MCAT and Weight Gain

[ManimalJax]

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Hi,

October 2011: I was around 220 pounds. My height is 5'9". So obviously, I was overweight.

June 2012: I dropped down to 160 pounds, a 60-pound weight loss. It was through a strict running and dieting program that I was able to will myself to shed that much weight.

Today: 185 pounds.

Now that I'm steeped in MCAT studying, and now that I've let it consume my life, I have lost the will to exercise and diet. It took me a long time to cook healthy meals...time that I could have been spending studying...so I started going with fast food again. It took me a long time to recover from swimming and biking and running...time that I could have been spending studying...so I ditched the exercise to get some studying in.

I'm slowly ballooning back to being overweight. I gotta say that I have no idea how people balance something like the MCAT with living a healthy lifestyle. I just hope that I can will myself back to a healthy weight after the MCAT so that I can look good for the interviews.

 

[Pigglyjuff]

Hi,

October 2011: I was around 220 pounds. My height is 5'9". So obviously, I was overweight.

June 2012: I dropped down to 160 pounds, a 60-pound weight loss. It was through a strict running and dieting program that I was able to will myself to shed that much weight.

Today: 185 pounds.

Now that I'm steeped in MCAT studying, and now that I've let it consume my life, I have lost the will to exercise and diet. It took me a long time to cook healthy meals...time that I could have been spending studying...so I started going with fast food again. It took me a long time to recover from swimming and biking and running...time that I could have been spending studying...so I ditched the exercise to get some studying in.

I'm slowly ballooning back to being overweight. I gotta say that I have no idea how people balance something like the MCAT with living a healthy lifestyle. I just hope that I can will myself back to a healthy weight after the MCAT so that I can look good for the interviews.

It can be difficult. I suggest walking and studying. If you have trails outside you can walk on or a treadmill at an apartment/school, bring notecards (kaplan or whatever), bring an MCAT study book that will prop up on a magazine holder on a treadmill, etc. 40 minutes on a treadmill studying will feel like 10 minutes. So you get to study and burn what feels like twice the calories in half the time.

 

[msamp]

Hi,

October 2011: I was around 220 pounds. My height is 5'9". So obviously, I was overweight.

June 2012: I dropped down to 160 pounds, a 60-pound weight loss. It was through a strict running and dieting program that I was able to will myself to shed that much weight.

Today: 185 pounds.

Now that I'm steeped in MCAT studying, and now that I've let it consume my life, I have lost the will to exercise and diet. It took me a long time to cook healthy meals...time that I could have been spending studying...so I started going with fast food again. It took me a long time to recover from swimming and biking and running...time that I could have been spending studying...so I ditched the exercise to get some studying in.

I'm slowly ballooning back to being overweight. I gotta say that I have no idea how people balance something like the MCAT with living a healthy lifestyle. I just hope that I can will myself back to a healthy weight after the MCAT so that I can look good for the interviews.

If you can dedicate time for the MCAT you can dedicate time for a healthy lifestyle. On your day off from studying (I hope you are taking a day off) plan your meals for the week. At one point in my life I was working 60+ hrs a week and doing a masters so each weekend I would grocery shop and come home and season my meats; mostly chicken and fish and put them in the freezer. I don't eat rice but if you do cook rice for the week and store it so you can quickly microwave it. I would come home throw some meat or fish in a pot do what I had to do and defrost some frozen veggies or make a salad and my meal was done in 20 mins or less. Fruits and greek yogurt make good meals! As far as exercise goes, I'm sure you can take a few 10 min breaks during your studying to do something- squats,push up, some weight lifting. If you want some more advice support pm me.

 

[Law123]

Calories in > calories used = weight gain

Just eat less and drink more water. If you have enough calories to go to fat, it means you don't need that much energy. Eat fruits instead of bread/rice/carbs to get necessary nutrients, or pop a few multivitamins if you're truly lazy. Eating less is the easiest way to prevent weight gain and to lose weight during busy times; hunger can be reduced with practice (over time you feel less hungry with less food), eating vegetables (most servings have less than 50cal and are relatively filling), and drinking a lot of water. This is only temporary anyway, though once you get used to eating less it takes some effort to learn to "eat more" again, though you probably don't want to.

 

[SalemK]

Put Audio Osmosis on your iPod and go for a run.

 

[Pre-Med Village]

Unfortunately, it's also likely after such a large weight loss that your body is shifting into starvation prevention mode, a good thing fifty thousand years ago, but to day, not so useful, so your hunger hormones like leptin and ghrelin are going to be getting crazy and your metabolism is going to reset to require a few hundred calories less every day than before. Supposedly, you can moderate the metabolic changes with an Adkins type diet, so try to avoid simple carbohydrates. Keep roasted almonds and dark chocolate around. Go for a walk every day and practice outlining the sciences in your mind. I had a weight loss like yours one time and completely blew it. Don't do what I did!

 

[FCBarcelona]

These are excellent tips!

 

[Mehd School]

I had a problem with this myself.

Well, I was slightly overweight before I started studying. I'm 6' and weigh just south of 200 lbs. My ideal weight is around 170 lbs.

I basically gained about 10 lbs over the summer of studying. What really killed me was work, though. I'd leave the house at 8:30 am and get back at 7pm or later most days. I didn't feel like doing much of anything after that, let alone cook or exercise.

 

[runrunrudolph1]

I agree with all of the above tips! Personally, I made myself get up every day at 6:00 am to run before every practice test. I know I know, running is not for everyone, but I did it as an exeriment at first. I would take an MCAT after running and then compare it to a test after just getting up. After doing this over and over, I found that my averages when I excersised in the morning were higher (which makes sense, more oxygen and bloof flow to the brain). You could also try eating a healthy smoothie for breakfast, that also gave me a lot of energy. There a tons of things you can do to get back in shape--- you just have to choose something you like and will stick to. Good luck!

 

[rkmauria]

im studying for the MCAT and taking it next thursday. I have also been studying all summer and I am pretty fit, and I know for alot of people it can be hard handling exercise and studying. For me what has been working is treating exercise as a break. I would study and look forward to having my break. Then, on my break I would go to the gym and unwind. It is quite relaxing, try it you'll also like it. I found that just hitting the gym made me feel better and more energized to study more.

If I had just watched TV on my break and ate junk food, that just makes me feel like crap. So my advice is just getting yourself psyched up for working out. You are not going to study 24/7 so I think you can handle taking 30-60 min out of your day on your break to work out. I think that you'll find you feel more relaxed after and better about yourself.

 

[2ndthoughts]

I've heard that exercise improves cognitive function, so there may be some benefit to your MCAT studying. If you think about it that way, you might be able to find the time to get some exercise. If I miss even one day, I will feel pretty bad and probably won't be able to study as efficiently. So for me, it's a must almost every single day, and I prioritize it as such.

 

[TrueSelf]

I totally know how you feel, trying to balance out studying versus your health. It's like a nonstop cost-benefit analysis. However, the small investment in time to take care of your health NOW will prevent obstacles in the long run. I always struggle throughout the day from eating snacks and sugar but just keep fighting if off! Drinking water helps a lot because cravings are a sign of dehydration.

What also helps is doing small changes here and there along with moderation. Instead of fast food, go for Subway's healthy sandwich options (skip the ranch/mayo and go for vinagrette and spices). Cut out sugary drinks (fruit juices, frappucinos, soda) and for snacks, stock up on what I call hand-food (blueberries, craisins, nuts) that are similar to the size of processed food snacks. If you have a sweet tooth craving, there are lots of recipe substitutes you can use. One of my favorites is 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder + 1 T of almond butter/peanut butter +1/4 c of almond milk. Mix, and put in the freezer for 20min. Its like a thick chocolate pudding.

Also, when thinking of exercise while studying for such a big exam, don't feel compelled where you need to "go big or go home" where you have to do an hour worth of exercise. If that thought intimidates you, 15min. here and there can do a lot (mountain climbers, pushups, high-knees, buttkickers, etc.) There are some examples here:

http://backonpointe.tumblr.com/post/15968075542/a-daily-exercise-plan-do-these-exercises (yea, yea, its a blog but there's lots of good sets to get some movement into your day)

Its good your posting here about this issue, it takes a lot of courage! But life is a balancing act along with your health and so will medical school. If you can get this down now during the most stressful times of a pre-med student, you can maintain a healthy lifestyle during medical school and as a physician. Don't be afraid to fail and practice makes perfect.

 

[GeorgiadisMD]

Yea I'm having the same problem while studying for MCAT. Studying for so long is just so physically draining that I dont want to do anything after. I am pretty fit with a 6 pack but now I am getting a little belly on top of it.

Solution?
Taking a 1 credit weight training class at my school from 8-9 am MWF. I feel that since it is so early in the morning, it force me to start a new schedule for myself and pump me up for the day. If you are worried about gaining a ton of weight, and you have already acknowledged that you are indeed gaining weight, I would do something about it before its too late. Its depressing losing all that hard work!

 

[pfaction]

• Vegetarian
• Don't exercise
• Don't do much besides study
• Don't eat that much

= constant 115-120 lb, 5'5", until I hit 30. That's when my dad started to gain some weight, he told me. He now walks a mile a day and has kept it to 140, which isn't too bad. he's 5'6".

 

[CoolWhipp]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=906745