I feel like I've completely lose my diet ethics since starting pharm school. I'm tired all the time, forced to sit down from 8-5 for class and then another 6 hours to study. I always exercise for an hour a day, but I'm gaining!!!

I know it's because I'm more sedentary/eating more since i stopped weighing my food, but what do I do?! I've been eating more protein bars which need to go, I come home for meals so I don't end up buying stuff at the school cafeteria. I guess I just feel like I'm not doing THAT bad but I'm gaining, I want to nip it before I look back and realize I'm 200lbs again.

Anyone have advice? Any food combos that are good to eat? and what do you do for cravings??

I eat oat bran+flaxseed+greek yogurt in the morning
lunch and dinner is 4 oz meat and veggies

but I eat proteins bars which are carb and sugar loaded throughout the day. I also have one can of diet soda (this is a new habit-- is it bad? It helps curb sugar cravings!). I also have my period now and I'm upto 175. I'm just depressed. School has been rough, new state, new life, and I'm sucking at keeping my old habits in line. My clothes I bought that are new and nice are SUPER tight and gross. I can't sit down in class without feeling like I'm suffocating. Just miserable. I was doing so well before I moved out here.

I would love to hear any tips you guys have!

Thanks for reading 3FC~

That's one thing that absolutely sucks about grad school -- all the hours we spend studying.

What I do is, instead of weighting my food is count calories with LoseIt (or other calorie counters), and go easy on the protein bars unless I'm working out that day. I only have classes twice a week, though, but all other days are spent sitting in front of the computer doing research or work (I'm an online college instructor). Also now I'm pregnant which is a whole 'nother story but when I'm not pregnant my calorie budget is 1100.

A regular school day goes kind of like this: I have one sweet egg omelette (just one egg with a bit of cinnamon and Splenda, and 1/8 cup of sugar free maple syrup, I eat this to replace my want for pancakes or other carb-loaded options), and my unsweetened tea (I'm from Argentina, I drink mate, which has some caffeine in it and keeps me awake but not as much caffeine as coffee). Mid morning I have a small protein bar (not the big meal replacement because those are loaded with carbs and sugar), an EAS protein shake, or half a PB and J on a whole wheat slice of bread. For lunch I have a big salad with sauteed shrimp or chicken left over from the night prior for protein. I don't really care how much geen leaf lettuce and baby spinach I eat because really, they barely have any calories, some onions, a bit of tomato and grated cheese (very little, for flavor). And I accompany that with one EAS protein shake. Then in the afternoon I have school, and in my last class ending at 8:15pm I eat a baggy of broccoli, half a bag of Atkins M&Ms and another EAS Protein shake.

For me the secret is eliminating sodas, sugars, and carbs. That's the trifecta. Oh, and the EAS Protein shakes; they're the Advantedge ones, they have 100 calories per shake, and 17grams of lean protein, with no sugar or anything, they're the best.

On days I don't have school I try to keep the same eating routine + a bit of workout in the evening otherwise I'd just be stuck in front of the computer all day. And I switch dinner and lunch (have the baggy of broccoli for lunch, and the big salad with lean white meat for dinner).

Counting calories works for me, maybe you should give it a try. When we eat more calories we need to burn more calories, and if we're going to be more sedentary we need to consume less calories than what we burn with that sedentary lifestyle, that is why keeping that low calorie budget works for me, and being that you're on the short/petite side like me it would be a good idea to try it.

Thank you!

I was doing calorie counting before and it worked! When I moved here I didn't bring my food scale so I have no idea portion wise what I'm eating.

I bought isopure100 protein shake it's soo good! zero sugar and carbs! which I drink after my run every night? Is that a good idea? I never know when to have things.

I also don't know what to do to curb cravings. I feel like the less active I am the more I eat, but I don't have the luxury of being active.

I will look into these EAS shakes, and what protein bars are you eating? It seems like youhave a good balance of sugar in there as well! I don't eat sugar daily. But I have days where I just binge on sugar. The albertsons near school sells $1 cinnamon rolls (4 HUGE rolls) and I eat them in a day!! It's so awful, and then it triggers all my sugar cravings.

It's like I haven't learned anything, sigh. So disappointed in myself!! But thank you for your response, I really appreciate it!!

I could've written your post about my life right now. I'm not in grad school anymore although when I started this journey in 2009, I was a full time grad student (for public health). I however am settled into a job and am just coming off a huge regain of 40 lbs which came from recognizing there was a problem with my discipline in tracking and doing nothing about it. I travelled on a shopping vacation last Christmas and all the lovely things I got sat unworn in my closet- my clothes are all tight and uncomfortable. So I get it.

Re: being a grad student and sorting out meals. I think for me, planning was key. I had a weekly meal timetable which I wrote up every Saturday on a whiteboard I hung on my door and since I didn't cut out any kind of food, I could adjust it to handle cravings. Having everything planned out and set out reduced the amount of time I had to spend figuring out what to eat. I didn't live too far away from campus so it wasn't a huge commute, but even then, I had back up menu items I was allowed to eat when I couldn't get home for some reason. For lunch on campus, I could get a 6-inch sub or a salad from a Subway or a grilled chicken breast with a salad or steamed veggies from the School cafeteria or a chicken salad, without the cheese and dressing and then either take my own dressing from home or request vinegar or the dressing on the side. Taking lunch from home is also a good option if you have access to a microwave in a department office for example. Dinners for me were either a salad and a protein or I made stirfry veggies and (stirfry beef or chicken or even seafood) with coconut oil and measured quantities of soy/oyster sauce which I mixed with little portions of whole wheat angel hair pasta or brown rice for that asian noodle feel. Or I'd make a soup or stew at the weekend and portion it out into little bowls in the fridge. Or sometimes I ordered in but even then I studied the menus and had my go-tos for light meals. I think I also had some convenience food options for emergencies during finals- things like the little 1-minute rice flavoured bowls or Campbell's cup of soups and of course deli chicken or turkey for sandwiches.

How I dealt with cravings was that I indulged them to a degree. If I wanted pizza, I would allow myself a slice or get a small thin crust one, but then I would adjust my calories for the day and have lighter, less carb heavy, less calorie-dense meals. Like maybe a lone boiled egg for breakfast and a green salad for another meal during the day. With a sweet craving, I'd have either a fun size chocolate (but disposing of the rest of the bags either with friends or in my department office- I was popular for that ) OR I'd get one of those mini single-serve cups of ice cream- the 1 scoop ones or a skinny cow bar or something.

If protein bars are something that satisfy you as a snack or meal replacement, Quest do a really good protein bar that isn't high in sugar or carbs, is super high in protein and fiber and yet incredibly yummy in so many flavors. Plus, they're not that high calorie at under 200 calories for most of them. Their bars may be a little expensive for a student budget on the regular, but they're pretty good and nutritious. However, if protein bars are something you tend to binge on as in eat multiples a day, you might want to reconsider whether they're something you want in your life on the regular. I had a similar issue with granola bars and had to let them go.

The biggest thing though is that you have been successful, so you know what works. Accountability and measuring is a big thing. I know you can get a food scale for under $10 on Amazon or Walmart if someone can't mail you the one you left at home. It IS necessary because most of weight loss is food-related. Exercise isn't going to prevent weight gain if you're not eating right. I've exercised all the way during my 40-lb regain. Trust me. You need to get back on track with food and if tracking is what worked for you before, that's probably what you need to go back to again.

You're going to be okay. Good luck with school and everything. You can do this.

One thing to keep in mind is that while studying and learning isn't physically taxing it is mentally taxing and this can drive hunger. At the end of the day it is all about calories so you must find a way to control them.

My tip would be to eat more substantial meals. 4 oz of meat and some veggies? No wonder you're eating all the protein bars. Eat more at meals. I'd suggest keeping carbs low and adding fat to your meals. Protein and fat are the easiest way to satiate yourself.

Second tip would be if you're studying and feel like you're hungry is to ignore it for a while. Hunger comes in waves. You don't have to eat something every time you think you're hungry. In my opinion most people don't know what hungry feels like. I thought I did but once I started intermittent fasting I realized there is a difference and you can ignore the not really hungry sensation quite easily with practice.

WOW, Im about to attend school (again) this Fall and after 2 yrs I go to grad school (BTW) same major I will be attending Pharm school as well and reading your post I feel like darn. Im headed to the same path. I have bio/chem classes, plus Im a wife and mother (of 1) and I want another one as well, but my belly has to drop and I need help too. Im going on a 1,200 cal diet starting tomorrow and Im here for help and Im with ya on this. I think it is best to count calories, I really do.

Grad school and Eating Right:

Yes, we could write a dissertation on that topic ha?? I recall when I was in school that I too had a jam packed schedule, and at the end of my school day I recall that commuting back to 4 cities away was also quite stressful. Therefore, I didn't have a choice to come home to eat all my meals, and tried to remain in school mode by Never leaving the campus during the days I had classes or Library Research Projects to focus on.

However; I did learn to utilize the local salad bar on campus. It was nutritous and convenient. I would also bring a few bagels from home and lots of gum, and diet soda too.

Breakfast I always stopped at the local muffin shop and had a muffin with a cup of coffee. For some odd reason, all throughout grad school I Never used The Oven???( Or I would have baked my own)

Something psych about that , but not sure why, perhaps I didnt want to clean out the oven for I am sensitive to chemicals so I never got it dirty by never using it, and therefore never had to clean it either...

During grad school I also didn't do to much else like shopping for foods to bring with me to school, and back then we didn't seem to have the nice insulated lunch pouches like they have now.

One can put a very healthy lunch and later day snack into this insulated pouch and eat much healthier.

With the time saved from not having to commute back home to eat , I would take time to walk briskly around your campus, find a scenic or pleasurable area to walk and make it a habit. During the time of year where the weather is a problem for outdoor exercise, definitely find something to do indoors. Either a gym class or run the stair wells several times a day.

If your clothes are tight fitting you might double check to see if you are laundering them correctly. I know that in grad school I didn't have a clue that cotton clothes shrink a huge amount. Cotton tee's and cotton anytype of clothing will shrink, unless washed in the cold wash. Many of my clothes that were beginning to fit me tightly in grad school were shrinking in the wash. So do some Reality Teasting and see is it you or an external factor that is causing the tight fitting clothes.

Also, if you are concerned about the weight itself then check a scale occasionally to make sure it is the weight and not something else like water retention.

I would try to find a schedule that would fit into your busy life. Include Breakfast---classes---Lunch----classes-----exercise Break-----classes----Dinner/break, and studying time when dinner is digested and perhaps had a bit of a breather too.

I found it nice to share lunch time with a friend who would also eat with me, so I wasn't so lonely and eating out of boredom, which may lead some people to get back in line at cafeteria and eat 2nds.....

Good luck in grad school, and also don't forget to visit your medical practicioner during grad school too. You never know what could be causing the weight gain.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all for the replies!! I just finished finals and drove back home. I have been a mess with my foods. I really think it has been due to lack of measuring what I eat. I had so much time to put away for that, and pharm school is just eating my life away!!!

sweetaddict- congrats on starting! Just finished my first quarter and I'm loving it!!

So I am thinking I need to up my protein and lower my carbs. I feel like since starting school, carbs are EVERYWHERE! I mean any event for a club, anytime people want to go out, even food provided by the school for finals week, carbs carbs carbs, and it spirals out of control. I need to be stricter with myself.

I'm back at eating little things and snacking, which I avoided for a good couple of months when I dropped down to 167, ugh I'm exactly 10lbs up right now, which I know it's not the end of the world, but it's extremely disappointing to feel like you haven't learned anything about weight loss.

Anyway, thank you all for the replies, I'm going to look into some lower carb options and see if that will help. Carbs have also made me hungrier and I'm constantly losing focus because I'm wondering how quickly I can run to the vending machine....to buy even more carbs.

UGH! hate this cycle, anyway thanks again everyone! Truly appreciate all the replies, and I'm really happy I'm not alone here!! I feel like I go to school with the fittest of the fit so it makes it difficult to see my weight go up.

Hello.. I am not a current grad student, but i did graduate with a masters degree last year, and was a two year, full-time grad student. Funny thing is, when i weighed 30 pounds lighter than i do today, it was when I was in grad school.

I was ALWAYS studying.. but the thing is, what really helped me in school was eating healthier, working out, and getting enough sleep. Sounds exact opposite of most students, right? I am not sure if you said you are a full time student or work/school at the same time, but I was a full time student. I would feel guilty if I didn't spend 24/7 studying. but you have to make time for yourself and your help. It turned out I would actually get more focus studying time in after I went to the gym for an hour or more, ate healthy food, etc.

It is a struggle.. but the best part is grad school doesn't last a lifetime, but your health does. Good luck to you and I hope you find that balance.

Everyone in my family has lost weight when starting school, but me? I get fat, every. single. time. I just don't want to get too big again. I had so much knee and back pain when I was heavier that I almost had to take a leave of absence.

Ugh i haven't found the balance quite yet, but I brought my food scale with me and I'm going to the gym every single day!! I figure I waste that time here and there, so might as well go to the gym!!!

Thanks for the comment though!!

I lost weight in grad school, but the reason was that I was broke! I could not afford $1 rolls, and certainly not soda, protein shakes, bars or any sort of packaged food. My cupboard had ingredients only, not anything really edible off the shelf. Everything was prepared at home. Otherwise, I would run out of money before the end of the semester.

I guess the point of this post is don't feel bad because you gain instead of lose in grad school. I would have as well if I had more money! I suppose I don't really have any suggestions, but maybe there is some wisdom here about convenience food.