Has anyone gained weight due to this whole process?

[brightshadows]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I feel like ever since I've been focused on medical school admissions I have not really been working out and consequently gained a lot of weight...and now I feel like a fatty...

I guess whenever I feel overwhelmed due to school or around when I took the MCAT I did everything but work out.

This is definitely not good and I am looking to get back into a routine as I know it is important to take care of one's health. How do you guys discipline yourself to go workout especially when you are stressed? When I used to be stressed about school I felt like working out even 25-45 minutes would take away from study time so I never bothered.

 

[osckey]

I feel like ever since I've been focused on medical school admissions I have not really been working out and consequently gained a lot of weight...and now I feel like a fatty...

I guess whenever I feel overwhelmed due to school or around when I took the MCAT I did everything but work out.

This is definitely not good and I am looking to get back into a routine as I know it is important to take care of one's health. How do you guys discipline yourself to go workout especially when you are stressed? When I used to be stressed about school I felt like working out even 25-45 minutes would take away from study time so I never bothered.

I was around 215 by the time I graduated college and after the MCAT. I'm 193 as of graduation. Stress and stress eating with a lack of consistent workout schedule was killing me. Make it a point to be in the gym or running for 1 hour a day as it completely changes everything.

 

[terra330]

Gained some weight as I unsuccessfully went through the application process last year, lost some weight since I got an acceptance letter this cycle. Don't know if the connection is real, but I definitely do feel less stressed out since getting that letter

 

[ifnotnowwren]

Figure out what you can stick to. I have always been in the same boat about workouts seeming to eat up too much time. Any time I've gained weight I have almost always preferred to cut calories until I reach a more "naturally" active state, like walking all over campus out of necessity. Recently, I've realized I would like to become someone who prioritizes working out, at least a little bit, and so I'm setting a starting goal of twice a week once I return to a University and have access to a tuition subsidized gym again! I will probably never be the type of person who will dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to working out, and if I put that pressure on myself to make it happen, I'll get stressed and not do it frequently so I won't build the habit and it just won't happen. So I'm working with myself to figure out what I can do.

In the mean time, I have figured out that I like doing some exercises that really only take one minute to do. I like starting my day doing a 1 minute wall squat, and then I work in 2-4 more 1 minute wall squats throughout the day. In the evening, depending on how much time I have, I do more body weight exercises like planks. Some days I do very few, some days I do many depending on how much time I have. Am I seeing huge weight loss? No, but within 3 days of doing three, 1 minute wall squats a day, I noticeably put on muscle mass and noticed a change in my leg shape, for the better. I am making small progress in a way that may be considered laughable to some people, but it's progress to me and that's all that matters. When I started doing planks I could only hold them for 30 seconds, I continued to stay at that level until I thought I could do 5 seconds more, and then I did 35 seconds until I thought I could do 40. I'm up to 45 seconds which isn't a big deal, but I'm proud of myself for continuing to improve. Seeing subtle changes in my body and subtle changes in time/effort improvements has inspired me to look into more body weight type exercises. Could I be doing a lot more? Absolutely, I'm not going to pretend that this is "enough" or perhaps "recommended", but it's better than nothing, and it's what I can stick to, which I think is the most important thing for me. I don't feel as if 10 minutes spaced throughout the day is a huge time commitment that will hurt my studying, and perhaps as I continue to increase these body weight type exercises, I will reach 30-45 minutes spaced throughout the day. There is no shame in starting slow or small if it is what you can do and what you will stick to. Mentally reward yourself every time you work out, and every time you see an improvement, even if it may be considered puny to others.

Note on these 1 minute exercises - I actually find them to be nice study breaks, they get my heart pumping a bit and they wake me up. I did a wall squat during every break while I was taking the MCAT!

 

[bananafish94]

Gained weight in the fall semester but I've been running about 4 miles a day this semester and gave up soda completely. It's a good release from the madness of med school apps.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[ridethecliche]

The rest of your life doesn't and shouldn't stop if you're focused on something.

 

[MatthewDamon]

Remind yourself that working out is actually helping your studying.

 

[aalamruad]

Remind yourself that working out is actually helping your studying.

This is really the key. Sleeping well, eating well, and exercising (IN THAT ORDER), will make you more successful at everything else, even though it feels inefficient while you're doing it.

 

[Terror Billy]

Really looking forward to my gap year to bust @ss in the gym on a consistent basis. As this "process" is moving w/MCAT, school, work+ECs it's so hard to build a consistent routine

 

[Lannister]

Probably, but I don't have the courage to weigh myself right now. The amount of ice cream I've been eating throughout the last 7 months is obscene.

 

[Chelsea FC]

gained 25 pounds 🙁

 

[WedgeDawg]

I never consistently worked out prior to medical school, but I have found that consistently going to the gym 3-4x/week has kept me sane throughout medical school so far. I don't think its unusual for people to gain (or lose) weight during times of stress (which applying to medical school definitely counts as), but it's also something you have some degree of control over, should you choose to want to make a change.

 

[Mwooster]

As philosopher Michael Sorrentino once said, you gotta hit the gym, pork chop

I actually gained muscle mass and lost a bit of weight during the cycle as I took out my anger/frustration on gym equipment/weights

 

[PooshBag]

Stopped my lifting and running when i got super serious about my mcat studying last summer. Still havent restarted.... lost weight. muscle weight actually..

 

[panda16]

When I was studying for the MCAT I found that working out was, like, my refuge. Even when I got to the app process, too--like, being able to hit the gym of the hotel I was waiting at during an interview weekend calmed me down and kept me going. Just finding a time specifically during your weekly routine for that day is what really gets me. Like, I know every single Monday at 3:30 PM I MUST go to the gym or I won't have the ability to for the rest of that day. 11 AM on Tuesdays. Carving out time and scheduling it is what really helped me keep with it.

 

[Holmwood]

Attach your wii thing to some weights and game on.

But mind the walls.

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

130 --> 155lbs

Thighs are suffocating in my skinny jeans.

 

[babybluepremed]

I was the complete opposite. The stress had me not eating much and basically hopping a treadmill 2x a day just to take my mind off it. 130-->108 before I even interviewed. And I got an ulcer from the stress + not eating combo which has been mega fun.

 

[ridethecliche]

I don't understand how some of you will survive medical school/residency/practice if you're freaking out and getting stress ulcers/losing weight/stopping your workouts when you're studying for the MCAT and applying. There are very few of you who legitimately don't have the time to exercise, if that's something that's important to you. (Hint: It probably should be tbh)

 

[coldcase331]

I started gaining weight in the fall because of all the waiting. Then I started doing Insanity after new years and I'm in the best shape of my life 🙂

 

[cantankerous]

I'm probably going to start gaining weight because of increased alcohol consumption, not cutting out workout time lol

 

[babybluepremed]

I don't understand how some of you will survive medical school/residency/practice if you're freaking out and getting stress ulcers/losing weight/stopping your workouts when you're studying for the MCAT and applying. There are very few of you who legitimately don't have the time to exercise, if that's something that's important to you. (Hint: It probably should be tbh)

I think that's one of those "cross that bridge when we come to it" sort of situations. On the other hand, there's a difference between coping with daily stress of studying and responsibilities and managing the stress of not knowing if you're going to have to reevaluate your whole life plan. Pile that on top of your other daily stressors like jobs and bills and family (if your family is anything like mine, it can be PLENTY stressful), and I don't find it surprising at all that people lose/gain weight. It's the difference between coping with things you can control and worrying about something you have no control over, if that makes sense. I don't think it says anything about a person's ability to "survive" med school.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

Between trying to increase my EC's for a possible reapply, busy with work, stress from this entire process, and having a boyfriend who lives a bit aways from my gym, and drinking much more often than usual...I am packing on the pounds like a full time job/losing muscle and definition...I am usually known as someone who is quite fit/into bodybuilding...literally terrified for beach season this year.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

I think that's one of those "cross that bridge when we come to it" sort of situations. On the other hand, there's a difference between coping with daily stress of studying and responsibilities and managing the stress of not knowing if you're going to have to reevaluate your whole life plan. Pile that on top of your other daily stressors like jobs and bills and family (if your family is anything like mine, it can be PLENTY stressful), and I don't find it surprising at all that people lose/gain weight. It's the difference between coping with things you can control and worrying about something you have no control over, if that makes sense. I don't think it says anything about a person's ability to "survive" med school.

But just realize that in med school you'll also have plenty of "do or die" moments. Each final exam that possibly means whether you have to wait a year to continue. Each structured clinical scenario. Each anatomy practical. Board exams. Etc. Failing in medical school is not a particularly good thing or necessarily easy to remediate.

I agree that the MCAT was a difficult period to get through, but I also agree that learning to cope before med school can save you some weight/stress on your liver/sleepless nights/however anyone may cope in unhealthy ways.

Sent from my SM-G900T using SDN mobile

 

[Glandzburg]

Let me start by admitting that there were times in college when I "let myself go" due to having too much on my plate. But, as I'm sure you all have realized by now, your plate will only get fuller. So I would highly recommend that all of you accepted students make it a priority next year to exercise a few times per week. Because let's be real, if you can't make yourself do it during first year, it becomes much less likely you'll ever start. First year is all about getting into your groove, because second year is much more demanding.

 

[babybluepremed]

But just realize that in med school you'll also have plenty of "do or die" moments. Each final exam that possibly means whether you have to wait a year to continue. Each structured clinical scenario. Each anatomy practical. Board exams. Etc. Failing in medical school is not a particularly good thing or necessarily easy to remediate.

I agree that the MCAT was a difficult period to get through, but I also agree that learning to cope before med school can save you some weight/stress on your liver/sleepless nights/however anyone may cope in unhealthy ways.

Sent from my SM-G900T using SDN mobile

Oh I don't mean the MCAT! That's something you can prepare for. I just mean the part afterwards where you have no control over what adcoms do and that determines your future. At least with the MCAT and med school, you have some degree of control over your performance. At least over how much you study and everything. Does that make more sense? I didn't mean studying is stressful. Studying is easy. It's waiting with nothing else you can do that's crazy stressful. Or at least it was for me!

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Oh I don't mean the MCAT! That's something you can prepare for. I just mean the part afterwards where you have no control over what adcoms do and that determines your future. At least with the MCAT and med school, you have some degree of control over your performance. At least over how much you study and everything. Does that make more sense? I didn't mean studying is stressful. Studying is easy. It's waiting with nothing else you can do that's crazy stressful. Or at least it was for me!

Ahh! Makes more sense. I totally agree with you. 🙂

 

[asquared]

GAH, I definitely gained ~15 lbs while going through the app/interview process. Since I finally have time and a sense of sanity again, I joined a gym and go running at night. I know if I don't make a difference now in my weight/health it will likely get a whole lot worse while in medical school. Here's to healthy eating and living!

 

[WedgeDawg]

GAH, I definitely gained ~15 lbs while going through the app/interview process. Since I finally have time and a sense of sanity again, I joined a gym and go running at night. I know if I don't make a difference now in my weight/health it will likely get a whole lot worse while in medical school. Here's to healthy eating and living!

If you set your schedule up right, you'll definitely be able to eat relatively well and work out regularly in medical school. Medical school is actually the only time in my adult life I've consistently been physically active. You just have to make it somewhat of a priority. I would say most of my medical school class makes time to work out or be active during the week.

 

[doctorgrey623]

I've put my efforts into learning how to make a bunch of easy yet tasty/long-lasting meals in prep for not having time to think let alone cook in med school which definitely didn't help the waistline the past few months but wasn't detrimental. Spending the next two months trying to fit some kind of activity in 6 days a week to build the habit and gains some muscle definition before school starts. Set small goals whether its trying to make healthy meals X days a week or being active Y days a week to build the habit so its not a shock to your system when you're up to your ears in info the first month of school and remember that you need to be good to your body as well

 

[TheZaLord]

I feel like ever since I've been focused on medical school admissions I have not really been working out and consequently gained a lot of weight...and now I feel like a fatty...

I guess whenever I feel overwhelmed due to school or around when I took the MCAT I did everything but work out.

This is definitely not good and I am looking to get back into a routine as I know it is important to take care of one's health. How do you guys discipline yourself to go workout especially when you are stressed? When I used to be stressed about school I felt like working out even 25-45 minutes would take away from study time so I never bothered.

I'm pretty much the porkiest I've ever been. I signed up at the YMCA down the street. Working on just eating less at the moment. Also trying to crowd out all my pizza rolls with actual vegetables. It's hard with time management, but working out is helping actually- stress is more manageable, and I can concentrate a bit better, so to say it takes away from studying- at least in my case, isn't accurate. I need brain breaks anyway, and work outs are great for that.

*Edit- time management is my biggest problem. I've taken to putting everything on a schedule or smaller "to-do" lists. It helps me stay focused. Adding the workouts in- I don't know that I'd call myself disciplined at this point, but I definitely feel like I need it if I don't do it, to manage stress, so that drives me- and looking forward to something other than reading or practicing various chem problems drives me.

 

[ridethecliche]

I think that's one of those "cross that bridge when we come to it" sort of situations. On the other hand, there's a difference between coping with daily stress of studying and responsibilities and managing the stress of not knowing if you're going to have to reevaluate your whole life plan. Pile that on top of your other daily stressors like jobs and bills and family (if your family is anything like mine, it can be PLENTY stressful), and I don't find it surprising at all that people lose/gain weight. It's the difference between coping with things you can control and worrying about something you have no control over, if that makes sense. I don't think it says anything about a person's ability to "survive" med school.

Why don't you work to cross the bridge you're currently on then? Is worrying taking up so much of your time that you can't spare time to work out or be active if that's something that interests you? Might want to re-evaluate priorities if worrying is keeping you from working out tbh.

Also, note the part where I said most people. Most people applying to med school don't have a spouse and kids. And I took the MCAT while working full time and applied to med school while working 60-80 hrs a week while paying my own way. It's really a question of priorities

Oh I don't mean the MCAT! That's something you can prepare for. I just mean the part afterwards where you have no control over what adcoms do and that determines your future. At least with the MCAT and med school, you have some degree of control over your performance. At least over how much you study and everything. Does that make more sense? I didn't mean studying is stressful. Studying is easy. It's waiting with nothing else you can do that's crazy stressful. Or at least it was for me!

So you can't work out because you're spending your time waiting? That makes negative sense.

 

[cardzkp]

Yeah but only because beer. However, I've been trying to get bigger for years now—cursed with ectomorph lifestyle.

 

[babybluepremed]

Why don't you work to cross the bridge you're currently on then? Is worrying taking up so much of your time that you can't spare time to work out or be active if that's something that interests you? Might want to re-evaluate priorities if worrying is keeping you from working out tbh.

Also, note the part where I said most people. Most people applying to med school don't have a spouse and kids. And I took the MCAT while working full time and applied to med school while working 60-80 hrs a week while paying my own way. It's really a question of priorities



So you can't work out because you're spending your time waiting? That makes negative sense.

Why don't you work to cross the bridge you're currently on then? Is worrying taking up so much of your time that you can't spare time to work out or be active if that's something that interests you? Might want to re-evaluate priorities if worrying is keeping you from working out tbh.

Also, note the part where I said most people. Most people applying to med school don't have a spouse and kids. And I took the MCAT while working full time and applied to med school while working 60-80 hrs a week while paying my own way. It's really a question of priorities



So you can't work out because you're spending your time waiting? That makes negative sense.

Listen, it seems like your point here is to let everyone know that you're for some reason the authority on managing stress. No one cares why you're so much better at it than anyone else. People handle stress differently and sometimes it gets the better of us. If you read anything that I had already said, you would know my problem was never NOT working out. It was that I worked out TOO much and didn't eat and got pretty sick. Medical school wasn't the only stress in my life, not that it's any of your buisness, but I'm telling you because you seem to think that you know everything and everyone else is pathetic and stupid.

Just a little note for you to take with you going forward, because as terrifying as it is you'll probably be a doctor one day, keep in mind that you never know the whole story and will never understand another person's situation entirely. People get stressed out. They deal. They learn. For you to act like it makes a person weak or not fit to be a doctor makes you an dingus and WILL make you a really really crappy physician. This thread was not about shaming people for the way they managed a stressful time in their lives, so don't make it that way. But I digress.

 

[Styrene]

In response to the original question, yes, though I suspect this occurred in conjunction with getting gap year job that requires me to sit at a computer for 50 hrs/wk.

 

[cinnalyn]

In response to the original question, yes, though I suspect this occurred in conjunction with getting gap year job that requires me to sit at a computer for 50 hrs/wk.

+1


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[ridethecliche]

Listen, it seems like your point here is to let everyone know that you're for some reason the authority on managing stress. No one cares why you're so much better at it than anyone else. People handle stress differently and sometimes it gets the better of us. If you read anything that I had already said, you would know my problem was never NOT working out. It was that I worked out TOO much and didn't eat and got pretty sick. Medical school wasn't the only stress in my life, not that it's any of your buisness, but I'm telling you because you seem to think that you know everything and everyone else is pathetic and stupid.

Just a little note for you to take with you going forward, because as terrifying as it is you'll probably be a doctor one day, keep in mind that you never know the whole story and will never understand another person's situation entirely. People get stressed out. They deal. They learn. For you to act like it makes a person weak or not fit to be a doctor makes you an dingus and WILL make you a really really crappy physician. This thread was not about shaming people for the way they managed a stressful time in their lives, so don't make it that way. But I digress.

Bolded for irony. You have no idea who I am or what I am like in person.

Read the thread title again. Done? Good. It implies the process is making applicants gain weight. It's not. It's time management.

Now read my posts again. Done? Good. See that part where it said most people? That's what it meant... i.e. most people. I picked those words carefully for a reason. I also never said anything about those things making people poor physicians. I made a comment about managing their own health. Lots of good doctors take really ****ty care of themselves. Well, I guess that can make them poor physicians in the end, but it's not really a given, which is shockingly why I didn't make that claim. I said most people because there are often other circumstances at play, but to say that most applicants have those circumstances is laughable.

As a side note, I really enjoy reading about how pre-meds know exactly what it means to be a good physician and how to act and do so. It's really enlightening tbh. And yeah, I'm being a sarcastic snot because you're being a hilariously insufferable know it all. Talk to me when you come out the other side. I've lived and worked in hospitals long enough to know what 'good' physicians are really like. Good god now I know why posters like dermviser used to laugh when they were told about what makes a good/bad physician by neurotic pre-med types.

In response to the original question, yes, though I suspect this occurred in conjunction with getting gap year job that requires me to sit at a computer for 50 hrs/wk.

Any chance for a standing desk? I had to run around a lot for my job, which probably helped a ton. Helps when you spend half your work week standing in the OR.

 

[7331poas]

Gained weight in the fall semester but I've been running about 4 miles a day this semester and gave up soda completely. It's a good release from the madness of med school apps.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

How has giving up soda done for you? I gave up soda as well but i have seemed to just moved to juices. Im about to kick it cold I think soon.

Good god now I know why posters like dermviser used to laugh when they were told about what makes a good/bad physician by neurotic pre-med types.

Seems a little ironic right? How is a med student talking about what makes a good doctor anything than just a small step from a neurotic premed?

 

[bananafish94]

How has giving up soda done for you? I gave up soda as well but i have seemed to just moved to juices. Im about to kick it cold I think soon.

It's easy to consume copious amounts of sugar, calories, etc. from soda without realizing it. I used to have a nasty habit of drinking soda on tap to help me stay up, but it's truly disgusting for you (although it is delicious, especially Dr. Pepper). I switched to iced coffee and never looked back. It's cold, refreshing, gives you more of a caffeine kick, and doesn't have any calories as long as you don't load it with cream and sugar. Just giving up soda and doing nothing else makes a noticeable difference in like two weeks.

 

[doctorgrey623]

How has giving up soda done for you? I gave up soda as well but i have seemed to just moved to juices. Im about to kick it cold I think soon.

giving up soda (and sweet tea) was hard at first since I didn't like water and juice tends to have a lot of sugar as well. Replaced these with flavored seltzer, 3 parts seltzer/1 part juice or homemade iced tea so I could control how much sugar was in it. Sooo much better and you don't have to sacrifice flavor or the sensory stimulation of having something fizzy!

 

[asquared]

How has giving up soda done for you? I gave up soda as well but i have seemed to just moved to juices. Im about to kick it cold I think soon.

Another yummy option is to add 2 Tbsp of organic lemon juice to a liter of unflavored sparkling water and sweeten with a tad Stevia. It's basically delicious sparkling lemonade that has ~10 calories that only come from the lemon juice. 🙂

 

[acslater99]

I've actually lost weight. I went from 225 lbs to 170 lbs in a span of 8 months. Never felt better.

 

[differentiating]

Definitely gained weight thanks to all of the stress of applying to medical schools, and now that I'm here, I'm working on getting rid of it. Easier said than done, with how much exercise sucks, but slowly but surely I'm trying to work it into my schedule while cutting out fast food. I just remind myself that I would really like to lose these extra pounds, and take workout classes since going to the gym alone isn't going to happen. We'll see how it goes.

 

[ridethecliche]

How has giving up soda done for you? I gave up soda as well but i have seemed to just moved to juices. Im about to kick it cold I think soon.

So you gave up sugar, for more sugar? Wat? Most juices are pretty awful for you if you're substituting for weight loss or health reasons. The lemon/lime water someone suggested was a good idea, but just also drinking straight up water too.

Or brawndo, because it's got what plants crave.

Seems a little ironic right? How is a med student talking about what makes a good doctor anything than just a small step from a neurotic premed?

Because I was speaking from a half decade of work experience not from my experience being a student.

Also, my point was more related at handling stress and keeping yourself healthy being important for med school and beyond, not at what makes/doesn't make a good physician. It's like reading comprehension is dead in this place today.

 

[7331poas]

Because I was speaking from a half decade of work experience not from my experience being a student

work experience. My bad