Hi everyone, I just joined this forum because I have decided to change my eating habits now that I'm in college. I have read a lot of the threads and I have shared them with my parents who are both on Nutrisystem and have been looking for advice as well. This forum is really great!

Anyways, I'm not sure if this is the right section but I wanted to ask some knowledgeable people on advice for dieting while you are in college. I have decided to live on campus which means a lot of dining hall food and icky food situations. I currently am looking to lose 10-15 pounds of fat and gain muscle. Right now I have a healthy BMI but it is on the higher side of the healthy range and I would like to bring it down a bit (while still staying in the healthy range of course). I feel better about myself when I am fit and making the right choices about food. I am also looking to battle the "freshman 15" which seems to inflict all freshman college students.

Basically, I would like advice on what I should be looking to eat in the dining hall (keep in mind that I can only eat there about 2-3 times a day according to my meal plan) and how I can effectively accomplish my goal. Any tips or suggestions from college students who have graduated? I am just really in need of expert advice and some support. Thanks!

The salad bar is your friend!

Seriously, with dining halls, the two biggest issues are that you will find it hard to get enough fruit and veggies, and they will often serve very large portions of pasta and casseroles. If you try to get enough fruits and veggies, and eat smaller portions of other things, you should do ok.

You'll have to see how yours operates, and what kind of options they have, but here are some suggestions:

- try to eat at least one cup of lettuce and two cups of other veggies per day (the "other" can include things you put on your salad, like tomatoes, baby corns, carrots, etc).

- try to eat a piece of fruit (or some melon, berries, etc) at each meal.

- use nonfat or lowfat salad dressings whenever possible, and only small amounts.

- try to get at least two servings of dairy per day, nonfat or lowfat if possible. (Yogurt, nonfat milk, cottage cheese, etc).

- don't eat more than a cup of starchy foods (rice, pasta, potatoes, cereal, bread) at any meal.

- don't eat more than two slices of pizza at any meal.

- choose small portions of lean meats.

-Don't "drink" your calories. Stick with water, and if you want something flavored, try a diet soda or tea/coffee with artificial sweetener. No regular sodas, Snapple, and things like that which are just empty calories.

-At breakfast-go for eggs, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, and healthy cereals (bran flakes, Cheerios, etc.) instead of any sugary cereals in the dining hall.

-Go for "clean" proteins-chicken breast, fish, lean beef, and meats that are not breaded and deep fried. Use salad and fruits/veggies for the sides instead of fatty casserole dishes like scalloped potatoes and macaroni and cheese.

-Practice portion control. Monitor your portion sizes.

-If you eat in fast food places-order smartly. Thin crust pizza instead of pan crust, veggie toppings instead of pepperoni and sausage...and you can get a grilled chicken salad almost anywhere. Go for the baked potato instead of fries, a simple egg and toast instead of the huge 6 item breakfast in the local diner...you get the picture.