How many lbs have you gained/lossed during nursing school?

[CaliNurs06]

Between clinicals, lectures, labs, studying, working, family ect..., how can nursing students stay 'healthy'?

I was just curious how many pounds people have gained or lost from the first day of nursing school to now because they have only time to eat fast food and coffee or no money and no time to eat at all?

Also, if you are a lucky student who still has their figure, what is your seceret?

[Gator,SN]

During school I gained a whopping 31 pounds.

So far have lost 15.

I have jeans in several different sizes and still I'm forced to live in sweat pants. I have them in many attractive colors and styles.....

Gator

[jadednurse]

When I was in nursing school I was in very good shape. I was super busy and worked out A TON to manage the stress. Since I commuted to school I would stay after lecture (from 4pm to 7pm) and workout then study in the library. Kept me fit, kept my grades up and I missed rush hour traffic on the way home. It's all about making a routine and sticking w/ it.

[RN 2005]

Last year I went full time doing pre-reqs and lost 10 pounds!! Between classes and work I just did not have time to eat and was not hungry anyway. Probably not a healthy thing but I was thrilled to lose the sizes. Now that I am in the first nursing semester I am just holding steady. I have a very undemanding class schedule this semester though. I am sure once I get more into it with clinicals and everything my stress level will go sky high......I am hoping to lose another 10 and then I will be right where I want to be!!

[Nurse2bSandy]

My freshman year I gained the obligatory "freshman 15"... in the first semester! I gained 30 pounds that I had lost the previous year during my freshman year and have maintained my 30 pound gain! Now how does that work? I can't maintain a loss, just a gain! My dr told me I was being too supportive of my fellow students in the culinary arts dept!

I try to keep active, but still seem to hold on to the weight. Oh well, my goal is to not add any more during my last 2 years!

[PennyLane, RN]

Unfortunately I've lost about 5 lbs. That's from walking to and from the train stop and class/car with heavy books on my back. And to save $$ I'm eating dinner with my parents every night. Dinner is usually a healthy main course (fish, baked chicken, pasta), with a salad (veggies from dad's garden) and fresh local fruit.

Of course when I'm at school I balance it out with some cheetos or whatever they have in the vending machine. haha.

[maire, ASN, RN]

Gained 15 pounds in a year. Started The Firm and it slowly started to come off. Need to stay away from the school cafeteria, it's killing me.

[CseMgr1, ASN, RN]

I lost ten pounds during my first month in nursing school. I was severely stressed out, going to school full-time, working part-time, and caring for a 9-month-old baby. I literally did not have time to eat, and what little I did eat...went right through me. My husband threw a fit one night, when he arrived home from work and found me on the floor with the baby, doubled over with stomach cramps, and demanded that I quit school. I hollered at him that it had taken me ten years to get into this school, and the ONLY way I was going to quit was if they KICKED me out!

I look back on those three years and wonder how I ever did it...

[Dixen81]

Gaining...must be those damn m&m's...

[kimmicoobug]

I took a year off from nursing to have my son. Before coming back into the program, I was so pleased that I had lost all of my pregnancy weight and then some. When I reentered, I gained about 12 lbs over the course of the next 1.5 years. I have been out of school for 3 months and started the Atkins diet with exercise and lost 14 pounds. I work the night shift, and it is so hard to live healthy on that shift. Lots of coffee and diet Pepsi, not enough water.

[Robin61970]

Lost 18 pounds during my first semester ( spring ) and kept it off over the summer. Have lost about 3 since this semester started. My 18 last semester though had to do with my husband leaving me after the first exam and going from there. I hope to keep losing as I am now the size I was when I got pregnant with my daughter almost 6 years ago.

[FutureNurse2005]

I'm working really hard to lose my extra pregnancy weight, and I hope to have it off before I start school later on. I honestly dont think I will gain much back in school because I have been learning to eat healthy and I will make the time (lol) to prepare good snacks/meals. You have to tell yourself (and believe) that you are worth the extra time it takes to make something good versus grabbing a burger on the go everyday. Drink that water ladies!!