The holidays are synonymous with broken diets and weight gain for many people, especially college students.

This is because many college students are far from home and have not had a homecooked meal in months. There is probably more food at the table on Thanksgiving Day than on any other day of the year, literally. This makes breaking a diet, and even a little weight gain, completely understandable and common. This does not mean that we have to continue in an unhealthy lifestyle.Health and nutrition is a lifelong journey, and there are going to be seasons in which we do better than others. That is okay. Life is hard, and rough patches are understandable. Cheat days are acceptable, especially during the holidays. Do not quit eating healthy completely and give up on yourself because of a few unhealthy food choices over Thanksgiving.

You can burn the extra calories off by exercising, and there are many fun ways to do so. For example, there are Zumba classes, yoga classes and cycle classes offered to students for free at the Johnson Center and Alumni Gym. It can feel good to get a good sweat going, especially before finals hit. The more stressed out you are, the more important it is to work the stress out of your system.

If you do not find a healthy way to work out, the stressful situations in your life and the stress will build up. Stress multiplies if you do not find a healthy way to deal with it. If you do not manage your stress, it will manage you. You are better than that. You are worth more than that.

Do not let anyone guilt you out of making healthy decisions for yourself. This opposition may be difficult to deal with, but you can persevere. Push through the temptation. You have to choose to eat right for yourself, no matter what anyone says about it. No one can do it for you.

Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. Every day is. The new year is coming. Do not wait until 2019 to start fresh. You can start fresh now. You have to choose to live a healthy lifestyle for yourself. It is never too late. You can do it!