College Meal Plan and Fitness...? :(

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Scaluni
Scaluni Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I've been doing really bad since I came to college. I'm up ~10 lbs already and ugh, it's awful. I'm on a meal plan and can't exactly afford my own groceries. Everything in the cafeteria is extremely carb-based and the salads are such low quality that there's no good taste. Plus, with my workload, I haven't been able to find time to work out with the occasional lap swim excepting. What do you guys do when you're having trouble while on a college meal plan? I don't even know how many calories these foods are!

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  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
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    So, I feel your pain. I'm in grad school and it's insane. Not sure if your university offers meal exchanges at the restaurants on campus (i.e. we can use a meal swipe at the sandwich place across the street instead of going to the cafeteria). If the cafeteria is your only option, most universities make nutritional information available online in advance of the meal period. Look at it and plan your meals for the day.

    Although alcohol in college is super fun (I can't deny, been there, done that!), spend your calories and money elsewhere. It's going to be worth it to save up whatever pocket money you have/get and use it to buy a loaf of bread, some mustard, and turkey and a bag of carrots. Wake up a little early (I know it's hard...I wake up 6:30 and don't even get home until 11pm) to make a sandwich and take it with you.

    Best advice though is to plan based on the info they put online :) good luck!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    You have to pick what you need to eat. The nice thing about college is that you have to WALK. And there are usually lots of stairs. I'm a professor. With a lunchtime walk, I do 10,000 steps a day. You're young and energetic! You can do it.

    Look for high protein foods like eggs and yogurt for breakfast, cheese, lean meats. I bet they serve chicken and fish. Try pork. Skip the pasta and potatoes and hotdogs and other mixed foods.

    Most schools have a vegetarian option. See if any are non-pasta.

    Eat soup yogurt or eggs for breakfast, a good soup for lunch, and save your calories for dinner.

    Drink water and save your calories for that lasagna.

    Does the salad bar have things like chick peas? Load up on legumes.

    Good luck!
  • Scaluni
    Scaluni Posts: 16 Member
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    My campus is approximately 6 blocks by 6 blocks at most, so it's pretty small and I don't even go the full distance. I should probably walk more in my free time. That being said, I never even wake up until 9:30 and I usually skip out on breakfast. Maybe I should get up at 8, eat a little breakfast, and go to the gym to start my day? You say that eggs and yogurt at the best? Would I be better off going to the store, buying a dozen, and hard boiling them or going to the caf?

    Our food changes out every day, so fish usually isn't an option, and chicken is sometimes there and sometimes not. The only true staples are rice, pasta, and the generic fast foods.

    Which snack foods would you suggest for my dormitory?

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