Excerpt: 'The Dorm Room Diet,' by Daphne Oz

July 20, 2010 -- In the updated edition of her national bestseller, "The Dorm Room Diet," Daphne Oz outlines a plan for college students to avoid the freshman 15 and lead healthier and happier lifestyles.

For students heading off to college, social and emotional changes can trigger overeating. Following "The Dorm Room Diet's" 10-step program, dieters learn how to satisfy cravings and avoid eating on impulses.

"The Dorm Room Diet" is based on the idea that a diet is a long-term commitment. Having realistic expectations actually makes diets more effective, Oz says.

You can read an excerpt from the book below and then head to the "GMA" library to find more good reads.

You can also CLICK HERE to see Oz's recommendations for a healthy care package.

Imagine you're a freshman at Fat U. You pummel the alarm clock as it sounds the end of a not-so-restful night's sleep, thanks to the pizza you shared with your roommate at midnight. Groggily, you find your way to the bathroom, cautiously peer into the mirror, and find your face is a mass of dark circles, puffy eyes, and zits. You go through your face-cleaning regimen, applying harsh chemicals to your troubled skin. Because this process takes so long, you don't have time for a good breakfast, and you run out of the dorm, frazzled and starving. The fact that your belly is hanging over the pants that used to be your "fat jeans" doesn't improve matters any. "How did I get myself into this mess?!" you wonder, unwrapping a half-crushed candy bar you find at the bottom of your purse. Classes drone on, you find yourself unable to concentrate, and by lunchtime you are craving another sugar-and-carb fix. You fall asleep at the library after lunch, trudge back to the dorm, and collapse on the couch for a "power nap." You wake up four hours later, feeling more tired than before and furious because now you have to do homework rather than go to the movies with friends, as you had planned.

Now, imagine you are a freshman at Fit U. Instead of feeling groggy and slow when the alarm clock buzzes, you feel energized and alert. "Good thing I passed on that pizza last night," you think to yourself.

In the bathroom, you throw some warm water on your face and are happy to see that there's not a blemish in sight and your eyes look wide and well rested. You bound back to your room and get dressed. You don't have to spend time trying on several different outfits because everything looks great, so you've got five minutes to spare: just enough time for a low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit for breakfast. Feeling calm and rejuvenated, you practically float into class (heads turn, choirs sing, etc.) and find that time passes quickly because your brain has the proper nutrients and can concentrate on what is being taught. Lunchtime arrives and you're hungry, but not starving. You enjoy your tuna on whole wheat, and aren't even tempted by the cookies that are so conveniently placed by the checkout counter. Your afternoon class breezes by—well, as breezily as calculus can. Later, you finish your homework with enough time to run to the gym for a forty-minute cardio session. After your shower, you're ready to go to the movies with friends as you had planned. At the end of the night, you climb into bed and quickly fall into a restful sleep.