College life! Need advice!

xblinkiiix

So basically, I'm a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (go badgers!) and have decided it's time to lose the freshman 15 instead of gaining it. My biggest problem however, is my lack of food options and, of course, the copious amounts of alcohol that happens every single weekend. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to go about weight loss while you're in college?

Help please!

briabner

look up lower calorie alcohol options. Like jack and diet coke only has about 100 calories or so. A glass of wine has about 200 or under. Or instead of getting completely trashed maybe just sip on 1 or 2 drinks the whole evening. Dieting in the college cafeteria can be difficult. I think you probably would just need to focus on portion control as well as making better options. Like stay away from fried foods. Stock up at the salad bar and lots of veggies and lean meats. Also, with the drinking lots of water will help, lots meaning more than 64 ounces per day.

Trechechus

I made it through college with an alcohol intolerance and I magically can actually remember all of my memories. Get a mini-fridge, go to the grocery store, stop drinking so much, and don't treat your body like a garbage can just because you have some pre-programmed idea that the risk of alcohol poisoning is necessary just because you aren't living at home anymore.

rosellasweet

look up lower calorie alcohol options. Like jack and diet coke only has about 100 calories or so. A glass of wine has about 200 or under. Or instead of getting completely trashed maybe just sip on 1 or 2 drinks the whole evening. Dieting in the college cafeteria can be difficult. I think you probably would just need to focus on portion control as well as making better options. Like stay away from fried foods. Stock up at the salad bar and lots of veggies and lean meats. Also, with the drinking lots of water will help, lots meaning more than 64 ounces per day.

This. And while the not getting trashed sounds lame, your stomach will thank you. Achieving the perfect buzz can be a fine art.

faithbabe21

I'm a senior at college and the calories in alcohol are pretty bad especially in things like long islands. Usually I drink vodka water with lime, so the only calories I'm getting is the alcohol, but that can be pretty strong. As for other parts, use the college gym since it's already free although they can get very crowded sometimes. One of the things I find with college like is that I eat out all the time. So to counter this I try to steer my friends to pick chain restaurants where I can look up the nutritional info before I go and find something on the menu that doesn't wreak my day completely. I don't know if your on campus and have a meal plan or not but I find it a lot healthier to be off the meal plan than to be on it. Feel free to add me if you would like friends or want to check out my food diary, I'm totally not perfect at this but it might help.

bmoliv66

I worked at a bar, played rugby and attended WVU so I've had some practice with losing weight while drinking haha. First I would say make sure you stay hydrated- especially on nights where you will be drinking. This helps curb/prevent the hangovers. A hangover is probably the worst enemy as you will crave bad food and not want to exercise. Purchase some healthy snacks to have around also so you aren't starving at 3am and ordering pizza etc. I'm assuming since you are a freshman you are on a meal plan and that will make it harder to eat healthy but having healthy snacks around can help with that too. As mentioned before, try to stick to the lower calorie drink options... If you drink vodka sprite all night you are going to be taking in a lot of unnecessary calories. Exercise regularly- even if it takes you till 4pm to get out of bed, go for a walk/run. Try to do as many of these little things as possible but don't beat yourself up if you slip. Have fun and get back on the wagon the next day. Good luck.

tinavflynn

Walk, walk, and walk! Take a longer route to a class than you might normally, you can plan this ahead of time so you aren't late. That honestly helped me the most in college. I also recommend taking advantage of your school's gym. Drinking and eating can be the most difficult part, but sometimes throwing in extra exercise can combat the extra drink you have or the irresistible bad-for-you food at the dining courts. Try to balance your physical activity with what you're eating! :drinker:

StacySwi

So basically, I'm a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (go badgers!) and have decided it's time to lose the freshman 15 instead of gaining it. My biggest problem however, is my lack of food options and, of course, the copious amounts of alcohol that happens every single weekend. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to go about weight loss while you're in college?

Help please!

Finding a gym buddy helps a ton. I know how hard it can be when you go to college in a cold state. I went to the University of Minnesota so I know how hard it can be hard to get motivation to workout in -30 degree weather. If you have someone who is counting on you to go and can keep you accountable it helps a ton. Also, the weekends are inevitable so make the effort during the week to keep yourself on track with food and exercise and try to keep the drunk snacking to a minimum (that's my weakness)

nxd10

There are always low calorie options. Plus you have great opportunities for exercise - WALKING.

Try to eat breakfast and get enough sleep. Both help weight loss (especially sleep).

Have lunch. There are salads, soups. I bet they serve cold cuts and tortillas (200 calories). Drink water, not soda. If you drink milk, go skim.

My big thing in college was sitting with my friends over dinner and having second helpings - especially of desert. Start with a salad and bowl of soup. Then have a main course heavy on veggies and protein with few carbs or cheese. Have a small helping of ice cream for desert (75-150 calories) not cake (300).

If you eat chips, put them in a bowl, don't eat out of the bag.

If you're drinking (I don't need to tell you it's illegal, right?), stick with the one drink/hour guidelines for staying buzzed not getting drunk. You'll have more fun anyway. Drink one night, not two. Find something else fun to do the other night.

Promqueen_74932

I would suggest stop consuming empty calories such as alcohol, soda, and juice and focus on spending your $$ wisely and consuming healthy lean meats, vegetables, and complex carbs. Get to the grocery store honey! A mini fridge and a microwave are wise investments. Doesn't dorms have community kitchens now? And most grocery stores sells pre-made salads, fish, chicken, etc... There's no excuse to not have an unlimited supply of healthy food options in your room. You can make college living healthy. You can do all that you set your mind to. Good luck in classes and have an awesome semester!

~Sara

renatewolfe

Well....this may seem like a novel idea, but how about not drinking much? Drinking is NOT a requirement for higher education, LOL!!. Drinking until you are blotto is also unattractive, fattening, and as a nurse, I can tell you it is VERY dangerous. I see young people with pancreatitis and liver disease all of the time from drinking too much alcohol and too many "Big Gulp" pops. Especially Mt. Dew. These are very dangerous diseases, and if you ever saw someone die from one of them, you probably would not drink again.

Sorry.....I'm stepping off my soapbox now. Anyway, I'm sure you are not a heavy drinker. How about just having a glass of wine, or light beer or wine spritzer or skinnygirl Margarita once a week, assuming of course, that you are over 21. You could work that into your diet. You can also be the designated driver too, and be the one to have fun, but sip on a diet drink or ice tea or water with lemon.

My son had his own little fridge in his dorm. You can get one for about $100. He kept apples, oranges, lunchmeat, yogurt, milk, jelly and frozen meals in it. He also kept nonperishables like soups, fruits canned in their own juice bread, peanut butter, bananas and cereal. He had a small microwave to cook frozen meals and heat up low fat soups. He also found healthy options at school. You just have to pick the right things. If salads or veggies are offered on the menu, make sure to pick those. Same with fruit. Stick to grilled chicken sandwiches, hold the mayo and add the tomatoes and lettuce when you go for a sandwich, and stay away from chips, fries, and high calorie coffee drinks.

One nice thing about living on campus is that you can walk, walk, walk. That will be a big help. I was in great shape when I was in school. I know you will be too!

Samuraiko

If you live on campus and are not much for cooking, check the student union to see what's there. I know at the U of Arizona, we had an awesome meal plan thing where you deposited funds on your student ID card, which you could then use at any restaurant on campus - we had a full-on salad bar and grill in the cafeteria, and provided it wasn't totally insane during the lunch rush, the cooks would accommodate special requests.

Depending on whether you live on or off campus, get in plenty of walking. And take the stairs when going through the buildings, where possible. I would routinely walk a couple of times around the UA mall each evening (even after running around campus all day), which was a convenient one-mile lap in a well-lit, well-patrolled area. Most campuses also have a gym, and membership is usually free to students (though you might have to pay for lockers and stuff).

And yes, one more voice to minimize the drinking - I have a wicked allergy to malt, which meant no beer, whiskey, scotch, wine coolers, etc. I stuck to wine or vodka, and those in (mostly) moderation. (Though every now and again I did go on a cheerful bender.) The one drink/hr rule is a sound one, and ALWAYS drink a glass of water before going to bed after drinking - part of the hangover comes from dehydration.

One last thing - GET PLENTY OF SLEEP. Seriously.

yaseyuku

I hit my goal weight while in college through the everything in moderation approach. If I wanted something, I made room for it in my daily calories. If I went over one or two times on special occasions, that was fine. I ate healthy foods a lot of the time but didn't cut anything out and ate what I wanted while being mindful of portion sizes.

Exercise helped a lot too.

firefoxxie

Keep track of your calories, this is most important. I remember freshman 15..though mine was more like freshman 20. Try not to drink or to drink little, your body and brain will thank you lol.
Try to look up the foods you're eating in the caf on MFP. It should at least be close to the amount that's really in the food.
Buy healthy snacks to keep in your dorm.
Dedicate at least 30mins at the gym 3 times a week.

zipzap77

After gaining the freshman 50 (I know thats not even a real thing..and it happened in 1 semester) I was able to lose it all my junior year. Here are a few tips

1) Workout in the middle of the day, between classes
2) Drink less (this will lower your tolerance so you will need less to get drunk) and drink alcohol on the rocks with no mixers, or add soda water instead of soda
3) Dont eat in the dinning halls. What I mean is, take a container to the dining hall, pick out healthy options and leave as fast as you can, before the other things tempt you.
4) Try to dance as much as possible when you are drunk
5) Enroll in any fitness classes your school offers
6) Minimize meals with friends ( I know that is hard, but chances are they will be eating unhealthy food)
7) Never skip breakfast. Instant oatmeal is a great healthy option that you can keep in your dorm room.
8) Bring healthy snacks everywhere you go, especially when you are studying.

ladyred316

Alcohol is one of my biggest diet issues. Only limit yourself to one or two drinks, and something low calorie. If you have a high tolerance that can be difficult. Also, alcohol makes you retain a lot of water weight. When I quit drinking any alcohol whatsoever for a month, I lost 10 pounds even while eating McD's.
Also, since your in college, WALK EVERYWHERE!!! Try running, or riding your bike to classes.