How do I get Fit while in College?

[Bgeames]

I am a college student and I've found that losing weight while in school is really hard. Does anyone have any tips and tricks to help with this? I know that eating right and exercising is the way to go, but that is not always possible with my schedule.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[crazyqueet]

Do you stay on or off campus?

[vineviz]

Having a busy schedule can make certain lifestyle changes hard to implement, but my advice is to look for small changes that are easy to implement.

If I need to eat at a fast food place, I'll grab the smallest burger and skip the fries. If I have to drive to class, I'll park in the spot farthest from the entrance and walk.  If I'm headed for the third floor, I take the stairs instead of the elevator. If I have a few free minutes, I walk back and forth in the hallway while checking my social media accounts or reading on my tablet. If I get a beer, I consciously leave half of it behind.

I find that over the course of a day, these small changes add up.

[Reinhartz]

You Should try to describe your level of activities in much detail , because if we didn't know the detail , We Will simply said this to losing weight You need to burn more calories than you eat , Such simple as that

[melaangus]

---

@Bgeames wrote:

I am a college student and I've found that losing weight while in school is really hard. Does anyone have any tips and tricks to help with this? I know that eating right and exercising is the way to go, but that is not always possible with my schedule.

---

1. I am on campus four days a week, and where I park is typically a bit far from where my office is so that's a few steps i take (although when my mom or neighbor gives me a ride,w hich I do on some days to save on gas and help the enviorement by carpooling), I don't have those steps.

2. My office (since I teach one class twice a week, I have an office I share with other coworkers), is in a basement, so I walk up the stairs and out of the department to the waterfountain to fill in my water bottle a couple of times if I'm doing office hours and sitting down for a while (the bottles help, since you refill them so you drink more water and less soda, you're likely to drink more water in a day since you don't have to buy more bottles if you run out, and you save money).

3. When I'm in the library or somewhere studying, I take short breaks and go to the bathroom or go drink water (it helps me mentally, I can't do too many hours straight without getting too drained, and it helps to add on those steps. If there's one close enough to the classroom, going to the bathroom once during a class (or maybe twice if you take three hour long classes as I do) will also help you raise steps.

4. Whenever I have free time, I take advantage and accompany friends to run errands around campus and clock in more walking.

5. A lot of colleges have dance or yoga classes that are free, or take a PE class that would give you weekly exercises for school credit.

[taekwondogirl]

I am currently in nursing school and I started noticing the scale was creeping up and my jeans were getting tighter. I started bringing healthy snacks with me to class instead of getting food from our cafe, which mainly only sells fried foods. I started drinking more water, I am currently drinking about a gallon a day and in the last two weeks the scale has gone down about 15 pounds. I know I definitely feel better, I don't know if I was just dehydrated or what but increasing my water intake has helped dramatically. I also go to the gym 2 to 3 times a week after class.

Just remember its a lifestyle change, make little changes one at a time. 

[TMacNJ]

Every step of getting healthy is a small step, and you just put one in front of the other. Start small, and build from there. The following are just suggestions, but, without knowing more about you, they may or may not apply:

Make yourself a promise that, "this week, I'm no longer ordering lattes. This week, it's coffee, with a little sugar and cream." (The cream goes a long way toward keeping you feel satiated rather than hungry! Those are calories well spent, IMHO!)

Make yourself a promise that, "this week, I'm throwing enough healthy snacks in my backpack that I won't be buying junk at the convenience store on campus . . . three out of five days, maybe four out of five." Then, do it. Buy the block of cheddar and the sandwich baggies, and cut yourself off a hunk before you leave your room or apartment. Pack the apple, and an extra, and a baggie of almonds . . . Because even if you cheat and eat more than you planned (because you're hungry!!), you've set yourself up for success as to what it was that you ate - good food instead of bad food!

Promise yourself that, "tonight, I'm actually going to bed. No internet binging at midnight." Then do it. Just one night. And then strive for two. 

Get comfortable with finding friends who only drink on Friday and Saturday. Learn to choose activities and people that don't revolve around alcohol. And if you are like most of us in those years and having beers four or five nights a week, start small. Promise yourself, this week, one less night of beers than the last, and keep to it. I had a fraternity brother that would drop forty pounds every Lent, by giving up beer. If only we all could have done so for longer than just forty days in those years!

I'm not a medical professional. But in my opinion, the lack of sleep and lack of food preparation before leaving the dorm room or apartment, and the need to feel like you're not missing out on the fun and then you've had five more beers in a week than you had planned, accounts for most of the typical person's weight gain in college.

[jweat0043]

What I found helpful when I was in school was having a friend, in my course, that had similar fitness goals as I did...She was my gym buddy, we'd go to our college gym almost every day, and she held me more accountable for what/how I was eating. I'd suggest asking a friend if they would be that person for you.

I also made an effort to walk more... whether, like others suggested, taking the stairs, or walking home instead of taking the bus. I was never super focused on what I ate/drank, but adding the extra steps seemed to help.

Hopefully this has been helpful!

[Shea11]

Although the topic is already a bit inactive, I want to recommend you and other people with similar question to surround yourself with like-minded people who will support you and show by their own example that they are also following or have already reached their goal. It would definitely help me, so I recommend finding a new environment for you.

[auwebber23]

I support your opinion! I would also like to add that after training you need time to rest, because the nervous system and muscles need recovery.

[Glenda]

If you google "How to get and stay fit in college" there are LOTS of good suggestions.

[DavideFitbit]

That's really helpful, @BobbyMilligan! I did the same thing and I feel that it does help if both people are motivated. When you're feeling tired or you feel like you want to give up, the other person can help you to stay on track. 

[gabriellewilson]

---

@TMacNJ wrote:

Every step of getting healthy is a small step, and you just put one in front of the other. Start small, and build from there. The following are just suggestions, but, without knowing more about you, they may or may not apply:

Make yourself a promise that, "this week, I'm no longer ordering lattes. This week, it's coffee, with a little sugar and cream." (The cream goes a long way toward keeping you feel satiated rather than hungry! Those are calories well spent, IMHO!)

Make yourself a promise that, "this week, I'm throwing enough healthy snacks in my backpack that I won't be buying junk at the convenience store on campus . . . three out of five days, maybe four out of five." Then, do it. Buy the block of cheddar and the sandwich baggies, and cut yourself off a hunk before you leave your room or apartment. Pack the apple, and an extra, and a baggie of almonds . . . Because even if you cheat and eat more than you planned (because you're hungry!!), you've set yourself up for success as to what it was that you ate - good food instead of bad food!

Promise yourself that, "tonight, I'm actually going to bed. No internet binging at midnight." Then do it. Just one night. And then strive for two. Pay more attention to your food plan, than you career plan. You can solve your homework problems with https://studyhippo.com/essay-examples/career-plan/ or some other similar websites, where you can find essay examples and stuff like this.

Get comfortable with finding friends who only drink on Friday and Saturday. Learn to choose activities and people that don't revolve around alcohol. And if you are like most of us in those years and having beers four or five nights a week, start small. Promise yourself, this week, one less night of beers than the last, and keep to it. I had a fraternity brother that would drop forty pounds every Lent, by giving up beer. If only we all could have done so for longer than just forty days in those years!

I'm not a medical professional. But in my opinion, the lack of sleep and lack of food preparation before leaving the dorm room or apartment, and the need to feel like you're not missing out on the fun and then you've had five more beers in a week than you had planned, accounts for most of the typical person's weight gain in college.

---

You have pointed some really important, basic stuff, that everyone should know. Thank you for that, you're doing a great thing.

[charleskn]

It sounds like you get a fair amount of low intensity exercise/ You might try adding a couple short jogs a few times a week, or brief HIIT workouts to add some extra cardio and burn a few extra calories. 

Also have a look at what your food is composed of. Is it pre-made meals? What are the ratios of proteins, carbs and fat. Part of my weight loss was from cutting way back on carbs and making sure I had a proper balance of foods. I know it can be hard on campus, especially if you're eating on a meal plan.