Nursing school and weight gain

mrsfabbanks

I am a 30 year old mom and wife. I’ve been enrolled in my nursing program since aug 2016. Prior to starting I’d lose 30+ lbs .. but ommg now I’ve gained at least 50lbs which can be so soul crushing at times. I try to remain positive about my journey but I feel different(physically). I’ve always been overweight according to my BMI, but before I was much more active (I love fun) and was ready for anything! Now a days I’m chained to a library chair and books.. and did I forget to mention I often time I emotionally eat.. because things seem to be so far out of my control that the only thing feels good is eating a burger or ice cream or both! Recently I’ve been having knee problems and I know it’s because of this extra weight! I want to lose weight so bad right now but I feel kinda hopeless. Can someone please help me!?! The calorie counting is way annoying but at this point.. I need to start a start! God bless you all!!

ChozoSpectre

I can't offer much advice, but I can tell you you're not alone! I just graduated nursing school/passed the NCLEX in April and I gained about 50-60#. I have still been trying to get into a swing of things and being a new nurse, but I'm finally starting to get my ducks in a row so I can really concentrate on dropping the weight! From one nurse to another, the best advice I can muster would be to pack a lot of healthy food to bring to clinicals and join a 24 hr gym and workout while you study, that's what I wish I would have done.

mrsfabbanks

Thank you. I believe I always eat great in front of others .. lol its just those times I'm alone. Sounds super crazy.. Iol. Congrats on passing NCLEX!! Thanks for your response!!

Packerjohn

mrsfabbanks wrote: »

I am a 30 year old mom and wife. I’ve been enrolled in my nursing program since aug 2016. Prior to starting I’d lose 30+ lbs .. but ommg now I’ve gained at least 50lbs which can be so soul crushing at times. I try to remain positive about my journey but I feel different(physically). I’ve always been overweight according to my BMI, but before I was much more active (I love fun) and was ready for anything! Now a days I’m chained to a library chair and books.. and did I forget to mention I often time I emotionally eat.. because things seem to be so far out of my control that the only thing feels good is eating a burger or ice cream or both! Recently I’ve been having knee problems and I know it’s because of this extra weight! I want to lose weight so bad right now but I feel kinda hopeless. Can someone please help me!?! The calorie counting is way annoying but at this point.. I need to start a start! God bless you all!!

Knee issues will impact your ability to work as a nurse. Surely you don't want to go through all the education, only to not be able to do your dream job let alone run with your kids, etc.

Think to yourself which is better an extra greasy burger, extra ice cream, etc or the ability to move? If you're honest with yourself the answer is obvious.

Best of luck.

CSARdiver

Calorie counting is just like balancing your checkbook at first. It gets easier with time. I probably spend ~10mins/day logging at most. Focus more on the habits that are not helpful to weight management and replace those with habits that enable and support your goals. Read on a treadmill/bike, read a chapter and do some calisthenics. Not only does this help you physically, enables memory capacity.

For the knee problem - start strength training, especially squats, but do so under review with a physical therapist. Do you have a PT available as part of your program?

The chief resident of emergency medicine took physical fitness very seriously and PT'd with the team at the beginning of every shift. He was always stressing the emergency mindset "What are you going to do if the elevator is out and you need to run 4 flights of stairs to get to your patient?" or "You need to be in good physical condition to handle a mass casualty situation."

Sunshine_And_Sand

I graduated nursing school 13 years ago. It is definitely stressful. I agree with the advice to try to workout while u study. I was the crazy one at the gym who read textbooks while using the eliptical.
I also went to and taught group aerobics classes at the gym because it was a great stress reliever, but I didn't have kids or the same demands on my time as you have so that may not be feasible for you.
I also agree with the idea of bringing a lunch box with you to school and clinicals to help avoid the food court and hospital food and also save a little money.
Good luck with school!

BrookeLynn18

I can relate! Nursing school is so hard. I'm in my senior year and I graduate in May (There's a light at the end of this long tunnel!) I decided at the beginning of this year that I'm really tired of being overweight and continuing to gain weight as I go through school. I started logging daily, bought a used Fitbit online, a cheap gym membership, and doing meal prep. There's time for it if you make time. I understand getting tired, overwhelmed, and burnt out. Power through. That 30 minute workout will make you feel better and able to focus better after you do it. I love Quizlet. I make flashcards and flip through them while on the elliptical. You owe it to yourself to focus on your health. I always joke that nursing school teaches you how to take care of people while forgetting how to take care of yourself, but it's true. Maybe you have a classmate that has the same problem and would like to he a workout buddy. You can always hit the gym between classes. I tend not to get a lot done between short (hour or so) class breaks. Might as well exercise and be more focused for the next class! As for meal prep, I usually spend about an hour or so on Sunday and make a weeks worth of lunch and snacks. This week I made spicy chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans. Then added in some homemade "energy bites" and cottage cheese with fruit or Greek yogurt. Easy to grab and go, nutritionally dense, and something I like to eat. I've had a hard journey, I've fallen away from my plan during especially hard weeks, but I'm still trying to keep at it. I believe in you!