Dear Freshman 15,

I've heard about you. I've probably heard more about you than college itself. Countless articles, movies, and TV shows suggest that you are this fantastical larger than life character, a force that must be reckoned with or else. This idea that I will gain weight because I am suddenly out of my home for the first time in my life is an easy concept to dismiss until you are in college and it is all pretty real to you. But I still I will not give into it, no I will not. I refuse to fulfill this prophecy laid before me like countless other unsuspecting freshmen before me. I see myself going down this horrible road of gaining 15 pounds (or more knowing my love for food) and I cannot let it happen. I am already a fairly insecure person, as most teens are, so I refuse to let a societal tradition dictate my life. But I notice myself becoming a weak person when it comes to food. It is so easy to just let it happen. And just not having enough time in the day to head to the gym or go for a run is so easy too. I can see my fate quite clearly but I have never been one to just lay down and die.

They leave healthy options for you when you are in your dining hall but that does not mean you have to get them. It is part of the college, YOUR CHOICE business. Being in charge of you means you cannot take any of your old crap. No, I do not want to, no I don't have any time, no I do not know how to work out, no it doesn't taste good. Mom isn't here to yell at you for the amount fries you are eating or the food you aren't consuming. Taking care of yourself is a holistic process. End of story. ALL of you, not just cognitively, or emotionally, physically too. I am not saying don't live but eat an apple sometimes instead of the snacks in your room, get some veggies to make your plate colorful then actually eat them, do not take your own excuses for not going to the gym today. Because there is no one is here to filter out the real excuses from the crap. Nobody has time for that job, except you. Be your drill sergeant who sometimes lets you have ice cream from the dining hall.

So I say to you Freshman 15, I am not scared of you because I am a strong willed person who does not let society dish out how my life should be going. And I've heard some stories of people losing weight, so HA. I will not succumb to your extra calories because it is easy. I am going to exercise and not let you add fifteen pounds to my current weight. College is hard and making these easy choices does not make your life any better.

Sincerely,

A determined freshman