How to Prevent Gaining the Freshman Fifteen

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College is supposed to be the best four years of your life. As an incoming freshman, you probably had no idea what that means. It's likely that a few weeks into your first semester, you've tapped into your share of kegs and eggs. But too much of both can be a bad thing. Before too long, you’ll notice your clothes starting to tighten up. Here are some tips to avoid gaining the weight while still having a good time.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

A strong work ethic

Step1

Join an intramural sports team. Part of the reason so many freshmen gain the infamous weight is because they’ve stopped being active. Unlike in high school, the vast majority of students in college do not play competitive sports. You can buck this trend and burn a few calories by joining a sports team. Who knows, you might meet a few friends.

Step2

Walk to class. Again, the key is to stay active. While taking the campus bus might be the more efficient option, walking to and from the classroom is an easy way to burn calories.

Step3

Hit the gym. You should tackle the stair-stepper as soon as you notice your clothes starting to fit more snuggly. As obvious as this may sound, it’s a lot easier to lose four or five pounds than it is when you balloon to fifteen pounds overweight. By acting on it early, you can avoid having to work out as hard.

Step4

Work off what you put on when you go out. There are typically around one hundred calories in each light beer. At that rate, it will take you at least forty minutes of aggressive running to work off a six-pack. Don’t fool yourself into thinking hard liquor is healthier. It’s not.

Step5

Know your limits. Just because your cafeteria offers a buffet every day for dinner, doesn’t mean you should eat everything that’s offered. Believe it or not, you're body is getting older. As a result, your metabolism slows down. Be aware of this when you reach for that package of cookies.