Finding time

CosmicHorse95

Hi all,
I'm new to this part of the MFP app. Anyways, I don't want to be that person that wants to lose weight but "doesn't have the time," but...seriously, I don't.
I'm a full time student double majoring in two science fields, and I work (2) 6 hour days a week. My extra time I use for studying, and I'm usually in bed by 9 or 10 pm. I LITERALLY, don't have time for extra workouts. I am a part of my lacrosse club on campus, but until the snow melts we're only practicing once a week.
What else can I do? I want to work on meal prep, but I'm not sure what sort of things to prep, and on a budget too (again, student) Help?
TIA

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kommodevaran

Eat less. That costs less money and takes less time.

fubarfornow

I understand your problem. I am a grad student / TA, and my schedule is packed. I lost about 70 lbs in one year, and need to lose a good bit more. What I was told, and what I use MFP for, is to track calories, rather than exercise. While exercise is great, and I probably would have lost even more if I had been able to exercise consistently, my understanding is that the more important trick is eating at a calorie deficit. So, I focused on that first. I have a mental list of high-protein, and relatively low calorie convenience foods -- like a McDonald's egg mcmuffin (not shilling for them, just what came to mind). I checked a lot of stuff in the freezer section of the grocery store, too. And I stocked up on protein shakes. I started eating at a deficit, combining all of these things. The hardest thing is that these foods are not always very sustaining, but the higher protein the better. I also slowly started adding in a few things that aren't hard, that I learned to cook for myself. And I ate a lot of veggies. I counted them all, but two eggs and a bunch of veggies sauteed with cooking spray is a lot of volume, and so I felt full for quite a while. The thing that I am slowly learning to do now is walk on a treadmill and read. It is taking me a while, and I can't go very fast, but better moving a little than not at all. I am now at a point where I am trying to figure out how to fit more exercise into my daily regimen, in a way that works for me. Saying "I'm going to get up at five every morning and walk three miles!" Nope, not gonna happen. I may say it, but I'm not gonna do it. I need to build up slowly, the way I did with the food.

fubarfornow

And by mental list, I meant a go-to list when things go sideways and I find myself without breakfast or lunch. I log everything as accurately as possible.

Machka9

I work full time and attend university part time.

One of the things that works for me is to incorporate exercise throughout my day ... like climbing stairs, for example. I can usually get 25 flights in each day. And I walk as part of my commute.

CattOfTheGarage

Exercise is not necessary, sort out your eating first.

However, including exercise like walking will improve your health and concentration and give you the time out you need to consolidate your learning. Given the choice of 4 hours staring at books, or 3 hours staring at books plus an hour's walk, I would choose the latter and I would expect it to give better results in terms of comprehension and retention. Effective learning requires down time.

CattOfTheGarage

You may find this interesting:

http://www.scilearn.com/blog/benefits-of-downtime-why-learners-brains-need-a-break

Sometimes I feel like long hours studying are driven by fear; at other times I think it's down to the same macho thinking that drives people to work long hours at the office with no evidence that they're getting any more done. In reality, someone who manages their time spent actively learning while actively setting aside time for exercise and other activities is more likely to get good results, imo. If it helps, I am a college lecturer.

neldabg

I'm also a busy college student. I agree with the advice to move more throughout the day. Five minutes here and there add up quickly. I walk or ride my bike to my classes. When I take a study break, I walk while I check e-mails or social media. I pace if I'm on the phone. I lost most of my weight without the help of a fitness tracker, but my FitBit helps remind me if I've been still for too long. Look to see if your school offers physical electives. I took a dance course last year and got my exercise in then. I took the course for fun, but for a student who needs to budget time for movement, the extra motivation to get the A will help in attending class versus just signing up for a class at the gym.
Above all, focus on eating at a reasonable deficit. Being so busy, time will fly by and you probably won't miss a few hundred or less calories.
If you can't find time to meal prep, at least prelog your meals on MFP.