Slim down for final year of uni!

[sophie1]

I have been looking at this website for so long thinking everyone else is doing so well and that I must be able to do it too!

So im 23 and in my final year of uni, over the past 6/7 years I have put on over 6 stone. This has mainly been due to drinking and student food! I went away to college at 16 and since then I have been living the student lifestyle of nights out, takeaways and hangover food.

Every now and again i try and be good but it only lasts for a few days until temptation kicks in! I live with two other girls. One girl can eat whatever she likes and stay a size 10. The other is a size 16 and also struggles with her weight. We will try and diet together but it never works as one of us always caves in and then the other gets tempted haha!

I joined the gym two weeks ago and have been a couple of times with friends so far. However, they are not as keen as me to go and I hate going on my own because I feel so self concious!

I have decided that from today I will eat no more than 1500 calories a day and cut down any student nights out to vodka and diet coke. I am going to aim to go to the gym every other day, and the days which I dont go I will use the exercise bike at home!

My first goal is to lose 1 stone before I visit my boyfriends house for new year so that gives me roughly 6 weeks! If anyone has managed this, or is trying for a similar amount please let me know! Tips or motivation would be great.

So far in the past two weeks I have been trying to watch what I eat and when I weighed this morning I was 16 stone 3, so 3 pounds down on two weeks ago!

 

[sophie1]

Successful first day!

This is the first time I have stuck to a diet completely for a day!
breakfast- satsuma (37 calories)
lunch- 2 slices of seeded bread (244)
small bit of butter (30)
slice of ham (25)
tiny bit of cheese (about 50)
Dinner- 2 sausages (250)
boiled potatoes (250)
carrots (50)
broccoli (50)
Snacks- Satsuma (37)
ambrosia custard pot (125)

Equals 1148 for the day!

Ive had about 2 litres of no added sugar squash as well.

I havent done any exercise but have had so much work to do. I only have one lecture tomorrow so planning on going to the gym for a couple of hours.

 

[BerryBerry]

Hi Sophie, welcome. First day looks really really good

What kind of things are you planning on doing at the gym? If I am honest I was AWFUL at going when at uni (probably could count visits over 3 years on one hand hahaha!!!) I think actually going on your own is sometimes better than with mates though. Honestly don't feel self conscious, everyone is usually too busy sweating their own socks off to pay attention to those around them

 

[sophie1]

Hey,
Thanks im sure it will be fine when im there. I usually do cardio stuff for about 40 minutes (cross trainer, exercise bike, rowing) and then I use some of the strength training machines for about 15 minutes. The gym has got one of those vibrating board things so I try and finish with that for 10 minutes!

I think yesterdays weigh in of 16st3lb might have been a fluke just weighed myself and im 16st4lb this morning! oh well

Sophie

 

[BerryBerry]

Cool that sounds good, I am awful with doing a range of things. Have you considered doing couch 2 5km if you haven't tried running before? It is absolutely awesome for weightloss/calorie burn and I actually found it quite motivating/addictive as you see improvement and progress quickly through the steps. I used "Get Running" app I think and really liked it.

Don't worry about the lb - take your initial weight as the start point and try not to look again til next week or if you do peek, only record your next weight on MFP a week on.

 

[sophie1]

I will have a look at the couch to 5km, im just really bad at motivating myself to get out of the house and do it!

I know i should only weigh once a week but it is so hard not to peek haha!

Well done on your weight loss, and thank you for the advice!

 

[sophie1]

So today hasn't been too bad food wise haven't felt hungry!

Breakfast-none
Lunch- Half a ham sandwich -250
Dinner - small jacket potato- 100
2x sausages - 250
1/2 tin of beans - 159
Snacks-mini cheddars- 260
bagel- 207
4 mini doughnuts- 160

total of 1386.

I went to the gym for an hour tonight, and am going back first thing in the morning.

I think I will make sure I eat a bigger lunch as today i ended up snacking in the late afternoon and in the evening.

 

[uoyevoli]

Good luck ?

I'm the same age and with a similar weight to you so ill be following your diary closely ?

 

[Beth11]

Hi good luck!

I am a second year Law student and it would be great to follow your progress! I follow SW and I feel that is the best plan for me. Followed the plan 100% today. Hoping for a loss on Wednesday!

US STUDENTS MUST STICK TOGETHER =D

Beth xx

 

[sophie1]

Ah thanks, nice to know other people are in a similar situation.

I have friend coming to visit this weekend so we will be out Friday and Saturday plus, it is mine and my boyfriends anniversary tomorrow and we are going out for meal.

Plan is light breakfast/lunch tomorrow with lots of exercise plus as healthy as i can be wherever we go!

Then at the weekend im going to try and stick to vodka and diet coke or gin and diet lemonade!

 

[sophie1]

so yesterday could have been better!
Breakfast- plain bagel -200
lunch - soup -200
Dinner- beef burger with chips and a glass of rose- estimating about 1000? I didnt eat the bread with the burger so hope this helps!

Today im going to try and be really good, to make up for any of the extra calories yesterday!

I didnt get in any exercise but im hoping to have time to go to the gym this afternoon.

 

[BerryBerry]

Yesterday's menu sounds delish! Bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese is my ultimate breakfast YUMMMMMMM

Have a good time at the gym! I did circuits yesterday and it was killer!! Burnt over 550 calories in 45mins according to my HRM which is similar to running but working all different muscles etc. Maybe see if they offer it at your gym? Its quite nice as you are changing exercise every minute so nothing gets tedious.

 

[sophie1]

Hey,

I saw a sign saying they have circuits a few afternoon a week, what does it involve? Sounds like a lot of calories to burn!

 

[BerryBerry]

It was a mixture of stuff all done the studio. Running on the spot, star jumps, burpies, sit ups, planks, different things with weights like squats/chest press/bicep curl etc. He did "sets" of four different exercises. So 1min starjumps, 1min squats, 1min boxing, 1min biceps then a minute rest and then a different 4 1minute exercise. Agh does that make sense? So basically you are only ever doing one thing for 1minute and you for 4mins without stopping before 1 min rest while they run through the next set of stuff.

It felt like a really good work out and I like it as the time whizzed by whereas I struggle keeping motivation up on the treadmill for 40mins

 

[sophie1]

Ah sounds good, i might time going to the gym with the same time as a circuit class then I can watch what they do haha!

 

[hotsue67]

Hi Sophie, firstly well done on starting this healthy eating lifestyle! Not easy as a student and and to be honest the most value for money food seems to be the unhealthiest ...: (
You seem to really be in the zone and have your head round this, but I do worry that you may be starting a quite a low daily calorie amount. Are you not hungry? Especially if you are exercising too.
Please don't feel I would criticise your approach at all sweetheart because you seem to be making great food choices, but don't go hungry. As it's so hard to stick to and your losses may stall as your body get used to living on less cals.
I have been an extreme dieter and yoyo'd much of my adult life. I used to feel that hunger pains equalled weight loss.. When I finally and successfully tackled my obesity I weighed 16 stones and started at around 1600 calories per day and losses were average 2/3lb per week then reduced it to between 1200-1500 depending on appetite and whether I'm exercising. It's good sometimes to shake things up, and of course there are going to be social occasions, food is one of life's pleasures after all !!
good luck and keep that positive head on, xx

 

[sophie1]

Hi, Thank you for the advice and well done on your weight loss!

Most days I will go over 1200 but it is a handy aim for me. I usually end up nibbling things in the evening or go to the pub and have a couple of vodka diet cokes so if i have stuck to 1200 in the day, the extras should boost me up a bit. Im just worried that if i eat say 1600 and then end up having something naughty it will set me back!

Food for today was

breakfast - cereal bar - 75
lunch- soup and slice of toast - 320
dinner- sweet potato chips- 200
pork burger - 450
brocolli - 20
vodka and diet coke - 50
2xchoc digestives - 160

total = 1275

Exercise Bike- 5 miles

 

[hotsue67]

Hi, Thank you for the advice and well done on your weight loss!

Most days I will go over 1200 but it is a handy aim for me. I usually end up nibbling things in the evening or go to the pub and have a couple of vodka diet cokes so if i have stuck to 1200 in the day, the extras should boost me up a bit. Im just worried that if i eat say 1600 and then end up having something naughty it will set me back!

Food for today was

breakfast - cereal bar - 75
lunch- soup and slice of toast - 320
dinner- sweet potato chips- 200
pork burger - 450
brocolli - 20
vodka and diet coke - 50
2xchoc digestives - 160

total = 1275

Exercise Bike- 5 miles

That's a good idea, holding back some calories gives you room for extras when you need to. Well done on the exercise bike 5 miles!!! Wow!

 

[BerryBerry]

5miles is ace!! I last 5mins then get bored!!

Sweet potato chips- yummmm

 

[sophie1]

I had a busy day yesterday so had to grab lunch/dinner on the go!

Lunch was a cheese sandwich (the only one left in the uni cafe) guessing about 600?
Dinner- chicken dippers and oven chips -500

I also had a couple of chocolate biscuits and a glass of wine.

I weighed myself this morning and I am 16 stone 1lb, so have lost 2lb.

I know this weekend is not going to be great because of the nights out at uni but i'm going to try and keep my eating low cal. At least I have lost 2lb so far!