Nursing School: Did you GAIN or LOSE weight?

Nurses General Nursing

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...or did you stay the same?

Please add more if you like :D.

I have a feeling I am going to gain, unless I plan my meals.

I'm hoping that I am too busy to eat. LOL. That might help.

Dajulieness, I almost have the same story as you! I lost 55 pounds on weight watchers 6 years ago. During my first two years of school (prerequisites) I gained about 5-8 pounds. Then nursing school started and over those two years I gained 25 pounds! I think being so inactive was the biggest contributor and snacking at the late hours of the night. I didn't pig out much, just didn't have a balanced diet and schedule. It made me sick. I just graduated on June 12th and I said enough is enough. I started weight watchers again and have lost 5 pounds in the past week and a half. I am determined to get that weight off. I also started working out to Wii Fit and Wii Active. When I don't do that I go to the beach and walk 4 miles (about twice a week). It feels so good not to be sitting on my butt studying all the time. Oh yeah, I also drove to college for the past four years an hour each way so that was an extra 2 hours a day of sitting and snacking during the boring travel time. Good luck with your weight loss everyone who gained during nursing school!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Gained 10lb. Stopped working out, stopped eating right. Too many hours sedentary studying, not enough sustained aerobic activity.

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I gained a lot of weight! But now, I am losing it slowly but surely. :-)

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So far I have gained. It stinks. I'm trying to turn over a new leaf this semester, but I'm a stress eater and I'm so busy studying and everything that I rarely have time to work out, so on goes the weight!! :cry:

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Let's see. . .I gained 40 pounds while attending an LPN/LVN program in 2005. I slowly piled on 15 additional pounds while working as an LVN before losing 50 pounds in late 2007 and early 2008.

Fast-forward to 2009. I started attending an RN bridge program in January of this year, and have gained 30 pounds since the new year began. Yes, I do have issues with compulsive eating, disordered eating, and excessive snacking during times of stress or emotional turmoil. School brings out the worst in me.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, telemetry/stepdown.

First year, I stayed about the same weight...2nd year, all bets were off! the stress level increased tremendously, and I spent more time sitting on my butt studying than out doing other things..I gained maybe 15-20 lbs over the year! Now things have calmed down...I have graduated, passed boards, and gotten a job..now I can hopefully start to get back on track and lose weight! I'm sure being an actual RN won't be as stressful as being in nursing school!!....haha I'm kidding...

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Specializes in Geriatrics; Psyche.

I gained 20 lbs too... 22 to be exact. Haha!! LOL!!

Your funny. I love how your post takes me away from thinking i failed mt nclex-pn.

I was working as a cna full time while in school. I even worked double shifts then go to clinicals straight after work and basically trying to stay up more than 24 hours but I made it. I took a lot of caffeine, lots of energy shots and ate lots of quick foods. My teacher even came up with our food diary and we all found out that all we eat was crap but those times, i was living by myself, i was really determined to pass school and not be late on rent and bill payments. Thank God i work in SNF as a CNA, they were really nice to let me study for an hour or two as long as my patients are sleeping and dry. If i didnt gain this much weight, I would have passed out and not made it through nursing school. HAHA!!! Im starting to lose em now. But it sure is worth it eating peanuts and crackers just to stay up or chewing a gum and getting nagged by the doctor coz i chew too much. HAHAHA!!! Those were the days. I kinda miss those days. :lol2::lol2::lol2:

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Neither. So far, the same. I didn't gain weight when I started university either. I also eat healthy and am rather accountable for my actions. ;) Weight gain should not be 'accepted' as a 'normal' part of the nursing school process. Even if you work shift work.

I see nurses who eat crap all day/night. They wonder why they are so tired, overweight, etc. and can barely get through a shift. :rolleyes: It always drives me bonkers (I don't understand) how nurses and nursing students are completely clueless about how bad their diets can be. Especially when a part of nursing is health promotion education.

If you can take the extra 20 minutes to make some baked lemon salmon, brown rice (actually they have instant brown rice now), and some veggies with olive oil, it will pay off tenfold when you have that extra energy for your shift.

For most people, if you eat healthy (and I'm not talking those processed 'Lean Cuisine' meals that the lay public have been brainwashed to see as 'healthy'...shudder), exercise, and sleep well, this should help you avoid major weight gain. Take the time to take care of yourself first. :twocents:

P.S. I'm not a 'stress eater', but I've heard it's a 'woman thing' ;) As a female who tends to think more like a male (for better or for worse), I have to admit that I have no idea what this entails. That said, if you have a food addiction/stress induced eating, it would make sense to address the issue, much like an alcoholic, smoker, or drug user would seek counselling.

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