Any 1L Law Students out there? I need your help!

Burlesque12

I am struggling to find the balance between my family (hubby & 2 kids), work and law school then to add weight loss to it. Anyone else out there with the same struggle? I have the will, but cant find the way. If I do have time, I am always too tired to exercise or prepare healthy meals. I just want to sleep or do something mindless. Its a vicious cycle. I need motivation and support from fellow students. Red Bull, Coffee & cookies have been my staple foods lately & I want to end that. Please help!

echoesmyron

I am a full-time law student but am definitely not juggling all of the responsibilities that you seem to be (family, etc).
I have been "scared straight" by the toll 1L seems to take on many upper-years health and am determined to develop good habits that will help me get through this degree!

Try to have some staple snacks that on hand at all times to replace those easy options like cookies and Red Bull. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere and also drink a lot of tea.

I can totally relate on the over-tiredness. It seems like there are more things than hours in a day that could be done. I am finding that if I am too tired in the evening to exercise that it helps to get up half an hour earlier just to fit in a 20 minute walk or something before the day starts. Aim to fit in something reasonable (3x a week) and start from there. Plan out readings, etc. and as much as possible make sure you are getting some sleep. Law school is a marathon !

Slowly making healthy improvements that become a part of your schedule seems to be the way to go.

I am by no means an expert but you can definitely do this !
Feel free to add.

sarahz5

Here's a crazy piece of advice I got as a second year summer ten years ago - make fitness a habit now, because your schedule is only going to get crazier. And it's true. Blah. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

laurenbentlage

Hey there - fellow 1L here.
The thing that jumps out to me is the cookies/coffee/red bull staples. I have really focused on protein intake for the past (almost) two months since school started and have lost 16lbs since the first day of class. I think it's important to bring food to school so you're not tempted to get into the vending machines or restaurants/cafes around campus. I usually have a breakfast with protein as the main component before heading to school, then a turkey sandwich (with plenty of turkey because it's so low-cal), then low- or non-fat greek yogurt & apple for snacks, and then soup and salad for dinner. I also bring my huge camelback water bottle and drink one 32 oz. bottle per class. I find that the mix of protein and LOTS of water prevents me from needing to overdo it on the coffee. I also am walking a lot more since going back to school, as opposed to driving everywhere and being very sedentary while I was working. And I've cut out the occasional glass of wine on weeknights that I used to have while I was working because I need to be sharp at night when I'm doing all my homework.

I hope this helps! I seriously admire you for going back to law school with little ones. I find the structure of law school can be beneficial for weight loss if you let it! Good luck!

Burlesque12

Thank you for all your suggestions. I just started walking for 40 minutes on my lunch breaks at work 3x a week. Having healthy snacks on hand is my next step as well as meals. And I like the idea of always having water with me. I agree that school can be helpful to losing weight if I twist it right. Im not home to munch as much & my mind is busy thinking of all my studies rather than what junk food sounds good.
I beg to differ with the idea that I should get used to it now. Any job is going to be demanding & fitting a healthy lifestyle will be a challenge. But I have worked in law firm/legal field for a long time & all attorneys I know admit that time mgmnt between school & work (what I do now) is waaay harder than just working as an atty.
Thank you!
There should be a group for law school students.

csmullins78

My law school years were such hectic hell that I still have nightmares. That being said, you probably have some days where you have a break between classes. Of course, studying is probably what you're doing, but a walk will also be productive. Take the kids. To the park on the weekends... Get exercise and play in. The most important thing is eating, though. Because my life is hectic, I carry around a luna bar with me. I also carry those crystal light packets for my water. I'll sactually drink more if it tastes like fruit punch

Above everything, know that your law school grades only matter so much. If you want to work at a big firm billing 2400 hours a year, you've got to make law review. Otherwise, it's your personality and drive that will get you the career you want. That's the way it was for me, but, hey, I'm a public interest lawyer

jcd7783

2L here! Like you, I am also balancing working full time and going to school in the evenings. (Don't worry, it gets better second year!) I try to work out in the mornings before I go to work and as far as my meals go, my fiancé has been an absolute dream. He prepares all of my dinners for me for the entire week on Sundays. All I have to do is find him a recipe that I want to try and he makes it for me. Without him, I don't know where I would be, probably eating garbage all the time haha. Sometimes it is hard to wake up that early to work out but I usually try to bring a book or some flash cards with me on our stationary bike (the emanuels law in a flash are amazing btw- and there's also an iPhone app for them) that way I can study and work out at the same time. Feel free to add me and good luck in your first year!!

sarahz5

I missed the "work" part the first time through! In that case, I bow down to your ambition. :flowerforyou: If you can make fitness work now, you will definitely keep it going once you are done. Keep up the great work!

JenniferLeeWatson

I am a 4L and am actually just a couple of months from finishing. I have to admit, I wish I would have done what you are doing in my first year. I only started working on my health in July. Since starting to work on my weight and eat healthier, I have actually find that I have more energy and perform better on my exams and assignments. It isn't easy. I know it takes a lot of time to manage a household, work, study, and try to exercise and eat well on top of it. It helps me that my husband is in this with me and working on his health at the same time. Just like working your way through law school you'll get lots of different advice, but you'll have to find what works. Here are a few things I have found to be helpful for me in the past few months:

- I either plan my eating for the day first thing in the morning or last thing the night before and get it loaded into myfitnesspal then. You can always make changes if it doesn't turn out that way.
- I combine my workouts with stuff I need to do anyway. I don't leisurely walk through the grocery store, I make a list and walk through at a good pace burning calories as I shop.
- Similarly, I have made little changes. I stand while folding laundry now instead of sit. I have started paying attention when I shop and am now buying lower calorie whole grain bread and things like that. Watching for those things have helped me to easily cut a few calories without even thinking about it. The little bit of extra time spent there saves me time on a daily basis when planning my food.
- I have also learned that if I set myself up right, I can do some basic calisthenics like leg lifts or even light strength training with hand weights while reading (this may or may not work for you depending on if you are someone that can concentrate that way)..
- I just don't keep bad stuff around anymore. It is easier to snack on healthier stuff if that is all you make available to yourself. I know this can be difficult with other members of your family sometimes, that is why I HAD to finally get my husband on board to make it work for me.

Also, remember it is ok to walk away for a bit. When stress gets to be to much, a quick walk around the block or whatever exercise you like can really clear your head. It is easier to fit in exercise when it is 15 min here and there rather than trying to block out 30min or an hour. I have even taken walks around the building with classmates between classes. The biggest thing I suggest is getting your whole family on board. You'll need that just to get through law school.

You can do it. Find the things that work for you with school, home, work, and health. Then make them habits. Good Luck. Feel free to add me if you'd like. I'd love to encourage you on your journey.

csmullins78

I LOVE those Tumblr pages!

(Public Defender, here)

Mere_Dith

I am a 4L evening student and I work full-time. I don't also have a family to manage though. As a 1L it can be crazy, especially as you're approaching your first set of finals. I know I was wreck and ready to quit law school about 20 times during my first semester.

As for advice, about balance life, law school and fitness. I didn't really start focusing on figuring that out until last year (my third year) and it made all the difference so good for you for trying to figure things out now. I can recommend a few things that worked for me:

My school doesn't have classes on Friday nights so that was my food shopping day - I would go and buy the things that I liked that were on sale at the grocery store (focusing on produce - I'm mostly veg. but I'm sure you can follow the same protocol with regard to meat products). I found doing this helped me keep variety in my diet, and eating a variety of fresh veggies each week helped keep my energy levels up. I would then supplement my fresh produce purchases with some frozen things I could through together in a pinch - bagged frozen vegetable, Amy's burritos, and Kashi TV dinners. I also like to keep frozen veggie burgers on hand for myself. I also use oatmeal for quick meals (I do overnight oats and instant but try to avoid instant as I limit added sugars in my diet)

I would find that cooking big batches of food over the weekend was so helpful. I usually do soup becuase - you can get your reading done while the soup simmers (in your case this might be harder as your kids may be trying to get your attention when you're home). You can portion out the soup or whatever you made and keep some in the fridge and put the rest in the frezzer then you have homemade TV dinners.

I also found that protein shakes were very helpful. I usually replace one meal a day with them (I use GNC total 25 variety becuase they have an oat blend in them so you get some fiber as well as protein for low calories). I also add a table spoon chia seeds to at least on meal a day - to get a fiber and omega 3 boost. Chia is either added to my oatmeal or protein shake.

As for exercise, I found that just walking or doing light exercise didn't work for me because I was always stressed about something while doing and would quit. I needed to workout more intensely so that all I was thinking about during the workouts was the workout. I found that in boxing classes. I know take three classes a week and it's great. Mayeb you can find something that incorporates you're children. I know trampoline parks/gyms are getting pretty popular I see groupons for those a lot. Or you can try laser tag or things like that.

The good news, which I'm sure you've heard a million times already, the first year is the hardest! It is so true. Especially for night students. After my first year I NEVER went to class four nights a week again! That was best thing because it gives me a week night to get extra cooking/reading or a workout in. Also, for my third and final year at law school I changed my hours at work (I work as an administrator at a school) so I work form 7:30 - 3:30 instead of 8-4, which allows me to take earlier classes and not have to be in school until 10:30 every night! I know you mentioned you're working in a legal job and from what you mentioned it seems they are supportive of your going to law school, so that may be an option for you.

Well I hope any or all of this was helpful. Good luck. I also would recommend trying to make major lifestyle changes right now as you are gearing up for finals mode, as that may lead to more stress.

Feel free to reach out if need any support from a fellow evening law student.

spacecase76

I am not a law student, but I am a single mom with a full time job, and also a full time student (elementary ed). I am struggling finding the balance as well. I had lost 30 pounds, but have gained it all back :frown:

Right now I am focusing on not doing fast-food or the drive thru, eating more fruits and veggies, and walking at least 4 x week on my lunch break. It got to the point where I was eating out 10+ times a week.

GL!

JenniferLeeWatson

I would find that cooking big batches of food over the weekend was so helpful. I usually do soup becuase - you can get your reading done while the soup simmers (in your case this might be harder as your kids may be trying to get your attention when you're home). You can portion out the soup or whatever you made and keep some in the fridge and put the rest in the frezzer then you have homemade TV dinners.

The good news, which I'm sure you've heard a million times already, the first year is the hardest! It is so true.

Absolutely big batches (especially soup) are awesome and easy. Especially if you have a crockpot. Mine has been my best friend since starting to work on my weight/health in July. My husband or I throw everything in in the morning and pretty much forget about it all day or even throw it all in before bed at night and put meals away in the fridge and freezer in the morning. Frozen veggies are a great help or you can even by pre-chopped/sliced fresh sometimes.

I agree, the first year was the hardest. As my advisor always tells me "put your head down, dig in, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

fullerbrickroad

Here's a crazy piece of advice I got as a second year summer ten years ago - make fitness a habit now, because your schedule is only going to get crazier. And it's true. Blah. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

So true! My husband is an attorney and works 70 hour weeks. He struggles to find time to exercise too.