Hi all! I am new both to the group and the site and am very excited to get started! I was wondering if any of the college students in the group had any suggestions about how to stay fit and healthy. It's been hard for me given the grim cafeteria food, parties (I go out about one a week), the busy schedule, etc. I really just want to develop healthier habits.Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Here are my stats:

Height: 5'9"
Current weight: 151
Goal Weight: 140/145 (I care more about how I look and feel rather than my actual weight so whatever that number is works- I just guessed as to what that number would be)

Thanks everyone!!!

When you go out, dance up a storm :-) that always worked for me!

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Rebecca

2010 Goal: Lose 1 lb per week

Eating is like drinking - you have to know when one more bite will do you in.

I'm in the same boat. Between work and school, I will be out of the house 13 hours a day! I'm going to try making meals the night before and just packing a lunch box. Exercise is going to have to happen on the weekends, along with walking to and from classes.

Always bring tupperware to the dining hall so that you can eat smaller portions and save the rest for later. Moving off campus has really helped me because I can cook my own foods and am not limited to the preparation methods (read: cooking in and/or dripping with oil) employed by the dining halls. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, no matter what those are, so that your body can secrete the right hormones on a regular rhythm. Studies have shown that this helps weight loss a lot, particularly due to the resulting changes in leptin levels (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16909130). Finally, I would suggest no-calorie, no-artificial sweetener sources of caffeine. We all know that caffeine can help a lot in college, but clearly whipped cream-covered coffee is not what to aim for. Studies have also shown, however, that artificial sweeteners like those in diet Coke can also contribute to weight gain (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20589192, among the many out there). I drink a lot of white and green tea because of the high antioxidant content.

Defintely keep healthy foods on hand such as weight watchers cheese sticks, protein shakes, salad and etc. That works for me!