Freshman in college trying to lose weight

Meggalina432

I've struggled with my weight for the past three years. I don't like the way I look and I don't like the way I feel. I want to start living a healthier lifestyle.
But I just started my first year of college, which involves a 17 credit workload with my campus job on top of that. My job forces me to wake up at five in the morning on Mondays and Wednesdays, and every other Friday-Sunday. Everyday, my classes don't finish until four. So you could say that I'm a little busy!
Any advice on eating healthy from a cafeteria with limited choices and working out when I'm self conscious and insecure? I've never done anything like this before

ent3rsandman

1. Log your food anyway, even if you're not 100% sure that it's correct. Something is better than nothing, even if you have to eyeball the portion sizes. Meal-prep if possible for the best results. If the latter is possible, get a food scale and weigh everything you've packed yourself to eat throughout the day.
2. Monitor your weight using something like Trendweight.com, or by writing it down and averaging it out at the end of the week. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning before eating/drinking anything and after you've urinated. If you're losing less than a lb a week and want to lose more, then eat less than you usually do or exercise more often.
3. We can't really tell you what foods to eat as much as we can tell you what not to eat. If something is fried, I'd stay away from it unless you haven't had many calories that day or something. Try to go for lean, skinless meats when possible, as they're always a good option.

kayeroze

Recent college grad here! I ate on campus my freshman year before living in apartments for the last two years.

Unsure of the living situations, but I'm going to assume you have access to a microwave, mini fridge, and toaster (communal kitchen or buy your own) as well as on campus dining. I was able to lose ~20 lbs in a few months from campus dining and basics.

For food, I know you can't really measure how many grams or ounces food is, so the pictures with how much a serving is and eating when you're not starving(if you can help it) will be essential to portion control. I know it's not exact, which is why you need to be careful and load up on the right food.

Aim for a salad a day (without loads of dressing), eat grilled meat if you can and other vegetables. Avoid juices and sodas, and drink plenty of water. For dessert, always aim for fruit and avoid the cakes and cookies. You're going to have to be selective, eat only one plate (not multiple if it's a buffet), and take at least 20 minutes to eat.

As a student, you'll most likely be walking around, so you'll be considered lightly active. Working out will be great for self-esteem and making you mentally and physically feel better, but don't aim to workout a number of days a week or a certain amount of time if it'll cause you extra stress. If you can only fit 2 days a week for 30 minutes, than do that. Try classes, do cardio, and don't be afraid of weights.

If you can make food in your dorm, buy a cheap food scale from Amazon (like $7) and weigh your apples or frozen dinners. If you want to invest, you can get a microwave egg maker (~$5) for a quick scramble.

Hope this helps, and don't be discouraged!

shaunshaikh

Lol, I remember when I thought being in college was busy. Little did I know I'd never have so much free time again in my life.

Log your calories religiously and do strength training at the campus gym.

nic_27_grassisgreener

Often times college campuses have nutritionists or dietitians that help students and faculty. At my college they would provide nutrition information on the meals and help you pick out which foods to eat. Check if your campus has something like that, it could be very helpful if it exists!

Meghanebk

I like the advice above.
For me, it was key as a student to have snacks that fit my needs on hand so I didn't hit up the dining hall/vending machines when I was starving. Knowing I planned to log what I ate had me making better choices in the dining halls too (List it on your phone or whatever as you eat so you don't forget items) Can you keep fruit, snack packs of nuts or bars or whatever in your backpack?

maura_tasi

Recent grad here! It's so easy to give into the easy temptations that these dining halls have. I know many are trying to offer more healthier options for students, however, there were still so many options that sounded so good and were just easier. I always incorporated a salad with all of my meals I ate in the dining halls (with very minimal dressing and loaded with veggies!). I usually avoided the pasta bars and grilled sandwich stations, unless I felt like treating myself for one meal occasionally. Stay away from the soda machines too! Water is always the best choice. As for dorm snacks I always had apples, bananas, and berries hand, along with carrots or sugar snap peas (all easy to grab and take to class when in a hurry). Stay away from the ramen and easy mac, or at least don't have it several times a week. You don't want to restrict yourself too much so you feel deprived, moderation is okay! I always kept gluten free pretzels and lightly salted popcorn around too to satisfy my craving for something salty or crunchy. Salsa is another great thing to keep in dorm fridges! Along with peanut butter. As for sweet I'd actually keep a can of whipped cream and do a small squirt on top of strawberries- way better than dining hall cookies or vending machine candy. And sweet tooth satisfying! With your schedule I can see how exercise can get tough. You're already walking for classes I'm assuming so that counts! You could also try yoga or other workout videos in your room- get your roommate to do them with you so it's more fun! If you choose to go to the gym seriously don't feel self conscious. I promise you no one is watching you, they're too busy worrying about their workouts! I was the same with some gym anxiety, but once I finally realized that no one cares about me I was able to really work hard and feel accomplished. Freshman year is so hard so don't ever feel discouraged. You'll have awesome days and then you'll have some so-so days, which is totally normal and okay. Good luck and feel free to add me!

CMNVA

shaunshaikh wrote: »

Lol, I remember when I thought being in college was busy. Little did I know I'd never have so much free time again in my life.

Log your calories religiously and do strength training at the campus gym.

I know, right? I'm sitting here chuckling over her post about getting up at 5AM and not getting done until 4PM for 3 days a week.

@Meggalina432, your schedule isn't as bad as many who work. I get up at 4AM, commute, work, and get home at 4PM. You need to figure out how to work with this as this is the rest of your life (and I know you are doing just that: asking).

My son is in college and I hear the "busy" thing from him too. Then he had his first internship this past summer and worked 8.5 hours a day with a commute and said "I'll never complain again!!"

Not sure where you go to college. Most campuses these days seem to have phenomenal dining halls but you do mention that your 'cafeteria' is limited. What sorts of things do they regularly serve so maybe we can help you out.

Do you go there for breakfast? If so, two hardboiled eggs and a greek yogurt is a good start to the morning.

As others have pointed out, for your other meals, aim for the plainest piece of meat you can find and have only a side of whatever veggies they are serving.

As for working out: if you've got a free gym, USE IT. Take advantage of what your campus offers and do not give ONE thought to what people think of you. Or do you own thing. I'm a 53 year old woman who has NEVER participated in sports or been very athletic. I downloaded the free Couch to 5K app and I've completed it once and am doing it again. I'm sure I looked pathetic yesterday in the heat trying to finish that last interval of VERY slow jogging. In fact, I probably looked like I needed an ambulance. But I just don't care. Try something like that. I would give anything to be on a nice campus and get out there and do that.

Meggalina432

I wasn't my intention to sound like I was complaining about my schedule, I've actually had much busier times in my life. I just thought giving my schedule would be important for some reason?? I don't know these are all great tips!

CMNVA

Meggalina432 wrote: »

I wasn't my intention to sound like I was complaining about my schedule, I've actually had much busier times in my life. I just thought giving my schedule would be important for some reason?? I don't know these are all great tips!

I didn't think you were complaining. I'm just being one of those annoying old people who have to tell you that you've got a lifetime of that ahead of you!! Believe me, I *have* been on these boards complaining about how hard it is to exercise or cook properly when you're out of the house so much.

bellaesprita000

I'm currently a PhD student myself and spend close to 40 hours a week on campus either teaching students like yourself and working on my own dissertation research. I made terrible eating choices as a freshmen and gained 15 lbs and then some my first year.

So you've gotten some sound advice. Here are my suggestions/comments:

1) I'll add that protein shakes or protein bars make 8+ hour days more tolerable and won't have you running to the vending machine often. Quest and Fitjoy bars are some of my favorites.

2) Carry a BPA-free plastic water bottle and you'll be able to refill it over the course of the day. Save money and the planet at the same time.

3) Ditto on the free gym usage. Many schools offer classes through the day so you should be able to find one or two to fit in your schedule. But like others have said, if you can get 30 minutes of something in, it's better than nothing. If you're self-conscious, there's got to be millions of exercise videos on YouTube that you can do at home.

4) Consider bringing lunch to campus. That's what I do. A cooler bag and a few ice packs keep food cool for a few hours. That way food is prepped and measured beforehand and all you have to do is eat.

5) Also like others said, add salad to your cafeteria trips. I'll add that most schools keep a schedule for food they plan on serving online and this might help you preplan and prelog your meals beforehand. Prelogging helps to keep me at a calorie deficit and it might help you too.