<p>All the advice here so far is solid. Definitely avoid sodas, as to food it’s all common sense. When it comes to your carbs (pastas, rice, bread, etc) white is bad and brown (whole grain) is good. If you have three hours a week to spare, a one hour lift workout three days a week (space by a day, eg: T/Th/Sat) plus the cardio you get just walking around the campus should cover you. Eat small meals often, instead of three big meals eat six small ones. I know that’s easier said than done with classes during the day but you can always qualify something small like a banana, some yogurt, and a handful of almonds as a meal. If/when you drink alcohol stay away from beer and mixed drinks, stick to clear liqours and either take shots or drink them on the rocks.
If you can do those simple things you’ll be fine. I oversimplified A LOT but if you need any advice feel free to PM me. If at any point you really find yourself struggling feel free to hit me up, I’m a personal trainer and I’ll be up there in August. Good luck!</p>
<p>They were here a couple weeks ago? I’ve been here since session A started so maybe they only come out in summer.</p>
<p>No offense, Mike, but being a personal trainer doesn’t mean jack. Simply going with an exercise-hobbyist friend would likely have an equivalent effect on motivation and consistency, unless you’re some odd breed of PT I haven’t encountered yet.</p>
<p>@eyeheart - Ah, that explains it; I’ll probably encounter them when I get back on campus in ~8 days.</p>
<p>thanks a lot you guys I really appreciate all the great advice!</p>
<p>@jonnosferatu: No offense taken. I’ve met a lot of subpar trainers. Typically you can pick them out by their weak ass ACE or IDE certs. Having a buddy to hit the gym with is definitely a good thing, a big chunk of getting in shape is just motivation, consistency, and having a spotter. For some people’s goals though having a trainer who actually KNOWS their job and can structure workouts and nutrition with knowledge beyond speculation and gym chatter can expedite the process. Am I saying everyone needs a trainer? Hell no. Some people just need to get to the gym, period. Am I shamelessly plugging myself? Nope, I’m aware there are plenty of trainers out in the world who are more than competant. I’m just giving the guy/girl a heads up that if they need some help I’m happy to do it, be it through just advice over PM or actually working them out.</p>
<p>The thing about weight control is this - it is 90% diet, and 10% exercise. Unless you are a heavy-duty athlete, controlling what you eat the first year, especially with a limitless cafeteria once you swipe, is most important. What I would highly suggest is limiting yourself to just breakfast, a VERY light lunch, and a small dinner (the last item is difficult, because this is when you want to hit the campus cafes and chow down with friends). What I recommend instead is swipe in, take a box for food takeout, and eat your dinner over the course of the night, because often happens is that students, in or out of the residential halls, LOVE to munch on snacks throughout the night. Instead, consume a light dinner so your snacks are not piling on what you ate at dinner. Drink lots of water as well, AND AVOID CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES IN THE MORNING. Those will mess you up and suck your wallet dry.</p>
<p>Caffeine reduces appetite. Just start smoking cigarettes and drinking black coffee by the pot. You won’t really need to worry about weight. Throw in an amphetamine while you’re at it.</p>
<p>I’d have to disagree with avoid caffeinated beverages. As long as you take into account how many calories you will be including with those, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Caffeine helps boost your metabolism while suppressing your appetite. Coffee can get quite expensive, but there are cheaper alternatives, namely: pure caffeine powder and those Crystal Light “Energy” drink mixes.</p>
<p>I think beer is so much better than coffee…</p>
<p>uummm I don’t plan on consuming alcohol in my life and I’m not a fan of taking a lot of caffeine, but I LOVE to eat (like most other teenage guys) so I guess self control is going to be the biggest determining factor. Btw can any engineering students here give me some insight as to whether or not you had time to exercise and if so how often? (I’m planning a double major in bioengineering and EECS, just in case the type of engineering major has an effect on the workload)</p>
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<p>Ok, tell us how your first weekend in college goes. Hm, maybe second you seem kind of sociopathic.</p>
<p>walk, walk, walk and don’t eat at 3 am.</p>
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<p>This is a myth. Eat whenever you like–it’s calories you need to watch…and your macronutritional balance.</p>
<p>No offense Ektaylor, but calling someone who doesn’t believe in drinking alcohol a sociopath is a very caustic and offensive remark. I don’t judge others if they choose to drink alcohol, I just choose not to drink it myself. I believe I can enjoy life and socialize without it, if others feel they need it, then let them do as they please.</p>
<p>Wait until you’re 19 or 20 to rule that out.</p>
<p>Fair enough but I still think labeling someone as a sociopath just for saying they don’t want to drink alcohol is still quite harsh since it links that person with history’s other sociopaths like Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini. You could’ve just said the “Wait until you’re 19 or 20 to rule that out.” remark instead.</p>
<p>Being a sociopath does not link someone automatically to the notorious authoritarian personalities of recent memory. Sociopathy is quite normal at Berkeley–the profile is quite broad.</p>
<p>Anyway I don’t want to start an argument lol, and thanks for all the advice everyone!</p>
<p>Sigh…where are all the fun engineers? I plan on partying for sure. Welcome week anyone?</p>
<p>Yeah that’s true Ektaylor, I still strongly disagree that an eighteen year old who says that he/she chooses not to drink “sounds” like a sociopath. A person who claims that they will drink for the rest of their lives has an equal chance of being a sociopath in my opinion as a person who claims to not drink for the rest of their lives. Unless you can provide evidence linking a causing between making a claim to never drink and sociopathy, then I don’t think such a statement should be made but I respect your free right to say it.</p>