The sad truth is that gaining weight in college is almost inevitable. Breaking away from your home routine and making lots of (unhealthy) lifestyle changes is a recipe for disaster. However, it's slightly comforting when you realize that we're all in this together, and pretty much no one looks as good as they did in high school. Here are the five definitive stages we all (or, okay, most) have gone through during our first year away at school:

Stage 1: The invincibility stage.

Often times, it takes awhile for weight gain to catch up with you, especially if you're in great shape. The first few weeks of college are a total and complete field day. You eat 4 meals a day chalk-full of fried foods, carbohydrates, and ice cream (not to mention drinking 4/7 nights per week), but you still look great. You haven't gained a pound. This phase is pretty much a dream come true.

Stage 2: The winter slump.

Once fall festivities come to an end and snowflakes begin to fall, things get bad. It becomes too cold to walk to the gym, motivation is lost, and you stay in and order pizza every night because you don't want to go out. At this point, you can feel yourself packing on an extra pound or two, but you don't care yet. This is what's supposed to happen in college, right?

Stage 3: The "oh shit" stage.

Spring is just around the corner and you're feeling like a beached whale. All those midnight food deliveries are finally catching up to you. Your jeans become just a little too tight, your family starts teasing you, and you feel grosser than ever.

Stage 4: Overcompensation.

You tell yourself you're going to eat only one cracker and one glass of water everyday. You work out like you're training for the olympics, and start to feel good again. This stage doesn't last very long at all.

Stage 5: Acceptance.

The whole cracker and water thing gets really old really fast. Your body is deprived and you're craving every food imaginable. At this point, you accept and embrace your fatness. YOLO, right?

You come to the realization that getting back into fighting shape just really isn't attainable until summer. You accept your temporary fatness, and look forward to working hard over the summer.

Best of luck to all my fellow almost-sophomores on your journey back to health. We are all in this together.