College

Restlessme

The academic aspect of college isn't actually what I expected, which is actually meant in the best way possible to be honest.

When I came into college, I was 168 and now I stand here at 180, merely three pounds away from my original weight when I started all of this. To be honest this is depressing and I'd love to play the victim and whatnot, but this is all my own doing. I just wish my taking responsibility for the situation made the pounds melt off...but it doesn't.

I wish it was simple to just take measuring cups into the school cafeteria, but it's not. I don't portion the food myself onto my plate and overeating has really always been my problem. I have access to a Wii system for wii active in my own room, but I'm forced to ask my roommate for permission and in a sense I feel like an idiot asking someone else if I'M allowed to exercise.

There's a gym not far off, but a membership is $80 for the semester which I can afford only if I know for a fact I'll be taking advantage of it, which I obviously didn't do this semester.

Honestly this post is my way of venting, because I've never felt so miserable to be at this weight before especially after all the hard work it took to get rid of it.

If any college kids/anyone at all have advice for taking on the cafeteria or dealing with exercise, I'd really appreciate it.

songbyrdsweet

I actually lost a majority of my weight in undergrad. Grad school is now kicking my *kitten*. :laugh:

I picked healthier options from my cafeteria...so, no pizza, mac and cheese, fried chicken, etc. I ate a salad every day for lunch. I exercised first thing in the morning (walking or running outside is free!) and would lift in the evening (even a half hour is enough). Eat until you're not hungry, but stop before you get full. Little things like that.

littlesis412

I agree with choosing the healthier options available. The salad bar, steamed veggies, and roasted/baked meats (ok idk what it's called but not fried.) Also, try buying a few workout dvds and doing them. The 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michels is really popular and it's less than half an hour. I'm sure there's at least 30 minutes of the day where your room mate is not in the room. And you can watch those on your laptop. Another thing to be careful about is eating out and munching. I know I love to snack while studying so I've tried to cut that out. Or, I'll have healthier snacks like veggies and hummus or popcorn.

dls06

You could walk, that would not disturb your room mate. When you get your food maybe ask them to only give you a half portion.
Good luck with school and the new lifestyle. :flowerforyou:

LorinaLynn

Does your college have it's own gym?

I went to a dinky community college, and all students had free access to the gym when it wasn't in use for classes.

BarbWhite09

The portions they serve you in the caf should be proper portions actually. They're normally closely monitored on that. I'd assume they use Sodexo to get their food through, most colleges do, & yeaaa they're food is pretty unhealthy (& gross, lol) Choose some of the healthier options when you eat there. There's probably a salad bar right? Use it, just watch how much dressing you put on there.

tigerkittyskf

I'm a college student as well and I'm surrounded by people wanting to go eat out ALL the time and they all have a meal plan. I purposely avoid getting a meal plan because most of the foods on campus are unhealthy. So, I'm forced to go shopping for myself. I don't know what your fincacial situation is, but I get a weeks worth of groceries for anywhere from $40-$50. If you can't go grocery shoping for yourself, simply look for the things that are healthier option. Eat salads, cooked veggies, baked meats, fresh fruits, etc.

As for the exercise, I hardly ever go in the gym. I always exercise outside. The outdoors is a natural gym, so use it.

Don't get discouraged. We've all been through this, otherwise we wouldn't be on this website. Just take one day at a time and keep your eyes on YOUR goal.

Shajsum

How about just going for a walk/jog around campus so u dont have to ask permission or find some new friends on campus who enjoy working out that way you have some encouragement. Just be mindful of what your eating. A plate full of salad trumps a plate full of fries anyday!! Good luck sweetie!!

Restlessme

I actually lost a majority of my weight in undergrad. Grad school is now kicking my *kitten*. :laugh:
I picked healthier options from my cafeteria...so, no pizza, mac and cheese, fried chicken, etc. I ate a salad every day for lunch. I exercised first thing in the morning (walking or running outside is free!) and would lift in the evening (even a half hour is enough). Eat until you're not hungry, but stop before you get full. Little things like that.

I am definitely considering the salad for one meal everyday plan, will definitely come in handy.

Also, try buying a few workout dvds and doing them. The 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michels is really popular and it's less than half an hour. I'm sure there's at least 30 minutes of the day where your room mate is not in the room. And you can watch those on your laptop.

I actually have the 30 day shred, so I need to take advantage of it. Now to actually get the DVD from my home and bring it up here.

You could walk, that would not disturb your room mate. When you get your food maybe ask them to only give you a half portion.
Good luck with school and the new lifestyle.

I could definitely walk, and my campus is quite large. To be honest, I'd never considered walking, so thank you so much!

Does your college have it's own gym?

We actually have to pay to use our own gym, which is definitely a bummer and where the $80 membership comes from.

Choose some of the healthier options when you eat there. There's probably a salad bar right? Use it, just watch how much dressing you put on there.

I will use the salad bar for sure.

I'm a college student as well and I'm surrounded by people wanting to go eat out ALL the time and they all have a meal plan. I purposely avoid getting a meal plan because most of the foods on campus are unhealthy. So, I'm forced to go shopping for myself. I don't know what your fincacial situation is, but I get a weeks worth of groceries for anywhere from $40-$50. If you can't go grocery shoping for yourself, simply look for the things that are healthier option. Eat salads, cooked veggies, baked meats, fresh fruits, etc.

As for the exercise, I hardly ever go in the gym. I always exercise outside. The outdoors is a natural gym, so use it.

Don't get discouraged. We've all been through this, otherwise we wouldn't be on this website. Just take one day at a time and keep your eyes on YOUR goal.

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement! My financial situation is so-so and I'm not sure if I'd be able to afford groceries on my own, but it's definitely something I could look into/try out.

Lleldiranne

Can you have some food in your room - maybe a mini fridge? You can pick healthier options at the cafeteria, too. Get an extra plate (and your meal in one of the to-go box options) put what you'll eat on your plate and close up the rest. Save it for another meal.

At my college, we have access to the "field house" (basically a small gym) for free - well, included in student fees but we pay whether we use it or not. Have you looked into if your college has something like this? If not, look for exercise/fitness classes. Swim, weight training, raquetball, zumba, yoga, etc etc etc. I'd be surprised if most college don't have at least something. And you can always get up an hour early and go for a brisk walk or jog, run up and down the stairs in the dorms, or go for a bike ride. You don't need fancy equipment for that!

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Does your school not have a gym thats free to students? Having to pay for a membership does make it tougher.

My freshman year I attended La Salle University in Philly (I recently transferred back home to University of Delaware and am now a sophomore there). When I was living on campus at La Salle, I had to learn self control and actually follow through with my eating routine and not just say "Oh, I'm gonna get a salad for dinner since I ate kinda bad at lunch". I had to actually do it, which I felt like was the toughest part.

It is very hard to control portion sizes. If you can, ask the cafateria ladies for "just a little bit" of that or "extra" of the healthy stuff. That way you're not completely depriving yourself, but you are also controlling whats going into your mouth. Remember: if its not on your plate, you can't eat it.

At every meal, I would always try my hardest to make sure there was some kind of fruit or vegetable on my plate. I would eat the fruit/veggie first to fill me up and also to ensure that I was getting the nutrients my body needed. I found that this made me less hungry, and also less tempted - since I already ate half healthy, I didn't want to defeat the purpose by eating badly. Same thing when I worked out (and even still today) - when I worked out I ate healthier. I didn't want to burn 400 something calories at the gym just to gain it all back in a slice of pizza!

Honestly, my biggest advice to you is to always remember that diet is everything. Even if you can't be as physically active due to lack of gym membership, if you're not eating right, your body isn't going to have the tools it needs to lose weight. There's a saying I heard on the Dr. Oz show once: "Abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym." I think this is very true and something most people should live by.

I am an exercise science major at the University of Delaware with a minor in food sciences. If you have any more questions or need advice/someone to vent to, feel free to message/add me, sweetie! I love talking health and nutrition.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Can you have some food in your room - maybe a mini fridge? You can pick healthier options at the cafeteria, too. Get an extra plate (and your meal in one of the to-go box options) put what you'll eat on your plate and close up the rest. Save it for another meal.

At my college, we have access to the "field house" (basically a small gym) for free - well, included in student fees but we pay whether we use it or not. Have you looked into if your college has something like this? If not, look for exercise/fitness classes. Swim, weight training, raquetball, zumba, yoga, etc etc etc. I'd be surprised if most college don't have at least something. And you can always get up an hour early and go for a brisk walk or jog, run up and down the stairs in the dorms, or go for a bike ride. You don't need fancy equipment for that!

I agree, having only healthy snacks and fresh fruit in my mini fridge really helped cut down on the cravings and cals when I got hungry during a late night study sesh. Also, have only water in your room so you're not tempted to pack on the cals in sugary juices.

emilygracee

I can definitely relate. Living in the dorms has made me gain so much weight. I don't know how your cafeteria is set up, but I always start off with salad and water, and then go to other foods. I'm a little more full, so I don't tend to eat as much.
I also keep food in my room for snacking or dinner when I don't feel like going to the cafeteria.
My college's gym is free with tuition, but it's a very uncomfortable place to go, so I do basic workouts in my room (squats, jumping jacks, lunges, sit-ups, etc.), and then I run up all of the stairs in my dorm (there are 8 floors, so it's a pretty good workout).
I suppose if you really like the Wii Active, you could ask your roommate if you could borrow it every night at 8 if she isn't using it, or something like that. That way, you wouldn't have to ask each time.

College is definitely a hard place to work on getting healthy. But I'm finding it isn't impossible!
Good luck!

iRun4wine

Buy some cheap tupperware from Walmart or the dollar store and bring it to the cafe with you when you go. If the portions they're serving are huge, put half of the portion in the tupperware before you even start eating- that should help you resist the temptation to over-eat. Also, when I was in college I emailed the kitchen manager and she was able to provide me with the nutrition info. for maybe of their foods. I lived on soup and salad and the nutrition info for the soup was def. helpful to have. It's worth a shot- can't hurt to ask. :bigsmile: Also, I'm willing to bet that either a roommate, or someone in your hallway/dorm would love to walk with you if you're looking for a buddy- ask around :flowerforyou:

progresseeker2311

I'm in college, this was my first sem. on campus. I would eat from the cafateria in the beginning, but I stopped and just started bringing my own lunch. But, when I did eat there we were able to get our own food (buffet) and I would pile up on the salad bar and if I was super hungry I would eat a chicken wrap. The plate came with two, I would eat one. I avoided the juices and sugary drinks and just ate water. I jog regularly and if that's wasnt an option, the campus gym would be my second choice. You kinda just have to have that will power and constantly remind yourself of why you're doing it. It is def. H-A-R-D I have two kids and a home life to deal with as well so I def. understand. I know, if you believe you can lose that 12 lbs girl! Just use your resources!

progresseeker2311

I know that the college gym is very intimidating so I can relate there with all the sports players SPRINTING on the treadmill haha. hang in there!

ianwheat

You should look into having you cafeteria meal plan cut. It may take a lot of petitioning to the right people but that should save you the $ you spend on meals so you can buy groceries.

When I was in school (just 3 years ago) I was able to do this my Junior year. Had to get my doctor to write a generic note saying the cafeteria food was bad for me (use any excuse--weight gain, consistent indigestion... whatever your doctor wants to write.)


I HIGHLY recommend walking everywhere, and walking for exercise.

There's no reason why the servers in the cafeteria should complain or whine if you ask for half portions--I had several friends who asked for that every day and it helped.


Good luck!

sc1572

I hatedddd meal plans. Try to stay away from the cafeteria as much as possible. Try to stick with wheat not white, baked or grilled not friend, salads with little or no dressing, and drink plenty of water. Also, be careful of their "healthy" stuff...looks can be deceiving!

Keep healthy stuff in your dorm...fruits, veggies, frozen stuff, etc.

As far as exercise goes...can you walk/run around campus?

mznisaelaine

I gained over 50 pounds!!! Now in my last year, I've lost almost half and shooting to the other half well before I graduate... But I always Powerwalk on campus no matter where Im at.. Trying doing your own exercises in your room.

Nataleenerlou

Why not just pack your own lunch? That way you can measure out your portions and you know exactly how it was prepared

woou

I gained over 50 pounds!!!

I gained about 15-20 lbs in a span of 1 year in college. Mostly because I used food to treat my stress. I'd study like crazy over the week. My days started at 5am and ended at 11pm. I'd get home late, eat junk food and then binge on more junk food on the weekend and during breaks. Add another 3 years, and that could be another 60lbs, but I didn't let it go that far.

Best wishes to OP!