college students!

so it can be really really hard to be at school and try to continue losing weight - dining hall is pretty much the opposite of helpful or healthy, and snacking seems like a must when studying... how do you guys deal?

i try to wake up early every morning to workout, and i try to preplan meals and stuff... i've lost 18 pounds since the end of june and right now i'm trying to lose another 13 or so - for some reason, it just seems so much harder to stay motivated and upbeat about it at school! anybody else having the same feelings?

Today was my first school day of on-campus living, but I have been here since Saturday.

In those 4 days, I have not yet stepped foot in any of the dining halls (and I'm on a mandatory meal plan :/)

My solution is to avoid those places as best you can and if you must eat there, see what healthy choices are offered. Does your cafe have a salad station? A pita/sub option? If so go for the veggie option (on whole wheat) and avoid any high fat sauces... I myself like a mustard+hotsauce mix.
The sodium will kill you, the calories wont.

To be honest, when I took a semester last year I dropped to my lowest weight ever because again, I avoided the cafe food and brought things from home. Now, at a different school and living in residence... I own a toaster oven and just don't buy unhealthy treats... and I snack on things like baby carrots or apples when I need a something sweet (or tart in the case of the granny smith's in the fridge)

Edit: And what's awesome is that the gym on campus rocks! And it was payed for with my tuition so I'm golden in the sense of working out.

This is going to sound really, really stupid, but you simply have to make time. (God, I hate that line.)

I'm a commuter and I find time to stay an hour after classes to work out, and I use my spare time between classes to work out, if not come in early. It seems hard to juggle all of that PLUS school work AND dining hall (even though I only use it once a day), but it's more like the real life. You can find the lesser of two evils (which really aren't that evil, but for calories' sake, we'll make it so.)

Pizza? Or a chicken sandwich? All of the dinner? Or just not the high calorie stuff (for that night at least).

You'll find your groove and get habits down and it'll seem natural. Don't worry. :)

EDIT: I don't think you should avoid ANYTHING. That's not realistic for most people. Just learn balance. I'm sure there are plenty of thin people in your cafeteria that enjoy sweets here and there. I started my weight loss at school, eating school foods, and sweets, and I've continued my weight loss eating all types of food. If I'm craving sweets, I eat sweets. Replacements are good, but try and stay realistic.

I totally sympathize.  I have lost about 17lbs since the end of may and since school started back up my weight loss has slowed down a lot.  I still have 10 lbs I would like to get off.  It is hard to make time when you feel like you should be studying, or hard to eat right when so much of the social aspect is eating out, drinking, etc. etc.  I do pack my own lunch every day.  I am in dental school so we don't really have dining halls..just the hospital cafeteria...which is neither appetizing or healthy.  If your dining hall has a salad bar it could become your best friend.  I miss the salad bar from my undergraduate school soooooooo much.  But yes, it's tough to see all of your peers scarfing down pizza and cake with every meal.  Stand your ground, you'll be happier in the end for it..and make sure you have a little something in your lunch everyday that makes you happy...for me it's kashi raspberry chocolate bars.  Just the right amount of sweetness to make me think I'm indulging =)