There are a billion topics like this and I said I'd never do it but I really wanna whine and get it out of my system

So, Calorie Count did it today. It told me I need to go down to 1200 calories. 1200 calories. How am I supposed to eat like that. My parents make awful meals, I don't know how to cook, not like I have much time to learn since it's off to college with me in a month anyway. I'm scared to have to eat small serving sizes because I'm afraid I won't be satisfied enough and will say "Screw this, why bother." I'm scared that I won't be able to satisfy my sweet tooth cravings. Most of all, I'm scared that I have to work out around 5-6 days a week now. Normal for some people, frightening for me.

When I go back to college, I have to figure out how to measure stuff by eyeballing it. Like salad. I don't know what the heck 1/4 cup of olive oil looks like on my salad, and I'm sure it's probably 100 calories for that little 1/4 of cup anyway. I also have no clue what a cup, two cups of spinach looks like in their bowsl. Besides, I hate salad. I don't want to have to eat just a lonely chicken sandwich on a plate for lunch while all my friends go get all this food that I can't have. 

AND not to mention, how the hell am I going to find time to workout every day? I need to make money by getting a job, I need to do plays (for my major), I need to do homework, go to class (can't go in the morning because of my classes), I need to talk to my boyfriend and somehow have a social life. I'm freaking out right now and I just wish that I wasn't dealt these cards. For the first time in this journey I feel like it's impossible and that I won't be able to do it. College is making it impossible. I don't know what to do. 

Now that I've made all these excuses, someone please talk some sense into me. I feel lost and I want some support. Thanks for your tough love in advance... <3

How old are you?

What is your height and current weight?

What is your goal weight?

18 years old, 5'2" or 5'3" started at 159 lbs, am now at 151 lbs, want to get down to 130 lbs.

Deep breath.

I have heard here on CC a healthy lifestlye summarized as this:  Eat.  Not too much.  Mostly vegetables.  Don't worry too much about serving sizes.  If it is vegetables, you can have all you want.  Serve higher calorie things lightly.  I know it's not easy, but it can be done.

Do your best to eat healthy foods, and enjoy life.  That means sharing a pizza with friends every once in a while.

When I went to college, I got in the best shape in my life.  Suddenly, I was walking miles every day (running if I was late!).  Even to go get food I had to walk a distance.  My friends and I would often walk around campus when we wanted a chat.

I also began to exercise in my dorm room, once I had one to my own.  You don't HAVE to go to a gym to exercise.  There are plenty of small space routines you can find to do.  And stairs - you can always find a staircase to run if you show up a little early to a class.

You CAN do this.  College doesn't make it impossible - it simply changes the challenges.

Wow - I need to take my own advice...

Actually, 1/4 cup olive oil is actually about 250 calories

I know, I know! It's all so hard but think about it this way, thats three meals that are three hundred calories and you still have three hundred left over for snacks!

Just find something you really love, like I absolutley loveeeee cheesburgers and I hate vegetables. And the worst thing I did with my cheeseburger was... PUT ABOUT FIVE TABLESPOONS OF KETCHUP ON IT!!!!! Think about how much high fructose corn syrup [which is bad] was in that amount!

So I switched it to a veggie burger, i prefer the boca brand, and you know what? I couldn't even tell the difference! Instead of ketchup I used mustard which I thought I hated, and I added a quater of an avacado, some shredded lettuce and sprinkled about a tablespoon of part-skim mozzarella cheese on it. To top it off I used a whole wheat bun and girl, IT WAS DA BOMB!

So really, all you have to do i switch you favorites for a healthier version [the veggie burger also taste amazing with half a chicken breast] and you can cook because if you can read, you can follow a recipe, trust me...

[About your workout problem, just run, walk, or ride your bike to stores instead of using a car. During commercials do fifty sit ups. Run in place for three minutes. Little changes add up]

GOOD LUCK!

Original Post by kassanovella:

18 years old, 5'2" or 5'3" started at 159 lbs, am now at 151 lbs, want to get down to 130 lbs.

I'm the same height and older by 1 year. I am able to lose by eating 1,400 calories per day and walking for 20-30 minutes daily.

1,200 is crazy.

As for food, grilled chicken on whole wheat bun with romaine lettuce is very easy to make and waaay better than salads. And Lean Pockets are useful for us non-cookers.

puh8suwrux--Thanks. Yeah, I've heard that too, but I really just dislike vegetables, the only ones I find palatable are spinach, broccoli, and carrots pretty much. I usually make salads out of those things. I want to track my calories closely so yeah, I want to measure them and know the serving sizes... :(

And as for the exercise, doing in my dorm room sounds like a good idea, because I don't have to worry about when the gym closes. I'm going to be living in a suite with my sorority sisters, and I'm sure they'd be supportive of me. I'm probably going to go "buy" some good workout DVDs... off the internet... totally legally.

alnunes--I love wheat bread, actually, I prefer it, but my school doesn't really offer wheat buns or anything of the sort, or any sort of low-fat low-cal options for dairy products other than just skim milk, basically. I know they do offer veggie burgers, so I think that it would be a good idea for me to switch over to those kinds simply for the health AND caloric value. I can't cook in college because it requires me to buy my own ingredients with money, money I need for sorority dues and books and other kinds of crap, so I'm really just nervous about the "all-you-can-eat buffet" rounds that the cafeteria has at school, and how to navigate it while coming out with filling meals that I don't hate. 

A physical job might be helpful on the working out front. I don't mean hard labour like construction, but think about how much walking around a waitress does while you're there at the restaraunt. An 8 hour shift of that much walking is a good workout. Look for jobs that give you the oppertunity to walk around and move. Even if it's cashiering at a grocery, you're standing. Standing burns more than sitting.

Also, there are lots of easy "recipes" that really only require the ability to use a microwave.

Lemon pepper chicken is awesome:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast (you can pick up a big bag of these for about $6 at walmart)

a small amount of lemon juice (however much your want, start out with a small amount, you can add more later)

pepper

That's it. Put the breast on a plate and sprinkle it with lemon juice. Put pepper on it. Cover with damp paper towel. Microwave. If it's not lemony enough, sprinkle a little more lemon juice, and re-microwave.

Tah dah! Dinner. No measuring cups, one plate, no fancy tools.

Good luck!

The best advice I can offer to you is don't panic before you even get there.  You sort of have some idea what your schedule will be like, but you haven't gotten to college yet, so you don't really know.  I lost weight my freshman year, and I wasn't really trying, but my schedule was so busy, and I was walking all over the place, so I didn't have time to overeat.  I think I managed to swim once or twice a week, but that was it.

In many many ways, an active lifestyle without much formal excercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle + an hour of formal excercise per day.  I assume you put in sedentary when you used the calorie target tool, and that's why it came up with 1200 calories.  That may change drastically once you start school, and then 1200 calories wouldn't be realistic.  Actually, now that I think about it, you shouldn't be using CC's calorie target at all if you're 18.  If you're under 21, you're not supposed to eat less than 1500 calories because you're actually still growing.  Anybody remember where the link to the teen calculator is?

kassa, maybe try moving your goal date further out, or let it pick one for you. see if that makes a difference.

if your goal date is too aggressive, it will give you crazytalk numbers.

Bleh, I did let it pick a goal date and it picked December 25th saying I'll lose a pound a week if I eat 1200 calories.

Oh, and I gained 20 lbs my freshman year. That's why I am here to begin with. I entered at 140 and exited 160 lbs. No good. I'm really scared.

If you are going to be living with a bunch of other girls in a sorority, then there probably already are exercise videos.  You may even be able to get a group together, if there isn't already one.  A bunch of pals to keep you on the right track certainly won't hurt - as long as you don't go overboard!  And maybe you can take turns fixing healthy dinners - don't know exactly what the set up is - but I'm sure you can figure something out.  Buy yourself a nice, inexpensive digital scale to take along - they don't take up much room, and at least then you can measure stuff when you eat at home.

You seem from other posts to be so mature - I have every confidence in you.

And I agree with dolphinclick.  There is no point stressing till you get there and see what it is really like.  Give yourself some time to settle in before you really worry about things like exercise or diet too much.  If your first few weeks are like mine (and I wasn't in a sorority or any clubs that year), then you are going to be pretty exhausted just learning how to get along.

Oh, and now I see that this isn't your freshman year - I had just assumed that it was.

Most of what I just said would still hold true, though.

what? thats not right! hmmm... try one of the teen calculators, then tell us what it says. i dont have a link.

next 2 issues:

get a set of measuring cups and spoons. you can find them cheap cheap.

i dont measure salad greens, i just grab handfuls and put them in a bowl. the difference between 3 and 6 cups of greens is insignificant. like counting black coffee.

omg you sound overwhelmed girl. try not to think about all the scary stuff all at once it really will make you crazy!!! one day at a time. somedays, thats one hour at a time. some hours, thats one minute at a time. :)

I know my college years were the healthist I was. I actually lost 20 lbs my freshman year. There were about 20 of us girls in my wing and we would be sitting out doing crunches in the hallway at 11 pm some nights. We still would order pizza occasionally and have fun (keg stands and jello shots! ) but we all supported each other. And most of the other girls were jsut worried about maintaining. Plus I took a fitness class that was one credit hour to help keep me going. I mean if it is going to go against my GPA then I AM GOING TO CLASS!

And I don't know about your campus but I went to Ohio State and I got pleanty of exercise just walking to all my classes. And if you have time maybe take a longer route on your way to class.

And don't freak out too bad...College is supposed to be fun!  

Haha, yeah, no, I know it SOUNDS like my freshman year because of how ridiculous I'm being, but it's not. It's actually the memory of my freshman year and knowledge of how I acted before that's gotten me so crazily worked up. I've just worked so hard this past month to lose 8.5 lbs and I really want to meet my goals and I'm afraid I won't be able to.

EDIT: My college is a really tiny liberal arts school called Ursinus College. There's only about 1500-1700 students and the entire campus is about a 15 minute walk. So... yeah. Oh and also I don't drink or really do anything, I just gained weight because the cafeteria is like "Hey, want ice cream? Want ice cream every day? HAVE IT."

As well as the fact the food is pretty average-tasting with a lack of healthy options.

Have you considered upping your activity level somehow, so that you can eat more and still have the same calorie deficit. I didn't read anyone else's response so i don't know if it was suggested, but I know I would find that hard as well. I would rather go on a long walk every day and do light weights 2-3 X a week and eat 1500, ya know?

Well, that's my goal with exercising everyday. :) So I can eat more. The issue is finding the time??? :(

you will just have to make your own healthy options then.

maybe treat yourself for doing so well by allowing one or two meals out a week with friends that you can eat what you want?

if youve lost 8.5 lbs, you obviously know how to meet your goals, you just need to apply what you've learned in your new environment.

you are a different person with different goals this year, right?

That's true. I do know how to do it, I just need to apply it and stop being a giant wuss. The more I think calmly about it, the more confident I feel... :)

exercise:

if your classes are going to be one right after the other every single day, then maybe add a gym class.

i took weightlifting and swimming when i was going to UT just a few years ago. best thing i ever did for myself.

otherwise, just build it in your schedule, its all about routine. once you fall into your routine, you can find the time. you must. period. no wussin on that one!