Going away to college is a new, exciting experience. But it’s not always exciting for your wallet when you have to get new pants because yours became too tight. Moving into a dorm with a dining hall is like walking into an all-you-can-eat buffet with an endless amount of options. Most of the time, your eyes are bigger than your stomach and before you know it you’ve eaten three plates full of food. Without always having the option of a kitchen, eating out often can also happen.

Start the year off right and don’t develop bad eating habits and follow a few simple strategies that will help you avoid weight gain in your first year.

Drink lots of water

Water is great for you. No matter what, drink it all the time every day. While it doesn’t directly help you lose weight, your body will love you for drinking it. Water is needed for your body to process calories and without drinking enough water, dehydration will begin to slow your metabolism. Carrying around a water bottle will help you to stay on top of drinking water and avoid the side effects of dehydration. Drinking water throughout the day and before a meal will also keep you full and prevent you from overeating.

Stock up on healthy snacks

Not gaining the freshman 15 doesn’t mean that you don’t get to eat. It just means that you have to watch what you’re eat. Stocking up on healthy snacks is a way to combat grabbing the bag of potato chips and binge eating because of stress. Instead, keep the junk food to a minimum and stock up on foods that have lots of protein and carbohydrates to keep you from feeling sluggish all day.

Shop smart

Never go shopping hungry. Walking down the aisle you’re bound to grab everything you see that sounds good. This will leave your cart full of chips, candy and pop that you don’t need if you’re trying to avoid the freshman 15. Instead, make a list before you go grocery shopping so you’ll only get what you need to stay healthy. This will also help with meal preparations which will help with overeating.

Don’t stress eat

When you’re stressed, it’s easy to grab the first thing you see to eat. Instead of grabbing a handful of candy or chips, go for a handful of nuts or fruit. Or instead of eating when you’re stressed, find a new way to destress like exercising, reading or anything that fits your interests.