Ah, freshman year of college. Those words carry with them so much substance. As I meditate on them, I am reminded of the girl I was 365 days ago: excited, nervous, unsure, and expectant. Six months into my freshman year, the excitement and nerves had faded, but my doubts and expectations had only increased... along with my waistline.

During Christmas break, I realized I was not happy with who I was becoming. This wasn't just because of my weight gain (see here for my article about a radical change in mindset). I mean, I knew I was no longer a teenager and unexpected weight gain and loss sometimes comes with being a woman. The issue was I gained 14 pounds in a six-month period. While I was familiar with the infamous Freshman 15, I suddenly realized that my unhealthy habits put me on track to gain 30 pounds in just one year.