Off to university

Okay, so I'm going into my 2nd year, and my first year at first I gained a little bit of weight (not a lot, just so my clothes fit a little tighter than I would like) so I just stopped getting so much food at the dining hall and cafe and stuff, didn't drink as much, and made room for the things I wanted, like booze on weekends, and bubble tea and froyo (since those are my friends go-to desserts) and just ate more healthy meals and kept less food in my room. i think the people i've noticed to gain weight the most or say that they have are the ones who don't work out, and keep a lot of snacks in their room.

Hey! I gained loads of weight in my first year, and then in my second year I lost weight and became a lot healthier because of one thing: COOKING. At uni YOU are in control of what you eat, so buy fresh fruit and vegetables, and make good food! I live off £20 a week, which is nothing. You do not need to have a lot of money to eat well. Just try to resist take aways and ready meals, and make your own healthy foods It's not hard and it's not a lot of effort!

I have done a degree, an MA and a PhD at Uni.. I've basically spent the past 11 years there since leaving school! lol! I gained a lot of weight during my first 4 years at Uni, and lost it in the last few years. I gained weight due to going out so much with my friends, drinking a lot more than I should have done (I dread to think of the calories we'd have in one night!!!) and then due to drinking too much, we'd get take-out on the way home... :-/
So my advice for you!:
1. If you're going out with your mates, for dinner/drinks... just limit it to once a week that you actually indulge...!

2. Join the gym!!! Especially if its free, because no gyms are free after Uni, so if it is, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of it and go at least 3-4 times a week - schedule it in around your class timetable... you'll enjoy it! And you'll make friends there too, especially in the first few weeks when everyone's new!

3. Join an active club, like a dance club/class or climbing club or something.... again, a fantastic way to meet people

4. Cook cook cook - loads of your friends will be buying convenience food, but don't fall into that bad habit... cook! Just make easy stuff if you're not a great cook, doesn't have to be complicated! But if you've made it yourself, you know whats in it!!!
OR If you have one of those Uni meal plan things where you eat at the cafeteria's where there's always tempting buffets etc... just limit having anything like fries to just once or twice a week... start with good habits now, and you'll have a fantastic time throughout Uni!

- Speaking from experience... where I spent most of my time in Irish or UK Universities, with 4 months in an American Uni - the cafeteria's had salad bars which I went to a lot but then drowned my salad in fatty blue cheese dressing... Hmm! I knew NOTHING about calories then because I chose not to. Now I know, I wouldn't have had half the crap I had back then!!! I deffo knew having fries etc wasn't good for me but did it anyway.. ooops.

The biggest cause of weight gain in college, for me at least, was from the alcohol and food associated with it. I gained about 20 lbs my second year in college and it was mainly because of drinking, and the Jack in the Box and Alberto's that would come after the night of drinking. I would be so hung over in the morning I would not want to cook, so I would get fast food.. lay in bed all day or slug through class, then do it all over again that night. The only exercise I got was from walking to class from my apartment, and the occasional athletics class to fill up my units. Even just one night with tons of beer and pizza or fast food can do damage, and it becomes a problem when that is all you and your dorm mates do every night!

My advice to you is similar to the others on here.. if you do plan to experiment with the party lifestyle, limit it to 1 or 2 nights a week. Trust me, your waistline will thank you but also your grades, your liver and your checkbook. If you have the option to pick your poison, go with vodka and club soda, not beer. Skip the 3 AM drive through.

Most universities have a free gym for students, so take advantage of that! Walk everywhere instead of taking the shuttle around campus. And beware of the all you can eat buffet style cafeterias.. they can do some damage as well.

All it takes is smart and simple choices. The fact that you are using MFP and are aware of calories and fitness means you are way ahead of many people your age! I wish I knew this information when I started college.

I actually didn’t gain any weight (lost a little bit) my freshmen and sophomore years and I did eat all of the crap, tons of fast food, and took up drinking cheap keg beer.

What I noticed was that all of my weight gain started AFTER I moved off campus and into an apartment my junior year. I drove and parked close to my college’s building. And before I knew it I had gained 25 lbs. While living on campus I probably walked 8 miles a day at least if not up to 10-12 miles. And I truly believe that’s what kept me skinny. I lived in a dorm on the far south end and had to walk to the far north for classes and I went back between every single class.

Walk. Walk everywhere! Go to the gym. You’ve paid for it in your tuition (it is not free)! And eat all those awesome foods that are part of your meal plan… in moderation! It’s college. You only get one shot in your late teens and early 20s so you need to enjoy every second.

It's easy not to gain weight if you don't follow the typical student life.
If it helps you, know that many people find start of uni terrible, find it difficult to socialise, resent the pressure to get drunk all the time, and only "warm up" by year two.

Well, Iost a stone, just by being poor, not eating a lot of meat or cheese, and having to walk everywhere. Mostly I cooked everything myself, even made pastry etc from scratch. So, cook everything yourself and stick to mostly veggie stuff, and walk more sorted.

I stayed in residence my first two years. I gained about 25-30 pounds the first year. I didn't say no to anything. I ate every meal like it was a buffet. I indulged in lots of pizza and alcohol. I lost the weight over the summer and my second year I was more aware of everything and made much better choices. I didn't gain anything that second year. Try to make sure you exercise on a regular basis. That seems to be the first thing people stop doing for some reason.

I was someone who lost weight instead of gaining the "Freshman 15." I hated the food. Following are my suggestions:

Don't pile up your plate just because the food's there. If you're worried about getting hungry later, take some fruit or something portable that can be stored in your dorm room.

Don't keep eating just to keep up with other people at the table with whom your talking. Eat your food slowly and mindfully. Don't get refills, or if you must, get something like coffee, tea, water, or diet soda.

Try to eat a salad at lunch and dinner. Do not drown it in high calorie salad dressing. Try lemon juice.

Watch the bread.

Go the dining hall in the last half hour so you'll have enough time to eat, but not to get refills.

Watch all-you-can-eat pizza and ice cream nights.

If you don't have a physical education requirement or are not an athlete, get into a workout routine that you can do at least three times a week. Universities these days offer all kinds of activities and they usually have great facilities.

Look into dorm-level sports activities if you don't want to go out for a university sports team.

Beware stress eating. University is an enormous change. If you need to consult someone for help with emotional eating do so; usually there are counseling services available for free. There may be student groups.

Make friends with fitness-oriented students.

If there isn't one, maybe you should start a group here, eg., Staying Fit and Trim at Uni.