Weight Management Intern Yr. HELPPPP.

[saladsandsutures]

Hey guys, I just started intern year (internal med). And I'm just posting this to see if this is actually possible and to hear tips/stories from those that have done it.

Fitness and nutrition have always been super important to me, and I am used to having a fitter physique. Unfortunately, I had a really rough last few med school rotations followed by a couple months where all I did was vacation and sleep, so I gained quite a bit of weight and am currently the heaviest I have ever been.

I swore to myself I would lose this weight during intern year but everyone I tell this to basically laughs in my face and says "girl you are not going to have the time or energy" and "you'll be lucky if you even maintain your weight." But like. No. I want to LOSE weight. I am not comfortable with how I look or how I feel. I am super determined. But at the same time I have no idea what lies ahead.

For those of you who have lost weight or know people who have during intern year I'd love to hear your stories and tips! Sorry if there is already a thread on this, I couldn't find one though :/ Thanks in advance

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[smq123]

What kind of routine did you have before you gained weight? What kind of things did you eat, what did you do for physical activity?

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Intermittent fasting. I.e. fast every time your at the hospital. If you don’t eat all the junk they give you, you won’t gain weight.

calorie counting very strictly and avoiding all ‘free’ foods was the only way I could do this previously. But honestly after a couple months of wards, I no longer had the energy to fight.

 

[anonperson]

Hey guys, I just started intern year (internal med). And I'm just posting this to see if this is actually possible and to hear tips/stories from those that have done it.

Fitness and nutrition have always been super important to me, and I am used to having a fitter physique. Unfortunately, I had a really rough last few med school rotations followed by a couple months where all I did was vacation and sleep, so I gained quite a bit of weight and am currently the heaviest I have ever been.

I swore to myself I would lose this weight during intern year but everyone I tell this to basically laughs in my face and says "girl you are not going to have the time or energy" and "you'll be lucky if you even maintain your weight." But like. No. I want to LOSE weight. I am not comfortable with how I look or how I feel. I am super determined. But at the same time I have no idea what lies ahead.

For those of you who have lost weight or know people who have during intern year I'd love to hear your stories and tips! Sorry if there is already a thread on this, I couldn't find one though :/ Thanks in advance

Monitor your calorie intake.

There is no secret other than strictly watching what you eat.

Exercise is important for overall health but if one is eating fries and drinking sodas all day, you will never be able to exercise enough.

When I have the craving to eat something unhealthy when on call, I will either drink water or eat something low in calories like carrots, cucumbers etc. and generally the craving is gone.

 

[ERK123]

I probably lost a few pounds during intern year (I lost a lot of weight during Med school). I don’t mess around with intermittent fasting or any special routine or diets. I just try to limit my portion sizes and avoid too much junk food (some is unavoidable and important to well-being IMO). think it is super important to eat regularly while in the hospital as this helps to avoid eating a bunch of unhealthy food as a “reward” at the end of the day. Also, I can’t think effectively when I don’t eat. Many people will tell you it is impossible to eat or drink regularly while in the hospital. My advice is to try to prove masochists wrong.

 

[Crayola227]

Eating healthy during inpt months?

Hello, I’m about to start my second inpt month as an intern. I am looking for guidance on healthy eating during this month. I’m a stress eater, vegetarian and have a hankering for sweet foods. Things that act against me during this month. ive tired days when I have a smaller...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Check this out. Of course I'm partial to my own post, lol.

You need more advice than just "don't eat the hospital junk." Because you're going to have to eat something, and the question is how as someone spending 90% of your waking time in the hospital, do you find the time to obtain better food to eat in the slim time at home and while trapped in the hospital.

I've always found it helpful to be able to walk/bike as part of my commute, but not always possible. Park far and walk, take the stairs. It might not make you thin but can help the damage that might otherwise accrue.

You could try having an exercise bike at home and see where that gets you. Or go for a run. I knew interns that stayed fit and kept up their work outs, but they were machines before starting internship. It's one thing to attempt to maintain a 70% level of existing hardwired in hardwon lifestyle habits, and another thing entirely to change your lifestyle during intern year. That is the part people scoff at, not that the person who was already keeping up their miles in med school thinks they still might find time intern year.

If you go through the hospital cafeteria, grab what I call "it isn't fat people food." I lucked out that my hospital cafeteria rocked so for me that included sushi. But most hospitals have a salad bar. I hate paying so much for vegetables but vegetables are the best thing you can get if you don't load the wrong things on it. Dressing always in a cup on the side, I usually can get by with vinegar and a touch of olive oil if I put something actually on my salad.

If there is a low cal condiment that can rescue the hospital veggies and salad or other healthy choices and make it better for you, then bring it!

My approach was to have myself so surrounded by reasonable convenient choices at the hospital, that I always had a better alternative to the junk. Imho that is the only way to triumph, because if you don't have an alternative, and you've made your choice between not eating at all and the free pizza, then you've set yourself up to fail.

But my approach isn't about starvation as much as enabling healthier eating. If you're not hungry enough to eat the hard boiled eggs, nonfat greek yogurt, and apple that you packed, then you're not so hungry you should eat anything.

I tried to save my junk calories for my one day off. That's when I eat my slice of chocolate cake, in my undies watching Netflix, not where I can smell old people. I don't want to squander those calories in a less than subpar setting like typing notes in the workroom. So say no to the junk and live like a monk at work. If you reward yourself only with something that counts against you on your day off, that's a lot fewer cheat days/calories.

I also tended to "reward" myself with convenience foods/take out/delivery I considered "not fat people food." My only allowed fast food being a reasonable Subway sandwich or sushi. At the grocery store prepared salads or really nice fruit.

You kinda have to find your own calorie hacks. I use plain nonfat greek yogurt in place of sour cream. I use Splenda. I recently discovered a salad that is a spring mix to which I add the tiniest amount of blue cheese and then squeeze fresh lemon juice on and a splash of olive oil. Delicious, low calorie, fast.

 

[Limvostov]

Use something like the App My fitness Pal and be diligent with logging all foods (really opened my eyes to just how bad some foods were to my weight goals). Once you get a number of foods into the app it gets fairly routine to log food and you'll even known when you're about to eat something that will void your hard earned success in seconds if you log before you eat. Avoid sweets/junk food/simple carbs/salad dressing/nut butters/Nutella. Plain oatmeal with frozen berries and Greek yogurt was a good way to curb appetite and not snack before lunch. I often ate half for breakfast and the second half around 9am. Get good sleep as often as possible. Take at least 20 minutes to get your heart rate up and break a sweat 4 days a week (we had a gym available and I would use it and shower before going home). Find a co-resident or other hospital staff with similar goals and walk with them when you get a chance. Avoid excess alcohol and nighttime snacking. Drink water when you feel hungry before you reach for a snack and often you'll find you were just thirsty and not really all that hungry. If you do need a snack stick with fruits, vegetables, and protein rich options. I found green tea and black coffee to be a great way to curb my appetite between meals especially if I was just sitting and charting. With this set of habits my weight never fluctuated more than plus or minus 5lbs for all my training years. Its ok to have a cheat meal once a week, but don't go overboard and leave your real cheat meals for holidays or ceremonies/birthday parties so you don't miss out on special foods you don't have access to all the time.

Basically, find something that works and be diligent with your goals. Crayola227 above basically did what I did and still do for my routine. Excellent advice.

 

[deleted50541]

Apps are good, especially to see how much you're eating and what kind of pattern of eating you have.

My problem in residency was keeping weight on. I definitely was not the healthiest eater, but I routinely lost 10+ lbs depending on how stressful a rotation was and how much sleep I got. I was also never a big lunch eater, so it wasn't uncommon for me to not eat anything for 12+ hours when I was working. I tried to do better with eating/drinking during the day as a senior resident and as a fellow, which definitely helped with my energy levels and ability to tolerate longer working hours.

Sleep and water are huge. Even if I couldn't eat something, I always took the opportunity for a water break whenever possible. Walking by a fountain, right after a case, before seeing a consult, etc. I stopped drinking caffeine as well by the time I was chief resident. My sleep was much better and I stopped waking up in the usual caffeine-depleted haze.

 

[Member10billion]

I don't want to sound weight-elitist... this is not my intention. I have always been very thin and I attribute it mostly to my genetics and some of it to my eating habits. I watch very closely the quantity and quality to which I eat. I eat only when I am hungry and only to when I feel 50-75% full. I rarely snack. I very rarely eat fast food. I pay attention to serving sizes.

My meals usually stay the same. I have one cup of coffee with a splash of milk in the AM for breakfast, a small sandwich + snack at lunch (I am fortunate enough that my husband is willing to make me the same scrambled egg sandwich and sliced apples for the past 3 years. I eat it and don't complain anymore since he is generous enough to wake up early to make it for me haha). Throughout the day, I have a large Nalgene that I sip on throughout the day. For dinner, I have whatever I want with a small dessert. Last night, I had a bowl of garlicky beans with a slice of bread and 2 glasses of choco milk because I am 4 years old. The night before, I had a bean and veggie burrito; before that, 3 slices of mostly homemade pizza.

I never eat hospital food or any meals that someone else brings into work (like the drug rep meals, unless the food is really good quality. I'll a slice of cake for a birthday to show support, tho) because they just want food that can feed the masses of people and don't bring in what's good for you. If I want something, I never deny myself because then I can't get it out of my head and I end up eating 40xs the amount I should (I'm looking at you, peanut butter Cap'n Crunch); I just eat a few bites of it.

I never weigh myself because that just adds on stress. I go by how I feel and how my pants fit. Exercise is my struggling point - I go when I feel like it. Sometimes that can be 3xs a week, sometimes once every two weeks, depending on my rotation and my schedule. I am within the normal BMI range.

Maybe this sounds restrictive, but I never feel as though I'm missing out. I still drink beer, go for chicken wings, eat ice cream - I just eat that as an occasional treat instead of daily. I'm not posting this to make anyone feel bad or to say my way is the right way. I am simply relaying what I do to maintain my weight throughout the stressors of residency.

I hope I don't get roasted for this post. Weight can be a touchy subject.

 

[d2305]

Sugar is poison.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

- count calories.
- make a schedule for going to the gym and make time for it with few exceptions.
- ignore the haters; some people do not like watching others succeed. If possible, cut them out of your life.
- honestly, don't obsess over "clean" foods. You can enjoy delicious foods and maintain a diet.
- going with the above, don't be afraid to be flexible and throw in a "cheat day" here and there. Don't make it a daily thing, but life is meant to be enjoyed.
- intermittent fasting works with a busy schedule.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Intermittent fasting. I.e. fast every time your at the hospital. If you don’t eat all the junk they give you, you won’t gain weight.

calorie counting very strictly and avoiding all ‘free’ foods was the only way I could do this previously. But honestly after a couple months of wards, I no longer had the energy to fight.

Just a follow up to my own post, I have had a reunion with MyFitnessPal and calorie counting again. Gained 15 lbs intern year and it’s got to go already got the first 6 away in 3 weeks of calorie counting. Amazing how even when you have an idea of calories when you stop doing it strictly it goes to crap so fast

 

[JPEGpeggy]

My personal experience, I was fortunate to lost half my weight during my intern year without much effort, but I think it was attributed to busy schedule as an intern. I kept away from vending machine for most of my intern year as possible. I feel that the best way, to have a plan that is easy to follow and adapt to. Also, to have breaks and cheats now and then, so you dont get burnout.

 

[robellis]

My personal experience, I was fortunate to lost half my weight during my intern year without much effort, but I think it was attributed to busy schedule as an intern. I kept away from vending machine for most of my intern year as possible. I feel that the best way, to have a plan that is easy to follow and adapt to. Also, to have breaks and cheats now and then, so you dont get burnout.

How did you lose half your weight? Like what does that mean? Going from 200 to 100lbs? 300 to 150?

 

[vm26]

Intermittent fasting. I.e. fast every time your at the hospital. If you don’t eat all the junk they give you, you won’t gain weight.

calorie counting very strictly and avoiding all ‘free’ foods was the only way I could do this previously. But honestly after a couple months of wards, I no longer had the energy to fight.

Totally agree. I've been intermittent fasting/dirty fasting since April and lost about 20 pounds. I am leaner now than I was when I joined this site in 2003 (seems like yesterday). Aside from cutting down on all the processed inflammatory cr*p we all typically eat, this also gets you into fat-burning mode. A large part of my success has been Nitro brew from SB. The nitrous oxide makes the coffee foamy/sweet w/o any carbs so no insulin release. Caffeine also acts as an appetite suppressant. I actually bought a kit from Amazon so I can make my own. Dinner is the one normal meal of the day and while I typically still eat relatively healthy, I can/have consumed whatever I want w/o weight gain. Def worth checking out.

 

[Moose A Moose]

All these walls of text…

OP: water, salads and cardio.

 

[Redpancreas]

Hey guys, I just started intern year (internal med). And I'm just posting this to see if this is actually possible and to hear tips/stories from those that have done it.

Fitness and nutrition have always been super important to me, and I am used to having a fitter physique. Unfortunately, I had a really rough last few med school rotations followed by a couple months where all I did was vacation and sleep, so I gained quite a bit of weight and am currently the heaviest I have ever been.

I swore to myself I would lose this weight during intern year but everyone I tell this to basically laughs in my face and says "girl you are not going to have the time or energy" and "you'll be lucky if you even maintain your weight." But like. No. I want to LOSE weight. I am not comfortable with how I look or how I feel. I am super determined. But at the same time I have no idea what lies ahead.

For those of you who have lost weight or know people who have during intern year I'd love to hear your stories and tips! Sorry if there is already a thread on this, I couldn't find one though :/ Thanks in advance

Don't make dramatic weight loss/diet goals. Commit to a few low impact things. I lost weight I gained this way.

1.) Always take the stairs.
2.) Get a little winded every day.
3.) Don't sit in bed or in a chair all day on your off days. I was off for a few months due to a bad situation and gained nearly 30 lbs. because I was sitting in bed/home all day. I look back at those days on my watch and my Step count was 200-400. On an average day in the hospital I walk 10,000.
4.) When you have easier months, incorporate weight training and cardio as appropriate. You may not have time consistently and learn to be OK with that.

 

[Redpancreas]

Totally agree. I've been intermittent fasting/dirty fasting since April and lost about 20 pounds. I am leaner now than I was when I joined this site in 2003 (seems like yesterday). Aside from cutting down on all the processed inflammatory cr*p we all typically eat, this also gets you into fat-burning mode. A large part of my success has been Nitro brew from SB. The nitrous oxide makes the coffee foamy/sweet w/o any carbs so no insulin release. Caffeine also acts as an appetite suppressant. I actually bought a kit from Amazon so I can make my own. Dinner is the one normal meal of the day and while I typically still eat relatively healthy, I can/have consumed whatever I want w/o weight gain. Def worth checking out.

Until you withdraw and have cravings.

 

[Redpancreas]

My personal experience, I was fortunate to lost half my weight during my intern year without much effort, but I think it was attributed to busy schedule as an intern. I kept away from vending machine for most of my intern year as possible. I feel that the best way, to have a plan that is easy to follow and adapt to. Also, to have breaks and cheats now and then, so you dont get burnout.

You lost half your (body)weight without much effort? You were either living very gluttonously prior to intern year or you've (now) developed new-onset DM and are ketogenizing the weight off...maybe both.

 

[housestaffhustle]

A few things after skimming the above:

• Cardio is great, but if you have limited time I would focus on weight training. Building muscle will allow you to burn more calories (due to increased lean muscle mass) even when you aren't exercising.
• Doing light cardio (elliptical or incline walk at at least 10-15 degree elevation) can burn a decent amount of calories. I find I'm less fatigued with this compared to running and it's easier to get myself in the mood for it mentally.
• Consistency is key. Super hard as an intern, but do your best. You can start with working out once a week then ramp up to 3x per week.
• If you don't have access to a gym there are plenty of YouTube videos with home exercise you can do without equipment
  • Athlean X is a decent channel that I've found very informative, providing great tips on technique. The most important rule of weight lifting is to not get injured.
• Find audiobooks or TV shows you want to read/watch and only allow yourself to read/watch while you're at the gym. This combines a positive motivation with a possible negative one.
• I haven't found intermittent fasting to be helpful. You just end up eating more when you do eat and life as an intern basically forces you to intermittent fast a times even without trying.

Diet will be key. You can never burn off more calories then you eat.

• Using MyFitnessPal is super annoying when you aren't eating exclusively packaged foods, but try to stick with it for at least 3-4 weeks and buy a food scale to weight out your food if you're cooking. After tracking for at least a month you should have a general sense of what an actual serving size of certain foods looks like and you'll be able to estimate calories on the fly.
• Calculate your basic metabolic rate based on your activity level (be honest). Use this calculator
• In general, eating 500 fewer calories per day will help you to lose about 1 lb per week
• Don't be stressed if you see the weight go up and down. There will be minor fluctuations from day to day with shifts in water weight.
• Start cooking for yourself. You can't lose weight eating out on a resident's salary. There's just no getting around it.
• The goal is not to eat less. It's to eat smarter by eating MORE food that is still filling and tastes good but is much lower in calories (ex. replace regular peanut butter with powdered peanut butter)
• YouTube is a great resource for recipes.
  • Check out Greg Doucette's videos - He's a body builder and it's important to note that channels like this may be triggering for people with body image issues or eating disorders. He also openly admits to having used performance enhancing drugs in his career. I'm not endorsing any of that. That being said, his general philosophy towards eating (finding new ways to eat what you like) and the benefits of his recipes can't be argued with.
  • Will Tennyson also has some nice videos - Also a gym bro but he's younger (probably closer to your age) and more down to earth (ie. mostly avoids bro-science). His videos aren't as organized but you'll find free work out routines and recipes scattered throughout and they're entertaining. He's gained some popularity so his more recent videos are more for entertainment, but if you scroll back a bit there are some more educational ones.

Extras

• Check to see if your hospital health insurance provides incentives for tracking steps/healthy habits. Some provide an app you can connect a device to (ex. apple watch) and they'll pay you to take steps.
• Most importantly, don't expect to lose all the weight overnight or even over a month! It will probably take a year or more. You can look for smaller changes along the way to keep you motivated though. After starting some moderate weight training I began noticing increased definition in muscles I didn't even know I had. Seeing the improvements week by week as kept me motivated.

 

[Alkaidius]

I personally keep things simple and do the following:

1) weigh myself every morning just before showering to adjust days calorie intake (I sorta guesstimate and err on it being higher than I expect)
2) I do eat junk hospital food (breakfast and lunch) but make an effort to eat slowly (while typing notes), so I usually get full faster and almost never finish it
3) Drink at LEAST a standard bottle of water daily
4) I usually eat a couple of apples or some other fruits in lieu of dinner
5) Fast after 7PM (if I’m actually miserable that evening I may make oatmeal or have a small yogurt)

Even on months where I straight don’t have the willpower to go to the gym (basically half my rotations) I either skimmed a few pounds or was stable.

 

[Skindoc83]

Weigh yourself every morning

track every calorie you eat, my fitness pal is a great app, this can’t be overstated

carry Protein bars and aim for something that’s around 200 calories and 20 grams of protein. Barebell at Trader Joe’s are the best I have ever found

try to eat a low calorie high protein quick meal for breakfast. There are a million quick Recipes on YouTube

if you have access to a fridge and microwave Trader Joe’s has some great microwaveable options that are low calorie and high protein. Protein will keep you satiated

take the stairs

dont just drastically cut calories

 

[finalpsychyear]

I think you have to stay accountable number 1 as much as possible. What this means is always have your data like weighing your self along with a body fat percent scale at least weekly and using for example the my fitness free app which can sync your weight and calories and keeps you ALWAYS aware of where you are at. The reason why this is so important is you can gain a lot of weight over time and when your clothes are tighter its going to be a shock if you try and check it then.

1. stay accountable and have at least 1x a week access to weight, body fat, general idea of calories/.intake.
2. If you follow number one you can manage much more easier and get results quicker if you don't let yourself gain too much.
3. The first goal is to get to your maintenance weight/physique BF% etc. This will require a lot of effort depending on your time frame
4. Then once you have reached your goal you can likely be less strict a few times a week and this is ultimately a lot easier


Those principles have worked great for me. Almost everyone in my residency gained tons I was the only one who got leaner and stronger and in addition to the above principles which are the foundations of getting and maintaining your physique I'll add the following on what i did.

Residency Specific TIPS:
1. I did Intermittent fasting most days and i almost NEVER ate at the hospital aside from the black Starbucks coffee and we got free money which accrued over time. This worked for me as I did IF 20 hours few days a week.

2. I also then came home typically by 5pm then if it was workout day i hit the gym fasted.

3. After all this it was very rewarding eating basic foods ex: high protein/veggie omelets, lean turkey links. I always felt super full on days like this even though you had to push yourself for the fasted workout but the best results i ever got were from this.

4. Then once i really hit my ideal comp, everyday that i would do a 20 hour fast and fasted workout I basically had a cheat day as a reward ex: pizza, thai food, etc but on average i naturally didn't feel the urge to do this more than 1-2x a week but i loved the mental idea that i could do this and stay at my new set point.

5. this is by no means easy to do which is why most people fail and get obese. Recognize that if you want to separate yourself it requires another level of discipline and hard work. Some people have it easier with genetics and some don't. Sorta like academics some have to work less for the same or greater results. Just remember if you got into medical school you definitely have those qualities that separate you from the average Joe. You just need to apply it to this situation and the end result will be worth it.

 

[vm26]

I think you have to stay accountable number 1 as much as possible. What this means is always have your data like weighing your self along with a body fat percent scale at least weekly and using for example the my fitness free app which can sync your weight and calories and keeps you ALWAYS aware of where you are at. The reason why this is so important is you can gain a lot of weight over time and when your clothes are tighter its going to be a shock if you try and check it then.

1. stay accountable and have at least 1x a week access to weight, body fat, general idea of calories/.intake.
2. If you follow number one you can manage much more easier and get results quicker if you don't let yourself gain too much.
3. The first goal is to get to your maintenance weight/physique BF% etc. This will require a lot of effort depending on your time frame
4. Then once you have reached your goal you can likely be less strict a few times a week and this is ultimately a lot easier


Those principles have worked great for me. Almost everyone in my residency gained tons I was the only one who got leaner and stronger and in addition to the above principles which are the foundations of getting and maintaining your physique I'll add the following on what i did.

Residency Specific TIPS:
1. I did Intermittent fasting most days and i almost NEVER ate at the hospital aside from the black Starbucks coffee and we got free money which accrued over time. This worked for me as I did IF 20 hours few days a week.

2. I also then came home typically by 5pm then if it was workout day i hit the gym fasted.

3. After all this it was very rewarding eating basic foods ex: high protein/veggie omelets, lean turkey links. I always felt super full on days like this even though you had to push yourself for the fasted workout but the best results i ever got were from this.

4. Then once i really hit my ideal comp, everyday that i would do a 20 hour fast and fasted workout I basically had a cheat day as a reward ex: pizza, thai food, etc but on average i naturally didn't feel the urge to do this more than 1-2x a week but i loved the mental idea that i could do this and stay at my new set point.

5. this is by no means easy to do which is why most people fail and get obese. Recognize that if you want to separate yourself it requires another level of discipline and hard work. Some people have it easier with genetics and some don't. Sorta like academics some have to work less for the same or greater results. Just remember if you got into medical school you definitely have those qualities that separate you from the average Joe. You just need to apply it to this situation and the end result will be worth it.

Good stuff

Still doing the intermittent/dirty fasting. Almost 50 and just as lean as I was in my 20's (not that my wife notices or cares)...At first this sounds harsh/unsustainable but one becomes acclimated to it. Your palate changes and you become much more sensitive to sugary foods/beverages (sugar is basically crystal meth to our neolithic brains/reward systems)...I also incorporate mini-workouts like 20 min HIIT cardio or 20-25 minute weight lifting sessions. Frequency/consistency >>> work-out duration...Read/listen to Atomic Habits (I know, old news).

 

[finalpsychyear]

Good stuff

Still doing the intermittent/dirty fasting. Almost 50 and just as lean as I was in my 20's (not that my wife notices or cares)...At first this sounds harsh/unsustainable but one becomes acclimated to it. Your palate changes and you become much more sensitive to sugary foods/beverages (sugar is basically crystal meth to our neolithic brains/reward systems)...I also incorporate mini-workouts like 20 min HIIT cardio or 20-25 minute weight lifting sessions. Frequency/consistency >>> work-out duration...Read/listen to Atomic Habits (I know, old news).

Good to hear. I make sure my body is still metabolically adaptive. Good to workout fasted, non fasted, have days where you eat 3-4 meals etc.
Also, same goes for diet and macros. Have a few low carb days, some medium and some high but my baseline is always 50-100 net ish. Biggest mistake is going on a zero carb diet ALL the time. Mixing it up like you do for your workouts is the same principle in the diet and likely the most sustainable if nothing is really permanently off limits.

 

[Dr Meow]

I'm OMSII but I suspect the technique should work for anyone.

Easiest way for me is to PREPREPARE everything for months ahead.
Buy GIANT freezers. Walmart has 5cu ft for $167. Buy 2 or 3 of those.
Then spend any time off, cooking each meal portion months ahead. Freeze it. Bring it to work.

Or you could buy Lean cuisines and healthy choices but they get boring after a while, so I have 2 giant freezers and I have 1 freezer full of lean cuisines/healthy choices and 1 freezer of my home cooking.

The goal is to take the "thinking" out of your daily schedule. Make it SO CONVENIENT for yourself that you want to follow your plan.
Those people who cook for just 1 week ahead, that never works for me.

 

[finalpsychyear]

You don't need to diet to lose weight and not gain it back. After you return to your usual way of life, the "fat deposits" will return at the end of the diet. It would be best if you changed your lifestyle and diet. By no means starve yourself. It seems to me that motivation is given by the desire to be healthy and happy.

In this day and age where food delivery is a click away most are going to fail. To be the exception you have to fix your diet at its root, have a combination of resistance and aerobic exercise and fine tune your sleep with your circadian rhythms. The point isn't to just have a certain weight but have an overall lifestyle that makes it natural to maintain it. This is where most people fail. Obviously, if your overweight your initial effort to get to a set point weight is going to be higher than just maintaining but even the latter isn't a walk in the park. More and more research is showing the gut biome plays a large role in all this. Sleep, diet, and exercise all effect the biome. If you want long term results you gotta conquer the trifecta. good luck.

 

[Steve_Zissou]

6 months into intern year. Between walking 12,000+ steps a day, 2-3 workouts a week on hard rotations and more on chill ones, getting out on my day off for long hikes/mountain biking, and eating basically whatever I want during the week, I’ve maintained the exact same weight as when I started. It’s hard to get disciplined with eating during the long hours with lots of temptation. Hoping to get back on it here soon with a stricter diet, want to lose 15-20 lb before summer. Figure I can get there by tightening my diet a little and increasing my goal-oriented training during my lighter months.

 

[BobBarker]

6 months into intern year. Between walking 12,000+ steps a day, 2-3 workouts a week on hard rotations and more on chill ones, getting out on my day off for long hikes/mountain biking, and eating basically whatever I want during the week, I’ve maintained the exact same weight as when I started. It’s hard to get disciplined with eating during the long hours with lots of temptation. Hoping to get back on it here soon with a stricter diet, want to lose 15-20 lb before summer. Figure I can get there by tightening my diet a little and increasing my goal-oriented training during my lighter months.

Saxenda. Cheat to win.

 

[deleted875186]

Best way to stay weight neutral is do a busy internal medicine program.

I did a program where I was in early in the morning for sign out, and stayed until 6PM for signout, and was busy the majority of the day. Do lots of walking, always take the stairs, would bring some shredded wheat or something for lunch. Avoid deserts. Avoid the junk in the hosptial if they buy lunch, but do eat some protein, salad, etc so your not hungry the whole day.