The College Kid's Diet and Exercise- or lack thereof
Its fall, the weather is cooling, hoodies are out, and the employee census is low while students return back to school. I'm in college, but I don't have the luxury of cutting my works hours to make room for academia and extracurricular activities- I am a normal college student, and with the time strain comes a whole flood of eating issues and exercise issues that I think are unique to being a student. I really would like to hear other students strategies or problems with balancing school and work and exercise and eating. When do you fit things in and peace together a nutritious meal?
FOOD: My nutritious and reoccurring meals <sarcasm>: Cheerios, organic macaroni and cheese (made with a vegetable butter spread substitute), (made from a box) Rice Pilaf, diet soda, orange juice, and the organic version of Wheat Thins. LoL. There are some rare variations like a peach or some grapes... like i have two cobs of corn on my counter and a some potatoes I got a farmers market.
I lived about a mile away from campus when I was in undergrad and the only exercise I did was hop on my bike and ride madly so I wouldn't be late for class.
Not so much in Illinois, since I refuse to ride my bike when it's below 40 degrees.
I'm in the same boat. Unfortunately, I don't think there is much of a solution. I don't have my own kitchen, and definitely don't have the money to buy the foods I would like to eat. I've just discovered what works for me and I have stuck with it. I eat A LOT of lean cuisine/healthy choice/smart ones frozen dinners. A lot of people are totally against these because they are high in sodium, and I will be the first to admit that I do take in too much sodium because of these dinners. However, I drink lots and lots of water to make up for it. I also eat a lot of sandwiches and precut veggies. I pretty much eat the same thing everyday: fiber one cereal for breakfast, A turkey sandwich, some sort of fruit, and usually a 100 calorie pack for lunch, and for dinner I eat a lean cuisine, and sometimes at night I'll snack on fruit or peanut butter and crackers. I do the same thing everyday so I'm not tempted by the drive in or the vending machine!
I tried the healthier whole foods when I started out, and I loved it, it just got to be too expensive and too time consuming. I'm hoping one day when I have my own place and a larger pay check I will be able to switch to a whole foods diets. As for now, I'm sticking with what works! And on the bright side, a lot of the frozen dinners have no preservatives! And you can usually get in a serving of vegetables with them!
As for exercise, I just make myself fit it in. I usually work out at night, I gotta admit it may be a little bit more convenient for me because my boyfriend has a home gym at his house, and that is usually where I am at anyway, and I just work out there. Sometimes, I go walking at the park with friends. To me, exercise is just as important as homework, and it is something I have to fit into my routine. Now, If I have a big day of tests or a big paper due or something like that, I will skip, but I try not to make a habit of it.
Sorry, this probably wasn't much help, I just thought I'd fill ya in on how I cope!
I was looking for something else on Amazon, and I came across a virtual treasure trove of books about healthy living while at college. I haven't read any of them, but it seems like at least some might have useful information, right?
Can you cook at home, or at least have access to a fridge/electric cooker/microwave or anything like this?
I eat my meals during school year between the campus restaurant (fortunately, they have several options, there's always a veggie and a fish and meat, apart from the regular starch and French fries, so it seems our restaurant isn't the worst thing one could dread) and my home. It's a bit of a tight balance, and it's always approximating more than being able to count calories etc. all the time, but it's still better than sandwiches and pizzas...
Oh yes, the camous cafeteria or whatever there is on your campus: does it have a microwave? Because I've already smuggled things there to reheat them in ours; I just have to avoid doing that everyday, although I bet the people who work there wouldn't really notice when it's rush hour.
As for exercise... Campus gym. If there's any, jump on that. You won't find anything cheaper no matter the country, I assume. Or walk/bike to the campus instead of taking the bus if possible. Every little bit counts when you're squeezed between classes, homework and the rest.
In my case, there IS a definite good side to being both in college and holding a job: I'm so busy that I don't have the time for boredom eating (my biggest hurdle). So I tend to drop weight or at least maintain easily enough, provided of course I don't do silly things like last year (eating a whole baguette bread covered in Nutella for lunch... Yeah, I'm weird like that, I know. )
Ah yes...all of us college students. Why does school have to take up so much time? I mean you're in half the amount of classes as in highschool (time wise)...but it's so much harder to do anything else.
My strategies...
- I live off campus so I can cook/buy my own food/eat what I want.
- My roommate and I both prefer buying nice fresh food over partying. Yes we are sad.
- I like soups and salads both are quick and easy and very healthy.
- I love to exercise. It is a stress relief for me. I also play sports where I can socialize with people and have fun (soccer teams, that sort of thing...)
- I also don't have a job, so that's more free time for me.
- My roommate and I don't really keep too much junk food in the house, we don't rreally like chips or pop, and we don't buy alcohol.
- My biggest problem is my roommie LOVES to bake. And I have a huge sweet tooth. Last year when I had to start dealing with my disordered eating (binging/purging) I had a talk with her about her baking. She likes to bake, but she doesn't necessarily eat it if she's not hungry. I did. I could (and did) seriously eat like half of a batch of biscotti in one sitting...
- I also find it really hard during midterm weeks. The stress just takes over and I start binging again. I just eat and eat and eat junk food, and feel guilty about it and try to force myself to eat veggies and good foods even though I'm stuffed to the nines.
- I also still have a lot of emotional baggage that's weighing me down. I'm still trying to work on that stuff, but it's hard. That's the toughest part of university. I feel alone so much...especially with my roomie dating 2 guys. Um...hello universe? Spread the love please....
Sometimes the best thing to do is to try out all sorts of different things and then see what works best for you. You can do it, check out books and websites like this one, something will strike your fancy.
Im sitting here at my college right now, pondering the same exact thing. How the heck does a college student attempt to eat healthy and exercise??? Im currently going to start two part-time jobs while finishing my bachelors with evening and weekend classes. Its frightening to think about, but I do have a plan figured out where I just have to wake up early and exercise (which I think can replace daily lattes to pump me up). Unfortunately, Im going to have to cut off alot of time in seeing my guy, and I hate not making him a priority, but I have to get in shape or Ill go nuts! Its all about prioritizing your time, I suppose. If your health and whipping yourself into shape are the most important thing to you, you will find what other things you have to cut off.
I just have to figure out how to NOT buy muffins, wraps, chocolate, etc..while on my breaks in between. Its so tempting and it feels so good like the taste is relieving pressure and satisfying. I have got to find stimulating activities to replace this!!
All in all, its so frustrating, but where there is a will, there is a way!
I'm actually running for my dining service committee so I can ***** them out!
I have the double threat of food allergies and trying to eat healthy. I'm allergic to dairy, have celiac disease so no gluten, and am sensitive to the hormones in eggs and meats. So really, all I can ever eat is salads- and dry salad at that! Plus, the salads scare me because people don't keep the tongs in the right bins so I have no idea if crouton or cheese residue has ended up in my lettuce or not. Not that I blame the people- I NEVER would have thought of that before I discovered my allergies!
It's really frustrating because I'm so exhausted by my horrible diet that I sleep all the time. Also, I don't even bother going to the gym because it's so packed that it's generally a 30 minute wait for a machine. My campus is also only about 5000 people and tops a mile from one side to the other- though I do walk up about 500 stairs on a daily basis.
Just try not to binge! I find myself bingeing like crazy on chips and salsa while studying just to keep up energy. Also, I binge on soy milk (because I put it into my copious cups of coffee!).
Also, depending on how close to town you are, walk there to eat lunch instead of on the cafeteria (might not be plausable if you're on a meal plan). My friends are really good about this- we'll walk the 2 miles each way into "restaurant row" in town to find meals that are not salads for me.
I don't have the option of making my own food, lest I lose the $2000 or so dollars that is mandatory to put in the meal plan each semester (and only $75 rolls over). My meal plan is a la carte, so at least I don't have to worry about the all you can eat buffet. So here's what I've been trying so far this year to avoid gaining more weight (and hopefully lose a little):
Breakfast is usually coffee and a piece of toast or nut bread.
For lunch I usually make a sandwich at the sandwich bar if there's nothing that looks good on the menu. If there is something that looks good, I try to get a smaller portion of it (most of the stuff we have comes in half portions). I usually pair this with a piece of fruit or some veggies from the salad bar and a Diet Pepsi.
For snacks in my room, I keep some veggies and dip, 100 calorie packs for when I need a sweet fix, and Babybel light cheese wheels. These keep me satisfied between meals without adding a whole lot of calories.
For dinner, I usually go with whatever sounds good and some skim milk, but the portions are really large, so if I can't get a half portion I try to eat only until I'm not hungry anymore instead of stuffed.
I make sure to take a multivitamin to try and get some of the nutrients I'm probably missing. I also try to limit myself to one non-diet soda a day to get rid of some of the empty calories. It's a challenge to avoid the temptation of the coffee shop in the library where I work as well. I try to limit myself to getting a drink from there once or twice a week.
ah, i've got a unique problem. my room mate (husband) is trying to gain weight, and i'm trying to lose. it makes it so much harder because he needs high calorie food in the house and i need the lower calorie stuff. It's harder because a lot of times i cook for him and have to resist eating what i just made...it's definitely an exercise in self discipline. i do a lot of pre-packaged stuff for myself. i often opt out of dinner for some oatmeal, and when he is snacking on his cookie dough ice cream at night i often have a bag of popcorn to make me feel like i can have snack food, too.
I keep healthy snacks in my bag for when I am on campus. Peanuts, raisin boxes, and such. I typically leave my bike 1/4 mile from art class building so I can just walk the distance. =]
I lost weight when I was in college.. I lived on campus. I only kept a few lite snacks in my fridge.. water, diet soda, apples, yogurt. I ate in the cafeteria (or whatever u want to call it) breakfast/lunch/dinner. Thats all the 'meals' I ate. I tried to eat healthy but would make sure I ate enough that I wouldnt get that starving feeling late at night. If I didnt have time to go to the gym Id try to work in extra exercises through the day, taking the long route, the stairs, etc.
The College Kid's Diet and Exercise- or lack thereof
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That's the toughest part of university. I feel alone so much...especially with my roomie dating 2 guys. Um...hello universe? Spread the love please....
You can do it, check out books and websites like this one, something will strike your fancy.
