College + LC = Not that Hard! :)
 

Hello all!

I'm currently a college student who enjoys a low carb lifestyle. Although it may seem hard, if you stick to some basics, it's not that bad!

For bfast: Eggs, bacon, sausage, and omelets are usually available at most college cafeterias for bfast. If you get tired of those and have a little extra money to spend, WalMart or GMC sells Atkins Bfast Bars. There good for when you get sick of the saltiness. Also, buying your own sugar free syrup and toting it to the cafeteria is worth it sometimes. It tastes just as good with any meat and eggs as it does with pancakes :)

For Lunch: If you're not on the induction diet, salad is always a great way to go, with Italian or Ranch dressing. You can also put other veggies on it. If you ARE on the induction, or a stricter phase of the diet, request hamburgers, hot dogs, or chicken patties w/o the buns. I lived a lovely life for a while on bacon cheeseburgers and montery jack chicken :) Again, if you tote your own sugar free sauces, its nice. Or just slap on some mayo.

For Dinner: Again, if you're on induction, it'll prob be more hamburgers and hotdogs. But if you're not, then you can eat a great LC lifestyle by putting different veggies into the mix. Hard boiled eggs are also great additions, since they are so filling. One thing Ive discovered, which may sound GROSS at first, but really isn't, is making different "dinner salads". Since the bread or pasta is what used to fill me up, I sometimes found it hard to get that same satiated feeling with just meat and veggies. So what I do is take a little bowl of lettuce, cut up my meat and veggies, and mix it all together on a plate. Then I add some dressing (again, making sure its low carb) and sometimes a bit of mustard, and I nuke it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. It tastes MUCH better than it sounds, and the lettuce does what the pasta used to: fills me up COMPLETELY. And its still LC!

For snacks and dessert: Sugar Free Jello is a staple in my mini fridge. It really works for those sugar cravings. Also, I always keep cheese blocks, tuna fish, hot dogs, and mayo in the fridge. When I'm hungry I can always munch. One thing I've found that's REALLY yummy and when I can't get to the cafeteria, is taking tuna fish, mayo, and some of my cheese blocks (I like cheddar or munster), and nuking it. The cheese gets all melty and the tuna is great hot. It's a gooey LC treat. I also have sugar free cookies and hard candies. Ok, so its not TECHNICALLY allowed, but eating one cookie or candy a day is not going to kill you, and it really helps with the cravings. And eventually on the diet, you do need SOME carbs.

So! That is my plan for college. As for drinking, that's something you have to weigh on your own. Like the others have said, shots of vodka with diet coke are usually what I do as well when I drink.

And sometimes, I just say "Hell with it" and cheat. But know what? It doesn't kill you to do that sometimes. You just get back on the wagon and go about your business. You really do need to have a positive attitude when things like that happen. If you punish yourself for splurging then you'll develope a negative way of looking at the diet.

Also, if you've decided that its a lifestyle change and not just a diet, you have to look at the big picture: If I'm going to do this for the rest of my life, is having over my one day carb limit(eating that extra cookie, going to that party) going to have THAT much impact? No, it's not. So go ahead. Just make sure you know the difference between a once in a while treat and a habit! :)

Sincerely,
Sophie

Hi, Sophie -- great post! Thank you for doing that. I'm sure there are a lot of "How can I do this at college???" people who will learn a lot from this.

Thankyou for posting these great tips Sophie! I've made your post "Sticky" which means it will stay at the top of the message list, rather than getting lost amongst the others.

All the best and continued low carb success to you :)

Doreen

p.s. - thanks alto ;)

Great Post
 

Thanks, I agree whole heartedly with you!

just started
 

well i started the diet today... about 2 weeks ago i went out to eat and i got home and i just felt bad. I felt icky and i never really felt that way before. And at first i started to eat fruit and watch the fatty stuff. holy crap is that hard. so my friends told me about atkins and how it works, so i figured i'd give it a shot. so far today i had some bacon, hotdogs, and some beef jerky. pretty good, but i dont know how long i can do it, if i can do it for a month, that would be sweet. today looking for low carb food, i saw that marshmallows are 0 carb food, so i thought i might share that with everyone. i dont look that fat. but when i go in the shower i get disgusted. i dont even go swimming or change in public. and i want to just try and get normal. wish me luck!

IF MARSHMELLOWS ARE 0 CARB THEN WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY MADE OF???

IF MARSHMELLOWS ARE 0 CARB THEN WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY MADE OF???

back in the game!
 

hi well reading your post has really made me look at how hard it really isn't if i just can stick to it for the 14days then i'll be back in the game thanks for reminding me about the procedures in what is good to eat. :wave:

Hey Sophie,

I just started Atkins, day 3 of induction. I"m really scared about all the calories I'm consuming from all the proteins and fats I've been eating. Am I going to gain weight??? Cause I step on the scale today and I gained a pound. What do I do??? When will my body start using my fats for fuel and start burning my fats???

P.S I'm eating enought too, around 1300cals a day, 20g carbs and enough water

College no-nos!
 

It may be the summer, and I may working full time, but I'm still living in the university district! And I have found two "taboos" that should be avoided in your first two weeks on the diet, especially with the "college" influence.

1) DO NOT CHEAT! If you're cheating in the first two weeks (which is easy since the typical diet among my college roomies is pizza, top ramen, soda and beer) it's only going to ruin the amazing results you're supposed to get from induction... I should know... I was losing and then stopped dead. Granted, I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose, so maybe the cheating put me on a little plateau, but the first two weeks really should be strict. Otherwise, your body won't fully transition into lipolysis/ketosis.

2) DON'T WEIGH EVERYDAY! Man, this one is so true. (Especially for Roxy!) As it is stated in many of the diet texts online and in the Atkins book itself, body weight fluctuates wildly throughout the day. So, it is very possible you gained a pound in your first day while your body is not yet in lipolysis. Once a week is fine... plus, it gives you something to keep you on course. Think of it like long-distance running instead of sprinting. Better to run the 400m at once and then turn around to see how far you've travelled rather than running 50m at a time and stopping to see how far you've run.

Other than that, I hope everybody enjoys their summers and loses enough weight to turn heads when they return this fall--I know that's my goal!

~Aaron :cool:

I just wanted to add on thing...
 

Those Atkins bars are not always a good answer...many of those types of products have hidden carbs. If you search the site for 'atkins bars' or for info on 'hidden carbs' you find a lot of info on the subject. When I first found out about sf chocolate bars I nearly died, then I found out that they have crazy amounts of hidden carbs, which was validated when I gained weight after I ate them.

During my lc experience in college, I didn't live in a dorm so I was able to cook. However, a product that would be great for people with a microwave that don't want to eat eggs/ bacon for breakfast (I got sick of scrambled eggs after induction) can buy this stuff called FlaxoMeal which is like oatmeal. Just add water (or cream) and a dash of splenda or Atkins syrup and throw it in the micro for 2 min and you're set. It has a lot of fiber too.

Good Luck,
E

SOPHIE
Great Post - thanx for that!! I have a quick question for you..... I see that you went from 140 to 115. I am going from 127 to 115. How the heck does it feel to be 115? I am trying SO hard to get there! (we are also the same height - that's why I ask)

Hope to Hear From YOU!!

:D

Hey sophie, I am just a couple inches shorter than you and i am at 140 right now trying to get to 115!!!! Does it feel good to be that size??? I cant wait to get there. I feel like Im missing out on fun things in life being 140. Fill me in girl!!!!!

Hi About Salads on induction, you are allowed salads on induction :D

Yes I was wondering why I saw If you are NOT on induction you can have veggies and salad. You are supposed to eat salad and veggies on Atkins. LC legal veggies in induction but veggies just the same. I don't think I could have stuck to this if I was just eating meat and fat! Eat those veggies and drink your water!!!