College Student with Unhealthy Habits

Eat less of the foods you're eating now. Do little things to take in less calories. If you're eating the pizza, use a napkin to blot off the excess grease. And eat less of it. Eat 1-2 slices instead of 3-4. I have a hard time though imagining there is a college campus that ONLY serves pizza. You may need to consider eating some things just because you know you should - like veggies. You may find that by trying different foods made in different ways, you like some of them. Also realize that if you're drinking calories in the form of soda, tea, juice: look for ways to cut that back as well. Like drinking more water and less overly sweetened products.

As for activity: if your class schedule interferes with when the gym is open, walk more. Walk outside. Walk up and down the halls of campus buildings if the weather is poor for walking outside. The more active you are, the better.

You would probably be able to fit a lot more in the mini fridge if you replaced the frozen meals with other things- for example chopped raw veggies (Carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, etc) in small sealable bags.

If there really is no other option but pizza at the canteen, try making your own foods (bread etc doesn't need to be refrigerated, so its quite possible to make your own sandwiches to take to classes with you. Although most of the fillings may need to be kept cool, fillings like tinned tuna could be kept in your dorm/room.

Another option would be to only have one slice of pizza and have it with some salad you bring from home (including the chopped veggies I mentioned) so that you fill up on low calorie alternatives. Or you could go even further and bring ALL your food from home. Plenty of 'snack' foods can be put together to make a decent meal- crackers, low cal spreadable cheese triangles, veggies, fruits, low cal crisps, jelly pots, etc are all good alternatives that would probably come in at under half the calories of the pizza you're eating.

At the end of the day though, there likely is a healthier alternative to pizza. You mention it's the only 'good' food- good how? If it's the only good tasting food then you may just have to sacrifice taste for the healthier/lower calorie option. No one LOVES eating salad over pizza all the time, but it's necessary to make better choices in order to lose weight. If we could all choose the 'good' food and still lose weight then none of us would have to be here!

Failing that, appeal to your college to put healthier options on the menu. Writing a letter or getting a petition started can often get surprisingly fast results, even something like a salad bar is pretty simple but can make a huge difference to students diets.

"We have an on campus gym but my classes get in the way of me being able to work out." Really?

What hours are the gym open and what is your class schedule. I'm gonna guess you can find a time when you're not in class and the gym is open. Failing that, walk to the gym to check on if it is open and, if not, jog back to your room to study. Workout complete.

mblalock39 wrote: »

I am a college student who lives on campus. Our cafe has very few healthy options and little to choose from in terms of good food. The only good food that they offer is the pizza but it is so greasy that you can see the drip off of it when you pick it up. My mom gets on to me when I go out to get food and my mini fridge is too small to fit any good food into except maybe 2-3 frozen meals. We have an on campus gym but my classes get in the way of me being able to work out. Does anyone have any tips on how I can stay fit or lose weight without having to spend money on expensive meals?

My best advice is to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility. How much you eat is important far more than what you eat.

mblalock39 wrote: »

The lettuce is always old and sour the chicken that the have is under cooked we also have a subway but we have to use our meal exchanges and we only get 7 meal exchanges a week and $200 on our student card per semester

I'm pretty sure that any school that accepts government funds is required to meet minimum dietary standards of providing nutritionally sound and healthy food. Complain to your counselor if they aren't.

mblalock39 wrote: »

We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.

You sound like you are parroting someone else. Dump the excuses and make the changes you need to make. Or don't.

mblalock39 wrote: »

Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X16

Google it. You'll find all kinds of things.

I know it is very easy to lose motivation easily and it is discouraging when you don't see instant results, like I only lost 2 lbs so far and that's annoying but whatever. I love cheese, hate meal prepping, and I love sitting in my bed for hours but in order to make a change you need to honestly start some where and stop with the excuses. Every time someone comes up with an idea you rebuttal it. Bodybuilding.com has a lot of help, Livestrong.com as well, hell I get all my recipe ideas on Pinterest. You need to start off small and not go completely cold turkey cutting things out, that'll never work. Switch to soy or almond milk instead of dairy, walk to class instead of driving, set aside $75 a week to do a small food shopping and go with a list so you don't over spend or buy random crap (also stay on the perimeter of the store, all the isles in the middle are usually processed). Not getting to the gym because you study too much isn't even an excuse, Chris Gronkowski (Rob Gronkowski's brother) spent a week at Hardvard and said that the students were literally on the bikes and treadmills running. Not appealing I get it, but they get it done.

Like others have said, the sooner you stop the excuses the sooner the extra lbs will fall off. Do research and get ideas. Good luck

mblalock39 wrote: »

Do you have any exercises that I could do in my dorm while studying or during study breaks? I have a decent sized dorm room. It's about 13X16

Just eat slightly smaller serving sizes. You aren't overweight because you don't do any exercise in your room. You're overweight because you ate too many calories. If you try and solve this problem with purely exercise, then the moment you have a string of mid-terms / finals coming up, everything will go out the window and you'll gain some weight. Then you'll exercise it off, and find yourself in the exact same position when the next exam cycle / really tight deadline comes around.

This is long, hope no one takes it the wrong way. It's just my personal experience and my friends' experience since I'm the same age as OP.

I go to a competitive college where almost everyone has overloaded schedules and extracurriculars that last until midnight at least, but most people still find time to go to the gym at least 4 days a week for about an hour a day. Going every other day is an easier way to get into the habit. I understand where you're coming from with not having enough time. A lot of the working adults on this site think that everyone's college experience is identical to theirs, and like to say things like: "you'll only get more busy than you are now" and "you can't even imagine how much less time you'll have as a working adult"! It's really frustrating for me to hear, but even more frustrating for my mom to hear because she's a "working adult" and she can see firsthand that it's not true. So first of all, I'm validating your claim that you don't have enough time in the day. I know many of us survive with full schedules from 6 am to 1 am or later which is a lifestyle lots of people can't even imagine. Even if you're as busy as that, you can make time. There's always a way to minimize the time you waste on things you don't need to do. Study smarter, eat less elaborate meals, don't waste time on the computer or your phone. If you want it, you will make time for it.

If you have anxiety about running into people you know at the gym, try going close to opening or closing. The other commenters seem harsh telling you to stop making excuses but it's actually true--you just need to push yourself out of the comfort zone and you'll find some time that works for you. My campus gym opens at 6 am, so I try to wake up at 6 and get there ASAP. It's really empty and a great time to work out. If you absolutely can't bring yourself to wake up early, then you should head over at 10:30 pm so you can get an hour in before closing. On days when I can't make myself wake up, I definitely head over at night. It's nice to have a backup option during the day so you don't get steered off course from your goals. As far as what you do once you get to the gym.. you could look into some options. A few friends of mine have had great results with group classes. I prefer to run/elliptical/arc trainer 45 minutes and then strength train 15 minutes per day on machines, alternating what I'm working out per session. Last year I had one semester where I was so busy that it was hard for me to get to the gym. So I got a yoga mat ($5) and some small 5-lb weights. I did core exercises in my room on the floor like planks, sit ups, etc. There are probably better ones that are more efficient and safer on the internet but I think strength training is really important for people our age. It helps with cutting out fat and energizes you for the rest of the day.

Hold yourself accountable to your goals. I usually don't have time to count calories in the middle of the semester, so I set more broad rules. No refined sugar, no white carbs, etc. Avoid processed food, frozen meals, and oil. Don't go to restaurants to eat. If I break any of these things, I definitely need to hold myself accountable and skip something fun I was going to do (like sleep an extra hour, honestly, no one has time for "real fun") and spend that time at the gym or exercising some way I don't like. For example, I live in a 24 floor building so I might make myself climb the stairs up and down once if I have an ice cream in the middle of a strict dieting period.

For dieting, it's probably difficult with a meal plan. I only had one my first year and I thought it was pretty annoying to try and diet with. I suggest sticking with eggs and fruit and vegetables at the dining hall if you can't find good chicken. I actually went veg for a few months a few years ago during high school and my diet was super successful. If you're only eating veg, watching your nutrient intake, and avoiding unhealthy things like sugar/oil, there's pretty much no way to mess up. Even if it tastes bad... just eat it. Emotionally divorce yourself from food.

Hope this helps! Good luck to us next semester

beemerphile1 wrote: »

mblalock39 wrote: »

We are a private school. Unfortunately we spend all of our money from our alumni on a new turf football field instead of getting rid of the roached and mold in the residence halls and getting decent food. Lots of people have complained but nothing has been done about the food.

That sucks.

Maybe next semester you should vote with your feet by changing schools.

i went to all private schools and had I had one valid complaint (and the food issue as well as health issues based on mold and insects would have been legitimate) would have had my grandfather (Who paid for my schooling) sending me to another school ASAP.

but you are still making excuses

Who runs the food service? Is it run by the campus or an outside vendor (Aramark, Sodexo)? Meet with them and ask them to put healthier options on the menu.

You can do a HIIT workout in 30 minutes. Some squats and clean and jerks in another 30 on another day.

A Nursing major is tough, but what kind of nurse will you be if you aren't healthy? How can you help others with their health issues when you don't follow your own advice?

If you're a stress eater, find other coping strategies. Maybe exercise! Visit the campus's counseling center and ask for some help with stress management.