Writer offers freshmen weight loss "tips"

My weight is something I've dealt with for years. It's not like I have ever been extremely overweight, but I have never considered myself to be in good shape by any means. So, here are some tips to help keep off those dreaded "Freshman 15."

As far as working out goes, all students have free access to the Rec. Center, which has plenty of options when it comes to having a fun workout session.

Another tip when it comes to working out is to take your roommate with you as a workout buddy. You are sure to have more fun than if you were to work out by yourself, and it will give you an opportunity to get to know your "roomie" a little better.

I still have a problem with over-eating. I attribute this in large part to the fact that I am the child of a single parent, who sometimes had trouble making ends meet, which made it taboo to not clear my plate. So, if you are an over-eater like me, eating at the cafeteria will go a long way to remedying that. As a freshman, you are required to have a meal plan and, I guarantee, if you eat every meal there for a week, you will likely swear off food for the following week.

If that little jaunt down the porcelain river does not help to curb you over-eating habit, then it may be time to take some more drastic steps – chemical dependency. Granted, it is not the most savory of options and I would certainly never endorse such an action but, clearly, there must be some merit to the practice. It is never too early to start to develop a "big boy" addiction. And for those who doubt this method, I have one question: Have you ever seen a morbidly obese crack addict?

Now, I realize there may be some of you out there – you tragically fated few – who will not be helped by my advice up to this point. You are probably reading this and saying to yourself, "But Chance, I don't like lifting heavy stuff, I love stuffing my face with crappy food and I don't want to start using drugs or alcohol because they are bad for me." For you folks, I have one more fail-safe, idiot-proof strategy – bulimia. I know it is not very pleasant to talk about, but it may be the only option for some people. It may seem kind of gross and, yeah, you may end up losing a tooth or two, but you are just going to have to weigh that against how much you want to be thin.

I hope this has helped. You're welcome.