been gaining weight since college

n1sprinter · 12-14-2008, 02:19 PM

I graduated from college last May wanting to lose the 20 lbs I gained during my 4 years in school. However I went the other way, and after gaining 30 lbs over the summer I joined body for life knowing I needed to do something. Plus I got engaged and knew dress shoping would not be fun. However since then I have managed to gain another 10 lbs.

I never thought this would happen to me. I weighed 120 lbs before college, around 140 at graduation and now 7 months later I am 185 lbs. Since I am on the shorter side, 5ft 2 inches tall I feel huge at my current weight. This is partially why I have not be able to lose weight. It literally hurts to workout, and I get out of breath so easily it frustrates me and I give up. I have always been in love with food, and I definitally eat too much and not very healthy. However it was not until this year that everything I eat seems to stick to me.

Has anybody else experience a post college weight gain? How did you get motivated to lose it?

xmrth · 12-14-2008, 02:23 PM

The first step is definitely a better diet... if you love things that are not healthy, you have to stop cold turkey or else you'll get nowhere. I think a lot of people gain weight during college because they eat fast food and things that are fattening and quick... which should be avoided no matter what, I think. you just have to do it, your motivation should be your desire to lose it, nothing else is going to do it for you. Motivation is just something that makes it easier... you sound like you really want to lose it and the best thing you can do is eat better, like 110% better and start becoming active.
Once you get into the better habit, it will be much easier. I think it takes under a month to get into a new habit, you just have to push yourself, but be careful you don't hurt yourself.

Anonymous122 · 12-14-2008, 02:30 PM

There is a very healthy diet called the "South Beach Diet." I would strongly consider buying the book associated with it, reading it, and starting that diet very quickly. You can get the book on amazon.com used for about $4.00.

I began this diet last April at a weight of 295 pounds. I'm 6'1" tall, so that was alot. Since April (8 months) i've gone down to 225 pounds with almost no exercize.

The diet is hard, but any diet is going to be hard.

You need to eat regularly, first off. At least 5 times per day.

You need to drop fast food and restaraunts entirely, immediately.

You need to drop white bread. If something is made with white flour, you shouldn't be eating it. It's the most fattening food on the planet. That means bread, pasteries, pasta and absolutely anything else that may contain it.

And the biggest thing for anyone wanting to loose weight is that they shouldn't be intaking calories via liquid, at all. My doctor told me that caloric intake via drinks is the biggest detriment to diet. That means no more coffee, no more tea, no more soda, no more juice. Water is all you should be drinking if you're trying to lose weight.

You either need to cut all of the bad things out of your diet, or be willing to work out multiple hours per day. My roommate can't stop eating things that are bad for him, so he took the other route. He's been working out at a gym for two hours per day after work, every day, for almost a year now. He's lost well over 100 pounds, but it totally screws with his personal life- and he smells bad.

Progress means sacrifice. The biggest thing is to drop the idea that just because you don't like something you're not going to eat it. No one likes salad for example, but you should be having it once or twice per day.

stereoeclectic · 12-14-2008, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n1sprinter

I graduated from college last May wanting to lose the 20 lbs I gained during my 4 years in school. However I went the other way, and after gaining 30 lbs over the summer I joined body for life knowing I needed to do something. Plus I got engaged and knew dress shoping would not be fun. However since then I have managed to gain another 10 lbs.

I never thought this would happen to me. I weighed 120 lbs before college, around 140 at graduation and now 7 months later I am 185 lbs. Since I am on the shorter side, 5ft 2 inches tall I feel huge at my current weight. This is partially why I have not be able to lose weight. It literally hurts to workout, and I get out of breath so easily it frustrates me and I give up. I have always been in love with food, and I definitally eat too much and not very healthy. However it was not until this year that everything I eat seems to stick to me.

Has anybody else experience a post college weight gain? How did you get motivated to lose it?

yes. shot up from 185 to 270 in about four years. it was bad.

i lost most of the weight in 2005, and the rest this past summer. am currently 162, and i have a BMI of 22.6

get into a routine of limiting calories. lean cuisines are pretty good. i still eat them even though now i am in maintenance phase. make sure and burn more calories than you are consuming. you will lose weight. i lost 108 pounds, and my metabolism isn't great.

12-14-2008, 02:19 PM	#1
n1sprinter Offline Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: South Glens Falls, NY Gender: Female Posts: 1	been gaining weight since college I graduated from college last May wanting to lose the 20 lbs I gained during my 4 years in school. However I went the other way, and after gaining 30 lbs over the summer I joined body for life knowing I needed to do something. Plus I got engaged and knew dress shoping would not be fun. However since then I have managed to gain another 10 lbs. I never thought this would happen to me. I weighed 120 lbs before college, around 140 at graduation and now 7 months later I am 185 lbs. Since I am on the shorter side, 5ft 2 inches tall I feel huge at my current weight. This is partially why I have not be able to lose weight. It literally hurts to workout, and I get out of breath so easily it frustrates me and I give up. I have always been in love with food, and I definitally eat too much and not very healthy. However it was not until this year that everything I eat seems to stick to me. Has anybody else experience a post college weight gain? How did you get motivated to lose it?

12-14-2008, 02:23 PM	#2
xmrth Offline Silver Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: mid-ish USA Gender: Female Posts: 1,500	The first step is definitely a better diet... if you love things that are not healthy, you have to stop cold turkey or else you'll get nowhere. I think a lot of people gain weight during college because they eat fast food and things that are fattening and quick... which should be avoided no matter what, I think. you just have to do it, your motivation should be your desire to lose it, nothing else is going to do it for you. Motivation is just something that makes it easier... you sound like you really want to lose it and the best thing you can do is eat better, like 110% better and start becoming active. Once you get into the better habit, it will be much easier. I think it takes under a month to get into a new habit, you just have to push yourself, but be careful you don't hurt yourself.

12-14-2008, 02:30 PM	#3
Anonymous122 Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 124	There is a very healthy diet called the "South Beach Diet." I would strongly consider buying the book associated with it, reading it, and starting that diet very quickly. You can get the book on amazon.com used for about $4.00. I began this diet last April at a weight of 295 pounds. I'm 6'1" tall, so that was alot. Since April (8 months) i've gone down to 225 pounds with almost no exercize. The diet is hard, but any diet is going to be hard. You need to eat regularly, first off. At least 5 times per day. You need to drop fast food and restaraunts entirely, immediately. You need to drop white bread. If something is made with white flour, you shouldn't be eating it. It's the most fattening food on the planet. That means bread, pasteries, pasta and absolutely anything else that may contain it. And the biggest thing for anyone wanting to loose weight is that they shouldn't be intaking calories via liquid, at all. My doctor told me that caloric intake via drinks is the biggest detriment to diet. That means no more coffee, no more tea, no more soda, no more juice. Water is all you should be drinking if you're trying to lose weight. You either need to cut all of the bad things out of your diet, or be willing to work out multiple hours per day. My roommate can't stop eating things that are bad for him, so he took the other route. He's been working out at a gym for two hours per day after work, every day, for almost a year now. He's lost well over 100 pounds, but it totally screws with his personal life- and he smells bad. Progress means sacrifice. The biggest thing is to drop the idea that just because you don't like something you're not going to eat it. No one likes salad for example, but you should be having it once or twice per day.