Weight gain is a frequent problem for students when they first go off to college. This “freshman 15″ as it is called, is usually a result of many combined factors such as emotional eating, cafeteria choices, lack of exercise, late-night snacking, and fast food availability.

Understanding this pattern and knowing how to avoid it can help college freshmen maintain their desired level of fitness. There are easy steps that can be followed to encourage freshmen to make the right choices. Let’s review a few of these steps now.

It’s understandable that many college students aren’t going to wake up in time to walk to the cafeteria for a healthy breakfast prior to their first class. If that’s the case, have healthy breakfast items in your dorm room that you can grab on your way out. Breakfast is the meal that wakes up your metabolism for the day and gets it working. It’s imperative to eat something first thing in the morning.

You can avoid the “freshman 15″ by making healthy food choices the majority of the time. Buffets can be potential minefields, but colleges are offering healthier choices than they used to. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains. Select meat from the carving station, without high-caloric sauces. Save the macaroni and cheese or the dessert for one indulgence per week.

Another important tip is to make good decisions about your beverages. Limit sodas and sweet drinks. They provide no nutritional value and slow weight loss. Make water your main source of hydration. Drink skim milk with your meals. Calcium-rich diets burn more fat!

Avoid late-night snacks to keep your weight under control. Have some healthy options available for those rare times when you decide to indulge. Stop eating 2-3 hours prior to going to bed so that excess calories aren’t so easily stored as fat.

The last tip we’ll discuss here for avoiding the “freshman 15″ is to exercise regularly. It will be easy in the dorm to find an exercise buddy. Schedule regular workouts and take advantage of the college facilities for variety. You should be able to lift weights, walk or run, swim, play tennis and racquetball, play basketball, etc.

If you follow these easy steps you can avoid this problem and take care of your “freshman 15″ before it turns into permanent baggage! It all boils down to making wise and healthy food choices. You can indulge a little but you can’t indulge often!