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Hey guys, I'm a full time student trying to get fit, diet, go to uni, do coursework, revise for exams, read around my subjects etc......all of this on top of trying to sleep and other vital processes. I was just wondering how others managed it on little time and money?

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  • salxtai
    salxtai Posts: 341 Member
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    Hey guys, I'm a full time student trying to get fit, diet, go to uni, do coursework, revise for exams, read around my subjects etc......all of this on top of trying to sleep and other vital processes. I was just wondering how others managed it on little time and money?


    I bit the bullet and started waking up earlier to go to the gym before uni - it hurt, especially on low sleep hours, but if you're determined enough..
    Weekends are also good for exercise. I don't know about you, but as much as I claim that I'm always studying, I do have plenty of downtime where I can squeeze in at least a 30 min walk.

    One thing I found good was taking a textbook with me and reading it while I was on the eliptical / x-trainer. Mind you, you have to check that you're maintaining the speed etc.
  • daniivdean
    daniivdean Posts: 105 Member
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    I'm a full time student...I'm not sure how I manage it but I do... giving up drinking was a huge part in this too- I'm not going out as much, when others are out I am at home working. I spend about £10 a week on food, I'm vegetarian I believe this has helped with costs. I set aside time for gym and am quite good with time management and organisation skills. I must admit I see less of my friends but i had to really get my head around the reason why i'm at uni- TO GET MY DEGREE! Takes time and motivation but once you get your head around it, works out just fine, good luck :)
  • jeepzilla
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    I work full time and school full time, it's hard to balance time to do everything
    I need to do in a day. As far as money i have no issue there. eating the right stuff and working out is my biggiest problem
    I dont have enough time in some days to work out and well the food I pick is easy and fast so not so healthy all the time.
  • RimRK
    RimRK Posts: 96 Member
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    Scheduling scheduling scheduling. I designate one time as being my workout time and scout for sales:) I usually healthy items on sale then find recipes after. Cheaper that way. I also do my workouts around 7 am at the uni's gym facilities. They are not the nicest but you don't need a spa to workout;) After working out I am free to dedicate my day to classes & lab work.Personally, alot of my friends know I am trying to live healthier so that helps when we want to go out (which I have cut down to a 'treat' bi weekly). I try to save the money I would have spent going out for dinner to buy groceries:) Hope that helps! Good luck on your journey!
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
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    I am saving money for books or other stuff and get them second-hand if I can (amazon has great offers). The saved money I spend on better quality food. I also walk to my classes all the time, walk to the grocery store, walk walk walk...

    A great thing to have is a wall calendar that shows the whole year so you can plan when to do which course work/term paper/assignment. You can also keep great track of all important appointments and dates. Planning his beforehand saves a lot of time later on.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
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    Hi,

    I'm studying Part time and working full time. :)

    Yes I am studying Personal Training so kinda goes hand in hand with weight loss but can still be time consuming and stressful, spec when most your money goes towards text books and paying for the course.
    Feel free to add me if you'd like :)
  • katja33
    katja33 Posts: 2 Member
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    Do sports that does not require money. Jogging, dancing, anything really that does not require any equipment.

    Time is not such a big issue, I would think, wake up half an hour earlier and go for a morning jog, use a bike or walk instead of using public transport, just move as much as you can.

    And finally, healthy eating might be the most difficult thing to organise, but just watch out for white bread, sweets and similar products that are very calorific but do not give you much in terms of nutriments.

    Being a student and keeping/getting fit is not that hard at the end of the day :)
  • henry_22
    henry_22 Posts: 3 Member
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    Hey, i'm also a full time student at uni and found this difficult at first. With regards to money i was lucky and a few of us wanted to lose weight so we all chip in for our weekly meals. This worked out at £10 each for six normal dinners and £10 each for 3 of us to get 7 high protein, low fat lunches and has worked really well.

    The most important thing i have found is sleep. and honestly going to bed that 30 mins to a hour earlier at night gives me the energy and drive to get up the next morning 45 mins earlier to fit in my running. Over the course of the day if i'm honest i'm only cutting out the rubbish PC time (e.g Facebook, Games and stuff) This still leaves me a good 6 hours for my uni work ( not that i use all of it)

    Hope this helps.
  • porffor
    porffor Posts: 1,212 Member
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    I'm a full time student and mum of 3. I also have a commute to uni so somewhere between 1 and 2 hours travel each way.

    I have added in the 30 Day Shred which is done in about 27 mins all in, it goes really fast too so thats good. I make sure I try and keep on top of writing reports up etc when they're first done (I'm doing psychology so we are doing experiements which need writing up - much quicker to do it that night rather than 2 months later.. yes I've tried both)! lol So being organised in Uni work.

    Also, stopped wasting so much time doing whatever. You know we can all do this..

    Making exercise a priority as high as everything else really helps too - yes it's important to do homework / go to uni / eat / sleep but exercise is on that list, not the list with socialising. :)

    now.. I'm off to do some homework! lol
  • mezzosoprano89
    mezzosoprano89 Posts: 81 Member
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    I'm a full time student and I work part time. My biggest thing was actually learning how to eat better, not as much the exercise, but once I got my eating under control I felt better when I exercised. I usually exercise before I leave for work because I'm usually just too tired in the evenings. Getting up at 6, going to the gym, then showering and going to work isn't that bad once you are used to it, and it tends to give me some more energy to get through my day :) Also my apartment has a small gym that I work out at, when I'm at home for breaks or when I move next year and have to walk to the school gym it will be more difficult.
  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
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    It really comes down to time management. Figure out exactly what you need to get done for the day, and plan when you're going to do it. I'm in grad school and working full time, so I feel your pain! I am a master of to-do lists!
  • mezzosoprano89
    mezzosoprano89 Posts: 81 Member
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    OH and the money thing, I usually buy my meat on managers special or when it's on a really good sale. Veggies I usually try to buy a bag of carrots and a bag of spinach/cabbage (I'm working on finding more veggies I like), fruits I buy about a pound of bananas (they go bad really quickly in my apartment) and a bag of mixed fruit, and some berries if they are on sale. I usually buy a dozen of the store brand eggs, or if others are cheaper, I'll buy them instead. Then I always buy special k bars (because I like them a lot), low calorie bread, and deli meat (usually 1/2 pound of turkey breast). For most other things (ESPECIALLY non perishables) I try to use coupons, I have a huge stockpile (well...10 boxes) of whole grain pasta that I got for less than 50 cents a box, and it lasts a long time. I cut out most of my social drinking so I don't spend much money on that, and I TRY to only go out to eat once a week, I'm planning for Lent to make one of my real promises to be to ONLY go out to eat once a week, no exceptions. Feel free to add me or look at my diary, it's not perfect (especially the last week...so stressful) but it's a start.