so discouraged...

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swagoner94
swagoner94 Posts: 220 Member
in Motivation and Support
So distraught & discouraged! I just got my results from a body composition test I had taken in one of my college courses. 37.3 of the pounds making up my body weight, is fat! I'm 27% body fat.... I feel so gross! On top of that, the easiest accessed foods to me as a poor college student, are stupid carbs and sugar, and my life this semester is sooooo busy - hence why I stopped logging for so long! Exercise has been virtually nonexistent. I don't know what to do :(

How do I, given these circumstances, drop to 22-23% body fat?

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Step 1 - calm down...
    Step 2 - use MFP to create a 500 per day calorie deficit
    step 3 - does your university have a gym that students can use? If yes, then familiarize yourself with compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups/chin-ups, rows, bench press..
    step 4 - once you have familiarized yourself with these moves start a three day per week total body workout routine where you hit legs/arms/back/shoulders/ and mix in some cardio on off days, maybe two sessions per week...so MWF total body tues/fri cardio..
    Finally, realize that carbs and sugar are not bad for you. As long as you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose weight, and you can have carbs and sugar (which by the way are on in the same); just make sure that you stay within your carb goal/macro for the day...
  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    Step 1 - calm down...
    Step 2 - use MFP to create a 500 per day calorie deficit
    step 3 - does your university have a gym that students can use? If yes, then familiarize yourself with compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups/chin-ups, rows, bench press..
    step 4 - once you have familiarized yourself with these moves start a three day per week total body workout routine where you hit legs/arms/back/shoulders/ and mix in some cardio on off days, maybe two sessions per week...so MWF total body tues/fri cardio..
    Finally, realize that carbs and sugar are not bad for you. As long as you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose weight, and you can have carbs and sugar (which by the way are on in the same); just make sure that you stay within your carb goal/macro for the day...

    ^^This
  • swagoner94
    swagoner94 Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    Step 1 - calm down...
    Step 2 - use MFP to create a 500 per day calorie deficit
    step 3 - does your university have a gym that students can use? If yes, then familiarize yourself with compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups/chin-ups, rows, bench press..
    step 4 - once you have familiarized yourself with these moves start a three day per week total body workout routine where you hit legs/arms/back/shoulders/ and mix in some cardio on off days, maybe two sessions per week...so MWF total body tues/fri cardio..
    Finally, realize that carbs and sugar are not bad for you. As long as you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose weight, and you can have carbs and sugar (which by the way are on in the same); just make sure that you stay within your carb goal/macro for the day...

    Last school year I lost 20lbs living on campus and running. Over the summer I had gone to the gym very often. My brother had taught me years ago how to bench and squat and all that stuff. This year I live off campus so food choices suck, plus every single day I work or have school from 8:30am-5pm. Even on some weekends I have to work. After homework and studying, it's basically bed time.... I have NO time to even exercise anymore. I feel all those muscles I'd been working on deflating and being replaced with fat! ah!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
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    Time to make time. I work from 6am to about 5pm most days and also spend many hours after with family activities. I started waking up at 3:30am in order to get a workout in before leaving for work at 5:30. It's been over a year now and my routine hasn't change. School at 8:30 is late.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Options
    Step 1 - calm down...
    Step 2 - use MFP to create a 500 per day calorie deficit
    step 3 - does your university have a gym that students can use? If yes, then familiarize yourself with compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups/chin-ups, rows, bench press..
    step 4 - once you have familiarized yourself with these moves start a three day per week total body workout routine where you hit legs/arms/back/shoulders/ and mix in some cardio on off days, maybe two sessions per week...so MWF total body tues/fri cardio..
    Finally, realize that carbs and sugar are not bad for you. As long as you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose weight, and you can have carbs and sugar (which by the way are on in the same); just make sure that you stay within your carb goal/macro for the day...

    Last school year I lost 20lbs living on campus and running. Over the summer I had gone to the gym very often. My brother had taught me years ago how to bench and squat and all that stuff. This year I live off campus so food choices suck, plus every single day I work or have school from 8:30am-5pm. Even on some weekends I have to work. After homework and studying, it's basically bed time.... I have NO time to even exercise anymore. I feel all those muscles I'd been working on deflating and being replaced with fat! ah!!!!!!!!!!!!

    it doesn't get easier.

    it only gets harder. Most people work from 8-5 if not 6 plus an 30-60 minute commute. they have to cook or deal with families and part time jobs and other things.

    Find a way. seroiusly- 99% of adults wish they could be back in school (okay I made that up- but I bet you it's a super high percentage) school is easy.

    nothing is easy once you leave. You start paying for it- and you pay for everything else- it goes down hill- you are busier- you have an *kitten* for a boss- junk food everywhere- people who are lazy surrounding you- more stress- commute- traffic- kids- relationships- seriously- school is awesome.

    Find a way to make it work- start doing HIIT workouts- there is time in the day to get SOMETHING in on any given day.

    make small but better choices about food.
  • NewandImproved1
    NewandImproved1 Posts: 21
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    Well it doesn't seem like you weigh much...unless you are really really short. 37 pounds is 27% of your weight? I'll have to read it again :). Anyway it's probay what you are eating and not the quantity. Also lugging books around a campus (ESP if you live there and have to walk everywhere...it burns calories. I long to be a student again.
  • swagoner94
    swagoner94 Posts: 220 Member
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    Well it doesn't seem like you weigh much...unless you are really really short. 37 pounds is 27% of your weight? I'll have to read it again :). Anyway it's probay what you are eating and not the quantity. Also lugging books around a campus (ESP if you live there and have to walk everywhere...it burns calories. I long to be a student again.

    I weigh about 137lbs. I'm 5'5". It does burn calories but it's nothing compared to how many i had been burning over the summer and year past.
  • ViktoryaC
    ViktoryaC Posts: 124 Member
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    137 is a great weight for your height. :smile:
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    Just wait until there's a house, babies, commute, etc. Learn to make time now, and you won't be freaking out later when you REALLY have to make time. I utilize my breaks at work very wisely.
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
    Options
    Step 1 - calm down...
    Step 2 - use MFP to create a 500 per day calorie deficit
    step 3 - does your university have a gym that students can use? If yes, then familiarize yourself with compound lifts - squats, deadlifts, over head press, pull ups/chin-ups, rows, bench press..
    step 4 - once you have familiarized yourself with these moves start a three day per week total body workout routine where you hit legs/arms/back/shoulders/ and mix in some cardio on off days, maybe two sessions per week...so MWF total body tues/fri cardio..
    Finally, realize that carbs and sugar are not bad for you. As long as you eat in a calorie deficit you will lose weight, and you can have carbs and sugar (which by the way are on in the same); just make sure that you stay within your carb goal/macro for the day...

    Last school year I lost 20lbs living on campus and running. Over the summer I had gone to the gym very often. My brother had taught me years ago how to bench and squat and all that stuff. This year I live off campus so food choices suck, plus every single day I work or have school from 8:30am-5pm. Even on some weekends I have to work. After homework and studying, it's basically bed time.... I have NO time to even exercise anymore. I feel all those muscles I'd been working on deflating and being replaced with fat! ah!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Welcome to life sweetheart. I leave my house every morning at 6:45 AM, and most nights get home at 8-9 PM after yoga classes, family, friends, working full time at the office, and part time at my business I run out of my house. Either you find the time, or you quit and give in the towel. Make time for you. And before you say "but i'm in school", When I was 20 I was at university full time, had a full time job, and worked part time on top of it all, and I graduated and made it through.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
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    Don't be discouraged!

    You just need to make better food choices and squeeze some workout time back into your schedule. You mentioned that you used to run. Try getting up a little earlier to get a run in the mornings to start. I think you'll feel better once you start exercising again, plus you know MFP can help you keep your calories in check.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    You will offend some people if you think 137 is fat. And you can make time to exercise if you want it enough. What do you plan to do when you have kids and a job and a house. We are all busy.
  • Amy11108
    Amy11108 Posts: 74
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    it doesn't get easier.


    This is so true. I work 10 hour days and an hour commute. I get home, eat, put my child to bed, and go to bed. I wake up at 4am to work out.
  • tapirfrog
    tapirfrog Posts: 616 Member
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    I'm 37% fat.

    Want to trade?
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    137 is a great weight for your height. :smile:

    This and, IIRC, 27% is firmly in the middle of "healthy" body fat for women. Keep doing what your doing (trying to make healthy choices, staying active, even if it's lugging books around) and don't freak out :wink:
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
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    This year I live off campus so food choices suck.......


    I'm thinking the choices off campus are better than on. Grocery stores have all sorts of great choices--but, alas, no drive thru's.
  • Kazimira
    Kazimira Posts: 165 Member
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    Amy11108 I love your picture. Thank you.
  • Trainypooh
    Trainypooh Posts: 22 Member
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    I disagree with the notion that "it gets harder." Start NOW putting in the time and work and following good habits will get easier. It becomes routine and familiar. The trick is to do it NOW, and go all in! make the time to workout and log your macros/cals.
  • Amy11108
    Amy11108 Posts: 74
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    Amy11108 I love your picture. Thank you.

    You're welcome! And along with that motto -- I have to apologize to the OP! I didn't really offer any advice and she is awesome too just for coming here and wanting to improve! :flowerforyou:


    OP: Make small goals, walk as often as you can to classes, between classes, and after classes haha... and drink a lot of water! Take it day by day

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