Loosing weight (and not having it affect academics)

[vitaebellaa]

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Hey guys I was just looking for any tips about balancing a weight loss regimine and being premed in undergrad. I'm on a varsity sport, eat a healthy diet (no fast food, sweets) and have a healthy bmi but I want to loose extra lbs. My issue is that when I restrict calories (not even a lot; down to 1200 a day) I feel tired all day. I've noticed my concentration and memory definitely are off and that has an affect on my school work. So I've come to the conclusion that exercise is the best route. I've been trying to fit 1 hr on the elliptical a day, but, I don't always have that much time so it's been difficult.

Has anyone had any success loosing weight in UG? What balance of eating right/working out worked for you?

 

[gettheleadout]

Losing*

lol had to do it

 

[muhali3]

Increase the protein, decrease the fats and carbs. You could also take some supplements like lipoic acid that will help you produce ATP more efficiently and increase beta-oxidation of fatty acids.

 

[vitaebellaa]

Losing*

lol had to do it

Wow, I don't look like an idiot or anything. Sorry

 

[gettheleadout]

Wow, I don't look like an idiot or anything. Sorry

Wasn't trying to be a jerk lol just saying...

If you do manage to find time to exercise, try alternating between high impact and low impact exercise (i.e. elliptical one day and running the next) and do resistance training (lift weights). Increased muscle mass means more calories burned at rest 😀

 

[BJJ]

[insert pre-med mumbo jumbo here]

then ask your doctor

 

[Snarkalark]

eat less and move more. try walking to school and not eating large meals. 1200 calories a day is absurd; gradual changes are the only kind you can make to your weight.

 

[apumic]

1200 calories is "not a lot" of calories to restrict yourself down to -- WTF?!? You're a college student AND a varsity athlete, right? Are you male or female? Male college varsity athletes typically consume 3-4 TIMES that amount just to maintain. Females less but even so, anything less than 2000 calories for a female varsity athlete is ridiculous and likely unhealthy. Eat what you need to and then exercise. Limit your intake of unhealthy foods. Honestly, though, unless your weight is very far from your "ideal" you probably shouldn't be restricting to lose weight. If you are an active individual, your body may simply be responding as it should be. Talk to your doctor before restricting calories and/or changing activity levels or diet substantially. A bunch of pre-meds on SDN is not the place to ask this sort of question.

 

[wristbandMD]

1200 seems very low for a "varsity athlete". What sport do you play, how often, and are you currently playing/training?

 

[HawaiiHereICome]

Varsity Golf?

Well anyways, I'm currently cutting down to try to get my abs to show. I'm losing weight at about 2lbs per week by only eating :

1. Chicken Breast
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Lettuce
5. Cottage Cheese
6. Protein Shake
7. Green Tea


^^^ This is all I've had to eat for the last 4 weeks. Works for me.

For the Broccoli and Cauliflower, you can blanch these by boiling a pot of water and throwing in the vegetable for about a minute. It won't "fully cook" but this is the fastest way to cook veges on the run. Some nutrition websites suggest that "raw" broc is about 30 calories while fully cooked it is approx 90. I'm not really convinced that it would make this big of a difference but hey I'll try anything.

EDIT#2: Post pics 😀 Maybe you look good already. Some girls are too thin. If you're a dude........ go to hell you should know how to work out and diet already.... jk

EDIT#3: You can PM me a pic if you prefer 😀

 

[Perrotfish]

I agree that 1200 calories is way too low for a varsity athelete, and there isn't a way to balance starving yourself and a premedical course load. You have a healthy BMI, you're in great shape, and when you eat a healthy diet that maintains that healthy BMI you function well in your academics. So don't f- with that healthy lifestyle for vanity lbs.

In the end odds are you won't even lose weight. When athletes cut calories they pick up injuries, which means weeks on the couch and packing the weight back on.

If you really have a concern talk to a physician or a nutritionist. If your coach is one of the people pressuring you to lose weight (gymnast?) then make sure whoever you talk to is not associated with your athletic deparment.

 

[vitaebellaa]

I'm female. And probably shouldn't have even mentioned being an athlete as my sport has very little to no cardio (not as sedentary as golf though). I guess I was just trying to provide a basis showing that I'm active and I don't just sit on my ass 24/7

I appreciate the replies. My intention was NOT to receive medical advice from premed students. I was more curious as to what other people were doing to stay in shape while balancing a full course load.

Oh yeah, and definitely no pics.

 

[apumic]

I'm female. And probably shouldn't have even mentioned being an athlete as my sport has very little to no cardio (not as sedentary as golf though). I guess I was just trying to provide a basis showing that I'm active and I don't just sit on my ass 24/7

I appreciate the replies. My intention was NOT to receive medical advice from premed students. I was more curious as to what other people were doing to stay in shape while balancing a full course load.

Oh yeah, and definitely no pics.

 

[URHere]

Talk to a nutritionist if your university has one on staff.

The basic idea that how many calories you burn has to exceed how many you consume will take you pretty far, but you will need to figure out which foods and which amounts work best for you and your body. A nutritionist can help you with that.

In general though, straight exercise does not work for many adults as a means of dropping pounds unless you are talking about 90+ minutes of heavy cardio daily. You will most likely need to find a balance between diet and exercise.

 

[HawaiiHereICome]

I'm female. And probably shouldn't have even mentioned being an athlete as my sport has very little to no cardio (not as sedentary as golf though). I guess I was just trying to provide a basis showing that I'm active and I don't just sit on my ass 24/7

I appreciate the replies. My intention was NOT to receive medical advice from premed students. I was more curious as to what other people were doing to stay in shape while balancing a full course load.

Oh yeah, and definitely no pics.

🙁

*pouting*

 

[wristbandMD]

I appreciate the replies. My intention was NOT to receive medical advice from premed students. I was more curious as to what other people were doing to stay in shape while balancing a full course load.

If I exercise too much, I'll get exhausted and end up quitting the regimen I'm on for a couple of weeks. Needless to say, exercising too much isn't very helpful for me. It's all about balance.

When I start an exercise regimen, I begin by only going to the gym 3 days a week for about an hour (30 mins cardio, 10 mins stretching, 20 mins lifting). Eventually, I'm able to build up to more days/time. Currently, I'm working out 5 days a week for about 1.5 hours each time. Sometimes I'll go up to 2 hours.

By beginning light and building up I'm able to stay alert and school isn't a big problem. It's also important to note that when I exercise 5days/1.5hours, I have to eat more than 1200 calories. (I'm a female, also.) I eat at least 1500 on the days I work out. I'll drop my calorie intake a bit on the days that I don't workout. Of course, this also depends on your weight, which is why so many people are telling you to talk to a doctor/nutritionist.

Also, you may want to start taking vitamins to help with fatigue, but make sure to consult with a doctor/nutritionist, as said above.

Hope this helped a bit.

 

[Meerkatology]

your brain doesn't work well if you don't eat enough, esp when you are try to study and memorize stuff.

exercise is good, but save the dieting for senior year when you don't need to study anymore.

 

[mvenus929]

If you're at a healthy BMI, eat well, and exercise.... why are you trying to lose weight? I can understand wanting to be stronger, or wanting to exercise more, or trying to get down to a health BMI, or just trying to eat healthy... but you don't fall into any of those.

Since you're female... you do know that messing up your fat% too much will result in a whole bunch of hormone issues, right?

 

[gettheleadout]

I'm female. And probably shouldn't have even mentioned being an athlete as my sport has very little to no cardio (not as sedentary as golf though). I guess I was just trying to provide a basis showing that I'm active and I don't just sit on my ass 24/7

Bowling?

 

[apumic]

Bowling?

Or Shooting.... it's an Olympic sport... LOL.

 

[JFry]

If your worried about time constraints and want to lose fat, but can't run on a treadmill for 3 hours at a fat burning pace then i suggest interval training.

For example: go out and warm up for like 2 min, then sprint as absolutely fast as you can till you HAVE to stop, then rest till your heart rate goes back down to like 150, then do it again, and again and again

I suggest only sprinting once your first time cause you will be sore.

This does wonders for your body (ever seen a fat sprinter?)

So sprinting for 30 sec, resting for 2 min =one set, lets say you do something like 8 sets, thats like 20 min and your done!

Works for me... (it works because going above your lactate threshold releases HGH, while jogging doesnt)

And I wouldnt cut calories that much... that is never the way to go as an athlete.

 

[Danlee07]

Your whole post and idea is just ...ironic... if you really are a varsity athlete, then you need to be working out. maybe you're equestrian, but i know the equestrian girls and they have to work out esp to maintain their "ideal weight" for their horse. If you are working out, then you need calories. Even if you're a 5 foot female and you're in the 18-22 age range, you need at least 2000 calories esp since you say you want to exercise. i'm not really a premed giving medical advice...i'm just giving out common sense here...

but I do track and eat about 4500 calories a day. Takes me about 1 hour for warm ups/track workout and then 1 hour for the gym. I run and go to the gym 4 times a week and some days, they do and don't overlap. I get full rest days off from everything on Wednesday and Sunday.

 

[Tuan]

1200 Calories is not enough, (depending on your height/weight/age)
For a gradual weight loss, a 500 calorie deficit is generally recommended.
That being said, talk with your PCP before you start any diet/exercise regimen.

 

[recycledpaper]

my thoughts are that if you don't have enough time for even 1 hour on an elliptical, you need to make some time.

your health is very important and if you need to slim down by eating 1200 calories a day, i think you should re-evaluate some priorities. i don't know.. that's just what i'd do.

 

[bucks2010]

I agree with the above that 1200 seems pretty low. In any case, losing weight is pretty simple math. I lost 20 lbs. my first semester by doing the following:

1. Run 3x/wk. for 30 mins. I hated running and still do to some degree (and have since found other methods of doing cardio), but running is something basic to start with. Go to the Cool Running website and do the Couch to 5K training plan. I was in terrible shape when I started - this plan eases you into better cardiovascular shape if you stick to it.

2. Cut back on your diet. My advice would be to start with 500 cal/day below what you had been eating before.

It takes 3500 calories to burn 1 lb. of fat. Cutting 500 cal/day in diet plus exercising 3x/wk. means you could expect to lose roughly 1.5 lbs./wk. When you start tracking progress on a scale you will be encouraged when you see the reading trending toward your goal.

And oh yes, set a goal - you can't just lose weight to infinite. Pick a reasonable goal to start with so you'll have something to celebrate when you get there. The success from the first experience will give you confidence going forward.

Just a few tips from my own experience - use them as you wish.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Increase the protein, decrease the fats and carbs. You could also take some supplements like lipoic acid that will help you produce ATP more efficiently and increase beta-oxidation of fatty acids.

Alpha-lipoic acid promotes loss of lean mass? The abstract of at least one study says yes: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20015518

/lazy lit review

 

[Musclemass]

If I exercise too much, I'll get exhausted and end up quitting the regiment I'm on for a couple of weeks.

It makes you quit the regiment? You in the Army?

 

[jmanpatsfan]

I lost 120 lbs in undergrad between my freshman and junior year (went from 270 lbs to 150 lbs). I cut food intake to about 1700-1800 cal/day spread throughout about 5 meals. LOTS of fruits, veggies, and water and about 40 mins/every other day on the elliptical. Simply cutting carbs will never work long term, nor will diet without exercise in general. I would throw in a little strength training here and there, but now its all I do. I have put on about 30 lbs of muscle since my lowest weight.
Don't get hooked on fad diets. They are designed to make the creators a quick profit. Some science and common sense go a long way.

 

[USCTrojan11]

The important thing to recognize is that too much of a calorie deficit actually leads to slowing of your weight loss. Also you want healthy weight loss, not muscle loss. Considering you are a girl you won't really feel the effects of muscle loss but your skin will look less taut and won't glow.

Ideally at most you want a calorie deficit of 750 per day - that's already pretty extreme. I think for women they suggest 600 at most. Basically every 5 day's you'll lose 1 pound of fat = 2 lbs of body weight since you'll lose water as well. Also quit eating carbs after 1pm - you want to burn your carbs consumed since they hold onto water. Doing this will allow further weight loss and you won't feel bloated or big. Eliminating carbs alone loses me 6 lbs!!! in a week. Unfortunately the second you get back onto carbs they come back almost immediately. Thats why on pasta nights (supposedly healthy) I weight the most but when we hit the korean bbq all you can eat I only gain 1 lb.
I suggest getting a bodybugg - eat according to its readings, eat 600 calories less and exercise. Do it in the morning so you burn only fat, lead an active lifestyle. Don't do cardio for more than 1 hr, it leads to cortisol which means u GAIN weight and supposedly get cellulite but I'm not sure about that one. Good luck!

 

[wristbandMD]

It makes you quit the regimen? You in the Army?

Boy do I look like an idiot. Sigh. 🙁 Apparently I've been on summer break for too long. I guess sometimes I'm just a big

 

[startswithb]

I would also suggest looking closely at your eating habits and see what you can cut out. For example, I lost a few lbs by not eating anything after dinner. No random snacking. I also don't drink anything but water or some coffee, and a little bit of 100% fruit juice in the morning. Certain beverages are full of useless calories. You could also try switching to lower calorie versions of foods you already eat. Like, lower calorie bread for sandwiches, crackers instead of chips for lunch, etc. I am just not a fan of drastic changes in your habits (diets).

As an aside, I've never known people with maybe only 20 lbs to lose to be very successful with just the elliptical. It must be too easy or something. My roommate would spend some time on an elliptical and then eat a cookie and it was already cancelled out. I think some others on here have already given good exercise tips. Good luck!

 

[TheTruckGuy]

Eat more. Increase vegetable intake. And workout more - including weights/calisthenics and cardio.

For me, working out was a great stress reliever after exams and stuff. It gets you nice and relaxed.

Learn your body and what it responds to.

And get more sleep.