If you are a busy student on a schedule, here's some advice I would suggest for getting started towards your weight loss goals.
1. Track your calories on any of a number of online or smartphone apps.
There are tons of apps out there you can use to track how many calories you eat. This is especially important to know exactly what your intake is. Sneaking calories in here and there can really add up even if it's only 100-200 over your quota. Remember: you must create a deficit of calories to burn FAT and lose that fat.
And to keep it off, you must commit to an exercise regime and make permanent changes in your diet.
2. Exercise with goals to improve strength, speed, and endurance. (The common exercise routine of low intensity cardio only tends not to be very effective.)
Make sure you are getting a decent amount of cardio 4-5 days per week. On the other days you can do strength training, yoga, or rest. But the key is not to have "cheat days" or blow your diet on days when you don't work out.
Also, low intensity cardio won't help a whole lot. To get into the fat burning zone, you need to get up to where you're really breaking a sweat and feeling exhausted after a workout.
3. Track progress by measuring your waistline at navel level; realize that weight measurements can be confounded by desirable muscle gain. Try to get your waistline to be less than half your height.
The way your pants fit and measuring your waistline is a good way - perhaps more reliable and motivating than a scale - to keep track of weight loss goals. Don't depend too much on the scale because if you see you've gained weight over the weekend, it might be water weight, and it will just make you depressed.
