Losing in COLLEGE
 

Hey everyone..just seeing if there were any members out there who were trying to lose weight in college. Believe me, while weight loss in itself is very hard, college presents many different challenges. I love with 3 girls and 3 guys, who are all skinny and can eat whatever they want. Of course, the girls still complain about their weight, which for someone who has an actual weight problem is frustrating to hear.
College dining hall food is can also sabatoge intentions to have a healthy diet.....big portions, and lack of healthy variety.
Also, drinking and everythign that goes along with it just adds more calories.

I'm currently 5'1, my weight is between 140 and 145, and I'm trying to get between 120 and 130 (this may still seem like much but I know I'm always going to be natural curvy due to genetics).
My exercise habits are good (walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week, and 1 hour boxing class 2 times a week), and I don't eat junk.... but I do eat more than I should.

Any other students out there in the same situation? Let me know!

been there!
 

Aah, dining hall food (and the drinking on weekends never helped me either!). I have SO been there. I gained a ton of weight over the course of my college days - about 20 lbs. It is very hard. I did not lose weight until I went to graduate school, lived alone, and cooked for myself! (lost 45 lbs. that way, but have since gained about 22 of those back!) I would just say make healthier choices in the dining hall (buffet style = killer!) - at my college, they always offered "healthy" options daily on their menu. Does your school do that?

I can totally empathize with you! I know how hard it is. Especially when everyone else looks great! I wish you the best in your journey!

Valerie

Begin: 165
Now: 163
Someday - 150, then 135.

I know exactly where you're coming from... I have a bunch more weight to lose than you -- but it's extremely hard!! I'm in my last year of school -- only about 7 more weeks left, and i've decided to give it my best shot.

fortunately, i've lost about 20 pounds so far,which has given me a good start. Unfortunately, all the drinking and other skinny roommates doesn't help. I'm working on it though --

I have gotten into the habit of working out, but i tend to eat a lot of junk, too and way more than i should! i'm about 5'7 and weight 220 -- but am working on it. I would like to weigh around 135 or thereabouts. Actually, I'd just like to fit into junior sizes again.. :p

contininue to post and I'll reply -- or email me. [email protected]

i'll be more coherent later, i promise!

Awesome
 

This forum is so great.....just knowing I'm not alone really gives me more willpower....I've done ok the past two days (Thursday night I drank about 5 beers, but I didn't give into pseudo-drunk-hunger afterwards)....but I know it's all about baby steps when you are making such a permanent change like we are.
Good luck this weekend girls! :)

Your absolutely not alone!
 

Hey! I know just what your going through! I'm not in college now, but about 3 - 4 years ago I quit my fast pace waitressing job to go to college full-time! WOW! I had no idea what I was getting myself into!:(

College life is great! It's jam packed with good times, but it's the one place you don't want to be when your trying to trim down! It was the hours upon hours of studying that did me in... I didn't think I had time for exercise or proper meals! My first year in college jump started 3 years of weight gaining! (i've managed to slow that down & turn it around, but it took hard work)

I just wanted to reply to your post so that you may not have to go through what I went through! You probably know to do this stuff already... but when I was in college I wish someone would have warned me... (these are the things that could have stopped me from gaining most of my weight had I done them)
1. Keep healthy snacks around, for those long hours in the library.
2. Make time for exercise... or walk to work, or classes.
3. Remember that it's not just the food you eat, but the drinks you consume that affect your body weight!
4. Stay active, have fun & live life!

Good luck! ... with weight loss, classes, & life! ~Kalypso
235+/210/1st goal 195

Trial Weekend
 

Although I made a few bad choices this weekend, it was an over all success as it was a huge improvement from a normal weekend.
Friday went out to dinner and got a grilled chicken sandwich, but only ate half of it and saved the rest for later. That night I stayed in an watched a movie, so no drinking. Saturday I knew I would be drinking htat night, so I ate lightly for lunch and dinner. AFter I went out I came home, I was hungry, and I wasnt' even thinking so I immediatly made a peanut butter sandwich, when I'm sure a few crackers would have more than satisfied me.

Despite a moment of weakness, I felt it was a successful weekend as I proved to myself that I DO ahve the willpower to control my eating.

Well, it's off to the gym now...how did everyone else do? Have a happy St. Pat's day everyone!:D

I didn't do all that well this weekend. My spring break was last week, and I didn't get to go out of town. Instead, I came home, and partied with a bunch of my friends here. [I think we single-handedly supported the bar] Although I did decently eating at home, I drank way too much all week. And then I'd come home and make breakfast at 2 am.... But next week will go much better, because I'll actually have schoolwork and things to do, instead of going out at night and staying home all day....

And I can't believe that spring break is over :(

over-eating
 

Anyone have any tips on how to combat the urge to stuff your face? Sometimes I just don't have the self control not to grab a banana or something after I had a soup and sandwich for dinner. I eat pretty healthy things, so I guess it's not THAT bad, but I just hate constantly eating, even if I'm full. Calories, calories. Any ideas about getting some willpower?

Just a side note, I'd like to say how much just reading how everyone is working so hard as well really helps and is encouraging! Hope everyone is having a good week.
-Katie.

Katie - believe me, you are not the only one! It is wonderfully refreshing to read that people out there are JUST like me! The willpower thing etc. I try to distract myself and keep busy. For example, as soon as I get home from work (which is usually around 4) I am tempted to eat. I usually go on the computer and check my emails to distract myself. Then I start to cook dinner. Doens't always work though. One thing that "helps" (this is joking of course) I am sick right now, so I actually DON'T feel like eating! That never happens with me! ALthough, I don't recommend the fever, dizziness, and body aches that come with it!

valerie

165/163/150 (for now)

willpower
 

Yeah you definitly brought uip a good point there...eating out of boredom. Maybe instead of staring at the fridge when I have nothing better to do, I'll read or go for a walk. Anyone else have other ideas?

Hi yall! I am also in college, I am a sophomore and I am so sick of the food here! I have lost 60 pounds since the start of my freshman year so there is hope I promise! I learned to keep food in my room like lowfat yogurt, fruit, veggies, baked lays or those fat free chips, low calorie cereal and skim milk, oatmeal etc... I always eat breakfast in my room, and then for lunch if the cafeteria isn't serving anything healthy(it usually isn't!) I will get a sandwich from subway, or eat something in my room. For dinner I do the same thing. I also make sure I eat small meals or snacks every two hours. I know it sounds crazy to eat more food but it keeps your metabolism up. I also work out every morning but only for a half hour-I know I should do more but I hate it! I struggle with the drinking too-I love going out with my friends but I hate the calories. I just try and eat lightly the day I know I will be drinking. When I do drink I try to stick to beer because all of the mixed drinks are very high in calories. Does your school have a salad bar or sandwhich line? If so I recommend turkey sandwiches with no mayo and light cheese or a big salad with no meat and light dressing. That makes a good light lunch :)

Yikes
 

I weighed myself todayl....up to 152 pounds, my biggest ever. But, it was just the kick in the *** I needed to get my willpower up and put 100% into losing weight. How often does everyone weigh themselves? once a week? once a month?

152/152/120-130.

When I was at the end of my sophomore year in college I put 100% into losing weight. By the time it was Christmas my junior year I had lost about 35lbs. Sounds pretty great right?

Unfortunatly I was focusing so much on my weight I completely neglected my overall health. I ended up with Mono because of it.

Everyone wants to be thin but overall health is important as well. So JMUKatie, best of luck in your quest to lose weight, but please for your own sake, do it in a healthy way. :)

Hey all! Sounds like this is a thread full of people just like me. Nice to know that I'm not the only college gal out there who isn't thin as a rail. I'd lost about 35 pounds in my last two years of high school, and I kept it off pretty succesfully my freshman year and even last semester. But this semester has been a DISASTER!!! I have gained back about ten pounds, I eat terribly, hardly ever exercise, etc. I feel really depressed about it, because none of my clothes are fitting anymore. And, I swear, it seems like this campus is populated entirely by super-thin, beautiful sorority girls. All of whom like to go running around campus in their sports bras and spandex shorts. I guess this semester has been particularly bad because I've been totally swamped with schoolwork (note to self: 18 hours is a very very bad idea), which keeps me from taking care of myself. Anyway, I am determined to get these ten pound back off, and maybe a few more. My current goal is to lose 5 pounds by the end of the school year (a little less than a month), and then the other 5 or so over the summer (while I am busy in summer school--yippee!). Anyway, I'm very excited to have found this board!

Cat

college
 

Hi all :)

I'm a college senior (2 weeks left!!!) and I've been on my latest weight loss program for about a month now. It is SO HARD to lose weight in college, but it CAN BE DONE! This semester, I've dropped ~ 15 lbs, but it's been a fight all the way.

It's so nice to see other students in the same place as I am :) All my roommates are smaller than I am, and I completely understand how frustrating it is to listen to thin people call themselves overweight.

Ah well :) Nice to know this board is around!

i'm in college too, and it certainly IS a challenge. i'm living with 2 roommates: a super skinny girl and my boyfriend, who is quite skinny also. argh.

i've been doing pretty good -- 19 pounds in these last 3 months. and i know i can keep it up! =)

(i'd love to have buddies, so message me or add me to your buddy list!!)

Holly- Wow! 19 pounds in 3 months is not bad at all! I;ve not been having a good time of things lately at all, and I'd love a buddy too:) Feel free to add me to your buddy list or message!

Cat

Hey everyone! I'm new to this......as a little background info, I'm a senior in college, graduating in May & then moving to Chicago to start my new job.

When I graduated high school, I was about 125-128 lbs (I'm 5'3") and I was okay with that, but I wanted to avoid putting on any more weight (aka the Freshman 15!). So when I started college, I watched myself like a hawk.....no breakfast (had mostly late classes anyway), salads & veggie sandwiches for lunch and dinner, healthy snacks in the room, no late night eating, and the biggie for me....no more Cokes!! (made the switch to diet). By November of my freshmen year I weighed 115 lbs, the smallest I could ever remember being, and I was wearing size 4 or 5 pants and small or extra small tops depending on the store. (I'm kind of big-boned regardless of my weight and don't think I could ever fit into a smaller size than that!)

Before spring semester of freshmen year started, I went through sorority rush, which is very competitive at my school, and it was an absolute nightmare for me. I started eating comfort foods......grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, caesar salads....I didn't care. The weight gradually started coming back.

Like I said, I'm a senior now and I weighed 138 lbs on Jan 1st (I've been watching myself since then...New Yrs Resolution). I'm now at 135.5 and I want to get back down to the 120ish area before graduation!

My first step is going to be CUTTING UP MY BUS PASS! Yeah I go to school up north and its cold and that's my excuse for not walking to class, but I need the exercise. I don't like going to the gym at my school because its a big social scene. Number two is NO MORE LATE NIGHT, POST-BAR EATING! I can devour a whole bag of breadsticks and cheese sauce from our fave pizza place w/the help of my skinny roomies! I go out to the bars 3 nights a week but I am not a real heavy drinker. I also find that if you know you are going out, eat a light dinner. You'll get buzzed on half the number of drinks it would take if you were full! :) Also a good drink to try, if you don't like beer, is Diet Coke and vodka w/a BIG queeze of lime.

I'd love to find some motivational buddies to chat with! :)

Good luck to all! :)

Valerie
138/135.5/120 or less!!!

hey everyone
 

Hey everyone,

I hear about post secondary education and getting fat...it definately happened to me. I think that in 1997 when I start school I was 170lbs I would guess...and in the 5 years I gained a whopping 65 or 70lbs....that's so unbelievable..and well gross. I ate bad caf food, too much pizza and drank too often. and I didn't really seem to care. school was hard on me...not to mentioned i was in a terrible relationship for 3 yrs...and i think i did drive thru for every other meal for those three years..well things are better in my life now and i have started to become athletic again....i was really active in highschool....i am playing tennis and field hockey...and its great...i lost about 10lbs over the summer months ...get this..with out trying..it was great..so i decided to join a gym and keep that feeling...

i was playing in the gym..and not working hard...and still eating alot of late night junk....so the end of oct 2002 i decided to get serious! that's it..i do not want to be fat anymore...so i am working hard...its been 12 weeks and i have lost 25-30lbs...not sure yet...going to weigh on sunday..my last day..and I feel amazing...

good luck to everyone who is trying to lose while in college...and good for you to recognize it before it gets out of hand....i wish did..

one_sweetchick

College!!
 

Hey everyone! My name is Heather :dizzy: and I am a 3rd year in a VA University... I have been having issues with weight since I was a little kid. I am actually doing about the best I have been for a long time- I am around 153-155 (sz 10-12)... my highest was 165 or so... last year. I have been on a bit of a pendulum swing since recovering from anorexia my junior/senior year of highschool. But I am feeling pretty good this year, everything is coming together and I have learned to appreciate my curves. However, I would love to don a bikini this summer, as I will be turning the big 2-1!! Let the *legal* partying begin...:cb: Anyway, yeah the bikini had little to do with turning 21, but you get the gist- I'd like to look really good for summer time. I used to do cross country and track, so I've started slowly working up the running time... more like very slowww jogging, but I have already seen improvements in just a few weeks. Plus I am trying to walk more and take the bus less. I love working with weights, so I aim for 3 times a week with that. Sometimes I have problems eating too much, but lately, I've been doing ok with that. Anyway, I would love to use this forum and you lovely ladies as motivation, and really just to keep me on track. I think that we all can reach our goals if we have enough support and inspiration! So, there's my intro, hopefully I will get to know each of you better through your posts, and we'll all make it to where we want to be. Personally, that would be a size 8, and 135-140 lbs, for my 5'3 frame. Have a great week- hope to hear from each of you soon :D -Heather

Hey Heather..thanks for posting...this forum doesn't get a lot of posts. What school do you go to? I go to JMU.

This next week is spring break, but I'll actually probably lose weight because I'm going to Northern California to visit family, and there's always a ton of fruits and veggies there, not the carb-heavy stuff that I always seem to eat because it's easy.

I thought I was losing weight, but I saw some pics of myself today (they were taken today, my roomate has a digital camera), and I looked pretty bad. Seeing bad pictures are discouraging and encouraging at the same time..they make me feel really bad about myself but motivate me at the same time.


How do you guys feel about seeing pics of yourself?

Seeing pictures of myself was actually what motivated me to start losing weight in the first place. I got a whole roll of film back from a wedding I went to - I couldn't even BELIEVE I had gained that much weight. The very first thing I saw in the pictures was my stomach sticking out and my flabby thighs and wide hips making my summer dress bunch up. That was a huge wake-up call.

It was really depressing and yet motivating at the same time. I got sad, but I got off my *** and did something about it. So I agree that while it's discouraging it is also motivating...

Hey Katie, I go to UVA-- we've been on springbreak for the past week and I have actually been so lazy and eaten so much, I am pretty sure I gained 5lbs. So in that respect I am looking forward to going back to school- I do ok at school b/c I don't have a meal plan, and I allow myself to buy only healthy stuff at the grocery store.
I love having my picture taken- I mean, I love them if I look good, but like you and starrybay mentioned, they are good indicators of how well/badly I look, so it keeps me motivated to eat better. Its great b/c its a way to see myself the way other people see me, esp if its a candid shot...
I have a problem that whenever I get stressed out, over school or friends or guys, I tend to eat/binge as a response. Does anyone else have this reaction, or ways of AVOIDING this?! I'd really like to try a different method of stress relief- suggestions?

If this forum doesn't get a lot of posts- are there others that you guys are in that are fairly active? Anyway, have a great spring break Katie, god knows I needed this past week to get away from the papers and exams.... :dizzy: but its back to work on monday :( Thanks again for replying! -Heather

The 20 somethings forum is pretty active. We have a montly challenge where we do most of our posting. With spring break and all this month will be a bit slower..

I invite all you guys to join our march challenge!

As for seeing pics of myself.. I really hate it. I mean I have lost quite a bit of weight, but I am still not to the point where I enjoy looking in mirrors and pictures. I think thats because.. even with dramatic weight loss.. you still have to bring your self esteem up.. and that could take longer than it takes to lose the weight.

Me too!
 

HI. I can totally relate to this. I am also in college and always to busy to take care of my weight which in turn has made my health plumit. I am in a somewhat different situation then you in that I am married and live with my husband, but regardless there is little support in college to lose weight. I hate going to my schools gym b.c. it seems to be more of a meat market than a workout "adventure". Everyone there is incredibally skinny and I feel stared at when I walk in there. Just know you are not alone. Good luck!