What’s the worst part about building muscle and losing body fat?
For most students… it’s the cooking.
Yea, that sounds weird, but when you’re trying to nail down a diet that follows specific calories and macros, you gotta make sure that all your meals are on point.
And once you come to terms with that, you might realize like I did…
Shit. I need to cook everything, don’t i?
Then you begin to question whether you can do it…
- How do I make time?
- How do I cook all this stuff?
- Is everything I make going to taste like ass?
That’s when it’s great to have a role model like Travis Forde of FordeFitness to take the wheel and steer you in the right direction on college meal prep.
Travis goes to Texas Tech University and is pursuing a doctorate of Occupational Therapy, but has a killer YouTube channel where he shares all his best tips on building a strong, lean body and doing it with some easy college meals.
I had the opportunity to interview him and learn more about him and his methods (I included some of his best videos), keep reading…
First tell my audience who you are and what your YouTube channel is all about.
My name is Travis Forde, I’m a 20 year old college student at Texas Tech University and I’m currently pursuing a doctorate of Occupational Therapy.
I also run a YouTube channel called FordeFitness and website (www.fordefit.com).
Both serve as a way for me to connect with college students and pretty much anyone on a budget.
My channel was originally created to show others how to meal prep on a budget.
However, it has now grown into a lifestyle, fitness, and all around source for healthy living on a budget.
I also offer super cheap meal plans and fitness programming to my viewers through my website, as I understand that my followers are on a budget.
Meal prep for college students! Bulk/Shred
What triggered you to get into fitness? What was your life like before you began a fitness lifestyle?
I first fell in love with exercise during my high school years.
I was fortunate enough to have access to a fantastic gym and would spend my days after school in the gym with my buds.
Although we never truly took lifting seriously at this point, it was definitely a huge stepping stone in my life as it got me comfortable with my body and the gym.
My life before becoming a “fitness junkie” was filled with self doubt about my body and unhappiness with where I was physically.
However, before I even started putting on mass I noticed that I was becoming more accepting with my body.
ULTIMATE COLLEGE MEAL PREP ESSENTIALS!! (TWO GIVEAWAYS!!)
I love that your channel is very targeted for college students (because you’re currently in college). What’s the biggest obstacle for you when trying to build muscle, stay lean, and go to school at the same time? How did you overcome it?
COST. Cost was the biggest limiting factor when watching my diet. It’s tough finding quality ingredients on a budget.
However, over the years I have learned that it’s very possible.
I went through a lot of trial and error and did a ridiculous amount of research to get where I am today. That’s why I created “FordeFitness”. Both my youtube and website.
The YouTube aspect is my main focus for my company because it’s free.
My whole goal with FordeFit is to have massive amounts of free advice and info to those looking to achieve their goals on a budget.
I don’t want others to have to go through the years of struggle when finding a balance of health and cost.
Sure it is possible to teach yourself the methods needed to prep successfully, however many people will drop their dream of a healthy lifestyle out of sheer frustration.
COLLEGE MEAL PREP CHEESY CHICKEN MEATBALLS!
One thing that your channel appears to be known for is your ability to meal prep. I don’t do a lot of meal-prepping myself… how would you recommend I get started? What should beginners do to meal prep like a pro?
Meal Prepping is foolproof. There are a few simple rules that you must follow to prep simple college meals successfully.
I’ve actually created a video where I go super in depth on prepping.
However, the biggest rule to know when prepping is that you have to first learn how to calculate and count your macros properly. That’s it.
Once you learn how to calculate your macros accurately the rest is a breeze.
I’m sure there are other college students like you, but they’ve struggling to keep in great shape like you.
Meal prep as a college student! Bulk/Shred Ep.2
What advice would you give them on how to begin their fitness lifestyle and stick to it?
Firstly I’d tell them if they’re starting for the very first time, they should not start to college meal prep/ heavily dieting unless they’ve got a coach behind them.
Studies have shown that first timers to exercise are less likely to stick to a healthy lifestyle if they jump right into both exercise and dieting.
I have however found that when first time clients work with me or other trainers they now have someone to hold them accountable.
I require my clients to check in with me regularly which thus helps to keep them motivated and gives them the push they need to get through it.
Meal prep as a college student! Bulk/Shred Ep.3
Do You Have a College Meal Prep Strategy?
I hope in addition to reading this interview, you took the time to check out the videos on this page too.
Travis really knows how to pack a ton of useful info into each of his vlogs and if you want to learn how to prepare cheap college student meals in bulk, he’s the guy to ask.
Make sure you subscribe to Forde Fitness on YouTube, follow Travis on Instagram, tweet to the guy on his Twitter, and check out his official website.
I want to thank Travis for allowing me to interview him!
If you have any questions, leave them in a comment below.