High Metabolism + No breaks= death, diet for skinny nurses?

[phosophorus]

hey all,

I have a super fast metabolism and i have to eat every 3hrs. I'm a nursing student and don't have much money to buy processed foods (besides they are filled with sugars that make me more hungry anyway). Any one have any good suggestions of things that will tide you over between meals?

I started drinking protein shakes and that has been helpful in the morning, but i still get hungry at 9am again.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I try to follow south beach diet due to a (thankfully) now resolved pre-diabetic state. A good filling snack or mini-meal for me is a SouthBeach bar with Smart Balance peanut butter (no sugar) smeared on top.

Some people suffer more from blood sugar drops and subsequent cravings than others.

I sympathize about the fast metabolism and skinniness. My step-daughter has that problem and is constantly accused of having an eating disorder because she can eat anything (and often) and is quite thin and gets fainty if she can't eat frequently. Just like her father was at her age! It really hurts her feelings to be accused of that all time.

[WhoNeedsaShot?]

Uncrustables!:redbeathe They are yummy, fast, and high in both calories and protien.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Lol, you can always go with a NG tube and a pump in a backpack.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

my liver will hold, but i will still feel like i'm dying :)

Wait til you are a staff nurse !, get use to small snacks instead of any meals or sometimes water for that matter. Many nurses don't get lunch/dinner, sometimes nothing for 8 or more hours, many times not even the chance to pee. That being said, protein bars, cheese sticks, nuts, keep 'em in your pockets, they are now your 'meals'

[dani_girl]

Fiber One bars.. they are actually pretty yummy but lots of fiber and protein to keep you full, I also throw in some packs of oatmeal.. (again high fiber) like the weight smart.. I always have some rattling around in my bag, so it isn't like everyday I have to put them back in the fridge..

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

I often do not get to take breaks or eat at work- and this causes me to gain weight.

Not eating all day, then arriving home famished and chowing down, then going to be soon after is a prescription for weight gain.

Maybe this makes skiiny nurses gain weight too?

Took the post right out of my mouth, if the OP is concerned about being too skinny, the first thing she can do to fix that is eat high fat, fast food after hours of not eating-- just look at half of america.

Maybe the OP can fix her fast metabolism after working in the 'real' world, where breaks and lunch or meal times do not exist.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

I have to eat every few hours or my glucose plummets. I keep glucose tablets w/ me for emergencies and granola bars in my bag for when I can hide and stuff one down my gullet.

[Nursebarebari]

hey all,

I have a super fast metabolism and i have to eat every 3hrs. I'm a nursing student and don't have much money to buy processed foods (besides they are filled with sugars that make me more hungry anyway). Any one have any good suggestions of things that will tide you over between meals?

I started drinking protein shakes and that has been helpful in the morning, but i still get hungry at 9am again.

Have yor tried complex carbo?

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

Agree on the Fiber One bars.

Piece of string cheese, wrap a piece of thick-cut lunch meat around it. You can add a little mayo or mustard if that's your thing, too. All protein.

Sounds funny, but what about Boost shakes? Single serve bottles, enough cals/fat/protein for a mini-meal.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I start my day with a bowl of oatmeal cooked in milk. I really keeps me full for a while.

A good breakfast is a starting point.

I like peanuts for a quick snack midmorning. They are nutritious, easy to eat and need no prep to eat.

[Retired R.N.]

Wait til you are a staff nurse !, get use to small snacks instead of any meals or sometimes water for that matter. Many nurses don't get lunch/dinner, sometimes nothing for 8 or more hours, many times not even the chance to pee. That being said, protein bars, cheese sticks, nuts, keep 'em in your pockets, they are now your 'meals'

As I read these posts about the atrocious health habits being practiced by nurses today, I wonder just what are you learning in your high-priced schools of nursing these days? What part of A&P has been eliminated?

As a patient, I am not thrilled by the idea of being cared for by someone who is probably not functioning at an optimum level simply because of his or her neglect of common sense rules of personal hygiene.

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

As I read these posts about the atrocious health habits being practiced by nurses today, I wonder just what are you learning in your high-priced schools of nursing these days? What part of A&P has been eliminated?

As a patient, I am not thrilled by the idea of being cared for by someone who is probably not functioning at an optimum level simply because of his or her neglect of common sense rules of personal hygiene.

I appreciate your concern, but IMO the problem is less one of education than it is an issue of staffing realities. Today's nurse is dealing with high acuity patients with complex problems, and the administration is deliberately understaffing. Therefore, today's nurse cannot sit down and often cannot take a lunch break. Rather than berate the nurses for the poor working conditions that they have little or no control over, you might better protect yourself and other patients by getting to the root of the problem and advocating for better nurse-patient ratios.

ETA: Almost forgot, I carry one of these and a bottle of water in my locker just in case. I love nuts *a little too much* so this way they're portioned out and I can't go overboard: