10 Ways to Reverse the Freshman 15 Before Winter Break

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It's amazing how profoundly motivating a soccer mom can be, especially when she's on a handful of caffeine pills and armed with a headset microphone. If you want to get noticeable results quickly, take a workout class that's led by a Jillian Michaels aspirant with something to prove. By regularly subjecting yourself to the exacting fitness standards of an energy drink-addled psychopath, you'll vaunt a six-pack by second semester.

Take advantage of your awe-inspiring surroundings while you can. Once you graduate, your existence will be a lifeless, exhaust fume-affected drudge between the subway and a cubicle. So, instead of napping in the library between classes, take a long walk to the other side of campus and keep stoking the calorie-burning fire. Once you're a trimmer, more confident you, hit up some of these places as well.

You're probably going to celebrate the end of finals with an alcohol-fueled bender, but don't offset your progress with a steady windfall of brandy eggnog and margaritas. Gin and tonic is a relatively low calorie choice, and it won't raise eyebrows the way sipping red wine at the campus dive bar would. If possible, avoid shot-gunning beers and mixing alcohol with soda until second semester.

Next to mainlining three-chocolate fudge cakes, shoving your face full of seven-layer nachos and cheese fries at 2 a.m. is the worst thing you can do when trying to lose weight. Granted, self control is markedly compromised after a half-dozen Fireball shots and a two-story beer bong. But, try to exercise some level of restraint by avoiding the campus Taco Bell on your walk home from the bar.

Breakfast is important because it helps stimulate your metabolism. That said, one cannot wolf down the Smokehouse Combo at IHOP before morning lectures and expect to shave pounds. The combination of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit—while decidedly less tasty than a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and a Krispy Kreme donut—is a great way start to your day, particularly if you want to look better naked.

By drinking water throughout the day, you'll keep your body feeling full. And, at this point, anything you can do to curb your dependence on mid-afternoon Chipotle burritos is a win. As an added bonus, drinking a tall glass of water before a meal will help lessen the urge overeat. 

Losing weight is as much of a fight against temptation as it is fatigue, and sleep helps you control that battle from both fronts. First, a well-rested person is much more likely to hit the gym than a stressed out student on an Adderall comedown. Second, a well-rested person is much less likely to suck down a venti Caramel Macchiato when their alarm goes off in the morning. In sum, rest keeps unwanted calories out of your system and helps get your ass to the treadmill. That’s a win-win.

Unless you have a double major in chemical engineering and neuroscience, college affords a tremendous amount of free time. Instead of watching an entire season of Dexter in one sitting, go outside and throw around a Frisbee, or—better yet—play pickup basketball at the campus rec center until you vomit on the court from exhaustion. Occupying boredom with bong rips, Netflx, and food is a fast and shameful way to derail your progress.

Lifestyle changes aren't easy, and that's especially true during your freshman year of college. You're bound to have a few setbacks (read: get blackout drunk and house an entire tray of guacamole dip), but it's how you respond to those moments of weakness that ultimately determine your success. Do wake up the next morning and hit the gym. Don't compound your sadness with stale Papa John's leftovers and a blubbering cry. 

When you really break it down, losing weight isn't all that complicated. One just has to watch what they eat and kick ass in the gym on the regular. Your school is probably charging $750 per semester to use the campus fitness center, so don’t let that money go to waste. If you want to make your senior prom date forever regret the day she dumped you, sweat until you're out of her league.