How do you stay motivated? (college students!)

stephgreene
stephgreene Posts: 143
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all. Just wondering, how does everyone manage to stay motivated in their weight loss journey? I've wanted to be thinner and feel better for as long as I can remember, but when it gets down to it, I always end up falling off the wagon and quitting. Those days when all I want is to sleep all day and then go eat 7/11 Nachos and Snickers bars kill me and then I end up eating the same **** every day for a week.

But I digress... I made a 30 Day Challenge for myself - No junk food or soda for 1 month starting September 27. So far I haven't completely followed it because I had dessert 2 days in a row (day 1 - low fat ice cream, 1/2 cup, day 2 - chocolate lollipops that were sitting in my kitchen and staring at me). Obviously this is cheating. I also made a challenge to do 50 crunches (no big deal) and 50 squats (a very big deal) every day. I did the squats and the crunches the first day, no problem. Yesterday I was so sore that I was limping around campus and I'm still sore today.

I literally do not have time to hit a gym, but I do walk around campus which counts for something I guess. Anyway, how can you stay motivated if you're a college student that commutes anywhere from 30 min- 1 hour each way to school and you leave your house by 7am and sometimes don't get home till 8pm, plus you have 2-3 jobs AND school work, homework, and studying? It's so much harder than I thought it would be, but I REALLY want this. HELP!

Replies

  • becs_91
    becs_91 Posts: 180 Member
    I'm in a similar situation, lived that kind of lifestyle the first 3 years of college, kept gaining and gaining, figured there was no way I could turn things around under those circumstances. I, too, travel almost an hour to and from school, and have very long days. I know this isn't the answer you're looking for, but this was the case for me: the only way you're going to succeed is if you really want it. For me, a switch just flipped one day when I realized: I am going to fix this.

    Once you REALLY make the commitment, you won't find yourself "cheating." You won't want to. (Well, of course we all WANT to, and all have our treats once in a while, but in general, you won't want to sabotage yourself.) I think maybe your 30-day challenge, while a noble cause, might be hurting you more than helping you. I think approaching it in that way kind of makes it seem more like a 30-day punishment, as opposed to a long-term change. And chances are pretty high that as soon as the 30 days are done you might go a little overboard enjoying the things you've been banning from your diet. A more long-term, daily calorie goal approach, with little changes may help.

    Of course, being a student and out all the time, it's hard to avoid getting fast food or eating some sort of crap to get through the day. My go-to has become 6-inch Subway subs during my main break between classes. It's very possible to eat on the go without breaking the bank calories-wise.

    So, once your mind is fully in it, it will become much easier to follow your plan and the losses will start falling right off!
  • MyPaperBleedsInk
    MyPaperBleedsInk Posts: 240 Member
    As a college student....
    Well first I try to eliminate temptation. I live on campus, but this can apply to anywhere or what you take with you on a day to day basis. The only bad beverage I have around me is soda, but I keep it as Pepsi Next so it's less sugar and less calories so if there's one day where I just HAVE to have one... I don't feel as bad. The food I keep on hand tends to be of the seed/nut variety, some healthier soups, pretzels, fruit, veggies.....
    When I go to the dining hall on campus I pre-pare what I'll eat based on their daily menus with nutritional info. If I don't prepare ahead of time, luckily they have little displays by each section that says the food and nutritional values so I can still do a bit of planning.
    When I walk to class I take a slightly longer route. Whether it be going around an extra building, or taking the Skywalk which means I'd have to add 6 extra flights of stairs into my route.
    When it comes to homework, I make sure to take a break from it to either walk around or work on the 30 day shred..... because let's face it.... workout or not, everyone needs to take a break from homework once in awhile.
    But there's always a day when you'll "cheat". As long as you don't go food-crazy and devour everything in sight, just pick yourself up and remind yourself that tomorrow is another day and another chance to prove to yourself that you're worth the effort.
  • ghiagirl893
    ghiagirl893 Posts: 69 Member
    Graduation is my helper. I am going on a great vacation, and I want to look great, so it helps to have that specific date to look forward to. I also take PE classes. They make you accountable to someone else and make you go workout one the specific days. Also, I bring my lunch every day. My school just started a healthy weight program. Check with your health center to see if there is more support for you there.
  • BamsieEkhaya
    BamsieEkhaya Posts: 657 Member
    ermm I just have to think about the dreaded scale ! travel is like an hour so planning on waking up at 6am instead of 6.30 so i can go for a quick jog by the woods..

    also I have my dream bikini hanging by the door, think summer and scales !
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
    Your goals sound great, but try to do them one at a time. Creating sudden major expectations for yourself when you're already so busy can set you up for failure. As abusy college student and also working full time I find small goals are best. First I told myself no soda, once that became habit I added walking on my breaks at work. Then I stopped eating Gluten (personal/health choice). I push myself to be healthy, but I know if I try to do too much that I will fail. Try setting small goals and you'll have big results. Good luck!
  • crimsoncat
    crimsoncat Posts: 457 Member
    -I don't bring junk food home except in ones (as in one cookie, or one inch piece of chocolate per trip as opposed to a two reeses per pack or a candy bar with multiple servings). I buy ice cream in pints and measure all servings. I do not buy chips or crackers because I WILL binge on then. If I want junk food I have to make a separate trip.
    -I buy a lot of lower calorie frozen premade meals like Birdseye's "Lightly Sauced Roasted Red Potatoes & Green Beans with Parmesan Olive Oil Sauce". Note: if you want low sodium, these are often WAY too high in sodium.
    -I plan my meals out ahead of time and buy lots of things like pasta and fresh veggies which can easily be made into a portion controlled size.
    -I don't eat out more than once a week. Free food from lunch lectures or parties counts as eating out.
    -I buy lots of fresh berries when they're on sale, cut them up and bring them with me to school so I'm not temped to eat other food.
    -I eat breakfast in class. It helps to keep me from texting when bored and also helps me stay full so I'm not starving at lunch.
    -I turn down cookies or split them with a neighbor. (Hardest thing to do)
    -If I want "bad" food (beef stroganoff, biscuts, cake) I spend extra time in the gym

    I was totally screwed when I had to eat on the campus dining plan because I don't have enough self control to pick salad over pizza every day. If you're like me, get out of there as fast as you can, but do your best to make 5 healthy choices a day (I'll eat this over that or I'll have half of what I planned on for this).

    In terms of motivation, I have two friends who are very active and I hang out with them a lot. We lift weights on Weds. because we all have a break two hour break in the afternoon. Also, staring at the skinny co-eds helps a lot.
  • akruzynski
    akruzynski Posts: 1
    Even though you are on a "diet" it is okay to have ice cream or dessert every now and again. As long as it fits in your calories for the day its fine. I stay motivated by looking online at clothes that I want to wear and look good in and then I realize I don't want those extra calories as bad. but as long as you watch your calories, fats, carbs, and sugars you can eat whatever you want (reasonably).
  • 2S_1R
    2S_1R Posts: 171
    I am a college student and believe me, it's not easy.

    Be honest though, when you get to campus (around 8am), do your classes run back to back? If not, you can fit some exercise in there.

    Again, when you shop, do you write on a list, if so, do you follow that list? I write my grocery list and I do NOT buy anything not on that list. I look at the aisle signs and if there is nothing down that aisle that is on my list I don't even bother going down it.

    It's all about your need for change. If those suckers are staring at you, turn the other way and do 5 squats with your hands holding onto a chair.

    I didn't make this change for years, but now i've just decided... It's time. I still have slip ups, (like this morning, I had poptarts instead of a healthy balanced meal). Another thing that works is not getting rid of all the things you love. Obviously, you fall off a lot faster that way. My way is if I fit in at least a 30 minute exercise I can have a very small snack. Portions are key!

    Edit: Also I just thought of something else that i'm going to try. On a cupboard (preferably the one you know has the most snacks), tape a picture of yourself at your heaviest weight. Sometimes it is just a matter of tricking yourself into stepping back just enough to decide not to do what you know you're going to regret later.

    Obviously, I am no expert at all, but I have lost approx. 10 lbs in the month of September.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    Is there a gym on campus? You don't have a 45 minute break somewhere in your day to go to the gym? Back when I was in college when I was trying to lose weight, I would hit the weight room between classes, or meet one of my friends for a game of raquetball.

    FYI, it doesn't get easier when you graduate. Then you get a job and that becomes your life. Lunches out with work colleagues. Donuts, danish, cake, bagels, or muffins every week, sometimes a couple of times a week for some occasion (birthdays, engagements, new baby, or at one place, just a weekly ritual). And depending on the job, your activity level may go down if you get an office job. Or if you do sales, long hours on the road, restaurant food at odd hours, etc...Then you get married and have kids, and that becomes your life. So, do what you can now to get your weight down.

    Pack a healthy lunch and bring it with you. Agree you should try to avoid junk food for 30 days. Maybe it will become a habit and you won't feel the urge to do it anymore.
  • Cruzin2012
    Cruzin2012 Posts: 3 Member
    I agree with becs_91: a 30 day challenge is the wrong mindset. You're trying to lose weight and keep it off right? So that means making a lifestyle change you can stick with otherwise you'll end right back up where you started. Who really wants to commit to no junk food ever for the rest of their lives?

    My motto is everything in moderation. If you want your ice cream at the end of a long hard day have it. Just limit the portion size. Also see if your school's dinning hall has any healthy options like sandwiches, wraps and salads or soups.

    I go to my campus's gym when I can but if I can't make it, I don't sweat it too much because I've been increasing my activity throughout my day. My first class is in a building next to where I park but all my other classes are in a building way on the other side of campus. I bring my own lunch from home but I feel dorky carrying a big blue lunch bag around campus so I leave it in my car. When its time to eat I travel all the way back across campus to my car to get my lunch, walk back across campus to the only eating area with a microwave for students to use, then back to my car to drop off my lunch bag after I eat. I also have decided to start boycotting elevators, so that means taking the stairs to get to my class on the third floor and taking the stairs to what ever level I parked on in my campus's 8 level parking deck (which is a REALLY good workout when I get to campus late and have to park on level 5 or higher).

    Its little changes like that to my routine I think will make a difference in the end and will set up habits that will stick. For me seeing smaller and smaller numbers on the scale every week is my motivation.

    But if you go over your limit don't beat yourself up too much. Just get back on the horse.
  • Pinkigloopyxie
    Pinkigloopyxie Posts: 231
    'Maybe if I'm skinnier people will want to talk to me more instead of dismissing me outright!'

    Or moreso 'Maybe if I lose weight I'll stop feeling like people don't want to talk to me because I'm fat...'

    Insecurities...good stuff!
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I'm in a similar situation to you. I work and go to school and sometimes I am gone from 7 am - 9 pm and then have to eat dinner. I try to make conscious healthy choices, I consider walking around the campus as exercising right now. I also prepare meals for the week on the weekend, I find that helps me not eat fast food. If you want, you can add me as a friend and see my daily routine and maybe exchange tips :) . I'm a senior in college btw.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    If you're that busy, it may be best to focus on weight loss through a caloric deficit rather than through exercise. You can get enough in on the weekends to keep yourself at a healthy level. If you do have a little time, a 20 minute run does wonders! And yes, walking around campus definitely counts :)

    Also, if you have any gaps between classes, you could hit the campus gym then. I just wear my workout clothes to school on those days. I might not look my best, but whatever!
  • MissMormie
    MissMormie Posts: 359 Member
    Is your commute to and from school by car or by public transport? If you're driving there's not much you can do. But in public transport there's all sorts of sitting down exercises that you can do (just Google). When I take the train I walk to the front, to the back and back again twice or three times. It gives you exercise in time you'd otherwise be sitting around.

    Another thing to do is if there's a gym at your college just take your book and study while sitting on one of the bikes for 10-20 minutes. You might not go all out on the cardio, but you're combining two things. (And exercise is good for your memory so it'd might even make you remember more of it.)

    But as others have said, don't try to change everything at once. Try to change one thing every week or two.

    For example
    week 1: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday
    week 2: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday
    week 3: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday, skip soda during the day
    week 4: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday, skip soda during the day, eat only 1 portion of a snack (a cup of chips, 1 cooky)
    week 5: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday, skip soda during the day, eat only 1 portion of a snack
    week 6: Eat a healthy breakfast everyday, skip soda during the day, eat only 1 portion of a snack, bring lunch to college

    And so on. Everyone can take little steps, it's the big leaps that make us fall down.

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