Avoiding College Weight Gain

College seems to be a notorious time for weight gain, hence that unfriendly term "freshman fifteen." Whether it's caused by the sudden freedom to eat as much junk food as desired, snacking while studying, or having too many pizza nights with friends, weight gain is unpleasant, unhealthy, and downright depressing. The good news? It doesn't have to be inevitable.

The ways to avoid gaining weight in college are the same as at any other stage of life - eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and getting reasonable amounts of exercise. Maybe bags of potato chips and cookies seem easier - or more fun - to keep around the dorm room, but healthier options can satisfy the need to crunch without packing on excess calories.

Apples and bananas are easy to keep on hand when the need for a snack hits. Since neither one requires a knife for peeling or slicing, there's no need to do dishes later either. If the dorm room has a small refrigerator, vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower and fruits like grapes, blueberries, and strawberries can be kept around for quick snacks as well. They may not make a person quite so popular with chip-hungry friends, but they'll go a long way toward staving off an unsightly belly bulge.

To make sure he's drinking enough water, a student could swear off soda entirely. Maybe? As an easier alternative, a student can fill up a sport bottle with ice water and carry it throughout the day to classes and other activities. It can be surprising how much water a person will drink just by having it available all day in this fashion.

Most college and university cafeterias offer a good range of healthy food choices, but they usually have their share of not-so-healthy choices as well. With waistline in mind, it's a good idea to choose whole grain bread or buns whenever possible. Whole grains provide more nutrients than stripped-down white breads, and they provide far more fiber. Fiber fills the stomach faster, which means that a person will eat less before filling full, and also helps the body digest foods more easily. Easier digestion can mean that food doesn't sit in the system for an extended period while more and more calories are turned to fat.

With all the necessary walking from dorm to class and back again, getting enough exercise isn't usually a problem, but it's always possible to get more. One simple option is to take the longest route between the residence hall and class areas. Students can also organize casual sports and activities with friends. Most colleges provide volleyball nets, a track, sports fields, a swimming pool, and other areas where students can be active, have fun, and keep that college weight gain at bay.