Gaining weight

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm finishing up my BSN prerequisites and during the process I have been gaining weight. I know I need to focus 100% on keeping my GPA up and getting into nursing school, but its starting to bother me. People have noticed and brought it to my attention (as if I didn't know). Anyone have any advice on how to deal with the stress school brings while keeping the pounds off?

I know this may sound like a silly post, but I'm just wondering if this happens to a lot of people...

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It's stress related. Cut back on carbs, get adequate sleep (cortisol release increases with lack of sleep thus hunger, cardio but moreover strength training/ Pilates.

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Everybody I know has gained at least 5-10 lb. At least the ones who make a's....if u can find time to run do it. Just to keep ur cv system in check. I wouldn't sacrifice any other time u could have spent studying. Also I wouldn't try dieting during this process,basically whatever keeps your body the least stressed out the better you will be able to focus on school. For example I wouldn't try to quit smoking within 3 months of starting school lol

I gained 30 lbs my first year but I also got married to an Italian woman who can cook her tail off :)

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

I've not tried this yet as my classes have not started, but what about taking those recorded lectures and listening to them on a 30 to 45 minute walk per day?

Thank you.

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It is possible to get through nursing school, get A's, and not gain weight. Instead of taking the five minutes to drive through Wendy's between work and classes, pack a sandwich and eat it on the way there. Drink plenty of water and get a good lunch bag that will keep healthy snacks cold that you can munch on through out the day. Take one 30 minute walk a day, unless you have children and you work and go to school full time, anyone should be able to set aside 30 minutes a day.

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This is pretty common. Stress is related to weight gain. Try picking up exercise 3-5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day. :) You'll burn calories while producing endorphins and other "feel good" hormones to help alleviate stress simultaneously. Also, always try to go for whole foods in lieu of packaged snacks when you're on the go. I know vending machines are awfully convenient between classes, but packing some fruit and homemade graham crackers or trail mix for throughout the day is just as easy once you work it into your routine.

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Wow .. I'm taking pre-reqs for a BSN program as well and trying to do everything I can to gain weight .. it's not happening. More like losing weight & I hate it.

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Specializes in ICU.

I joined Weight Watchers when I noticed the weight creeping up during nursing school. It is not expensive and I did the online program because I knew I didn't have time for going to meetings or anything. I would honestly recommend joining WW or some other kind of program because it takes the guesswork out of why your weight gain is happening. It's also very easy to just eat and eat and eat while you're stressed, and it's easy to forget that you just had a very high-calorie burger when you're craving a milkshake. If you've just tracked your burger and you notice how high in points it was, it's easier to say no to the milkshake and find a better alternative. Not saying you eat either of these, that's just an example. Also, I found that once I'd been a member for a while, I started to remember what the different points values of foods were and it made it harder for me to justify ordering them. If I know my favorite burger is 15 points but the same place sells something under 10, why buy the 15?

Not trying to sound like an advertisement here, sorry. xD

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Live a healthy life style and you won't gain weight. Eat healthy options, if you need to eat fast food they offer plenty off healthy options these days. Working out for 30 minutes a day increases overall brain activity and energy as well :)

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If you're packing a lunch (or aren't but ought to be!), maybe you can find a little chunk of time on the weekend to prep things in advance. If you, say, take 20 minutes on Sunday to chop up some veggies, or cook/prepare something to put on sandwiches, you can just toss it into a bag and go in the mornings.

I've gained 40 pounds in the last year (and I'm just doing 2 prereq's at a time!) because my husband loves to cook and we live in a place where women's social gatherings all revolve around sweets... So I'm trying to get back to a healthy weight BEFORE going into a BSN program. So I guess I feel your pain :p People have been commenting on it to me, too, laughing about how I should eat less chocolate while insisting I take the cookies and sugary tea they're offering.

Finding some time to make sure you're releasing stress should help, along with making sure you're eating reasonably well. Exercise totally counts as stress release - and it's good for you besides that, too, of course. The previous posters had good advice about trying to get in a good walk every day, or a 30-minute workout. If you don't have time for 30 minutes at a time, try breaking it up into 10-minute chunks. As long as you're getting your heart rate up and starting to sweat, even three 10-minute chunks is better than nothing!

Good luck!

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Also, calivianya's post about Weight Watchers is great. WW has been a really useful tool for both my mom and mother-in-law, and my sister is starting to see results with it, too. If you're the kind of person who needs a system like that (and many of us are), it's great tool.

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dont worry about weight, when you are on your feet for 8-12 hours working, you will shed those pounds easily.

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