University food is playing havoc with my digestive system (don&#x27;t worry, not graphic)

If I were you, I'd be doing my own shopping and controlling my diet. There was a big thread about this actually. It is possible to eat healthily for very little money (although it's cheaper still to eat unhealthily :p:

). It's much better to know and control exactly what you're putting into your body.

As for the TV situation, I'd just have a polite word. People respond to friendliness and politeness.

Reply 2

bedbug

14

I guess it's harder in catered accommodation. I'm staying relatively healthy just because I'm not buying junk food and therefore don't have any around to eat.

Reply 3

OP

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy

If I were you, I'd be doing my own shopping and controlling my diet. There was a big thread about this actually. It is possible to eat healthily for very little money (although it's cheaper still to eat unhealthily :p:

). It's much better to know and control exactly what you're putting into your body.

As for the TV situation, I'd just have a polite word. People respond to friendliness and politeness.

I know, I know. I just really wanted to be on campus and the only halls on campus are catered, so I had to go catered. I really resent having to eat at set times and having to see loads of people, it disrupts my working frame of mind. I can't wait until next year when I'll be cooking my own food. Maybe if I put on weight this year it'll sort of be an "investment" for next year for when I almost definitely lose weight through laziness.

I didn't notice that there was another thread, sorry for repeating...

I think I know who it is, so if I see him walking around I might go and speak to him. I'm not very good at talking to people so I'll need to pluck up the courage first!

Reply 4

sssh

I know, I know. I just really wanted to be on campus and the only halls on campus are catered, so I had to go catered. I really resent having to eat at set times and having to see loads of people, it disrupts my working frame of mind. I can't wait until next year when I'll be cooking my own food. Maybe if I put on weight this year it'll sort of be an "investment" for next year for when I almost definitely lose weight through laziness.

Surely they can't force you to attend the mealtimes and whatnot? I mean, you may be forced to pay for them, but surely you don't have to actually go to them?

Reply 5

Little Girl Red

I had this problem last year - I was in a catered hall which did gorgeous food, but it was all so starchy and filled with carbohydrates! Luckily, my hall only catered for our tea, which meant that I could eat a simple, healthy breakfast and lunch. I learnt not to fill my plate up too much and not to eat the hall pudding!
Even with all that, I still put on over half a stone in my first year at uni (hugely unusual for me - usually I stay rock steady at 7st 10lb). But in the summer, my weight went right back down to normal, and now that I'm catering for myself, it's still staying at that point.
Hope that helps
LGR xxx

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

I'm at Notts...have you not tried things like The Mix? They do salads, soups and basic sandwiches which are completely vegetarian and made to order. Or there's Portland, which has jacket potatoes (not the scabby ones they give us in halls) with loooads of different toppings, so you could have that if you felt like something a bit more substantial.
As for dinner time, god knows what's in the main sometimes. Stock up on the sides, like broccolli and potato. You can easily get your five-a-day, really. A banana and apple at lunch, a pear and vegetables with dinner and, if you're awake in time, an orange at breakfast.

Easier said than done though.

Reply 7

OP

Anonymous

I'm at Notts...have you not tried things like The Mix? They do salads, soups and basic sandwiches which are completely vegetarian and made to order. Or there's Portland, which has jacket potatoes (not the scabby ones they give us in halls) with loooads of different toppings, so you could have that if you felt like something a bit more substantial.
As for dinner time, god knows what's in the main sometimes. Stock up on the sides, like broccolli and potato. You can easily get your five-a-day, really. A banana and apple at lunch, a pear and vegetables with dinner and, if you're awake in time, an orange at breakfast.

Easier said than done though.

This is going to make me sound stupid, but what's The Mix?

It is probably just me being lazy - at home I ate healthily because of my mum's cooking and there not being so much junk food around.

They can't force you to go to the mealtimes, but you get hungry later on and wish you'd gone if you miss them! Saying that, I hardly ever go to breakfast.

Reply 8

sssh

This is going to make me sound stupid, but what's The Mix?

It is probably just me being lazy - at home I ate healthily because of my mum's cooking and there not being so much junk food around.

They can't force you to go to the mealtimes, but you get hungry later on and wish you'd gone if you miss them! Saying that, I hardly ever go to breakfast.

Nobody is saying skip breakfast, just make your own instead of going to the halls catered breakfast.

Reply 9

scaredashell

I had exactly the same problem.....i was ill for 3 weeks at the start of term and really tired because i wasn't eating properly. Then i started buying fruit and veg and i am a lot better now.
Luckilly i am self catering so i can do this. Buy some apples or bananas and have one of them while you walk to lectures.

Reply 10

OP

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy

Nobody is saying skip breakfast, just make your own instead of going to the halls catered breakfast.

Ah, but I'm not consciously missing breakfast to cut out the calories, it's because I'm usually in bed.

Reply 11

OK, so just skip all the uni based food and make your own.

What's the problem with that?

Reply 12

Leisure17

8

Eblis_O'_Shaughnessy

OK, so just skip all the uni based food and make your own.

What's the problem with that?

Maybe a feeling of "If I've paid for it, I might as well eat it". Not very sensible (healthwise), but it could be part of it. Or it could be the OP doesn't get extra money for food from her parents because they know she is getting fed at halls.

Reply 13

englishrose

From talking to various friends at different universities, none of them seem to have a very high opinion of catered meals. Unfortunately I don't really know what you can do about it - I guess it depends how much surplus money you have to buy other food. Even if you just bought some fruit to eat as snacks.

At least you've recognised that it's what you're eating that's making you feel under the weather. I have friends here (I'm at UEA, it's all self-catered) who have eaten nothing but crap since they've been here, and you can really tell. They're lathargic, they have mood swings and they get colds more easily. On the other hand, I'm eating more healthily than I did back home (!!!), and I've been feeling pretty great. Granted, I'm ill right now, but I think that's due to some late nights recently!

Reply 14

Anonymous #2

OP, i'm also at notts and i know what you mean. i feel really really bloated and from today i've gone ona healthy diet. i think it is possible to eat healthily but you have to make a conscious effort. by the way, the mix is the new continental cafes dotted about campus. i know that there is one at derby hall and a few others. the one at my hall, willoughby, is still not finished though......

Reply 15

OP

Anonymous

OP, i'm also at notts and i know what you mean. i feel really really bloated and from today i've gone ona healthy diet. i think it is possible to eat healthily but you have to make a conscious effort. by the way, the mix is the new continental cafes dotted about campus. i know that there is one at derby hall and a few others. the one at my hall, willoughby, is still not finished though......

I also tend to think: "I've got an allowance of £4.68, I have to use as much as possible so that the caterers make as little profit as possible!" It's like a challenge. And they always make profit, because it's impossible to get exactly £4.68 unless you get four apples...my closest is £4.67. Anyway....I must add that I don't spend it ALL on junk food, I mostly hoard that in my room rather like a squirrel because I don't really know what to do with it. It was quite good for when my boyfriend came to stay as he's self-catered in Scarborough and thus hadn't eaten junk food for weeks.

I don't think I can be eating that badly, but it's just that I worry what's in the food. I'm not eating that much junk stuff, not a lot more than I would at home. But I am going to alter what I'm eating; I don't think I appreciated my mum's cooking when I was at home... I've just found a new spot on my chin that looks like it has the potential to become huge and impossible to disguise - I never got spots at home! Aaaaagh.

I like the Trent cafe, they always have nice baguettes, though a huge filled baguette may be healthier than a bag of chips, it's still quite high in calories.

Reply 16

*Claire*