In today's society, body image is everything. Furthermore, when going off to college, you'll most likely hear "Don't gain the freshman 15!" And, while this is true, it's more than just the common freshman year weight gain. It's the sophomore, junior, senior and post-college 15 too! 

As we age, we unfortunately can't continue with all our unhealthy eating habits and inconsistent gym schedule, unless, of course, you're blessed with a fast metabolism and good genes. But for the remainder of us not-so-lucky ones, here are some tips on how to avoid gaining weight in college:

1. Regulate your diet. The excitement of starting college and having no one telling you what to do when it comes to food and alcohol often leads to people packing on the pounds. As tempting as all the fast food and specialty food sections in the dining halls seem, remember every night can't be pasta night. As cliche as it may sound, make sure you're sill incorporating vegetables and fruits into your diet, and other foods where you know exactly what's in it and how good it is for you. Many schools have labels above their cafeteria food, and if you see a food is high in trans fats, preservatives or chemicals, choose another option. It's an adjustment going from mom's home cooked meals to dining hall food, but as long as you have a little self-control, you'll be good to go.

2. It's OK to snack! What? Wouldn't this make me heavier? Actually, dietitians often suggest eating six smaller meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. Since dining halls only offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and cooking three meals a day is time-consuming enough, choosing healthy snacks has its benefits. Filling, yet healthy, foods, such as apples with organic peanut butter or carrots with hummus, will fill you up and prevent you from reaching for the Doritos or Snickers bar. Side note: it's all about portion control. Eating an apple with a huge heaping of peanut butter isn't healthy, just like eating five cookies isn't healthy. It's okay to eat carbs, starches and dessert. In fact, you should treat yourself every so often, as long as you're making your portions relatively small.

3. Find fun ways to exercise. I'm a victim of this myself, but try not to succumb to spending every waking moment in bed. Attend workout classes if you're not comfortable with lifting weights by yourself. In addition, you could get involved with club or intramural sports. You'd be exercising and meeting a new group of people at the same time. Getting involved will also prevent you from laying in bed all day...(If you're not involved in organizations, you're more likely to lay in bed watching Netflix all day every day.) Do at least a little something every day--you'll feel ten times better afterwards and will feel way less guilty when you reach for that chocolate chip cookie. Most universities have great workout programs, and if you do better with an instructor motivating you, classes such as Washboard Abs, Calorie Killer, Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp and Kickboxing provide a range of workouts that interest everyone. Plus, student gym memberships are relatively cheap, and you gotta work off all that food and alcohol somehow...

4. Easy on the drinking. It's called a beer belly for a reason. Alcohol has an insanely high amount of calories. I'm not saying not to consume alcohol, I'm just saying it definitely helps to pick and choose the nights you decide to drink. Sure, weekends are a given, but I find it's the nightly drinking and high consumption of beer (and drunk food,) that adds to weight gain. People always say once they quit drinking they lost a significant amount of weight, so if you're not willing to stay sober (which I highly doubt you are as college students), at least make the effort to limit how frequently you're consuming large amounts of it. 

5. Walk places! Aside from going to the gym, there are other ways to avoid gaining weight in college. It's the little things like walking to class instead of taking the bus that eventually add up. And at such a huge school like Penn State, trust me, walking makes a big difference. At least try and walk to class when the weather is tolerable--save the bus for the below-freezing temperatures. You'll avoid being lazy as well as some sicknesses you could pick up from riding a packed bus with dozens of germ-y students.

Lastly, I'd just like to point out that even if you do begin to gain weight--don't stress. It happens to a lot of people, so you're not alone! Constantly worrying about your weight and obsessing over what you're eating is both stressful and time-consuming. Don't get too down on yourself--the stress isn't good for you and could lead to further issues like breakouts and emotional breakdowns. Instead, try to make some adjustments to your diet and exercise regimen, and remember that as we age, our bodies change, and we can't continue our high school eating habits forever. It's completely normal to have periods in your life where you're heavier than you're used to, but as long as you become more proactive and make changes, you're on the right track.