Overweight at interview

[IceScrewball]

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I’m curious if anyone else feels as though they distrust or have inherent negative stereotypes about overweight people. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as interviews have started, and I’m worried that people will automatically think I’m lazy or that I don’t care about my health because I’m overweight. This has especially been on my mind since I see the people I’m interviewing with, and they are mostly thin, young, and attractive. I’m worried that I will look uncomfortable in my body / professional clothes at the interview and this will subconsciously be held against me.

Has anyone else worried about this, or experienced negative feedback for being overweight?

For full disclosure: I’m 5’7” and my normal weight is around 160 lbs, since last July, I’ve gained 50 lbs to my current weight at 205 lbs.

 

[uncbiograd]

My only comment on this, I think, is that you need to be comfortable and confident in who you are. If you are self-conscious it will show and if you are friendly and outgoing appearances shouldn't matter. If you aren't comfortable/confident in yourself then you need to find a way to accomplish this. Whether that involves losing weight or a change in mindset or something else depends..

 

[Pancakesteve]

My only comment on this, I think, is that you need to be comfortable and confident in who you are. If you are self-conscious it will show and if you are friendly and outgoing appearances shouldn't matter. If you aren't comfortable/confident in yourself then you need to find a way to accomplish this. Whether that involves losing weight or a change in mindset or something else depends..

I agree with this. I'm overweight, but I think I came across very friendly and outgoing in my interviews. It doesn't hurt that I have "opish" good looks. 😉
I don't think my overweight-ness mattered at all. I looked clean and professional, in a suit that fit, and that definitely matters.

 

[drugsRUsRUs]

When I'm talking to someone I pay more attention to who they are and what they say, not how much they weigh.
Thus if you're overweight because you're lazy it will definitely show in your language, the way you talk, how you carry yourself.

For example, Oprah is overweight but definitely very hard working. And so is Randy Jackson before his gastric bypass.

 

[OCizzle]

You can be either short, or overweight, but you can't really get away with both. Do something about your weight. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of effort to do 30 mins of exercise and watch what you eat. I know you'll think I'm being rude, but I'm not. Humans are superficial beings. People judge you before you even open your mouth. There's a reason why attractive people are more successful in life. Don't do it for others though, do it for yourself. Being in shape feels great, and exercise is the best way to relieve stress (well, 2nd best).

 

[rxlea]

What the OC says about the attitudes toward overweight people is true...People can pretend all day that they are "so accepting" of everyone but unfortunately, we are all biased whether we are aware of it or not. You might be interested in the following news story:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181373,00.html

If you can find professional clothing that fits you well and looks nice and you carry yourself with confideence, you shouldn't have too much of a problem conveying how serious you are about pharmacy. However, personally, I think that healthcare professionals should try to model good healthcare practices. Easier said than done I know- you can't just all of a sudden completely change your lifestyle and diet from one day to the next and expect to stick to it. People have tried it- go look at any given gym the first week of a New Year LOL It is definitely a gradual process. You will find that some people will judge you on your weight and others won't. It is hit or miss I think because some will "judge" you without necessarily being aware of their own biases. Admittedly, I sometimes view some of the really overweight nurses differently and I probably would feel weird being told by an overweight nurse or doctor to lose weight. So, I understand why what the above poster said is sometimes true. But, as far as it affecting your ACCEPTANCE to pharmacy school? I doubt it but of course that is only my opinion...

 

[Passion4Sci]

It doesn't take a tremendous amount of effort to do 30 mins of exercise and watch what you eat.

It's not really as simple as 30 minutes of exercise and a low-fat/low-cal diet for a lot of people, either.

Drastic over-generalization.

 

[Endospore]

Several thoughts. 205 at 5'7" is significant weight and even 160 at 5'7" is not thin. HOWEVER, most of the women at the schools I have interviewed at could stand to lose a good 50.

You say the other candidates are young. You are 30? 40? Unfortunately weight makes you look older and if you are uncomfortable with your weight then that will show through in your behavior.

Best idea? Make sure your clothes are not tight and fit well. Even thin people look really bad in tight clothes.

A larger concern is how you noted you have gained a large amount of weight in under a year. For your own physical and mental health, I would get a grip on that. Why are you eating? It takes effort to gain that much. You really need to perhaps talk with the health clinic on your campus. I am doing some writing for our clinic now, and at least here there are dieticians and even mental health experts to help students with eating and body image issues.

Best of luck to you. I would concentrate on why you are eating and try to excercise to be more healthy and confident. 😍

 

[drugsRUsRUs]

An overweight person can lose over 100 lbs and still be considered overweight, so you don't know if they are trying to begin with just by looking at them. Look at the people on "THE BIGGEST LOSER". They've worked so hard for weeks on end to lose weight but when you compare them to the average person they still appear thicker. It's all relative.

I do admit you get away with a lot more if you are thin though. It just draws more people to you. But still personality and the ability to do the job right wins over and keeps you. Personality and looks must always be balanced. You can't not have both though. If you don't have one you have to make up for it with another.

 

[busyizzy]

Several thoughts. 205 at 5'7" is significant weight and even 160 at 5'7" is not thin. HOWEVER, most of the women at the schools I have interviewed at could stand to lose a good 50.

50 lbs? That's pretty harsh. Either the interview session you went to had a rather disproportionate number of obese girls, or you really like anorexic chicks.

 

[UES Girl]

You can be either short, or overweight, but you can't really get away with both. Do something about your weight. It doesn't take a tremendous amount of effort to do 30 mins of exercise and watch what you eat. I know you'll think I'm being rude, but I'm not. Humans are superficial beings. People judge you before you even open your mouth. There's a reason why attractive people are more successful in life. Don't do it for others though, do it for yourself. Being in shape feels great, and exercise is the best way to relieve stress (well, 2nd best).

You never actually lost a significant amount of weight yourself, have you ? 😕

It actually takes a tremendous amount of effort to watch what you eat - I'm a life time member weight watcher who lost ~ 60 lbs, it's a hellacious amount of work to constantly note EVERYTHING you eat. It literally puts a strain on your lifestyle - since watching what you eat means you may have to drastically alter your shopping habits, your cooking habits and it even may affect your personal relationships.

My friends were not supportive of me when started loosing weight - I couldn't go out with them anymore and watch them eat large portions of fried food, so they stopped hanging out with me alltogether and esentially cut me out of their life. My in-law family was also not supportive, every time I would come in to stay with them for a few days, I would literally have to bring a grocery bag full of food with me, because their kitchen was stuffed with twinkies, candies, chips, nuts, and even all the vegetables were buttered.

Does this sound like easy ?

It's not, it's even harder when you have to log everything you eat that day so you can determine what progress you made and then subsequently get disheatened after you notice that after all that hard work you only lost 1-2 lbs that week.

For me, weight loss was a journey and a life altering experience. Having gone though it, I'm much more acutely aware of how hard it is to actually loose weight, hence I don't ignorantly throw around statements "watching what you eat and 30 minutes of exercise " every day should do the trick. It's been a few years and I haven't gained any weight back - I'm 5'7 and 115-116 now, but it takes constant work on the daily basis to keep my weight down.


If watching what you eat was as easy as you put it, then 60 % of this country wouldn't be overweight, would they ?

 

[Endospore]

50 lbs? That's pretty harsh. Either the interview session you went to had a rather disproportionate number of obese girls, or you really like anorexic chicks.

I should be more clear. I am NOT harsh. I am simply reporting what I observed. Most people gain weight as they age or decrease activity. Yes, the candidates were almost all thin. The staff were not.

FYI, I lost 70 lbs. 4 years ago. I know what it is like to be very overweight and I have not gained one pound back since.

 

[Endospore]

You never actually lost a significant amount of weight yourself, have you ? 😕

It actually takes a tremendous amount of effort to watch what you eat - I'm a life time member weight watcher who lost ~ 60 lbs, it's a hellacious amount of work to constantly note EVERYTHING you eat. It literally puts a strain on your lifestyle - since watching what you eat means you may have to drastically alter your shopping habits, your cooking habits and it even may affect your personal relationships.

My friends were not supportive of me when started loosing weight - I couldn't go out with them anymore and watch them eat large portions of fried food, so they stopped hanging out with me alltogether and esentially cut me out of their life. My in-law family was also not supportive, every time I would come in to stay with them for a few days, I would literally have to bring a grocery bag full of food with me, because their kitchen was stuffed with twinkies, candies, chips, nuts, and even all the vegetables were buttered.

Does this sound like easy ?

It's not, it's even harder when you have to log everything you eat that day so you can determine what progress you made and then subsequently get disheatened after you notice that after all that hard work you only lost 1-2 lbs that week.

For me, weight loss was a journey and a life altering experience. Having gone though it, I'm much more acutely aware of how hard it is to actually loose weight, hence I don't ignorantly throw around statements "watching what you eat and 30 minutes of exercise " every day should do the trick. It's been a few years and I haven't gained any weight back - I'm 5'7 and 115-116 now, but it takes constant work on the daily basis to keep my weight down.


If watching what you eat was as easy as you put it, then 60 % of this country wouldn't be overweight, would they ?

You are so right!!!!!!!!!!! It is hell losing weight. And then your metabolism changes and you need less calories for the same weight.

I can say for a fact people treat you differently when you are fat and make instant judgements. Not all, but many. But that is OK, everyone makes judgements of one kind or another. Must be genetic to be judgemental of behavior not understood.

Back to the interview, I would be assertive and confident. Get clothes that fit

 

[Passion4Sci]

I'm so right, too.

No one ever says I'm so right!

I hate you, Chebs 🙁

Must be genetic to be judgemental of behavior not understood.

It's not genetic, it's a combination of learned and observed behavior.

 

[mapileTree]

is this thread serious?

no one gives a **** if you are overweight, you get in with your credentials. you really think they go into a meeting and say well this guy has great numbers! we should accept him...oh wait..it says here, he/she is fat. waitlist.

focus on what matters man

 

[Passion4Sci]

is this thread serious?

no one gives a **** if you are overweight, you get in with your credentials. you really think they go into a meeting and say well this guy has great numbers! we should accept him...oh wait..it says here, he/she is fat. waitlist.

focus on what matters man

It's not that overt, but it happens.

Discrimination is very real and in today's "Everything's fine as long as I'm getting thinner" society, you're simply naive if you think weight isn't every bit as important as dressing appropriately or being on time.

 

[UES Girl]

😳

I'm so right, too.

No one ever says I'm so right!

I hate you, Chebs 🙁




It's not genetic, it's a combination of learned and observed behavior.

Hehe, I love you 😳 You are soooooo right !

 

[Endospore]

I'm so right, too.

No one ever says I'm so right!

I hate you, Chebs 🙁




It's not genetic, it's a combination of learned and observed behavior.

Passion4Sci - you are beyond right. You have been right for what, over 4000 posts?

 

[Canes]

I’m curious if anyone else feels as though they distrust or have inherent negative stereotypes about overweight people. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as interviews have started, and I’m worried that people will automatically think I’m lazy or that I don’t care about my health because I’m overweight. This has especially been on my mind since I see the people I’m interviewing with, and they are mostly thin, young, and attractive. I’m worried that I will look uncomfortable in my body / professional clothes at the interview and this will subconsciously be held against me.

Has anyone else worried about this, or experienced negative feedback for being overweight?

For full disclosure: I’m 5’7” and my normal weight is around 160 lbs, since last July, I’ve gained 50 lbs to my current weight at 205 lbs.

Hello,

I would say to not even bother w/ ppl's ill-perceptions but part of me feels that If I say that, I'd be undermining your concern/s (real and true...even though some ppl would go on limb and say that it's more to do with YOUR own perception what-not). It's especially easy for somebody who personally hasnt had the same experience/s as you to dismiss it. You'll most def come across the good, the bad and the ugly of ppl....you just have to keep things in perspective.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Passion4Sci - you are beyond right. You have been right for what, over 4000 posts?

Oh no, more like 3000.

I think 3/4 have been right or so.

 

[rxlea]

+1 for chebs and P4Sci

 

[Thumper17]

I have never been a skinny kid, and before my interview in a week I am 6'4" 345 lbs.....people have underestimated me due to my size my whole life and I welcome it with open arms. It is motvation, people think I can't play basketball or softball or go biking, but just because I am heavy does not mean I am not healthy. I take that negative energy towards me and roll it into a positive, bench-pressing more or hitting the heavy bag harder or studying for a microbio test that much more because people think I am somehow lazy or inept because I do not wear a size 34 waist pants.

According to BMI and all that other rubbish I am supposed to weigh ~191 pounds....my doctor has told me if I weighed 191 I would be in a hospital or dead. The only person who knows your body and what makes it healty is you and your healthcare providers, no one else matters.

Everyone else is right, just look profesional and project confidence and if people want to second guess you or doubt you because of weight then there are better schools for you anyway!

P.S. personally, I would think a health professional who would look down at weight would also have to look down equally on people who drink and/or smoke, as both have as many health implications as being heavy.

 

[OCizzle]

You never actually lost a significant amount of weight yourself, have you ? 😕

It actually takes a tremendous amount of effort to watch what you eat - I'm a life time member weight watcher who lost ~ 60 lbs, it's a hellacious amount of work to constantly note EVERYTHING you eat. It literally puts a strain on your lifestyle - since watching what you eat means you may have to drastically alter your shopping habits, your cooking habits and it even may affect your personal relationships.

My friends were not supportive of me when started loosing weight - I couldn't go out with them anymore and watch them eat large portions of fried food, so they stopped hanging out with me alltogether and esentially cut me out of their life. My in-law family was also not supportive, every time I would come in to stay with them for a few days, I would literally have to bring a grocery bag full of food with me, because their kitchen was stuffed with twinkies, candies, chips, nuts, and even all the vegetables were buttered.

Does this sound like easy ?

It's not, it's even harder when you have to log everything you eat that day so you can determine what progress you made and then subsequently get disheatened after you notice that after all that hard work you only lost 1-2 lbs that week.

For me, weight loss was a journey and a life altering experience. Having gone though it, I'm much more acutely aware of how hard it is to actually loose weight, hence I don't ignorantly throw around statements "watching what you eat and 30 minutes of exercise " every day should do the trick. It's been a few years and I haven't gained any weight back - I'm 5'7 and 115-116 now, but it takes constant work on the daily basis to keep my weight down.


If watching what you eat was as easy as you put it, then 60 % of this country wouldn't be overweight, would they ?

I gained a considerable amount of weight during my 1st year of college. I ate like crap and sat around all day, til I got fed up with it and decided to do something about it. I don't have a particularly fast metabolism, so it took me about a year to get back in shape. I never said it was fast, just not tremendously difficult. Losing 1 to 2 lbs every week is good progress.

Like I said, I don't think it's hard to have a general idea of what a caloric deficit is, and stick to it, while also doing throwing 30 mins of cardio each day. If you think that's difficult, then you have no idea what difficult is. Yes, you might have to learn how to cook chicken breasts, and yes you might have to put down the twinkies, so what? That doesn't mean you have to be a food nazi 24/7 though, it's actually recommended that you have a cheat meal once a week, so going to dinner with your friends is not completely out of the picture. With that said, if your friends don't want to hang around with you because you're on a diet, it's probably time to find new friends. You're stuck with your family though.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against obese people, especially those who are happy the way the are. Just don't tell me that someone under 30 wants to lose weight but can't because it's too difficult. It isn't. Watching your diet and running for half an hour ranks up there with shaving everyday in the difficulty scale. Unless of course, they're part of that 66% of Americans with thyroid problems. 🙄

 

[UES Girl]

I gained a considerable amount of weight during my 1st year of college. I ate like crap and sat around all day, til I got fed up with it and decided to do something about it. I don't have a particularly fast metabolism, so it took me about a year to get back in shape. I never said it was fast, just not tremendously difficult. Losing 1 to 2 lbs every week is good progress.

Like I said, I don't think it's hard to have a general idea of what a caloric deficit is, and stick to it, while also doing throwing 30 mins of cardio each day. If you think that's difficult, then you have no idea what difficult is. Yes, you might have to learn how to cook chicken breasts, and yes you might have to put down the twinkies, so what? That doesn't mean you have to be a food nazi 24/7 though, it's actually recommended that you have a cheat meal once a week, so going to dinner with your friends is not completely out of the picture. With that said, if your friends don't want to hang around with you because you're on a diet, it's probably time to find new friends. You're stuck with your family though.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against obese people, especially those who are happy the way the are. Just don't tell me that someone under 30 wants to lose weight but can't because it's too difficult. It isn't. Watching your diet and running for half an hour ranks up there with shaving everyday in the difficulty scale. Unless of course, they're part of that 66% of Americans with thyroid problems. 🙄

If I think it's difficult then I have no idea what difficult is ?


I have shared a story with you, that I thought it was difficult for ME to loose those 60 lbs, thefore I'd imagine for other people it would be difficult as well to loose weight. You may have done it on your own, but I've actually gone to structured weight watchers meetings for a year and saw dozens of people there who like me struggled to loose weight. It's difficult for a number of reasons like I mentioned such as you may have no support from your family, you may have to break a bunch of old habits and re-evaluate your entire lifestyle.

And fyi, you can't really tell people how THEY SHOULD FEEL. If a patient comes to you and says: I'm in pain because I have chronic back pain. You can't exactly say: well, I haven't had this problem, so you shouldn't really be in this much pain. If you think this is pain, then try giving birth. WTF kind of response is that ?

Logging in and keeping track of your food intake is pretty damn diffult, if you don't have a food scale at home and weigh out everything you eat to regulate your food intake, then you aren't really watching what you eat.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

50 lbs? That's pretty harsh. Either the interview session you went to had a rather disproportionate number of obese girls, or you really like anorexic chicks.

LOL I was thinking the same... 50 lbs is a lot... and from my personal observations it seems like in the professional school world people are relatively thinner than the general population, but you definitely don't have to be skinny by any means to fit in. There are people of all sizes and it definitely matters how you carry yourself. I am not naturally outgoing, but I make it a point to look up when I walk, look people in the eye, stand up straight, don't whisper (even though I naturally talk quietly, especially to new people). I had to force myself to do this for so long until I actually got used to it, but this will help you a lot more in your interviews than what you physically look like.

Hello,

I would say to not even bother w/ ppl's ill-perceptions but part of me feels that If I say that, I'd be undermining your concern/s (real and true...even though some ppl would go on limb and say that it's more to do with YOUR own perception what-not). It's especially easy for somebody who personally hasnt had the same experience/s as you to dismiss it. You'll most def come across the good, the bad and the ugly of ppl....you just have to keep things in perspective.

I feel like sugar coating everything will undermine their concerns as well. They are obviously worried about it and everyone else has probably brushed off their concerns in real life... but my advice would be to just focus on being confident. Whenever I see a really confident friendly person I always think they must have something great going for them to be that confident regardless of what they look like. When people act a certain way it makes me want to get to know them more.

I have never been a skinny kid, and before my interview in a week I am 6'4" 345 lbs.....people have underestimated me due to my size my whole life and I welcome it with open arms. It is motvation, people think I can't play basketball or softball or go biking, but just because I am heavy does not mean I am not healthy. I take that negative energy towards me and roll it into a positive, bench-pressing more or hitting the heavy bag harder or studying for a microbio test that much more because people think I am somehow lazy or inept because I do not wear a size 34 waist pants.

According to BMI and all that other rubbish I am supposed to weigh ~191 pounds....my doctor has told me if I weighed 191 I would be in a hospital or dead. The only person who knows your body and what makes it healty is you and your healthcare providers, no one else matters.

Everyone else is right, just look profesional and project confidence and if people want to second guess you or doubt you because of weight then there are better schools for you anyway!

P.S. personally, I would think a health professional who would look down at weight would also have to look down equally on people who drink and/or smoke, as both have as many health implications as being heavy.

Yeah it's really true you can't underestimate someone because of their size. One of my best friends in the entire world is around your size, really tall and very strong, and he is captain of a well known college cheerleading team, can do back flips, run, he's been offered free training to compete in power lifting competitions, etc... BMI is unreliable for some people...

 

[Dezixn]

You know... Now that I think of it. I can't remember ANYONE at either of my 2 interviews that were overweight.
All the girls were skinny/average I think, and all of the guys were ~average.
Mine were early interviews, maybe they like getting the non-overweight people first lol 🙄

I know that study someone mentioned above about how people judge you before you even speak is true and how beautiful ppl are more successful statistically, but I would like to think in an interview for a professional pharmacy program that the interviewers were get past such biases...

 

[jung1]

I don't think it is a genetic condition since he recently gained weight, though it could be. I had a bud who gained a lot of weight when he began studying. With that said, if two candidates are equal in everything, except one looks healthy and the other needs two chairs to sit on, I think the healthy looking candidate will get in first. In the interviews, it may be a minor point or the interviewer may truly be disgusted. If you make a drastic mental and physical transformation to truly eschew the values of health, I think that will give you the edge over someone who is naturally healthy. It will also give you something good to talk about.

 

[desmoulins45179]

Watching your diet and running for half an hour ranks up there with shaving everyday in the difficulty scale. Unless of course, they're part of that 66% of Americans with thyroid problems. 🙄

Maybe for you. From this and your above post it seems that you like exercising. Not me. I don't like exercising. It is not stress relief for me. I HATE running. So no, it is not the same as shaving everyday. I also hate dieting/watching what you eat. Mostly because I hate vegetables, almost all fruits, not too fond of chicken breasts, etc. (Yes, I am a picky eater.) Maybe you think I'm lazy but for those of us who hate exercising/dieting it is not easy to do everyday.

 

[desmoulins45179]

To the OP - one thing that will help your body image is to make sure you have clothes that fit. One thing that makes everyone (no matter what weight) is if you wear clothes that are too tight or too loose. Since you have recently gained weight, make sure you are not wearing anything that fir you when you were 160 pounds and doesn't fit you now. If something is too tight then it will make you look heavier than you really are.
(If you want an example, there are some people who are not fat but wear clothes that are too small for them so it looks like they are busting out of their clothes.)

You should try not to have your weight issues affect you. I know that it may be hard if you feel like you need to lose weight, but do not let it hurt your confidence. You don't want your interview performance to suffer because of low confidence.

 

[desmoulins45179]

Several thoughts. 205 at 5'7" is significant weight and even 160 at 5'7" is not thin. HOWEVER, most of the women at the schools I have interviewed at could stand to lose a good 50.

160 at 5'7 is not that bad. The OP may not have a skinny frame. I'm around the same size as the OP original weight (5'5, 155). I know I could stand to lose a few pounds but I will never be very slim. I have broad shoulders, short legs and a small waist to hip ratio (I don't have a very hourglass shape - I'm very straight lol). Even if I starved myself I could never wear a size 2. However, most people think I weigh less than I do (been that way my entire life). The OP original weight may not be very thin but it may not be unhealthy for the OP.
I don't know where you interviewed at but most women I've seen are about my size or smaller.

 

[PharmOl]

In all honesty... If you do care about your health, why are you so overweight? That's exactly what the committee thinks. Like it or not.

 

[OCizzle]

Maybe for you. From this and your above post it seems that you like exercising. Not me. I don't like exercising. It is not stress relief for me. I HATE running. So no, it is not the same as shaving everyday. I also hate dieting/watching what you eat. Mostly because I hate vegetables, almost all fruits, not too fond of chicken breasts, etc. (Yes, I am a picky eater.) Maybe you think I'm lazy but for those of us who hate exercising/dieting it is not easy to do everyday.

I hate running, and I'm a picky eater too (how can you not like chicken breasts though?). There are other forms of exercise, and watching what you eat doesn't mean you have to become a vegan, eat fruits only, or sit at the table with a scale. With that said, it doesn't sound like you have a problem with weight, and you're happy the way you are, so obviously you're doing something right. 👍

 

[mimi45]

You never actually lost a significant amount of weight yourself, have you ? 😕

It actually takes a tremendous amount of effort to watch what you eat - I'm a life time member weight watcher who lost ~ 60 lbs, it's a hellacious amount of work to constantly note EVERYTHING you eat. It literally puts a strain on your lifestyle - since watching what you eat means you may have to drastically alter your shopping habits, your cooking habits and it even may affect your personal relationships.

My friends were not supportive of me when started loosing weight - I couldn't go out with them anymore and watch them eat large portions of fried food, so they stopped hanging out with me alltogether and esentially cut me out of their life. My in-law family was also not supportive, every time I would come in to stay with them for a few days, I would literally have to bring a grocery bag full of food with me, because their kitchen was stuffed with twinkies, candies, chips, nuts, and even all the vegetables were buttered.

Does this sound like easy ?

It's not, it's even harder when you have to log everything you eat that day so you can determine what progress you made and then subsequently get disheatened after you notice that after all that hard work you only lost 1-2 lbs that week.

For me, weight loss was a journey and a life altering experience. Having gone though it, I'm much more acutely aware of how hard it is to actually loose weight, hence I don't ignorantly throw around statements "watching what you eat and 30 minutes of exercise " every day should do the trick. It's been a few years and I haven't gained any weight back - I'm 5'7 and 115-116 now, but it takes constant work on the daily basis to keep my weight down.


If watching what you eat was as easy as you put it, then 60 % of this country wouldn't be overweight, would they ?

This post bothers because I have heard this too many times. You should never "not go out" because of a diet..it is not that hard to make smart choices at restaurants. I've been losing weight for a year and a half and I have never once turned down a social gathering because of weight loss. You have to make a relationship with food that is reasonable for your life. If a diet is ruining your life, you have to really consider is the stress of the situation counter acting on the health benefits of losing weight in the first place? I agree that losing weight is hard but it doesn't have to be as bad as you described.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I hate running, and I'm a picky eater too (how can you not like chicken breasts though?). There are other forms of exercise, and watching what you eat doesn't mean you have to become a vegan, eat fruits only, or sit at the table with a scale. With that said, it doesn't sound like you have a problem with weight, and you're happy the way you are, so obviously you're doing something right. 👍

LOL At the chicken breasts.

Yeah most people I know like them and I will eat them, but I think if you're trying to make them super healthy they seem too dry to me. lol If I don't eat them with something relatively "unhealthy" like cheese, a lot of mayo in chicken salad, cream alfredo sauce and pasta, etc... then I don't really like them either. I can tolerate them with lemon pepper or jerk seasoning, but that's about it. Even then I prefer them with blue cheese or fried. Wow I sound like the poster child for congestive heart failure. haha

This post bothers because I have heard this too many times. You should never "not go out" because of a diet..it is not that hard to make smart choices at restaurants. I've been losing weight for a year and a half and I have never once turned down a social gathering because of weight loss. You have to make a relationship with food that is reasonable for your life. If a diet is ruining your life, you have to really consider is the stress of the situation counter acting on the health benefits of losing weight in the first place? I agree that losing weight is hard but it doesn't have to be as bad as you described.

Some people truly have a problem with staying on track with their diet if there is huge temptation all around them. They can walk past the bakery or pizza shop and not have go in and order food, but if they're hanging out all night with friends who are eating pasta, wings, pizza, steak and potatoes, drinking beer (alcohol makes you gain weight a lottt), then it is very very hard for them. Food can be just like other addictions. Eating rich food can actually cause a biochemical reaction to occur in your brain... this makes it hard to be around the stuff all the time and still maintain your self control. It's like an alcoholic trying to quit and hanging out with their friends at the bar. I'm not saying all dieters are like this because obviously you didn't have a problem staying on track, but some people are. I know for sure that if I was trying to lose weight it would be really hard if everyone in my life was eating food I liked around me, all the time. I also HATE exercising, but luckily I have activities in my life that I get a lot of exercise from without actually having to "run" or go to the gym. I also naturally like some salads, tuna, wheat breads, fruit, etc... so I pick healthy choices on top of the really bad stuff I eat. I know if I needed to cut back significantly it would be HARD for me... which is why I'm sympathetic to people who have to go through it.

 

[vinny808]

I would just like to say that studies have shown that there is a bias against obese people. For one, obese people earn less salary. Search bias against obese people and salary/jobs or something and i'm sure you'll find results.

Is it okay to be fat?
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/FaceOff/weight-debate-fat/story?id=9911743
watch the debate. Its very interesting watching Mimi and the pro-overweight lady go after it. Highly entertaining watching the ladies bicker at each other but not credible at all. There arguments are based entirely on opinion/personal experience, except for Mimi, the thin against-overweight lady who throws out some research studies.

 

[ajthebest]

Being overweight is not exactly a generic predisposition. It is a result of long term unhealthy habits. It is not just a week or two (exam time) of unhealthy habits (eating easily acessible foods with no exercise).

While it is very commendable to change a lifestyle, it is not like you absolutely had no say in how you first got habituated into the undesired lifestyle. This is something people should keep in mind.

Your interviewer doesn't know you life story nor are they interested. Your weight is a part of your appearance and you DO get judged on appearance. That being said, it is a disadvantage like any other. You need to look past it to create a stronger case for yourself. If your weight does bother you then make a lifestyle change. It's very hard at the start but once the people around you get used to your new self it'll get easier.

Before I get bashed for "not everyone likes running/salads.thses are just tools. You can use any number of tools and you will results accordingly. Just don't fall into a yoyo trend of extreme dieting and binge eating.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Let's also not discount the possibility of a DRD-2A1 Allele defect causing a dopaminergic pathway problem in overeaters - Dopamine is crucial in satisfaction/full-feeling, and some people need dramatically more dopamine before they feel sated compared to another person.

Additionally, @ mr. runner up there, as someone who had to lose 55 pounds to get into the Army, I can say with certainty that running when you're overweight can cause far more problems than it solves. Damage/wear and tear on all of your supporting joints, back pain, etc is all extremely common. Overweight folks have to resort often to other measures such as ellipticals or rowing, which are expensive to own (As is going to a gym, $70/mo here in Davis). Biking is great, but it takes a lot longer to shed weight Kcal for Kcal on a bike vs. running, you know that.

And running for 30 minutes is misleading.

You stretch for 5-10 minutes before.
You warm-up for 5-10 minutes.
You jog/run for 30-35 minutes
You cooldown for 5 minutes
You stretch for 5-10 minutes after
You're sweaty so (hopefully) you shower, there's at least 5 minutes, maybe 10, or 15 for some people.

Now tell me how that is "just" 30 minutes.

Look, I'm not saying that exercise is bad, obviously. But you can't take a one size fits all approach to it, not at all. And it's great how you avoided Cheb's post, OCizzle, about how you'd respond to a patient with chronic pain, or even better, fibromyalgia (Not even an empirically proveable condition). It sounds like you've got a bad case of "holier than thou" and because 30 minutes a day of jogging/running keeps you thin, you think it works that way for everyone else.

How abouit someone with a BMR that's really low, or someone who suffers from undx'd bradycardia? Even after they exercise their BMR may return to baseline (slow) and the beneficial metabolic effects you experience throughout the day / night are gone for them. Not to mention some people eat the wrong stuff in general - Not everyone processes/catabolizes lipids the same as another, etc. I suggest reading "Eating for your Type", it's very interesting and even if you disregard it as quackery, it can be enlightening to hear other peoples' stories.

Especially good for you, OC, since you seem to think you've got it all figured out and anyone who is overweight is that way by choice.

 

[diastole]

I was bored in class one day and looking around at my classmates. Most students are pretty thin but there are some who are overweight so your weight won't necessarily keep you out of pharmacy school. But I would say on average, the pharmacy students at my school are thinner than the population.

But that isn't the part that really stands out for me. I have been attending this school since August and I have never seen anyone smoke ever. I have never experienced this before. When I was taking pre-reqs, there were always smokers. When I worked in a place where you had to leave the entire property to light up, there were still smokers. Maybe I'm not hanging out where the smokers are but I probably should have seen them hanging around outside the building by now. There seems to be no smokers.

 

[vinny808]

The genetic factor of obesity is VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY rare. I hope I made that point clear. Research shows that some people are more prone to obesity than others. Put it this way, if you eat and don't exercise, some people will get fat while others don't. It was an excellent survival trait to have when we were cavemen.

Now for the allele. Why is it that other nations remain small and thin, and only its Americans who have the fast food diet, and general unhealthy lifestyle that has exponentially become fatter over the past several decades? Our grandfathers and great grandfathers who worked the farms and were in the industrustrial age worked hard labor all day and could eat all the lard and butter they want without getting fat.

Now days, the average caloric intake compared to our great grandfathers have not increased all that much ~ around 200-300 caloires. While our energy expenditure has drastically decreased (remember, they worked the fields, we work our cars/computers). Therefore, we're going to have a positive calorie balance at the end of the day. Genetic mutation/human evolution does not occur in several decades. Why were our grandfathers so skinny? Why are only Americans getting more obese? Its because of the lifestyles we make, and because of the society we live in. Some people choose to say, well, its too hard to incorporate exercise in my busy schedule. But then others will make the time. Or simply choose to eat healthy. The choice is yours and the results will be based on your decisions. The genetic factor plays a very small role.

 

[jung1]

Well, now that you're conscious of your weight, you can accept it or change it. Not only that, you can document it and turn it into an inspirational story for Subway or something.

BTW, I hear swimming is a good low impact exercise. My disclaimer: Talk to your doctor first.

 

[desmoulins45179]

I hate running, and I'm a picky eater too (how can you not like chicken breasts though?). There are other forms of exercise, and watching what you eat doesn't mean you have to become a vegan, eat fruits only, or sit at the table with a scale. With that said, it doesn't sound like you have a problem with weight, and you're happy the way you are, so obviously you're doing something right. 👍

I'm not a big meat eater personally. I like meat not only very tender, but also very moist. At thanksgiving, I like dark meat of the turkey better because it is more moist. I like chicken/fish with a lot of breading. A plain chicken breast is too "blah" for me. I LOVE a good beer battered fish fry with really thick breading. Unfortunately, this is not so healthy for you but it is sooooo good

 

[CarCrazy007]

I don't think we should judge the OP or give her advice. She's applying to pharmacy school so I think she is capable of making changes on her own.
Quite frankly if a school look down on you because of your size, maybe that you shouldn't go to that school anyway.
Good luck and the interviews and get ready to wow them.

 

[OCizzle]

Let's also not discount the possibility of a DRD-2A1 Allele defect causing a dopaminergic pathway problem in overeaters - Dopamine is crucial in satisfaction/full-feeling, and some people need dramatically more dopamine before they feel sated compared to another person.

Additionally, @ mr. runner up there, as someone who had to lose 55 pounds to get into the Army, I can say with certainty that running when you're overweight can cause far more problems than it solves. Damage/wear and tear on all of your supporting joints, back pain, etc is all extremely common. Overweight folks have to resort often to other measures such as ellipticals or rowing, which are expensive to own (As is going to a gym, $70/mo here in Davis). Biking is great, but it takes a lot longer to shed weight Kcal for Kcal on a bike vs. running, you know that.

And running for 30 minutes is misleading.

You stretch for 5-10 minutes before.
You warm-up for 5-10 minutes.
You jog/run for 30-35 minutes
You cooldown for 5 minutes
You stretch for 5-10 minutes after
You're sweaty so (hopefully) you shower, there's at least 5 minutes, maybe 10, or 15 for some people.

Now tell me how that is "just" 30 minutes.

Look, I'm not saying that exercise is bad, obviously. But you can't take a one size fits all approach to it, not at all. And it's great how you avoided Cheb's post, OCizzle, about how you'd respond to a patient with chronic pain, or even better, fibromyalgia (Not even an empirically proveable condition). It sounds like you've got a bad case of "holier than thou" and because 30 minutes a day of jogging/running keeps you thin, you think it works that way for everyone else.

How abouit someone with a BMR that's really low, or someone who suffers from undx'd bradycardia? Even after they exercise their BMR may return to baseline (slow) and the beneficial metabolic effects you experience throughout the day / night are gone for them. Not to mention some people eat the wrong stuff in general - Not everyone processes/catabolizes lipids the same as another, etc. I suggest reading "Eating for your Type", it's very interesting and even if you disregard it as quackery, it can be enlightening to hear other peoples' stories.

Especially good for you, OC, since you seem to think you've got it all figured out and anyone who is overweight is that way by choice.

I don't know why you're making this so personal. I don't consider myself better than anyone, and like I said, I have nothing against overweight people. If you're OK with being overweight then why should I have a problem with it? I, however, have lost a considerable amount of weight myself, and have spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. So yes, I naturally disagree with people who claim that for the average person under 30 years old (majority of people in SDN) losing weight is tremendously difficult. It isn't.

You brought up my "30 mins" of exercise, which is a valid point, but ultimately moot. When it comes to losing weight (or gaining, in case you want put on some muscle) exercise is only secondary to nutrition. Diet actually plays the biggest role. You can lose weight solely with your diet, without ever setting foot inside a gym. Exercise simply speeds things up and provides other nice bonuses such as improved circulation, etc. So yes, people with chronic pain can still loose weight without ever stepping on a treadmill.

I realize that we're all different. However, if you're under 30 and are not predisposed by RARE genetics conditions, your metabolism won't be wildly different from the norm. Some people have to put in a little more work, while others can get away with less effort, so it's up to you to change your eating habits and figure out what YOUR diet should look like. Once you're consuming less calories than you use (caloric deficit), you WILL lose weight. That's just basic physics. After that all you need is patience and the will to stick to it.

 

[Sparda29]

I'm curious if anyone else feels as though they distrust or have inherent negative stereotypes about overweight people. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as interviews have started, and I'm worried that people will automatically think I'm lazy or that I don't care about my health because I'm overweight. This has especially been on my mind since I see the people I'm interviewing with, and they are mostly thin, young, and attractive. I'm worried that I will look uncomfortable in my body / professional clothes at the interview and this will subconsciously be held against me.

Has anyone else worried about this, or experienced negative feedback for being overweight?

For full disclosure: I'm 5'7" and my normal weight is around 160 lbs, since last July, I've gained 50 lbs to my current weight at 205 lbs.

You'll be fine, I was 5'9" 255 lbs when I got into pharmacy school (actually lost some weight since I started).

Go to Men's Wearhouse, and get a good suit, and talk to the person who helps you there about feeling subconcious about your weight, and he/she should be able to pick out a good suit.

A well designed, good fitting suit makes anyone look good. So don't worry about it.

This guy is probably 150-200 lbs overweight, but that suit looks ****ing awesome. By the way, for exercising, do NOT run, it will cause knee problems as I have found out, especially since I already had a torn ACL and cartilage damage. My recommendation is to go swimming or if you don't know how to swim, go to the shallow end of the pool, and just walk/run across the pool. Personally, what I did for exercising in the pool was, I'd be in the water with a buddy, and I'd start walking/running through the water and my buddy would throw a football to me. Either that, or he'd be at the opposite end of the pool, and I'd try to run across the pool with the football, and he has to try to tackle me while I try to avoid getting tackled, pretty fun.

 

[ValeRx]

If you are overweight and are complaining, quit ****ing complaining. Weight works both ways in the eyes of society. If you're fat... you're fat. Skinny, you're skinny. Both are ill perceived. If you're fat, you're considered to be out of shape. If you're skinny like I am, you are considered to be frail and puny. Unfortunately there are biases for both. Overweight professors may have an underlying dislike for thinner, "attractive" people. You want to blame someone? Blame Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret for programming society about what beautiful is.

If you want to change your appearance it takes DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION... not to mention something called PERSEVERANCE. In our society of fast food, we are so hung up on instant gratification that if you don't get what you want after a week of half-assed effort, you quit and call it too hard. It was mentioned before, a pound or two a week is good, healthy progress. Exercise and a low calorie/low fat diet is ESSENTIAL AND WILL PRODUCE RESULTS. THIS IS PROVEN. Burn more calories than you take in... easy concept. The same goes for going to the gym. If I want to build muscle I need to go to the gym, work hard and eat a lot of food... 3500 calories/day to be exact. High protein/carbs and low fat. I have been hitting the gym 3x a week for three months now and have put on 15 pounds of lean muscle. Do I want to be Jay Cutler? No, but I want a solid frame. That's my goal and I will keep doing what I need to to get there. Think about it.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

It's not just Americans who are becoming larger as time passes, although yes we are essentially the 'worst off'. Other developed, Westernized nations are quickly following suit (no pun intended).

 

[desmoulins45179]

Go to Men's Wearhouse, and get a good suit, and talk to the person who helps you there about feeling subconcious about your weight, and he/she should be able to pick out a good suit.

A well designed, good fitting suit makes anyone look good. So don't worry about it.

This guy is probably 150-200 lbs overweight, but that suit looks ****ing awesome.

Exactly what I was trying to say. A good suit can make your look.
Except I got the impression hat the OP was a woman so going to men's wearhouse won't exactly work and unfortunately I have never found an equivalent for women. This means going into a lot of stores with sales associates who are not trained in how to help you pick out a suit.

 

[Pancakesteve]

Being a man, I can really only comment on Men's suits. But I'm sure some of the points are unisex.

To help you look slimmer, go for smaller patterns. Subtle, small pin-striping is one example. Also, make sure you get your suit tailored. Tailoring isn't really that expensive, and it can REALLY help you look great in what you're wearing. An ill-fitting suit on a heavy-set person will simply accentuate all the negative features, it never hides them.

Also, the internet is rife with useful information regarding everything, including suits.

As for men/guys: Typically you'll want to go with a 2-button (vs. 3+ buttons) suit, and go for side vents on your jacket if possible (though a center vent is fine.) NEVER ever ever get a suit that has a vent-less Jacket. That's indicative of a lower quality, and it will emphasize your weight. Flat-front pants are optimal compared to pleated pants, as pleats will draw attention to your waist (which is what a heavier guy will want to avoid, no?)

And since I'm here... a few random notes: On a two-button suit, never button the bottom button. It's a faux-pas. Also, avoid black suits for interviews. Typically, black is reserved for weddings and funerals. Charcoal, greys, navy are all good choices. On the opposite end of the spectrum, avoid white (and any other non-traditional suit color, such as purple, green, etc.) as these are reserved for pimps and the clueless. The latter will be particularly important in every setting. The former, not so much. Health care isn't quite as style-conscious as business/law settings. But with that said, it never hurts to look good and stylish. *Notice, I didn't say trendy. 🙂*

If you have any specific questions, I'll see what I can do to help. 🙂

 

[desmoulins45179]

Actually most people I've seen at my interviews wear black. Even if it's for weddings/funerals in the strictest sense, I think it's acceptable to wear to an interview.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Actually most people I've seen at my interviews wear black. Even if it's for weddings/funerals in the strictest sense, I think it's acceptable to wear to an interview.

Yeah especially since it is so hard for a girl of any size to find a nice, decent suit that fits period it is hard to be picky about the color, etc.