20-Somethings - Any college students out there?

Soooo... im going to be started weight watchers and going back to school next week. One of the main reasons I gained the freshman 15 or in my case the freshman 40 is eating campus food, mcdonalds dollar menu, pizza, and taco bell.

I was wondering if you girls had any tips on how to eat healthy without spenting a crazy amount of money because im going to be having a hard enough time paying rent and weight watchers meetings.

Also I want to be able to still go out with friends because otherwise I would have to sit at home and miss out. I dont know if I could handle the temptation of sitting there with a glass of water watching everyone else eat and have a good time.

So i guess what im really asking is how are yall able to maintain your social lives, without going broke, and still losing weight?

eating healthy and eating cheap is possible.. think fresh veggies and fruit.. really cheap.. for instance i just bought some grapes for 89c per pound.. eating out with friends is a pain in the butt. unless i know where we are going ahead of time i can google the menu and figure out what to order.. like last week i had soup and salad with stuffed mushrooms from olive garden! the soup was only 270 cals per bowl and the mushrooms i cant remember...

drinking though is a whole other ball park.. you dont want to drink on an empty stomach, but you dont want to eat late at night either.. I bring the wheat ritz crackers to munch on and then just get rum and diet coke.. stay away from all the fruity girl drinks.. oh and mikes hard lemonade.. theres a reason they dont put the calories on those things.. even though I think they should have too...

just plan all your meals you'll be fine

I'm a college student as well, albeit a slightly older one (nontraditional for the win!) I budget out my meals for two weeks at a time, and I spend on average about $50 for two weeks of food. This is what I buy...I eat the same basic things every day.

-3 lbs sliced lean turkey breast
-1 lb chicken breasts
-5 cans tuna in water
-Two loaves of 12 grain-no high fructose corn syrup-no preservative wheat bread
-one package of Lavash (8 servings)
-one large container of oats (for plain oatmeal, I go through about 1 a month)
-2 bunches of bananas
-a bag of some other rotating fruit (usually cherries, apples, oranges, peaches, etc...I change it up every two weeks)
-cucumbers
-broccoli
-spinach
-avacados
-greek yogurt
-low fat cottage cheese
-one pound pumpkin seeds
-one other random healthy snack to add variety

I also drink nothing but water unless I'm going out with friends.

Speaking of going out with friends- I eat a sandwich and some kind of raw fruit/vegetable two hours before I go out to eat with friends. If I've already had quite a few calories for the day, I'll have a bowl of plain oatmeal instead. At the restaurant, I'll get something cheap and relatively good for me, like soup, a side salad w/ low cal dressing, or a small veggie/fruit plate. The salad and plate are the best, as there's lots of things for me to pick at so it takes me a while to eat... plus I'm already full from eating beforehand. As for drinking, just keep it to one or two drinks... it's all about moderation. Count them in your calories, and if you have friends like mine who always want to buy you a drink if there's not one in your hand, hold your glass/bottle even after it's empty. It usually tricks them into thinking you still have a drink, and therefore they won't come at you across the bar to shove another empty calorie drink in your hand.

It takes some getting used to, for sure. You can do it though, it's possible!

I never can understand why people think its more expensive to eat healthy? Its soooo much cheaper. $10 for 1 pizza hut pizza or by your own healthier ingredients and make 3 pizzas for $10. Spend $1.99 for a soda at restaurant or drink unlimited tap water for free ($30 one time fee if you insist on a filter). $1 for Mcdonalds enlgish muffin or $1.50 for a box of walmart freuit oatmeal which makes 5 breakfasts.

Speaking of pizza, you could have ingredients for whole wheat pita pizzas on hand. It's less expensive than take out and you have enough ingredients for 4-6 little healthy pizzas!

Pocketless Pitas
Marinara Sauce
Fat free mozz cheese
Any toppings you like. Mushroom, banana pepper rings, tomatoes etc.

I'm in college, but I can't really give you too much advice because I also live at home. Although, I do eat lunches in the campus cafeteria sometimes because I don't have time to go home, and they also have an awesome salad bar.

I do tend to buy my own groceries, though - I don't spend a fortune. I mean, I saved so much money when I started dieting because those McDonalds lunches I was buying were like $7 - $10 a day for ONE meal. Whereas, now I buy a couple of Lean Cuisines at $3-$5 a box, some bread/deli meat, a couple of snacks and fruit, my protein shakes, and I'm good to go. It usually comes out cheaper than my fast food diet. Also, I'm getting breakfast, lunch, a few dinners (my parents cook when I'm not at work at night), and snacks out of that. So I save a ton of money. So yeah, it's possible. (:

As far as going out...if you're not doing it all the time, having one high calorie meal a week is not going to kill you. I do it pretty much every Wednesday night with my co worker. It actually keeps you from going into a plateau. But just keep yourself aware of calories - and if it's more often than once a week, maybe eat something beforehand and then maybe get a soup or salad. That way, you're still getting that time with your friends, without killing your diet.

(:

Thanks guys these are some great ides. I think it'll be way easier for me this year because im getting out of the dorm. It was so cheap to eat all the bad stuff because most of it (pizza, chips, sodas, etc) was given out free on campus due to different organizations trying to recruit and local businesses trying to promote their goods.

Let me tell you one day every year every pizza place in the city comes to campus and gives out unlimited pizzas and wings. Then at the end of the day we vote on the best pizza place for the year. Its going to be so hard to resist stuff like that! But im going to try my best.

Kinda side note/unrelated - I'm a college student and several years ago I started cooking with a crock pot. You throw it all together and then when you get home, it's ready to go! Saves time. And it makes a lot of servings, so you can just freeze them!
I also find that eating healthy is cheaper, mostly because I was eating out 2 meals a day. Now I can go to the grocery store and it's $50 for a week. However, the first couple weeks it might be more expensive because you'll be getting random stuff that you don't have (spices can get expensive...but you don't have to buy them very often...places like bed bath and beyond or target have spice racks...then if you can find a bulk food store, you can just refill those)...so it might seem like more money at first, but once you get the hang of it, it'll be cheaper. :) good luck!

The only thing about going shopping once a week is that im worried about the fruits and veggies going bad before i can get to them. It seems like everytime i try to eat better i go and get a bunch of fruits and veggies and by the end of the week i'll have bags of rotten carrots and lettuce and $50 down the drain.

I find myself going to the grocery store twice a week. This way you can get all the good stuff (fruits and veggies) and they wont go bad. I do find myself spending more money on groceries than ever before, but I haven't eaten out in 3 weeks so I know I am actually saving LOTS of money.

For you I think it will be very easy saving money if you go to the grocery store instead of eating fast food all the time. Just create a budget for yourself, when you go shopping have an idea of the things you need in order to make healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Also include some snacks. Try shopping at discount grocery stores as well.. It will help a lot.

I used to have the same thing with fruits and veggies going bad. I think you have to be realistic about what you're going to eat, and maybe just buy a couple of staple fruits for a while. Try to work those into your regular diet and then some veggies that you can see working in nicely.

And about hanging out with friends, I've started to realize that it isn't any less fun to skip the pizza. I can be perfectly content eating my granola bar or fruit and watching my friends pig out on pizza, because I have decided that those kinds of foods aren't going to do me any good in the long-run.

There are a few things that have worked really well for me.
1. I plan before I go to the store. I get the flyer for the grocery store I always shop at emailed to me each week, and I think about what I already have and what I'd like to make and then I make a list. I find that I'm less likely to buy things that aren't on the list, and I'm also less likely to forget something and then have to make another expensive trip to the store!

2. Invest in storage containers!!!! Good, freezer safe containers in a variety of sizes and ziploc bags. This has been my salvation for a couple of reasons. First, I am WAY more likely to pack healthy meals and snacks when I don't have to search and search for something to put them in. Second, freezing things when I make too much (like pasta sauce, for example), or when I buy something I can't or shouldn't eat all of (like bread or bagels) means that I always have something healthy in the freezer AND keeps me from wasting. And third - you mentioned produce. Storing it properly will keep it fresher. Also I always cut up the whole fruit or veggie at once and then store it - it's always easier to convince myself to eat that whole cucumber if it's already cleaned and chopped, and then I don't throw it away.

3. As for going out, everyone has made brilliant suggestions about eating beforehand and planning, etc. I do those things too, depending on who I'm out with. Another thing that I do, though (and this will only work with certain crowds), is share. Sometimes it's legitimately splitting something with someone. In my case, it's going out with my guys and immediately putting a portion of what I ordered on one of their plates. Because they will eat it! Or, if I am eating more than I'd planned, I stop and share it with them. Thank goodness for athlete boys with ridiculous appetites! Another thing that works is agreeing to go to a place you don't like. The aforementioned guys love going to Hooters before going to baseball games, and it works perfectly for me! I enjoy the tackiness, have one drink and a ton of laughs and am completely unfettered by the food, since I don't like chicken wings or curly fries! :)

If you are worried about not finishing fruits and veggies, don't buy too much and plan for them. I eat a banana everyday with my oatmeal, so I buy 7 (I go for green ones, you can even "cherry pick" the ones you want. get a bunch that are all green, and two that are yellow. You'll have some that are ready to go and some that'll take time to ripen up). I also eat an apple as my afternoon snack at work, so I get 5. They make it through the week. I usually get strawberries to go with my lunch, and that lasts 5 days or so. By the 5th day they don't look like they are in top shape, but they taste great and are fine to eat. I'll also bring cucumber to dip in hummus, so I buy two and separate them into five baggies. I also like steamed veggies, so I get a head of cabbage, a head of cauliflower, and some broccoli. Ziploc makes steam bags, so I cut them all up and put them in five steam bags for my work week. They last fine for the week (I do my shopping on Sunday). If it means you have to shop twice a week, make time and shop twice a week. I went on Sunday and shopped only for produce and that ended up being only $8. Maybe see if you can find a farmer's market in your area, they are usually pretty cheap.
To reiterate what others said, freezing is a savior when it comes to making too much. I typically cook for either myself or me and my boyfriend, so any leftovers are worked into my lunches or they go right into the freezer.
I think you'll have some hit and miss weeks, but you'll learn what you need to buy and how long it will last.
Keep in mind how much you'll be saving. Even if you get food off of the value menu at a fast food joint, that easily adds up to $18 a week. That'll be more than enough for your produce. I may spend more at the grocery store, but if you think long and hard about how much you can/do spend out, you'll realize that you are saving a lot (unless your diet has been ramen noodles!).
I also got a cute cooler (target has loads of these right now) that I can carry to work and school and it just looks like a cute handbag.
There are many reasons and excuses why we don't choose to eat healthy, but if you don't plan for it, you will not eat healthy. Problem solve instead of dwelling on the problems! You can do this! And you can afford it!

I gained 40 lbs total in undergrad! I went from like 125 - 165. 10 lbs a year!

I'm now 26 years old and still trying to lose it in grad school after 3 kids and 5 years. So much easier going on than going off. Isn't that the way it works?

I stayed home for my freshman and sophomore years and then decided to live on campus for the last two. I went from 125ish to 180ish by the time I graduated. Buffet style food is evil! It didn't help that I had to increase my anti-depressant meds either.

Seriously, the healthy food in snack bags are the best bet. I did that when I was on weight watchers in high school.

Not trying to be a know it all or anything like that but I'm always so amazed at why people gain so much weight at college. For my first two years of college I lived on a 100% buffet meal plan and 25% my last two years. I lost weight my freshman year. And no I am not one of these people who can eat anything and stay thin. I was 220lbs my senior year in high schoo.

I'm really glad you posted this. I'm in college too and find it really difficult not to want to grab something on the run between classes. I pretty much just have to tell myself no and plan to eat before I leave home, and have a quick dinner plan in mind when I get home. I haven't figured out an easier way to stick to WW while being busy, exhausted, and hungry all the time yet haha. When I started WW before I wasn't in school and it was easier to stick to it without all the added stress. I've actually just finished my finals this week and I ate junk for about two weeks. :(

I'd say look for sales and buy produce that's on sale that week. Most things keep for at least the work week. I try to have a bag of spinach or lettuce on hand so I can whip up some kind of salad. If you can, plan a couple meals a week so that you don't have to think about it so much when hunger strikes. As for going out with friends, you can suggest places you know that have foods that you like and are healthy, or just try your hardest to avoid eating out with friends like I do because I always fail at making healthy choices then haha. When in doubt, you have your 35 allowance points. Maybe just save them up for social things. Or you can gain some activity points.

I posted a thread about the same thing a few days ago, and I got a lot of the same feedback. It's really nice to see that there are not only people who are in the same boat as me, but also those who want to help! I'm worried about back to school, but I feel a lot more prepared. I also discovered yesterday that my mom got her crockpot brand new from the store for really cheap, so I definitely need to look into getting one of those!

I still live in the dorms (can't afford to live off-campus) and I have to use my meal points in the cafeteria. Essentially, I stick to the salad bar. Everything else is too greasy for my liking. If I really need something different I go to Walmart and pick up some Lean Cuisines.

:queen: Dhani :queen:

The reasons why I think I gained so much weight in college:

1. stress
2. bad eating habits period, skipping meals during labs, eating too much when I did eat (like once a day)
3. little sleep (my sleep patterns mimicked my eating patterns, skipping nights/sleeping whole days one weekend a month)
4. poor food choices in the cafeteria (their salad bar was always full of brown and wilted veggies)
5. STARBUCKS (we had one on campus we could use our food plan points on)
6. Mt Dew and Dr. Pepper (I didn't switch to diet caffeine sources until I got pregnant with gestational diabetes, my mom taught me to believe diet pop causes cancer-perhaps she's right, but so does fat!)

boots - starbucks!!! ooooh.... Used to work there, totally get where you're coming from! I was really lucky in that the bloke who trained me was losing weight when I started and he cautioned me every shift about the various pitfalls! I know a lot of people who started there and immediately started gaining - it was like the starbucks freshman 15!

That being said... college equals need for coffee, and if anyone has any "how can I make this more plan friendly?" Starbucks questions, holler at me! I have a lot of practice making drinks more manageable, and I can tell you which pastries to avoid!!!

How do you guys do it? Seriously.
I've been in school pretty much right outa high school... but I was working towards a goal because I didn't have the prereqs to get in, plus last year I didn't get into my program so I did a different one in the same field to help me get in, plus get my foot in the door.
That being said, I only have 5 classes max and they were at nice times like 10am so I could get up early and go to the gym, 2 hours later the class was over and I could have a bite to eat on my way to work or such.
In two and a half weeks, all of that changes. I'm totally excited because I FINALLY got into my program, but I just got my class schedule and I'm scared. More so scared of the lack of time to eat, and exercise.
I have 8 classes, 3 outa 5 days a week I'm literally in classes from 830am-5:00pm with only 10 minutes between classes to run to the next class, no real chance at even a bite to eat there. And exercise... hah! I'll be buried under a pile of textbooks before even getting a chance to get to the gym.
I do enjoy exercising, and eating healthy, but I'm just worried that I wont even have time to do that.

...This was much longer than I intended. Can you tell I'm scared? And not one of my classes are easy or slack. /deep breath

How do you guys do it? Seriously.
I've been in school pretty much right outa high school... but I was working towards a goal because I didn't have the prereqs to get in, plus last year I didn't get into my program so I did a different one in the same field to help me get in, plus get my foot in the door.
That being said, I only have 5 classes max and they were at nice times like 10am so I could get up early and go to the gym, 2 hours later the class was over and I could have a bite to eat on my way to work or such.
In two and a half weeks, all of that changes. I'm totally excited because I FINALLY got into my program, but I just got my class schedule and I'm scared. More so scared of the lack of time to eat, and exercise.
I have 8 classes, 3 outa 5 days a week I'm literally in classes from 830am-5:00pm with only 10 minutes between classes to run to the next class, no real chance at even a bite to eat there. And exercise... hah! I'll be buried under a pile of textbooks before even getting a chance to get to the gym.
I do enjoy exercising, and eating healthy, but I'm just worried that I wont even have time to do that.

...This was much longer than I intended. Can you tell I'm scared? And not one of my classes are easy or slack. /deep breath



Did YOU pick your schedule and why?

8 college classes is f-ing crazy. If you're doing it to graduate on time I'd look into switching some of those to like next summer or something. Seriously. Thats a lot. How many credit hours is that?

I've never done more than 16 credit hours and those semesters were tough. I did a bunch of gen eds (18 credit hours) at a community college the summer before my senior year so I'd graduate on time without overcrowding my last two semesters.

If you're doing 8 classes, I wouldn't count on being able to diet, exercise, live healthy or live period this semester. In fact I wouldn't count on eating, sleeping, drinking, watching tv, hanging out with friends, going to visit family, going anywhere or anything else. Either that, or maybe you can still do all that stuff and just get really bad grades.

Did YOU pick your schedule and why?

8 college classes is f-ing crazy. If you're doing it to graduate on time I'd look into switching some of those to like next summer or something. Seriously. Thats a lot. How many credit hours is that?

I've never done more than 16 credit hours and those semesters were tough. I did a bunch of gen eds (18 credit hours) at a community college the summer before my senior year so I'd graduate on time without overcrowding my last two semesters.

If you're doing 8 classes, I wouldn't count on being able to diet, exercise, live healthy or live period this semester. In fact I wouldn't count on eating, sleeping, drinking, watching tv, hanging out with friends, going to visit family, going anywhere or anything else. Either that, or maybe you can still do all that stuff and just get really bad grades.

I didn't pick the schedule... it is a full time program so the school registers the classes. In the school's defense, they get 300 people apply and only 60 get in, due it it being the only school in the province that offers it so they wanna "weed out the weak", or stop wasting everyone's time/give that spot to someone that really wants it, the first semester.

I don't know what you mean by credit hours. Each class is 4 credits though... if that's what you mean.

I already know that my social life is a goner, it has been for a while since I was working full time and doing 5 classes before this. I just didn't wanna give up diet and exercise because it's actually helping me in my life I guess, going to the movies with friends isn't as productive/helpful.
I've been working to get into this program for 3 years (again 300 apply, 60 get accepted) so theres no way I will get bad grades. I've wanted it for too long to slack.

I've lived at home forever, even now during my undergrad (4th year, almost done, woohoo!) and I have no idea how much I might've gained. I avoided the scale before I was always too afraid to know how much I weighed but i know I gained weight. I stress A LOT during finals, because they all seem to come together (and before that midterms). I can't help but stress lol and when I stress I eat. I ate horribly these past 2 weeks too cause of finals. That's one thing I really need to work on! I think I'm going to start planning meals too and not eating at school during looong breaks! I've got 2ish weeks to figure this out :D

There are some great suggestions on here!



I don't know what you mean by credit hours. Each class is 4 credits though... if that's what you mean.

I already know that my social life is a goner, it has been for a while since I was working full time and doing 5 classes before this. I just didn't wanna give up diet and exercise because it's actually helping me in my life I guess, going to the movies with friends isn't as productive/helpful.
I've been working to get into this program for 3 years (again 300 apply, 60 get accepted) so theres no way I will get bad grades. I've wanted it for too long to slack.

Just curious what school and program are you doing? I'm from the Lower Mainland, and my first guess was BCIT lol. I don't go there but I know its intense!

LOL. Yes, it's BCIT, it's the radiography program.

hmm...yeah thats tough.

Definitely try not to "let yourself go" though, because you'll be more alert and awake to study if you keep yourself healthy, exercise and eat right.

I've read a LOT of good advice on the forum about planning ahead, packing easy healthy lunches, carry apples and water on you at all times and stuff.

Good Luck! And congratz on getting into your program! :)

(don't forget exercising and eating healthy is a natural method of dealing with stress, you'll probably need it!)

As far as going out with friends - I feel your pain. lol I posted a thread related to it a couple of weeks ago actually.

There are places to get healthier options, even if it is still not the healthiest. Like Chick-Fil-A has a grilled chicken sandwich that comes on a whole wheat bun and you can subsitute the fries with a cup of fruit and then drink water. Places like Panera Bread, Jason's Deli, and Noodles & Company have good options too. Most fast food places have a grilled chicken sandwich or some sort of salad, even McDonald's. You can even focus more on portion control. Like at Moe's - instead of a Joey, get a Joey Jr. Choose the whole grain tortilla (or don't get a tortilla at all - ask for a "streaker"), forego the cheese, get chicken, get black beans instead of pinto beans, even forego the rice if you're okay with that (I'm not lol) and there you go. Unhealthy place but healthy option for you.

As far as drinking...well, I can't give any advice on that. lol I had a big drinking night on Friday and the scale let me know that today. But I usually drink diet soda...and something. Diet coke and rum, diet dr. pepper and crown, diet mt. dew and vodka....do this and then limit it to 2-3 drinks and only 1 or 2 nights per week if you're like me and can't avoid the occasional college drinking night.