Nursing school weight gain

madnurse2b · Jun 4, 2009

A bunch of my peers and I have gained a lot of weight throughout the past semester due to the lack of eating right and being able to exercise because of the huge commitment nursing school is. Anyone have any suggestions on how to lose it now that it is summer and to keep it off?
Are we the only ones that have had this issue?

I agree with the eat less move more comments. And Weightwatchers is an excellent resource. For study groups I bring celery sticks and salsa, cut up fruit (I splurge and spend the big bucks as opposed to cutting it up myself). During clinicals I bring yogurt, a granola/fiberone snack bar to snack in between, a salad or wrap. Always bring your own food, I have yet to have seen a hospital that really had low fat foods available. Even vegetables are swimming in oil.

The only one who is going to take care of you is you.

ga2md2brn · Jun 4, 2009

My husband and I talked about this because I am really worried about not having the TIME to get in my car and get to the gym because a 30 min exercise at the gym with all the time getting ready/driving is about 1.5 hrs out of my time.

Anyway, our solution was to get an elliptical machine and put it right in our living room so that it is out in the open (and not hide downstairs in some basement) and it is hard to AVOID it! If you look on Ebay and Craigslist there are so good deals on used workout equipment. This way, a 30 min exercise session really only takes 30 min of your time and then you can get right back to studying!

Good luck and I agree with you, snack and eat healthy and that should help you, too!

chrissytex · Jun 5, 2009

I have a background in exercise...used to teach aerobics years ago and during my first year of school (and I am still doing prereqs/coreqs) I noticed I was gaining weight like crazy and the only thing that had changed was I wasn't moving as much -except running between home/work/kids/school. Not only was I gaining weight (over 20 lb) but I was getting into an emotional funk. By taking 3 or 4 fifteen minute spurts of exercise-whether it was a quick walk or chasing my kids in the yard or playing wii fit, not only was I less jiggly very fast, but I felt better; and my mental clarity was much better.

No one else can take care of you but you and in the health care profession we spend so much time thinking of others that we sometimes forget about taking care of ourselves.

GoBear · Jun 5, 2009

"read this carefully. write it down. lock in into your longterm memory bank. EAT LESS, MOVE MORE."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the golden nugget of truth!

I gained nothing during my first semester of nursing school. If I felt hungry, I ate a healthy snack. We occasionally took little walks during lunch break.

Gaining weight in nursing school is not unavoidable :redbeathe

jazz_is_my_game · Jun 5, 2009

I gained 5-7 pounds during my pre-nursing classes...I better watch myself in NS! lol.

It was stressful worrying about grades and acceptance into the program...so unhealthy eating + studying = bllllech :)

chicsurfs, LPN · Jun 5, 2009

Hmm, gosh if your instructor keeps you busy once you get to clinics, you should lose it lol

a lot of running around.

But, in all seriousness. Eat properly, take the time to set up your meals during the day.

Chicken, in salsa.

tuna with onions/dill in a tupperware container (spoon)

nuts

no fast foods!

no junk foods!

Lots of water/ omega, and excercise =)

NewTheoryRC · Jun 5, 2009

Nutrition 101 and time management help keep the weight off. Anyone can make time to work out, just commit. :cookies:

supersam34 · Jun 5, 2009

The same thing happened to my friends and I. I actually just got the Wii Active and it's awesome. The exercises are intense yet simple to do in my apartment. I'm all of a sudden using muscles I haven't seen in months. Lol.....I'm also doing the weight watchers diet. Good luck!

jollydogg_RN, ADN, BSN · Jun 5, 2009

I was waiting for a post like this!! lol.

Personally, I gained 25 pounds in nursing school. I've slowly lost 15 of it in the past 2 and a half months, but its been hard. I've been in the army reserves for almost 8 years now, so I mean I know HOW to exercise and lose weight, but damn, its really HARD trying to lose weight and exercise by yourself!

I got into a really bad habit of eating fast food during break between Med/Surg I and Pharmacology with my classmates. Wendy's was right down the street, and we always rationalized that since we walked half a mile each way it was ok (...hah. go us)

Slowly but surely, I started to fluff up. When I came back after the first semester break in January, as I was walking up the steps to the desks in our class (small auditorium, bout 100ish seats), our instructor said "Jeremy, you've been packin on some weight!"... right in front of everyone. I couldn't help but laugh, cause it was true.

I would try to exercise during school, but it was just hard, cause I worked night shifts sometimes with an externship I got at Vanderbilt during my second semester. Sometimes I'd roll in from the night shift just running on fumes. So as you can imagine, I just would drive on autopilot straight home after class and crash.... face first.... still in scrubs from work and with a Med/Surg book in one hand and sometimes even with my backpack still on my back. Talk about tired.

More recently, I have cut out regular soda and have been drinking diet drinks and water. If I could suggest ONE change, its that you cut out sugar drinks and either drink diet drinks or water along with moderate exercise. You will see weight loss eventually. Its a struggle! Also try to find people on your same level to lose weight so you dont get discouraged.

Hang in there!

PackersFan · Jun 5, 2009

I am starting NS in the Fall...yay! But, I am also petrified of packing on the pounds! I have lost about 25 pounds recently...and I felt like I was doing a great job of keeping it off...until now.

I'm taking Pharm over the summer, so it's one less thing to deal with once NS kicks in, full swing. I'm also trying to juggle two jobs, in order to save up as much money as possible.

Last night, I was completely exhausted and made myself do 30 minutes on the elliptical. I think that it's just what I'm going to have to force myself to do, 3-4 times a week, regardless of how tired I am.

I have been pigging out on fast food lately...I do great in the morning, with some fruit & a yogurt for breakfast. But, by the end of the day, it's easier to go through In-N-Out's drive through!

Like most people have mentioned, I need to start packing fruit & veggies to snack on throughout the day. Raw almonds are a great snack too!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 5, 2009

I know that it took two years to gain the weight that I did in NS (about 15lb) and while I'm hoping it's not going to take two years to lose it, I also know it won't happen overnight--it will take time, especially if I want it to stay off. Oh well.

For now, I'm working on eating sensibly and getting more activity in. My schedule won't let me get to the Y right now, so I'm trying to squeeze activity in by walking the dog more, parking as far away from the entrances of places that I can (weather and safety permitting) and playing with the son more.

Nurse523 · Jun 6, 2009

1. Squeeze exercise as much as you can. Climb stairs instead of taking escalators.

2. If there is a supermarket near your school, buy food from there. It's cheaper and healthier (depends what food you buy). I used to be on the pizza and pop diet and now I usually buy yorgurt, bread, milk, low sodium soups, granola bars and fruits!

3. Don't eat past 6-7pm.

4. If you have time to watch tv. You can do Tracy Anderson exercises in front of the tv. Her exercises are amazing!

5. Stay away from (Creamy) coffee drinks.

6. Whoever said, "EAT LESS, MOVE MORE" Yes! Yes! Yes! or take smaller meals and eat only when necessary meaning don't eat 3 hrs before bedtime.

7. Drink more water.