Dear soon to be Freshman,

Freshman 15 is real, it's not a joke. Trust me I didn't think it was a real thing and here I am 15 pounds heavier. My mom always told me about freshman 15 and I was like, "Mom, that's so stupid, I am an active person that will never happen to me."

You don't even know it hit you until you can't fit in your clothes one day. So I am here to help you try and avoid this horrible thing.

Let me explain to you why this happens. First, the dining courts. I don't know about every school but at Purdue, you swipe in and it's a buffet. Every dining court a ton of different options to eat. The problem with this is, you won't go up to the salad bar if you can go up and make your own stir-fry. Also, there are a ton of dessert so if a cookie is just sitting there you know you're going to go up and get a cookie. Second, stress. Stress is the most toxic thing for your body. Everyone deals with stress different way but I stress eat.

Even when I'm not hungry I will eat because I am so stressed.

Third, underage drinking. It's college everyone does it so I'm including this. A can of beer is like eating 2 slices of bread. If you're at a party I know you're not drinking one can, you're probably drinking 6 cans of beer which is 12 slices of bread.

Bread is so bad for you! Those carbs are going straight to your gut. Lastly, not getting enough sleep. Sleep is so important for our bodies, this is a time for our body to relax and get ready for the next day.

Being is college sleep isn't really a thing. With homework, exams, clubs, sports, and a social life it is almost impossible to get 8 hours of sleep. Without sleep, it can make your metabolism slower and it will make you crave junk food.

Now, how you can avoid the freshman 15.

First, a majority of campuses have CO-RECS, USE THEM! I'm not saying you have to go every day but at least three times a week.

Second, I know during those colder months we all want to take the bus everywhere. I recommend only doing that if you absolutely have to. Get those extra steps in!

Third, when you go to the dining courts just get small portions. You don't need 3 plates of food. Get one plate of food and one night a week you can have a cookie. I know it's hard to eat healthy when you aren't the one making the food but if you eat smaller portions of unhealthy food it will help a little bit.

Fourth, when you're at a party don't drink so much beer! Try a different drink that doesn't have so many carbs.

I understand beer is cheap but think about having to buy all new jeans because you can't fit in your old ones.

Lastly, try to sleep. All-nighters are not good for us. It is actually proven that you won't remember half the stuff you memorized during that night. You need sleep to do well in school and to be healthy.

Even if you only follow half of these things I promise it will make a difference. Freshman 15 is not fun, trust me. I am now trying to lose as much weight as I can before summer so I can feel comfortable in a bikini again. College is hard and you will have a ton of stuff to do, don't add trying to lose freshman 15 on your list of things to worry about.

Sincerely,

Ella!