Before I headed off to my first year of college, my mom -- the boss of her own weight loss company -- gave me fair warning of the pitfalls I'd fall into once I arrived, and was virtually living on my own, if I wasn't careful. However, as a freshman with a newfound sense of freedom, I felt that this was the least of my worries and put all my energy into making new friends, doing well in classes, and exploring everything my school had to offer. Now that it's summertime, it's easier for me to see the results of my choices, and what it's going to take for me to undo them.

Everyone knows the dangers of the freshman 15, but not many seem to be aware of how easily it can sneak up on you in only a matter of months, right when you least expect it. An article my mom wrote a few months ago, "Back to School...Slim to School," goes into depth about what students our age need to be doing to save themselves from this "epidemic," and inspired me to write this article.

Even though what she was telling me was important, like thousands of other college students, I did what I wanted and ate what I wished; with that lifestyle, no one is safe. Here are 10 things that can not only save you from something far worse than the freshman 15, but will 100 percent enrich your life for the better.

1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep.

Parents have been telling their kids for ages that you need the right amount of sleep every night to get your day off to a good start, but because of the fact that the workload in high school and college has been on a steady increase in the past few decades, it's been harder and harder to fit a full night's sleep into one's routine. However, sleep is required for the body to recuperate from the day.

2. Eat breakfast within one hour of waking up.

Another cliche: "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." It is. Your body needs a balanced breakfast to kickstart your metabolism, which is essentially the factor that determines how well, and how quickly, you digest foods. It's important that you eat soon after waking up, and you eat well, so your body has the right nutrients to carry you through the day. Your metabolism and blood sugar levels are at their lowest after a night of not eating when you're asleep; as my mom explains in her article here, how you begin your day is the key to everything else in your body working efficiently.

3. Eat small, eat often.

It's usually more difficult, especially for the underclassmen who are on a meal plan, to eat small snacks throughout the day that are outside of the assigned number of meal swipes. Yet this is a vital step towards shedding pounds and sustaining a healthy body chemistry: your body needs to be replenished with nutrients and energy every few hours to maintain the same performance. Try stashing fruits or vegetables with you to take to classes or to meetings in between all of your meals to keep your metabolism working efficiently.

4. Control your portion sizes.

Of course, it's common knowledge that eating too much food is bad for you and will cause weight gain; however, eating too little can have the same effect. If your body doesn't have enough of the nutrients it requires to break down into energy and other essential functions, it will enter starvation mode in order to protect itself and your metabolism will slow down. Similarly, if you're eating too much in a day, your body won't know what to do with the extra food and will end up storing it as fat.

5. Eat good foods.

Another word of wisdom that seems quite logical. Everyone knows that foods like fruits and vegetables are obvious healthy choices, but not everyone knows the pitfalls of foods that might seem healthy on the surface, but are packed with things like trans fats, simple carbohydrates, or high quantities of simple sugar. Foods such as avocados and nuts or legumes have many health benefits, including that they're a good source of protein; yet, they're also extremely high in fat content. Almost everything can be enjoyed in moderation, but always be careful of what you're giving your body.

6. Exercise (almost) every day.

A lot of people think that they can drop the freshmen 15 simply by pushing themselves at the gym every day, which isn't true, and will basically get you nowhere. However, complemented with healthy eating habits, it will help you reach your goal twice as fast. I found that going to the gym almost daily not only aided in my weight loss, but it relieved a lot of my stress from final exams and all my other obligations as well. I definitely recommend taking advantage of the free gym at your college or university, there's absolutely no downside. There are also tons of classes your school most likely offers to get you in shape --including yoga, zumba, or spinning. There are few things that compare with the feeling you get right after a solid workout.

7. Don't deprive yourself.

Being unhappy isn't the goal. There's always room to indulge, but it's vital that you never go overboard. Going on the treadmill at the gym for an hour doesn't mean you've burned enough calories to eat three slices of pizza and a cupcake at the cafeteria for dinner; but treating yourself to a dessert or cheat meal once in awhile -- if you've been eating clean -- is something you've earned.

8. Don't stress eat.

The last two weeks of the semester when final exams take place can be one of the most stressful times of the year for students. There was many a night where I found myself and my friends ordering Domino's at 1 a.m. to satisfy our craving and keep ourselves awake long enough to finish studying. This ties in with getting enough sleep: late night snacking wreaks havoc on your body. Your metabolism is at its slowest during those early hours, and pumping it with fats and sugars from a Dominos' pizza pie will only do it harm. If you plan on staying up well into the night, I would advise sticking to water or an extremely light snack.

9. Limit your alcohol intake.

This is probably the thing that most college students don't want to hear, but the beer gut is real and can affect more people than the average 40-year-old dad. Most people don't usually think of liquor as something that contributes to weight gain, but alcohol can do harm to other parts of your body besides the liver. It's ideal to cut out alcohol entirely during the weight loss process, but if you so choose to partake in drinking, try to stick to clear alcohols instead of darker ones, which have far more sugar content.

10. Stay organized.

It's sometimes hard to stay organized with such a hectic schedule, especially when exams are looming around the corner. However, organization in your social and academic life can lead to the same in terms of your health. With an organized mind, it's easier to create a more organized body; you'll feel more in control of your life and therefore you'll be more inclined to make better eating choices.

I learned all of these things throughout my first year of college, and while it took nearly the entire year to finally see the need to change my lifestyle for the better, I'm grateful for the experiences I had that led me here.

Take this summer to revamp yourself before you're sucked back into the world of 3 a.m. trips to the diner and unlimited supplies of dessert.

(Please check out my mom's website here to find more in depth information about all of these tips.)