Hello Everyone! Names HalfLegend, I’m an 18 year old male living in a dorm hoping to shed some pounds!

Dont have much time? Skip to the bold, those are my real concerns! Thanks :)

I currently weigh in at 180 lbs and 5 foot 5. I’m not obese by any means but would love to loose the significant belly and thin out my face. I’ve struggled with weight loss for most of my life; I’ve always been a bit chubby and unathletic. Now I’m trying to fix that. I had a work colleague lose over 60 lbs to keto this summer and he (finally) inspired me to do the same. I’ve tried working out in the dorm and just haven’t been seeing progress (other than minute amounts of muscle mass accumulating, but just no fat dropping).

My hope is to feel comfortable in a swim suit by summer and I’m thinking keto is a reasonable way to start this! However, I’ve been having some problems trying to figure it out and how to start it given the constraints I’m under.

My situation: I’m currently living in a dorm on campus and only have access to a dining plan. I live in a relatively isolated area and don’t have a lot of disposable income so its tough to buy and store food, I mainly stick with whats served in the dining hall and what ever I can sneak out in tupperware boxes.

My plan:

Exercise: I try to jog about a mile every other morning combined with some pushups and basic weight exercises. Nothing too intense and only 2-3 mornings a week.

Breakfast: 9-10am I’m not a morning person and I normally don’t eat breakfast, but I think it would be good to start. I can probably sneak out some chicken breast or some patties in the evening 3-4 times a week and eat them for breakfast. I’d probably just have that with water.

Lunch: around 12-2 pm. A plate of salad (mixed greens, carrots and sunflower seeds) with bleu cheese dressing. A piece of grilled chicken and normally some supplemental meat (pork or beef, steak is rarely served). Sometimes I’ll add in some steamed vegetables or fruits if they’re out. I NEVER take desert BUT I do enjoy a cup of 2% milk with my meal. Is this bad, should I change it with whole milk or cut it out entirely?

Dinner: Usually the same as lunch, the same foods are normally there for each meal so essentially a plate of salad and a plate of meats.

Snack: ???? I have access to a bunch of junk foods like cookies, chips and the like and I know I shouldn’t eat them but I’m afraid I will. Given my living constraints, does anyone have tips for things I can keep around the dorm/in my backpack to munch on when a craving appears? Right now I have a home made trail mix (salted nuts, raisins and peanut butter M&Ms) that has been working for me.

My concerns: I’m worried that this is a high fat diet and that it may not work and I’ll just end up doing what I expect it to do, make me fatter. I’ve had a lot of weight fluctuations (I was 200 during finals week last year, high stress and binge eating got the best of me, but that has not happened since). How do I know that this won’t happen again? I’ve read all the studies on the FAQ but I just need to hear it from someone, that this is worth the lifestyle change and inconvenience and I should stick with it!!

Also some questions that I've been having trouble finding straight answers to are: If I'm doing keto well and I eat a slice of pizza one day or some brownies, will that take my body off keto for that day or even for multiple days? How do I get back to ketosis? And what if I do the no carb thing but eat lean meats instead of a high fat amount? I know that's bad for you but what exactly is it doing to me?? Thanks for the help everyone!!