Help! In college and a Pastry Chef!!!

[ThePastryChef]

First let me introduce myself. My name is Andrea, I'm 19 years old and I'm a pastry chef and college student (very bad combo..i know)

The trouble is, diet wise.. i cant stay away from carbs, and it's ver hard to eat properly when I dont have my own kitchen, and money is limited. I took the incentive to cut out soda, and drinks...and most juices.. and sticking to water and crystal light. which isnt so bad. and im trying to eat more protein and vegetables (which is something that i havent seen since i've been home in new york)

I go to school monday through friday 7a-1p and work 3p-11p ( the days vary). as you can see it doesnt leave me with much time to exercise... or join a gym.

i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions at all for me. My genetics are not so great. My figure...is that of a 19 year old, so I'm fine now, I do not want to lose weight or be a stick figure... or anything like that. I want to be healthy... and down the road ... at 30... or 40...or 60 I want to have fitness in my routine, so its not so much of a struggle. My profession and genetics will not allow me to be a size 30 waist (i'm 5'10) forever. So I want to get started early.

I have a small gym in my dorm.. treadmills, weights, etc. Nothing fancy. Does anyone have any suggestions for a diet or workout plan?

 

[jcwog]

Am there with ya

I had the same difficulty with my schedule last semester. Eating wise, I keep a small fridge in my room that I keep fruits, juices (peach, mango, or orange), yogurt, and other healthy foods i can eat for snacks. If you need dinner type foods - try soup or rice - stay away from Ramen Noodles - they are loaded with sodium. Mac and Cheese is okay once in a while. Just eat in moderation and just enough till you start to feel full each meal. You can also add veggies to get some vitamins. Drink a lot of water.

In the cafeteria - I stick to the salad bar and sandwich bar and to soup. I eat a lot of fruit and veggies - the hot ones they tend to load down with butter. Choose Grilled chicken instead of fried. Fried stuff is okay once in a while, but moderation is the key.

Instead of taking the bus or driving, walk if you can. I know some buildings are too far apart to do so. When you walk, walk fast and turn it into a work out. If possible, try to take out even 20-30 minutes to jog on a treadmill or outside or to do some kind of aerobic exercise. That will keep you pretty healthy.

Sorry if this is too much, but I found that it's helped me a lot. When I started working at staying healthy, Denise Austin's website helped. - she gives a lot of healthy, enouraging tips.

-From one college student to another, TLB.