College Student with Unhealthy Habits
mblalock39
Posts: 7 Member
I am a college student who lives on campus. Our cafe has very few healthy options and little to choose from in terms of good food. The only good food that they offer is the pizza but it is so greasy that you can see the drip off of it when you pick it up. My mom gets on to me when I go out to get food and my mini fridge is too small to fit any good food into except maybe 2-3 frozen meals. We have an on campus gym but my classes get in the way of me being able to work out. Does anyone have any tips on how I can stay fit or lose weight without having to spend money on expensive meals?
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Replies
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Eat less of the foods you're eating now. Do little things to take in less calories. If you're eating the pizza, use a napkin to blot off the excess grease. And eat less of it. Eat 1-2 slices instead of 3-4. I have a hard time though imagining there is a college campus that ONLY serves pizza. You may need to consider eating some things just because you know you should - like veggies. You may find that by trying different foods made in different ways, you like some of them. Also realize that if you're drinking calories in the form of soda, tea, juice: look for ways to cut that back as well. Like drinking more water and less overly sweetened products.
As for activity: if your class schedule interferes with when the gym is open, walk more. Walk outside. Walk up and down the halls of campus buildings if the weather is poor for walking outside. The more active you are, the better.0 -
Set a caloric goal and stick to it, regardless of whether the food is considered healthy or not, it's all about calories in vs calories out. I understand wanting something healthy though. Do they not have a salad bar with a protein option? I know most colleges around me have to incorporate those options for people's diet preferences and it's almost a must now a days. What else do they have? You can keep oatmeal, canned meat or seafood, bread, peanut or almond butter, cheap fruits such as bananas, apples, and pears....etc0
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You would probably be able to fit a lot more in the mini fridge if you replaced the frozen meals with other things- for example chopped raw veggies (Carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, etc) in small sealable bags.
If there really is no other option but pizza at the canteen, try making your own foods (bread etc doesn't need to be refrigerated, so its quite possible to make your own sandwiches to take to classes with you. Although most of the fillings may need to be kept cool, fillings like tinned tuna could be kept in your dorm/room.
Another option would be to only have one slice of pizza and have it with some salad you bring from home (including the chopped veggies I mentioned) so that you fill up on low calorie alternatives. Or you could go even further and bring ALL your food from home. Plenty of 'snack' foods can be put together to make a decent meal- crackers, low cal spreadable cheese triangles, veggies, fruits, low cal crisps, jelly pots, etc are all good alternatives that would probably come in at under half the calories of the pizza you're eating.
At the end of the day though, there likely is a healthier alternative to pizza. You mention it's the only 'good' food- good how? If it's the only good tasting food then you may just have to sacrifice taste for the healthier/lower calorie option. No one LOVES eating salad over pizza all the time, but it's necessary to make better choices in order to lose weight. If we could all choose the 'good' food and still lose weight then none of us would have to be here!
Failing that, appeal to your college to put healthier options on the menu. Writing a letter or getting a petition started can often get surprisingly fast results, even something like a salad bar is pretty simple but can make a huge difference to students diets.0 -
The only good food is pizza? I guess bad food is salad or grilled chicken?0
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"We have an on campus gym but my classes get in the way of me being able to work out." Really?
What hours are the gym open and what is your class schedule. I'm gonna guess you can find a time when you're not in class and the gym is open. Failing that, walk to the gym to check on if it is open and, if not, jog back to your room to study. Workout complete.0 -
The lettuce is always old and sour the chicken that the have is under cooked we also have a subway but we have to use our meal exchanges and we only get 7 meal exchanges a week and $200 on our student card per semester0
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I've been to the gym a couple of times and it's open until midnight on the weekdays and 7pm on the weekends but the problem is being a nursing major I have no time except maybe 3 or 4 hours during the week and 4-6 on the weekends to go to the gym.0
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You are making excuses.
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I need motivation. I've easily gained 30 pounds since I've started school. I'm really stressed and when I'm stressed I eat. But since I've gotten this app it has helped me control that.0
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mblalock39 wrote: »The lettuce is always old and sour the chicken that the have is under cooked we also have a subway but we have to use our meal exchanges and we only get 7 meal exchanges a week and $200 on our student card per semester
then make a complaint to your college. They shouldn't be serving undercooked food, as undercooked chicken can make you seriously ill. I'd focus on getting your calorie intake under control first, as it seems like you're making excuses for everything and anything. Once you have a firm grasp on your diet, then focus on working out. There isn't much point in working out (aside from fitness) if your calories are way off- you cant out-exercise a calorie surplus.
If the gym is open until midnight, set aside 2 hours twice a week and go then. You'll feel a lot better in yourself once you've started going. It's the initial push that's the hardest. If you cant go to the gym because it's not open- do workouts at home. Fitnessblender is great and free.
Cold hard truth; At the end of the day, there's really no excuse. The only reason you wont lose weight is due to lack of commitment. Once you get past the 'I cant/wont' attitude you'll be able to focus much more on what you can do, and make positive changes
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mblalock39 wrote: »I am a college student who lives on campus. Our cafe has very few healthy options and little to choose from in terms of good food. The only good food that they offer is the pizza but it is so greasy that you can see the drip off of it when you pick it up. My mom gets on to me when I go out to get food and my mini fridge is too small to fit any good food into except maybe 2-3 frozen meals. We have an on campus gym but my classes get in the way of me being able to work out. Does anyone have any tips on how I can stay fit or lose weight without having to spend money on expensive meals?
My best advice is to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility. How much you eat is important far more than what you eat.0 -
callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »You are making excuses.
Yep.
"Keep doin' what you're doin', you're gonna keep gettin' what you're gettin." ~Zig Ziglar
It is your choice. You have to choose what you want the most. It sounds like you know what the answer is, but you are hoping we will come in here and offer some magic solution. It doesn't work like that. Eat fewer calories than you burn. How you do that is up to you.0 -
mblalock39 wrote: »The lettuce is always old and sour the chicken that the have is under cooked we also have a subway but we have to use our meal exchanges and we only get 7 meal exchanges a week and $200 on our student card per semester
I'm pretty sure that any school that accepts government funds is required to meet minimum dietary standards of providing nutritionally sound and healthy food. Complain to your counselor if they aren't.0 -
mblalock39 wrote: »I've been to the gym a couple of times and it's open until midnight on the weekdays and 7pm on the weekends but the problem is being a nursing major I have no time except maybe 3 or 4 hours during the week and 4-6 on the weekends to go to the gym.
How much time do you think you need? I note that you only cite the closing time. When does it open? Things/workouts can occur in the morning.callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »You are making excuses.mblalock39 wrote: »I need motivation. I've easily gained 30 pounds since I've started school. I'm really stressed and when I'm stressed I eat. But since I've gotten this app it has helped me control that.
You need to do what you need to do. No one will "motivate" you to get to work everyday. No one will "motivate" you to pay your bills and taxes on time. No one will "motivate" you to do what's right during the rest of your life. I don't understand the perverse attitude on these boards that someone else has to "motivate" me to do what I want to do. Do what you want, do want you need to do because YOU want to do them or YOU need to do them. Why are so many people here willing, if not anxious, to cede responsibility for their actions, or lack thereof, to someone else for failing to "motivate" them?
"I need motivation" is not a rallying cry, it is an abdication of control over your life. It's lazy, it's counter productive. Stop it! Nike just may have it right: "JUST DO IT"0 -
We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.0
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If you have 3-4 hours during the week of free time you can exercise (and you don't have to go to the gym). Walk around campus, walk up stairs in buildings, do body weight exercises in your room. In college I would make myself a bowl of oatmeal every morning in my room. Complain about the food if it is that bad. Go to the store, gets some veggies to stick in your fridge to pad out a slice of pizza if you need too. Look into things like cans of soup for quick dinners if you need to. There are lots of options but you need decide to do something different and stop making excuses.0
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mblalock39 wrote: »We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.
You sound like you are parroting someone else. Dump the excuses and make the changes you need to make. Or don't.
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Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X160
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mblalock39 wrote: »Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X16
Google it. You'll find all kinds of things.0 -
Here is a decent starting point, you can also just youtube for cardio stuff depending on what you like.
nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/0 -
I know it is very easy to lose motivation easily and it is discouraging when you don't see instant results, like I only lost 2 lbs so far and that's annoying but whatever. I love cheese, hate meal prepping, and I love sitting in my bed for hours but in order to make a change you need to honestly start some where and stop with the excuses. Every time someone comes up with an idea you rebuttal it. Bodybuilding.com has a lot of help, Livestrong.com as well, hell I get all my recipe ideas on Pinterest. You need to start off small and not go completely cold turkey cutting things out, that'll never work. Switch to soy or almond milk instead of dairy, walk to class instead of driving, set aside $75 a week to do a small food shopping and go with a list so you don't over spend or buy random crap (also stay on the perimeter of the store, all the isles in the middle are usually processed). Not getting to the gym because you study too much isn't even an excuse, Chris Gronkowski (Rob Gronkowski's brother) spent a week at Hardvard and said that the students were literally on the bikes and treadmills running. Not appealing I get it, but they get it done.
Like others have said, the sooner you stop the excuses the sooner the extra lbs will fall off. Do research and get ideas. Good luck0 -
This is going to sound harsh, but I'm going to say it straightforwardly:
Unless you're classes are going for 18+ hours a day, they probably not actually stopping you, they are merely making it inconvenient to go to the gym. Literally everyone else there is figuring out how to make it work with their classes.
As far as food goes: If your mother is financially supporting you, then ok, she can have some say in what food you buy. Otherwise, her "getting on to" you is something you can learn to put up with.
Also, you can still lose weight eating cafeteria food. You just have to eat fewer calories than you burn.0 -
mblalock39 wrote: »Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X16
Just eat slightly smaller serving sizes. You aren't overweight because you don't do any exercise in your room. You're overweight because you ate too many calories. If you try and solve this problem with purely exercise, then the moment you have a string of mid-terms / finals coming up, everything will go out the window and you'll gain some weight. Then you'll exercise it off, and find yourself in the exact same position when the next exam cycle / really tight deadline comes around.
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It sounds to me like the caf just flat out isn't a good option. My university caf is terrible too, not as bad as yours but we don't have a salad bar, there are very few veggie options (no vegetarian options with any protein! *facepalm*), and it's wildly overpriced. I think you should opt out of it as soon as possible, and get your food at the grocery store. You may have to spend a bit more money, which, I know, sounds awful & may upset your mom. But things like dried lentils are inexpensive & don't need to be refrigerated. Chopped fresh veggies can go in your fridge, like suggested above.
The stress eating is a separate issue. I struggle with it myself. Most universities have to include therapy/counselling services, though the state of yours sounds dismal so if they do, take advantage of it, and if not maybe some self-help books can help? I find exercise helps me control my stress (and by extension my eating) & if you have a big room, bodyweight & yoga stuff can be great! If the gym is inconvenient/difficult to get to/stressful, just try working out on your own in your room. A yoga mat on the floor and some youtube videos & you're set! I also enjoy walking outdoors, though now it's winter I struggle more getting outside.
Motivation is, again, a separate issue. It has to come from yourself. Motivational sayings, mantras, lists to remind yourself of what you want, etc. It's all tools, but the core motivation is internal. And if you don't really want it, it won't really happen. I see motivation, for myself, as a positive energy & a negative energy. Sometimes I have positive energy & it helps me work out, eat better, get more done, stop procrastinating, and feel good about myself. When I'm stressed I often have negative energy, which makes all of those things harder, and pushes me to think badly about myself, do destructive things, and avoid good ones. That's when I stress eat and don't exercise. Rewiring the way we think about ourselves and the things that we do takes time. It takes effort. And there will be slip ups and mistakes. But getting back up and trying again is how we learn to be motivated.
I wish you all the best, nursing is a really difficult program! I understand that it can feel overwhelming & stressful. If you're living at school, that can also feel isolating and difficult, especially with the organization around food and time management. I'm still terrible at all of that. But I think that we can get better, and we can learn. There are a lot of great resources out here, and on the rest of the internet. Finding & implementing what works for us is a struggle & a process, but I think it's a worthwhile one.
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This is long, hope no one takes it the wrong way. It's just my personal experience and my friends' experience since I'm the same age as OP.
I go to a competitive college where almost everyone has overloaded schedules and extracurriculars that last until midnight at least, but most people still find time to go to the gym at least 4 days a week for about an hour a day. Going every other day is an easier way to get into the habit. I understand where you're coming from with not having enough time. A lot of the working adults on this site think that everyone's college experience is identical to theirs, and like to say things like: "you'll only get more busy than you are now" and "you can't even imagine how much less time you'll have as a working adult"! It's really frustrating for me to hear, but even more frustrating for my mom to hear because she's a "working adult" and she can see firsthand that it's not true. So first of all, I'm validating your claim that you don't have enough time in the day. I know many of us survive with full schedules from 6 am to 1 am or later which is a lifestyle lots of people can't even imagine. Even if you're as busy as that, you can make time. There's always a way to minimize the time you waste on things you don't need to do. Study smarter, eat less elaborate meals, don't waste time on the computer or your phone. If you want it, you will make time for it.
If you have anxiety about running into people you know at the gym, try going close to opening or closing. The other commenters seem harsh telling you to stop making excuses but it's actually true--you just need to push yourself out of the comfort zone and you'll find some time that works for you. My campus gym opens at 6 am, so I try to wake up at 6 and get there ASAP. It's really empty and a great time to work out. If you absolutely can't bring yourself to wake up early, then you should head over at 10:30 pm so you can get an hour in before closing. On days when I can't make myself wake up, I definitely head over at night. It's nice to have a backup option during the day so you don't get steered off course from your goals. As far as what you do once you get to the gym.. you could look into some options. A few friends of mine have had great results with group classes. I prefer to run/elliptical/arc trainer 45 minutes and then strength train 15 minutes per day on machines, alternating what I'm working out per session. Last year I had one semester where I was so busy that it was hard for me to get to the gym. So I got a yoga mat ($5) and some small 5-lb weights. I did core exercises in my room on the floor like planks, sit ups, etc. There are probably better ones that are more efficient and safer on the internet but I think strength training is really important for people our age. It helps with cutting out fat and energizes you for the rest of the day.
Hold yourself accountable to your goals. I usually don't have time to count calories in the middle of the semester, so I set more broad rules. No refined sugar, no white carbs, etc. Avoid processed food, frozen meals, and oil. Don't go to restaurants to eat. If I break any of these things, I definitely need to hold myself accountable and skip something fun I was going to do (like sleep an extra hour, honestly, no one has time for "real fun") and spend that time at the gym or exercising some way I don't like. For example, I live in a 24 floor building so I might make myself climb the stairs up and down once if I have an ice cream in the middle of a strict dieting period.
For dieting, it's probably difficult with a meal plan. I only had one my first year and I thought it was pretty annoying to try and diet with. I suggest sticking with eggs and fruit and vegetables at the dining hall if you can't find good chicken. I actually went veg for a few months a few years ago during high school and my diet was super successful. If you're only eating veg, watching your nutrient intake, and avoiding unhealthy things like sugar/oil, there's pretty much no way to mess up. Even if it tastes bad... just eat it. Emotionally divorce yourself from food.
Hope this helps! Good luck to us next semester 0 -
mblalock39 wrote: »We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.
That sucks.
Maybe next semester you should vote with your feet by changing schools.0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »mblalock39 wrote: »We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.
That sucks.
Maybe next semester you should vote with your feet by changing schools.
i went to all private schools and had I had one valid complaint (and the food issue as well as health issues based on mold and insects would have been legitimate) would have had my grandfather (Who paid for my schooling) sending me to another school ASAP.
but you are still making excuses 0 -
1. Set some goals for yourself. Make them reasonable, small even to start with. And make sure to hit them.
2. Identify what you CAN do, instead of listing all the reasons you can't do something.
3. Look for ways to multi-task. Read on the treadmill perhaps. (Tip: go a little slower and increase the incline.)0 -
Who runs the food service? Is it run by the campus or an outside vendor (Aramark, Sodexo)? Meet with them and ask them to put healthier options on the menu.
You can do a HIIT workout in 30 minutes. Some squats and clean and jerks in another 30 on another day.
A Nursing major is tough, but what kind of nurse will you be if you aren't healthy? How can you help others with their health issues when you don't follow your own advice?
If you're a stress eater, find other coping strategies. Maybe exercise! Visit the campus's counseling center and ask for some help with stress management.0 -
mblalock39 wrote: »Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X16
As I mentioned in a previous post, FitnessBlender is a great resource. You can search for workouts based on equipment used (or none at all), length, body area worked on, calories burned, difficulty etc.
But as many people have already told you, diet is an important part of weightloss. As someone previously mentioned you didnt put weight on because you didnt workout in your dorm room. Exercise should be used in conjunction with a moderated diet
I'd definitely recommend reading thoroughly through all the responses OP, there's a lot of good advice that you dont seem to be responding to.0
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