Staying fit and maintaining progress during exams/ finals

Nice to see a post like this haven't come across many students on here. I'm in the same position, i'm maintaining for a few months now with the goal to work on body recomp more effectively once I get through finals, right now i'm just focusing on fueling my body as best I can and getting at least 3-4 workouts a week.

My thesis was due last month and can honestly say I slipped off the wagon a bit there with my minimum of 3 days a week exercise, actually helped me though because my body was just so exhausted I needed a break from that routine - what I'm saying is do your best to fit in exercise, even if it is just brief walks, a morning run, a short workout at home - whatever way is manageable for you and try to to look at your workouts as a break and not another tedious task on top of study - somedays it may feel like that but having a focused, positive mindset will encourage you a lot. I'm going to kettlebells classes at the moment outside of college, I find this helps me stay within my exercise routine - or else I could easily study for most the day, get home at night tired and skip my workout. Planning/preparation is key - simple things like leaving your clothes/runners out to grab and do it in the morn.

Guess just like exercise, planning/prep food is key too - sounds like you're doing that anyway, finals time I always feel like snacking more while im studying/working on essays so I stock in on things like low fat greek yoghurt - which i can add bananas/berries/nuts/cinnamon to and make a sort of treat, also quest bars - they're a nice sweet treat! And dark chocolate - hey it is mean't to help reduce stress For my meals I usually prepare sun for college week mon-thurs, usually keep it simple with chicken/turkey add different veggies, brown rice - organic vegetable stocks and mixes of herbs can really add flavours to these foods so you don't get bored!
That being said I do make room for my enjoyments too - if I want ice-cream or white chocolate instead of greek yog I will have it, but what works for me is not buying these treats into my apartment - everything in moderation, i'm at this stage now where my health is so much better since I joined this website and learned more about nutrition - putting good foods into your body will really help during exam time, its how I look at it but don't be afraid to have a balance, thats what keeps me going and keeps me focused. I follow if it fits your macros - with an approach to 80% whole nutritious foods and 20% treats - it's not always this will but most of the time I get there.

Went on a rant there haha, apologies typical student....should be studying! Best of luck to everyone with finals, these few weeks studying/work will take precedence but having your health/fitness goals in check even if its in the background for a while will really help you through. That being said if you fall off the wagon, don't meet your exercise plans or whatever don't beat yourself up, we're all human - finals are stressful enough as it is so try not to add to it !

I'm only a few weeks away from my exams. This is when things have gone wrong for me in the past. I'd get so tangled in studying, that it was the only thing that mattered, and my health didn't come second, it came last. The stress is huge: and chossing the right food, or exercising just didn't seem that important at all. Afterwards, however, I'd always have gained weight and feel disappointed. I want things to be different this time: I am planning to log everything this time, throughout the coming weeks and exercise as much as possible. I'm going to plan ahead, buy healthy foods, do some meal prep etc. I need to find a balance, because I cannot lose the progress I've made. Any other students out there with the same goal?

I have no advice, since during both my undergrad and msc I didn't do great. But the thing was- for me at least, my studying was the most important thing, and I didn't have the energy to count macros or calories, let alone make time for the gym. At the end of the day, it will be over in a few weeks, then you can refocus, so even if you gain a couple of pounds it's really not the end of the world.