Tips to Avoid Freshman 15

College students don't have to succumb to the freshman 15 -- the dreaded weight gained from eating dorm food, late night munchies and greasy pizza. Neither do they have to deprive themselves. Instead, they can make conscious decisions about what they eat, says Daphne Oz, author of The Dorm Room Diet Planner,a guide to help students get on the path to a healthy lifestyle.

Oz is the daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD, celebrity cardiologist and co-author of the bestsellers You: The Owner’s Manual and You: On a Diet.

Struggling with her weight for much of her life, Oz took the opportunity to overhaul her lifestyle when she became a student at Princeton University. Her first book, The Dorm Room Diet,was conceived out of her quest to find out how to eat and stay healthy, especially living away from home for the first time. Her new book is a simple, practical companion to her first one. It helps students make smart food choices, set achievable goals and develop a fitness program.

To become more aware of what and when you eat, Oz suggests following a few simple tricks:

Always eat breakfast.

Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily, including one glass before every meal.

Eat at least every three hours (three meals and two snacks of fruit or veggies).

Count to your age before you “cheat.”

Avoid eating within two hours of sleeping.

For more healthy tips and inspiration, visit Oz's website at dormroomdiet.com.