Before going to college, I had never really had a problem with my weight. I did many extracurricular activities that involved sports and movement, such as volleyball and dance; and my mom always makes sure that food at home is healthy. So why is it that I began to put weight during my first year of college? It was much less than the infamous fifteen pounds, and I have managed to lose most of it during the summer, but it was the first time I had to diet and force myself into a more vigorous exercise routine. And it wasn't just me. Friends with similar bodies and metabolism tendencies as me suffered just the same, as did friends that had previously struggled to maintain their bodies in shape.

Here are the reasons why I believe the freshmen fifteen phenomenon is real, based on my personal experience:

Your metabolism is changing as you near your twenties. 

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You start to lose muscle tissue and put on some fat.

You leave your high school routine of extracurricular activities behind, and establishing a new routine isn’t nearly as easy as breaking an old one. 

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Many college students end up going to the gym rather than joining a team sport, which means that self-discipline plays a major role in the establishment of a new exercise routine. Possibly a good way to go around this other than joining a team sport, is to see if the gym at your university or college offers fitness classes such as spinning, pilates, boxing, etc.

Your eating habits change because you have to adapt to cafeteria food or street food, as opposed to the home cooked meals most of us were used to at home.

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Getting to pick exactly what you want to eat when you want to eat it is great, but makes it all too easy to have cheeseburgers or whatever high-calorie food you enjoy multiple times a week.

College many times messes up your sleeping and eating schedules, meaning that you may feel hungry at odd times. 

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Late hours in the library may make you more vulnerable to a midnight snack, and you end up eating at times where you should be sleeping.

Although the Freshman Fifteen is a real phenomenon, there are innumerable ways in which to diminish its effects, and I believe that being aware of its possible causes is the first step.