I am 18 years old and I have been overweight all of my life. At one point during my freshman year of high school I weighed 250 pounds. I have worked very hard and I have lost about 80 pounds. It was hard but I did it and I was so proud of myself. But now I am at college and sticking with a diet and exorcise plan is very hard to do. There is not much healthy food here, it is mostly fast food. And there is a gym but the classes that I have make it hard to find time to work out. So if there is anyone who has any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated...I want to be able to loose weight, but I want to do it in a healthy way...So please help me out...
Thanks
Lacey

Hi Lacey,

First off, congrats on your previous loss! That's awesome!

When there's a will, there's a way... If you have to eat in the cafeteria, try to choose foods without gravy and sauces. Take double vegetables and fruits. In your dorm room, keep healthy snacks ready(you know which are which).

In regards to exercise, you could walk around campus when you have time. Ask a friend to join you so it will go faster. You could do sit-ups and leg-lifts in your room.

One more thing - Please-oh-please get your weight under control now. Don't wait til you're an old hag like me, with a slow metabolism and skin that doesn't "bounce back" like it used to.

Good luck, and here's a hug for you:

Jana

Hi Lacey! Congrats on your weightloss! Woohoo! That's wonderful!

I'm an old lady (48) with lots of weight to lose and I wish I would have been diligent in my younger days and lost it then. I congratulate you for doing that while you are still young and able. As far as the 'freshman 15', that's a bit of a tough one. I have a 21 and 23 year old son, both in college and only one of them was successful in not putting on the dreaded 'freshman 15' and that's because he lives at home and commutes. The 21 y/o lives on campus and you've summed it up about the choices available.

My niece has also begun her freshman year at college and she and her friends have a pact to keep off the 'freshman 15' and that's that none of them will have dessert in the cafeteria unless all of them get dessert. That way if one of them doesn't feel like it, then none of them get to indulge. Their only hope is that at each meal somebody doesn't want it so no one can have it! Do you have a group of friends that are committed like that? That would be helpful.

Jana had some great advice. Even if you can walk to classes that would be a big help on the exercise front. Do you have a TV/VCR in your room? If so, even the walking tapes or Richard Simmons would be something you can do in your room. Maybe an inexpensive set of hand weights or an exercise band for a nice workout. Do you have an opportunity to get to a grocery or fruit market? If so, make sure you stock up on plenty of portable 'good stuff' there. Perhaps you can make a point to drink only water while you're at school. That usually helps with alot of calories.

I hope some of this helps. If you have a fridge in your room, I have several recipes for pudding type stuff that you could make up and keep ready for when the snack devil comes to call.

Hope some of this helps. I wish you all good things.