I'm trying to shove about 4 years of yo-yoing into this post to give a brief background. When I joined 3fc in 2011, I weighed 227 lbs. I lost about 20 lbs, but lingered between 202-208 for awhile. I finally got down to 196 in December 2013. Then I found a mass in my abdomen, and ate my feelings back up to about 210ish. I was panicking about what it might be, as I have twin daughters. I had the mass removed in January 2014, and it turned out to be from Endometriosis, which I didn't know I had. I got back down to 204 by my wedding in June of 2014, but then we had to put my 12 year old dog down the next day...so I ate my feelings again. Shot back up to 214, then started trying to get back down again. I decided to go off of BC, which I was on for my PCOS. I convinced myself that I was going to eat a healthy diet that would help my PCOS and help me lose weight. Then I got accepted into nursing school. I weighed about 218 in January, and by May I had hit over 250, my highest weight EVER! I've been halfheartedly trying to lose this summer, but I need to get serious. Enough is enough. I cannot live like this anymore.
I am not sure what I am going to do this time around. How can I make it different? I did well when I could solely focus on weight loss, but being in school is definitely making that a struggle. Just curious as to how everyone else is going about their weight loss. Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
Last edited by noelle8310; 08-08-2015 at 08:43 PM.
We're in a similar position; I'm also 5'8" and am currently 246. It had gotten down to 203-ish last summer, before my allergies kicked in hardcore, and then I became sick with the flu for several months which triggered my asthma to come back. On top of that, I'm dealing with issues involving my mental health, and my weight shot back up along with my anxieties. I really, really want to get back to the 200 range again (and beyond, it's the lowest I'd been since junior high!).
While I'm not in nursing school, I work from home. I've got a 20-month-old boy, so I'm still relatively new to the whole mommy thing and am trying to find balance with taking care of him as well as myself.
What has always worked well for me is tracking. I just use a good old weekly planner and go to town; it helps me to see the big picture with how I eat. It also helps me to revisit The Beck Diet Solution to help me change my mindset to a more healthy outlook. I think everyone has their demons; when it comes to mine, it's definitely sugar and it's something I have to avidly avoid.
I completely understand the yo-yoing and I COMPLETELY understand nursing school messing your weight up beyond what you even think possible.
About 4 years ago, I started around 246 and got down to 217. Minor yo-yoing for a while...but I started an LVN program in January (graduate in December), and I've gained enough to put me up at 262 (ultimate highest ever). As of right now I'm down to 255 and it's actually not as tough as I thought it would be.
What I'm doing this time is calorie counting using MyFitnessPal, and I'm entering my food as SOON as I eat it or right before I eat it. It's really helped me prioritize what I want to "spend" my calories on for the day. For instance, I'm totally down with blowing a solid 500-600 calories on a good breakfast that keeps me full until lunch...because it keeps me from spending countless calories on the vending machine buying chips and beef jerky and Sour Patch because I'm hungry and stressed and lunch is hours away lol. I'm slowly turning limiting food into healthy food, and I'm working on adding in working out to diet.
We can do this!!! We can be nurses AND be at a healthy weight! Plus, it'll be way easier when we're actually nurses and on our feet all the time! A big reason I gained so much weight is because I ended up quitting my job to study more and now all I do is sit when I used to run around constantly.
I was also a big feelings eater and without addressing that, I don't know that I would be successful addressing the yo-yoing. It was part of, but not the only thing, in the solution.
I wish you luck -- it's no fun yo-yo'ing and it's incredibly frustrating. But I really believe when we find what works for us -- and for me it was a multi-pronged approach -- then permanent change is possible.
Amanda, I honestly couldn't have prepared myself enough if I had tried for the amount of stress that comes with nursing school!! I drank so much shitty coffee, ate so much shitty food, slept very little, and stressed like there was no tomorrow. I ate while I studied and when I took breaks. It was insane! I need to come up with a better plan for this semester. I intended on getting in shape over the summer, but that never happened...oopsie!
Emy, I think that is true for me as well. I almost wonder if I should utilize the free counseling that my school offers just to talk someone and see what they make of it.
Noell, I think the most important thing is to find a diet that works for you and then work that diet into your lifestyle. I did my undergrad while working full time with a family and I'm currently finishing my masters, also working full time. As my kids have gotten older their schoolwork is more demanding, which means they need more help.
Over the years I have found that a low carb diet works best for me so I plan meals around that lifestyle. My family isn't picky so I can put some sort of meat in the crock pot and fix sides. I also like to snack on things like chips, but instead I eat pork skins because they have zero carbs. In the end, it works for me because I don't have to count calories or track.
While I dont have first hand knwledge of nursing school I have seen the effects of the stress the students go through watching my daughter and daughter in law get their RN degrees. I can totally relate to the yo-yo dieting!
I find that my biggest issues come when I fail to plan ahead. My healthy lunch does not prepare and pack itself. If I tell myself I will just get up 15 minutes earlier and I will be fine, I end up over sleeping. Or waking up at the regular and don't have enough time to pack my lunch.
I have to have some kind of menu plan for the week ( or at least 3-4 days) when I go shopping or I end up ordering pizza or picking up chicken on the way home from work. I have to set a time to work out or other events just seem to fill my day. I have learned that I need to plan ahead or healthy eating and exercise just don't happen. No matter how good my intentions are!
Restart...long post.
We can do this. 
Plus, it'll be way easier when we're actually nurses and on our feet all the time! A big reason I gained so much weight is because I ended up quitting my job to study more and now all I do is sit when I used to run around constantly.
