Most of us tend to stay skinny throughout school, but when we enter college all hell seems to break loose. In America they call it the Freshman-15, as the theory goes; you will gain 15 pounds in your first year at college.

This is a bit far fetched as research has shown that most students will only gain 3-8 pounds during their first year. It has also been proven that over 80% of these students will keep gaining weight into their second and third years. 10% of these students will loose some of the weight after graduation.

The reasons for gaining weight in your early college years can be caused by numerous things for example:

• Not eating a balanced diet. Students celebrate their freedom by eating foods their parents would not approve of; e.g. pizza, hamburgers, chocolates, taco’s, nachos and any other fast foods.
• Snacking late at night. You metabolism slows drastically after 8pm and only re-awakens more or less at 5am. If you eat fatty, sugary foods during these hours the food will not be digested but stored as fat.
• Not sticking to meal times. It is very important to get your body into an eating routine. The best way to do this is by eating smaller meals 5 times a day at more or less the same time. This will help your body program itself to know when to get hungry. If you skip a meal your body will absorb more calories, fat and sugar with the next meal, as it is not sure when the next meal will be.
• Drinking too much alcohol. We have all been there. Going out for drinks with friends after class is a blast. Luckily this party mood only lasts for the first and second year of your studies as most people start focussing on graduating with honours in their last years. Alcoholic drinks are filled with sugar. One Pina Colada contains 28 grams of sugar! Need I say more?
• Not exercising. When you begin college, exercising is the last thing on your mind. All you want to focus on is getting good grades, going out with friends and keeping up with trends. The truth of the matter is that exercise should be a top priority. Exercise will help with your digestion and burn away unnecessary calories. Exercise has also proven to help improve your concentration, problem solving and memory.

Should you have already experienced your freshman-15, do not worry. Losing weight is more difficult than gaining it, but it is not impossible. Follow the guides above and live a healthier lifestyle. You can also opt for Ozone Therapy, where you can loose up to 500 calories in one 30 minute session. Ozone balances out the body’s metabolism, increase oxygen levels in the blood, improve blood circulation, neutralises toxins and impurities in fatty cells and breaks up fatty deposits. Ozone Therapy will also improve your memory, concentration and reduce anxiety and stress.

Will you be beating the bulge?