College students losing weight...how did you do it??

zen1910

I'm wondering what other college students are doing to lose weight while living in an environment that's famous for causing weight gain? Most people seem to lose weight later in life, but I want to lose the weight NOW and prevent health or confidence issues that can arise from being overweight for several decades. After seeing a family member diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes I realized how important it is for me to no longer put it off, but to adopt healthier habits before receiving a similar diagnosis. Plus, I don't want to look back on my life thinking about how my weight held me back from leading the type of life I want to live--one with energy, confidence, adventure, and a healthy lifestyle!

Share your side by sides and tips for how you did it! If you want, add your favorite benefit of losing the weight!

Wicibeth

Environments don't cause weight gain. o.O

nc419

College student here!
Losing weight is always hard in an environment filled with take-out and studying induced munchies, but it is possible. I lost weight by logging all my food (alcohol included) and finding time to exercise. Now if you're a super busy student, I highly recommend Jillian Michael's workout DVD's. They're all usually under 45 minutes (some under 30) and effective. The month I did the 30 day shred, I lost 10 lbs. If workout DVD's aren't for you, almost all college campuses have a rec center to work out at. You just have to find what works for you and your schedule. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is eat less/better and get into a routine that involves exercise. Good luck!!

zen1910

Environments don't cause weight gain. o.O

Never said it did. o.O

We all have different environments with different challenges, sharing tips w others who have had similar experiences isn't blaming your environment for weight gain, it's taking responsibility for your habits and trying to improve them. To create a healthy lifestyle, don't you need to develop healthy habits that work for you and your lifestyle?

bonjovi27

I'm in college too!
I started buying more fruit and veg. Frozen cauliflower has become my best friend! I try to fill up on veg at dinner before eating the rest of my dinner. I have also found that drinking alcohol was a problem :blushing: so I don't drink (as much) anymore. And it's cheaper! Also I have started living by the saying "a 1 hour workout is only 4% of your day". This motivates me to go running or do strength training videos between studying. It makes a nice break!
Add me if you want for support and motivation!

bonbonjs

I think a change in lifestyle and being generally 'busy' with life was the key for me (aka being a student on a budget and having to fend for myself for once!).

Small changes, no matter how insignificant they may seem, make a huge difference over a period of time. Some of my small changes were simply: walking everywhere instead of driving, finding fun and active things to do with my friends so that we weren't just hitting the pub all the time, working in semi-active jobs and being on my feet instead of my bum, cooking at home and trying out new recipes.

Sugar and alcohol are huge culprits, so perhaps a starting point would be to limit your intake of those (at the very least your skin will thank you!). And if you are not very active in day-to-day life, perhaps have a look at the FitnessBlender channel on youtube or even Blogilates.com. Group fitness classes are also fun to do with girlfriends.

glitteratthesea

I'm a student myself too! It's possible, but the most difficult is the alcohol. Yeah, it sometimes means that I just need to stay sober.

What I do very often is to make a big healthy meal, and freeze the extra's. So when I'm home late I can just heat it up. And I like to go running, I can choose when I want to run. If I'm busy one night, I go in the afternoon, or the next day.

calebnmariah

I've been out of college for 8 years now, but when I was in college I managed to get in the best shape of my life. I joined weight watchers and worked out at the rec center at least 4 days a week, sometimes I was there until 11:00 pm. It was hard to fit everything in, but I had to stop making excuses and just do it. Once I committed to it, I was seeing results and I stuck with it. Make a schedule and find a friend that will help hold you accountable and go to the gym with you. Good luck!

Rai007

i know it is really tough with college and studies. but it is still possible. list it as an course/subject and devote the time to it.

april1445

I lost weight for the first time while I was in university/college. I was young, had a variable schedule, and very little money for food, so I ate tons of broccoli and carrots I joined weight watchers, and I was on a meal plan, so I found it easier than being at home....

moodyfeesh14

I take advantage of my college's fitness center everyday even if its just walking around the track for 30 mins something is better than nothing. I do not go anywhere near the pasta bar or else it would be over lol. I try to make one meal a day a salad loaded up with protein or pick at least one meal a day that is low carb and high protein. I drink about 12 glasses of water a day because I am never seen with out my waterbotttle on campus and I eat things like almonds and beef jerky for snacks as often as possible. And I log every day every thing the good the bad and the ugly and I remember that tomorrow is a new day.

sdbart

I just started college also and yes it can be hard. All that fat filled "quick food" from the cafeteria, coffee bart with pastries, pizza parties with your friends and nights out can get the best of you. But if you are strong and dedicated to your weight loss, you can stop yourself before you go over your caloric limit. Your friends will understand if you tell them that you can't eat that or you've cut yourself off on alcohol for the night because you are watching what you eat to get healthier. If your college has a gym, make time in your busy schedule to get in there at least an hour 3 times a week. You may gain weight in the beginning but once you find your groove... You Can Do It!

natmckn

I'm wondering what other college students are doing to lose weight while living in an environment that's famous for causing weight gain? Most people seem to lose weight later in life, but I want to lose the weight NOW and prevent health or confidence issues that can arise from being overweight for several decades. After seeing a family member diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes I realized how important it is for me to no longer put it off, but to adopt healthier habits before receiving a similar diagnosis. Plus, I don't want to look back on my life thinking about how my weight held me back from leading the type of life I want to live--one with energy, confidence, adventure, and a healthy lifestyle!

Share your side by sides and tips for how you did it! If you want, add your favorite benefit of losing the weight!

The really nice thing about my school was that the gym was open 24/7, so I conditioned myself to go work out anytime I started feeling stressed or overwhelmed with all the schoolwork. I worked out almost every day in school for at least an hour. As for the cafeteria, I guess I never really felt that tempted to go overboard with anything. My friends and I all kind of had the same mindset- salad bar first, then build the rest of your meal.

faldirallala

The biggest advice I have is what I call "pre-term cooking".
- I cook big pots of soups, curry, and chilli
- then led it cool down over night
- the next morning, I fill portions of whatever I cooked into those freezer zipper bags
- then freeze it

Pro:
A) It is cheap. I paid 45 British pounds to cook a 3L pot of each a veggie-noodle soup, a curry and a chilli.
If it is necessary, all of these things can be reheated in a microwave
C) Either just warm up the soup, or just cook some rice/quinoa/potatoes/noodles to go with the curry and chilli.
D) Because the portions are predetermined by yourself, you wont risk to eat too much. No big fuss
E) Personally, I never have time to really cook and when I do, half of my ingredients go to waste because I cannot use them in time. No longer a problem.
F) You choose what goes in there.

Con:
A) Fresh is always better.
You'd spend 2-3 days in the kitchen and would need approx. one drawer in a freezer
C) The stuff listed above is enough for 4 month in my case but I do not like hot food.

Hope that help!

SirenSays

Environments don't cause weight gain. o.O

I can't help but respond to this. No, 'environments' don't cause weight gain. Or do they? There are some studies that have shown that our climate does have a direct impact on the calories we burn during the course of the day, particularly when the body has to regulate body temperatures throughout a changing day. In other words, in a climate-controlled environment, we're less likely to burn. So is that statement right or wrong?

Now the question about the scholastic environment is one I'm intimately familiar with, as I am near the end of my Master's degree. Now I'm at that point in my scholastic career where I need to read constantly and work. My days look like this: work full time for my desk job (45+ hours a week stationary desk/commute), then I have at least another 45 hours a week spent reading case studies, textbooks, and preparing papers. Then there's about 10 hours a week in class (most of my exercise is walking on campus to and from my car). Then account for 8 hours of sleep a night (if I'm lucky) that's another 56 hours. Let's do the math:

A week has 7*24 = 168 hours.
168 - 56 (sleep) - 45 (job) - 45 (study/homework) - 10 (class attendance) = 12 hours left a WEEK to do anything else.

That's 1.7 hours a day to spend preparing healthy meals, exercising, playing with my cats, doing taxes, laundry, cleaning the litter box, tidying after other household members, doing dishes, taking a shower, or SITTING ON A TOILET. At this point, eating through a drive-through window or delivery is incredibly tempting, and I do it too often, but at this point, I don't feel like there are many other options I have left in order to wring another minute from my day to attend to scholastic goals, or to keep doing my job, which pays for my schooling.

So when people say, "Siren, just exercise, it takes twenty minutes!" I want to slap them because 20 minutes a day is quite literally hard to fit in when you're working full time and attending class full time, and maintaining a clean house without the use of maid service. If my husband wasn't cooking our dinners, I don't know what I'd do. At this pace, glazing over is a luxury.

So back to the original question, "How do I do it?" I've started doing two things only: tracking calories burned with a body bugg, and tracking calories in with MFP. I've only been doing it a few weeks, and I've already lost about 6 lbs in two weeks. If at bare minimum, I can maintain negative calorie intake, it'll get me through the next 4-5 semesters (or two years) without getting fatter. I'm hoping after I shed a few more pounds I'll have the energy to start working out again. Wish me luck; I'm exhausted.

themumbler86

I think one of the biggest challenges at college can come from having just one shelf in a fridge or freezer for your food, and having very little personal space (assuming you live in halls or a shared house) and therefore not feeling like you have anywhere to exercise privately.

I'm not into running at this point, especially as I live in a bit of a questionable neighbourhood, so have found when I've had small rooms unsuitable for home workouts this can put me off the exercise side, but then it's like someone else said, you really need to make sure you walk everywhere, and then walk some extra on top!

From my point of view working on a busy bar part time helps a lot in terms of staying in shape.... mostly because you're not free for nights out, not bored enough to snack, and running around serving drinks for 6 or 7 hours burns plenty of calories!

Also I think planning in some party nights helps a lot... otherwise you just feel hard done by always 'being good' and you miss out socially and end up either unhappy or giving up altogether. You can choose the low calorie alcohol options (vodka with diet coke / lemonade or gin & slimline tonic for example). Sure it's not especially healthy but nor is it healthy to never go out with friends!

ohsointricate8

My biggest weakness was the meal plan that came with my housing. I'm unemployed and have very limited money to spend, but I learned to portion control. Thankfully, we have some healthier options here, but it IS buffet style, which can be a killer. (they make the best desserts. damn them!) I had to realize that even if I was spending an hour at the rec, my eating habits were my downfall. it's all about balance where you can find it!

BigAl_2

I rarely drink. Didn't eat the meal plan..had a mini fridge in my dorm freshman year and then a kitchen after that so I mostly stocked with healthy stuff. But the number one factor was probably ROTC. I had to be in shape and had intense physical training sessions through that. So actually I was in my best shape of my life in college

FranceyPants

I started going to the gym but I didn't lose significant weight until I fixed up my eating habits. Unfortunately weight loss is mostly due to your diet. I think alcohol was a huge problem for me, and so was stress-eating. My weight gain came from too much alcohol and late-night carb or ice cream binges.

There is always time to exercise - I aimed to work out for 1 hour at least 3-4 times a week. I found it helped reduce anxiety/stress which helped me study, and it made me feel better about myself and gave me more energy to get more stuff done. In terms of diet I just worked on eating healthier during intense study periods, so I ate whatever I liked but tried to keep it healthy.

Also, exercising limited the times I would be eating, and it also made me question why I would stuff my face with chocolate when I had just busted my *kitten* in the gym for an hour.

I then used my time off from studying (i.e. the holidays) to restrict my intake in order to lose the last few kilos (as in, traditional calorie counting on top of exercise).

landodewd

I lost a lot of weight in college. Too broke for food :laugh:

RachaelRenk

Also a college student. I'm in my fourth year and didn't actually gain weight until this year....I guess it had to happen at some point.

Luckily for me, my school's campus is terribly planned and it takes a minimum of 15 minutes to walk anywhere. So, I try walk faster than normal between buildings. Our school is also right next to the city greenbelt, so when I have a break I walk to the green belt and then back to my building, or from my car to my building, etc.

I also take advantage of the school's rec center. It is free for students. One of my friends/co-worker's/co-student's and I have a long break in-between classes one day a week and we will go work out together. It's only one day a week but it's something. It's my goal to take advantage of this more and go to school early when I have time to work out a little bit before hand.

My biggest downfall is buying coffee on campus. I can usually avoid the food, but that doesn't mean that I'm not buying bad food somewhere else.

Also, I am addicted to beer.

But like some other people said, I write down what I eat in a food journal every day (even if I can't log my calories) and just seeing what I'm eating every day has made me more aware of my intake.

deannon

Not gonna lie - I lost weight in my freshman year of college by becoming so stressed that I just stopped eating entirely. I dropped to my lowest weight since puberty, but that was NOT a good lifestyle, and I gained about half of it back that summer when I moved back home and had a more structured meal schedule again.

It's really all about food - if you have a way to cook food (and time to do it), then prepared healthy meals are your best friend. Know what your healthy options are on campus - I try to be pretty familiar with the nutrition of all the different food places on my (admittedly quite small) campus, so that when I'm starving and have 20 minutes to cram down some food before 4 more hours of classes, I can still make an informed decision.

I exercise as much as possible, but 1) our rec center is NOT open 24/7 (god, you lucky people), and I frequently have activities/class until 9 pm, when it closes; 2) my roommate doesn't like me working out in the room, and I don't like working out in front of her, so I try to avoid that if at all possible; and 3) the phrase "you always have time to exercise" makes me laugh. I work two jobs on campus, am on the executive board for 3 orgs (including being vice-president for my sorority), on top of an overloaded credit schedule - it is not uncommon for me to not leave the academic buildings for 12-13 hours in a day, and then go home and do homework. I've managed to schedule in 3 hours of gym time a week that I treat like any other commitment (as in, "no, I can't do anything at 4 on Monday, I already have something scheduled then.")
Okay, that just turned into a rant about how busy I am. But seriously - I really may NOT have time to exercise as much as would be ideal, but do what I can. I got into the habit of having my first thought when I found myself with a free hour be "I can do some quick 10-minute exercise circuits!" I got my sorority to make weekly gym days, which I'm in charge of. It's all the little things that add up!