Nursing school = weight gain?

Published

I am getting so upset about the weight I have gained in the past year during nursing school its depressing. I have never had problem with my weight before. I actually had a problem gaining weight my freshman and sophomore year of college. I was about 110-115. This past semester I weighed myself and I weighed 125. A whole whooping 10 lbs or more!! My diet habits have not changed either!! I am actually not a big eater at all, so I do not know where this is all coming from? Age maybe? I am 23. During this past semester, I had a personal trainer and worked out. I lost nothing. Now I am up to 132? I am just totally confused as to why I am gaining so much weight so fast. Also, I have insomnia really bad.. Could it possibly be due to that to? I have nights where I go 3 days without sleep. Should I be concerned about my thyroid? It runs in my family. I was tested for it when I was younger and nothing was wrong then.. Oh yeah and one more thing.. I had the implanon for about a year... I just got it taken out..

Specializes in Neurocritical Care.

You said you're not a big eater- it could be something as simple as you not getting your minimum calories each day! If you don't consume enough calories your body will go into starvation mode and actually cause you to gain weight! Mix that with stress and a busy schedule, that could be what's wrong! And that's a simple fix :-) make sure you are eating healthy snacks and at least 3-300 calorie meals a day (get the rest of your calories from the snacks In between). I speak from experience because I hit a weight gain this time last year- I'm 27- and this is exactly the cause of it. I stay on a 1200 calorie goal every day and that's helped maintain my weight tremendously! I keep track with the my fitness pal app on my phone. Good luck to you! Definitely talk to your doctor if you have a family history of thyroid issues. That can be serious stuff.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

For me it's been stress weight loss, but what's left is flabby from lack of exercise. I am certainly not at my finest right now...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am going to be completely honest... I am an avid coke drinker.. I have to drink it in order to feel a pep in my step if I did not sleep!! I know it is a vicious cycle. I drink a lot of them actually 4 a day of 12oz cans. I actually drink it way more than eat, so I get full faster and do not eat as much. I drink water every day atleast one glass. I hate drinking it with meals though. It is not my favorite drink at allll. I do not crystal lite either! YUCK! I have drank coke my whole life though. My mom allowed me to drink them as a child. I have not had any problems with weight prior nursing school. I wasn't working out prior to nursing school either. I was 110. I had not played a sport in years. It is just wild to me that someone who is constantly walking around all day, doesn't eat much, and when I eat snacks I eat 90 calorie granola bar or yogurt. I rarely eat chocolate now. The only thing that I negatively take in is the coke. On occasion, I may eat fast food. I am not a fan of McDonalds at all. New favorite is McAlisters. I like stuff like tuna or chicken salad to eat on. I LOVE fruit too. I just do not understand... I am going to get my thyroid checked soon. It is either I am just not used to being this big or just my stomach does not feel right. It's just crazy how I go from having practically a 6 pack of abs to being a completely fatso in a years time!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm sure you probably know this but it's the coke! That stuff has zero nutritional value, it strips the enamel off your teeth, it's terrible for your stomach. It's pretty much 100% liquid calories. I was a diet coke addict (don't know if I can say was--nursing school is not doing great things for my diet) and switching over to something similar helped me get it out of my system. If I wanted fizz I could always have seltzer, and if I needed caffeine I'd have an iced coffee. It's not easy but if you can make it a week you're through the worst of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree not eating enough will cause weight gain on top of the stress. Then adding the constant (high fructose corn syrup) coke is all a recipe for weight gain. Eating is very important to keep those stress hormones balanced, and eating a balanced diet is even more important. Why not replace the coke with iced tea? As you get older and experience more stress, you simply cannot do the sames things you did growing up. Metabolism changes and with that comes the need to make lifestyle changes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

Gotta agree with the above posters. Coke, granola bars, yogurt and fruit is what you mentioned. All forms of sugar in one way or another. While the fruit isn't necessarily bad, the other things are loaded with sugar and Coke is the worst kind. While water isn't the most amazingly flavored thing, it's necessary for your body to function. If you stopped drinking soda, started drinking water, and ate some real food, I bet you'd get back closer to your ideal weight.

I have thyroid disease and it hit me hard and fast. I gained 30 pounds in a couple of months and started sleeping 20 hours a day. My hair fell out, and I was freezing all the time. Weight gain by itself can be a symptom, but it rarely is.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Okay I will be real once more. I am the pickiest eater you will probably ever meet. I hate most all vegetables besides lima beans and garden peas like crowders (not can). I hate sweet tea or tea period. It is awful to me. I usually eat baked chicken or baked fish 99% of the time at my apartment or a dish that has chicken in it. I am not a big beef person. I love juice. esp cranberry. I have to limit myself though because I have severe acid reflux with it. Question is? What else IS there for me to eat? I am not gonna force myself to eat or drink anything thats going to make me vomit....... Literally. I have tried every thing since I have gotten older to see if my taste buds have changed. Um nope they haven't lol still tasted ehh. If I had cure for the insomnia, maybe I wouldn't drink the coke as often? I finally went to sleep today after day 3 of going without sleep. It is very hard to function off of water when your eyes feel so dry and hurt and you have class the next morning and you have to perk up to listen or same way with clinical. Driving.. Whatever.. Oh and coffee? No way. Tears my stomach up. A lot of things tear my stomach up. I have normal bowel patterns, so I do not think its poop. Now does anyone have suggestions about that? I am freezing all the time. I am fatigued all the time.. Maybe not tired but still fatigued. I have also has thinning of my hair. I am not saying that is what it is, but it would not hurt for me to be tested for it. It is on ALL sides of my family. Everyone of my dad's sisters have it including my grandmother. My mom has it along with her mother. I say there is some significant genetics right there. I have taken antidepressants for sleep. NOPE does not help. Makes me feel worse. I have taken melatonin OTC. NOPE does not work. I know you burn calories in your sleep. I do not know whats causing this at all. It started when I was about 17. At first, it was every now and then. Then, as I aged, it got worse to where its 3 times a week almost every week or every other week. I started nursing school spring of 2012. I failed one semester is why I am not graduating in Dec. In October of 2011, I put the implanon in my arm. I weighed 110 lbs at the current time. 3 months later I weighed 120 lbs. Some above posts said 23 is really young to consider that a factor? Therefore, I would not think my metabolism has turned to crap as quickly as it did. I have no energy most of the time. I feel like I am constantly running on E. I don't know what to do about my diet.... I do not like to eat an array of things... I like starches like rices, or potatoes. I was given coke as a child. It's an addiction. It's not quite that easy to say see ya later with it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would say you should see your doctor to see if there is any medical reason for your issues.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

If your stomach is that sensitive you need to see someone to have it checked out. Reflux that bad can have long-term consequences.

I hate to recommend this because I feel like people always jump down my throat, but I drink diet soda instead of regular to stay awake. I actually cannot stand regular soda... to me it has a funny taste to it and it leaves this awful sugary-slimy coating on my teeth. It's amazing how much cleaner your mouth feels when your drinks don't have sugar in them. Sorry for the slight detour there! Anyway, if you feel like you absolutely cannot kick the soda habit, maybe switching to diet soda would at least cut the calories you're consuming.

As far as the sleep thing... you're not going to like this, but you may just have to deal with it. I firmly believe that there are some people that absolutely no medication in the world can fix. I've tried everything OTC out there - Benadryl, Tylenol/Advil/whatever PM, Simply Sleep, different concentrations of melatonin, valerian, drugstore brand sleep aids, chamomile, etc. I've also tried Rozerem, Lunesta, and Ambien from the prescription side (and Zoloft because one MD thought my insomnia was from depression), and I don't drink caffeine for five hours at least before sleeping, I try to get regular exercise, and I don't exercise right before sleeping. Some of us just don't sleep. I have given up stressing out over it - if I sleep, I sleep and if I don't, I don't. It sounds defeatist but honestly it's better than stressing out over not sleeping - that just makes all of the problems worse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Try just having one or two sodas a week, instead of giving them up entirely. Coke can be your treat every once in a while! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have gained over 10 lbs in 7 months and I think it's from stress. I'm trying to work it off. I was 115 like you and now I'm 125.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion