Excersise, Depression, School
 

Hey All!
Recently I have been A LOT of trouble losing weight. I am highschool and becuse it winter and midterms are coming I have no time to excersise and I am so stressed out. From End of December to now I have gained 7lbs!!!!!! Thats crazy and I am so maD!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: !!!
Does anyone have any tips on how they have gotten motivated when they are feeling a little mroe depressed and how they have found ways to excersise with a BUSY schedule? I really appreciate any ideas!
THANKS LADIES!!!

Hi Kristen,
Sorry your having a rough time. First things first, don't start eating from the stress. If there's one thing I wished I had taught myself earlier in life was that. If you get stressed out, take 5 and go for a walk or just start exercising. I felt the same way today and got on the treadmill (for only 15 minutes) and you would be amazed at the way the mind works. I feel much better.

Any little exercise you can do will help if it is only 5 minutes. Good luck and I hope this helps a little. Your going to do great things!!!!!

do you walk to school? if not could you do that? or maybe walk further to the bus stop?

what do you do during breaks? tell us more about your schedule and what you do before and during and after school


also do you play any sports? dancing? anything like that... good luck

Re:
 

For my schedule...
I am driven to school because it is like 4 miles away from my house, and since I have to be there by 7 am I can't walk.
School starts at 7:20 and I have gym everyday for 40 min, however it's not much physical activity because I am in what you would call "Project Adventure" and we climb things wearing harnesses we don't actually do much physical excersise with cardio or anything. I buy lunch a lot and I usually buy things like french fries and candy which is NOT good for me. If I was better at managing my time I would make lunch. The thingis I get sick of PB&J and your avg. lunch food. If anyone had suggestions on new foods to bring for lunch that would help. I get out of school at 2:15 and once a week I have SDA (dance) for 2 hrs. I am in winter track but I have a lot of trouble going, because I missed the first month of practice :( because I kept getting sinus infections and then I was absent so on and so forth. So now I have no running group (ie long distance, sprinters) I don't compete in the sport because the competitions start at 5 after you leave school at 3 and then you get home at like 9-10 pm which is late when you get up at 6 am. But a lot of the kids don't compete. I really don't like being in track though because I feel self-concious the whole time. After school I usually watch tv and eat.
I think if I eat a good breakfast and a good lunch I wouldn't eat so much after school because after school I go for sugar and sweets probably because my blood sugar is low. The more healthy filling foods I eat I think the better off I will be. Also, after school on the days when I have no dance If I set aside at least 30 min to excersise I would be much better off.

This is what I need to know though...
What are some foods that would be different than the ordinary PB&J that I could bring for lunch and feel full from as well as be staying healthy.
Also, breakfasts, and healthy snacks? Any suggestions Im pretty open to anything but Im not really into chicken.

Thanks Ladies!:hug:

Oh I almost forgot something. After school I am realy tired and I have a ton of hw. So I have to fit that into my schedule:dizzy:

I think for me...getting started with exercise was the hardest part. There was just a lot of stuff I didn't want to do, and I complained the same as you that I was busy and did not have time. I could make plenty of those excuses still, i.e., commuting to work an hour each way, a desk job that didn't allow me get up when I wanted to, fiance and home responsibilites tied in at the end of the day with only a few hours before bed time. I didn't start with anything major. I bought a few workout videos (I don't much like walking outside, just me) specifically the WATP and tried doing that twice a week. That was all my goal was. If nothing else, I could still do that on the weekend. Slowly, it became easier and I enjoyed the time. I feel better afterwards and wanted to incorporate it more. It was probably a couple months before I could really get past that twice a week goal (or even regularly meet it).

Now, I walk at lunch at work. It isn't easy, but I do it. I don't aim for every day, I aim for a 20 minute walk 3 times a week. It is pretty easy to *keep* working out after I've started, so it's just a matter of starting. And with food, I thought the same way as you. I didn't have a lot of time to pack "healthy" stuff. "Healthy" stuff always seemed to take time. I'm not yet eating what I'd like to at work, but since I've started counting calories religiously on fitday I've avoided eating out of the vending machines for a snack whether I needed it or not. Instead, I focus on protein during the day. I'm lactose intolerant, but is something like cheese or string cheese a possibility for you? Yogurt is also a good choice, and both don't really requiring "making". Just some ideas, hope it helps.

Thanks for the advice. I think the string cheese and tougur t are a good idea, and the protein as well. I have gotten some really good ideas already.
Also, thanks to all of you fo the excersise motivation. Today I ran on the treadmill for 35 minutes and burned 305 calories! I am looking for my resistance bands and then I will do that after I write this.

Hey All!
Today I did 25 minutes on teh treadmil at about 4 mph and I burned around 205 calories! Yeay Me!!

:)

Sounds like you're doing better. :)

Other ideas for additions to healthy lunches:

sandwich wraps
a piece of fruit
enriched snack bar (like a protein bar)

Low fat cottage cheese too...I'm just reminiscing on all the dairy products I used to enjoy :) Good to hear that you walked on the treadmill, 25 minutes is an excellent start. I wouldn't take the "calories burned" on those things too seriously, but just try to think about working out to make yourself feel better. Eventually it will get easier and you will look forward to it!

ok...sounds good
i have not excersised today because of the build up of tests for midterms and such, so tomorrow i plan on exercising tomorrow though for about...35 minutes which i will do. all and all im doing well. if i finish studying at a resonable hour i may go for a 15 minute walk on the treadmill. which would be nice
gotta go study!
bye

Hang in there Kristen!

Liz

hey all i lost another 1lb!!!

Congratulations! Way to go! Keep up the good work!:carrot:

Losing my Focus from STRESS!!
 

I have been so busy and STRESSED OUT MAJORLY
Midterms are finally over and due to my perfectionisitc nature I was really hoping for mostly A's and at least a B on my otehr courses. When I got a C on my English midterm I got really upset. Now i am trying to get on track with school work and everything is so hectic there are so many tests and I'm losing my mind! I think I failed 3 quizzes I had yesterday and then I had another problem.

2 days in a row my biology teacher who is new to the school this year was making really mean jokes. first he made jokes about special ed. and I was very upset because my sister is disabled, so I told him in front of some of the class he was acting rude and obnoxious and he could not stop apologizing enough and I think he genuinley felt bad but then the next day...
we had to do a gentics lab for a project so my friend Lauren qho is very very skinny she looks like a teenage version of Twiggy, anyway we had to draw a picture of the child we had acording to the genetic rules and since my friend can't draw well she just drew a stick figure.
Well my teacher was gradin the papers and then he looks at everyone's pics and jokes around about how silly they are and then he goes to my friend Lauren, I like your guys stikc figure did she inherit the anorexic gene. So this teacher has REALLY PISSED ME OFF!!!! And I feel guilty for embarressing him in front of his class by telling him what he did was wrong but at the same time I thought what I did was right because you should never make fun of a disabled child.
What do you think?
So I have been eating out of stress after school lately from this kind of stuff.
It feel good to get that off my chest.
Thanks

I know exactly how you feel. I can really tell that you are a very intelligent girl. This is extremely hard, especially when you have morons like your teacher around.

Really I can empathize with you because I know how you feel. I have two children one of which is eight months old. I'm trying to exercise and diet and I'm a full time student. I can tell you that you will run in to teachers like this the rest of your life. I have teaches that always make fun of accounting majors (I'm in business school and I'm an accounting major). High school is tough just make try and make it through.

As far as exercise goes I just do it. I am pretty sure they give lunch brakes. Most schools have a track. You could walk around that on your lunch brake. Don't worry what people think either. When you are in high school it seems like the social aspect is so important. Really though when you get older you will see that all the worry is for nothing. All the way through school I ate lunch by myself and had no friends. I made it through and I know you can too.

Hopefully I can fit in here. There seems to be no other place for me on the 3fc forum.

Happygirl, we're glad to have you here..... I hope you've been reading around the boards, the ladies here are just wonderful. Just plop in anywhere and start chatting away.

Here are a few of my thoughts --

I like to cook up some chicken breasts on the weekend (just in a non-stick frying pan with a little water in the bottom and a lid to keep the steam in) until they are done and then to cut them into strips and refridgerate them to use during the week.

I make a wrap with a whole wheat tortilla , some hummus/laughing cow cheese wedge/blackbean dip/low-fat mayo, 3 oz chicken breast, a big handful of lettuce or spinach. I also take a BIG salad and add some reduced fat dressing. Maybe also a cheese stick or a yogurt.
This is easy to make ready the night before and just pack up for lunch. You can get some low-fat healthy choice (or other brand) lunch meat if you don't want to cook the chicken breasts to make it even easier. Use different spreads (hummus, low-fat bean dip, different low-fat cheeses, dressings, etc) on the wrap to mix it up so you don't get bored.

I noticed that once I started taking a regular multivitamin and eating better/healthier foods, I started to feel so much better and less tired -- even though I get up early and waork hard, too! Give it a week or two and you may find that you have more energy, too.

Exercise also has a way of decreasing stress and increasing energy, even though that seems counter-intuitive. Try and aim for about 20/30 minutes a day RIGHT WHEN you get home from school. Make it a priority... get home, do 20 or so minutes of cardio, then wash your face, grab a glass of water, grab a healthy snack and start on homework until dinner time. On days when you have a little more time or 2 times a week, try a little weight training using cans of soup if you don't have weights.

If you get into MUST EAT STRESS ANGER WHATEVER mode, try baby carrots with some low-fat ranch dip, or cucumbers and some hummus. The crunchy is nice to help you overcome some of that stress.

Some nice after-school snack ideas:
- A few wheat crackers with a laughing cow cheese wedge
- Some cottage cheese with pineapple
- A piece of string cheese with some bell-pepper strips
- A tortilla baked in the oven for a few minutes with salsa
- Spread a piece of low-fat ham with a Tbsp of low-fat cream cheese and wrap around a pickle spear, then crunch away.
- Veggies and hummus or low-fat dressing or dip.

I hope this helps, good luck!!

I have the exact same problem. I live about 30 miles from my school, so I take the school bus, and the bus stops are too far apart to walk to a different one. I leave at 7 am in the morning and get home at 7 pm if I stay after for activities. My gym teacher hasn't made us do anything in gym for months but sit around and watch Disney movies (on the plus side, I know now all the words to Beauty & the Beast, The Fox & the Hound, and The Little Mermaid...) I don't do sports. And I'm a really picky eater, so I end up eating chips & stuff for lunch because I can't stand the school lunch. I also hate lettuce. I also have a week off coming up, and I eat whenever I'm bored, so I think I might gain like 500 pounds this week. (My two best friends are in Texas for the week, so it's not like I can do things with them to keep from being bored.) Hellllp. I also need food suggestions...what to eat for lunch, and even dinner, since all my mom cooks are things like lamb which I can't stand to eat.

Hey Ladies! :)
thanks for all the ideas and input. I am definitley going to take PhysDom's advise about food and excersise. THANKS SOO MUCH! Also, thank you happiegirl for saying I am an intelligent girl! You are so sweet! And inkaholic, if you ever want to chat about anything with excersie,school, food I have aim and my sn is BaybieFrosh x3 so feel free to IM me.

I am happy to report that I am doing better now that I am getting back on track. I have been writing down what I eat and I have also been excersisng. the danceprogram at my school is having our show shortyl so I am getting a lot of excersise through practice and such. I have lost 2 lbs this week!!! I am so proud. Not a lot of weight I guess but its still something.

Thanks girls and if you have any recipes or any otehr idea let me know!

-Kristen:hug:

Hey, I give you props for trying so hard to lose weight in high school. I'm nearing the end of my senior year now and it's TOUGH!! We have donuts every Thursday morning in homeroom, they serve pizza for lunch everyday and although I bring my own lunch I'm tempted often, and my friends are always offering me goodies. Not to mention I love baking for my friends! Keep up the good work :) For me, diet and exercise has really helped me recover from my depression. It gives me something to work for. Good luck <3

I'm not a teen but I'm the mom of a teen and know how tough high school can be nowadays. Especially when you're trying to cope with more than just doing well academically. I hope you don't mind hearing from an "old lady"!

I'm so glad you're feeling better, and I agree, you sound not only like an intelligent young woman, but a kind and compassionate one, as well. Good for you!

One food item I didn't see mentioned is hard boiled-eggs (protein source). You can make a few at a time and pop them in the fridge for later. They go well at lunch (just remember to bring something to wrap the shells up in so they don't smell). Also, the new individually packed tuna is quite nice. Some of the packs have 5oz -- that may be a bit much (some plans say you're supposed to have 3-4oz of protein), some have only 3oz and come with a tiny pack of crackers, if crackers are of interest to you.

I'm just thinking tuna and eggs are a nice change of pace from cheese (a food I can easily live without) and chicken, which you said you didn't like anyway. They also travel well. You might check in the cafeteria -- don't most schools have hard-boiled eggs?

Keep up the good work, KristenElizabeth, we're all cheering for you!

Thanks for all your support everyone!!

I am having a tough week. I went out ot dinner with some family which is not eqasy for me because for some reason I tend to get nervous in restraunts and in any social situation. Just part of being me :) anyway, I ate really BAD food tonight. Chocolate cake with ice cream and a cappuccino for dessert! :devil: sinful! I will just workout tomorrow a lot. Especially because I am off from school yeay!

Thanks for all the food ideas. I will make a note about that.

xoxo :hug: