Any nurses out there ?

10ssmith
10ssmith Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am a private nurse aid, and I have found myself strayed off of my healthy eating and just eating whenever is even possible. I've noticed since I started being a private nurse aid vs. Being somewhere with a team I'm more over worked and I am taking in more calories. I haven't noticed any weight gain. Every day feels like I push myself to the very last breath. Now from lifting my patients by myself and rolling them over in beds and so on my body stays sore... does this get any better ? How do u stick to your goals? I am looking for someone in same situation.

P.s. my scrub bottoms are getting ultra big. Could they be stretching or is it actually weight gain?

Replies

  • Saisha23
    Saisha23 Posts: 41 Member
    I'm an RN and have been for 8 years. It is difficult for people in our field. Often we eat at weird hours and irregular. What shift do you work? As for the sore, honestly i go to bed every day with something aching. I honestly don't know if it will ever get better.
  • LadyMcBeth
    LadyMcBeth Posts: 8 Member
    I've been an RN for 25 years. Shift work plays hell with your appetite and circadian rhythm so you have to plan well. I initially lost 26kg over about 18 months, now need to take off the last 10kg. My tips (as a nurse who works rotating shifts): 1. Plan your meals ahead - use MFP and log meals for the day ahead. Then prepare/ portion out so you are not grabbing something in a rush on the way out the door. 2. Budget a few calories for a snack each day. Make it a reasonably healthy snack most days, with one "naughty" snack a week. That way you won't feel completely deprived. 3. Have a "free day" every week. Make it the same day each week (to create a routine) and continue to make decent food choices for that day (eg. Don't eat just junk food for the entire day, maybe treat yourself at one meal that day). Log all of those calories - even though they may be over your goal. 4. Be honest with yourself. If you go over your goal one day don't give yourself a hard time. Use these lapses a a means to motivate you the next few days. If you start making yourself feel negative about a lapse it is waaaaay too easy to give up completely :( . 5. If you work night shifts don't add in an extra meal that day. Shift breakfast to an early lunchtime, move lunch to the early evening, and make dinner the meal you eat at work. Or if you are like me, eat dinner in the early evening and take lunch to work. Then when I am hungry at 2am I am not eating anything too heavy and which might make me sleepy. And finally, And most importantly: Ensure you maintain your body's hydration levels. Water is best, black tea/ coffee is ok but leave out the sugar! And get enough sleep! I struggled to shift the weight until I got my sleep sorted. Then following the above guidelines, the weight started to fall off me. Sleep helps in managing the actions and levels of your hunger hormones. The less sleep you get, the more hungry (and less satisfied with what you eat) you will be. Good luck
  • adoette
    adoette Posts: 181 Member
    I second some of LadyMcB's points there. Planning my meals ahead has done wonders for my ability to stay within my calories for the day. I don't deprive myself of my favorite bad foods, I just moderate the bejeesus out of them, so the other day when I was trying to decide on my "proper breakfast" I just logged all the other foods I was planning on eating, snacks and all, and discovered that not only did a Taco Bell quesadilla fit within my calories, it helped to push my protein as well. (Which worked out great because I really, really wanted one.)

    I meal shift as well. I'm not hungry when I wake up around 2p, but I don't start work until 7p, so I eat a tiny breakfast to keep me going (100g of cantaloupe and/or a 90cal cheese stick) until proper breakfast (almost always fast food).

    One of my biggest problems was the urge to munch. I slowly weaned myself off of chips; first to popcorn cakes, and then to rice cakes. Rice cakes are a whole lot bigger and only 45cal each, so there's a lot of munching and crunching before I get all 45cal inside of me and it seems to satisfy that urge. Chobani makes a delicious coconut greek yogurt that helps both with satiety and with my occassional sweet tooth.

    That soreness is probably just muscle strain, I used to get it from time to time working either post surg rehab or on med/surg as a CNA. You do need to be careful though, because working as a private aide means you can't grab a helper when the job is too big for one person. Don't throw your back out! You might be able to alleviate some of the pain by doing some weight lifting to your body is better able to cope with the strain.

  • mizhawk85
    mizhawk85 Posts: 12 Member
    I love what everyone else wrote. Great advice!
    I've been in home health and private duty since I was 22. That was 8 years ago. I do visits and some shift work. It's easy to fall off the unhealthy path. Eating when you're starving and grabbing whatever you can, inconsistent meal times, the sugar fixes for quick pick me ups, not going to the gym because you're tired. Well, I managed to realize I'm just slowly putting on weight, which I've realized every summer, but this time, I'm actually on a path that I love (mostly.)
    What keeps me on my goals (to lose weight and get in shape) is the thought that I really want this time to be different. I've already spent years knowing what desert with dinner was like. But calorie counting and reading constantly on tips and other peoples stories keep me motivated. That and I can eat what I want if I'm willing to give up the calories for it. And when I mess up, I go right back to calorie counting. Life gets ahead of me and I don't always preplan my meals out, but I have back up quick foods to grab from the grocery store and back up snacks to get from a gas station if I resort to that.
    I wish all patients had hospital beds in their homes! I make it a point not to bend over people, I find chairs or kneel on the ground to save my back. I ask for orders for transferring devices I think would be best, I've called my office and asked for back up when I thought a patient would be too difficult on my own. But I'm sore. I have good days/bad days when my body is worn out.

    Always have a bottle of water and avoid the easy, unhealthy choices because your job and life can be harder the more unhealthier you get.
    Good luck!
  • 10ssmith
    10ssmith Posts: 33 Member
    Thank you ladies!
  • FromHadesWithLove
    FromHadesWithLove Posts: 104 Member
    I'm sort of a vet's nurse(vet tech) does that count?
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    I'm a nursing student. I want to die a million deaths (but I'll be starting my first official "clinical" hours next Monday! :D). Meal prep/prelogging has been my best friend this semester
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited May 2016
    10ssmith wrote: »
    So I am a private nurse aid, and I have found myself strayed off of my healthy eating and just eating whenever is even possible. I've noticed since I started being a private nurse aid vs. Being somewhere with a team I'm more over worked and I am taking in more calories. I haven't noticed any weight gain. Every day feels like I push myself to the very last breath. Now from lifting my patients by myself and rolling them over in beds and so on my body stays sore... does this get any better ? How do u stick to your goals? I am looking for someone in same situation.
    Pushing yourself to your very last breath every day isn't sustainable. How many hours per day are you working? Are you taking time for you?

    Every year when gardening season ramps up and I spend hours working out there, I get sore and make sure I practice yoga and get massage.

    P.s. my scrub bottoms are getting ultra big. Could they be stretching or is it actually weight gain?
    Did you mean weight loss?
  • rmullins16
    rmullins16 Posts: 12 Member
    Hi. Im a nursing student and I already know what you are talking about. There is so much good advice on here I enjoyed reading. We snack alot and since Im a student...I sit alot on some days too. I notice I drink an increasing amount of water since I started. I now put mint or fruit slices in it for fun. Pack those healthy, filling snacks like peanut butter on celery or hummus and pretzels. I was thinking of starting yoga lol for stress relief and to stretch my muscles. Its a field of work that is hard on the body. I am still learning. :)
  • lauraesh0384
    lauraesh0384 Posts: 463 Member
    FromHadesWithLove wrote: »
    I'm sort of a vet's nurse(vet tech) does that count?

    I'm a vet tech too. :) been one for about 7 years now.
  • Jenpiddles
    Jenpiddles Posts: 44 Member
    edited May 2016
    I used to stuggle with my eating too. Especially with free lunches and junk being brought in non-stop, it's hard to resist!

    Meal planning is a must. Before my work week starts, I prep all of my breakfasts and lunches for the week (4 each). For breakfast I always do overnight oatmeal, lots of protein to keep me full until I can eat lunch.

    For lunch, I look for recipes with 4 servings. I cook it up, and divide it into my Tupperware containers. It's easy because I just grab it and go in the morning. No fuss. A quick 2-3 minutes in the microwave, and it's ready to go. Since it's homecooked, I know it's healthy and free of preservatives and junk you find in the frozen or boxed meals.

    Carry snacks for when meals are delayed. I do homemade protein bars, fruit and cheese, or I will take a protein shake if I know I won't have time to snack. Nuts are another good snack to hold you over.

    The key is to pre-plan. Yes, I eat the same meal every day for my workweek, but it's worth it for both the convenience and piece of mind that I'm feeding my body right when I'm working my butt off daily.

    Getting good nutrition makes the workday a little easier to tolerate, and prevents some of the aching and fatigue that can happen when you settle for junk or simply skip meals.

    Oh, and hydrate! Always keep a water bottle nearby and drink from it every chance you get!

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