Every year, freshman have entered a world full of unlimited meal plans, no obligation to work out, and a lack of parents nagging them to eat their vegetables.  Because of these issues and several others, students entering college tend to gain a few accidental pounds.  Here are some ways for you to stay healthy in the some of the best, and toughest, years of your life:

1) Don’t forget breakfast. Being a college student, I know how hard it may be for someone to wake up any more that fifteen minutes before that 8 am class.  But, with enough motivation to be a healthy individual, you can avoid stuffing your face at lunch by just grabbing a bagel on the way out the door.

2) Workout. I know, just as well as any other high school student athlete, that regularly working out in college seems very troubling to get used to.  With all of the distractions in college (both academic and social), fitting a daily workout into your routine proves to be not easy to do. Even though this is true, there are ways to avoid this speed bump.  Try joining a sports club or even an intramural team to keep you on your feet throughout the week.  If you’re too busy for this, you can try to go to the gym at the same time, each day, to turn working out into just another part of your daily agenda.

3) Drink some water. Staying hydrated throughout the day always proves to be a challenge for the average college student. Coffee and other mystery dehydrating liquids seem to always be a part of a student’s daily struggle to make it through the week.  Carrying a reusable water bottle with you at all times is one way to keep your H2O levels consistent. Click on the water bottle image to find some cheap and effective reusable bottles from Target.

4) Manage your stress.  Every student knows that stress, no matter what you do, will be a part of your life.  Whether it’s caused by moving away from your home town or the four tests you have this week, stress is going to be present.  One way to relieve some of this stress is to take breaks in your long hours of school work.  Fitting an episode or two of Family Guy in the middle of studying is never a bad thing, every now and then. Working out is another way of reducing stress.

5) Be mindful of what you are consuming in the dining hall.  Just because you have an unlimited supply of food suddenly placed at your feet does not mean you should over-eat at lunch or dinner.  When choosing what to eat, try to work healthy foods into the equation.  Always look for vegetables and whole grain breads and pasta.  Another way to reduce the amount of food you consume is to drink a full glass of water prior to filling up your plate at the buffet.  Drinking a glass of water before you eat aids your metabolism and helps prevent you from over eating.

As you can see, the mighty freshman 15 can be dodged, but it may take some extra grit.  Try to persuade your friends to follow in your footsteps by taking these precautions along with you. A group effort always seems to trump an individual’s in situations like this.  Good luck in your pursuit of a healthy college lifestyle! Below is a recipe of a healthy smoothie that tastes good and is easy to make:

Fruit and yogurt smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• frozen berries
• ½ cup of yogurt
• 1 splash of pineapple juice
• 1 cup strawberries
• A bit of orange juice

Directions

Blend the ingredients above in a blender until it is fully mixed.  The measurements do not need to be exact and you can add and subtract what you think makes the smoothie taste the best!