Nursing student weight

GracyMae · Aug 16, 2012

It really depends on how you handle stressful situations as to whether you are going to gain or lose weight when you're in a stressful situation, like nursing school. If you're prone to using food for comfort in stressful times, then you'll probably gain weight unless you change your coping skill set. If you're like me and lose your appetite in stressful situations, then you will probably lose weight in nursing school. Like I said, I lost weight my first semester (I'm about to enter my second semester) ... I literally just forgot to eat, sometimes, when I was frantically trying to read and digest and take notes on hundreds of pages in a short amount of time. I agree with the previous poster, though, that if you continually under eat, you'll change your metabolism in the long run. I did not mean to under eat ... I try to remind myself more, now, to eat and what I eat makes all the difference ... I eat mostly raw veggies and don't eat much, if any, animal protein or products. I am not a vegetarian, per se, but it seems my diet has sort of gone in that direction. I do not eat bread or white flour or sugar ... I DO eat whole grain cereals, by themselves, like 100% whole grain shredded wheat ... only I don't eat it as people normally eat cereal ... I use it like a chip or a crouton ... sometimes if I'm craving a salty snack, I eat it with salsa - like chips & salsa, only cereal and salsa. I use the highest fiber FiberOne cereal as a natural fiber laxative and mix it with raw or frozen blueberries and plain yogurt as a snack at night. Since I don’t eat sugar (hardly ever), my taste buds are acclimated to the sweetness of fruits like blueberries and apples and pears - those literally taste like dessert to me. I eat bowls and bowls of broccoli and squash and green beans and carrots and tons of spinach ... and add soy beans sometimes for protein ... no butter, no salt, no salad dressing, no cheese, no real croutons. You'd be shocked to see how much protein just plain 'ole veggies have in them! It's really enough for the average person who is not a big weight-lifter.

I've done this for years. I am never sick and have stayed the same weight pretty much since high school. I'm only sharing this in case anyone else may want to try some of this. The problem most people have is just getting over the hump of your taste buds getting acclimated. If you can just “suffer” through the first several weeks, your taste buds WILL change and you will no longer crave that sugary taste (sugar IS addictive). If you can wait it out and get past that hump, you will literally crave things like spinach and broccoli (without dressing or butter) and fruit and water … water water water – that is the drink of choice. I used to never drink water (years ago in my twenties when all I survived on was coffee sweetened with equal and skim milk). I drank 2 pots a day … now I have one cup of coffee every morning and the rest is tons of water. I know this is all really just common sense. Anyway ….. Fall Semester is about to start …. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! Happy Healthy Eating to you all :redbeathe

GracyMae · Aug 16, 2012

I started clinicals in January 2011 weighing only 117 lbs - i only have 3 semesters left and currently weigh 146 lbs! I'm in a part time program that consists of 8 semesters! I'm determined to study while using my treadmill and Eliptical and lose weight before I graduate next August 2013:-)

Good Luck, SoonToBeRN2013!!! You can do it. My daughter is also in grad school and she puts her book up on her stationary bike and reads and bikes. Also, you can tape your classes or read your study guide into a recorder and listen to your study guide while you take a brisk walk around the block. It can be done and YOU WILL DO IT! :up:

mom_coach_nurse, LPN · Aug 16, 2012

Hey JerseyGirl6 :) I'm starting school at night in September. I usually go to the gym 4 nights a week for classes that I love. Of course school is on the same nights, lol. My plan is to TRY to get to the early morning classes, if not, I hope to just go during the day when my kids are at school. I'm terrified of gaining a lot of weight, I have worked hard to maintain my healthy weight I finally got to recently after years of fertility drugs, (another here with PCOS) and then having two 10lb babies. :)) good luck to you! I'm in jersey too!

kligus · Aug 16, 2012

The gym was my savior, lost about 30 lbs!! :)

PatMac10,RN, RN · Aug 16, 2012

I've gained 10 or 12lbs over these past 3 semesters, and i have 2 more semesters to go, yikes! Lolz!!! Most of our class has gained, even if it was just a little. One of our instructors, who graduated from FNP school in May 2012, said that she read an article, that she found to be true in her time in nursing school as a student and instructor, to be true. She said that the article stated that due ti increased stress levels in Nursing School that the average student faces, the average student is estimated to gain a minimum between 8-12lbs during the course of the their schooling.

My mom said 2 or 3 months after she graduated from nursing school she lost all of the weight she gained in school, she said she had gained around 15 to 20lbs.

Tinkx RN · Aug 16, 2012

Hey ElSea...where in jersey are you from and where are you going to school? If you don't mind me asking....I'm from jersey city and I'm going to hudson county community college/christ hopsital school of nursing and I'm thinking about switching from day division to night division because of my work schedule...but nice to see jersey is in the house :-)

BBRANRN2013, ASN, RN · Aug 17, 2012

Good Luck, SoonToBeRN2013!!! You can do it. My daughter is also in grad school and she puts her book up on her stationary bike and reads and bikes. Also, you can tape your classes or read your study guide into a recorder and listen to your study guide while you take a brisk walk around the block. It can be done and YOU WILL DO IT!

Well thank you GracyMae - I will do it! I also have 4 children at home that keep me pretty active and stressed! Good luck to you as well!