College kid needs help

fire_godess2008

Hi,

I'm a college kid and need some help and advice with trying to find a healthy "diet" that will work with a college kids budget, and as most of you know, we do not have a lot of money. I try really hard to stay away from the Ramen noodles. any other pasta and high cal and carbs food, but it's hard when you can get it for so cheap. I didn't know if anyone had some ideas/suggestions for me. I'm up for anything as long as I can afford it. I do eat deer meat because my family hunts so I get that for free : )

Thank you so much for the help!!!

fire_godess2008

Also I am brand new to myfitnesspal, so any advice is welcomed!!

alyssa83202

Hey! I'm in college too, and I actually gained 20 lbs my first semester so now I'm here trying to loose that weight and then some! Do you have a full kitchen or are you in a dorm without one?

colleen_mairead

Hello and welcome! I'm also a college kid, and I work 32 hours a week too. I try to stick to lean cuisines and healthy choice meals while I'm at work. They're all between $1.50 and $3 each at Wal*Mart, but up to $5 each at the food stores, go figure. Wal*Mart's store brand frozen meals are as little as $1.50 and they're really good for the price.

So, I'll eat one of those and have a yogurt and fruit later on in the night. (I work 3-11pm, generally) Works well for me! I also keep a can of light chicken noodle soup in my car, just encase, they go on sale 2 for $1 everywhere.

Good luck!

mccorml

its not really the carbs you gotta worry about and eating healthier can be more exspensive but it can also be cheaper sometimes like just little things like not eating as much at resteraunts and not getting the high calorie foods at fast food places

joleciamichelle

Hey there! I'm in college as well and I know it can be hard. There are tons of college students on this site and everyone (I've met) on this site is helpful and motivating. For advice, you might try searching "college" in the discussion boards. One thing I like to do is carry a 32 nalgene water bottle with me, water is so important! I also utilize my school's recreation center (sometimes you can try the workout classes for free, they can be expensive). I'm assuming you don't have a meal plan? I don't either. I just became a raw vegan but before I would shop sales and buy the healthiest and cheapest food but I might have had to spend a few more dollars by prioritizing healthy over cheap. Hopefully you'll find what works for you and good luck!

unworthyservant

Hey! I'm in college too and I just try to eat small portions (although I don't always do it, haha) and eat fruit and vegetables when I can. If you have a cafeteria you can eat at for free then you could go there and just eat the healthier choices, if not, fresh fruits and veggies are cheaper and filling and nutritious. It's only 30 cents for corn and 33 cents for an orange where I am. Oatmeal is a good breakfast that is not expensive if you buy the oats and cook them yourself, which you can do with just a microwave. Most importantly you should exercise! You can eat the pasta and stuff if you just exercise enough it will burn the calories you go over, hope you reach your goal!!

mollymoo89

I'm finishing up my last semester of undergrad and was able to lose more than half of the weight I gained using this site. I lost the first ten pounds on my own and then came on here for the last 5-7. I even completed a half marathon last semester. I stopped working out after my half and gained a little weight back so I'm still working on it.

I gained most of my weight by eating fast food late at night. Don't worry about the pasta and carbs because you will need that to recover and burn when you work out.

Here are a few meals that I eat:
- baked chicken breast (you can also put it in a salad or pasta) with a bag of birdseye steamed veggies
- lean cuisines and smart ones are great if you don't have much time, but aren't that filling so add a fruit
- cheerioes (multigrain) for breakfast
- apples for snacks
- stir fry steak strips (put in salad)
- ham and cheese omlet (egg whites, center slice of ham that you cook in oven, and cheese, you can also add bell peppers)

I make sure that I don't buy goldfish or chips because I will eat all of them in one sitting!

Hope this helps and good luck!

cupcakelover103

Hi i'm a college student too
Things to watch out for are definetely alcohol, which has loads of empty calories. Don't drink your calories, try to cut out coffee, fruit juice, sodas etc. Carry a waterbottle around you at campus so your not dehydrated, and don't eat when your really just thirsty.
And what i find really helps is scheduling in my exercise for the week. I treat it as a class (okay well i don't go to all of my classes lol) so i'd say that i treat it like an appointment.
I also find that when you keep other things in your life under control, it makes losing weight so much easier. Keep up your grades and try not to work last minute (i 'stress eat' in these scenarios).
Also budget!!!!!!!!!! I know it's hard, but you have to budget your weekly food allowance. Try to keep out of the middle section of the supermarket and stick to the perimetres, with loads of fruit and veggies, lean protein and low fat dairy and healthy grains. Create a weekly planner of healthy dinners you can make. You can then cook up more than you need and freeze them for when you come home from a busy day and just don't feel like cooking.
And make use of your campus. Walk as much as possible. Walking inbetween classes for me can take up to 15 mintues, which really ads up over the week. Take the stairs just walk as much as possible.
Also, use the support around you. Trust me you will not be the only college student who is struggling to make a lifestyle chagne and lose weight. If there's a gym there, maybe you and a friend could join, or maybe a sport team that you enjoy. Mfp is a great way to get support too.
OH and one more thing. I know i've been blabbering on about planning things weekly. But sometimes when it gets tough, just take it day by day. Even meal by meal.
oh and one more tip, try to accurately measure your food as much as possible. It's easy to understimate your food calories, and over-estimate exercise calories. Things like tomato sauce and salad dressings, which a lot of people don't count into their caloric intake can be so high in cals!
Oh and one last thing! Yesterday i went over my 1,200 cals by 400. I felt like crap, then all i did was took a long walk and got down to 200 calories over. I didn't beat myself up about it, and i've moved on and am doing great again today. So don't give up.
Best of luck and feel free to add me as a friend

dhall925

When I was in college there was a little sandwich shop on for campus meals and I would get 6 inch sandwiches like turkey ham or chicken breast with no cheese and a LOT of veggies and a lil mustard. (Spinach is a great substitute on sandwiches for lettuce FYI) The veggies really help with to fill me up. But the sandwich shop I went to was like a cheap subway and was covered under my college food plan.

Another thing that helped me stay fit in college was not drinking soda. I usually drink water or fat free milk it is usually cheaper and healthier then whole or 1%. Lots of water helps cuts cravings and helps digestion. Now beer/alcohol is my biggest enemy.
Good Luck
DHall

benjik

I am currently a junior in college and after discovered this site, I have changed my life around. I have used this site for only a short while so far more weight than expected and am starting to see numbers on the scale I haven't seen since I was a freshman in high school. Some tips for getting started are try and limit your self from simple carbs like pastas and white flours. Something also to keep in mind is limit how much you put on your plate. If you reduce yourself to one helping of a particular food, and wait a while before even considering if you really want seconds. This will allow your body to process the food and tell you if your body is still hungry. (The first few weeks are the hardest, I know, I went through it). I love to cook so finding good but health food was key for me. Cook with chicken or white meets, fish if you like it is good. Try and reduce fatty foods like things containing butters, or cheese. Chicken breast is always a good option. You can put sauces (light) or spices to make it have some flavor. Something I just discovered was chicken breast covered in healthy cereal like Total and then baked. Try and reduce snaking. Eat larger lunches and smaller dinners. If you are hungry in the middle of the day snack on fruit.

fire_godess2008

Thanks everyone for the help!!! I guess I should have given a little more info. I am one of those kid who gained their freshman 15 and sophomore 20. I'm really trying to lose the weight but be healthy about it. I have battled with bulimia and anorexia, and really trying not to get back into it. I've been very successful so far
I don't eat fast food, unless it's completely necessary. I'm against animals/meat being injected with hormones and antibiotics as well as processed meats. Thats another reason why I eat deer meat.

Also it's good to hear that people that have been using myfitnesspal have seen results and have changed their lifestyle. I will be taking everything everyone has said and be applying it. If there is anymore advice or tips please keep it coming.