College weight problems

courtney131
courtney131 Posts: 69
edited October 5 in Introduce Yourself
Ok, I need help. I'm about to turn 21 and I'm a junior in college. When I graduated high school I weighed 154 (I'm 5'10). After a few years of drinking and terrible eating habits I find myself at 185. I finally have a more stable schedule and have lost the party lifestyle. I'm no longer gaining weight but I'm not losing it either. I would love to get to around 160 but I find that I lose motivation easily. Although I want to lose the weight I still look ok. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • dmpizza
    dmpizza Posts: 3,321 Member
    Eat right and always find time for exercises.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    I've lost all the weight I have using MFP while in college. I really suggest planning out your day the night before so you don't have to think about what to eat every day. It makes things a lot easier. Eventually, you won't have to think about it much at all. Practice makes perfect.
  • michcruz
    michcruz Posts: 152 Member
    See if you can work out with a friend. I have a coworker that I work out with and eat breakfast / lunch with. And we're both looking at losing weight and then maintaining once we've reached our goals. It's been really helpful to have her there.
  • backstreet1008
    backstreet1008 Posts: 101
    Welcome! I'm in the same boat trying to lose college weight. What's been helping me so far is using MFP for motivation. Add some friends on here and make your food diary public. It really helps me to know that people are looking at what I'm eating so I don't slack as much.
  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
    Consistency is key. Eat clean and make it a point to exercise daily for at least 60 minutes. Make a plan, execute it, and follow through. Good luck!
  • DannyNovela
    DannyNovela Posts: 39 Member
    i agree with everyone's comments here. A workout buddy is always good, you keep eachother accountable. drink loads of water. one thing i tell myself when i find i am losing motivation (as i recently did due to not working out for a month because i was sick with pneumonia) is that within two weeks i am in the swing of exercising and eating less (i am still working on eating right!) even though i still do the drive throughs and still have my chips and chocolate, i only eat to satisfy my hunger/craving. also know which foods are calorie rich--using MFP will help you out in that regard--and which ones are not but still are filling. hope some of this is helpful and that i did not ramble on. take care and know that you can do it.
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    I am a graduate student so I am sympathetic and understand the challenges and time crunch of school. What has helped me is to always have some kind of snack food with me at school- I need to save money so that helps me stay motivated also. Getting rid of the junk food at home and keeping healthy snacks with you prevents the grabbing something unhealthy that often comes up with being in a hurry and eating unhealthy food on the go. I am lucky to have a husband that does some of the cooking when I am busy so that helps to eat healthy all week but you could also make some food at the beginning of the week and have a few things to choose from as left overs throughout the week- it is hard to justify going out of your way to eat less healthy options when the healthy one is right there and just needs to be heated up or what have you. Good luck!
  • almost50now
    almost50now Posts: 19 Member
    It is hard to be motivated when you feel that you don't really look too bad. I put a pic of myself at the weight I want to be again on my fridge. I also wrote down the reasons I want to loose weight on a 3x5 card and read over it a couple of times a day. I have a few other cards. One says, "I may not care this second, but I will later." Another says, "If I eat this now, it will take me that much longer to get to where I want to be."

    It is work. Like others have said, a buddy helps. I have three friends that I am changing lifestyles with. We text our calorie intake for the day to each other every evening. It does help.

    The best to you on your challenges
  • mznisaelaine
    mznisaelaine Posts: 2,262 Member
    I'm a student as well, and I found balancing my time with exercising and making sure I eat properly helped me lose 24 pounds so far. I'm also tall and I started college at 135 pounds and gained so much weight by just eating so much. By my junior year I weighed 194.5 pounds!! Now as a senior I'm taking control and I'm down to 171 pounds, shooting for 140 pounds. If you need motivation feel free to add me. :)
  • cambamx3
    cambamx3 Posts: 10
    im a sophomore in college and i started diet my freshmen year! Its hard but if you eat clean and find time to get atleast 30 minutes of cardio in everyday you will start to see results! set realistic goals for yourself, some people do monthly but i like to do weekly! it really helps. also set one long term goal and create a countdown and and hang it somewhere in your room so you see it every morning and it encourages you! feel free to add me and we can support each other along the way!!

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • funnyfitguy
    funnyfitguy Posts: 17
    First of all... it happens to everyone, so don't get too down on yourself!!!

    I think you should remind yourself that every little bit counts. When we talk about letting ourselves go, it starts small and continues to build until you lose all motivation. Then you want to start all over again, but keep telling yourself it might be too late. Don't fret.

    I suggest setting some (specific) goals for the midterm (3-12 months) and setting short term goals along the way (3-7 days.) If you keep checking in with yourself, it's easier to stay motivated. Lbs, body fat %, inches, etc. are all more specific than the typical "just want to lose some weight and get in shape." Also, a big motivator is "before" pictures. Most people don't want to do them, but everyone who has lost weight regrets not having them. Take pics every two weeks and compare. With cell phones and point and clicks, this should be easy. Plus, I've never known a girl in college who didn't have some sort of camera... :wink:

    One last tip, set rules for yourself. I find using an "if... then..." sentence helps. Let's be honest, you're going to drink and have fun and get all crazy and stuff. But, if you are serious about your goals, write down a rule such as "If I plan on going out at night, I will do 45 min extra cardio that day" or "If I miss my workout, then I am not allowed to have dessert" etc. Notice how it's preventative maintenance, not "If I party at night, then I'll run 10 miles the next day." That almost never happens and it just something we tell ourselves to feel less guilty.

    Hope this helps!
    Jack
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I feel ya! I started college at 145, I'm 185 now (at 5'6") and I'm only in my sophomore year! I'm not much of a partier, but fast food and junk caught up to me fast along with a mild thyroid issue! Feel free to add me for support, we can both do this!
  • Silverhillbilly
    Silverhillbilly Posts: 35
    Welcome - this journey is all about one day at a time. I can not focus on my long term goal because it seems overwhelming. Its one meal and one workout at a time. Keep the motivation!!!
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    One more thing- I think I see a fairly direct connection between how I take care of myself and my success in school. I did lots of partying and eating unhealthy foods when I was an undergraduate student so I have done it both ways and now exercising, getting some sleep, and eating a more healthy diet help me to think and feel better- it does help and I think once you start to feel it- that feeling will help you to stay motivated.
  • emilyc19
    emilyc19 Posts: 71 Member
    i'm in college right now too and trying to lose weight! join the college girls group :) i'll try to send u an invite
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