alohaas2's Forum Posts

I am a college student. I have trouble staying awake/alert while studying for long periods of time. I am looking for a way to stay focused while sitting at a desk for extended periods while I become mentally and sometimes physically exhausted.

I have found that eating remedies this for a short time, but eating while I study usually just makes me hungrier. I don’t like to drink too much coffee, and I think energy drinks are a waste. I drink green or black tea, but that sometimes just makes me sleepier. I usually get between 8 and 5 hours of sleep a night. Sometimes I take a nap, but I still get tired while studying.

Does anyone know of any stretches, foods or drinks that can keep me focused and alert (no drugs please)?

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Food For Thought

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will definitely take small walking breaks and keep my window cracked.

I’m not sure if I’m ready for the fish capsules just yet…but I’ll make sure to increase my omega-3s :)

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Food For Thought

I eat peanut butter off the spoon! But I always make sure to take only one tablespoon and put the jar back in the fridge.

My favorite kinds are Trader Joes Organic Natural PB and Smucker’s Natural. I don’t care if it’s creamy or chunky, it just has to have some added salt. I only like natural Pb though. Just the thought of eating the kind with added oils to keep it from separating grosses me out. Maybe it’s because I had ate the natural kind as a kid.

My favorite PB snack/breakfast/lunch/dinner is peanut butter with sliced banana and strawberries on whole wheat toast. Sometimes I just mash up a banana with peanut butter and oats. It’s thick, but I like the consistency and the taste.

I have tried other butters (almond, cashew, sunflower seed), but I find peanut butter the most delicious!

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Peanut Butter lovers

I get my omega-3s via breakfast by adding 2 tbsp of organic milled golden flax seeds to my oatmeal. 2 tbsp provides 2400 mg, so not nearly as much as thirty 300mg fish oil caps.
Unfortunately, I can’t grind my own flax, so I don’t know what the actual quality/quantity of the fat is…I just keep it sealed in the fridge and hope it’s fresh.

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Food For Thought

I love eggs!
1. because they are delicious!
2. because they are versatile!
3. because they are great for you! (although I make sure to buy organic, free range)
4. because they are inexpensive!

Hard boiled eggs make a great snack and they are easily transportable. Poached eggs are equally delicious. Omelettes are an excellent way to use eggs as you can incorporate vegggies and meat (turkey sausage is yummy) into them. I usually make an one with one or two whole eggs and two or three egg whites. I leave out cheese (except when I have really good cheese) and cook it in a nonstick pan. Great add-ins are frozen spinach (which i defrost before adding) and mushrooms. Mushrooms are only 15 calories for a cup of slices and contain 2g carbs, 2g protein, and 1g fiber. I think I read somewhere that mushrooms can be as filing as beef…whatever.
So one egg + 3 white omelette = 18g of protein. Not nearly as much protein as meat or fish, but definitely cheaper.

So yeah, I recommend eggs :) The only problem is that one large egg contains 211 mg of cholesterol so I usually don’t eat more than two eggs with yolks a day. Luckily, whites don’t have that problem.

1 large egg = 70 cal, 6g protein, 0g carbs
1 large egg’s white = 16 cal, 4g protein, 0g carbs

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / Getting more protein

Prioritize.

Personal time during which you have no one to answer to but yourself is just as important if not more important than work, exercise and time spent with others.

The more you know yourself, what you want, what you need, the more you can achieve.

Even if it’s just 20 minutes a day, grab a book, beverage, blanket whatever and just zone out.

Topic: General Health / What is your number one health tip?

Using artificial sweeteners can trigger a craving for sweets. Basically, you are tasting something sweet, which would usually indicate that your body is about to get a nice helping of simple carbs and fats; instead, you aren’t giving your body anything to burn. When your brain keeps looking for those carbs, you start looking for the cookie jar.

I don’t know how to describe this scientifically, but I did the best I could.

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / does splenda contribut to fat gain?

When I drink an energy drink such as Monster or Rockstar, I pee neon too. It must be the the B-vitamins

Topic: Supplements / Multivitamins

Is there a difference between taking a generic multivitamin and a brand name multi?
If they both contain the same amount of vitamins and minerals per cap, is it worth paying extra?

Topic: Supplements / Generic vs. Name Brand

Drink a lot of water.
Once you start to lose weight, your body has to get rid of it.

Topic: Fitness and Exercise / new at this

I go to the gym 5 days a week. One day is an hour of yoga with 30 min of cardio before class. The other four days I spend between 60 – 120 minutes with a minimum of 30 min. cardio. I always make sure to stretch for 15 minutes too.
My time spent in the gym usually varies depending on what my schedule looks like that day.

Topic: Fitness and Exercise / How many hours do u spend at the gym ?

Make recipes of your meals and add them to your favorite foods.

Topic: Support/Help / Suggestion to Improve Meal Planner

No problem :)

Topic: Support/Help / Suggestion to Improve Meal Planner

My first initial is O. My last name is Haas. 2 is arbitrary. I like puns and Hawaii.

Topic: Just For Fun / So where does YOUR username come from?

I am also trying to lose a some of the weight I put on last semester/summer.

I agree with acconrad about strength training. If you want to see results faster, which I think you do, you CANNOT ignore strength training. Focus in your abdominals and arms. Don’t work the same muscle groups strenuously on consecutive days.

Strength training will not add bulk, it will raise your basal metabolic rate so that you burn more calories just sitting around, it will increase your energy and you will see results faster than if you were only focusing on cardio. There are lots of great routines you can find here on gyminee. I find that killer abs is really effective. If you’re still searching, head over to your college bookstore and pick up a Self or Shape magazine. They include great routines geared towards women.

Food…
Focus on eating protein and greens with some whole grains and fruit. Limit white bread/pizza crust/hamburger buns etc..Avoid sugar. Try to eliminate as many processed foods as you can because they are likely to contain sugars and fats. Do not drink soda. Diet soda is ok once and a while, but do not rely on “diet foods”. Drink water throughout the day. Eat smaller meals or snacks more often.

If you have any college specific questions, I would be happy to talk about them.

Topic: Diet and Nutrition / control the hunger!