can be quite caloric in large amounts), fresh fruit (when you can get it conveniently), or yogurt. The 100-calorie packs of common snack foods are also great for when you're craving something salty or sweet but don't want to ruin your diet, and they're easy to toss into your bag for the break between classes. Fruit leathers and other kind of dried fruit provide you with nutrients, are sweet and satisfying, and don't easily go bad. If you have a microwave on hand, canned soup is delicious on a cold winter's afternoon, and will keep you full for a longer time than a candy bar from the vending machine. Also, if you can buy in bulk or semi-bulk, it will end up being cheaper for you in the long run, and everyone knows that's a value in the world of cheap college students.

4. Sleep
This one should be simple. Your body needs rest to run properly, and studies have shown that a lack of sleep makes you produce less of the hormone that indicates satiety, causing you to eat more. While it may seem tempting to run on nothing but coffee, the toll it takes on your body is ultimately not worth it. Aim for at least six hours a night. If circumstances arise that prevent that, try to sneak in a nap and make up for it the next night. Make sleep a priority and you will feel much better and be much healthier.

5. Drink More Water
Water makes you feel full longer, and keeps your body hydrated. Drinking water sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of busy college life. My suggestion? Get a bottle of a size that reasonably fits into your backpack or bag. While you're sitting in lecture or discussion, keep the bottle at hand, and make sure to drink it all within the time of your class. Since it's close to you, you'll be more likely to drink it, and that's better than nothing at all.

Following these tips should give you at least a baseline for weight control in college, but it's not always perfect. The first year of college is always a stressful time, and sometimes your metabolism will be slowing naturally anyway. If you do end up gaining weight, cut yourself a little slack. You're still young and you can lose it again, and it's probably not as bad as you think. It's always better to be just a bit overweight and happy than to let a few extra pounds ruin your life. Enjoy this time, and take care of yourself! à