How to combat weight gain while taking 21 credit hours??

Going into college, I expected to gain the infamous “freshman 15” in some form or the other doing my time at school. I managed to keep up on going to the gym freshman year and my weight didn’t change much from high school. However, starting second semester of sophomore year, the pressure kind of ramped up and I began scheduling for 18-21 credit hours per week a semester in order to meet the requirements of my school’s accounting program. Particularly this year (junior year) the long hours and late classes, in addition to my spring semester internship have made it essentially impossible to go to the gym and eat a proper diet. My school’s gym and dining halls both close pretty early and I go to classes at the business campus 30 minutes away, and usually end up having to grab whatever fast food place is open for dinner if i want to eat anything. I’ve been so stressed and honestly didn’t really put a lot of attention in the change in my body, but I recently had a day off and decided to go to the gym. After noticing how difficult my old standard workout felt, I decided to weigh myself and discovered I had gained 35 lbs since freshman year. I still have months left of this difficult schedule, as well as a summer internship and a packed next semester, so I need to strike a better balance soon before things are even more hectic. Thanks so much and apologies for the long winded post

Do you have a kitchen? If not, do you have or have room for a microwave, fridge, cutting board, and knife? One thing that has helped me stay healthy is making most of my own meals; it’s impossible to exercise off all the extra calories you get from fast food and even dining out at mid-range restaurants. It takes 15 minutes and no cooking to make yourself a sandwich or salad, and you’ll save money even if you are like me and enjoy nice rustic bread and deli meats. With a microwave you can steam vegetables and cook rice (you could even get a rice cooker).
If you have a kitchen, reserve an hour or two during the weekend to do some meal prep–make something you can put in the fridge or freezer; soup, lasagne, pasta sauce, chili, curry, literally anything. Then take small portions of that with you for lunch and spend some time at home each evening cooking yourself dinner. It doesn’t have to be complicated but making your own food will make you happier and healthier.

I will just recommend that you spend a month or so focusing on making the healthiest fast food choice, choosing water to drink, and taking the stairs. Even McD’s has a sliced apple option instead of those wonderful French fries. Keep fruit and veggie snack packs on hand so that you aren’t tempted to buy junk.

Dial back your schedule, stop eating fast food and make time to get to the gym. If you don’t have your health, then what do you have?

There are two dials: input (food) and output (activity). If you want to lose weight, cut your caloric intake (based on an analysis of 60+ studies - link: https://www.vox.com/2018/1/3/16845438/exercise-weight-loss-myth-burn-calories). Working out alone will help slightly, but it’s more effective for maintaining your weight and for all of the other health reasons, including mental, so it’s important. If you have to do fast food, choose the healthiest options. Otherwise, definitely cook/prep meals in advance that you can take it with you and eat on the go. You’ll have more control - ingredient- and portion-wise. Drink water! It will fill you up, help your digestive system and skin, and hydrate you before you need it (hunger pangs might actually be your body’s cries for fluids).

You can go for a while running the engine on cruddy gas and never changing the oil, but at some point, it will seize. Usually at the most inopportune times, likes finals week.

Your dining hall may have a “packed lunch” option available for students who can’t make the regular hours.

Remember as you make the changes in your eating habits and workout habits, that it takes about 21 days for a new habit to become ingrained, so be sure to document/be accountable until the new habit becomes something you want to do.

Good luck!

Do you have a fridge in your room? A bag you can pack lunches and snacks in? A thermos or water bottle? A convenient grocery store? Fruit, precut veggies, premade hummus, sliced cheese, nuts, etc can be packed in a few minutes and carried with you.

If you have Amazon Prime, you can get free delivery from Whole Foods

Check out keto or intermittent fasting. A lot of people do great with these lifestyle changes, and with no exercise at all.