Anyone scared of getting fat in medschool?

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lil pook

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In the last 2 years of my engineering program I have witnessed about 1/2 the chicks gain from 10-20 pounds and the guys look pretty shabby too (no shaving, etc). Makes me wonder. :confused:

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I'm not worried b/c I'm alredy fat.
 
I'm actually more frightened of getting too skinny. When I'm stressed out I tend to lose a significant amount of muscle mass. My senior year in college I think I lost about 10-15 lbs. Hopefully I can remain in the gym and continue to eat well once school starts.
 
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i concur gatorade, over college there have been periods where i havent been able to get to the gym enough like right now, and i start getting weak and fat at the same time so its a real bummer. im pretty concerned about having enough time to push some solid weight and exercise in med school.

oh yeah and the engineering girls in my classes also looked better at the start of college, and the guys have grown increasingly oblivious about their appearances. the weight gain is partially due to drinking though
 
lil pook said:
In the last 2 years of my engineering program I have witnessed about 1/2 the chicks gain from 10-20 pounds and the guys look pretty shabby too (no shaving, etc). Makes me wonder. :confused:

I've actually noticed that the busier I am, the more I work out and exercise. When I'm doing nothing all day (like I am now) I tend to not work out, lay around watching tv, and get fat. I think it's because if I'm busy, I focus on getting the workout done rather than getting it started.
 
I just don't really have the energy at the end of a long day of intense problem solving and all the crap that goes along with this degree to get my lazy butt to the gym. The most I can handle right about now is a 45 minute walk like maybe 4 times a week. I look in the mirror and long for the days when I could shamelessly sport a bikini.
 
I couldn't agree more! During college I never really had the time to hit the gym. And even when I did, it sucked cuz I had other things on my mind... so I could never really lift all that well.

I took a year off this past year and wow.. its been awesome hitting the gym everyday after work! I'm getting in better shape than I've ever been in my life.... only to know it'll go right out the window during med school. booooo :thumbdown:
 
lil pook said:
I just don't really have the energy at the end of a long day of intense problem solving and all the crap that goes along with this degree to get my lazy butt to the gym. The most I can handle right about now is a 45 minute walk like maybe 4 times a week. I look in the mirror and long for the days when I could shamelessly sport a bikini.

There's nothing more motivating than pulling out your bikini in February and trying it on in front of the mirror. :eek: . Incidentally, February/March is when I start thinking about working out after a winter's worth of accumulated "insulation".

You could run 4 times a week for 20 minutes instead. Especially since its nice outside these days.
 
lil pook said:
I just don't really have the energy at the end of a long day of intense problem solving and all the crap that goes along with this degree to get my lazy butt to the gym.

You might want to try working out first thing in the morning. I find I'm much more pumped and motivated the rest of the day if I get this part of my daily routine knocked off my list early (while I'm only semi-awake). Of course you really feel sapped by the end of the day, but that's what caffeine is for.
 
I've resolved myself to putting on a few pounds and went out yesterday to buy a bigger size of pants. My former 50 miles of running per week have turned into about 10. It's sad, because I love to eat!
 
Law2Doc said:
You might want to try working out first thing in the morning. I find I'm much more pumped and motivated the rest of the day if I get this part of my daily routine knocked off my list early (while I'm only semi-awake). Of course you really feel sapped by the end of the day, but that's what caffeine is for.


i have 8 am classes mon, tues and thurs. also i can't run cuz too many joint injuries from my athletic days. it's like a vicious cycle. no work out, no energy, no work out.... :thumbdown:
 
also i have recurring dreams. it's like 6 years into the future. i am a doc. i have money. but i am no longer desirable cuz I AM FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then once you're fat you know how hard it is to take it off. nobody wants me cuz even though i am super kick a$$ career woman, i am just not sexy anymore.
 
it feels so good to wake up at 7 in the morning and hit the gym. at first, its kinda hard to wake up so early if ur not used to it, but after a while, it doesnt matter. its a good way to start ur day.
 
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jtank said:
it feels so good to wake up at 7 in the morning and hit the gym. at first, its kinda hard to wake up so early if ur not used to it, but after a while, it doesnt matter. its a good way to start ur day.


well if you say so. i guess i could get out of bed at 6 and do a quick work out.
 
lil pook said:
Makes me wonder.

I was just listening to Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven when Plant sings "... makes me wonder" at the moment I read what you wrote. Interesting stuff. :thumbup:
 
If you like Led Zeppelin, I highly recommend the Led Zeppelin movie. Not The Song Remains the Same, but the one that has been released recently. Sorry so off-subject.

I'm hoping to be able to get some work out time in while in med school. Hopefully the school has a nice gym facility, or hopefully I can afford to pay to go to a gym.
 
g3pro said:
I was just listening to Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven when Plant sings "... makes me wonder" at the moment I read what you wrote. Interesting stuff. :thumbup:


ha ha. i think that's called synchronicity. it's like you are doing exactly what you should at this exact moment in your life. in other words, you are on the right track. sorry for getting philosophical. i read it somewhere once. can't remember where though.
 
Biscuit799 said:
I've actually noticed that the busier I am, the more I work out and exercise. When I'm doing nothing all day (like I am now) I tend to not work out, lay around watching tv, and get fat. I think it's because if I'm busy, I focus on getting the workout done rather than getting it started.

i am the exacty same way! last year i was so busy with my program that i worked out at least 3 times a week. this year i have been so bored, yet have lost the motivation to go to the gym *at all*. while my weight has stayed the same, i have certainly lost muscle tone. :thumbdown: hopefully the stress of med school will kick my butt into going to the gym more.
 
Med school does not have to make you fat. I started running more than ever before in med school and finished three marathons (2nd, 3rd, and 4th year). You will definitely have time to work out first and second year. Just don't let studying be your excuse not to work out - I found that working out helped me be more focused when I was studying. Third year can be tough but you have to keep working out as a priority (and running before work helps for me - even if it is 4:30am in the dark - that way you won't dread it all day). Then fourth year comes and you have more time than you ever dreamed of to stay in shape. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up in residency... :)
 
drmp said:
Med school does not have to make you fat. I started running more than ever before in med school and finished three marathons (2nd, 3rd, and 4th year). You will definitely have time to work out first and second year. Just don't let studying be your excuse not to work out - I found that working out helped me be more focused when I was studying. Third year can be tough but you have to keep working out as a priority (and running before work helps for me - even if it is 4:30am in the dark - that way you won't dread it all day). Then fourth year comes and you have more time than you ever dreamed of to stay in shape. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up in residency... :)

damn- i'm impressed. you ran marathons?!? did you ever feel like you were sacrificing grades for running.? i mean, it seems like it would be easy to go overboard and just study all the time. or maybe eat too much as a way of coping with the stress. how did you make yourself make time for running regularly even with tests popping up all the time?
 
I was wondering about this topic...more specifically, I was wondering if it is possible to play varsity sports as a med student. If anyone can enlighten me on this, please chime in!

I am a walk-on at my D-1 school's cross-country team. Would it be possible to continue running at a varsity level in medical school (at least the first two years, that is)? Or do classes and studying take up too much time? I probably put in around 30 hours per week training during the season, 20 hours during the off-season.
 
humanity said:
I am a walk-on at my D-1 school's cross-country team. Would it be possible to continue running at a varsity level in medical school (at least the first two years, that is)? Or do classes and studying take up too much time? I probably put in around 30 hours per week training during the season, 20 hours during the off-season.

Jeez. How do you train 30 hours per week? Are you including the time for cc/track meets (which take a gazillion hours)? I don't remember ever training more than 20 hrs/week.. and that's pushing it.
 
lil pook said:
also i have recurring dreams. it's like 6 years into the future. i am a doc. i have money. but i am no longer desirable cuz I AM FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then once you're fat you know how hard it is to take it off. nobody wants me cuz even though i am super kick a$$ career woman, i am just not sexy anymore.

Don't worry, you might get wrinkly and grey before you get fat :thumbup:

Seriously, you might not be able to get as many men as you can now but all you really need is one.
 
Scarletbegonias said:
If you like Led Zeppelin, I highly recommend the Led Zeppelin movie. Not The Song Remains the Same, but the one that has been released recently. Sorry so off-subject.

I most definitely will pick that one up as soon as I find it in stores. Or I'll order it online, I haven't decide yet. :)


ha ha. i think that's called synchronicity. it's like you are doing exactly what you should at this exact moment in your life. in other words, you are on the right track. sorry for getting philosophical. i read it somewhere once. can't remember where though.

Haha, I certainly am on track at the moment, as I've finally decided what research I want to do this summer (nervous system regeneration and stem cells). Whatever it is, I guess it's working. ;)
 
tinkerbelle said:
Jeez. How do you train 30 hours per week? Are you including the time for cc/track meets (which take a gazillion hours)? I don't remember ever training more than 20 hrs/week.. and that's pushing it.

We do two work-outs a day: from 6:00 to 7:00 A.M. (easy stuff and flexibility) and then from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M (the 'fun' stuff). Then I do another hour with weights, followed by thirty minutes in the pool doing resistance training.

I only do resistance training four days a week and the rest six days a week, so I guess it ends up being closer to twenty six hours. Just rounded up to sound 'hardcore'. :D
 
i definitely pack on weight when i'm stressed out - not because i don't work out, but because i eat like a starved hyena and become almost completely nocturnal. if i'm awake during the day, it's just to eat. i can't tell you how many times i've finished an entire box of cereal of cookies in one night alone, by myself.

i think more than working out, it's harder to make smart food choices when you're away from school. plus, i'm a sucker for temptation, so friends don't have to ask twice if they want company at dinner (even if i've already had mine).

one piece of advice i have for y'all is to find a workout buddy or club. i know a lot of med students who do remain active without disrupting their study schedule (or maybe their study habits are better because they make it a point to exercise). i think this is pretty good advice in general, but it should be even easier to find somebody in your class who works out at a similar pace/rate. maybe it's the competitive nature of med students, or maybe it's just having somebody to amuse you during an otherwise boring run, but i've found that mutual motivation is the way to go :)
 
lil pook said:
i have 8 am classes mon, tues and thurs. also i can't run cuz too many joint injuries from my athletic days. it's like a vicious cycle. no work out, no energy, no work out.... :thumbdown:

Hit the elliptical... low impact but you can get a better workout than just walking. If you did 45 minutes of elliptical instead of 45 minutes of walking, you'd burn a lot more and work more muscle groups.
 
Yes, some people will get fat in medical school. Especially during pharm rep heavy rotations. Look out, stay active, and try to order fish with the pharm reps.
 
I know one thing. During med school itll be nice because I can actually make food for myself that is more healthy than my caf. Im excited for that.
 
GATORade said:
I'm actually more frightened of getting too skinny. When I'm stressed out I tend to lose a significant amount of muscle mass. My senior year in college I think I lost about 10-15 lbs. Hopefully I can remain in the gym and continue to eat well once school starts.
Yeah, same here. I just hope I don't look like a skinny fat guy after the first year.
 
Not so much worried about medical school. I'll be able to make time to workout then. It's residency that scares me.

I've put on about 40 pounds of muscle over the past year and a half. Definitely don't want to throw all that work out the window during those years. Don't see how it's not possible. We're talking cortisol city.
 
lil pook said:
In the last 2 years of my engineering program I have witnessed about 1/2 the chicks gain from 10-20 pounds and the guys look pretty shabby too (no shaving, etc). Makes me wonder. :confused:

I'm actually afraid the opposite is going to happen. I've realized that since I've been so stressed out since after Spring Break that I've been working out almost everyday and I've gone down in pants size (which I definately did not need to do) even though I still eat like crazy. And if there's more stress in med school who knows how much more I'll be working out.
 
humanity said:
We do two work-outs a day: from 6:00 to 7:00 A.M. (easy stuff and flexibility) and then from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M (the 'fun' stuff). Then I do another hour with weights, followed by thirty minutes in the pool doing resistance training.

I only do resistance training four days a week and the rest six days a week, so I guess it ends up being closer to twenty six hours. Just rounded up to sound 'hardcore'. :D
My God! No wonder I keep coming in near the middle of the pack. I have to compete against runners like you!
 
I used to be under 11% body fat before med school now I can't even see my abs.
 
haha interesting thread. i have the same concern... even in the beautiful cali weather (and close proximity to 2 gyms), it's hard to motivate myself to run or work out... i don't know how i'm going to change my habits while in med school.

actually, now that i think of it, don't really gain any weight. even when i don't exercise for like 6 months, i still weigh the same as if i'm running everyday. :-\ of course, it's good for my cardiovascular health to exercise more... :D so i do it more to be "healthy" than to be thin.
 
Realest said:
i definitely pack on weight when i'm stressed out - not because i don't work out, but because i eat like a starved hyena and become almost completely nocturnal. if i'm awake during the day, it's just to eat. i can't tell you how many times i've finished an entire box of cereal of cookies in one night alone, by myself.

i think more than working out, it's harder to make smart food choices when you're away from school. plus, i'm a sucker for temptation, so friends don't have to ask twice if they want company at dinner (even if i've already had mine).

story of my life...

during finals week i typically put on at least 5 pounds, if not 10. i still work out, but i also eat about 4000 calories of junk food in addition to my normal amount of food.

for some reason, i'm not really worried about putting on weight in med school. i work out so much that it'd be hard to put on more than like 5-10 pounds anyway no matter what i eat.
 
If anyone is that concerned about it, focus all your power into one school. Loyola in Chicago.

By far, the best gym I have ever seen... anywhere. The place is top quality and it is CONNECTED to the medical school building. We're talking a 30 second walk from classes. My buddy there says that him and the other M-1s get a chance after lunch to play hoops or swim around to kill off some tension energy. Sure beats the 'no-gym' Rush and 'crappy gym' UIC down the street.
 
shantster said:
I'm actually afraid the opposite is going to happen. I've realized that since I've been so stressed out since after Spring Break that I've been working out almost everyday and I've gone down in pants size (which I definately did not need to do) even though I still eat like crazy. And if there's more stress in med school who knows how much more I'll be working out.


you suck
 
illiniTJ said:
If anyone is that concerned about it, focus all your power into one school. Loyola in Chicago.

By far, the best gym I have ever seen... anywhere. The place is top quality and it is CONNECTED to the medical school building. We're talking a 30 second walk from classes. My buddy there says that him and the other M-1s get a chance after lunch to play hoops or swim around to kill off some tension energy. Sure beats the 'no-gym' Rush and 'crappy gym' UIC down the street.


shhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttt, I already got fat b/c I got in a rut after finishing college last May. Now I am so scared about going on interviews that I am working out like crazy now, trying to get as much of this crap off as possible. We will see!!!!!!!! I just love chocolate :D !!!
 
lil pook said:
In the last 2 years of my engineering program I have witnessed about 1/2 the chicks gain from 10-20 pounds and the guys look pretty shabby too (no shaving, etc). Makes me wonder. :confused:
get use to studying while on your cardio equipment of choice...the extra blood flow lends well to memory retention :laugh:
 
lil pook said:

haha i'm with you on that

this is the "help me i'm a tub of fat lard thread" not "oh no! I think my body is looking more and more like Cameron Diaz's every day! Please help me, I'd rather look like Oprah..."

i know skinny people have their share of problems, but whenever i ask them if they'd rather be obese, their faces go blank
 
i'm definitely more afraid of the opposite. since i came to college ive lost ~25 lbs of lean muscle and been put in the hospital once (passed out after not eating for too long). part of the cause is im overworked, more is that i'm poor and cant afford food, and even more is that for the longest time ive learned to pass on food in favor of saving the money for other things. oddly enough i used to a sort of a bodybuilder, im still above average in musculature, but nothing like before. what i do eat is amazingly healthy, and i take vitamins etc to try and minimize any damage. i suppose i'm being forced into a caloric restricted diet. in the summers when i'm home my grandmother spends a lot of money we dont have on tons of food and buffs me up. hah, just over the week of spring break i gained a solid 10 pounds. my class schedule will be different from now on, and im probably going to take out some student loans so i can actually eat like i want to, so hopefully next year will be different.
 
god that's horrible! :eek: send me your address so i can send you some food!!
 
humanity said:
I was wondering about this topic...more specifically, I was wondering if it is possible to play varsity sports as a med student. If anyone can enlighten me on this, please chime in!

I am a walk-on at my D-1 school's cross-country team. Would it be possible to continue running at a varsity level in medical school (at least the first two years, that is)? Or do classes and studying take up too much time? I probably put in around 30 hours per week training during the season, 20 hours during the off-season.

during my interview at my alma mater, one of the mstp students recognized me as a triathlete (the 20-30hrs/week kind) and filled me in. he said he continued training for track to "maintain" and then ended up coaching for the college team. many of my research colleges are surgeons and they all suggested that i keep up with triathlon to find balance in my life

i run with a ridiculously athletic crowd and several of them are med students. i've heard of (and seen) 3rd year med students (one on surg rotation) complete 1/2 ironmans although not exactly at top speed. lots of the med students here are running marathons. i know a couple phd students who walked on to the cross country team here and used up all their eligibilty.

i'm planning to race during med school, possibly even professionally (this might be funny). i'm signed up for a 1/2 ironman at the end of october.

i don't know how anyone could give up their sport and just study. i don't want the pressure of having my entire self based on medicine. plus i am infinitely more productive after a morning track workout than when i drag myself out of bed and straight to the coffee pot.

plus clothing is expensive. if i get fat i have to buy all new clothing :laugh: :laugh:
 
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