College + LC = Not that Hard! :)

[Sabazel]

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

[alto]

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.

[doreen T]

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 ;)

[nelso117]

Thanks, I agree whole heartedly with you!

[Bigdan2k]

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!

[Fattiegirl]

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

[Fattiegirl]

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

[wlara]

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:

[Roxych1ck]

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

[PurpleDawg]

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:

[Erin4980]

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

[Loving It]

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

[EciGirl19z]

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!!!!!

[Dustin]

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

[ozziesgirl]

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!!!

[patriciar]

HI I HAVE the same problem... they say dont eat salad during induction ? please reply ..
thanks

[GrlyGrl]

Hi again!

You MUST EAT AT LEAST 2 cups of salad vegetables plus 1 cup of other allowed vegetables OR 3 cups of salad on Atkins -- this includes induction.

Salads are a good way to get some extra fat in -- add some cheese or nuts (after induction) to your salad, use full fat dressings, add crumbled bacon, add crushed pork rinds, etc. And don't rely on iceberg lettuce -- use spinach, romaine, baby greens, etc. for extra taste and nutrition.

[patriciar]

cool.. thanks again grlygrl

[mookins]

Wow! You guys have some great ideas for LC in college! I'm in third year myself, and started atkins in november. I'm finding that its really hard to not cheat in the caf. The salads are kind of expensive for my tastes ($5-something for about a cup and a half), but for some reason I never would have thought of ordering the hamburgers there withut the buns. I don't know why, cuz I do it when I eat out with friends. I guess it just never clicked. Thanks!!

Does anyone have ideas for snacks to grab on the way to class? I'm on induction still, and have gotten kind of sick of celery and cheese sticks.

This diet has been great to me so far... I'm finally drinking all the water I should, rather than koolaid and pop. gotta admit though, i really miss my choco milk duing those long lectures!! lol

[toni marie]

I am also a college student and don't find it hard either! Before doing Atkins I had NO willpower at all, so I pack lunch everyday... so does a friend of mine. It stops me from looking through all the bad foods in the lunch line - and I'm happier when I know I'm eating healthier.

[lunchmeat]

Hey Mookins-

I'm new to Atkins, but my parents have been on it for a while. You mentioned that you miss your chocolate milk. My mom buys this lc chocolate milk called Carb Control and it doesnt taste too bad. It's nothin like the real stuff, but it was close enough that you might wanna give it a shot. As for the white milk of the same brand, I think Carb Control has some work ahead of them (it tasted like Elmer's glue mixed with NutraSweet).

Tony

[xotcbabe]

Sabazel, just wanna know what have u been eating or do u exercise to reach that weight?

thats my goal weight...

well congrats anways

[sbd4me]

I am also in college and at first I was really worried about how my diet would deal with the fact that I was still planning on drinking. I drink Bacardi Superior with diet coke and I find that it has no adverse affect on my diet at all. lol In fact I lost weight after a couple nights of drinking. Go figure! ;) But I would reccommend going the first two weeks w/out any alcohol. It may be tough for some but its worth it. Plus, your tolerance will be way lower. lol

[unitzero]

School is back in session for another year... yay...

I know for me, staying away from beer is a big thing.

I drink a lot of water though, and Bacardi and Diet Cola has got me through a few parties already.

Scott.

[JennLynnRN]

Hi All!

My name is Jenn and I'm new to this site. I have been doing Atkins on and off for a couple of years but haven't had much success as I never stuck with it long enough. I recently lost about 13 pounds through another type of medically supervised low carb/low cal diet and plan to do Atkins to lose the last 7 pounds and *hopefully* keep it off this time! I am in my third year of a four year nursing program in Toronto and am actaully glad to be back in school cause I find having the routine comforting. My only problem is immediately when I get home from school (I live off campus); that's when I crave carbs the most! Any suggestions to keep fom cheating???

Thanks!

P.S. I am a little confused about the way this website is set up so if I have posted this in the completely wrong section...sorry!

[sbd4me]

Take some snacks with you to class so that you aren't famished when you finally get home. I like to have some nuts on hand just to keep me going through out the school day. If you snack strategically you won't be starving EVER. It's hard I know but that is the goal. ;)

[luxie]

For snacks I have tried light jell-o, which isn't too bad. Every once in a while I take a low-carb bar (usually atkins, they are cheaper at walmart) to school with me. It takes the edge off.. the almond brownie one is horrid but I liked cookies and cream.
I generally eat two salads a day and a bowl of low carb special K for breakfast. It really isn't that many carbs and I find that I need them because I run and otherwise my muscles hurt.
My best advice though is to drink a lot of water - it helps during class. I actually bought a Nalgene bottle after becoming tired of carting around evian bottles and having them leak all over my stuff. The ounces of water are also marked on the bottle - which is great because it helps you keep track of how much you need to drink - only two large nalgene bottles!

And my favorite thing about LC and student life... wing night! dry spiced with hot sauce and sour cream on the side! yum!

[146pounds]

Wow, not only am I going to school again after 6 years, I'm starting LCing again. This seems like an obstacle that I cannot accomplish. for all of you that can manage to do this, I truly admire you. I'm not a drinker but I do smoke the herbal cigarettes which totally anhilate me in the craving department.

[Giasbash]

FATTIEGIRL-
MARSHMELLOWS equal SUGAR! a type of carb that doesnt have to be listed as a card! SUGAR=tire around your waste!! Dont give into TEMPTATION!!!

[AshleyJ]

I was just wondering if anyone knows what can i snack on during induction.

[Giasbash]

AshleyJ: Snacks are hard, especially if you are used to eatting cookies, cakes, chips, etc..hah they all started with a "c"...sorry if that also made you want them, but what I SNACK ON it VEGGIES: espeically cabbage...but if you want something a little more "meaty" try cutting egplant into semi-thin rounds, spicing them up with oregeno, garlic or any seasoning you desire and popin em in the microwave for lets say 4 min on high, let them cool, and there is a NICE MUSHY SNACK, its so good....(salt is needed of course!) other snacks: cabbage and mustard.....bell peppers and mustard....lettuce and mustard...I think you get the point that mustard serves as my dressing, i mean you cant beat a condiment that has 0-5 calories per TBS!!!!! Hope these help a little bittt!! :)
-Gigi

[ELouisiana]

Hey..Another College Student here. I'm in induction so salad and water are my foods of choice. Sucks when you're eating cafeteria food though..lol

[Giasbash]

ELouisiana: put some deli sliced turkey on that salad and use mustard as your salad dressing! dont be afraid to have a NICE HUGE SALAD either, have you ever heard of someone dying from a veggie overload? I dont think so!!
Good Luck!

[lapniappe]

my school has a LOT of healthy options, and very easy to accomodate the weright eating decisions of many.

I luckilly live off campus so I can cook and experiment with a lot of low-carb cookbooks. Today for example I made an egg, ground beef, and mixed vegetable casserole (it smells SOO GOOD), and I also made Califlower Potatoes. With the potatoes, I'm going to be having Schniders Meatballs. I also made my own dressing (Vinegar, oil, spices and lemon juice, and a bit of a whirl), and ketchup (tomato paste (w/tomatoes as the only ingredient) a touch of splenda a few shakes of worchestershire sauce, and spices again). A bit of a gourmet I am!

I wasn't sure if on Atkins if we could have real Ketchup or Real saladressing, so hence I made my own - unfortantly the supermarket near me doesn' have Carb Options as an options (which is good, to have in a pantry as carp options are made with Splenda and real fat products like hellmans!)

this whole 2 cups salad veggies, 3 cups salad thing, is this PER MEAL? Lunch and Dinner time I can do it, but breakky is a whole different matter (except ironically this week, as I'm having turkey chicken bacon sandwichs with iceberg and romaine lettuce)..

[mermaiden]

I'm not in college yet (Sept.) but I find if I have to go somewhere things like cheese sticks/greek salad in tupperware/sandwich meats/bottled water and so on work nicely for lunches.

Sure, bread/cookies keep well but...so does cardboard :lol:

[Erin999]

I have recently graduated in 2004, and am now in Graduate School for my Masters Degree. I have found that there are a TON of thigs we can eat anytime. If there are sandwiches...eat the meat lettuce, cheese - leave off the bread. There is always Diet Pop available.

Even when my fiance and I go out to eat, I can always order a salad before hand, a grilled chicken breast, pork chops, and if I'm feeling really crazy - I will order the bacon cheeseburger w/o bun.

Once and a while, I do have a LC snack bar of some sort. My favorite ones are from EAS called 'Advant Edge' Cookies and Cream. They are DELICIOUS. But I only allow myself 2 bars every 10 days.You can put them in the freezer for a great treat after working out.

One way to never feel out of place when LC'ing is to recruit a best friend or family member to do it with you. My Mom is LC'ing, and we talk on the phone about different things we've tried, good restaurants to go to, and also how much we've LOST!!!

I love this lifestyle, and have not felt deprived yet :)

Good luck to all the other students out there.

Regards,

Erin

[liddie01]

for induction the two cups leafy greens and one cup low carb veggies is per day, not per meal

[Kel17]

Hey guys, I was wondering if 85% Belgium Dark Chocolate is okay. We have a World Market near campus and the nutritional info on that say that there's 2.2 grams of carbs per square. It's incredibly strong, and the taste is sweet in the beginning, but very bitter at the end.

[missaec]

I just want to say... I did this during college and still am. It's totally doable. Just try to stay away from the pizza, beer, and ramen and you're good to go.

I substituted ramen with cans of green beans as my poor college student food of choice. :)

[Nagohb]

Just wanted to let people know that not only can you do LC in college, you can do it in Post-Grad too! I'm in vet school and also doing it in a foreign country (in The Caribbean) so there are challenges with getting ingredients/products that are readily available in the US/Canada/UK

You can do it!

[EatRealFoo]

Marshmallow do have sugar. 81 grams per 100 grams.
This means that 87% of calories of marshmallow comes from sugar

[kittyloves]

Well, I'm glad it's working for you. I am a college student and I just started my plan over the summer so I'm preparing for how I'm going to have to organize things. My plan cuts out all sweetners except for xylitol and stevia so it's going to be pretty tricky, but I will have a full kitchen to use and I bought a blender/food processor and a george foreman like grill to use.

[kittyloves]

Hey guys, I was wondering if 85% Belgium Dark Chocolate is okay. We have a World Market near campus and the nutritional info on that say that there's 2.2 grams of carbs per square. It's incredibly strong, and the taste is sweet in the beginning, but very bitter at the end.
try this instead http://drjohns.com/

[Kwerk]

I'm in college and my cafeteria is terrible. If your prospective college uses Sodexho food services, try your best to live off campus. They are out of real eggs more often than they have them, instead they make you omelets with some neon yellow goo from a plastic bag. They love serving turkey bacon and turkey sausage because it's cheap, mostly filler, and no one eats it. The "chinese food" area is actually just stir fried veggies in 100% sugar sauce with tofu or seitan, no actual nutritious real chinese foods like meat or organs.

There's so much more, but just try to avoid them if you can, guys.

[Jhimson]

Thanks for the tips :D .. big help for me.



regards,
Jhimson

[RochelleC]

Hi Sophie and others,

I am a law student and the stress is always so big that I can't help eating lots and lots of food. I know that's an excuse but I just can't help eating. I am starting my low-carb life today. Any advice on how to cope with the stress from school?

Rochelle C.