10 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15 (and Other Fall Maladies)

Back to school doesn't just affect students. It's the time of year when everything changes. The days shorten, it cools off, we get really busy, and the holidays are looming around the corner. As opposed to those frivolous days of summer, your schedule is now probably booked. In short, it's the easiest time of the year to let your health slide.

The "Freshman 15" isn't just for freshmen. We all face these lifestyle adjustments every year. Fall is beautiful, but it's also the toughest season to transition through. Here are 10 ways to make it to New Year's without the need to resort to a resolution.

1. Schedule your exercise. One of the difficult adjustments to make during the fall is getting used to less daylight. As the days shorten, it seems as though you've got fewer hours to schedule activities around. When you come home from work in the dark, it hurts your psyche. And it's tough to believe that 7:00 PM is really no different than it was during July, when you still had two hours of daylight left. Then there's the cold factor. Even if you work out indoors, it's so much easier to get back under your warm covers or bundle up and sit in front of a fire or the TV than it is to force a workout. Just remember that exercising makes you warm. It also keeps you fit and healthy and is the best thing you can do with cold and flu season right around the corner.
   


2. Schedule your sleep. As things get busy, we tend to push projects later and later into the evening. To fuel those longer hours we eat . . . and eat. This is one major cause of the Freshman 15—a result of the infamous all-nighter. A recent study showed that resident doctors, who are forced to work extremely long hours and famously forego sleep, gain an average of over 20 pounds during their residencies. As daylight changes, it's easy to make alterations in your daily schedule, so plan for sleep just like you do for everything else (read "10 Tips for Restful Sleep" in Related Articles below).
   


3. Plan your meals. Plan your weekly meals ahead of time so you don't resort to convenience foods. If your schedule is insane during the week, try taking an hour or two on Sunday to shop and strategize. Put healthy meal and snack options in your car, your office, your backpack, or anywhere you're likely to find yourself hungry. Trust us, the energy you get on the back end of this planning will far exceed the time it takes to plan, especially when you consider how you'll feel if your diet is fueled by fast food.
   


4. Carry water everywhere. When we're busy, we'll often forget to drink water, especially as the weather cools off. Then, in a dehydrated state, we often confuse thirst for hunger and we eat. Avoid this by ensuring that there's water everywhere you go. Carry a water bottle and refill it at every opportunity. Have an extra bottle in your car, in your backpack, at your desk, etc., and behave as if you're in a race each day. Force yourself to drink a glass of water every hour that you're working or studying.
   


5. Be realistic about alcohol. Another big contributor to the Freshman 15, alcohol, is very high in calories (7 calories/gram) and very low in nutritional value. Every drink you consume is about 200 calories of nutrition that you aren't getting from your diet, or that you're overeating to get. And this is before we consider the calories you need to get rid of a hangover. If you're a drinker, you'll never be faced with more temptation than during the fall. Plan for it. Prior to going out, consider the number of drinks you want to allow yourself and stick to it. Another helpful tip is to carry that water bottle with you socially as well and drink a bottle for every cocktail you have. This will help fill you up so that you aren't drinking alcohol to quench your thirst, which will happen at social events. And it will also keep you hydrated and minimize the effects of your hangover.
   


6. Plan for parties. Parties happen—and there's not much you can do about it. Even if you aren't social, the party will find you. Many offices are like the Seinfeld episode wherein the characters celebrate for any excuse. And fall comes with plenty of excuses. Beginning with Oktoberfest, you'll find a never-ending string of perfectly good excuses that last right through the New Year to ruin your health. Plan ahead and decide just which occasions will be worth the indulgence. That way, you'll be fully armed with reasons when your coworkers show up in your office singing, "Get well, get well soon. . . ."
   


7. Begin a morning ritual. One of the easiest ways to live a healthy lifestyle is to begin each day by doing something positive. With long warm days to look forward to, there always seems to be time to do something energetic. As the days shorten, this takes more discipline. Beginning each day with something healthy, even as little as a 5-minute ritual, can give you a whole new outlook.
   


8. Find a healthy nighttime ritual. Many of us undo an entire day's productivity in the last few hours before bed. This is particularly true when we're busy and/or stressed because we want to unwind, which often means cocktails and/or desserts in front of the TV. If you can find a healthier way to unwind, you'll do yourself a world of good. And even if you can't get away from the cocktail/dessert/TV habit, adding something at its end, instead of just sacking out, can reverse much of the damage. Stretching in front of the TV is one of the easiest ways to transition. Following that up with herbal tea and some relaxing reading can have you hitting the sack with a positive attitude.
   


9. Make a New Year's resolution. Instead of waiting until New Year's, make a resolution to get there, starting today, with gained fitness and health. Just think about how much better your goals can be for next year if you finish this one on a positive note. Consider that most of us make New Year's resolutions to pretty much undo the damage that we do to ourselves each fall. Why put yourself through that? Instead, set yourself up, beginning right now, to have a banner year in 2009.
   


10. Cut yourself some slack. You can't be perfect and, frankly, who wants to be? You've got to live. By planning ahead with goals in mind, you'll be far more able to relax about the holiday season and enjoy it too. So make a plan, do your best to stick with it, but don't forget to make enjoying the season and having a little fun part of that plan.