Diet/Exercise that works for a college student?

[AroundCampus247]

Hey, I'm new to the forum. I just thought I'd start off with a few questions.

I'm 5'10 ,200lbs.

I've been trying to eat 'healthier' lately, which is really only avoiding fast food and such. I'd really like to work on losing the belly I've gained here at school the past couple years and build some muscle and possibly some abs.

I started off kind of slow just doing 30 minutes on the elliptical 3-4 times a week at the school's gym. We've got every piece of equipment you could think of, but I'm not well versed on what all I should be doing to achieve my goal.

I'm at school almost every day from 8am-10pm or later, breakfast and dinner I can have at home, but any other meals/snacks I have to fit into a lunch container or my backpack for the non-refrigerated foods. I have access to a microwave at school, but that's about it.

So, here are my questions for you.

1. Could you share a workout plan or point me toward one that could help me burn the fat I've got and gain some muscle? (my knowledge of workouts is limited the more detail you can share, the better)

2. Is there a diet I could follow that wouldn't require me to have a lot of meals?/Could you give me a typical day and what the meals would contain? (again, the more detail you can give me the better, I've never really been on a diet before)

ex. breakfast- oatmeal and eggs with 1% milk
lunch- ?
dinner- ?

3. Are there lunchboxes/containers out there that I could carry with me at school that won't make me look like a middle-schooler? 0.o


Thanks for any and all advice you can give me!

 

[KPO89]

Don't eat three meals. Eat 5 small small meals. Cut out the sugars. Avoid certain complex carbs like bread. Add 30 min of weight training to your 30 min of elliptical

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by KPO89

Don't eat three meals. Eat 5 small small meals. Cut out the sugars. Avoid certain complex carbs like bread. Add 30 min of weight training to your 30 min of elliptical

Not this **** again. Even the bros on BB.com are aware this is bunk.

Sugar is fine, starches are fine especially after weight training. Thinking otherwise is to be brainwashed by typical fitness industry dogmatic bullshit.

OP - read through the articles on bodyrecomposition.com, and read the blog 'leangains.' Those are the two best free resources available.

 

[TheD0n]

It is simple. Eat healthy foods. Don't eat junk foods that are low in nutrition and high in calories.

I can't stress this enough: eat only when you are hungry; stop eating when you are no longer hungry. This is something that few people understand. You must recognize the feeling of hunger, and base your consumption off that. Most people simply eat because they are on a schedule of eating 3 over-sized meals/day. Don't do this.

Bring a lot of fruit/nuts/granola with you during the day. Eat a snack when you're hungry. You don't need lunch everday if you're trying to lose weight.

Ever wonder why you don't see fit men on the elliptical? Because it's for people who go to the gym just to say they went to the gym. It won't get you fit. Do something wroth while like running.

 

[TheD0n]

This frustrates me. There are already so many threads about getting in shape and they all contain the same advice. You might think there's something working against you, but you're the same as 99% of humans, and there is nothing keeping you from being in great shape. It's not hard, just man up and do it.

 

[indesertum]

Originally Posted by BBSLM

Not this **** again. Even the bros on BB.com are aware this is bunk.

Sugar is fine, starches are fine especially after weight training. Thinking otherwise is to be brainwashed by typical fitness industry dogmatic bullshit.

OP - read through the articles on bodyrecomposition.com, and read the blog 'leangains.' Those are the two best free resources available.

+1

 

[Foxtrot56]

Originally Posted by BBSLM

Not this **** again. Even the bros on BB.com are aware this is bunk.

Sugar is fine, starches are fine especially after weight training. Thinking otherwise is to be brainwashed by typical fitness industry dogmatic bullshit.

OP - read through the articles on bodyrecomposition.com, and read the blog 'leangains.' Those are the two best free resources available.

The hell? Six meals is great if you are trying to gain weight since you can keep protein coming in.

 

[Sunnydale]

You might try adding more protein to your diet. Dr Eades posted the latest study about that: More protein = greater weight loss. http://twitter.com/DrEades

 

[300zx1985]

Originally Posted by TheD0n

This frustrates me. There are already so many threads about getting in shape and they all contain the same advice. You might think there's something working against you, but you're the same as 99% of humans, and there is nothing keeping you from being in great shape. It's not hard, just man up and do it.

Agreed, its not rocket science. Eat healthy (no processed foods, fried foods, etc), eat in moderation, and work out.

 

[AroundCampus247]

Kpo89, thanks for the response. What sort of weight training should I do? do i work out particular muscles one day and others another, what workouts and sets should I do? Eat 5 small meals, but what should these meals consist of?

BBslm, seems to disagree with you Kpo89. I checked out the links and body re-composition got into this complicated percentage diet sort of thing that didn't really make sense to me, I guess I should research into the different types of foods and such since I don't really get what complex carbs and such are. The second link seemed to deal with the idea that body builders use which is fasting in the morning and eating later in the day, but it didn't explain what to eat.

TheDon- first off, thanks for the tips on what to bring with me to school, finally someone partially answers one of my questions. I don't appreciate the "man-up" comment afterward though, I'm here asking for information that I don't have so I can eat 'healthy' and get into shape and yet you're saying to man-up and do it without explaining how to. What sort of workouts should i do? what sort of weight training would you recommend? To put it simply, I've never been taught what workouts target what body parts or which parts of the body would be better to work out to lose weight or whatever. You didn't mention what to eat for breakfast or dinner, if i should have tons of protein like a lot of articles say or what? I'm completely open to suggestions here.

Sunnydale- I seem to get the same detail from all of my readings that the more protein i have the better. Would you know a site or something that i could go to that would explain what sorts of foods would help me on such a diet? I checked out the twitter, but didn't seem to find something that explained what sorts of foods to eat, it seemed more geared toward people who have a good knowledge on dieting rather than something I would understand as I've never dieted before.

 

[BBSLM]

Originally Posted by Foxtrot56

The hell? Six meals is great if you are trying to gain weight since you can keep protein coming in.

Your point? You can fit just as much protein/calories into 2 meals.

 

[Kajak]

Originally Posted by AroundCampus247

Kpo89, thanks for the response. What sort of weight training should I do? do i work out particular muscles one day and others another, what workouts and sets should I do? Eat 5 small meals, but what should these meals consist of?

BBslm, seems to disagree with you Kpo89. I checked out the links and body re-composition got into this complicated percentage diet sort of thing that didn't really make sense to me, I guess I should research into the different types of foods and such since I don't really get what complex carbs and such are. The second link seemed to deal with the idea that body builders use which is fasting in the morning and eating later in the day, but it didn't explain what to eat.

TheDon- first off, thanks for the tips on what to bring with me to school, finally someone partially answers one of my questions. I don't appreciate the "man-up" comment afterward though, I'm here asking for information that I don't have so I can eat 'healthy' and get into shape and yet you're saying to man-up and do it without explaining how to. What sort of workouts should i do? what sort of weight training would you recommend? To put it simply, I've never been taught what workouts target what body parts or which parts of the body would be better to work out to lose weight or whatever. You didn't mention what to eat for breakfast or dinner, if i should have tons of protein like a lot of articles say or what? I'm completely open to suggestions here.

Sunnydale- I seem to get the same detail from all of my readings that the more protein i have the better. Would you know a site or something that i could go to that would explain what sorts of foods would help me on such a diet? I checked out the twitter, but didn't seem to find something that explained what sorts of foods to eat, it seemed more geared toward people who have a good knowledge on dieting rather than something I would understand as I've never dieted before.

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5...ining-program/ works well for gaining strength.

 

[fuji]

At your size I wouldn't really worry about trying to put on muscle right now so I wouldn't really worry about weight training. Just try to lose weight first. If you want abs your probably gonna need to cut about 50lb of fat. 30 mins of low intensity cardio every other day isn't gonna do anything to help you lose weight, if you can do high intensity interval training doing sprints, it will probably hurt a lot, but you'll lose weight. I would cut out lunch, snacks and any sugar. If you don't have an over or stove you can always make eggs.

 

[gvibes]

Originally Posted by Sunnydale

You might try adding more protein to your diet. Dr Eades posted the latest study about that:

More protein = greater weight loss.
http://twitter.com/DrEades
Probably because protein results in greater satiety than fat or carbs, IIRC.

 

[Steve Thomas]

I've lost almost 100 pounds over the last 3 years (260 lbs at 37% body fat at my heaviest. Today 175 lbs at 14% body fat). I've tried it all. But, you know what works...and I know this is gonna sound way too easy...breathe.

Seriously.

Breathe.

Get in the habit of getting your heart rate up.

Eat less.

Do these two things first.

Don't make it too complicated.

Be consistent.

Once you're used to being a bit more active and taking in fewer calories (don't starve yourself) then you can start making more changes. Think of it as a hobby. Before you know it, your hobby will turn into a lifestyle.