[paperclip]

I'm cross-posting this with the student thread in the 20something forums.
I'm a pharmacy student, 23 years old. My course is very demanding, 9am-6pm lectures/labs pretty much every day, with plenty of study required in between. As a result I put back on about 10lb of the 5 stone I lost. (I got down to a weight I was pretty happy with.) I just can't seem to deal with this on the side- I walk an hour and a half every day which does not seem to balance things out. I lost my weight by giving up carbs and being very careful, but reintroduced carbs last summer when I was training for a half marathon and it's proven to be my downfall. I can't seem to kick it and having to think about it on top of everything else is so stressful. I have tons of exams coming up and it's just like...ugh... I don't know how to deal with this.
Help.

[Lovely]

Hey! Breathe... it's gonna be okay.

If carbs have proven to be your downfall, have you thought about kicking them for the time being? At least until your exams have been dealt with. You might find it's nice to not have to worry about at least this one thing.

I think the best thing to do might be to focus on simply eating healthier, instead of thinking about the weight... until your exams are over with. I know those can be very stressful.

[JayEll]

Carbs are the worst... I have a hard time with them, too. But realistically, you can't give them up entirely. Fortunately, some are better than others...

What are the carb foods that tempt you? Can you at least get rid of them, and substitute with better foods? You do have control over which foods are around you and which you choose to eat. For example, if you are eating a lot of cookies, stay away from cookies. Half a slice of whole grain bread would be a better choice. If it's sugar in tea, use a substitute sweetener. Be willing to do what you have to do...

The middle of exams isn't the best time to try to put on the brakes... but you can still make some better choices.

Hang on!
Jay

[aymster]

Well, pharmacy is a very stressful job and the studying for it isn't any easier and yes, stress will make us gain weight.

I find that having meals prepared (I usually cook on Sundays) can be a real advantage. I even have snacks (cut celery, nuts, etc.) portioned out and ready to go. It's actually a nice feeling that when that urge comes, you have healthy choices ready to go and you can gain confidence that you made the right choice.

PM me if you want to chat a bit. I've got 20+ years of pharmacy under my belt... and on my waist! BUT-- I'm making changes too!

[Scarlett]

I am in the same boat...I am a senior finishing a science heavy degree who had to save the upper level classes for now because they all have so many prereqs. I've been stressed out of my mind...I usually call my mom but lately she's been being kind of a jerk..when I tell her how stressed I am and how much work I have to do she's just like YOU BETTER GRADUATE this spring...I already reserved the rooms and treats me like I'm just lazy and need to work harder, which doesn't help the stress.

As far as diet is concerned, I realize that loosing/maintaining takes time out of your day and I simply do what I can with the time I have. I really don't exercise much becuase I don't have the time (when you factor in travel time, exercise time, and showering it takes about 3 hours out of my day). I will walk a few miles a couple times a week though.

I also pack all my food for the day in advance and plan what I am going to eat the next day in advance. This saves time and makes it easier to eat healthy during the day. I really can't cut my calories too drastically because I can't focus when I'm hungry.

So I've basically been watching what I eat, I give myself 1,600-1,700 calories per day which is enough to not be hungry..I probably cheat about 3 times a week also, and I exercise when I can...I loose about 1 pound or less per week but I've accepted that this is all I can do right now and will step things up when I graduate in 2 months.

I would recommend the same to you...do what you can and if you only loose a half pound a week, well it's better than gaining and you'll be 25 pounds lighter by this time next year. good luck..hang in there