College Kid

TiaraBeauty
TiaraBeauty Posts: 8 Member
in Getting Started
Getting started back up again after awhile. Any pointers, tips, or other motivational things to help a stressed college student in need of dropping this weight?!?

Replies

  • Chenry18
    Chenry18 Posts: 211 Member
    Fast food: carrots & hummus, kind bars (vanilla and blueberry are low sugar and soo good!!), turkey and cheese roll ups! I can give you more ideas if you want. Use stuff in your dorm/house to exercise if you can't make it to the gym! I have even use frying pans as weights.
  • TiaraBeauty
    TiaraBeauty Posts: 8 Member
    Haha frying pans, that's really smart.
  • Khoes
    Khoes Posts: 14 Member
    Try to resist eating out! That's always struggle for college kids, especially where I live. Most of my friends admit that they eat out way too much without realizing, even I've been guilty of the convenience of take out.

    I walk to all my classes and if I have a little extra time I'll take a longer route. I only take the elevator if I'm going 5 floors or above to classes as well! Walking a lot and keeping track of your steps can really help with exercise if you don't have a lot of time to work out. It was how I kept a lot of weight off last semester.

    Having fitness/health related things hanging on your wall is also a fun little motivational thing to do. I've got a little fitness wall that I use with my exercises and a calendar that I use to note if I worked out or not for that day.

    And working out before your day has begun is always a plus. I've found that working out before a full day ensures you've completed your work out and you don't have to worry about it!
  • TiaraBeauty
    TiaraBeauty Posts: 8 Member
    I do eat out more than I should. Living on campus I am not allowed to park closer to campus so I have to walk to every class I have. That calendar thing is a smart idea though thanks I might try that.
  • a1alyce
    a1alyce Posts: 5 Member
    I think my ultimate weakness is late night snacking smh
  • livingoutloud243
    livingoutloud243 Posts: 9 Member
    I agree with everyone. Try to find healthier alternatives if you are going to eat out. Even try to find healthier snacks. Sleep is key. Walking around campus can be a good workout.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    As a college student, I stay healthy in these ways:
    1) The campus is my treadmill. I use the 15 minutes in between my class changes to do a brisk walk. I always take the longest route to each class, and I always take the longest stairwell when I head back to my dorm room. Also, I don't rest during my study breaks; I stretch and/or take a walk.
    2) I don't eat out; I prefer solid, home-cooked meals, and it's cheaper. However, this is not necessary at all for weight loss. Many people here on MFP eat out plenty. Just plan ahead and check the nutritional contents of available foods before you get there.
    3) I don't have time to cook everyday, so I invested in a rice cooker. Everything is ready when I get back from classes.
    4) On weekends, I walk/bike to the grocery store, and I plan out my week.
    5) Though I prefer keeping my food diary here on mfp, I keep a physical workout portfolio. I like the satisfaction of marking an 'x' for each day a challenge has been completed, and it really is a good motivator.
    6) Getting a Fitbit Charge HR has been a HUGE help. I'm still new to maintenance, but I haven't been losing/gaining so far, and I always feel the most satiated when I eat at least within 150 calories of what Fitbit says I should be eating. Also, it's hard to be lazy when you realize you have friends to compete with for steps. Again, not necessary, but a help in staying motivated and predicting exactly how much you should eat to lose/maintain/gain weight.
    7) I wake up early and start my day with some yoga and one of many 3-10 minute toning videos from YouTube.
    8) I make health a habit, kind of like brushing my teeth or taking a shower.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    I'm also a college student (kill me now -nursing school is a love-hate thing):
    1. Walk everywhere and find ways to get more walking into your day. For instance, I might walk up to the satellite campus that is a half mile away (a 15-20 minute walk when factoring in pedestrian lights) instead of waiting 20 minutes for a bus to take me there. Instead of eating my lunch at the student center across the street from the nursing building, I go to the less crazy one across campus (a 15-20 minute walk at the most). If I have time to kill before a class, I might head to the mall/quad/green and do a lap (one lap is a mile). Doing some of these little mini-walks makes it a lot easier to get to my 13-18K step goal (I ended up getting 22K steps a few days ago by doing these things).
    2. Take advantage of the gym, if your university offers one. I'm cheap and carpool with my father (he heads in the same direction and can quickly drop me off during his commute), so it often means that I'm up on campus at 7:30-8AM for a 9:30 class. That extra 1.5 hours is the perfect time for me to squeeze in a few miles of walking at the campus gym (and the gym is often not super crazy at that time either).
    3. Minimize takeout/fast food. Again, I'm cheap, so I tend to pack my lunches and snacks instead of grabbing food off campus (the price for one meal at the dining hall is ridiculous). At least when I pack my food, I know exactly how much I am consuming, and I am much less tempted to grab something else (though I still like to go to the off-campus 7-11 to grab my Quest bars and coffee/energy drinks).
    4. Avoid drinking your calories. Liquid calories are a lot less satisfying than solid food, which might make it easier for you to over-eat (or exceed your calorie goal) later in the day. Instead of grabbing some bottled juice/smoothie, grab a piece of fruit. Add less cream/sugar to your coffee (or use lower-calorie alternatives. I have recently fallen in love with drinking a glass of warm unsweetened almond/cashew milk before bed to help get some more calcium and fat into my day). It's also a good idea to make sure you're adequately hydrated during the day -thirst can often be masked as hunger.
    5. Try eating around similar times, if that helps you to stick to your calorie goal. Doing this has really helped me to more easily identify true hunger vs. boredom/need something in my mouth hunger.
  • TiaraBeauty
    TiaraBeauty Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks everyone I will most definitely try to incorporate these ideas into my daily routine. I only have 10 minute breaks in between class and I have 5 classes back to back, so I haul *kitten* to every class I go to. I have a pedometer app already on my phone so I usually walk about 2.5-3 miles everyday just because of how big the campus is. I live in the dormitories so we have a community kitchen which has no pots or pans in it (dumb I know) so I'm limited to my meal plan.

    They changed it to a buffet so I can eat there as much as I want and they close at 11 pm which is good but bad for me. I got to school in Illinois where weather sucks. It was 62° yesterday and now it's snowing outside, which really makes me not wanna even walk to the rec center. Sleep is practically nonexistent to me sadly, haha. But I really like the calendar ideas and maybe trying to workout in my room instead.
  • superlauren11
    superlauren11 Posts: 20 Member
    I actually did the reverse freshman 15 in college. I lost weight instead of gaining.
    Here's what helped me:
    -Cut out soda, drink more water. (Avoid drinking calories)
    -Keep yourself busy! Hanging out with friends and going to campus events will keep you from mindless snacking.
    -When you do feel like snacking, eat healthy. Keep fruits, vegetables, protein bars and low calorie snacks in your dorm.
    -Make healthy choices in the dining hall. It's okay to treat yourself sometimes. Moderation is key!

    And like everyone mentioned, walk anywhere and everywhere!

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