The Freshman 15 Challenge

Diets don't work.

You may have tried diets before to lose weight in the past and failed. That's probably why you're still looking a solution.

Well it's not your fault!

Here at the Freshmen 15 Challenge I don't believe in diets for one simple reason:

They are not sustainable over the long term!

Sure, maybe you cut carbs from your diet and lost some pounds. So how are you going to keep those pounds off? Never eat carbs again? That's just not realistic, and it's bad for your health!

Diet systems (such as Jenny Craig, Weightwatchers, and Nutrisystem) are better but they are VERY expensive!

Let's face it, as a student you can't be wasting a bunch of money on diet plans.

So which plans are best for you?

Well keep reading to see reviews for the best Freshman 15 Challenge diet plan, Strip That Fat, and it's runner-up e-Diets.

If you choose to buy one of these diet plans today, you will have all of the information that you will ever need to lose weight!

Quality of Information: 5 out of 5
eDiets.com is a diet program that is completely accessible online, and has tons of options for weight loss.

When you go to the eDiets.com site, you are prompted to create your free profile. Based on your answers to the questions that are asked, eDiets.com recommends the top 3 diet plans for you. They have over 20 possible diet plans, including:

pre-prepared food delivery plans

plans for vegetarians

plans for many health concerns

eDiets.com provides support for a number of approaches to dieting along with individualized eating plans, counseling, chat rooms and informational resources.

eDiets.com has been named "Best of the Web" by Forbes and the Boston Globe. The information is top notch, and you really can't go wrong with eDiets.com.

Benefits of Membership: 5 out of 5

In addition to the massive amount of information noted above, eDiets.com members also have access to:

community features such as chat rooms and forums, so that you are not going at this alone

advice from register nutritional counselors, so that you have someone in your corner to answer questions that might come up

meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, and help with fast food choices, so that you know exactly what to eat and don't have to waste time

Price: 4 out of 5

eDiets.com memberships start at about $4.50 per week for the cheapest plans, which is very inexpensive compared to most diet plans (and most plans do not feature massive amount of content that eDiets.com does).

Some of the features do cost extra, however, so you plan may vary from the $4.50 rate. When you decide to opt-in to a new feature, be sure to check and see whether there is a fee associated with it.

Regardless, with all of the content and benefits that the site provides, you will lose the college weight if you choose eDiets.com.

Quality of Information: 4 out of 5

Strip That Fat is a newer weight loss plan, and it really picks up the slack where many diet programs fall short. The diet consists of a 14-day rapid weight loss phase that can be repeated as long as you need to. This phase consists of a program of 5 meals per day, with meals generated using the STF Diet generator. These include foods that you choose, so you are sure to be eating foods that you like.

After this phase is the sustained weight loss phase, where basically you put what you did in the 14-day rapid weight loss phase on cruise control. Strip That Fat outlines the easy steps that you need to take to maintain your weight loss and reach your goal weight.

The third phase is the Lifestyle phase, where Strip That Fat outlines easy steps that you can take everyday to prevent weight gain.

Benefits of Membership: 4 out of 5

Strip That Fat contains all of the tools that you need to follow the plan successfully.

The Strip That Fat Secret Dieting Guide outlines the plan above in easy-to-follow detail, allowing you to finally diet successfully. This plan downloads directly onto your computer.

The STF Diet Generator will help you choose a meal plan that will help you lose the weight and eat foods that you enjoy eating. It will also provide you with shopping lists, so that you can easily stock up on some healthy foods at the grocery store for those times that you cannot get to the cafeteria.

Lastly, the membership is updated often with new bonus materials. Upgrading to the Platinum membership will get you two of these bonuses right away.

The only reason that I didn't give this a 5 out of 5 is because there isn't any areas in the membership site to interact with other members. Grouping up and holding each other accountable is a great tool for success, so if you are going to purchase STF, encourage some friends to try it with you.

Price: 5 out of 5

Strip That Fat is currently priced at $47 for the gold membership, and $57 for the platinum. This is a one time payment only (a lot of diet programs have monthly or weekly payment structures), and is very inexpensive compared to a lot of programs.

Also, STF has a 60 day money-back guarantee. If you haven't lost any weight in 60 days (although if you honestly follow the program, you will), just return it and get your money.

Strip That Fat is the top Freshman 15 Challenge diet plan. Check it out!

DietWatch.com review coming soon!

This is a problem plaguing a lot of people these days, not just students. I decided that the Freshman 15 Challenge needed a few ideas to help you burn more calories each day. These are tailored to you, the student.

Walk to class: If you live on campus, this is easy. You can walk or bike to class and burn a lot of extra calories. If you live off campus it is a bit harder, but consider leaving a little earlier and parking farther away from your building if you have to drive. You'll probably have a lot easier time finding a parking spot too!

Head to the Student Rec Center for some exercise: This is an obvious one probably, but I think there is a misconception that if you are going to go to the rec to workout you have to slog away on a treadmill for an hour, which sucks! Well my rec center had basketball, volleyball, swimming, rock climbing, aerobics classes; basically anything you wanted to do. There's also a great social scene at the rec, because tons of students go there. Invite your friends and try to have some fun with it.

Get outside: If the rec isn't your thing, taking a brisk walk, riding your bike, or rollerblading around campus is a great way to get some fresh air and a good workout. Also, you can invite a friend for some company. Instead of sitting in the caf chatting it up and eating, why not take your conversation mobile and workout while you talk? Chances are, at least one of your friends would be up for some extra exercise, just like you.

I know you can find the time: Before I started the Freshman 15 Challenge, I was a student. I majored in Mechanical Engineering, had a part-time job, and extra-curricular activities, and I still had time to lift weights 4 times a week. I know that you can find the time if you try!