Even though it's still the summer holidays, I went back down to stay with my flatmates for three weeks and tbh I was shocked about how hard I found it.
I only lost 2lbs in the three weeks I was there, and I won't be surprised if I gain at my weigh-in tonight.
My flatmates and friends just want to drink all the time. We were going out about five or six nights a week and one night we went out and I thought 'ok I'll have maybe 2 vodka diet cokes and then just soft drinks the rest of the night. We got about 100m down the road and then one of my friends asks, "do you have rum at home? strawberries?" and we turned right around and make daiquiris and had pizzas all night. It was fun, but so calorific.
Also, my flatmates think a 'nice' thing to do in the evening is to buy some kind of horrendous baked good or cake or trifle or something. I'm the sort of person who needs all temptations out of my life and out of my kitchen, so it's really becoming a downfall for me.
When it comes down to it you're just going to have to make the decision to not participate. Plan out your days just like you would any other days. If your roomies plan on going out then try and plan around it.
You're the one who controls what goes in and out of your mouth. I understand how hard it is with everyone else around you eating whatever but you have to make the conscious decision to either plan around it or not eat any of it at all.
I agree that you will need to find a way to not participate in the calorie-fests.
One thing that might help though is for you to make sure that you plan meals that are interesting and exciting for you so that even though you're not eating pizza and cake, your meals seem appealing too. This might make you less tempted to go off plan when everyone around you is indulging their sweet and salty tooth.
I know that if my meals bore me, I feel like my low calorie diet is an exercise in self deprivation, and I get cranky. But if I'm trying new recipes and making colourful meals, I get just as excited about spiced salmon fillets and broccoli as I would about double cheese pepperoni pizza.
I also agree, if I didn't go out and party with my friends I'd have lost weight already. School has started though so hopefully the partying will stop.
I figured it this way - i can lose weight my whole life, but I'll only be in college at this point in my life. So long as I maintained while having fun, then I had a successful summer - and I did! School has started again - and it's time to buckle down again.
Try making a rule that you'll have one fun night out, and the rest stay in. It's better all around for you, besides the social aspect of it...
I haven't gone back to school yet (I start September 16th), but I'm already worried about this. Drinking is a huge part of my college scene, and I want to be able to drink without worrying about the calories. But alas, that cannot be... and I don't want to miss out on everything, since it's my senior year.
My goal for this semester is to say no to the late-night eating part of drinking, and allow myself to drink what I'd like, using low-calorie mixers. It's kind of dangerous, but a lot of my thin friends at school make a point to eat a lot less the day that they are going to be drinking... Calories in, Calories out, they'll stay on target. But if you're going to try that, make sure to take vitamins and drink lots of water, as one night of guilt-free drinking isn't worth a weakened body.
You just have to do it. I tend to only eat in my cafeteria, and it IS all-you-can-eat but I track my cals and go for healthier food and I always manage fine. I lost the first 21 pounds at college so I'm POSITIVE I can lose the last 30 here-you just have to focus and CHOOSE to eat mindfully.
As lovelypurple said, you have to learn to eat around these temptations. Unfortunately, there are going to be these types of temptations for the rest of your life and you're experiencing a lifestyle change. You can't rely on other people to change their habits due to your diet. I've had to learn this and I have to constantly ignore all the temptations around me.
I found trying to lose weight at uni/college SO HARD. It's easy to tell yourself "just don't go out" or "just say no to the pizza", but we're only human and you don't want to feel like you're missing out, that could make you all the more depressed and make you think it's just not worth it.
You're doing great by having the vodka diet cokes - that's a great low-cal drink. You could try having a mineral water with a slice of lemon/lime for every second drink - tell your friends it's vodka lime and soda, or a gin and tonic so you don't get the whole "But why aren't you drinking?" lines.
When it comes to having pizza after a big night out when everyone else is having it, I just can't deprive myself like that and feel like the outsider. It's so unfair! So you could get a thin-based vegetarian pizza with half the amount of cheese, or a marghertita, and just tell your friends it's what you feel like, not because you're dieting. Then, just eat a little bit less than you probably would. You've still had your fun but it's not the massive blow-out it could have been.
Then, after you've had a great night, accept it was worth it and just get back on the wagon the next day!
I plan ahead so I don't feel left out. I do stuff with my friends on my higher calorie days, or on my two cheat days. Then, I save enough calories so I have enough to eat something while they are. This is especially good for going to the movies, and I'm sure you can use it doing other things.
Have a sit down with your roommates. Explain what you're trying to do, and while you agree they have every right to indulge in their baked goods, it makes it really hard for you to get healthy and stay on your diet when it's in the kitchen. Maybe they can store them in a box or something, so you dont' have to see it every time you're in there.
I completely understand where you're coming from with the partying thing. My friends order pizza ALL the time because none of them like to cook. So I eat one piece. This is enough to tide me over until I can have something healthier, then I'll work out an additional 20 minutes on the elliptical or something the next day. (And yes, I know you can not work off an entire piece of pizza in 20 minutes, but it's more a mental thing than anything).
Oh! About your alcohol--don't deprive yourself! I found it really hard to lose weight too, but I've found substitutions to be helpful.
Even diet sodas have a lot of extra chemicals in them that can make it difficult to lose weight. Why not try drinking gin and tonics instead? Or straight whiskey (it's an intense taste, but now I've found I like it). My other trick--I order top shelf stuff. Not because it tastes better, but because it's so fricken expensive that I HAVE to institute some portion control.
For instance, if I go out, I only bring cash and pay for my drinks one at a time. If I bring $30 in cash, I can only drink 2 drinks (with tips). When the cash runs out, I have to stop drinking! I usually go for the gin and tonics, then have the bartender keep filling me up with water--they look almost the same in the dim bar light, so no one teases me about not drinking.
I also offer to be the designated a LOT. I drink lots of water (again, looks like gin and tonics, esp if you ask for a lime with it) and shake my booty out on the dance floor for some extra exercise.
Holy Moly! A shot of vodka is 100 calories! I really didn't think it was that high!
I'm planning on having two glasses of champagne tonight (80 cals each) which will be my little treat for the week. But I know I can easily blow out and have about 5 (400 cals), which is pretty much a meal for me at the moment!
Dangerous territory, but I'm going to try and stay strong!
A Rant About Losing Weight At Uni
