Too Fat To Be A Nurse?

[Newprospnp]

I just got into nursing school (MSN direct entry program) as a career change after 10 years practicing law. To be put it mildly, my general constitution plus years of legal practice have left me absurdly out of shape (as in, 130ish pounds overweight). I'm noticing that healthcare people tend not to be overweight and besides, I'd like to be a "good example" to patients since I'm looking to do primary care ruse practitioner work (at the very least, I'd like to not get the whole "how big a deal is my being overweight really if you, my healthcare provider, are way overweight" question). It probably also has to do with my being a bit older than other students and a guy. I figure I can safely lose about 50 pounds (I.e., 2 pounds a week) before school starts, which still leaves me well and obviously overweight. Also I'm a guy, so already feeling a little self-conscious about what patients think of male nurses/nursing students. Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences they can share?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

There are many fat nurses out there. Many providers offer advice when it is obvious they don't follow it themselves. Losing 2 pounds a week before school starts is a good goal.

"Also I'm a guy, so already feeling a little self-conscious about what patients think of male nurses/nursing students." Check out the  male nurse forum here. Best wishes.

[toomuchbaloney]

It's always good to try to improve your own health and physical stamina and performance.  I don't follow diets, I practice lifestyle changes with a focus upon creating longterm habits that exclude routine consumption of sugar and alcohol and include regular exercise and exertion.

Good luck. 

[foxypaws, BSN, MSN, RN]

No one is going to look down on you.

BUTTT…. Self care is so important. For YOU make a game plan and stick to it. Hit the gym, eat only what you cook yourself, cut the carbs waaay down to something more realistic like our ancestors would eat, try intermittent fasting (works great when you’re finally doing shift work), and never drink anything that has a sweetener again. Learning to cook quality gourmet food while in nursing school helped my stress, my performance, and my pocket book. 

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Newprospnp said:

Hi folks,

I just got into nursing school (MSN direct entry program) as a career change after 10 years practicing law.  To be put it mildly, my general constitution plus years of legal practice have left me absurdly out of shape (as in, 130ish pounds overweight).  I’m noticing that healthcare people tend not to be overweight and besides, I’d like to be a “good example” to patients since I’m looking to do primary care ruse practitioner work (at the very least, I’d like to not get the whole “how big a deal is my being overweight really if you, my healthcare provider, are way overweight” question).  It probably also has to do with my being a bit older than other students and a guy.  I figure I can safely lose about 50 pounds (I.e., 2 pounds a week)before school starts, which still leaves me well and obviously overweight.  Also I’m a guy, so already feeling a little self-conscious about what patients think of male nurses/nursing students.  Does anyone have any thoughts or experiences they can share?

It's 2023. Being a guy is not an issue. 

I was a skinny little thing when I started nursing. I'm now coming to the end of my career overweight - not to the extent that you describe, but yes, I can now be called fat. Apart from the fact that it would be good for my general health to lose weight, I can't say that the change in size has had any impact on my nursing career.  

Good luck with your weight loss and all the best for your studies.

[nursel56]

Hello and welcome, newprospnp!

I think feeling your best while taking on a new challenge is the top priority.  Losing the amount you think is reasonable before the program starts sounds like a great plan.

As far as continuing that during the program itself, it would probably depend on how stressful you find your program to be combined with your personal expectations regarding your continued weight loss, and every personality is different. In other words, I don't think your concerns about how your appearance will be regarded by others is worth making yourself miserable with too many "shoulds" at this time.

Finally, I have to be honest and tell you that the whole topic of "the nurse should be an example" vs the "how much I weigh has nothing to do with my nursing practice" argument has played out here a few times, with lots of hurt feelings but valid points on either side.  

Just pointing that out in case you come across it somewhere else.

Wishing you all the best!

[NewRookie, RN]

Congratulations on your new journey! There are plenty of mature overweight medical professionals out there, both male and female. It's all about how well you perform your job. Other than that, nobody cares. Good luck!

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

I love that you want to set an example but you'll be fine. I do recommend weight lifting though because it will help those "old" joints when taking care of patients and it can help protect your joints. I was 150 lbs overweight when I started but lifting weights (and yoga) helped so much with the pain of being on my feet and transferring patients. I'm now 130 lbs down which shows you can still continue to lose weight, if you want to, once you become a nurse. 

[KalipsoRed21, BSN, RN]

Turns out, we have less control over our weight than healthcare understands. 

Quote

Only about five per cent of people who try to lose weight ultimately succeed, according to the research. Those people are the outliers, but we cling to their stories as proof that losing weight is possible.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/obesity-research-confirms-long-term-weight-loss-almost-impossible-1.2663585

As a perpetually obese person myself (I lost 80lbs in my 20s, gained it back. Lost 30lbs, gained it back....now I weigh 230lbs at 5'4”), I am not trying to discourage you from establishing a healthy way of life. However, the facts are that a healthy way of life is most likely not going to slim you down permanently. It is very true that obesity is deadly, but also true that most of us who are overweight will never keep it off. So instead of the current unhelpful *** spewed by healthcare and fitness professionals alike, I'm going to tell you the truth. Eating a diet of minimally processed foods with 80% of your diet being veggies is the most beneficial for your health (check out The Blue Zones). Mild/Moderate exercise and resistance training 30 minutes a day is good for your health. Almost all other advice is ***. Losing weight will require you to be hungry/starve yourself. As far as science knows, fasting is not terrible for you. If you were to lose all the weight, most likely the only way for you to keep it off would be to regularly fast and be hungry. The most effective way to lose weight and keep it off is with a gastric sleeve surgery. This is because half of your stomach is removed and there for less "hunger hormones" are floating around in your body. It isn't just because your stomach is smaller as was hypothesized when they first started doing them.

Good luck to you.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

nursel56 said:

Finally, I have to be honest and tell you that the whole topic of "the nurse should be an example" vs the "how much I weigh has nothing to do with my nursing practice" argument has played out here a few times, with lots of hurt feelings but valid points on either side.  

Oh yes.  I remember we started this probably over 20 years ago.  With the "being obese is unhealthy and a bad example to patients" with "how dare you judge" over and over.  I had to step away from it.

To the original poster, I would lose weight for your overall wellbeing and not worry too much how you'll look to patients or anyone else.  I work with an obese male that is in his early 40's, a father to young children, and he gets short of breath and sweaty at some basic nursing tasks and he complains of back pain.  I've even had patients express concerns to me when they hear him breathe heavily.  Frankly I'm concerned he's headed for trouble and won't live to see grandchildren.  

Take care of yourself, as tough as nursing school is and as busy as you'll be, prioritize yourself and get some exercise for stamina building if you don't already exercise.  Being in good shape even if you're carrying extra weight will do you well.  

As a primary care provider you definitely will be dealing with obese people and advising them.  On the one hand you can say "I can relate to what you're going through" but I do think that you should also try to be the example.  It will give you an edge that thinner people don't have.  

Good luck!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I hope that you can approach your new career with confidence that you are doing what's best for your patients and anything other than that (especially your gender and your physical appearance) have NO BEARING on your ability to be a nurse. While you may feel better and more energetic at a lower weight, there are plenty of people in all fields that are heavy and can perform their duties effectively. I would say that during nursing school I found that I gained weight because I was trying to juggle many things and healthy eating and exercise fell a bit to the wayside. Having strong habits in place before starting school may help you out.  Good luck to you as you start your new journey!

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

LOL@ most healthcare workers tending not to be overweight.

I am an NP who worked on the floor for over seven years. I would say nurses reflect the general pop in that most of us are overweight. Some even obese.