I too gained weight while I was in nursing school, and I think pretty much most do. I hear it called the freshman 15. The first time I heard this I didn't know what it was, and found out it's "You gain 15 pounds the first year." LOL Unfortunately I guess it's true.

No advice on losing it or keeping it off though while in school. I waited until I was finished and then lost it.

Oh I gained the freshman 20 my first yr, then another 20 the second yr and last year it the 16lbs.  That's 56lbs in 3 yrs!!!  I joined a popular weight loss group to help keep me focused ( and ofcourse to lose weight).  Has anyone suceeded in losing weight while in nursing school?  I would really, really like to know....  Oh, thanx for responding.

Yes, the freshman 15 does happen because freshman have found freedom in staying up late, eating junk and not exercising. I think the key to keeping the weight gain is to have healthy alternatives to do, when stressed. You can still take a hike and bring your notecards along to study in nature, you can eat smaller portions and find healthy alternatives to stress relief. Unfortunately, I was one of those people that did all the bad stuff and now at 29, i am just trying to lose all the pounds i put on in college. And since nursing can be a very stressful job, it's important to find a healthy routine now and stick with it! Because when you exercise you feel good about yourself and you are not only happier with yourself, you are happy to be around! Even if it's 15 minutes, I try to take a walk for a break before I head for the junk food and I drink lots of water! It's a decision to make and we have to take care of ourselves first before we can tell people to take care of themselves!

At least you know what the culprit is. I've found snacking while studying helps me get focused. Cheetos puffs rocks! As long as I get the grades I want and finally become a nurse .I don't care what my weight will be eventually after the fact. I'll deal with that issue later.  I'd rather be fat than not be a nurse.

Thanx for all your input you guys.  I'm definitely making smarter choices with my meals and snacks and trying to get my walks in daily.  Another thing that has helped me is I have told my classmates that I study with that I'm in a weight loss program and they have not only give me support but are making better choices with me.  Thanx for all your support!  I hope this thread helps everyone else that's going thru the same issue as I am.

Just an update, I plateaud from Sep to NOv and have recently started to lose again with exercise.  Ofcourse its a lot slower than I did in the summer but I'll take it.  I have 3 classmates, 2 male and 1 female, that have lost a significant amount of weight and look awesome!  I figured that if they could do it, so can I. Its funny cuz when I saw them and they told me that they just ate healthy and exercised daily, I started to do the same and am losing agian.  I am 30 yrs old and have been overweight since I was 22.  I am ready to at a healthy weight going into this decade and want to be positive role model not only for my children but for my patients.  I'm a big believer that what we eat affects our health.  How can I promote nutrition if I am not following the same advice.  Good luck to you all and I hope I can update in a month or few with progress.  Good luck with your studies!

People have always said beware of the freshman 15, after I found what they ment I started packing the night before classes, and never had to snack on unhealthy choices thats around the campus..Staying strong at 125..I WANNA EAT CARBS SOOO BAD!!

In 1st andd 2nd level i stayed pretty even with my weight..and 3rd level I gained 10lbs..now im at the end in 4th level and hopefully i can lose those 10lbs and some by graduation May 8th...