Came back from college for break and...

savithny

Back In The Day, I actually lost weight at college because there were no cars on campus and I walked everywhere all the time.

The dorm meals were also way more like real food, like I ate at home anyway. You walked through a line and they gave you a reasonable sized piece of rpotein and reasonable servings of side dishes.

From what I can tell, dorm food has changed to accommodate the idea that sutdents are "customers" rather than "residents," and its possible to eat like you're eating at Cheesecake Factory every night and have thousand-calorie lunches every day, and then still join in on the pizza orders and the beer drinking at night. I'm kind of surprised more college students don't gain 50 pounds ASAP.

OP: Your college may publish calorie counts. Look at them and then think about better choices you might make in the dining halls. Set a limit on how many times a week you will order pizza or participate in pizza. And look up the calorie counts on beer and other drinks and think about what they signify.

courtneyfabulous

Yeah that's a pretty big waist measurement and very round...

I can't tell from photo if OP is male or female?

If female might want to take a pregnancy test just in case.

ShammersPink

Profile says female, 19.

Males are more likely to put all of their weight on as a beachball. Females, not so much. And her maximum weight only puts her at a BMI of 27.4.

I'd only expect a mildly elevated waist size in a non-pregnant healthy young woman at that BMI.

Sabre1232

I have gone to a doctor and am not pregnant. I just have a genetic disposition for gaining weight in my stomach. I have been tested for other things like fibroids etc and all came back negative.

Sabre1232

At the start of the semester it was about 38 inches

courtneyfabulous

Oh ok.

I actually am genetically predisposed to gaining fat in my belly region too - and also hips & thighs - have been mistaken for being pregnant a few times at my heaviest. I think my highest waist measurement was about 36". Now down to 32". It took both diet and exercise- I do weight training, body weight strength exercises, core exercises, hiit cardio, walking & hiking. I workout about 4 or 5 days per week. And use myfitnesspal to track calories and macros and am in a caloric deficit of about 300 less than maintenance and make sure to get 100 grams of protein a day and not go overboard on sugar or carbs (I feel like that's really important). Also cut out all gluten and alcohol because they make me bloated and disturb my digestion. You could probably see good results if you do the same! I'm not done yet but here is my stomach progress so far:




You can see my belly is significantly flatter- so it's possible to fight those genetics by losing body fat and building muscle, if that's something that you're interested in.

ShammersPink

Ok, so since there's no underlying health issue, that's good news, and diet and preferably some exercise are all you need.

You'll need to think about what you will find sustainable within your student lifestyle next semester, because you will need more than a few weeks to get back in shape, although you can certainly make a start.

Think about what the trigger-points are that have made you over-eat in this past semester, and work out how you can control or eliminate them.

Can you join college sports clubs that will help you to get regular exercise?

Sabre1232

Nice job! My stomach and rest of body has grown bigger. I can't believe I didn't notice this happening. My stomach spills over my pants now and I can hardly bend my legs in my pants .

I mean my school has a lot of walking uphill, so I assumed I could eat more food and not gain weight. Now that I look back on it, an average my breakfasts were not healthy. I plan to change this next term

courtneyfabulous

That would be a great start.
Healthier breakfasts and less late night fast food.
I'd also check out your college's gym & use it a couple times a week.

Here's a good Instagram account I found recently for inspiration and she posts a lot of videos showing herself doing different exercises so you can get an idea of how to use the gym and see proper form: @faithlfit (Faith Leatherman)

And here's some great YouTube channels to check out for inspiration on healthy lifestyle, fitness & weight loss, etc:
Live Lean TV
Cookie Miller
Obese to Beast
Fat Meets Fire
Mike Matthews

I wish I had access to free info and motivation like this when I was your age, and I wish I'd used my college gym more often and done more than just the cardio machines!

And don't forget to use myfitnesspal to tack your food & calories!! Another thing I wish I'd been able to do sooner in life!

Sabre1232

The term was only eleven weeks and my parents visited on the third week and told me I had lost weight. I believe psychologically I thought I could eat more as a result. So, the gaining happened over seven weeks. That seems like a short time but for breakfast every morning I would have coffee, a mini donut, a muffin, eggs with bacon an sausage, and two bowls of cinnamon toast crunch. Lunch would always change but for dinner I would get the pasta dish and bread with ice cream and dessert. Some nights I would get Late Night (basically fried chicken and curly fries and soda at 11 PM). I guess no amount of exercise can combat my diet. I feel too young to have these issues.

SueSueDio

That's one heck of a breakfast! And then pasta AND bread and ice cream AND dessert? Yep, I guess you know where those pounds came from now that you think about it!

It's good news that you have no underlying health issues, though. So now you just need to get yourself set up properly here and learn how to weigh your food and accurately count your calories, fit in some exercise where you can, and see the extra weight start to come off. Be prepared for it to take a while, but have patience and it will work.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

ShammersPink

Your parents' view may not be accurate - I've had people think I've lost when in fact I've gained.

Try working out what an average college day was, and logging it as a day in MFP. I think you will be appalled just how many calories you consumed.

It is going to take a bit of effort to readjust your mindset and lifestyle, and it is stressful and upsetting, but on the positive side, you are nipping it in the bud quite early.

These boards are full of inspirational people with some quite amazing changes from morbidly obese to extremely fit and trim. They all wish that they had done just what you're doing now - confronted the issue before it defined their life.

courtneyfabulous

Yeah that's likely the cause... that's a whole lot of food and a lot of carbs, sugar, and fat but little nutrition.

Try bacon OR sausage, not both, or eggs or cottage cheese instead would be better. No muffin, no donut, and maybe fruit instead of cereal or at least just 1 bowl of cereal and try something like granola or oatmeal instead of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (more fiber and nutrients, less sugar)

A protein bar or yogurt and fruit for mid morning snack

Salad with chicken or something like that for lunch

No pasta for dinner it's too many carbs and no nutrition! Maybe some type of meat plus potatoes or rice and veggies. No bread, no ice cream, no dessert or just a small one or some fruit instead.

No late night food would be best but definitely not fried chicken, fries or pizza. If you must snack late try low calorie popcorn, turkey jerkey, raw veggies with ranch... something with protein and/or fiber.

courtneyfabulous

That diet definitely needs to change.

mila_lova

SharpSabreSword wrote: »

I guess no amount of exercise can combat my diet.

Yes. Realizing this for myself was my "ah-ha" moment.

Exercise is soo good for you and it helps create a calorie deficit, definitely include it in your plan. But yeah, a short walk will not create a calorie deficit with the diet you've described. Not to be rude, but it's like you were eating five breakfasts in one sitting. You might get really hungry when you first start to cut back, so make sure you're choosing nutritious foods. Protein, fiber, and a little healthy fat will keep you full.

I'd do
Breakfast- eggs and fruit
Mid morning snack- almonds or Greek yogurt
Lunch- protein, veggies, and whole grains
Afternoon snack- same
Dinner- protein, veggies, and whole grains

I have a treat most days, like one fun size candy. Sometimes I even have the calorie budget for a few. But I'm really conscious of the calories and of the fact that the candy will not fill me up and it might be a better choice to pick something nutritious instead.

Just to warn you, ice cream has tons of calories in a teeny serving, so do cupcakes.

Sabre1232

I did plug in an average day without the late night snack and the number was well over 2,000. MFP predicted a future weight gain similar to the one I experienced...wow

everher

At least, you are getting a handle on this now.

I gained my weight after college because I never really learned healthy eating habits. Fast food and takeout (aka calorie bombs) were things I ate constantly and it wasn't unusual for me to call breakfast a fancy coffee drink with a danish.

The only reason I didn't gain in college was because I was too broke to afford to eat more than twice a day and I walked everywhere.

Once I graduated and had steady income and no longer walked the miles I used to in college I steadily gained weight.

Now I'm having to slowly reprogram myself, but I wish I had learned years ago what healthy choices and correct portion sizes looked like instead of wasting years yo-yo dieting.

I think you have a good starting point now that you know roughly how much you were eating on a typical day. Now you can find ways to change and cut back the amount of calories you were consuming.

kenyonhaff

SharpSabreSword wrote: »

The term was only eleven weeks and my parents visited on the third week and told me I had lost weight. I believe psychologically I thought I could eat more as a result. So, the gaining happened over seven weeks. That seems like a short time but for breakfast every morning I would have coffee, a mini donut, a muffin, eggs with bacon an sausage, and two bowls of cinnamon toast crunch. Lunch would always change but for dinner I would get the pasta dish and bread with ice cream and dessert. Some nights I would get Late Night (basically fried chicken and curly fries and soda at 11 PM). I guess no amount of exercise can combat my diet. I feel too young to have these issues.

Well, you know better now--you aren't too young. But logging your food here can be a big help!

Cherimoose

SharpSabreSword wrote: »

I have gone to a doctor and am not pregnant. I just have a genetic disposition for gaining weight in my stomach. I have been tested for other things like fibroids etc and all came back negative.

There's some evidence that those with your genetic body type ("apple shape") may benefit from a low carbohydrate diet (<25% of calories), and also frequent, vigorous cardio (short sessions are fine).

Do you take any prescription drugs?

Sabre1232

I am not taking any prescription drugs.