College student with low motivation...

speedchick23

Hello there...I'm a junior in college and about 20-25lbs overweight. I'd really like to get fit, but I'm very inactive (I HATE working out in public) and don't have a lot of access to workout facilities at school. What I'm looking for is some help with exercises I can do and a LOT of support in sticking with a plan.

At school, I have access to lots of food (fruits, veggies, whole grains, and the bad stuff...) but I can't make the best decisions on how much to eat or what exactly to eat. My biggest problem is not exercising though. I don't have anyone to coach me with what's a good workout to do. What should I start with? How many reps? How do I keep myself from feeling stupid doing it?

I'd love some support from anyone who is out there. To give you an idea of my weight "issue": I'm 5'8 and weigh 175lbs. I can comfortable wear an adult medium shirt (I'm very pear-shaped) and wear a size 14 pant. I don't want to be stick skinny, but I'd like to be in better shape and have confidence that I can know what I'm doing and actually get results.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it!!

Jodibear58

Welcome! You will find tons of support here and will learn a lot! Read the message boards and check in daily! We will all help you

ShaJ1

Hello,

I've been there as a college student wanting to lose weight and low motivation. There were to young ladies lived on my floor that was walking 3 times a week. I asked could I join them for these walks and they happily said yes. We walked in the mornings 3 times a weeks for 30 to 45 minutes. Some days, I would go on my own to the track and walk about 30 minutes. Though I enjoyed walking with the young ladies, I truly enjoyed walking alone best because it gave me time to think and clear my head. I also enjoyed the fact that I was able to purchase smaller clothes, the way I felt and the energy I gained. I suggest that you set a goal for yourself and start a routine slow. Set a goal t start working out so many minutes a day or week (your goal) and go from there. Trust me, you can do it and you will be proud you did. Good Luck!

caseyjade88

I use my Wii Fit a lot.. But if you can't afford that, try doing some exercise videos on youtube! They're free, full-length videos. Some of them are really fun, but they are definitely tiring. Working out actually feels great...it's the getting yourself to do it part that's a drag!

ccckwalk

get a workout dvd they are cheap at walmart or target. I love Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. She is very instructional in that one. Jjust get out there. Go on walks at the track later in the day or in the evening. When it is darker you may find comfort in that. This is a great website find friends and get moving! ~Corina
you can add me if you would like!~

newcs

Walking sounds like a good starting point and maybe if you got into it, you could start Couch to 5K since it's really just alternating walking/jogging until you can jog/run the full time/distance. You could just plug in some music and go.

You can also look into the Biggest Loser, Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper videos...a lot of them are free on Youtube or they're cheap on Amazon or at places like Walmart if you want the DVD. They generally require very little equipment (I'm doing 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels...just small weights and a yoga mat) and would be good for small spaces like a dorm.

Don't worry about looking/feeling silly while you work out. It all feels a little awkward at first but when you get into it and start seeing results, it'll get better and you'll get more confident. I'd stick to cardio and light strength training for now since you probably need help with your form to keep from injuring yourself. Most of the exercises in the DVDs I mentioned are pretty standard so you could always look them up and make sure you're doing it right.

Do you have a doorway you could hang a pull up bar? We hung one in my house and I just do some simple exercises on it when I'm bored. I'm working up to doing hanging leg lifts with straight legs (right now I have to bend them) and I also have a goal to do a full pull up at some point.

Then there's always crunches (look up variations...butterfly, scissor, etc) and pushups (regular or on your knees) which you can do with no equipment and very little experience. You could look into the 100 pushups/100 situps plans (but I'd do crunches instead of situps). They take what you can do now and give you a track to start on with a plan that is supposed to get you to be able to do 100 pushups consecutively or 100 situps (or crunches) in a row by following the plan like 3x a week.

As for food...plan what you'll get before you go. And go eat a salad first thing so that you take the edge off your hunger and also will fill up a little instead of filling up on unhealthy stuff and not leaving room for the healthy stuff.

ittybittyfitty

Exercise is great and hopefully you will slowly begin to build a personal fitness routine (no matter how intense or light) but the good news is you can lose a lot of that weight on diet alone. If you've set up your account on MFP, they have a recommended daily calorie target. If you abide by this number, I promise you that you will lose the weight! In terms of the right foods to eat, focus on the basics: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and healthy dairy. Try to avoid desserts, sodas, and extra condiments like fattening sauces and cheeses. Healthy breakfast choices are oatmeal, eggs, whole grain cereals, fruits, yogurt, and wheat toast. Healthy lunches/ dinners include cooked vegetables, brown rice/noodles, lean meats like chicken/turkey, soups, salads, and sandwiches with the right bread and condiments. Also, snacking is a big problem for college kids-try not to have bags of chips or cookies in your dorm room because it's too tempting! Fruit, fiber one bars, and even a glass of skim milk are great snacks! Obviously there is way more than what I am suggesting but it's just a little advice to get you started. I am around your height and was at your weight but through MFP, I have lost weight. Believe in yourself! If you work hard for a better body, you will most definitely earn a better body!