My name is Kath (my username is trying to be clever). I'm 19 and have been overweight for most of my life. I feel like I'm lucky because despite this, I haven't had a lot of the emotional baggage that so often comes with being overweight in this culture, especially as a kid. I mean, of course I have body issues, but I'm no more insecure or uncomfortable with myself than the average (or average sized) person, I don't think.
Maybe it's because I've always been very active. From the time I was about 6 until I was 17 or 18 I was constantly involved in sports, in high school, I was a three season athlete (rowing in the spring and fall, swimming in the winter)! And even though I was not even half bad at these sports (I was actually one of the fastest rowers on my crew team), I was never thin. I think I just accepted the fact that I would never BE thin, but as long as I was as healthy as the skinny suburbanites around me, it didn't matter to me that much (it also didn't help that I was on SSRIs at the time that made me gain a lot of weight, I'm currently in the process of coming off of them). It's just the way I am: my dad, who was overweight as a kid, rides his bike 30 miles a day just to stay average sized. That's not the kind of sacrifice I was willing to make just to be a way that my body clearly doesn't want me to be. I tried a few diets here and there, I even lost about 20 pounds on South Beach once, but as an Italian American food is a huge part of my life and I felt like I was sacrificing for a goal that I didn't even want all that much(my mom kinda forced me to go on it)!
I haven't even gained much weight since I got to college two years ago and stopped doing sports (my school doesn't have a crew team and I'm not a good enough swimmer to make the swim team here). Maybe ten pounds, if that. But I feel so much different. I smoke and drink too much, I've stopped exercising regularly. I think it's time to face the fact that (although I still don't think I look it, in fact sometimes I think I'm downright hot!) I'm obese. Weight gets harder and harder to lose as you get older, so why not do this now while I'm young and get into the habit of healthy eating and exercise, you know?
I'm sure you do. You post here, right?
Since I'm poor and have to eat in a dining hall for most of my meals, I've decided the easiest way for me to lose weight (and not feel like I've given anything up) is to count calories. I started using fitday a few days ago and I think things are going well. Wish me luck! I'm trying to lose 20 pounds by July.
You've got the right idea. Tackle bad habits now. Add in good habits now. Counting calories is a fabulous way to watch what you eat. There's a calorie-counters area under Diet Central. You're almost 20, so the 20-something's should be a good place for you Plenty of college students there!
You like those sports, so I bet you could participate in some group activities again to get the physical activity up. And, I'm sure you've heard it a million times before, but put away those cigarettes! They're a waste of money. Okay. I won't bring it up again. You know all about them.
Make sure you have a look around, and be sure to post wherever you're comfortable!
My name is Taylor and I am 21 and also a college student.
I know how hard it is to lose weight in college and being a younger person. I have also been over weight most of my life..and also new to this forum.
I think your idea of counting is a good idea...and I am sorry you have to eat in the dining hall..but is there anyway you could maybe have some healthy snacks in your dorm to help you from over eating at dinner?
As you probably know weight-loss is not - not eating. You probably need to eat more often and little portions of the right things. For example, between my breakfast (1/2 cup kashi) and lunch (tuna sandwich with lots of veggies) I eat a piece of low-fat string cheese so I won't be tempted to eat chips or crackers with my sandwich.
And so getting active...why don't you swim? Is it something you enjoy? I know I love it - I use to do free-style for my high school. So get out there...you never know...you may make the team!
Taylor86 - I'm trying to eat small meals/snacks every three hours so I don't feel hungry and it seems to be working well. I try to have my biggest meal of the day be breakfast (usually two scrambled eggs with some tomatoes and maybe a little mozzarella) and sort of taper down from there, with smaller snacks and slightly larger meals. I need to get a handle on my sodium intake (since all of the diet-y foods I have seem to be pretty high in salt - v8, miso, etc)
As for getting active, my best friend gained about 50 pounds last year and has lost almost all of it since this summer. I'm very proud of him and he's a great gym buddy! I generally use the rowing machine since that's what I've been trained to use, and I run on the elliptical. I'm slowly reintroducing weight training to my exercise regimen but for now I'm sticking to moderate to heavy cardio. It's really awesome to have the support of my friend, in the gym and out of it.
re: smoking. I'm getting better. I average about one or two a day, more if I'm drinking. I'm going to try to do one thing at a time, here, and I want to get my diet right first. I'm trying to cut back (it's never really been hard for me, I just came off of two weeks without smoking at all) but it's not my main focus right now.
Er, hi?
Plenty of college students there!
with my sandwich.
. . . You've taken a very important first step towards success by coming to this site, Chickie. . . 
