gaining weight in nursing school

MelissaLPN, ASN, LPN, RN · May 1, 2011

I gained 20 lbs in LPN school and that was only one year !!! I have recently lost 55 lbs and am about to start RN school. I am going to make sure that does not happen again.

akanini, MSN, RN · May 1, 2011

20lbs since last year April.

Tree5981, ADN, BSN, MSN · May 1, 2011

15 pounds! thank goodness this is my last year. I can barely fit in my clinical uniform :eek: :eek:

KristeyK · May 1, 2011

Keep in mind I've only done 2 semesters, but I have managed to lose 17lbs so far. WOOHOO!!! I find that I spend more time "snacking" on water than anything else. OK, I really snack on baby carrots and cucumbers. (I sprinkle the cukes w/ some lime juice and much away. YUMMY!) And since I no longer do most of the grocery shopping, we have a bunch of stuff around that house that I do NOT like to snack on either. (I think I may have my husband keep that up once school is over. LOL!)

I am really hoping I can keep it up. My butt is already the size of the HMS Titanic, I don't want it to get any larger!

pitaya · May 1, 2011

I gained 1.5 lbs this past week...it's finals week! But as long as my weight stays within a 5-point range, I'm happy, since I know it fluctuates. I try to exercise a couple times a week, but my diet is horrible. For now, as long as I'm maintaining my weight and not gaining, I consider that a success.

bubbasmom · May 1, 2011

wow- i hope i can be one of the few that lose weight during the program...im not sure how big a size our scrubs go to!

allnurses Guide · May 1, 2011

Your habits for dealing with stress will be amplified in nursing school. If you tend to stress eat, you are going to gain. If you deal with stress by taking control and eating healthier and/or exercising, you will likely maintain or lose. Gaining during nursing school is pretty common, though in my class most people have gained maybe 3-4 lbs. I have maintained thus far, but still have one semester left. I am hoping to lose 20 lbs over the summer then maintain through the last semester.

decembergrad2011, BSN, RN · May 1, 2011

I've gained about 15 pounds since nursing school. However, I'm a mostly traditional college student and I started nursing school when I was 21, so some of my weight gain might be normal. My eating and exercise habits are far from healthy when I'm busy in a semester. You're more likely to find me at the computer for days on end working on assignments than running.

I try to walk when I can. I'm slightly overweight and hope to get down to a normal BMI after nursing school when I'm working 3 12's a week instead of an event, activity, assignment, or exam almost every day for four months straight. I haven't been able to work out a consistent cooking and fitness schedule because there is always more work than anticipated.

If you an academic perfectionist and you tend to stress eat, just let me warn you to keep the food out of your house. I do best by not having full cakes and pans of cookies around. I have a sweet tooth and I could eat a whole bag of chocolates if I am up late working on a paper.

Smith.C74 · May 2, 2011

I don't knkow if any of my class mates have gained any weight, but I've lost weight. Between not having the time to eat like I used to and running my tush off at clinicals, the weight has come off. I intend to keep it off. I'm not a big eater and have been making a point to eat healthier.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · May 2, 2011

I lost 55 lbs

CJ6240 · May 2, 2011

I have two semesters down and two to go, and I have gained about 9 lbs. :crying2:

Aanuszczyk · May 2, 2011

I think some people handle stress differently too... some people eat more, some less. I start school this August. I saw this post and thought it was interesting that some were gaining. I have been doing clinicals for a CNA class, and found it to be a descent work out, but then I heard RN school has more theory than practice?? What do you ladies think? Some people I have heard say that LPN students get more practical experience, where RN students do more theory and book work. Does anyone find that to be true?? I put my deposit in for an LPN school, but I am still waiting to hear back from one AS RN program... so I am interested to hear what you think. I was transfer into the RN program after the LPN if I decided to go that route.