I will be starting intern year in July. I know that the hours will be long and the hospital food will be fried... any tips on how to maintain a healthy diet (low carb/high protein) in the face of temptation and exhaustion? Have any of you been able to keep going to the gym regularly and getting those sweet sweet gainz? I'm worried my health is gonna go to s*** pretty soon.
Intern year and maintaining fitness/diet?
- Thread starter ggidgetzz
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Some months are lighter than others, depending on your specialty. During the light months, be as committed as possible. During the hellish months, I always gave myself more leeway. Many days, I didn't get a chance to eat at all, so if I had 2 minutes to run to the caf, I grabbed whatever was there that I could throw in my mouth on my way back to the wards. No guilt.
As for home meals, many nights, I got home too late to actually want to eat. I just went to bed to get up for the next morning. On my days off, I'd make crockpot dishes and freeze them, so that on the nights I was home for dinner, I'd eat something healthy.
As for home meals, many nights, I got home too late to actually want to eat. I just went to bed to get up for the next morning. On my days off, I'd make crockpot dishes and freeze them, so that on the nights I was home for dinner, I'd eat something healthy.
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Coffee with whey. Jus do it.
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I would be more concerned about my emotion/mental health than I would my physical health during intern year. In your downtime, try to relax and maybe jog or ride a bike but if your trying to count carbs while performing at a high level... just worry about the hospital.
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The two go hand-in-hand. Don't try to separate them.
My mental health is best when I'm eating clean and feeling strong.
Honestly, if you are fit currently, make your goal not to get fat. Accept that you will lose your tone and muscle mass. That's obtainable. If your goal is to get huge and cut or even maintain current fitness, you're setting yourself up for failure. It will be pretty much impossible to workout every day, and to work out more than once a week will take a significant effort.
In intern year, you basically have time for the hospital and one other thing in your life. For most people, that one other thing is family/wife/boyfriend/dog whatever. For a few others, it's a hobby, for others it's video games, for others TV, for others going to the gym.
But you cannot expect to be an intern, spend time with your family every night, work out, cook dinner, watch a TV show, and do personal chores all in a single evening. For the majority of the year, in the evening you will have about 1-2 hours for exactly one thing. Choose wisely.
In intern year, you basically have time for the hospital and one other thing in your life. For most people, that one other thing is family/wife/boyfriend/dog whatever. For a few others, it's a hobby, for others it's video games, for others TV, for others going to the gym.
But you cannot expect to be an intern, spend time with your family every night, work out, cook dinner, watch a TV show, and do personal chores all in a single evening. For the majority of the year, in the evening you will have about 1-2 hours for exactly one thing. Choose wisely.
