I too am a college student. This is my graduating semester and i've packed on about 25 extra pounds over the winter. I also work as a line cook, which I have grown to dread. That alone is a major pitfall in my relationship with food. Compounded with being couped up in my apartment in front of the computer.....aaargh.

Before things got so heavy (no pun intended) with my routine, I had a 4 times weekly gym regimen. I am done with school in about five weeks, and if I can keep myself from gaining more weight then I'll have a chance to reclaim my physique. I'm getting out of the cooking job and into graphic design, so that will remove all of the bacon and goat cheese flatbreads with shave grana and truffle oil that I eat whenever i am discontent at work, which is all the time.

I had a point before I digressed.....Start an exercise regimen and guard it as YOUR time. Make it sacred, the only part of the day that is completely yours. Don't even allow yourself to think about your studies or all of the animal deals that go along with life. Bills, deadlines, upcoming presentations, etc. All of these things can be dealt with when you are on THEIR time. Make the gym into a sanctuary. Make cool playlists on your iPod that you like to work-out to. Read a fitness magazine while you run on the elliptical. Whatever you do, make sure to let the rest of the world turn by itself for awhile. You'll be surprised how important this time will become, and how you'll begin to plan your day around.

The times when I have been successful at regularly going to the gym have always been reinforced by this idea.

Also, i know it's pretty cliche to say that college students live off of ramen noodles and pizza. If you find yourself eating these cheap and easy foods, try to buy a bag of apples and a bag of oranges instead. The pizza cycle can be a viscous one. You get a pizza because your a little hungry, you eat more than you need because grease and cheese are so damn good, then you eat what's left in the morning. So a late night apple and an early morning orange could save you the impact of 8 slices of pizza. You might not be that into pizza, but this dietary logic works with other convenient foods.

Last but not least, don't do what I have caught myself doing in last few weeks. Stuffing my face, justifying it with my college schedule, and rationalizing to myself by saying, "When I graduate I'm gonna..........."