The freshman 15 is one of the scariest things about going to college! Forget leaving home and living on your own and going to intense classes all day, what is really terrifying in the weight gain that happens to most college students. For most young adults going off to college is their first time not living under mom and dad’s roof and living by their rules so this means doing everything to the extreme! There is nothing wrong with this, college is a time to live life to the fullest and make plenty of mistakes, but the college life will take a toll on your body.

Think about it, you’re going to parties drinking all that beer and or sugary cocktails. You’re staying up all night trying to cram for that midterm you have coming up. You’re living off of ramen noodles that are chalk-full of sodium, and of course you’re enjoying all those yummy lattes from the coffee shop to keep you going. It is very easy to let your health slip away when you’re out there doing your thing at college, but there are a few easy and cheap ways to help you stay on track! These tips and tricks can be done without completely changing your lifestyle and the best news, you don’t have to stop partying and enjoying your freedom while it lasts.

Step 1:

When making your ramen noodles cook the noodles like you normally would but instead of putting that yummy little flavor pack in there skip it and use chicken broth or beef broth instead of water and add whatever spices or herbs you enjoy.

Step 2:

When going to party we all know during college we tend to drink the cheap beer like Natural Light or Busch beer there’s really no getting around drinking a “skinnier” beer on a tight budget so we will improve our cocktail game. When enjoying a refreshing cocktail instead of grabbing the easy pre-made mixer that are full of sugar make a pitcher of crystal light, there are many flavors out there now-n-days, use the crystal light as a mixer. Using crystal light cuts your drinks down from 200+ calories per drink to about 70, talk about a game changer! There is also another option get some club soda, roughly .68 cents, and use that as your mixer with a squirt of water flavor such as Mio.

Step 3:

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER!! I know, you’re thinking duh but by drinking the recommend amount of water you’re helping your body clean out your liver from all those toxins you’re putting in when you drink. Now I know that water can get boring so go ahead and add a crystal light packet or some lemon into your water.

Step 4:

Make sure you take a little bit of time to be active. I’m not saying that you need to go to the gym every day and spend an hour in there because let’s be honest who has time for that? Just go for a little walk or take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you can find time to spend 30 minutes there are plenty of at home workouts that you can do with no equipment. My current obsession is yoga it’s a good workout, helps me get back to being flexible, and helps me relax from all those pressures that college adds to my life.

The Final Step (and maybe one of the most important step):

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF. As a young adult living on your own sometimes you can let the little things get to you and really bug you out but just take a deep breath and LET IT GO!! Stress does your body zero favors and will ruin your day so try not to stress out so much. College is a very stressful place. You’re trying to make new friends, you’re trying to find time for everything you need to do, you’re worried about that upcoming exam you have. I can guarantee you that none of those things are worth stressing yourself out over, they will all pass and you will end up right where you need to be just breathe and carry on.

Follow these few simple steps and you will notice a difference not only in your body but in your mood. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy feeling good and looking good?! I hope you all will take a least one thing from this and enjoy a healthier and happier life, now carry on and go live the dream!