College and weight loss don't seem to mix!

See what options there are for you on campus. Sadly, many of the campuses have turned to franchise food (aka high fat/calories), but on my campus, they have a couple "snack carts" where fruits are available. There are also usually salad options around. Maybe just get your own dressing and put it in your fridge?

I dunno. Just some thoughts. I work on a college campus and tend to bring most of my food in, but I do grab fruits and salads on campus at the "healthy" vendors.

I live off campus and would take the train/bus to a certain stop and spend 15mins or so walking to campus/class. I would also take the stairs instead of the elevators. So walking to and from class would be 30mins + how every many flights of stairs I needed to take. I didn't mind huffing and puffing to class, but if you do maybe get to class a little early and re-freshen up in the bathroom.

Hi, I've recently finished uni and found teh same problem - however - here are some tips on healthy eating on a college budget:

- Buy a regular-sized sandwhich or foccacia (eat half for lunch, and half for dinner..of course this assumes the srving size is HUGE)
- Sushi or sashimi
- Burger King - Grilled Chicken Burger (if you must eat fast food, u can always ask for no mayo or grilled meat in most places)
- Pizza (ask for 50% less cheese, yes! they will actually do it for u)
- mexican food (minus the sauces is great way of getting in some veggies & meat with little carbs)
- Subway


Just stay away from those 'coffee and a muffin' callings! Instead, make sure u always have a good supply of apples, banana or any other quick snack to eat when the munchies hit!

hope this helps

I am also in college full time and work about 20 hours per week. I am on an extremely tight budget and I agree that eating really healthy can be expensive but I have found some ways to avoid breaking my bank account at the grocery store. First of all, I only buy fresh things I know I will eat before it goes bad so that I'm not wasting money. I buy many canned vegetables and beans, use coupons, and try to only buy things that are on sale (that is tough though). Most campus's have free gyms but I don't live very close to my campus, so I joined a closer gym for only $10/mo and it's open 24 hours on weekdays, so I make myself work out even if I've been at school all day and then at work all evening. It's REALLY tough sometimes but at least know you're not alone!

I started my Last Semester of Undergrad and now I'm in grad school. All my classes are in the evening so what I do now is bring my own food like a protein shake and a cup of greek yogurt. I got to the school gym after class and exercise for like an hour or so. I recommend going to store and if you can get some chicken breasts for example and marinate them the night before that way you KNOW you got something at home to make and you aren't as likely to go out and grab something to eat after class.

EDIT: Also check with you school rec center and see if they have a nutritionist in house. My school has one and he's been really helpful. He specializes in college students cause he KNOWS we are limited on funds and time

when it comes to eating at school and work I simplified things a lot. I eat every two hours but when I do its a whole tomato or an apple or even one or two hand fulls of some kind of seeds. I do tho always carry a water bottle and drink nonstop. The only time I eat cooked food is for breakfast or on the weekends. I think I spend about 15 bucks on the week total. after eating top ramen for two months straight all natural foods taste so much better.

Also check with you school rec center and see if they have a nutritionist in house. My school has one and he's been really helpful. He specializes in college students cause he KNOWS we are limited on funds and time

I love this tip!! I never even thought of this, but someone like that would help greatly!! Thanks!!

You're welcome! :happy:

Hey I am in college as well and i have found alot of helpful tips to shopping healthy and cheap. I always look in the local paper for sales and try to only shop the sale items. i know that sound simple but it really does work. for non-perishable items i buy bulk to cut down on cost. fruit and veggies are really cheap where i live so i make sure to buy alot of them and fill up on them. without much time its all about working efficiently. i am busy with work and school but i make it a habit to set aside 1 hour to workout. Its a hard thing to start but there will never be enough time in the day unless you actively set aside time. its all about priorities. I know school comes first but even if you have a show you like to watch at night you could take that time and do some cardio in front of the tv while you watch. Try walking to school for added exercise as well. maybe shop the local thrift stores for a bike to ride to school. just think if you ride a bike to school or walk you don't have to buy as much gas which helps with the tight budget on food that most college students have. hope it works out. add me if you want.

Walking is sooo helpful! I live about a 10 minute walk from campus, and I walk usually everyday (either to class or work). Also, if you find yourself with little time to work out, put aside 30-60 minutes after dinner to walk around your school. Stick in some headphones and just go. Slowly work yourself up to jogging (I'm not a runner and can barely run for longer than a few minutes, so intervals of jogging works on my walks). My boyfriend and I used to walk after dinner last year when we lived in the dorms. Now that we don't, we enrolled in a fitness class for our winter term where we work out 4 days a week. It's a great way to get into a routine.

As for shopping, start coupon clipping. I know it sounds funny, but taking an hour or so on the weekends to grab ads and look for what you want is really helpful. Also, look online for your local ads. If I have time during the week, I usually look at ads for what I want to buy, and make a few trips to different grocery stores depending on what is on sale at each. I'm on a pretty tight budget, but in the long run groceries and what not become a lot cheaper than eating out. Buy produce when it is on sale!!! You wont regret it.

Lastly, use your school gym (if you have one) or just go buy a few weights of your own, and start doing some minor lifting. The more toned you become, the better. Muscle cuts through fat a lot better than no muscle. I have been taking a weight training class and I already feel stronger and better. Like stated previously, it's all about priority, and you just have to set your mind to it. Write it in a planner or set a schedule for the week and budget your time. You can do it, you just have to tell yourself you can!