For All of Us In College
 

Don't go to college.

ha just kidding!

I go to college too and it is unbelievably hard. Especially now because I have a kitchen in my apartment. My friends are ALWAYS snacking and eating like theres no tomorrow.

I don't work out when I'm at school just because I'm always so busy and somewhat lazy. I haven't been very good this semester when it came to food, whenever we drank I would eat a LOT when I got back and I was just really bad. I think what you have to do is just ask yourself if your serious about this, and really just get it into your head that you want to lose weight. I think the thing that helps the most is to create a meal plan that is satisfying and easy to do so you won't get caught up in what everyone else is doing. If you're satisfied and full and you tell yourself you're full then I feel like you're less likely to eat more. Give yourself 200-300 free calories to live life with.. like say your friends want to go get a bite to eat. But you still have to be smart about what you order. And don't eat the school food! Unless its salad or soup.. anything they cook is drenched in fat. You just really ahve to put your mind to it.

I'm in college as well (with a part-time job and also preparing for a national competitive exam), and the only solution I've found so far is the same as the one I had to apply to juggle between these three activities: "just do it". Seriously. As soon as I start wondering when to squeeze in exercise, I don't have time, other people eat out, etc., it all goes down to ****. I had to put myself in auto-pilot mode for all those things. But it has positive rewards. If I exercise and eat well, I sleep better, therefore I also work better and faster -- it's probably time that is better used than on spending one hour eating out or something. (No kidding, when my eating goes to **** and I don't move enough, I suffer from insomnias and my sleep is baaaad.) Well, I admit I don't have that much of a social life either, but that's what you get here when preparing for a competitive exam, if you want to pass, so working out/cooking or not, it wouldn't have changed much.

One thing that worked well for me was to put down my exercise time, among other things, in my timetable, black on white on a sheet of paper on the wall. After all, I had to make room for working hours, classes and studying hours; adding a few more slots made it seem more like it was "something I do because it's what needs to be done, period". And it works. I've never been so consistent before.

I found it easier with a kitchen on hand, though. It lets you cook what you want, in the way you want. At the cafeteria, pasta is always way too limp, you don't know what's in the sauce that goes with the meat, nor how much dressing there's on the salad... It was harder when all I had was an electric hot plate and a lavatory to wash my dishes in. -_-

Thanks Kery,
you're right. i'm also going to be preparing for a competitive exam. and, i think just doing it is best.
what kinds of things do you cook?
i'm definitely going to try writing it in my planner.
thanks again :]

Cooking your own meals is definitely a good idea, not only do you KNOW what you are putting in your body and saving a whole lot of calories compared to eating out, you're saving money also (very important for a college girl!) However, seeing as your so busy I would suggest that you make a large low-fat, low-cal dish that will keep in the freezer so you can reheat for more lunch and dinners.

Also, even though your very busy try to eat more than just twice a day. This is a mistake I made in college, I would study/work/go to class and then just eat a huge meal at 6:00 and that it. VERY bad for the metabolism. Carry filling snacks with you like protein shakes and bananas and hummus and veggies wraps.

I work in a college - so not exactly the same.

1 - ask your instructors if they mind if you snack in class. I think as long as the food isn't overly noisly (crinkly bags etc) they probably won't have a problem with it. You could also go to a doctor and have them write a note for you saying that you need food throughout the day (not exactly a lie, but most Dr's will understand).
2 - Do you live on campus? If not, walking to and from (or at least part way) daily can help you get in some exercise (that is what I was doing for quite a while... 4 km total per day until it got too darned cold).
- Too cold to walk, invest in some workout videos :)
3 - Is there a gym? Being a student, can you get discounts? Try to get in at least 30 minutes a few times a week (better than none at all).
4 - Take breaks in between studying. Sitting for long periods of time will tire you out while studying. Take a 20 minute break, wear an MP3 and go for a quick walk. It will help clear your mind, and you'll reatain more during study.
5- Cutting back on caffine can help as well - replace it with fresh fruits. There was a study saying an apple gives you as much energy as 1 cup of coffee.
6 - stay away from Campus foods if possible, even though the food may look healthy - they try to save money on getting cheaper foods (e.g. Chicken wraps are usually made with the processed chicken, lots of fat, not much protein - you can buy all white meat precooked chicken strips, veggies and tortillas for almost the same price as 1 single meal on campus... this can last you up to a week. You can also freeze the tortillas and chicken and take out what you need when you need).

I go crazy, I was doing better when I lived on my own. it's funny when I was in the dorms I gained 50 lbs. Now I don't completely blame living in the dorms. But it's hard to eat healthy when healthy needs to be cooked. now my cafe has gone green and the entire university had started to concentrate on healthy living. The dorms are being built with kitchens in them so if we choose to cook we can. The cafe is now having a area for salads, and low fat foods. The school is being redesigned as a walk only campus much like UT.
Now I'm an R.A. and it's my job to set an example for other students on how to live in the dorms. It's a little scary, I've made the decision that I should not only help students follow the rules, but also, live healthy while doing it. Is that crazy?

College is hard! The best part about it is that you are surrounded by other people, someone around will want to eat healthier or work out. Find a buddy. It is so much easier to stay on track if you have a little accountability!

I'm in law school, and it's freakin' tough. This past semester all I did was eat eat eat and NOT work out. I'm going to use that just do it motto as well this upcoming semester!

Living off campus has been a God send. That sodexho food (and that's pretty much what it is no matter where you go) is awful! The first few weeks of my freshman year I couldn't eat it without throwing it up, and if I tried again I'd probably have the same result. :o

I am so glad Emdoodles started this topic, bc this past semester has been **** on me. I worked full time, completed 21 credit hrs, and dealt with some tough stuff at home and work. Exersize was the last thing on my mind. The one thing this sem. made clear to me is I MUST take care of myself, or all those things will go out the window. Kery took the words out of my mouth, Just DO It, don't think about it, do it because you know it's what you need to do for you. I feel so sluggish from neglecting my body those months, but I am getting back on track and taking time to take care of me.

Absolutely. If I didn't write things down and make a schedule for myself, I wouldn't do anything. In fact, when I got here 4 years ago I managed to drop 45 pounds *instead* of gaining like most people do. Different story since then though, but nevermind that. ^_^

As for eating out, my last roommate (who has since graduated and moved away) and I used to hang out a lot and go to eat, you just need to try to make the best possible food choices for yourself (and if it's too much fast food, consider just saying "no I have to study" sometimes).

I'm all about cooking your own meals too, for the reasons already stated, but clearly it can be a pain if you don't have the time (though many things can be made fairly quickly!).

Also I've found that if I keep say, a bag of apples or a bunch of bananas on hand at home, i am much less likely to go out and buy chocolate bars/chips/whatever to gorge myself on when I want a snack.

so im at college (or uni here) but i dont live in dorms, i live with my boyfriend. all my ates live in dorms, and i do not envy them. everyone i know has put on weight. in the uk alcohole is as much to blame as the bad food and no exercise. i have to walk to uni, and to see my mates, so i do about 4-7 miles a day, and that adds up quick. drinking, well i try and do it either once a week or once every two. its a huge culture in the uk, its ever night with our students. but i cant realy afford it, which kind of helps. I also am trying to start my own fitness regieem, (which was suppose to start today but i was sick last night so im having to give it a misss....grrrr) but yeh, going for a run early evening late afternoon is my new things, and swimming.
one thing i have found, is there are loads of people putting on the weight and trying to do somthing about it, ok so they may not be as dedicated as me, but if u find someone in a dorm who wants to work out with you, thats half the battle sorted because support is the best thing to have when trying to loose ina abd situation

how do u guys cope with alcohole?

I'd argue that it's much the same in many places in the US. In the Uni I attend, for example. I don't drink much now, but I know last year my roommate and I went to the bar pretty much everyday. I was not on the medications that I'm on now,and I was somehow able to do this and eat horrid greasy foods every night and I only put on 5-10 pounds. It also helped that our favorite bar was quite a walk from our dorm and we didn't have cars.

But I can't afford that either this year, which def. helps. ^_^ It's possible to, say, have drinks made with diet soda instead of regular or light beers, but it's still not good for you. Moderation whenever possible, I guess.

I most definitely go to college, and I certainly feel your pain with regards to college weight gain.
I live in dorms for the third year in a ROW, because I'm an RA (or a don, or whatever you call them). Basically, I live in residence and make sure the first years don't kill themselves with fun ideas like slip-and-slides down stairwells and such.

I've been battling with college weight gain like mad, and I find it's REALLY hard to say no to all of the junk that's everywhere around you, ESPECIALLY when all of your friends are chowing down on junk and alcohol.

My best advice is to find some super low-calorie foods that you can snack on without too much guilt. Flavoured rice cakes (caramel or white cheddar, yum!) are only about 50 calories each, and as a result are a pretty decent conscience-free snack.
I am also absolutely OBSESSED with Lipton's Green Tea To Go-- usually the mandarin mango flavour. It's just those juice crystals that you put in water bottles, but they're 0 calories and really good. When I just need to put SOMETHING in my mouth, it's really helpful.
As to when everyone goes out... it's really hard to say no to all the junk, but usually there's something on the menu that's decent. More than once I've asked the waitress if they can substitute in vegetables of some sort for my fries, and even though it's not on the menu, I can usually get steamed veggies (I don't like salads...) or something decent. Sometimes if I just want a chicken breast I'll order an un-breaded chicken sandwich, then just ditch the bread. I get made fun of by my friends a bit, when I do this stuff, but they generally support me.
If you're not ready to tell everyone around you about your weight loss efforts (as I know some people like to keep it private), you can always just make up excuses like, "Man, I've just eaten so much fried crap lately, I need something at least a LITTLE healthy...."
But in general, you just have to hit that wall, where you say, "Wow, I can't live like this anymore..." and just have to start saying "no." Even if you treat yourself every once in a while, you have to learn to be able to say no at least SOME of the time.

Also, I agree with some of the other people here... I had a high school teacher who used to tell us, "The minute you say you don't have time for the gym is probably the time you need to go THE MOST." It's a good stress release to go take a cardio kickbox class, or just go hammer on the treadmill for a half hour, do a weight circuit, etc. Once you get working out I find you have more energy, you feel more energized to do schoolwork, and more productive in general. The days that I start off with working out at the gym ALWAYS help my motivation to do the other things I need to do. Not to mention it helps you sleep at night!

Good luck darling.

I've gotten fairly lucky for professional school. Our class is almost 70% female , which leads to healthy snacks in our lounge such as fruits and veggies and yogurt.

We're also lucky that there's a pretty good graduate program in exercise science. Campus Rec. offers tons of group exercise and their facilities are open 24/7.

I also understand the alcohol problem. We're constantly ranked one of the top party schools and that does not just mean the undergrads. I've learned to just limit it to one night a week, if that, sip slowly and avoid the late night run to the greasy spoon.

It might sound drastic but I've just sworn it off (for now) and stay away from any of those environments I used to be in a lot (clubbing, frat parties, house parties, pre gamming, etc) because I've found that me and "just one drink" don't mix. One turns in to two, into seven and on and on and on. Not all of my friends understand why I won't do what I used to do all of the time any more, but I've decided oh well I understand and that's good enough.

It's true, sometimes it's a good idea to avoid the parties and such, it removes the temptation and the peer pressure.
Though... I find that the pressures I feel to "have another drink, Jess!" are abated when I drink clear vodka coolers or beer with a tinted bottle-- my trick is that I just have one, then sneak off to the bathroom and fill it up with water. No one ever second guesses it, I don't have to deal with people asking why I'm not drinking-- I find that drunk people aren't very supportive of weight loss being the reason behind my not double-fisting 26-ers.
Anyhow, that way you CAN still attend parties and such if you want to. If you really love getting drunk with your friends though, this might not be a decent solution. (Unless you're gonna get drunk off that one beer/cooler, and if you're that much of a lightweight, I envy you!)

If you live on campus, or near campus, walking to your classes would be a good workout. And as for healthy meals at school, try to eat a big(healthy) breakfast, that way you won't be as tempted to snack before lunch. Oh and going out is ok . Maybe you could offer to be the DD (designated driver).

Flipping BRILLIANT idea! LOVE IT!

that is a great idea about re-filling bottles. you can oreder a number of drinks and get away with not it looking like somthing alcoholice, lemonade, can be vodka and lemonade, coke in the dark can look like red wine, or just coke and vodka.
i think the social side of drinking is a pull in, but im getting better, i have found these 'kalm' tablets, which natually lift your mood, help you not get depressed, which i often do when dieting, just i only take them when i reaaaly have to, bcause i dont want them messing to much wit my metabolism, or weight.

gracey- I agree that just having the mix (ie diet Sprite or diet Coke) makes a great substitute! No one has to know what is actually in there. I'm not a huge drinker, so I'll often have one drink at the beginning and then drink just mix the rest of the night. I HATE it when people bug me about what I'm drinking- like, they'll ask "Oh is there anything in that?" like they're accusing me of being "uncool" for not drinking? Sheesh, I am way too old to care about whether or not drinking makes me cool!

hehe yes, im a fresher (1st year uni student) and everyday its, where we guys going out to dirnk tonight. if i was ain a drom with everyone else, this diet would never have happened. its sad really isnt it.

for the alcohol question:
I try to only drink once a week, and when i do drink, i either save my weight watchers points to "spend" on drinking or i extremely limit myself and get things like bacardi and diet or vodka water limes. I prefer to mostly be the driver for my friends and that way no one asks me why i'm not drinking. luckily, i hate beer so i don't have to worry about that large amount of calories.

Oh, no way sweetie. I've lived in a dorm three years in a row... EVERYONE gains when they live in dorms, at least 5 little lbs.
(We call them "residence.") I'm an RA or a don, or whatever you call them, so I live there even though I'm in my third year... and I'm on this diet because I started uni at 137, then gained up to 155 in my first year in res... went back down to 145 in the summer at home.
In my second year in res, gained back up to 158-59, then went to IRELAND for the summer, came back at 166, moved back into residence and made it up to 176.
Residence does NOT help the diet, because everyone around you stays up super late and eats really junky food at really random times...
The number of times I've heard this conversation at 2 am is baffling:

"Hey, you hungry?"
"No, not really."
"Want to order a pizza?"
"Yeah, sure."

Ahh, the freshman 15! It’s funny because my freshman year I LOST 10 pounds, and I lived in university housing with a sad excuse for a kitchen (stove and a tiny fridge haha). Of course my workload was tough and of course there were temptations and I went out drinking a lot, but like others have said I never really questioned whether or not I could manage school and a healthy lifestyle—it was automatic. Also, I used the gym to make MORE time—I read text books on the cross trainer, and I worked out around 10-11 pm, which would make me totally hyper and energized for about 3 hours after my workout, and used that time to study/do hw.

Since then, it has been a different story. I started slowly gaining the weight back at the end of freshman year, and eventually I gained 30 pounds. I hit my highest weight (within the last few years, that is, not highest ever) about a month ago, and I finally decided it was time to take control again. I am at home on break now but I will be back at school in 6 days, and I do not have the least bit of fear that I will gain weight because I know now that you can’t use a busy lifestyle as an excuse to live unhealthfully. College and work are important but your LIFE is more important. We all can make time for it, we just need to know that its not negotiable.

Oh, and as for the drinking? If you can stomach it, just do straight shots chased with diet cola. That’s what I always did.

Oh geez. That was me and my roommate all the time last year, it was awful. The pizza place nearby is open until 4am and you can't go into the lobby without smelling pizza from someone who just ordered. Argh. The temptation... ^_^ Being half-drunk at the time does not help matters AT ALL. Another reason I am not drinking at all this year while school is in! (I had a couple over New Years and Christmas, but not much and that was different. I mean I am not going out to the bar and then getting my food-inhibitions and common sense thrown out the window so I order pizza before bed anymore).

it wouldn't be funny if I wasn't guilty of doing something similar... but at least it's been a while:D

i live in the dorms and only have a microwave and mini fridge, but I've found that vegetable soup is my big kick right now. we have several options at school-- progresso, healthy choice, campbells, and maybe another and some are in cans but others are in bowls so all you have to do is remove the metal top and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes. it's great because it's low-cal, filling, has veggies in it, and some are even low sodium too. I'm also doing a lot of yogurt (it's really overpriced on campus though--over 2 dollars for 6 oz!) like the light and fit ones that are only 60 calories. Another thing i like to do is put some salsa on my veggies to add a little flavor. right now, i'm about to go mix some canned corn, peas, and fresh salsa for a little snack!

for exercising, i hate going to our campus gym plus it's freezing here and a very long walk to get there so i invested in a mini stepper for $40. i like it, but it is pretty challenging for me and i've only managed to do 10 minutes in a row so far, but it is a good workout. I also have a set of 5 pound free weights and a couple of workouts i do. some are from self magazine, some from a book called 6 minute morning, and others form toning for teens. I really like toning for teens but it's designed to be 20 minutes a day and you switch upper and lower body so that you can workout every day like monday 20 minutes for upper body, tuesday 20 minutes for lower body, and so on, but the closest time i've gotten it to was 30 minutes and i didn't do all the reps. i recommend it, but i have a hard time making myself lift weights so i usually don't do it like i should.

i live on campus, but my roommate transfered so i have the room to myself which means it's now or never! i know if i don't lose weight now, i'll be too busy or surrounded by people to do it. i'm still having a hard time committing to doing the work though :P

goodluck maggie, sounds like u got a great attitude to it, i hope u get soem amazing results soon :-)

Right now I am on a very liberal diet 1,600 calories a day and plan to loose 25 lbs in 5 months...I can't imagine doing anything much more extreme (and being able to stick to it) while in college. I absolutely cannot study when I am hungry, my stomach rumbles and all I can think about is that I want something to eat.

During school days I pack all of the food I want to eat for the day (I live a long walk from campus and stay on campus all day most weekdays), then when I'm at the library doing work, I don't have to walk downtown or to the cafeteria to get food and save time (not to mention the time of running into someone I know and chatting for 15 min).

as for alchol, I also go to a big party school. I like to pre-plan what I am going to drink, I usually don't eat alot before going out (to save calories for the alchol) then eat something low cal and filling right before going out so I'm not starving(like a soy shake). Then I'll allow myself 2-3 light beers (enough to get me comfortably tipsy, especially without alot in my stomach) and then opt for a lean pocket when I come home (instead of going out for pizza at 2am). I just fit the alchol into my daily calorie allowance. Where I get into trouble is when my friends will buy me shots or something (I usually roll with like 8 guys so they often buy me drinks). If I'm good all week, I can usually have a few extra calories and still loose my pound per week.

I was actually in better shape in college than I am now. I heard of the dreaded freshman fifteen, and so while I wasn't as focused on nutrition as I should have been, I did try to make sure I stayed in shape.

I did the following:

• parked far from my classes, usually on a hill
• joined a gym with my friend
• signed up for PE classes, even after I'd taken the required ones

I took a walking class and two yoga classes after I had taken my required PE classes.

I just wish I'd kept up with all of that working out after I graduated!

I hate the campus gym too because I feel like everyone is looking at me. ^_^ I don't mind the cold though, and we get a lot of snow here, I just break it up and do a mile here and a mile there right now. Plus I'm taking a walking phys ed course 2 mornings a week, where we walk indoors and have lectures sometimes.

The cafeteria actually had some sort of health-conscious day today and had calorie and portion sizes listed on everything, I just had some rice, a piece of chicken, and lots of steamed veggies. I'm doing pretty well lately I think, considering that everytime I come in the room I have to look at all the potato chips and cookies the roommate has lying around. ^_^