Nursing student weight

~passionateSN~ · Aug 13, 2012

I didn't actually gain weight but I was eating worse at first and it made me feel fat. So i just started eating better.. Like subway instead of wataburger. This semester I'm going to be bringing my lunch so I won't eat out of the vending machine either.

lace2010 · Aug 13, 2012

I haven't started my program yet (only 8 days left!!), but my friend that just finished nursing school gained 45lbs. She started out a thin girl, and had always been thin since we were young, but said under the stress she just turned to food. Of course this doesn't have to be the case for you. I am heavier, and I have implemented a plan where I have already lost 8lbs. I wanted to get into the habit of eating better so when school did start I didn't fall into my old habits *(which involved lots of emotional eating.) I know that there will be times where I will slip up but that doesn't mean I can't pick up where I left off. My goal is to lose 50lbs by the end of my 16 month BSN program.

Good luck!..and congrats on being accepted!

bubblejet50 · Aug 13, 2012

i started nursing school at 165lbs. when i graduated i was at 195! i wanted to cry. it's due to the fact i was a single mom, worked full time along with school full-time and didn't have time to eat right all the time or work out. plan meals out ahead and make time to work out. i had a classmate who had his own treadmill and would study on the treadmill.

BloopBloop · Aug 13, 2012

One of the new nurses at the unit I was externing at said she gained 30 lbs, and that she was just now getting back to her usual 108 (very tiny woman.) I, so far, am about to start my third semester and have gained 10lbs, I made an effort to lose weight very recently, and have since lost 4 lbs.

Katie71275 · Aug 13, 2012

I'm already overweight But nursing school has kept me maintaining that weight even though I have wanted to lose. I've turned to sugar to keep me awake during class if tired, and as a pick me up during clinical. not good.

I started Low Carb today and am going to start running as soon as the kids go back to school Friday, so Im hoping I can lose(although I have PCOS so losing weight is super hard for me).

Java_Wench · Aug 13, 2012

I'm terrified of gaining more weight! At our first orientation meeting in April, the instructors suggested getting our clinical uniforms a size bigger so they'd fit when we gained weight. Now...a few years ago I lost 75 lbs, and then got pregnant. My daughter is 2 years old and I haven't lost a pound.....and am pretty overweight right now. So I've made a vow to myself to buck the trend and lose weight while I'm in school. Better meals, watching out for the "low-blood sugar, snarf everything in sight" problems that I have, and to go to the gym after class everyday (while my daughter is at daycare) before I go home. I don't want to get any bigger than I already am!

Shorty11, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2012

I'm about to start my second semester of nursing school on August 27th. I started nursing school in the spring weighing 176 lbs. By the end of the first semester I weighed 146 lbs. I don't exercise. I lost the weight because the stress caused me to lose my appetite. I'm the kind of person who has a hard time eating when I'm under pressure/stress. Besides the loss of appetite I experience when I'm stressed, some days I am so busy that it is hard to fit in time for meals! Stress causes some people to turn to food for comfort and eat more than "normal", but in my case it makes it difficult for me to eat.

KristeyK · Aug 13, 2012

Just watch what you eat and make time for yourself to exercise everyday. It is VERY possible. I didn't do it for my first year, but my second year I sure did and I LOST just about every pound I needed to BEFORE starting school. Do things like take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park further away instead of super close. These things add up quickly.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2012

It depends on how you deal with stress in regards to food. Eating junky food is my stress management technique of choice, so I gained a solid 30 lbs during my year long program. Some folks in my class couldn't eat because of how stressed they were and they lost weight. Then there were the folks who made staying healthy a priority, who ate well, exercised to deal with school-related stress: that's the way to go if you can manage it.

tenjuna, MSN · Aug 13, 2012

After 2 years of classes, I actually was shocked to find out I weighed 310 back in May (a 50 pound gain...oh my how it creeps up on you). I have been working out every day ever since and dropped 30 pounds so far. You DO gain a lot of weight in NS, so my advice to everyone is to find 30 minutes a day to do something, anything. If nothing else, that effort will payoff during clinicals...your knees will thank you.

sleepRN, ADN, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2012

I maintained my weight throughout nursing school (which was slightly overweight for me). I exercised 3 times a week, stairs instead of elevator, and watched what I ate. My graduation present to myself was hiring a personal trainer. So, in no time I was in great shape and able to maintain that because of having extra time!