Weight Loss for Nurses

TristleRN · Aug 18, 2018

How about starting a weight loss support group within your hospital? or even your unit? It would probably be (besides online support) the fastest and easiest way to go about it. I have done this in the past and it's nice to have comrades you can talk to. I know it would be challenge to have "meetings" at work; but at lunch, brief meet after work, etc. It can even be something that you all "sign up" for and hold each other accountable. I've seen it done several ways.

On a side note... stress, as you know, messes with the hormones, cortisol, etc... contributing the weight gain. Take some time for yourself; learn to meditate; leave work at work; get a massage, etc. Even when you take a quick break at work, taking a few moments to zone out or decompress or deep breathing can make a difference. Now..... to try to practice what I preach. :-)

Rayngler · Aug 21, 2018

You bring up a point that many nurses struggle with. Are you working nights? This could make things worse, the night shift can put quite the toll on most people's bodies. If I were you I would start to eat a lot more protien. The crash might stem from a carb load after work, and if you tend to eat more carbs your blood sugar will be like a roller coaster throughout the day causing fatigue. Try complex carbs like oats or granola to keep you going, and also time your caffeine right

Kitiger, RN · Aug 22, 2018

Exercise helps. If you crash when you get home, that's OK. Just exercise when you get up.

Small goals worked for me - I didn't even try to work up a sweat. Five minutes on the bike, any speed. Or up and down the stairs twice, any speed. Or bend & stretch for 5 minutes, any speed.

Next week, add a little time or a little speed.

You can DO this!

Miss.Jersey, MSN, APN · Aug 26, 2018

I work nights and recently joined Weight Watchers. I really find The freestyle plan doable and enjoyable because you have so much freedom. You can Google the 200 free Foods on Weight Watchers freestyle. You can have other foods with it, but that's where you use your a lot of points for the day.

I would recommend bringing along small snacks, a variety of things, that you can Nosh on when you're hungry. Especially if you are working night shift like I am I get hungry at random times. Some nights I'm so busy I don't even think about being hungry. Some nights I get a lot of stomach acid and actually feel hungry when what I really need is an acid reducer.

Some examples of things that are quick and easy: cut up fruit, thermos of soup or chili, hard-boiled eggs, salad, nuts.

Chrispy11, ASN, RN · Aug 26, 2018

Thanks for this topic. I'll be following. Right now I am trying to load up on water when I'm hungry. It helps, but then my sleep gets interrupted. I had to stop working my last semester, so between lack of exercise, all the sitting while studying for 6 months, well I had to buy new scrub pants for the new job. I'm trying very hard to take it off. I still remember my first nursing lecture. Professor said students usually gain, I did so well for all but the last semester. I'm mad at myself because I knew better.

hp131071 · Sep 5, 2018

I am right there with you! When I started on nights, I quickly gained about 20 pounds. I was starving by the end of my shift and made it a habit to get a sausage egg and cheese croissant and a donut from the cafeteria every morning as I left, otherwise I would give in to my cravings and get mcdonalds or taco bell breakfast before going to bed. What has helped me lose about 15 pounds since then is taking advantage of not only my 30 minute unpaid break but the two 15 minute paid breaks that I tended to forget about. I would make sure to eat decently filling meals with lots of protein and try to minimize carbs because those just leave me starving a couple hours later. I eat my third meal between 4 and 6am so that way I'm not hungry when I leave work. I hope this helps! Good luck!

barcode120x, RN, NP · Sep 8, 2018

In regards to meals, if you are serious about losing weight, not for the short term, but long term and are looking for a lifestyle change, hire a coach. My current coach is a current bodybuilder/competitor (the whole sha'bang), but his side business is online meal planning/coaching. A lot of the meal planning is time management. I spend most of Sunday shopping, and Sunday/Monday cooking for the entire week. All my meals are prepped in Tupperware and ready to go. 6 meals a day, every 3 hours. I'm about a month in only, but I have to say, the best $100/mo investment I've made in my life so far.

And, it seems like you need motivation. Find a gym buddy. I have several coworkers that I work out with every now and then. They are great motivation and you can help each other get off that couch! On a side note, once you start seeing results, the fitness thing can get addicting and that itself can be some motivation, but don't take it too far!

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2018

We could do it together on the breakroom side, I'm game if you are?

Hppy

TravelRNdreaming · Sep 22, 2019

Anyone wanna do a weight loss group here?

allnurses Guide · Sep 22, 2019

I wouldn't mind !

Oldmahubbard · Sep 22, 2019

I have lost 10-15 lbs over the last year, and would like to keep up the trend. It has made a difference. I feel better, clothes fit better. Essentially I limit carbs, and only eat enough to stave off true hunger pangs. I don't do anything crazy, and still go out to dinner Friday nights. But I bring some of my meal home.

I started exercising again a few months ago and I really love it. I work out at home with my own playlist, and a machine using your own body weight as resistance, that is similar to the one Chuck Norris has advertised for the last 20 years.

It looks like a gimmick, but it isn't. tee hee.

I do have a stationary bike but it is so damn boring, I can only stand it for a minute at a time. So I maximize the intensity and do intervals.

Probably most nurses would have difficulty fitting in a gym to their schedule. Working out at home makes more sense for many people.