I just moved to college about a month ago. I am 18 and this is my first time living away from home and on my own. I'm not in a dorm so I don't have the convenience of the dining commons and pre-made food readily available.

I thought that I would be able to provide for myself quite well in terms of food. However, it seems like I've been neglecting myself. I've been eating pretty unhealthy, according to my boyfriend and my parents, and I'll admit I agree with them. Basically, this has been my diet for the past month (give or take some occasion thai food or pizza)

Breakfast: South Beach Diet bars or Corn Flakes w/ milk
Lunch: store-boaught sushi...kinda like that stuff u get at costco...
Dinner: more cereal bars or some other kind of snack along the lines of the cereal bar
Snacks throughout the day: fruit salad bowls, other whole fruits and occasionally salads

I'm about 5'7 and weight between 115 and 120. I've also recently begun going to the gym regularly (about an hour a day every day). Also, now that i'm in college I don't have a car, and i walk EVERYWHERE. My boyfriend especially seems to be very concerned with my eating habits--i tell him I feel fine and that I dont' eat too little and work out too much. He seems to think that one of these days i'm going to callopse or something, or develope some other kinda malnutrition-related health probs..

So...I'd like some other non-biased opinions... Am I eating really poorly? Will a diet like this harm me in any way in the long run? Or what about in the short run? I take vitamine supplements so I doubt I'm defficient in anything but he still seems to be very concerned. Does he have merit to be that concerned? Will anything bad come of my eating habits besides me losing some weight? Thanks!

Um, short answer: Yes, they are right! You are not eating enough of anything. You need 5-6 small, balanced (including protein, complex carbs, healthy fats) meals every day. You need to be eating no less than 1200 calories/day, but probably more - around 1500-1600 - if you are working out.

Doublemint,

Calculate your caloric total for a day or two (ask Costoco if they can get an estimate of the calories in a sushi serving..) It's hard for me to judge without knowing quantites.

If you are eating over 1200 calories you won't suffer from malnutrition but you will lose weight unless you are over 1500.

So, you can use the scale to be your guide and assume all is well if it stays in the 115-120 range.
IF you see a 110 then you had best rethink your whole diet.

<I HOPE that is a fish based sushi, rather than vegetarian?>

I almost always wholeheartedly agree with Lenin....except this time! ;)

I don't think you're eating near enough. First of all - at 5'7" 115 lbs. is very thin. That puts you at like an 18 BMI - underweight. To be eating like this and exercising like this when you are ALREADY underweight is a dangerous line to walk.

Are you eating this way out of conveneince? (i.e. graba cereal bar and eat it as you walk to class) Or are you eating this way because you WANT to be really thin? I think that's a question you should ask yourself.

I definintely see why there is concern for you. It's a slippery slope to walk. I would strongly suggest getting more "real" food (as I call it) in your diet. The fruit bowls you mention I am guessing are prepackaged fruit in syrup or water? I'd skip those in favor of more fresh fruit. Add chicken breasts, tofu, or other lean proteins, etc. I know it's tough when you're in college, but we've all been there and these days there are plenty of ways to adjust in this setting.

Aside from the weight issues - you want your mind functioning at it's highest capacity for your studies as well. You can't do this without some essential fats in your diet.

Good luck to you!

Thanks. Your input pretty much confirms my thoughts, I'm just in heavy denial. And to answer the previous poster's question, I eat like this out of convenience, cuz I'm always rushing to be somewhere.

Yes! 115 lb. at 5' 7" is very underweight. That is the low end of the normal weight range for my height, 5' 4".

Please be very careful. I developed an eating disorder (anorexia) when I was in college doing similar things like you were. There is no way you are getting enough calories every day particularly with walking around campus AND going to the gym too. Mine started out a simple diet and healthy lifestyle and before I knew it, I was spending 4-5 hours a day exercising and eating under 1000 calories a day. Your meals are eeirely close to the meals I had when my ED was full-blown. I told myself it was because I was in a hurry, that no food on campus was healthy, but really, what's so hard about making a sandwich for lunch or eating at a Subway? You definitely need more protein and you need to examine closely whether it is an issue of convenience or an eating disorder issue (not wanting to gain weight, scared to gain weight, even secretly wanting to lose weight).

I was in denial about my ED most of my college years and finally sought help my senior year. I'm lucky I didn't kill myself in the end, I weighed about 80 lb. at my low point and a simple diet and healthy lifestyle can quite easily spin out into a full-blown ED. I'm recovered now and weigh around 120 lb. and have for years but the ED thoughts still torment me from time to time. An ED is extremely difficult to recover from and you should nip these bad habits in the bud right away. Even seek therapy on campus if you need (if you suspect you really do have an eating disorder).

Please be careful.

Hey there. I have to agree with the previous poster for the exact same reasons. My eating disorder became a BIG problem my freshman year in college, and I had to withdraw from the school semester as a result because I was very sick and needed hospitalization. Please be careful! I would really advise you to get help.

Please take care

Thanks for your input and your stories. Though i'm really sorry to hear that you went through ED's in college, I doubt this will happpen to me. I like food too much to really give it up to that exetent. Given the choice, I would love to eat fully cooked, well balanced meals, I just can't get myself into the habit this early on in my college career. Perhaps later?

I don't think you are making terrible food choices. The foods you are eating are nutritious but you need to add some things, like string cheese for calcium and protien. yogart. Try keeping some healthy turkey and roast beef in your fridge. Grab a slice or 2 when you are rushing around. You are doing good with grains. I think you can still work around you fast paced life by adding some more variety to your diet. Also try adding a good multi vitamin.

Take care

I think the convenience thing is the main problem. One of the most important things you do each and every day is eat. You need to make time for it. Try not to eat on the run. At least in the evening, make sure you sit down to a proper meal, whether you eat it in the student canteen or a home cooked meal. It's not too hard to rustle up a stir fry with a bit of chicken (or tofu if you're vegetarian).
As said before, you need your brain to be fed as well, so you need some good fats in your diet. You won't be able to concentrate on your studies if you're not properly nourished.
Walking everywhere is great, but do you really need to add hour-long trips to the gym to that as well? Sounds like you are getting exercise anyway.
Make sure you have a decent breakfast with some slow-release carbs and some protein. If necessary, get up 10 minutes earlier to prepare yourself a decent breakfast.
Eating shouldn't be something you do as an unconscious thing. It's entirely true that you are what you eat, to a certain extent. Think about what you're putting into your body, what it does once it's in there, are you eating out of habit or because you are actually hungry etc. Knock the potential eating disorder on the head before it gets a grip. I know you say you like food too much to get an ED but anorexia isn't the only one.