Oh, the freshman 15! 15 pounds that most students in college expect to gain during their first year. I was terrified to gain weight so I made it my mission to avoid it. I somehow lost 15 pounds instead of gaining 15 pounds during my first semester at Towson University. Here are tips to help you stay healthy.

1) Work Out

I know this may seem very obvious to say to work out three times a week, but it is the best thing you can do to avoid gaining weight. Towson, and many universities, have a fitness center that every student pays for (the athletics fee). We are already paying for the gym, so why not use it? When I started going to the gym, I was worried that other students would judge me because I could not go past level 6 on the elliptical for a while. Students do not care about what you are doing. Everyone is focused on themselves. It is okay if you get to the gym and only work out for twenty minutes because it is not a competition. No one is judging you, so make the effort to add “go to the gym” to your schedule as much as you can. As you become familiar with the gym, you will learn the busy times of the day and what works best for your schedule. Towson also offers Zumba, Yoga, and other fitness classes daily for students. Take advantage of what the school has to offer and try not to make excuses.

2) Limit Fast Food

When most students come to Towson, they see the Chick-Fil-A sign in Susq, and fall in love. Although it tastes amazing, Susq and other places have healthier options to try. The salads are fantastic and there is a meal deal daily at the Susq salad bar. Chick-Fil-A may have the shortest line, but if you take the time to grab a salad, it will make a difference. I limited myself to only having Chick-Fil-A twice a semester and I strictly followed this rule.

3) Drink Water

When you go to any place on campus, it is easy to grab a soda from the soda fountain. It is just as easy to grab a water. For most places on campus, a water cup is free. You do not have an excuse if you aren't drinking enough water on campus. I try to have water with every meal.

4) Eat at Au Bon Pain More

This is my favorite place to eat on campus because it lists the calories of every single item in the restaurant. Au Bon Pain does have some lovely treats like cookies, but they also have salads, sandwiches and soups. One of my favorite things to eat is the chicken noodle soup. It is very filling and the smallest size is only 80 calories. The small chicken noodle soup with a bottle of water is around $5.60, which makes the perfect meal.

5) Fruit and Veggies

Fruit is a super healthy thing that you should eat as much as possible. Ptux has an amazing fruit and salad bar with strawberries, yogurt, granola, pineapples, grapes and so much more. Try to eat fruit and a salad everyday.

6) Don’t Always Get the Candy!

It is so easy to grab those swedish fish to make your food worth two meals. You can also grab two bananas for the same price, or grab a Nutri-Grain bar. You do not need to always have a sweet dessert.

7) Sobriety= Healthier Decisions

Many people gain weight from drinking too much alcohol. Watch out. Beer has a lot more calories than you think. Know your limits if you choose to drink and beware that too many nights of too many drinks can lead to gaining a lot of weight. In addition to gaining weight from drinking, many people have strange food cravings from alcohol or drug use. Beware. McDonalds or Paws might be your best friend after a night out. It is in your best interest to limit your drinking if you want to avoid the freshman 15.

8) Treat Yourself

You can't be too hard on yourself! One ice cream cone is not going to kill you. Some people make Friday as "Treat Day" to have any type of dessert. Be aware of how many times you treat yourself though!