Grad student trying to lose 40lbs

eas2eccl

I’m trying to lose 40lbs! I have to stop eating trash

MargaretYakoda

As a grad student you probably have some very full days.

What does your current diet look like? You say “trash” but do you mean fast foods? Pizza?
Or just whatever happens to come your way? Do they still do cheese and cracker spreads at university functions???

Also, typically grad students have a tight budget. I don’t want to assume, but that’s another potential wrench in the works.

There are absolutely ways to navigate this.

AnnPT77

Hello, and welcome!

I, too, am wondering what you mean by "trash".

If the key goal is weight loss, then the key thing is how much we eat (calorically speaking), not the specific food choices. (Don't believe me? Do a web search for "Twinkie diet", "Maginnis McDonald's Diet", "Mark Haub snack food diet" among others.)

Of course, those are stunts, and sensible people also want to get good nutrition. But eating a calorie-appropriate amount of pizza or cookies now and then doesn't cancel out broccoli or salad earlier in the day. Moderation works.

Am I trying to talk you out of eating more (or mostly) nutrient-dense foods? Absolutely not. I'm a big fan of getting enough protein, fruits and veggies, healthy fats, etc. It's life-enhancing.

But speaking as someone who did part-time grad school plus a stressful full-time job back in the day, I know that can get busy and complicated. In that situation, I'd hate to see you fall for the myth - as some people here seem to do - that losing weight requires absolute perfection or we're a failure. Not so. Pretty good on average works fine. It's not a magic spell in which every syllable must be precisely correct, or demons are unloosed.

You can do this. I predict the results will be worth it. (They sure have been for me.)

Best wishes!