Trying to Survive College

jenellechan26

Hello Everyone, I am just posting this to see if anyone has any tips as far as how to stay on track while still going to college. As many college students know, money is not something that is always in abundance which makes buying health food hard to find. I would just like some tips as to how maybe you have overcome this challenge or just an encouragement or ideas would be lovely.Thank you all very much in advanced

WeightLossTrek

I always pack my meals and bring them from home.

dancinblonde0099

Idk what your college is like but we have a cafe and there are some healthy food put packing a lunch would be the best bet for cheaper and getting your healthy food instead of their fattening foods. If you have breaks between your classes take a walk around the campus to get exercise or if your college has a gym go there for a little while. I have an elliptical at home so normally i use that. I understand what you are going through, its hard to loose weight while going to school! I wish there was more time in the day or less lazy time in the day lol Good luck!

nickyb632

Uhh that's definitely the worst, packing your own food is definitely best, but i know what you mean, it is hard when money is tight, pb&j isn't very expensive and with the right ingredients (pepperigde farms light style whole wheat, skippy reduced fat & a sugar free jam) can be very healthy & filling. 100 cal packs are a life saver as well!

Ashlea_M

I always pack my meals and bring them from home.

same

shardown

I make sandwiches, chop up fruits and take some yogurt. It is SO much cheaper to bring my own food to uni and makes it easier on my wallet. Or make a bigger portion for dinner and keep half of it to bring to uni the next day. Cheaper and you know the ingredients so you know you're being healthy!

oxnina

yeah i'm in university in canada, so its different than college, but i pack healthy lunches at home and bring them to school. My school also has a cafeteria with healthy options for a fair price. You just have to look and you'll find

NurseNatalie2011

Take advantage of the gym at your college. I had a "free" membership at my first school. Also, if you live in the dorms or on a meal plan limit yourself to 1 plate of food and make sure you have some type of veggie and salad on the plate. I gained about 20lbs my freshman year (not too much from alcohol lol) from the all you can eat cafe at dinner and snacking while studying in my room. Worse mistake of my life. Glad you are being active about your weight now.

jenellechan26

Thank you all so much for the tips!! Keep them coming! haha nickyb632 I think I may have to go buy some PB&J stuff tonigh!

KrystalLight03

Staying on track in college is not easy. I have found that limited funds, limited free time, and abundant stress make the weight loss journey pretty difficult. My best advice for buying healthier food is to really know the grocery stores in your area. I go to Marsh, which is conveniently right down the road from my apartment, and they have a 10% off student discount every Saturday. I always make sure to make my shopping trips on these days for the added savings in addition to my couponing. I'm fortunate to have an "extreme couponing" mom, so I've learned a lot about saving significant amounts of money on toiletries and other items so I'm able to spend a bit more on better food, which are harder to find coupons for. If you don't have a Marsh, many other stores (Kroger, for example) have coupons and discounts on their website that you can load onto your card.

Second piece of advice: if you don't buy your own groceries, know all the cafeterias on campus. My campus has one cafeteria that is strictly for vegetarians and vegans, so you'll never have a problem finding healthy meals there. The other cafeterias on campus don't always have the best selection for good food, but thankfully they're starting to get better and offer healthier alternatives.

Third: Opt to walk instead of riding the bus or driving. Most college campuses are pedestrian friendly and everything is in walking distance, so this shouldn't be a problem. I know walking is especially difficult in the winter months when you risk frostbite, but I definitely didn't gain as much weight last year as my bus-riding roommate because I walked everywhere.

Fourth: Take the stairs. My dorm last year had an elevator, but I don't think I ever used it. Also, some bigger buildings have elevators, so take the stairs there too. I had a class on the 8th floor last year and while I wasn't immediately able to climb the stairs the whole way up, I slowly built myself up to it and by the end of the semester I was able to climb all the stairs with only a minor asthma attack :laugh:

Fifth: Utilize the health facilities on campus. I know mine and many other campus allow students access to the rec centers for free, so take advantage of it! Finding the time to go isn't always easy, but I try to stop in there between classes for just a little cardio and circuit training.

Last: Find out who the nutrition and dietetics professors are. I may or may not have pretended to be a student in one of their classes last year and may or may not have attended their office hours so I could get advice about learning to live a healthier lifestyle and get free professional advice.