Help on making a decision!

Well, it doesn't only pertain to weightloss but here goes...

I'm stuck.

The problem is to either attend college during Spring Semester or just leave it and spend my full attention at the gym and getting fit and healthy and reapply in the Fall. My main concern is honestly that I won't get to start college with my best friend and that everyone will be disappointed in me.

However on the other hand, not attending means that I can spend all that time to myself and dedicate to losing weight (I am obese btw and I want to lose 60+ pounds)

I know that I won't be able to lose weight while in school because I'll be too busy and stressed to work out and make the healthiest choices but I really don't want to let everyone down after the huge "I'm going to college yay" hype.

I'm really leaning towards the gym because I've been overweight most of my life and it's gotten to the point where I barely want to go outside anymore because of my lack of self-esteem. (Plus I want to start my college life fit, healthy and full of confidence)

However I don't know if ditching college is the right thing to do because I could just be making excuses to myself because I can always work out during the summer and all the walking and hecticness will help me lose weight...

so I really don't know...

any advice or opinions would be appreciated =)

Go to college.

As far as weight loss is concerned, you don't have to go all out.  Just start making small lifestyle changes, like religiously taking a small 15 minute walk after dinner, like exercising some portion control, like substituting just one healthy low cal snack a day for a high fat high cal snack.

Small changes over time ... will result in healthy weight loss.

Also eating well fuels your body so that you feel better, learn better etc. etc.

Just my 5 cents worth ............

Go to college. For sure go to college. You CAN do both - lots of people work full time or study full time and find the time to work out, you can do it - it just takes a little planning. Walking around campus is great exercise. There is probably a free gym there you can use too. Plan your meals, take your lunch instead of buying it there. You will find that 30 minutes of exercise will actually help you focus better when you are busy and stressed out.

Please go to college.

In my opinion, you should definitely go to college.  It's your attitude that will stop you from making progress, not "being too busy and stressed to work out and make the healthiest choices..."  You have to snap out of this mindset that you're going to fail before you even try. 

My advice for that is just to make your workout a part of your daily life, rather than deciding whether or not you have time to go each day.  All you have to spend is half an hour in the gym, once every day or every two days.  The only thing that would stop you from making such time is deciding ahead of time that you won't be able to do it.  As for healthy choices, yes, college is notorious for poor choices but the fact is that you can still choose the healthiest things on each list, be it deep fried or raw, and make do the best with what you have.  The fact is, you'll still make progress.  Then, you can start doing college sports, signing up for intramurals, swimming, tennis, volleyball, whatever.  Burning more calories and spending less time around food and lousy choices.  It's overall an excellent way to achieve what you want, and it's the right social decision too.  

Don't let your weight be such an issue that you even consider sidetracking your life for half a year to get rid of it.  You can reach your goals in school, trust me.  Feel free to message me if you need anything.

Go to college, but lose the negative attitude!  You can lose weight at school.  Take me for instance - I work full-time and go to grad school full-time.  Both are very stressful and both keep me very busy, but I am able to lose weight because I plan ahead.  Schedule your work-outs and your meals - this will take out the stress related to weight loss and will likely make your life that much better :)

I recommend staying in school.  In my experience, the longer you are away from school, the harder it is to go back...you get a little more respect in the outside world, and it's tough to give that up once you get a taste for it.

And it most definitely is not impossible to lose weight while you are at school.  I started my freshman year at 225 lbs, and was close to 230 lbs early in my sophomore year---by the end of my sophomore year, I had lost 60 lbs at the same time I quit smoking, and had one of my best semesters academically besides.

What you weigh depends more on what and how much you eat than it does on how much you exercise.  IMHO, it is all a matter of deciding that you want it bad enough that you can overcome the temptation.  It got to the point that I could sit at the table with my friends, watching them eat burgers and fries and drinking beer and be proud of the power of my will to resist.  Once I was there, I knew I could win the battle.

Good luck to you with whatever you decide.

I'd say go to college now. You can lose weight and get healthy while you are in school, they aren't mutually exclusive.

I think this is really important. I know for me personally, the longer I put something off the easier it is to keep finding excuses to continue to put it off. That's why I'd jump right in and start your college education as soon as you can. Don't wait! ;)

losing weight is not a diet, it is a life-altering move. The rest of your LIFE will be spent focusing on healthy choices (working out, eating healthy, etc). 

Shows like "Biggest Loser" make people think that we can just take a vacation from our lives, work out 8 hours a day for a few months, and then we will be a normal healthy weight and "all better."  But that is not reality. 

In reality, life gets in the way. So you need to be able to have a healthy lifestyle WHILE living your life, which is college.

However, it does sound like to me, that myabe this is sort of an excuse, and you just aren't ready to go to college yet. If that is the case, don't use getting fit as your excuse, but by all means utilize the free time. I would suggest also getting a job etc. etc. Keeping busy helps us not oevreat and overanalyze. Goodluck

Definitely go to college.

And the only thing that would truly, honestly keep you from losing weight while there is yourself. You will have the opportunity to eat healthy, and you will have the opportunity to exercise (take a class for credit for even more incentive).

That's what I did my freshman year of college. Instead of gaining the 'Freshman 15,' I lost 30-40 pounds that year by making smart choices.

Don't sell yourself short before you even try. You CAN succeed, and you will if you put the effort forth. Good luck!

And another vote for college in!

I am really sure you WILL be able to lose the weight during school, like most people already said before me, take small steps. I think besides that; you will want to really look back at college as a great time and if you can spend that time together with your best friend, that will create memories for a lifetime, you don't want to mis out on that!

go to college. as a university student myself i can vouch for the "it is possible to go to uni and still eat healthily" in my firlst year, i chose a self-catered dorm so that i ate what i wanted not what i was given (one of my friends went into catered and the food was awful, fried bfast or toast, chips, pizza, sandwiches/salads covered in high calorie sauces and HUGE portions! livign self-catered means you get to eat as much as you want, cook the type of food you want to eat, make the same foods but healthier (ie grill instead of fry etc). gyms are usually provided by universities, and if not, local gyms will usually give students a good discount. I dont know how it is in the US (living in the UK) but i frequently have 1 or 2 hour gaps between lectures which i use to go to the gym, or go swimming or simply go for a walk!

Personally, i think it will be easier for you to lose weight if you are in uni, as your day wil be more structured. unstructured days can lead to less discipline and you may find yourself eating to waste time etc. its best to keep yourself constantly busy and have set meal times and exercise times (at least to an extent) you cant work out 8 hours every day for an entire year, so what would you do with the rest of the time?

Seriously, college is the best way to go. youll probably will find it very hard to diet in the first couple of months, change of routine, food types, friends etc leads to a lot of socialising over alcohol, meals out, coffee etc but once youve made a frienship group and got used to the routine, it will go well, trust me!

I am glad you want to lose weight and get healthy, but... no matter what you are going to have to go to school... So if you did take the semester off & lose all your weight & then reapply in the fall... would you gain all the weight back? That should not be the case, but you make it sound as if going to school and losing weight just don't fit together.

You need to go to school this semester! Start with your friend and perhaps the BOTH of you could motivate each other to live healthy lifestyles. You both could go to the gym together and take classes to stimulate your minds intellectually. This sounds weird coming from me because I really am not a big fan of school, but it is essential in order to get ahead in life, as is your health! Which is why I recommend you do BOTH at the same time, you will also learn multitasking skills as well! 

I am a college junior at the moment studying broadcast journalism and let me tell you: it is SUPER time consuming and really tough, but you know what, I exercise every single morning before my day starts, no matter what time my day starts! To me exercise & my well being are the ultimate but my goals in life are a CLOSE second which is why I would give up neither! 

Don't think "one or the other" think BOTH! 

* Good Luck!!! *

GO TO COLLEGE!!

there is just no excuse for skipping college. its up to you of course, but my honest opinion is that you should go to college and lose weight at the same time. even if there is no way you can lose weight while going to college, studies are still more important. good luck!

Go to college!! You'll see how it pays off later on! You can workout at your university's gym on weekends for an hour if you want, but GO TO COLLEGE! Good Luck!

Go to college. After two degrees, getting married, and having two kids...in that order...I can safely say that your life will only get busier after you graduate. We need to adopt a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Say you lose the 60 lbs...what then? The odds are you will gain it back, and then some. Your best option is to go to school and make working out and eating right part of your new life. If you start getting in the habit of making it a priority now...even when you're busy busy busy you'll be on your way to setting yourself up for a long, happy, energetic life.

Cheers and Good Luck!!

Mike

Go to college.  You can work with a counselor to plan a lighter load of coursework for your major and include a nutrition and PE class so that you learn what you need to do for you as part of the experience.  Both losing weight and college will be life altering events for you, if you combine them it will enhance both experiences.