How to Avoid the Freshman 15: 4 Effective Strategies

1. Meal prep at home

Meal prepping in advance is not only a great way to save time but to also prevent one from over-eating in college. Start off by going to the grocery store and picking out healthy items you can cook with to make your meals. If you cook healthy recipes in advance then you are ensuring you don't buy unnecessary food on campus. Learn to control your portions which will benefit your health and put you off to a great start for the year. Make sure to have a protein, veggie, and starch to balance it all out. Remember: reusable, microwavable, plastic containers are best.

2. Eat Healthy Snacks

If you are constantly hungry or love to eat when bored than instead of having a full meal, try to hold off your appetite with a snack. Try a healthy snack to get rid of that sweet tooth or to help you hold on until your next meal. Nuts, walnuts, dried plums, celery sticks, frozen treats, and veggies can help you balance out your diet. Instead of bingeing on chips, cookies, and ice cream try one of these.

3. Start A Fitness Routine

To prevent weight gain it's best to develop a fitness routine. You can easily get in the habit of exercising by finding yourself a 'gym buddy' or joining a fitness club on or off campus. Drinking lots of detox waters is also recommended to help you start off on the right track. Using fruit infused recipes you can quickly get accustomed to a water diet. Avoiding eating sugars and focus on what's best for your health. Not only will this help getting rid of the toxins in your body but it can help with weight loss. Some of the benefits to detox waters include getting rid of your sweet cravings, extra hydration, and water intake.

4. Avoid Stress And Sleep Well

Stress causes binge-eating. Not only does it affect the way your body functions but it's also a cause of obesity. Stress is a leading agent to overeating. College tends to stress students out especially those who do not know how to use time management. Manage your stress by exercising regularly, attending social events to keep yourself distracted from things bothering you, or try speaking to someone about what's going on in your life-- that way you won't have to worry about dealing with too much.

Improve your health and maintain your weight by trying some of these out. It may be difficult at first but you have to keep in mind that progress takes patience and dedication.