Hey everyone. So... there was a time when I lost weight and was really skinny. Then I went to college.
I just have a difficult time eating healthy here at school because this lifestyle is not conducive to losing weight. I don't even drink, but I still go out to eat a lot and am forced to eat at the university's dining service every day. I'm moving out of the dorms next week and am looking at trying to lose the weight again.
But... I'm really depressed. My mental health issues aside, the fact that I allowed myself to gain this weight back is what has me down right now. I can't believe I've done this to myself. I hate myself for it, I really do. Then I get emotional and I binge on cookies which makes me feel even worse in the long run.
So yeah... I really just needed to let that out and get a little support. If anyone else out there has experienced trying to lose weight in college, I'd appreciate any tips you've got for me. Thanks for reading, everyone <3
Hey-I can understand needing to lose weight and that the college environment is not exactly helpful. I have plenty of friends who struggled to keep their weight and they often yo yoed at times. When you go out to eat just try to make better choices like grilled chicken, and have a veggie or salad as opposed to a monster serving of a starchy carb. Does your college have like a free/cheap gym that you can sign up for? A lot of colleges do have that for part of their student services. My college has a gym and it's really cheap for us to use like $35 dollars a semester. Are you going to be moving into an apartment and if so that's good then you can control what you eat more and cook for yourself! Most of all you need to snap out of your funk and just get back on track!! :-) Don't think and dwell about your gaining weight and "that you've done this to yourself".. If you get depressed over that then it's going to make it so much harder to succeed in losing!
Wow that could have been me writing that post. I know exactly how you feel. I was normal sized through highschool..started gaining weight my senior year because I quit sports. Then I just kept gaining weight my freshman year..my sophomore year...my junior year...I was SO depressed. I HATED what I had done to my body. How in the world had I GAINED OVER 50 POUNDS SINCE HIGHSCHOOL???. But I hated myself to much to do anything about it. Then this year...I don't know what happened to me. I really comitted to makig a difference in my life. I had found this new love for myself at any size. I learned to appreciate WHO I was..rather than the layers of fat on the outside. You need to understand you are a person, not matter what you look like on the outside. YOU are valuable.
It's hard at college...Very hard. And I will admit moving out of the dorms isn't going to be a fix-all for you. I moved out, had big plans to cook. I ended up eating out all the time anyway...Still do. You just have to try to make the best choices you can. Just because the cafeteria has fried chicken today doesn't mean you can't just get a salad instead.
You have to decide you want this. You have to decide to make a change in your lifestyle. This is not a diet. This is forever.
I'm currently a university student as well... And it is hard to lose weight. But it can be done. With a lot of work and effort.
And moving out of dorms won't be a fix all, it's hard to organize yourself and your time so that you can cook healthy. But it's definitely worth it to get started now rather than later...
Some tips.
- Go for veggies and fruit in the caf. Go for the basics I guess in any of the food groups: pick rice when you can, and good lean protein (are there ever vegetarian options?)
- Try and find things to do with friends that are "hidden exercise" is there a skating rink nearby with time when you can rent skates? Or maybe some really nice walking routes? (these all have potential to be hilarious excrusions! Bring a camera.)
- Don't put too much pressure on yourself to "diet" this might make you feel left out when you are hanging out with friends and they aren't dieting. Have little unplanned days here and there where you can eat whatever...
I don't know, I guess I also tell myself I'm not dieting. I'm on a lifestyle change here. And it works. I don't really deny myself any kinds of foods, I just say I want the healthiest food possible to go into my body because I want my body is the healtiest possible condition.
Are you working on your depression at all? It might actually help your weight loss to really focus on your mental health rather than your weight. Not to say you aren't or anything.
I know moving out won't fix everything, but I know it'll be a huge factor. I lived off campus this summer and it made quite the difference. I lost a few pounds this summer because of it. I've also gone through this weight loss thing in the past. In high school, I ate very healthy and lost around 30 lbs. I was incredibly disciplined. I just fell off the wagon once I got to school because I had so much more to deal with.
One problem with my university's rec center is that it is sooooo far away from where I live. I go to the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It's the second largest campus in the country. It's a workout in itself just getting to the rec center, lol!! Literally, it takes a good 20 minutes by foot from my dorm since I have to cross the bridge over the Mississippi, and it'll take even longer from my new apartment. I think I get a lot of exercise because of the immensity of the campus I'm on and my lack of a car, though a little more couldn't hurt. I'm going to try to squeeze in some time in the pool in the next few weeks if I'm able.
And mental health issues... heh, I've got a lot of them, and I've been going through intense treatment/therapy for quite some time now, so it's nothing new to me. I think that a component of my journey to be mentally healthy is also being healthier physically as well. At least, that's what the doc tells me, hehe.
But yes!! Anyway, thanks again for all your help and I wish you all the best of luck on your respective journeys to thinness <3
Last edited by lessthansign3; 10-28-2007 at 10:00 PM.
The first thing you need to keep in mind is: just because the "Freshman 15" exists, does NOT mean you have to fall victim to it! Living on campus without a kitchen and being forced to eat in your cafeteria is hard. I have been very fortunate since coming to my University (I transferred in), in that I've had a kitchen in an apartment-style housing.
My first semester transferring I was determined that I would NOT fall victim to the weight gain and I would LOSE weight instead! I had a meal plan that first semester, but as I had a kitchen and could make healthy options for myself, I only went 2-3 times a week. There WERE healthy options in the cafeteria--they had deli meat for sandwiches, a salad bar, protein/veggies almost every day and a stirfry station (I often skipped the rice/noodles and just went with veggies/chicken). You've made a great step in moving off campus to an apartment. Now, you can cook your own meals! Take advantage of being the only one to buy your groceries--you're in control! If you don't want junk in your apartment, you don't have to have it there to tempt you!
I lost 20 pounds my first semester here! It's been a battle since then, but I'm back on track finally and down 30 pounds overall. It's really all in your state of mind, I think! There are many ADVANTAGES of being at college, too! One of which are free access to a gym. See if they offer exercise classes! Those can be great motivation and a lot of fun. Also, don't feel discouraged! Having gained isn't the end of the world, but you can regain control of your life and your body.
hey! i had that happen in college.... after 3 months of drinking and then getting mono and living on ice cream for a month i was up from 137 to 163! yikes! (ps i think im the only one on the planet that GAINED weight with mono, typical.) anyways i also was like OMG look at all of this food i have to eat it ALL (because my at my house my mom always kept track of what i ate so i was like the kid in the proverbial cany shop). pizza, fries, you name it and i ate it. plus that huge bowl of ice cream at the end of the meal. haha why is it that dorm food makes only the unhealthy stuff well!? anyways my point with this is that 1) i understand where you are coming from. 2) i gained weight because i made bad choices, and once i started making better choices, i lost it. theres also a lot of late night pizza in college (or was for me...haha once i went from 1 sl cheese from 2 slices i noticed a difference!) also once i stopped drinking 5 nights a week (apparently you cant drink with mono? i almost exploded my spleen...oops) then most of it fell off.
good luck - you can do it! hit up that salad bar, head to the school gym and DONT feel bad! you are worth every single bit when you are 10 pounds up or 20 lbs down! people will see your personality and not your weight... i guarentee you are the one that notices the later the most. once i told myself that it was esier for me to be at thegynm and going otu etc.\
I TOTALLY know what you mean, i gained almost 60 pounds in uni.. its really shocking, so trust me, i know the feeling! I just started my "diet", so i dont have that much to offfer.. but i think there are something that imp for u to remember: moving out probably wont fix the problme. the problem is your food habits, not so much teh environment. maybe you can opt for healthier choices when you eat out.
but, dont kick yourself for gaining all this weight in a short amount of time. we can all lose the weight if we really set our mind to it..
Been there done that . . .
I probable gained close to 75 pounds during the 5 years I was in college. I have lost all of my weight since I graduated in May all while I was in law school. Things I have learned . . .
Don't eat fried food, I know that cafes are full of them but avoid at all cost.
Salad bars are you friend as long as you are avoid the toppings like cheese, bacon, crotons, fried noodles, and full fat dressing.
Don't drink you calories not just in alcohol but in energy drinks, coffee beverages, and pop.
Avoid the dessert bars.
Towards the end I started eating healthy. I learned I had to get creative with eating in the dorms, I would take grilled chicken breast and pair them up with a salad. I would do the same thing with hamburgers. I would get the chicken breast and put it in a sandwich wrap and add some hummas and lots of veggies.
Though it may sound like just an excuse, my main reason for viewing moving out as the best thing for me is that the food service here just does not serve healthy things that taste good to me. That in combination with the fact that I absolutely can't stand salads, thus removing the salad bar option, makes it difficult. Also, they usually only serve one meat option per meal, and oftentimes it's beef or pork which I'm not too keen on. Getting decent roasted or grilled chicken is a real treat.
Sooo... Yeah, I know I can make healthier choices when given a kitchen and the freedom to cook. I've done it before and I'll do it again. The only reason I've been making such bad choices at the food service here (which leads me to craving bad choices when I go out to eat) is that if I want to eat something that tastes any good, the wrong choices are my only choices.
...Only a couple more days until I finally move out of the dorms! Yay!!
HI... I was you... in college... I lost 17 lbs my pre-jr summer and put it back on through the holidays and on... lost 15 lbs my sr summer... kept it off and lost 6 more lbs by the time I graduated. I kept making excuses for my weight gain and talking about why it was so hard to lose... college was evil. Then, I started working.... gained it all back and then some... work was evil... all the stress and food in the lounge... little time for the gym, etc.... EXCUSES EXCUSES!!! Life does not make losing weight easy... it doesn't matter where you are. I finally stopped making excuses for myself and just did it. I have lost 27 lbs since the end of August and feel great! I don't let myself fall into poor me anymore and I have stopped making excuses for myself. I guess it took for me to really be ready and motivated again...
So, just stop making excuses and just do it! You can find ways to do it... a little organization, a few tricks, making sure to atleast walk a little every or everyother day and do it! (I'm saying this b/c I was excuse girl... totally)
oh... one other thing that helped me... DB is in OCS... so we don't live together anymore due to his training. I was so set to cook and eat for and like he does that I gained weight from that, too... so, just keep in mind that you are your first priority and if you have to eat a chicken salad while he eats a burger... so be it! (I need to make sure I remember that, too)
Hope, I have to agree with you. I find that I am constantly making EXCUSES as to why I have to eat crappy or why I don't exercise. That's why I did the exercise every day for 30 days. I can't figure out why it's so freakin' hard for me. My older sister has worked out EVERY DAY for the past who knows how many years. She just fits the 30 minutes in, no matter what. I get the whole "but I'm sleepy," "but I'm coming down with a cold and don't want to get more sick," "but I don't have time," "but I have to work OT." I'm hoping my 30 minutes for 30 days goal will ultimately make me realize that I can ALWAYS fit the workout in. I just have a feeling it'll take me a year to eventually fulfill that goal, haha.
Anyway, what it comes down to is willpower and that is SO much easier said than done. I marvel at the women here that have lost ALL of their weight and are on maintenance. I feel like I will NEVER hit that point. I don't see myself getting out of these 140s. I'm positive that I will give up at some point and eventually gain the weight back. I know, it's not a very good outlook, but how in the heck are these women reprogramming themselves? I just can't seem to get it done. But, we all can always keep trying!
Hope - here's a fun trick I do with my boyfriend. I eat a good amount of food on my plate and then I make him finish it. That way he gets all that food that he wants and I FORCE myself to not overeat because he vacuums it up so quickly. Haha.
The jackal has lost something like 20 lbs since I first started to lose weight. He has nothing more to lose. How does he do it?
I completely relate! I didn't dorm for the first few years of college ... I commuted. I still ended up gaining weight. In high school, I wasn't really skinny or anything, but I was pretty happy where I was at a size 16. I was also quite active. Once I started college, though, I pretty much got lazy and I ended up working at a fast food place :P Oddly, I didn't gain the freshman 15. Only about 5 lb maybe. However, my sophomore year when I started working fulltime, I gained about 50 lb! Damn Dr. Pepper and deep fried fish! I was really angry at myself for allowing myself to balloon up that much. I could have easily put the fish and french fries down and had a nice turkey sandwich or something. Not to mention drank something other than Dr. Pepper. Boy, did I drink a lot of that! Over 100 oz a day!
Sadly, being overweight tends to help trigger depression and anxiety problems in me. When I lost weight in high school, things got so much better for me. I also think that my karate lessons helped my mental state a lot. When I stopped doing that when college started, I lost a lot of the self-esteem and discipline that I had developed. College ended up being a pretty bad experience for me my sophomore year. I'm now back on track, though, and dorming, too. At the end of last semester, I decided I had enough of this fat business and began my journey. Things are going a little slow (still trying to encourage myself to stop being lazy), but I'm working on it.
My personal tips for you: go to the rec center when you can. I know you said it's far, but think of all the extra exercise you'll be getting. If the walk is a problem, perhaps your school has a bus system of some kind that can take you most of the way? Riding a bike there is also an option if you have one. Personally, I don't like the rec center because I don't like the idea of people watching me exercise. I've been told many times that no one cares what I look like in the gym, but I care. I prefer to walk around campus with some music on, or drive out to a local state park and hike a trail.
Also, since you're going to be moving into an apartment, make sure you choose good foods! If you like potato chips, go for the baked ones. If you want some kind of sauce for your chicken, try to get it in low fat. Eat more fruits and veggies. I find it especially useful to eat my fruits and veggies first. Then I don't have such strong cravings for junk foods or unhealthy meal choices. When I'm in the cafeteria, I'll spot my favorite food - tater tots. So I'll make sure I'm good and stuffed with salad and soup before heading on over.
I think it is really too bad there isn't a form for college students, students often branch across many age groups, and all face a similiar problem with weight loss. Something that works, off and on albeit, is to make my body a top priority with school and work. What good is an education going to do if I die young from weight related complications?
Freshman 15 and sophomore 15...
Hang in there, hon. You will succeed!
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