Saturday, August 11, 2007

Weight loss tips for college students? -

I am a college student and am trying to loose weight. I already do things like take the stairs, don t drink soda or alcohol, and I always take a PE class (2 this fall semester). I don t have time to add in any more exercise then I already do (and I swear I m not exaggerating).I already know to avoid keeping unhealthy snacks in my dorm room. Probably one of my biggest problems is cafeteria food, which is hard to avoid, but I do my best and avoid the fried stuff and desserts and all that. Plus since my schedule is so crazy I usually need to grab something convenient-which I know doesn t alway end up being the healthiest thing.I did loose weight last year, but seem to have hit a wall and I am still overweight. Does anyone have any tips? Especially for healthy convenience and cafeteria foods?Oh yeah, and I have to travel a lot of weekends which means more eating out than is good for me. So tips for foods to take on the road or the healthiest fast food choices would be great!

Any fruit is always a good choice. Apples and oranges keep forever outside of a refrigerator, are healthy, tasty and pretty inexpensive. Fiber Bars and protein bars as well as bottled diet tea are all good choices. A Payday (the peanut caramel bar) is the healthiest candy choice and any nuts will help you out. Jerky and pickles are also very low in calories but high in salt, so eat in moderation. Yogurt is high in calcium and probiotics and low in calories. There are some seemingly healthy foods that I would avoid-Juice being a prime example. Very high in sugar and no fiber or protein to keep you full. Any liquid calories, with the possible exception of milk and homemade smoothies, should be avoided.That s all I can think of off the top of my head, but just remember that foods high in fiber and/or protein, with a moderate amount of fat and little sugar, are the best for keeping you feeling full, and thus preventing you from overeating. Hope this helped.ADDITIONAL INFO- DO NOT go on the lame and unhealthy detox diet that the above person advocates. This plan is very lacking in a number of basic nutrients such as protein and calcium. Yes, most of the foods she advocates are good but they are only part of a healthy diet, not the whole of one. You don t want to lose weight that fast, as most of your weight loss will be in muscle mass and body water, making it much easier to regain weight. Aim for a loss of 2 pounds a week. You are probably smart enough to realize this already, but I just don t want anyone to be on that much of a stupid detrimental diet.BTW- www.mayoclinic.com is the best source for general weight loss questions.I can t think of anything else that you probably don t know or arn t doing already. 90% of permanent fat loss is about your mindset and attitude. I KNOW it s a cliche, but you can really do anything you put your mind too as long as you believe in yourself and keep a positive attitude. Though that was three cliches in one sentence, most people do not realize how important they are or truly believe the truth of them.Don t go on or off diets. Just think about permanent lifestyle changes YOU can make. Don t take anyone else s advice too literally, just find what works for you. Don t let anyone get you down; wow, the cliches just keep on coming.As far as other healthy foods that you can keep in your dorm or on the road, I would reccomend Sunsweet prunes with cherry or some other kind of fruit flavoring, high fiber lightly sweetened cereal and popcorn. If you have a microwave and/or fridge that opens up a lot more options-high fiber instant oatmeal is great; Quaker Oats Weight management is the best, try it with skim milk. Most colleges also have some kind of personal trainer program or something of that nature at the college gym, I know mine does.

I lost about 20 pounds in college instead of gaining like people do. Walk EVERYWHERE. No joke. Don t eat late, and if you do need to grab something quick, make sure it has no more than 200 calories and very little sugar. I like Nature s Valley granola bars, packs of baby carrots, stuff like that. As far as the cafeteria, look it over and make a list of what you know is healthy. Then when you go, don t get anything that s not on the list. Take a water bottle with you everywhere too. A lot of times thirst is misinterpreted as hunger. You ll lose weight for sure. Good luck.

This 7-day eating plan can be used as often as you like. If correctly followed, it will clean out your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being. After only 7 days of this process, you will begin to feel lighter by at least 10 pounds and possibly 17 pounds, and experience an abundance of energy. SOUP: 1 or 2 cans of stewed tomatoes 3 plus large green onions 1 large can of beef broth (no fat) 1 pkg. Lipton Soup mix (chicken noodle) 1 bunch of celery 2 cans green beans 2 lbs. Carrots 2 Green Peppers Season with salt, pepper curry, parsley, if desired, or bouillon, hot or Worcestershire sauce. Cut veggies in small to medium pieces. Cover with water. Boil fast for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook until veggies are tender. This soup can be eaten anytime you are hungry during the week. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want. This soup will not add calories. The more you eat, the more you will lose. You may want to fill a thermos in the morning if you will be away during the day. DRINKS: Unsweetened juices Tea (also herbal) Coffee Cranberry juice Skim milk Water, water, water DAY ONE Any fruit (except bananas). Cantaloupes and watermelon are lower in calories than most other fruits. Eat only soup and fruit today. DAY TWO All vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed with fresh raw, cooked or canned veggies. Try to eat green leafy veggies and stay away from dry beans, peas or corn. Eat veggies along with the soup. At dinnertime tonight reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Don t eat any fruits through today. DAY THREE Eat all the soup, fruit and veggies you want. Do not have a baked potato. If you have eaten as above for three days and not cheated, you should find that you have lost 5-7 pounds. DAY FOUR Bananas and skim milk: Eat at least 3 bananas and drink as much milk as you can today, along with the soup. Bananas are high in calories and carbohydrates, as is the milk but on this particular day, your body will need the potassium and carbs. Proteins and calcium to lessen the cravings for sweets. DAY FIVE Beef and tomatoes: you may have 10 to 20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes, or as many as 6 tomatoes on this day. Eat the soup at least once today. DAY SIX Beef and veggies eat to your heart s content of the beef and veggies today. You can even have 2-3 steaks if you like with green leafy veggies but no baked potato. Be sure to eat the soup at least once today. DAY SEVEN Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and veggies, again, be sure to stuff yourself and eat the soup. You can add cooked veggies to your rice if you wish. By the end of the 7th day, if you have not cheated on this diet, you should have lost 10 to 17 pounds. If you have lost more than 17 pounds, stay off the diet for two days before resuming the diet again.