A PhD in Healthy!

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nadia_in_mtl
nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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Hello! My name is Nadia and I am in my last year of PhD in Neuroscience. I live in Montreal. It would be great to add MFP friends who are also grad students so we can commiserate together :smile:

A few years ago when I was preparing for my candidacy exam (a.k.a "quals" in some circles), the weight started piling on from stress eating and lack of exercise. I was already overweight but I looked OK. Then I continued gaining more weight during a relationship that I wasn't totally happy in, as well as being depressed from losing my grandmother.

I have made some good progress but I'm only a quarter of the way to my ultimate goal weight. I am determined to succeed despite finishing up experiments and writing my thesis this year!
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  • tronner01
    tronner01 Posts: 3
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    Hi Nadia! My name is Rachel and I'm just starting my PhD in Molecular/Cell Bio. I'm hoping that I can establish a pattern of healthy eating and exercise now, before I have to deal with teaching and prelims. I was on a good path this summer, and then I started taking classes on top of lab work and got a bit overwhelmed and backslid. I particularly struggle with stress eating and making exercise a priority when I have an irregular schedule or an overwhelming amount of work. Good luck finishing up, both with your thesis and your weight loss!
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    I particularly struggle with stress eating and making exercise a priority when I have an irregular schedule or an overwhelming amount of work.

    That sounds exactly like my problem and how I ended up in this situation! Good planning and time organization have helped me a lot so far :smile:
  • chemicalsatire
    chemicalsatire Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi my name is Marquita and I'm a third yr grad student in Jackson, MS (the most obese state in the US) studying pursuing a PhD in Chemistry. I have been overweight all my life but still active. In undergrad, I stayed in amazing shape bc I was always dancing and I didn't have a car so I walked everywhere lol. But I have gained about 25 lbs since I started grad school. I am in the process of now losing that and more. I enjoy working out and eating healthy but being constantly on the go makes that VERY hard.
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    Hi my name is Marquita and I'm a third yr grad student in Jackson, MS (the most obese state in the US) studying pursuing a PhD in Chemistry. I have been overweight all my life but still active. In undergrad, I stayed in amazing shape bc I was always dancing and I didn't have a car so I walked everywhere lol. But I have gained about 25 lbs since I started grad school. I am in the process of now losing that and more. I enjoy working out and eating healthy but being constantly on the go makes that VERY hard.

    Hello, Marquita! What kind of dancing did you do in undergrad? I understand the whole being on the go thing, if you have experiments, class, etc. I do best when I plan my time better (what to eat, making time to work out) but it's a near daily struggle because of the amount of work I have.
  • DrAnxietea
    DrAnxietea Posts: 5 Member
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    Hi everyone!

    I am a second-year student in a Clinical Psychology program in Los Angeles... I have been on MFP for a while, but not consistently, and I really need some support! I would love to support you all as well. Being in a grad program = crazy schedules, exhaustion, and little time for healthy cooking and exercise. :(

    I am looking to lose about 15 more pounds. I am a vegetarian who indulges in fish once every few weeks or so, and when I have time (or when I am procrastinating), I LOVE to cook and bake. Go grad students! We can be smart, fit, and healthy!
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    Hi Commoshin! Welcome! Indeed, we can be smart, fit and healthy :D We want it all!!
  • jessicle322
    jessicle322 Posts: 11
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    Hi Everyone! My name is Jessica and I'm in my final month of my PhD--my final defense is on 4/25!

    I had lost 42 lbs between 2007-2008 (in grad school, but only a masters program), but during my dissertation stage (the past 2 years) I've gained about 12-15 of those back. Stress REALLY seems to have played a role in my gain back. I try to eat as healthy as I can and get in as much yoga and kickboxing as humanly possible. But, alas, certain school deadlines and requirements have gotten in the way.

    I know that I can succeed with getting rid of what I gained back and a bit more, but sometimes I lose faith in myself.

    I hope that we can all help each other and I'm looking forward to being a part of this group!! :)
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    Welcome, Jessica! You must be so excited about your upcoming defense! I am aiming to have mine around July or so *fingers crossed*
  • jessicle322
    jessicle322 Posts: 11
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    Thank you!! I am excited...and a bit anxious to just get it over with :). I'll let you know how it goes on Thursday--eek less than 2 days away!

    :) Fingers crossed for you!!!!
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    I hope it went well!
  • jessicle322
    jessicle322 Posts: 11
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    I passed :) unofficially Dr. Jessica, PhD! (my degree will be officially conferred on 5/22!)
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    I passed :) unofficially Dr. Jessica, PhD! (my degree will be officially conferred on 5/22!)

    CONGRATULATIONS! :bigsmile:
  • jessicle322
    jessicle322 Posts: 11
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    Thank you!! And in MFP news...I really started devoting more energy to preparing meals, making the right choices, etc. on Sunday. I actually restarted phase 1 of the South Beach Diet--it's something that always works for me. Today's only day 6 of 14 and my bf already says that he can see SUCH a difference in me.

    Perhaps it is SBD or perhaps it is that I'm not SUPER stressed anymore....idk, but I know it's good! :)
  • nadia_in_mtl
    nadia_in_mtl Posts: 88
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    That's great! Not being stressed out definitely helps too.
  • _thirtytwo
    _thirtytwo Posts: 25 Member
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    Hi all,

    I've just finished my first year in a PhD program in the humanities. With the stress of school and a fairly bad back injury last year I've gained 60ish pounds over the past few years. I'd love to share tips and motivations with y'all, I know my biggest struggle is eating junk to try and steam through stress and project deadlines.

    32
  • biogradfitness
    biogradfitness Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi everyone, just thought I would join this group as well.

    I'm Jen and I'm starting my PhD in Biology in about two weeks. I'm a little nervous because I'll be thrown into classes, research rotations, and TA-ing all at once and I hear the first two years can be overwhelming.

    I sadly gained a bunch of weight my last two years of undergrad when I became an resident assistant and was always stuck in my room on duty, overwhelmed with schoolwork, outside activities, and working night shift every weekend. =/

    Anyways, trying to get on the right path in graduate school before I get into old bad habits.
  • myiacowles
    myiacowles Posts: 2
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    Hello all.
    I am starting my 11th year as a middle school theatre teacher. I have been married for 21 years. I have an 18 year old daughter and a 20 year old son (today is his birthday). I am also working on earning my Ph.D in curriculum and instruction at the University of North Texas in Denton. I am starting my Quals semester.
    I tend to be a work / study addict and never spend enough time on my body. It is time to regain some balance.
  • LadyLaw2Phd
    LadyLaw2Phd Posts: 10
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    I'm getting my PhD in medical humanities (concentrating in ethics) and have gained a lot of weight during my education. Currently residing in Texas, I completed my undergrad at Fordham in NY and law school at Texas Tech. Love getting help and support from fellow grad students.
  • wool_gathering
    wool_gathering Posts: 8 Member
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    Hey Everybody, I'm beginning my fourth year of my PhD in Anthropology with a concentration in Archaeology. I've had what I describe as grad school weight gain. I gained 30 pounds during my masters degree, and managed to loose it during the first year of my PhD. I spent the next 2 years of my PhD gaining it back with interest. My comprehensive exams year was especially bad! Now I'm hoping to be a bit healthier by the end of my fourth year! I'd also like to be at least half way through the data collection for my dissertation, but at this point I'd settle for just finishing my proposal!
  • jessypurplefrog
    jessypurplefrog Posts: 3
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    Hello,
    I'm Jessie. I'm working on my first year of my PsyD in Clinical Psychology. I lost roughly 100 lbs while I worked on my masters. However, I put all that back on plus some. I'm looking for some support from fellow doctorate students.

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