Anybody else gaining weight?

[kinokoboy]

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All I do now is work full time, go to lecture and lab and study for o-chem 1 and physics 2, and shadow a physician. I haven't been to the gym in 6 months and I'm not eating healthy. Supermen and women how do you function on 5 hours of sleep-a-night and do all the pre-reqs , ECs, obtain good grades, and stay in shape at the same time? I feel like I have to sacrifice one of these priorities and I guess I can always lose the weight after I get into medical school.

 

[Nike619]

You sacrifice your sanity. 😀

You can do everything. Subtract some gym time. Instead of an hour and a half, do 30 minutes. Do some simple at home exercises between separate homework assignments.

Also: 5 hours of sleep would be a god send. I average 2-3 a night. I can sometimes slip 6 once or twice a week.

 

[Leonid Rogozov]

Yep... -_-

Spending all my time studying. Tried to squeeze in exercise but its just not possible.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Studies have shown that the earlier you learn balance, the more likely you are to incorporate it into your life long-term. Med students who have good balance have been shown to maintain it throughout their careers, but people who try to work on it during residency or later have a much lower success rate.

That said, yeah, I suck at balance right now and exercise has gone out the window this semester. It sucks because exercise helps me focus and I've been successful in the past at using that as justification to take a time out from studying/working/whatever else to just exercise. That's been harder for me this semester.

With winter coming I'm planning on hooking my mtn bike up to a trainer indoors. Hopefully the accessibility will help.

 

[kinokoboy]

You sacrifice your sanity. 😀

You can do everything. Subtract some gym time. Instead of an hour and a half, do 30 minutes. Do some simple at home exercises between separate homework assignments.

Also: 5 hours of sleep would be a god send. I average 2-3 a night. I can sometimes slip 6 once or twice a week.

You do realize that you spend time just to go and spend the time to work out, right? How long does it take you to change into gym clothes? 5 minutes? How long does it take you to get to the gym by foot/car? 15 minutes? How long does it take you to shower, shave, and put on fresh clothes when you're done? 15 minutes? How long does it take you to get home? 15 minutes? Are you hungry? 30 minutes?

With a 30-40 minute workout, that's almost 2 hours you could have spent studying and getting fat!

 

[Gauss44]

Reading on treadmills, ellipticals, and using free weights during practice exam breaks works for me. I find that exercise gradually gives me more alertness to study longer hours. Having a strong in shape body makes it harder to get exhausted.

 

[HealthE]

Reading on treadmills, ellipticals, and using free weights during practice exam breaks works for me. I find that exercise gradually gives me more alertness to study longer hours. Having a strong in shape body makes it harder to get exhausted.

Same here. I used to be like OP last year. I crashed and burned eventually. I feel much happier and healthier and get more work done know that I actively manage my health.

 

[docelh]

Sacrificing your health in the long-run for anything is a lose-lose proposition.

I never sacrificed eating, exercising, or sufficient sleep. If you have always functioned on a certain amount of sleep, your brain cannot easily adjust to a new normal. Sleep is fairly critical to cognitive function, and cutting it may (or may not) reduce how you effectively study.

I did cut out my social life though. That's usually the first to go for a lot of people. Then a job if it's too many hours. Then the medical ECs.

The only time I allowed myself to go health-wise was for the two months leading up to the MCAT.

 

[Gfliptastic]

I did NOT gain weight during Basic Sciences. But I was hitting the gym daily. And I wasn't really eating all that much. I ate just enough to support my weight BEFORE med school, and the gym burned anything I might have overindulged.

Fast forward to studying for the Step. I am 10 lbs heavier...not the buff kinda weight either. Studying for the Step is ALL sitting studying, snacking, sleep. lol

I am going to do Insanity workout when I can figure out my clinical schedule better.

 

[Solus]

I'd say skip the gym entirely and do calisthenics at home. Run around the block. Get TRX and/or an ironman pull up bar. The gym is a major time sink, especially when it's crowded.

Also, meats cooked on the foreman grill and leafy green veggies prepared the night before will keep your diet in check.

 

[arainyday]

I never have time for the gym either. I tried to make it work as best as I could, but as fate would have it injured myself on a run the first week of the quarter. Luckily I haven't gained any weight, mostly in part by concentrating on good eating habits. I dedicate time on the weekend to plan my meals ahead for the week and focus on portion control.

 

[NuttyEngDude]

I lost weight, I was a desk jock in corporate america and am much more active now than before. just walking to all my classes is loads more activity than I did before. sad but true........