Weight gained from college MUST GO! =] Any tips?

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Rhymno
Rhymno Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I am going into my third year at college and I am the largest I have ever been. I am looking to shed some ponds and tone up, especially my thighs :/. I started working out at the gym for a few weeks but hit a wall and stopped. I am getting back into the gym and have decided I must change my diet in order to see the results I am looking for.

I could use some support so that I can hopefully stick to this. Anybody have suggestions on how to change my diet to more healthy eating? I must say I do enjoy my junk food, so kicking the habit is going to be hard.

Please if you have any suggestions for improving my diet or exercise feel free to tell me, I can use all the help I can get lol.

Here's to loosing the "freshman fifteen!"

Replies

  • acarter33664
    acarter33664 Posts: 53 Member
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    I'm in the same boat with you! I'm in my last year of college and recently I realized that I gained the Freshman 15 around junior year! I just started MFP about 5 days ago, but I'm definitely on a similar journey to shed some pounds and tone up! I'm also a fan of junk food, but right now I'm making it a gradual thing to ease myself away from them and try to make healthier choices. I'm being mindful of portion sizes, where as before I didn't really pay much attention.
  • Lizi19
    Lizi19 Posts: 180 Member
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    Hey good luck. I didn't gain weight during college but gained a lot since I finished more than three years ago. I have the same problem with my thighs and I also have enormous hips :(
    Anyway, I love junk food and I still eat some every now and then but I limit the amount I eat. Back in the day I would eat a whole bunch of chips, but now I only eat one serving (I think that's an ounce). Whenever I would try to eliminate all junk food, I would fall off the wagon. Then I would binge eat and feel like crap. So, my advice would be portion control. I am new to all this so I would love to hear some advice from others as well :)
  • colorfulcupcakes
    colorfulcupcakes Posts: 122 Member
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    yup this is me, (but grad school, so I'm looking at my weight gain from the last 10 years + more school weight).

    And yes, you have to look at the eating part of this, but good job on working out.

    Here are my tips:
    - MAKE time to prepare food for the week, learn how to cook simple, healthy things. Find a recipe book or website that you like, and just start trying things.
    - Cooking every week means sitting down, choosing the recipes you want to try, making a meal plan, writing out a shopping list, and then going and getting the stuff! (this might sound dumb to spell this out but it was a revelation for me). Don't forget to find lots of healthy snacks!
    - Get a nice lunch bag, ice packs, and food storage containers and BRING your food to school every day. Don't eat from the fast food places on campus. And bring lots of food!! You don't want to get hungry, and if you have lots of guilt-free things to eat, you won't fall off the wagon.
    - I like apples, but hate biting into them... so I have this apple slicer thing that is GREAT because I eat way more apples now... you just press it down through the apple and it makes slices and takes out the core. Also, the Magic Bullet makes me a great shake every morning, and it's fast and easy... so what I'm saying is that there are food-gadgets out there that really can save time and help you out.
    - last tip: when I went back to school I made a lot of new friends and this seemed to go with lots of trips to the pub. Those beers can really add up in calories, then sometimes we would go get greasy food after, and the next day I'd be too tired to work out. I eliminated drinking but if that's too extreme for you, maybe just be aware if this is a factor for you or not..

    Good luck, hope these help out!! :)
  • Rhymno
    Rhymno Posts: 2
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    Thank you so much! I am definitely going to take your advice. I have already invested in a nice lunch bag and containers because it is absolutely essential that I avoid the fast food on campus lol. Do you have any suggestions as to websites/cookbooks that you like to use? Luckily I don't drink so I don't have that to worry about. I might invest in the apple slicer. Snacks are a big problem for me. I graze throughout the day so I find myself snacking on everything unhealthy, mostly chips ( I have a serious weakness for hot cheetos lol). I have started to by these mini cucumbers that I just eat straight and I really enjoy those, but I need to expand on me healthy snacks. Thanks for the help!
  • MelissaDawn88
    MelissaDawn88 Posts: 11
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    I'm the same as you! I have gained about 30 pounds since i graduated in 2007. I just started on here, but I many have some advice for snacks. I'm a lot like you, and I'm always snacking. I have found that carrying things like grapes or dried fruit help me eat healthier. Also, almonds are amazing for me to snack on. I like the way they taste and they're pretty filling.

    Feel free to add me.
  • colorfulcupcakes
    colorfulcupcakes Posts: 122 Member
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    I like the Hungry Girl cookbooks (and website!) for my "junk food" - it's not exactly clean eating, like veggies and fruit, but it's WAY better than me eating ice cream and chips all day long! It's given me low-cal substitutions for my junk needs. ha!

    I like Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine because there are lots of healthy recipes and they are a little more flavorful and sophisticated. You gotta look at the "fine print" tho - occasionally there is a calorie whopper of a recipe. But I like that they explain the veggies/fruit that are in season, how to pick them out and keep them. Also, they do this thing where they'll plan out a week of eating, complete with recipes and shopping list, and they re-use some of the ingredients so that you aren't left with all these awkward bits of leftover ingredients.

    I just ordered a Moose Wood book - they are known for their veggie and vegan recipes. (I do eat meat, but am always looking to get more veggies in). We'll see how that goes. But really, all I've used is recipes from Martha Stewart, Hungry Girl, and stuff posted in the MFP forums!

    I hear Skinnytaste.com is a good website, I want to check that out soon!
  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
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    I'm going into my second year of university, so I understand so much!

    I guess I have a good breakfast, cereal. Then save calories for dinner which will be something like risotto or pasta but with a lot of vegetables. Smaller portions and more variety. Less alcohol!
  • CurvyFresherFC
    CurvyFresherFC Posts: 14 Member
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    Hey, first of all, what is the Freshman Fifteen? Lol I must sound silly, but ah well. I start uni on the 25th of September this year (a Sunday! :( Why then?) and I really, really, don't want to be this weight when I start uni, and when I start getting invited to all the Christmas parties where I can't fit in a LBD (Little Black Dress) I'll feel rubbish.

    Hey, colorfulcupcakes and Rhymno, can I add you both as friends? An apple slicer sounds great, I plan to take lots of cucumber, carrots, watermelon slices, grapes and apples to uni in my lunchbag to curb the hunger :)

    Anyway, well done on joining MFP, it's such a supportive community and everyone here is inspirational and interesting, all in their own ways! :) xxx

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