If I hear ONE MORE incoming freshman whining about how they're "totally gonna gain the freshman fifteen," I might pop off. I'm done, I'm fed up, and I'm only saying it once: the more you talk about the freshman 15, the bigger a deal it becomes.

I can't handle it. Trust me, I understand the concern about gaining weight. I understand the pressure some people feel to be fit or thin or whatever specific shape and size they value. And I know that being 100% responsible for your own meals and having access to a lot more "junk" food can seem like a huge temptation.

Here's the thing, though - worrying and complaining about potential weight gain won't stop it. All that does it make it seem much more significant than it is, and roots a whole lot of your personal worth in physical appearance.

Think about it. When you focus so much energy on one specific thing, you give it power over you. So what could have just been 15 (potential!) pounds is now something you are not only always worried about, but also constantly working to avoid.

A lot of students go into college assuming that they will gain weight if they don't strictly control their diet and exercise. Many of these students begin the year with clean-eating goals, a gym schedule, and a strict mentality about food.

Not only is cutting back your intake ridiculously unhealthy and unsafe, it's also just straight-up ineffective. You're depriving your body of these essential nutrients and energy, leaving you tired, more susceptible to illness (Freshers' Flu!), and unhappy. Eventually, you will reach a breaking point.

The reality is that the more rigid you are about what you eat, the more likely you are to binge or lose control when presented with a situation that allows you to "cheat" on your diet. Maybe your friends are going out and you eat less all day because you know you'll be having a bigger meal later. What usually ends up happening though, is that you are so hungry, and you finally have this moment of freedom around food, that you overeat and consume more than you would have if you had just been eating normally all day.

Our bodies are designed to survive and they don't like being ignored. We function best when we are given sufficient fuel, and if you are eating less than your body needs, or depriving yourself of what you want, your body will, at some point, demand the foods you have been avoiding.

By being so scared of "bad" foods, or "extra" food, or gaining weight, you set yourself up for eventual failure. This is where most people really run into the "freshman fifteen." If you listen to your body and your hunger, you shouldn't need to exercise more or eat differently. Even if college means changes like less athletic activity, or more "treats", as long as you listen to your body, you should have no problem maintaining your weight. Your body will tell you what it needs.

Lastly, let's imagine the worst case scenario. You gain weight during your freshman year. First of all, 15 pounds is such an arbitrary number, so throw that out the window. Whether you gain 5 pounds or 50 pounds, weight gain isn't permanent. Weight gain isn't the end of the world. Sometimes, weight gain isn't even noticeable.

Obviously gaining any weight is changing your body, but a 5-pound difference is something you might not even notice until you get on a scale. Even noticeable weight gain isn't something to panic about. If it happens, it happens, and you can handle that then. Until then, stop trying to fix something that is fine just the way it is.

So freshmen, relax, take a deep breath, and repeat after me: the Freshman Fifteen is bullsh*t.