Uni students.. where are you?

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How do you DO this?

I was at my lowest weight in May/June.. went on a vacation, got sick, stopped working out. Moved to a campus apartment and started Uni in September, I've gained almost 10 pounds back from my pre-trip weight. I have plentiful access to a gym and a jogging track - I freaking work there. I have a trainer for my bike set up literally 3 feet from my bed. I have a well stocked kitchen. I was squatting 115 pounds in May. I feel like I've completely blown the 13 months or so that I worked to lose the 26 pounds I lost.

I know exactly what to do and how to do it. Every night its the same BS "ok let's just start in the morning" that never happens. My skinny clothes are starting to not fit and as much as I refuse to buy bigger sizes, I have no real desire to make myself smaller. I'm sick of *****ing and not doing anything about it.

My class schedule isn't terrible and I only work 15 hours a week or so. I don't know if its because I'm living on my own for the first time or if I'm 'depressed' (not clinically.. just blue) because I really don't like school or my roommates or what.

I know there have to be some ladies and/or gentlemen on this site who are 20 somethings in school.. how do you do it?!

HALP!

Replies

  • amg_89
    amg_89 Posts: 184
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    I'm a 20something in school! The working out part is easy for me. It's literally the best stress reliever ever and sometimes i'll work out twice a day! All you have to do is force yourself to get in the habit. After about 2 weeks, it's second nature to just plan your workout into the day. No problem. I struggle with stress eating. I binge when i'm stressed and this has resulted in a 10 lb weight gain from my high school graduating weight (however, a 30 lb gain from my freshman year in college) so if you have any tips for how to control THAT let me know :P but all it takes is forcing yourself to work out. It's hard to get used to but it's worth it. message me if you need any motivation!!
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    So technically I'm not a student anymore.. but I was for 5.5 years and plan to go back!

    I have found that if I schedule exercise in my day then I will do it. I have to plan it out and know that I'm doing it. You sort of have to train yourself to do it.. like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. There are days when you want to just lounge around in your pj's and not brush your hair, which is fine. However, you can't go everyday doing that. You start to smell and probably don't feel so great. Same thing is exercise. It's just something you do!

    But then if you find an exercise you like, you can start to enjoy it. Search around for clubs or classes that have spin classes, kung fu, kickboxing, or go swimming. Find something you like so it's not so much of a chore. If not.. it's sort of just second nature.
  • djscardi
    djscardi Posts: 28 Member
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    Well I'm actually in graduate school, and quite involved on campus, and I got to the point where I would keep saying tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow and I would never do anything about it. When I stopped fitting into my "fat" clothes I decided it was time to make a change, and when I committed I decided not to let myself get out of it this time. Every morning I make sure to look at myself when I get out of the shower, and it is my reminder to just watch what I eat. You sound like you have all the right tools, you just have to not let yourself give in. My advisor told me that I never finish anything and one thing he used was me going to the gym and losing weight, it definitely helped me see that he was right. If you have the tools, your just going to have to make yourself do it, and set a goal that's resonable for someone in college. Trust me if I can do it, so can you!! Just don't give up and seriously don't beat yourself up about it! And find something you like, I have fallen in love with zumba and it has really helped me want to work out! Good luck!!!!
  • PolkaDot88
    PolkaDot88 Posts: 71 Member
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    I'm in my last semester, and due to switching majors twice I'm in my 5th frigging year of university. I'm so burnt out on school and it makes me lazy in every part of my life, including working out. I live with my boyfriend and I don't like working out when he's home - he never works out and while he doesn't eat ~terribly~ he certainly isn't watching calories like me. It's hard to stay on track!

    When I'm studying I tell myself I can only take breaks if I'm doing something productive, like exercising or cleaning the house. I put on music and dance while I clean or put on the TV while I do the 30 Day Shred off of my laptop. It really does make exercise fun, and since I'd rather do that than study (I'm so not into my courses this semester) I end up exercising for longer than my goal. I also feel great AFTER I exercise, which motivates me to do it again the next day. Just jump in! Decide to stay late after work one day and do a 30-minute workout. Or, while studying at home, take a 30 minute break to jump on that bike. Go for a walk around your neighborhood to get away from your roommates.

    I found that the wackiness of my schedule because of classes makes it hard to eat well - I try to just avoid keeping crappy food in the house, and when I'm at school I leave my money and credit cards at home and bring a lunch so that I don't eat at the food court.
  • jrlenig
    jrlenig Posts: 364 Member
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    Not 20,just turned 30 and I do it with 3 kids under five and a full load of classes! I get up early, 5 or 6, and workout shower and then the day is off and running. It is all about planning and making healthy choices, I bring a thermos of soup to my afternoon classes, or sandwich bags with carrots or apple slices, I bring food with me everywhere, b/c then I can make a healthy choice. You can do it, especially with finals right around the corner, having healthy things handy during study time super important! Good luck I am sure you can do it!
  • leslielove
    leslielove Posts: 251 Member
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    Thanks ladies :)

    I think the worst part is knowing how much better I feel when I'm working out and eating right and I can't figure out how to get past this block I have going on with myself right now. I just have to get up and do it huh?
  • driscollmc
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    hii! i'm a student at GWU in DC, so i know exactly where you're at. my dining plan isn't exactly the greatest, but thankfully i've got trader joe's (organic yumminess) and other grocery stores nearby.
    i know exactly how you're feeling. i wasn't exactly at a low point last year, but i was definitely down in the dumps and in denial that my clothes weren't fitting and i was on the same rotation of sweatshirts and my "fat" jeans. so, over the summer, i returned to my job as a lifeguard supervisor at a local pool near my house. one day in august, i was sitting at the top of a slide tower on a table, when i heard a lifeguard walk by and say, "is marissa still sitting up there and why hasn't the table broken yet". needless to say i was devastated. the feeling was indescribable. forget that i was his boss, but i'm a woman, a friend and a colleague. it was my lowest point. granted i'm not, or ever was, obese, but i was definitely a little bigger than i should have been for my height. about a week after that comment, i broke down and told my mom everything (she was obese in high school then became anorexic, but that's a completely different story). at that moment, i was completely tired of making excuses. i'd told myself that i'd lose weight before, like hundreds of times, but it was always because my mom wanted me to. i'd always told her, when i want to, i'll do it. and i'm doing it now. my old clothes are fitting again, i've lost 13 ponds so far, and when i look at pictures when i was at my heaviest, i can't even believe that i thought that looked okay. my face was so chubby and i hadn't even noticed it.
    SO, long story short, you have to WANT to do it. when you hit that moment like mine, you'll know you're ready. it's amazing what a few pounds can do for your self-esteem too. when you start losing weight, you'll want to show the world and MFP is your world. we're always here for you and we always want to give you encouragement.
    NOW, as far as working out goes into your schedule, you need to first figure out how long you want to work out for, then calculate in the time before and after (if there's a commute, shower, whatever). try to get to the gym at least 4 times a week. if not that, then get some fitness DVDs and work out at home. the resources we have at our disposal these days leave little room for excuses for not working out.
    above all, you have to remember that YOU CAN DO THIS. you're the only person holding yourself back and there's no more room for excuses. i'll be here every step of the way for you, and if you even need anything, post something on the message boards or on a status update, and we're all here to support you. good luck love :) you're stronger than you think!
  • hotpickles
    hotpickles Posts: 639 Member
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    I'm in grad school. I find that I have more time to fit in exercise than I did in undergrad, however, last week I found I was skimping on exercise to concentrate on school. It didn't help me at all, because I missed working out, wanted to do it, and that's all I could think about.

    Anyways, I guess my best advice is just slot out some time to exercise. It's all you really can do, just make time for yourself. Even if you are in the middle of studying, it's so nice to just take 1 hour and do some exercise. It helps to clear your head!

    L.
  • fit_nyc
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    I'm a grad student. I've found that I have to start my day with a workout to make sure it gets done. After I do so, the rest of the day is down hill because I don't have it hovering over my head anymore. This helps me to be more alert in my classes too.

    PS.I saw that your from Riverside. I went to high school in Temecula.
  • Maidei
    Maidei Posts: 114 Member
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    I definitely agree with all the ladies above. I'm a junior in Uni and I had the exact same problem you have. Everything is accessible but I kept on procrastinating. Yeah I felt great after I would work out and eat healthy. I would feel all happy and productive but that feeling didn't last and those few minutes/hrs of satisfaction weren't good long term motivators for me to go workout or get healthy. I realized that my problem at least, might be the same for you idk, is that I had no REAL motivation to do what I was doing. Yes getting healthy and fitting into skinny clothes again was a nice thought but not enough to get me going or enough to make me actually stick to the plan of losing weight. I also started to live away from home, I realized I was a little blue. And making those adjustments is never easy.
    So I procrastinated on working out for the first 2yrs of college. And i was putting on about 10-15lbs a year. Every summer I was 10lbs heavier than the last. Till this year I had a bad break up and gained about 20lbs from last summer to this current one. I got a new man in my life though and he motivated me to get into shape and we are doing it together (well he is trying to gain weight so he is going in the other direction) but I realized now that sticking to my plan was easier because he is my main motivation. I feel like I have something I'm working towards. Cause I have always been a 'people pleaser' so doing stuff for myself just doesn't do it for me. But if I feel like i"m getting into shape or getting healthy for my loved ones I feel a million times more motivated to go out and work out/get healthy.
    Now I'm not suggesting you go out and find a boyfriend who will work with you lol, but I would suggest you really sit down and find something worth your motivation if you know what I mean. Find something that will really push you into working out. Cause getting skinny and fitting into nice clothes etc is every person's dream. But to me it's clear that not many people are motivated in the long run by just the thought of getting skinny or healthy (unless there are health consequences that hit close to home for them). So there is definitely nothing wrong with what you are going through, but based on my experience with that situation, the answer could simply be that you don't really have something to fully motivate you into losing weight in the long run etc.