Ladies...I am in dire need of support long overdue. I'm Steph and I'm a college sophomore. Since my sophomore year in high school I've had about 30 excess pounds that I put on, and even though my current lifestyle has physical fitness highly integrated within it, you'd be surprised at just how difficult it still is to take the weight off. So I'm in the Navy--actually the Naval Academy--which combines the stress of regular college with the stress of having to keep up with the standards of learning how to be an officer. Waking up at 0630 and then not getting to bed until at least midnight because you have 10 different ridiculous classes to do homework for isn't conducive to dieting...i.e. snacking helps me stay awake. And the mandatory meals they serve us here aren't really good for dieting either (umm...can we say fried EVERYTHING? But how else do you feed 4400 people at once?) So please, ladies, help an overworked and overweight girl out, and as we say in the military, motivate me!

p.s....we have "weight control" programs in the navy and at the academy...you DON'T want to be in them...so I'd like to get it off myself!

Hi Stephhh,
Wow, you have quite a rigorous schedule going there. First I wanted to say welcome to 3fc. Second, I don't know if I can help with. Are you saying that the mandatory meals are your only food source or you'd starve? I can't believe the naval academy is serving all that fried food. Maybe cut back at the mandatory meals and when you snack make better choices for snacks. Sorry if this doesn't help, but since you posted so early somebody else will be along soon I'm sure. Good luck to you!

Yes actually our meals are mandatory 3 times a day. We wouldn't starve, because the midshipman store keeps stocked up with chips, pretzels, drinks, snacks, etc. Not super healthy stuff though (but remember my school is 82% male and guys, and when they PT they can just work it all off....whereas it takes us ladies longer). I do usually skip on dinner and eat either cereal or something like a ramen dinner...we can't keep refrigerators until senior year so slimfasts or frozen diet dinners are kind of difficult to store. I think healthier snacks is definitely the way to go, and probably just trying to eat less. It's just difficult because we're all so tired all the time--after school gets out around 3:30 we have a mandatory 2.5 hours of some type of sports practice and then evenings are spent doing homework (which usually goes way into the early morning).

Steph, why do you say that no one wants to be in the weight control program? Do they limit your calories too severely or work you out to death? I can just imagine an all-or-nothing approach in the military with no gray area, no compromise or middle ground. I come from a Marine Corps family, so I know how that can go, lol. But applying that approach to weight loss can be more detrimental to long-term goals than just about anything! I am concerned for you. Weight loss is affected by things like adequate sleep and stress levels, as well as by the wrong foods. I'm thinking the best you can try to do is eat whatever appears to be the healthiest. For example, choose pretzels or peanuts for snacks over chips and cookies. Drink water over anything else. Choose light meat over dark if you have a choice. Peel the skin off of fried chicken. Limit what you eat from the mandatory meals and try to stock up on some fruits that don't have to be refrigerated, like apples and oranges, and also nuts and seeds, like almonds and walnuts and pumpkin or sunflower seeds. I'm afraid that until you graduate and serve your time in the military, you are just going to have to make the healthiest choices you can from the foods you are offered and the foods you can supplement them with. Good luck!

Ooh ouch, this is a toughie!
First thing I would say is not to skip on dinner. As others have said, try to choose the healthiest options from what you have and hopefully you'll be less likely to snack after your three meals a day. I think if you try going 110% on the sports, 2.5 hours should be enough time to work off a lot of your calorie intake.

Stress and sleep deprivation are probably crucial factors here. Try not to panic about your weight too much, as this can result in a vicious circle. Also, is there any way you can get to bed earlier? It seems overly harsh for you to be forced into such an unforgiving routine.

I wish you the best of luck anyway, and most importantly, don't give up

Sarah x

Welcome to 3FC!! Surf around and settle in! We have subforums based on age, eating plan, exercise and more!

Wow! The Naval Academy! I'm impressed! I know you probably exercise a lot, so it comes down to food choices. Think veggies! Is there a salad bar? Also think protein! So I agree, try to eat a good dinner....ramen! Ack! Not a good dinner! Do you lift weights? Weightlifting burns calories far beyond steady state cardio. I bet the Academy has a pretty good gym. Can you keep protein powder in your dorm? A protein shake and a green salad loaded with veggies and some nuts or cheese might not be a bad way to go for dinner.