College: Work. Class. Workout. What is free time?

J_Schmelz

Hello Everyone,

My name is John, I'm a 23 year-old finance MBA student. I've always been in average to sub-average shape (6'1'', 185 - 190lbs). Over the past 6 months I've said to myself, "John, it's time to pull it together and get in shape." Thanks to MFP, running, and more recently Insanity, I've dropped about 10 pounds and am flirting with 180 even. Stepping on the scale and seeing it read 179.6 was a wonderful feeling.

I find myself in a situation I'm sure many other college students and young professionals find themselves in, struggling to find the energy and time after a full day to put in a solid 30 - 60 minute workout. Having played golf in high school and focused on business in college, I haven't the slightest idea on putting together a comprehensive workout program together.

Fortunately, a friend of mine ran cross country for our university and came across the Insanity DVDs. We did the workouts together for a couple weeks, then one night after a few too many drinks he dropped a TV on his foot and was out of commission (how he managed that I have no idea). Long story short we both took a few weeks off before the doctor told him he won't be able to do Insanity for several weeks. So that has left me going it alone.

Insanity has been great, I saw modest results after 2 weeks and look forward to completing it and doing the 60 days over again. However, as it's been said, real results come from the kitchen. I could begin to estimate the number of Lean Pockets and roast beef on white sandwiches I've consumed over the past 2 years but it would be considerably embarrassing. Like other college students a large number of my dishes are nuked in the microwave and my sodium intake (thanks MFP) is typically well over my recommended intake.

Before I continue, I'll toss in a bit more about myself (who doesn't like writing about themselves). I enjoy playing golf, playing guitar, mostly rock and metal, and cars. Part of my time crunch has been caused by time I spend after work on professional development, reading books, extra exercises preparing for next semester, etc.

How have my fellow college students managed to maintain a workout routine and eat (reasonably) healthy during these hectic years?

I'd love to hear your Insanity experiences! Shaun T gets me pretty pumped up for the workouts.

Anyone here share a common interest with me? I have 4 or 5 friends on here but would like to have a few more people watching, motivation for me to pass on that bit of dessert, ya know?

All the best,

John

cmeade20

I found quick things that were a little healthier. For example when I was up late writing a paper and suddenly realized I was hungry instead of zapping a frozen pizza or ordering a sub I'd have an apple with peanut butter or yogurt (more filling then one thinks). I also find myself eating a lot of grilled chicken and veggies because they are simple, cheap and quick.

J_Schmelz

Good point. "Your health is your wealth," as they say. I've done a few morning runs and found myself quite exhausted for most of the day afterwards. However, if I would have stuck with it for a couple weeks and allowed my body time to adjust it would be great to have that out of the way early, before the craziness of the day sets in.

Workout and health comes before school... without your health there is no school. Trust me, there was a time i was severely ill, I could barely go to school and it greatly affected my grades. Workout first before you do any school work, if you have to wake up at 5am, so be it.. just do it.

J_Schmelz

By the way, kickass job dropping 193 pounds!! That is awesome, keep at it!

J_Schmelz

"Cheap and quick" is magic to my ears. Opting for the healthy late night snack like you did is the smart thing to do. I have found myself running to the gas station for a soda and taquito or cookie to keep me going. I'll have to pick up some chicken and vegetables for grilling next time I'm at the store. They make a delicious combo.

I found quick things that were a little healthier. For example when I was up late writing a paper and suddenly realized I was hungry instead of zapping a frozen pizza or ordering a sub I'd have an apple with peanut butter or yogurt (more filling then one thinks). I also find myself eating a lot of grilled chicken and veggies because they are simple, cheap and quick.

cmeade20

Good point. "Your health is your wealth," as they say. I've done a few morning runs and found myself quite exhausted for most of the day afterwards. However, if I would have stuck with it for a couple weeks and allowed my body time to adjust it would be great to have that out of the way early, before the craziness of the day sets in.

Workout and health comes before school... without your health there is no school. Trust me, there was a time i was severely ill, I could barely go to school and it greatly affected my grades. Workout first before you do any school work, if you have to wake up at 5am, so be it.. just do it.

I found that if I worked out as soon as I got home from class or student teaching, prior to doing my homework, it gave me the boost of energy and alertness I needed to get everything done.

missdelajay

That's a good idea to do a workout right away. I'm going back to school to get my masters and was wondering how I could keep up with work and my workouts.

skeeds

Hello! I just finished grad school in a place that had much more.. inclement.. weather than I was used to (cough, frickin freezing, cough) and I'm not going to lie, it was a struggle to balance everything. I have three pieces of advice for you:

(1) Set a schedule. With school and work, your day-to-day may look very different (mine did - night class on Monday, full load of classes Tuesday, work in between, etc..) If you figure out your schedule for each day, gym/Insanity/run time included, and include it on your calendar, you can budget for it. No excuses.

(2) Go grocery shopping. I'm sure it seems obvious but learn from the dummy herself, me. I would get overwhelmed and forget to stock my fridge with healthy foods. And I was already on my computer doing work anyway, so it was just two clicks to order something terrible for me to be delivered. Healthy alternatives = a savior.

(3) Pick some fun activities to do. We're young. Fun is allowed. Find people to play pick up soccer or frisbee golf, or go on a sweet weekend hike. This helped me when I felt like I was being a hermit.. working on final papers and my PAship research, scared of sunlight and going days without talking to another human being face to face. Don't do that, John! Don't be me!

Honestly though, sounds like you're off to an awesome start. Keep it up!!!

skinnyjordan95

I'm an 18 year old student myself. I work full time, go to school full time, and I have to figure out workout time. On top of that, I help take care of my 14 year old sister. I feel you on the struggle for free time. What I do, is I just balance. This is my first day on MFP, but I've been working out for a few weeks now. I use short workouts, i.e. before work, I do a 20 or 40 minute workout, depending on what DVD I pick, after work, I do a slow paced yoga session to help me sleep and relax my muscles. On top of that, I want to start doing the C25k program. I guess I'm just dedicated and really want this to work. I pick short workouts that I know I can squeeze in when I have time.

EngineerPrincess

I am a senior in college and I definitely feel for your problems with time crunch and lack of energy. Engineering major with two jobs here, I have negative free time. Luckily my campus is HUGE (two of my classrooms are over a mile apart) and I walk everywhere. Some people shuttle or bike but I've just learned to walk really fast and walk everywhere, not taking the easy route of elevators/shuttles. That being said I'm definitely no where near the shape I once was (used to be a figure skater), but I utilize 10 minutes here and there for quick yoga poses or a set of sit ups to stay active. Use them as study breaks! A last thing I've incorporated is really cheap fitness classes my school offers. They're on weekend mornings so it's not a huge commitment and fits my schedule. Just stay motivated, great progress so far!

Owligator

I'm an elementary education major and have a part time job so I know what you mean by no time! I've found it helps if I either wear my workout clothes to class or have them in my car so I can just change after class. If I go home there's a big chance I won't work out. Bringing snacks or packing your lunch so you can eat on the go could help too so you're not tempted by convenient food on campus like vending machines.

AlongCame_Molly

I wonder, since you are already in fair shape, if weightlifting wouldn't be a better choice for you? Insanity is great, don't get me wrong, but you'll never be able to progress your strength past your own body weight. Once your finished with Insanity, you really should look into a gym membership. You say you're busy with school and work, and that can take a big toll on fitness routines, I know.

But something a lot of people don't know is that most colleges offer strength and weight training classes in their fitness centers as electives. There are classes where you go in and do your own thing whenever you have time and log your hours, and there are classes where you meet regularly and have an instructor (uh, super cheap quasi-personal trainer, anyone??!?) show you moves. If you're already on campus for classes, why not stay an extra hour and lift for 50 min, 10 min to get showered and dressed? True, you won't have much social life, but at least you'll be ripped!

queencelina

Workout and health comes before school... without your health there is no school. Trust me, there was a time i was severely ill, I could barely go to school and it greatly affected my grades. Workout first before you do any school work, if you have to wake up at 5am, so be it.. just do it.

I completely agree! I got real sick too and now that its summer, i've been trying to relax and now that i'm tapering off meds, i CAN FINALLY CONTROL MY CRAVINGS and try to slim down a bit


anyone feel free to add me! i need a lot of motivation haha

miranda823

I found quick things that were a little healthier. For example when I was up late writing a paper and suddenly realized I was hungry instead of zapping a frozen pizza or ordering a sub I'd have an apple with peanut butter or yogurt (more filling then one thinks). I also find myself eating a lot of grilled chicken and veggies because they are simple, cheap and quick.

This. Although I'm not a supremely healthy eater by any means, making sure there are quick, easy, healthy snacks available definitely helps. I've also learned to love my crock pot because I can put the meal together in the am and don't have to think about it againuntil it is time to eat.

Also, I have learned that I HAVE to workout before homework, no excuses. If I say I'm doing it after, it never gets done because I'm so worn out by then. Basically, I have a set schedule. Three days a week I am I the gym for 30-40 minutes as soon as my husband gets home (I stay home with two small kids during the day) and I go straight to the library from there to get my work done. I think the workout actually helps with my attentiveness because it gets the blood flowing before I have to concentrate. I also try to get one more workout in on either one of the weekend days. It is working for me. Where there is a will, there is a way.

SteelySunshine

Workout and health comes before school... without your health there is no school. Trust me, there was a time i was severely ill, I could barely go to school and it greatly affected my grades. Workout first before you do any school work, if you have to wake up at 5am, so be it.. just do it.

This is so true. I have been sick a long time. I will always have fibromyalgia, but the symptoms are no longer severe. But, they were when I was trying to complete my first degree. I am going back to college in the fall and I am nearly symptom free. I still tire quite easily, but I am still giving working out a go and I feel a lot better. I graduated but it felt like just barely. Really though I was realistically for a time looking at having to repeat a couple of classes at the University, because you need a C or greater to transfer credit. But, I would have still graduated, it was a squeaker on that account.

happieharpie

Although I am a VERY non-traditional student, I find that it helps a lot to invent little ways to add exercise to my life on campus. I commute, so I park at the farthest reaches of the campus and fast-walk to my classes.

Between classes, I do 3-4 three flight stair jogs.

I wear a step counter EVERYWHERE.

Added to your other routines, these may give you a slightly better advantage in calories expended.

J_Schmelz

Hello! I just finished grad school in a place that had much more.. inclement.. weather than I was used to (cough, frickin freezing, cough) and I'm not going to lie, it was a struggle to balance everything. I have three pieces of advice for you:

(1) Set a schedule. With school and work, your day-to-day may look very different (mine did - night class on Monday, full load of classes Tuesday, work in between, etc..) If you figure out your schedule for each day, gym/Insanity/run time included, and include it on your calendar, you can budget for it. No excuses.

(2) Go grocery shopping. I'm sure it seems obvious but learn from the dummy herself, me. I would get overwhelmed and forget to stock my fridge with healthy foods. And I was already on my computer doing work anyway, so it was just two clicks to order something terrible for me to be delivered. Healthy alternatives = a savior.

(3) Pick some fun activities to do. We're young. Fun is allowed. Find people to play pick up soccer or frisbee golf, or go on a sweet weekend hike. This helped me when I felt like I was being a hermit.. working on final papers and my PAship research, scared of sunlight and going days without talking to another human being face to face. Don't do that, John! Don't be me!

Honestly though, sounds like you're off to an awesome start. Keep it up!!!

Thanks for sharing your experiences! I do something similar, every night I write down 3 - 5 things I must do the next day. The list includes working out, reading, work, and other tasks. It's boosted my productivity quite a bit. And I've been working on the healthy snacks, or just trying to avoid late night snacking altogether.

I highly recommend Clif bars, they make a great mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

J_Schmelz

I wonder, since you are already in fair shape, if weightlifting wouldn't be a better choice for you? Insanity is great, don't get me wrong, but you'll never be able to progress your strength past your own body weight. Once your finished with Insanity, you really should look into a gym membership. You say you're busy with school and work, and that can take a big toll on fitness routines, I know.

But something a lot of people don't know is that most colleges offer strength and weight training classes in their fitness centers as electives. There are classes where you go in and do your own thing whenever you have time and log your hours, and there are classes where you meet regularly and have an instructor (uh, super cheap quasi-personal trainer, anyone??!?) show you moves. If you're already on campus for classes, why not stay an extra hour and lift for 50 min, 10 min to get showered and dressed? True, you won't have much social life, but at least you'll be ripped!

I have thought about that as well. While I have no weight training experience, I think that it is something to consider once I complete Insanity. I want to get my body toned up and in an overall healthy and above average fitness level, then expand to more strength training. My school does offer fitness classes and my friends are fairly experienced lifters, so it should not be a terribly difficult fitness routine to pick up. Basically, I want to go from flab to fit, then focus on fit to ripped, ya know?

Healingnutritionsolutions

Last semester really took me down... I am also a very non-traditional student, working hard to lose a lot of extra weight - and starting on my last year of working toward my Masters... this summer I have focused on tracking daily no matter what... 45 days now - woot! Okay, so I posted similar questions earlier and got a ton of good advice - I have yet to put it into practice - but here is my in process plan...

Clean up the diet
Get more sleep
Drink more water - doing better here already
Move more - already parking farther, walking up stairs, etc.
Going to look up desk workouts for my work hours - at desk job. 5 min x6 during the day = 30 min more than I have been doing!
Try to pick up some short workout videos or use the nike training app for quick early am workouts when I get enough sleep.
Make time for the exercise, schedule it in, after I return from clinical, after supper, before homework... yup planning...

On class days on campus I can majorly walk... I always park far, don't pay for premium parking, and my classes are usually on the 6th floor... good Lord, I hope I can climb that many flights of stairs without passing out! I'll start with a flight or two and build up... and definitely take the stairs all the way down... that is good work too... Clinical days are mostly spent on my feet, but not always a lot of walking depending on the site... I will start pacing on site when I can, without being rude.

hannahj67

Hi there! I'm in nursing school and I work part time (which for me is 2-3 12 hour shifts every week), so it's hard for me to find time to cook most days. Now that it's summer, I have a little more free time simply because I don't have homework/classes to deal with so I'm trying to get a head start on my weight loss goals. Feel free to add me and we can motivate each other to stay on track!