College and Atkins..Please help

[thisfarbyfaith]

So I've been in college since August, and as of today I still haven't been able to find the motivation to stick to Atkins or any other healthy eating plan for that matter. I tell myself just about once a week that "today I'm gonna start over and eat right blah blah blah" so I can lose the weight that has obviously crept back up on me.

Has anybody had success with Atkins in college or does anybody have any tips on how to be successful? Even though doing Atkins at home wasn't easy I was able to stick it far longer than any attempts I've made since coming to college. It doesn't help that the dining hall doesn't really offer any low-carb options outside of the salad bar; but a salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner does not really appeal to me :-/

Money is limited now that I don't have a real job so any cheap suggestions for snacks and possible meals would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks so much,
Toya

[pagliaccia]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

Are you living on campus or in off-campus housing? That will really determine how readily you can prepare your own meals...

A little bit of "thinspiration," if you'd like. I tried Atkins once when I was in college...my high weight was 217, I believe. I tried to limp my way through it, using low-carb candies and bars and shakes, and eventually lost interest due to lack of results. That was about 6 years and over 50 pounds before my NEW high weight of 270. I still haven't yet hit my college high weight, but hopefully will soon. Believe me, the easiest time to commit is now.

[thisfarbyfaith]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

hey thanks for your reply.

I live on campus and there is one stove/oven and one microwave for our entire floor. My dining hall options are slim as far as low carb option go I don't really know what to do as far as food goes because my money supply is very low [the joys of being a college kid lol]

[liv]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

Fridge?

[thisfarbyfaith]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

yes I have one of those in my room

[ziggy]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

recently iv been geting free beef fat from the butcher

however now i want to try to get organic grass fed beef fat cause i know its alot more healthy and has omega-3 and no antibiotics

anyways if they give out beef fat for free its gotta be really cheap it doesnt taste all that good though but its better than salads everyday

also it can take awhile to find a butcher that knows how to cut beef fat properly you dont want a pice thats all chewy

eggs are also cheap to buy

or you can find food near a forest if you live near one

i used to be poor and was on atkins along time ago and forced off of it because i had no money but one of the things i have learned was if i knew what i knew now back when i was poor and forced off atkins i would have done everything possible to stick to the diet. i could have easily just ate eggs and beef fat and stuff from the forest that was near me

[liv]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

OK the next thing to know - do you have a reasonable good grocery store nearby where you can get the basics - fresh veggies, eggs, cheese?
I went to a campus with a grocery store - always thought that was handy

You will need to have eggs, veggies, salad dressing, mayo and cheese in your fridge for sure.
My grocery store sell some cooked meat (usually chicken) that would be handy for salads. You can pre cook eggs. Buy some canned tuna, chicken, salmon.

It is all about using a bit of planning.

If you need a kick you know where I am here for you

[Georgiana]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

I live on campus and there is one stove/oven and one microwave for our entire floor.

That's how we have too. It's enough to cook some eggs in the morning, cook a quiche, a casserole, etc.

My dining hall options are slim as far as low carb option go

You have vegetables, I assume. I know usually there are not a lot of choices (at our university, the staples are lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes), but with a bit of imagination you can avoid food boredom. I used to make "sandwiches" with cucumbers slices instead of eating them only in salads... or mix diced tomatoes with cream cheese and herbs, and heat in the microwave... or saute lettuce and sprinkle with herbs, spices and/or lemon juice.

Other than veggies... you should have some meat. I know it's sometimes breaded or covered in mysterious sauces, but when you can get it "clean", take more and keep it in the fridge.

For breakfast you probably can get some cheese (we had it daily at our cafeteria). Take more and keep it in the fridge.

I still haven't been able to find the motivation to stick to Atkins

That is something only you can change. You might want to keep a journal and write down your reasons for eating the Atkins way.

a salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner does not really appeal to me

When you have a salad, add tuna or salmon to it... and/or boiled egg. Use different dressings. It's easy to make your own dressings if you can't find low carb options (we didn't have any).

And sometimes you just have to stick it out... even if a salad is not the most appealing thing you could eat.

[Elizellen]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

How about getting an egg boiler kitchen gadget? In UK they are less than £15 if you look around so I imagine in USA they are also readily available.

Mine can cook up to 7 eggs and takes up very little space. You could keep it in your room and take it into the kitchen every few days or even use it in your room.

Judge 7 Hole Egg Cooker - Electric Cooking

Eggs can be very versatile and give you a good amount of fat and protein to add to salads, mix with mayo, eat plain with salt sprinkled over, make devilled eggs etc, etc.

[Shrew2u]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

Many moons ago when I was in college, my dining hall always had eggs of some form (hard-boiled or scrambled, sometimes a quiche), bacon or sausage (or both!), tomato slices and cottage cheese available during breakfast. Lunch and dinner was always changing, but I could at least count on steamed veggies and a grilled protein of some sort being available.

If such basic items are not available, find out from the cafeteria staff who determines what regular menu items will be offered and talk to that person about making those items available.

In the meantime, when push comes to shove, creativity is key. If the only substantive offering is pizza, take a couple of pieces, scrape the goodies off, toss the crust and have a salad on the side. Hamburgers and sandwiches - toss the bun/bread and put the innards on your salad. Breaded meat/fish - scrape the breading off. Tacos - turn the innards into taco salad. Etc. It may not be easy and it may not be exciting - but it will make a difference.

[jcapulet]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

When I was in college, the dining halls had boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, etc. for breakfast and brunch (They also had buns, pancakes, etc. which I would have avoided if I was on Atkins back then). Do you have these breakfast options at your dining halls?

[atkinsgal08]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

>>scrambled eggs>>

From whole eggs or reconstituted from a powder?

[jcapulet]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

>>scrambled eggs>>

From whole eggs or reconstituted from a powder?

They were the egg-whites only version (forgot what it's called). Not as good as full eggs, but it's another option.

[thisfarbyfaith]

Re: College and Atkins..Please help

thank you all so much for your suggestions and feedback