Oh goodness, I feel the pain. I'm a college senior and have gained about 30ish pounds since starting. It's the stress of being a double major, working full time, and fast-food runs etc (and that horrible cafeteria food). Not to mention, the desks in some buildings on campus are so small that they are uncomfortable even to those that aren't really fat. ugh.

I know EXACTLY how you feel! I work in a coffee shop on campus so I see every skinny butt in the world! And every one of them will order our version of the "frappachino" and then they will get cinnamon buns or whatever pastry. I'm standing there wanting to yell at them that they are eating their whole days worth of calories in one sitting! I actually hate going to the gym because I feel like everyone there is so skinny and I'm just the fat a** that needs to lose weight. I mean I guess I am the fat a** that needs to lose weight but I don't want everybody else to think about it lol. So I just workout at home because I hate feeling like I'm not "good enough"

I'm finding it so hard to lose weight while class is in session. I take a full load every semester and I'm always busy and relatively stressed. *sigh* I manage to not gain, but losing is just very difficult. All my friends are wanting to drink on the weekends or hit up the taqueria between classes. I just don't go, and my social life is starting to suffer.

I know how you feel about the girls around you that are twigs. Everyone at my school is so thin and tan and like, rich. I feel sort of like an assturd. But whatever. I'll get there eventually haha. Just be persistent.

I'm with you, ihavethemusicinme. I attended and now work at what is apparently the 2nd fittest campus in the US. We're the "party school" where all the Orange County bimbos and jocks go to live on the beach while studying communications or business. There are carbon copy barbies everywhere, and the guys know it. If there are enough barbies to go around, why pick a science major who was called "hella fat" at 185? The starbucks here labels "skinny nonfat vanilla latte" as "UCSB Latte" on the cups. I don't have 65$ a month for a hair appointment and 35$ for a mani-pedi! Not to mention the designer clothes they all wear. I'm a starving college student! I only recently left the scraping-to-pay-rent and eat phase. Now I can eat healthy and pay rent, but very little premiums.

It took me 10 months and 30 lbs to feel comfortable enough in the campus gym alone. I took the weight-training for women class and that was good, but I am still intimidated by all the skinny chicks doing pilates in a sports bra and short shorts who look at me, lifting 15lb dumbells as if I'm a horse. Campus gyms are the exception to the "at the gym everyone focuses on workouts, no one cares what you wear or look like" being on the elliptical feels like you're on display.

I can 100% relate to you!
It's really hard to resist temptations and live a healthy life in college. I don't live on campus, but all of my friends do and whenever I hang out with them, especially at night and on weekends, they always eat a bunch of junk food, drink sodas and/or alcohol and I sit there with my water and frozen grapes
It was really hard, especially at the beginning of Fall Semester 2010 because I began my journey the day after finals of Spring 2010 and all my habits had changed by the time school began and I was still on my weight loss journey.
I'm so glad I've made it to my goal and feel really great about my will power. I've even inspired some of my friends to start changing some of their bad eating habits
Keep it up ladies!
-Kelly

I definitely understand where you're coming from. My biggest problem is, being charged $225 a semester for "dining dollars" and the only places to eat are all places with bad food options. Its really annoying. I've really had to buckle down and start bringing my lunch everyday! As far as the dining dollars, idk what I will do with them. lol.

I gained 60 pounds in college, but I was working full time, going to bed at 11 and getting up at 6 for 8 o'clock classes. I didnt have time or acess to good healthy food, and not time for exersice. I lived at home, so I didnt have other people influencing me or helping me, I was just one my own in that aspect.

I got married two weeks after I graduated, and ever since then I have been trying to reverse old habits, and incoperate new ones. I get more sleep now, only drink water, exersice almost everyday, and I try to cook at home.

I go to a commuter school. I've always had access to a kitchen and cooking my own food. I still managed to gain that freshman 15 that eventually turned into 30+ lbs. I find I'm more on track during the semester because my days are more structured and there are fewer opportunities to go out.

Luckily my friends aren't big drinkers (and neither am I). I had this skinny roommate freshman year with no butt who ate total crap. Is it horrible that I hope she's fat someday? My roommate isn't a skinnyminny, but she loses weight easily! She stopped drinking energy drinks and starbucks last semester and dropped 10 lbs. She also eats like a bird with little effort. I'm a volume eater.

*sigh*

I'm hoping to be at my goal weight by the time I start grad school.

I don't know if this is an option for you, but at my school, at the end of the semester, you can purchase items in bulk with your leftover dining money. Once, I purchased a ridiculous amount of laundry detergent; another, several cases of water, etc. I just took it home with me.

But, I think the lack of control over eating options is definitely a major factor in college. This is my first year being in charge of my own meals and it's been an eye-opener and a refreshing change. I think that's why I finally have a shot at losing the weight.

I couldn't help but notice that you're at college in MN. I remember all too clearly what that was like. The winters were excruciating and most weekends my friends and I headed to house parties to drink ourselves warm.

I loved my time in college, but that's not to say there weren't tough times. I certainly hope you're able to find a college experience that suits you and that doesn't drive you to drinking/eating to find comfort!

im toootally there with you. im a sophomore this year and my freshman year i did great and lost a bunch of weight due to walking around our huge campus and going to the rec center 5 days a week. But last semester i moved out, and with rent being higher than i expected i was working a ton and i also have to have 5 classes a semester and i was constantly driving all across town (20 mins south east to go to work. drive home, stop at house for clothes, and then 20 min drive northwest to go hang out with my last bf). so now im back where i started.
One of the things i've noticed though is that even though my current roommate is skinny, shes super unfit. When she goes to the gym with me she's ready to go home after 30 mins whereas i stay for at least an hour, if not longer. she also tried to do a push up the other day and couldn't do one, and even right now at the very beginning of my weight loss i can prolly do ten (at the end of freshman year i could do 24 lol).
so even though shes thinner than me, im in a lot better shape.
my last roommate was the same way. She was thin, and she and her mom would go grocery shopping and fill our fridge with healthy food. When that roommate moved out, she left behind everything healthy, cuz she never ate it! i got left with grapes, salad, like 5 bags of frozen veggies, etc. She stayed skinny by eating small amounts of crappy foods. i swear she ate 2 frozen dinners every day and thats it.

definitly take advantage of the rec center. im currently dressed in my workout clothes so that i can go straight to the rec center after class.
speaking of class, ive gotta go. "weather and climate" starts at 930 dang gen eds.

Now that I am a college grad with a career, a child and a husband. I can tell you tight now that COLLEGE IS THE TIME TO GET AHOLD OF YOUR WEIGHT PROBLEM!

I wish I had taken all of that FREE TIME and worked out, and joined different clubs that got your body moving. I wish I had taken all that free time and planned my meals out, drank a ton of water.

I would love to go back in time and tell my college self to stop self endulging, stop the binge eating, stop eating bags and bags of peanut m&m's because once college is over and free time is pretty much non-exsistant....it's a ***** and I half.

Atleast right now you aren't cooking for anyone but yourself. You only have to worry about you. Take this precious time and do just that! Take care of YOU!

HUGE SUPER HUGS FROM YOUR FUTURE SELF!!!!

I surprisingly LOST 15 pounds when I was at college. My program was only 1 year and I opted to live in the dorms because home was 2.5 hours away and the campus was a 5 minute walk.

I started eating better and working out in 2nd semester - I would run on an elliptical 1 hour a day and 'eat healthy'. It's hard to eat healthy on campus, especially with all the pizza, booze and snacks. Our campus had a new 'healthy eating' program which had a subway on campus, and the cafeteria's also provided healthy wraps, salad bars, smoothie stations, etc.

My program was pretty hard so I didn't have the chance to join clubs or anything, but I took that 1 hour a night off from doing homework or projects and it helped relieve a lot of stress.

My dorm room consisted of a single bed, a mini fridge, a desk and closet. Nothing more. So whenever I had a craving, I had to go down 5 floors (or across campus) to get food. I used to allow myself 1 treat a week (either a bag of chips, cookies, icecream, chocolate bar, etc) and that was my reward for eating healthy and being active.

When I started college, I was 200lbs, when I left 8 months later, I was 185. I was thrilled! But then I moved back home and returned to my mother's cooking...I put the weight back in within the next 6 months

Just keep motivated and don't let those skinny girls get to you. If you've made some good friends, they'll support you through your journey. (And we here at 3FC will too!!)