Guys,
I loved the barometer jeans! I've got like 2 or 3 of them. Unfortunately, no longer fits me.

thanks for your very supportive replies and very fun as well :) Yes, I will try and get myself into the gym and some classes. I must find the time. To be honest, it's not just about weight gain but also about eating crap food and feeling UNHEALTHY.

I have recently quit smoking. I also don't drink alcohol. As an attempt at leading a healthy lifestyle, I will also follow the diet or instructions of a diet that prevents cancer and promotes vitamins and an altogether healthy way of life.

Anybody wants to join forces?

I'll sign up; shall we make a Scouts' Honour agreement? I will only eat crap on 1, 2, 3...or 7 days a week

I started to give up caring about my weight gain recently, but now that I realise that none of my trousers fit, it's become a concern again! I can only wear two pairs of my jeans. When I try on the others, I have fat rolls bulging over the sides!!! I was trying on some clothes in the changing room at a shop the other day, looked into the mirror and burst into tears. It becomes more traumatic when you go shopping and see yourself in those horrible shop mirrors!

i've reached the point where i avoid crap food, but what i eat instead, is more often than not, simply "nothing". thanks to living with my partner i get a good healthy breakfast and a reasonably good healthy dinner every day. sometimes i just don't eat in the middle, rather than eating crap food. i sit there at my desk feeling "i'm hungry" but i don't want crap food but crap food is what i'm hungry for. so i resist, stay at my desk, and if i'm lucky i brought an apple or banana from home...
happens to work quite well for losing/keeping your weight... although i'm sure it's not healthy.
BUT i have concerns about the healthyness of diets. i'm stressed enough as is, if i start stressing about what i eat, too, i'll get a heart attack by the time i'm 40...

It's hard to find healthy food on our campus. The choice is between a fish and chip shop or one of those expensive coffee shops where they only sell muffins and paninis. Or a vending machine full of crisps. If you don't bring fruit with you, you're stuck.

Juno,

lol sounds like a good agreement. I wish we could actually eat crap and still feel healthy and immune to diseases. Oh GOD!

bellaz,

I feel you. Honestly, I have started avoiding looking at mirrors or shops windows. I don't like what I see. Not my face, not my body. I really did not know that a PhD is capable of doing all this. I am guessing if we don't try to get on top of it and devise a way to get the best out of the PhD and not the other way round, then we will disintegrate. At least I would.

Shani,

oh yes. I too have so many academic stresses. I feel that stressing about food and weight will make it worse. But like I said to bellaz, I must find a way. But it's like I can follow a healthy diet but I just get bored of apples and bananas and I start craving Kettle chips LOL I adore my SALT AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR Kettles.

I keep a supply of fresh fruit in my office--and snack on it a few times a day. It is how I make sure I get some fruit in my diet, and also try to avoid eating crap during the day. The problem is that at some point, I get VERY hungry, and eventually hit the vending machine at some point, because I do not want to/do not have time to go off the premises for food. I should try to bring a lunch with me, but I have not succeeded at that...for dinner I try to have pasta or basmati rice with a healthy sauce, sometimes if I am lazy I just have toast and eggs. I

walk A LOT and while its not intense enough to be aeorobic, its something. Although I have injured my foot ( I looked it up on the internet and the self diagonosis is plantar fash...something) but I am still trying to walk alot. Last night I walked for about 3 hours, between a guided walking tour and then having to walk back home! Yes, it was some starts and stops, but it was still something, and something is better than nothing, and sometimes better than nothing is as good as it is going to be, realistically!

I am on for joining forces, most definitely! If anyone is interested there is a great website called traineo.com - you can enter in your diet and exercise details every day and you can pick other people to be your 'motivators' - they keep an eye on your progress! I've been using it for a few months but I don't have anyone to motivate me cos I don't know anyone else on it!!!

Olivia,

I hear you!

Rosy,

I will but give me time. I have been suffering a very bad cold and cough for the past 2 days. It seems it's going to stay for a week. It's one of them ones. I just quit smoking last week, so I think it's because of that. Once I recover, maybe we could support each other.

cycle/walk/run to uni or to any place you go regularly

eat more vegetables, it'll leave you less room for the fattening stuff and give you more energy, helping you feel more like exercising

Hi,

I quit smoking too although I still think about starting again every time the going gets tough.

I wouldn't worry about the extra pounds if I were you. It's more important to stay off the cigarettes. Having said that, I find getting into the habit of going for a short walk when you want to have a snack is a good way to get your mind off food. (As long as it's not a walk to the fridge that is!)