Will I lose weight being a nurse??

johnst10 · Apr 4, 2009

I don't loose weight because when I do eat it is a diet coke and a snickers bar. When I get home I don't feel like exercising the rest of my body. My husband is usually late getting home so grahamcrackers and peanutbutter make up supper.

However, I have lost weight when I have been involved with weight watchers and really planned ahead. I'm needing to do that again. I really do feel better when my BMI is WNL for me.

Plan ahead, don't count on your job to work off weight!

RN1982 · Apr 4, 2009

Walking around at work doing your job isn't considered exercise. That's just my opinion plus it depends on the person's eating habits. I had bad ones when I graduated and I worked nights and didn't know how to tailor my eating to that schedule so I gained weight.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2009

Walking on your job is activity. A lot depends on your eating habits. If you can add some recreational activity to the mix, that will help.

Many nurses don't lose weight because of poor eating habits. The whole culture of the hospital doesn't support healthy eating habits.

Jules A, MSN · Apr 4, 2009

I think that your body gets used to all the running around so it becomes your baseline and to lose weight you will need to increase the amount of exercise. Most people I know have gained weight as a nurse.

Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2009

I got fluffy too... I either eat to stay busy on nites, or the opposite, its such a bad 12 hours that I dont get to eat, drink or void. On those mornings I treat myself to donuts, chinese, whatever looks good... I figure I need to make up for lost intake. Getting better though by bringing easy to eat healthy snacks and not rewarding myself with donuts after a hellish night. ~Ivanna

netglow, ASN, RN · Apr 4, 2009

Ivanna, I like your way of describing it best, "fluffy" :chuckle

I lost weight my first semester... now I eat (a lot) especially while studying. I will start to back off tho, cannot afford new clothes! The RN's at clinicals that have been on the job a while all say they've just gained, and gained. Every last one is on a diet. I know that I will begin by losing weight, and then once I've adjusted, I'll gain again. I hope not too much!!

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 4, 2009

Maybe it is all the donuts that seem to appear in the breakroom.

One of my favorite attendings brings several boxes of donuts every weekend he is on duty.

RNpandoraRN · Apr 4, 2009

Ya never know. I've lost 15 pounds in the past 9 months. I work nights, and work long halls. I'm often moving very quickly up and down those halls nonstop for my 12-hour shifts. We do have poor eating habits, but mine is not because I eat junk food but because often I eat before work (around 5:00pm), usually a pretty healthy meal around midnight (or when time allows), and then usually I go straight to bed in the morning and don't eat again until I wake up...or 5:00pm.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2009

Walking around at work doing your job isn't considered exercise. That's just my opinion plus it depends on the person's eating habits. I had bad ones when I graduated and I worked nights and didn't know how to tailor my eating to that schedule so I gained weight.

I've actually been told this by a physician. There is a big difference between exercise and "being active". While one will have an easier time with weight control while "being active", you wont lose significant weight.

I've gained weight since becoming a nurse, but that has to do with eating out all the time.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2009

I've actually been told this by a physician. There is a big difference between exercise and "being active". While one will have an easier time with weight control while "being active", you wont lose significant weight.
I've gained weight since becoming a nurse, but that has to do with eating out all the time.

That doesn't sound based in science whatsoever. The more 'active' one is, the more calories one burns. The more 'sedentary' one is, the fewer calories are expended. Your physician seems to be promoting urban legends if you ask me.

If you are able to include physical activity in your daily routine, that is a good and natural way to expend more calories than you consume. Add some aerobic exercise on top of that and you are in even better shape.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2009

Well, if being active means walking to the store or moewing the lawn, sure, that works. Here is what he was trying to convey to me:

We feel bussy (or what I was calling being active while being seen by him) but can be active without getting excercise. For instance, going to school takes up a lot of our day (I was in school at the time, college) but once we get to school, we sit most of the time. Then at night, we go out with friends. While thats being more "active" than staying at home watching TV........going to the movies or out to eat involves more sitting than exercise again.

His point was that we can feel bussy or "active" and not be getting anywhere near as much excercise as we think. Made sense to me. I was very bussy, but most of my activities did not involve much exercise. I think sometimes work can be an illusion of getting exercise too. We think we are walking so much, when we really take a lot of standing breaks (listening to the pt. talk or whatever).

Now, if she had to swim to the pt. rooms or lift dumbells while documenting, that'd be different. lol