Fitness and pre-med

[jb94mg]

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Anyone diet (to lose fat) much as a pre-med? Personally, I have a small amount of stomach flab that I wouldn't mind cutting off, but I know there's been a strong connection between caloric deficits and impaired cognitive functioning in many studies, and I'm about to take OChem I. Then again, you'd have to wonder how someone eating at or above maintenance but not consuming adequate micronutrients would compare cognitively to someone at or below maintenance who was consuming plenty of micronutrients and exercising. Given that most pre-meds are taking on challenging classes regularly, it makes me wonder if they'd be better off delaying any dieting phases until the summertime. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, though. Was just curious how those who live the fitness lifestyle on here do things.

 

[jd989898]

Don't go on a starvation diet. Just eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and water. Do 20 or 30 minutes of cardio everyday, and add in some resistance training.

There are hundreds of papers and books published on the positive effects of cardiovascular exercise on cognitive function.

If you want to read about it, I suggest the book Spark! by Dr. John Ratey

 

[allantois]

I doubt that eating less will have negative impacts on your performance in Organic Chemistry. In fact I would bet that obese individuals are more likely to drop out of school based on a few observations of mine.

 

[DoctorSynthesis]

My belief is when I workout and keep in shape I study better. I just seem to have more energy.

 

[ciestar]

What worked for me was cutting back on overall calories (I was eating way too much), cutting out all junk/processed foods, and exercising 5 days a week (cardio, yoga, Pilates, conditioning classes, etc).

And fwiw, I'd take my notes with me and study on the stationary bike or tread mill.

 

[jb94mg]

I'm considering quitting soda entirely (even diet) and just going to tea/water as well. Though there aren't any studies establishing a causal relation, I still think diet soda causes you to crave junk. Plus, the thought of phosphoric acid encountering my teeth makes me cringe.

But I may go ahead and just start working on losing the stomach flab despite the fact that I'll be taking OChem this fall. I'm a skinny guy and would like to bulk up and gain muscle/strength, but I'd like to lose the flab first.

 

[FutureOncologist]

Anyone diet (to lose fat) much as a pre-med? Personally, I have a small amount of stomach flab that I wouldn't mind cutting off, but I know there's been a strong connection between caloric deficits and impaired cognitive functioning in many studies, and I'm about to take OChem I. Then again, you'd have to wonder how someone eating at or above maintenance but not consuming adequate micronutrients would compare cognitively to someone at or below maintenance who was consuming plenty of micronutrients and exercising. Given that most pre-meds are taking on challenging classes regularly, it makes me wonder if they'd be better off delaying any dieting phases until the summertime. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, though. Was just curious how those who live the fitness lifestyle on here do things.

I mentored kids that wanted to shed from 10-100 pounds of fat. They thought that if you ate less and less then your metabolism would go up so you could burn more fat (the f*ck?) I made a 4.0 junior and senior year taking upper level chem and bio classes (2 of which were graduate level) while working out 6 days a week AND holding leadership roles in various student-ran clubs. If I could do it, you can do it OP.

Your body is built in the kitchen and defined in the gym.

 

[jb94mg]

I doubt that eating less will have negative impacts on your performance in Organic Chemistry. In fact I would bet that obese individuals are more likely to drop out of school based on a few observations of mine.

Yeah, probably not in all actuality. In fact, I think there was an article that I read once that said that it's more so your perception of the difficulty of mental tasks that affects how draining they are - that is, if you view studying as taxing, it'll be more taxing.

Here's the article, actually: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thinking-hard-calories/

Interesting excerpt: "But for most people, the body easily supplies what little extra glucose the brain needs for additional mental effort."

If anything, then, it seems that keeping a moderate carb intake is probably essential when cutting down, rather than completely cutting them out or something drastic along those lines.

 

[jayhawk5513]

A good idea may be studying while walking on a treadmill. There is ample evidence that shows this increases productivity. Just search "studying on treadmill."

 

[aedie]

If you do decide to do something about your excess weight, make sure it's a moderate change in your lifestyle. I can't tell you how many people go on a crash diet, lose a lot of weight fast, then gain it all back + more. Exercise frequently and find out how many calories you should be eating to maintain your weight, then subtract 500 from that.

 

[Goro]

Eat less, exercise more.

Anyone diet (to lose fat) much as a pre-med? Personally, I have a small amount of stomach flab that I wouldn't mind cutting off, but I know there's been a strong connection between caloric deficits and impaired cognitive functioning in many studies, and I'm about to take OChem I. Then again, you'd have to wonder how someone eating at or above maintenance but not consuming adequate micronutrients would compare cognitively to someone at or below maintenance who was consuming plenty of micronutrients and exercising. Given that most pre-meds are taking on challenging classes regularly, it makes me wonder if they'd be better off delaying any dieting phases until the summertime. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, though. Was just curious how those who live the fitness lifestyle on here do things.

 

[BowSeat]

I'm considering quitting soda entirely (even diet) and just going to tea/water as well. Though there aren't any studies establishing a causal relation, I still think diet soda causes you to crave junk. Plus, the thought of phosphoric acid encountering my teeth makes me cringe.

But I may go ahead and just start working on losing the stomach flab despite the fact that I'll be taking OChem this fall. I'm a skinny guy and would like to bulk up and gain muscle/strength, but I'd like to lose the flab first.

If you're already a skinny guy and want to bulk up, why not just recomp instead of losing weight and bulking up to that weight again? And don't worry so much. You're going to lose your gains with all that stress.

 

[ciestar]

I'm considering quitting soda entirely (even diet) and just going to tea/water as well. Though there aren't any studies establishing a causal relation, I still think diet soda causes you to crave junk. Plus, the thought of phosphoric acid encountering my teeth makes me cringe.

But I may go ahead and just start working on losing the stomach flab despite the fact that I'll be taking OChem this fall. I'm a skinny guy and would like to bulk up and gain muscle/strength, but I'd like to lose the flab first.

It doesn't sound like you have any real weight to lose. Exercising is always a good idea, as well as eating healthy, but I wouldn't do anything drastic. Tone up what you have, you'll see a difference without any intense diet.

 

[jb94mg]

If you're already a skinny guy and want to bulk up, why not just recomp instead of losing weight and bulking up to that weight again? And don't worry so much. You're going to lose your gains with all that stress.

Recomping takes longer than does focusing on one thing or the other. Focusing on one thing is the quicker/better route to progress, IMO. @ciestar, I do; it's just a deal where losing 10-15 lbs would be enough to get me lean/toned. @Goro, thanks for the groundbreaking advice 😛; I was more so looking to see what people thought about the relation between caloric deficits and cognitive performance.

 

[ciestar]

Recomping takes longer than does focusing on one thing or the other. Focusing on one thing is the quicker/better route to progress, IMO. @ciestar, I do; it's just a deal where losing 10-15 lbs would be enough to get me lean/toned. @Goro, thanks for the groundbreaking advice 😛; I was more so looking to see what people thought about the relation between caloric deficits and cognitive performance.

Ahh, okay, 10-15 lbs is definitely doable with a sensible diet. Just make better dietary choices, like calorie rich foods, more protein..etc. Add in the cardio/toning exercises, you'll be well on your way.

 

[IL Pre Med]

Lol you're worried about decreased performance in school from dieting. Stop being a girl and hit the gym. I cut with <50g of carbs/day and still get straight As. Don't be a sissy. No excuses for not exercising in the lifting world.

 

[allojay]

Two Words: Flexible Dieting. Research it. It's been quite effective for myself and other people that I know. The general consensus here seems to be: eat less calories and exercise more, but there comes a point where your body adapts to the BS treadmill cardio and low caloric intake and you actually stop losing weight after a period of time. I suggest finding your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and use that as a baseline. For example, if it's 3000 calories per day, then eat 2500 calories per day to lose about a pound each week. Also, daily cardio is a waste. If you weight train for just 30-60 mins about three times a week, you'll be fine. You don't need to be a slave to the treadmill to lose fat. You could if you wanted to but I'd suggest high intensity, short duration sprints. The biggest part of losing weight is the diet aspect. Biggest thing is to drink a lot of water. Eat more protein, more fiber, more complex carbs, less simple carbs, no soda. And no, doing any of this will not affect your cognitive capabilities. If anything, it would amplify them bc you'll actually feel better and your mind will be clearer.

 

[2Pints]

Find an activity you actually enjoy doing and people to do that with. The gym has never motivated me. For convenience, I envy people that can stay active through the gym.

I eat healthier the more I work out because my body craves better fuel. About seven years ago I joined my school's triathlon club and lost the extra weight I'd been carrying around without focusing on losing weight. The club also have me some awesome opportunities like collegiate nationals and leadership roles. I met people outside of the pre-med bubble and had a much easier time meeting friends when I moved around the country post graduation. There's running/tri clubs everywhere.

Cut out the diet soda. Give it a week or so and you might not even miss it.

 

[Goro]

There's plenty of evidence that exercise is good for cognitive function, and a whole lot more. While I don't buy into the "sugar is a toxin" mentality that some biochemists have, the best evidence seems to support the idea that if you cut the carbs, you'll lose more weight.


thanks for the groundbreaking advice 😛; I was more so looking to see what people thought about the relation between caloric deficits and cognitive performance.[/QUOTE]

 

[moisne]

Anyone diet (to lose fat) much as a pre-med? Personally, I have a small amount of stomach flab that I wouldn't mind cutting off, but I know there's been a strong connection between caloric deficits and impaired cognitive functioning in many studies, and I'm about to take OChem I. Then again, you'd have to wonder how someone eating at or above maintenance but not consuming adequate micronutrients would compare cognitively to someone at or below maintenance who was consuming plenty of micronutrients and exercising. Given that most pre-meds are taking on challenging classes regularly, it makes me wonder if they'd be better off delaying any dieting phases until the summertime. Maybe I'm just overthinking things, though. Was just curious how those who live the fitness lifestyle on here do things.

I don't know what you look like, but you realize EVERYONE has some fat around the tummy right? It doesn't have to be "unhealthy". I have a bit of fat on my lower tummy that can be pinched when sitting or crouching but I would say I am healthy. I'm working on more toning via yoga, hiking, and some running.

You don't need to crash diet.

 

[areserine]

You should be fine, just keep an eye on it and be willing to try things out. When trying to lose weight in college I spent a ton of time figuring out what actually kept me full. It's all well and good to know that my body and mind were "capable" of functioning perfectly well on 500 fewer calories per day than TDEE, but it's hard to remember that when feeling hungry. If you are hungry, or feeling sluggish or like the wires aren't connecting in your brain while eating at a reasonable deficit (500 calories per day), play around with your macros, timing of meals, number of meals, when your body feels full on certain items etc. It might take a bit of work, but it definitely won't impact you so much that you won't be able to do well in classes.

Check out IIFYM.com for some good TDEE, BMR, etc calculators if you haven't heard of it already.

 

[HCHopeful]

I lost 90 lbs over the course of 10 months back in 2012-2013 by eating 2000 calories a day and exercising for 1-2 hours a day. I have a 3.93 sGPA. So, for me it clearly didn't do much to negatively impact my grades. Happy to say I've maintained my weight since then by just eating sensibly.

Keep in mind a 2000 calorie diet may be too many calories for some. But I am 6'4" and weighed 300 pounds, so it was enough of a caloric deficit to make a dent!

 

[The Buff OP]

 

[Lamel]

Even if you're not dieting, it is important to stay physically active in some way.

Using your mind without using your body is a huge waste.

 

[Kochanie]

I used that excuse all the time in high school/freshman year. "I can't go on a diet or exercise, I need energy to study!".

 

[Teleologist]

The fittest person is the person who has the most offspring.

From that metric, premeds are probably the least fit of all students.

 

[Make Or Break]

Go keto and watch your body get shredded.

 

[sashka1]

Go keto and watch your body get shredded.

this. i can confirm

 

[gettheleadout]

Two Words: Flexible Dieting. Research it. It's been quite effective for myself and other people that I know. The general consensus here seems to be: eat less calories and exercise more, but there comes a point where your body adapts to the BS treadmill cardio and low caloric intake and you actually stop losing weight after a period of time. I suggest finding your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and use that as a baseline. For example, if it's 3000 calories per day, then eat 2500 calories per day to lose about a pound each week. Also, daily cardio is a waste. If you weight train for just 30-60 mins about three times a week, you'll be fine. You don't need to be a slave to the treadmill to lose fat. You could if you wanted to but I'd suggest high intensity, short duration sprints. The biggest part of losing weight is the diet aspect. Biggest thing is to drink a lot of water. Eat more protein, more fiber, more complex carbs, less simple carbs, no soda. And no, doing any of this will not affect your cognitive capabilities. If anything, it would amplify them bc you'll actually feel better and your mind will be clearer.

Unless, you know, you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness.

 

[Lawgiver]

eat as little as possible and exercise more. if you live life like a still corpse you will be one sooner than expected.