College and Weight Loss

b_moseley1

So I've been working at losing weight for a long time but really buckled down late July of 2013. So it's been about 4-5 months of counting calories and making nutrition labels my best friend.

I had moderate success until I got back to college for this semester. I started out ok for the first few weeks then things fell apart. I've been having trouble eating right (i.e. I really like my tortilla chips and eat them in large quantities). I've also been struggling with going to the grocery store and choosing the good food. I have gotten WAY better about not going into the inner isles except for peanut butter or the like.

I'm a miserable cook so I tend to go for the easy to put together things or prepackaged everything. I have a huge sweet tooth that sabotages me. And I like salty things, like fries...

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this post but I just needed to tell someone something.

I have fluctuated between 180-185 pounds this semester and can't seem to keep myself on track long enough to see weight loss.

I want to be 175 when I go home for Christmas mid December and have my family (who I haven't seem since late August) notice a difference. I want to be able to fit in a size 10 by the time Spring 2014 rolls around (I'm somewhere between a 12 and a 14 cause I have huge muscular thighs. Thank you Crossfit...).

It just seems like I'm bouncing around weight wise and lack motivation. Well, I'm not sure motivation is the right word because I REALLY want to lose the weight but I can never seem to follow through with things.

I guess I just need some advice in general and a solid slap on the butt to get me going...

P.S. Anyone know ways to naturally calm an upset stomach? My depression and anxiety meds make me nauseous and I can't do anything about it. The doc is stumped and other med brands just make it worse.

godsgrl33

To answer the question about naturally helping an upset stomach, my husband swears by peppermint candies (or you could try peppermint tea). Also, don't go shopping on an empty stomach, because then you want to grab everything. Don't buy tortilla chips unless it's a single serve bag if it's that bad of a crutch. Make a list and stick to it! Easier said than done, right? Find one new recipe a week to try and you will become a better cook. You can do this!

HollisGrant

I understand about the sweet tooth, the chips, etc. It's really hard when you're around other people who are eating that stuff, too. The problem is that food will make you fat except in small amounts that fit into your calories for the day. You know that. You have to decide what is more important, eating for entertainment and stress relief from studying, or getting your weight under control and looking beautiful...

I quit smoking a long time ago. To help myself, I took a 6-week class. The leader of the class told us to make quitting smoking the most important thing in our lives for the next 6 weeks.

To be successful, you have to make the weight loss more important than eating chips. Motivate yourself. Put notes up for yourself. Go to a thrift shop and get a pair of great looking jeans for $3 in a smaller size and hang them where you can see them. Be honest about being overweight. Look at yourself naked in a full length mirror and ask yourself if you are happy with the way you look. If not, it won't change unless you change it.

I understand about not being a good cook, but that's an excuse (I'm the same way, so I understand), You don't have to become a gourmet cook or even like it -- you just have to learn how to take care of yourself. Tell yourself, "No excuses!" Believe me, there's a Fat Girl inside me too who says she can't do things, doesn't like to cook, and just wants to sit and eat crap, but I'm done with that. Take a class about basic cooking. Buy a mini fridge and a great looking water bottle to carry around. Look for a group at college of people who hike or some other exercise and ask them about food (by the way, good going on what you're already doing!). Have fun.

MyPaperBleedsInk

Plan, plan, plan your meals in advance. Do you shop for groceries once a week? Look at the weekly ads to see what's on sale, especially the veggies and fruit, and determine what meals for the upcoming weak you can make out of them including nutritional information. When you go to the store buy only the necessities to make those meals plus some other healthy snacks. If you keep junk food around you, you WILL be tempted to eat it. If you like certain things, and can't help eating them in large quantities, separate them out by serving size in ziploc bags or containers as soon as you buy them so you know your limits. Look online for recipe/cooking help. It's not too difficult to make fast and easy meals instead of going for the processed and pre-packaged stuff. You just have to find them.

I live in the dorms on campus and I have to make sure I only have fruits and vegetables in my room otherwise I'd be snacking non stop throughout the day. I don't shop for groceries because I'm on a meal plan, but I do look at the daily menu which provides nutritional information and go to the dining hall with my meal pre-planned.


Are there any fitness classes or clubs you can join on campus? If you could start attending some and meet some cool new people, you could motivate each other to show up to these meetings. I go to a weekly swing club meeting where we dance for about three hours. I made sure to get an officer position in the club so that I'm required to go to every meeting.

sparkle814

Trader Joe's sells a chewey ginger candy that's not too many calories that can be helpful to settle the stomach. Good luck with the weight loss! I would give my advice, but I don't know how great it would be since I put on about 40 pounds in the four years of college.

I would echo the advice of previous posters - don't buy bags of tortilla chips - if you don't have them you can't eat them. Or buy single serve bags. OR if you're cheap like me lol buy the big bag and portion it out ahead of time. Make a shopping list when you are not hungry or pressed for time. Bring it to the market and stick to it. Plan meals out ahead of time. If you find yourself lacking in time to cook something healthy each day, take an hour one or two days a week to make up a big batch of something healthy like chicken salad or lentil soup and eat it throughout the days/week.

Good luck!

b_moseley1

Thanks for the input guys!

I've scribbled notes to myself on my mirrors and made the yummy bad for you food really hard to get to (I'm short so I put it up high).