by Penne Cole

Created on: November 23, 2009   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

Most college students are away from home for the first time when they leave for school. Far from healthy home-cooked meals, and nagging mothers reminding you to have a balanced diet, college freshman fall prey to the dreaded "freshman fifteen" after unlimited portions of greasy cafeteria food and cheap beer. Don't become another statistic. Make the conscious choice to battle the freshman bulge with these five tips:

1. No Seconds

College meal plans usually provide you with access to buffet style dining where you can eat unlimited quantities of food. If you are not used to this, seeing the smorgasbord of options (including several daily dessert choices!) may cause you to go a little overboard. The rule of thumb here is to have all your food in front of you. Do a little survey of the food available, decide what you want, and load up your tray. Don't go back for seconds. Having all your food in front of you at the same time will help you keep track of how much you're eating.

2. Snack between meals

This may seem a little counterintuitive but studies have shown that five small meals a day is much better for keeping your weight down than eating three squares a day. Eating regularly will help to keep your metabolic rate up, and will stop you from overeating when main mealtimes come around. When snacking, go for healthy options like carrot and cucumber sticks, fruits, nuts, or yoghurt. Avoid high-sodium, high-fat content junk food as much as possible. However, if you must have chips, choose the baked, low salt, no trans-fats option.

3. Exercise

The bad news is, no diet is complete without exercise. However, the good news is, you're in college and there are a ton of choices open to you. Most colleges will have well-equipped gyms that also run classes like yoga, spinning, or even dance. If indoor activities aren't your thing, join a club sport, play some Frisbee or go hiking with some friends. Take advantage of all the facilities your college has to offer. Whatever form of exercise you choose, keep in mind that if you enjoy it, it will be less of a chore, and you will be more likely to keep going back for more.

4. Watch the beer

Living away from home for the first time is liberating, with no one to enforce a curfew and unlimited parties, usually with free beer, to attend. However, don't let the freedom go to your head. Always keep track of how much you're drinking there's a reason why it's called the beer belly. It's not only the number of cups of beer you're drinking that you have to count. Drinking games may seem harmless, with the cups typically filled about a quarter full, but before you know it, you'll have consumed several cans of beer during a night of Beerpong.

5. Lifestyle choices

Keeping fit and trim is a lifestyle choice. Instead of watching a movie, go for a game of Frisbee. Take the stairs instead of using the lift. Cycle to class instead of taking the bus or a car. Beyond staying active, your choice of friends will also influence your level of activity. If you mostly hang out with computer gamers, you will tend to stay indoors and at your computer. If your closest buddies are jocks, but you're not an athlete, you may find yourself consuming a lot more calories than you should. It's best to have a wide variety of friends with different interests and activities. After all, that's what college is about!

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