Staying fit in nursing school can be extremely difficult - trust me, I know.
The long nights studying.
The minimal sleep.
The ever convenient vending machines in the hospital or school lounges.
The insane amount of studying, which allows the opportunity to excuse the gym.
I personally did not start going to the gym until my second semester of nursing school, when I was 19. It took a lot of persuasion from my friends to finally get me in there - and let me tell ya, it was rough. I was certainly that awkard person who didn't know where to start, and didn't know how to use anything (despite having the directions posted on every machine in the entire building.)
I continued my gym journey for the following year and a half and began to fall in love with it. I was even that crazy girl that went to the gym at 4:30 am when it opened to get in a solid work out before class at 8.
However, this summer I stopped going to the gym. I didn't want to take the drive and I basically got lazy. I also started eating. And eating. And eating.
To the point where now I am 10 - 15 pounds overweight.
Drawing the line there, I am now determined to get back into the gym and live a healthier life. I loved the way I looked when I went to the gym, and I want to get that body back.
Trust me, trying to stay fit is not the easiest thing in nursing school - but it can be done, and for the next few months you can watch me continue my fitness journey as I restart.
The first thing that I am doing to start my "return" is to eat healthier. I am eating more salad, more fruit and desperately staying away from all of the processed snacks that I love so dearly. Calories are my biggest enemy because I have become a fan of large portions. (Hey, a girl wants what she wants haha).
I need to start coming up with creative ideas on what to pack for lunch on campus. I do not want to stick to the boring old sandwich routine, so I will be sure to look to Pinterest for cool, interesting and tasty ideas on what I can pack for lunch.
I also find grocery shopping for healthy, creative snacks to be difficult for an on-the-go situation. I always seem to gravitate towards the same items, and after a while it can get boring.
I still need to drink more water, but that's a battle for a different day....
The second thing that I really need to do is get consistent with the gym again. Through my nurse Instagram journey I have followed a ton of nurses who document their in-home fitness routine and their healthy meal choices. These influencers have insanely inspired me to try working out at home when I am not out and about and already near the gym. I honestly was a skeptical of at home work outs, but these real women are getting real results and it's so inspiring to see their progress and determination.
If you are intimidated about starting to go to the gym and do not have a gym buddy to ease the fret, try working out at home. Buy some weights of your choice at Target or Walmart, go home and look up fitness routines. There are a ton swirling the internet right now, all free for your choosing!
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Saturday, June 17, 2017
A Nursing Student's Fitness Journey
Hello!
As all nursing students know, we spend way too many hours sitting in chairs or lying in bed with a textbook glued to our faces. The long hours of studying or our full clinical schedule can make it difficult to eat healthy and stay active. I have succumb to late-night chocolate temptation many times throughout my four years of college, but have vowed to make a life change for the better.
Being "fit" and "toned" was not something that I always aspired to be - I was very comfortable eating an entire can of Pringles in one sitting and remaining on the couch an entire day watching TV. This habit lasted me well through my teenage years, and into my freshman and sophomore year of college. Now, I was never "fat" by the classic label. I stand at 5'4'' with a fluctuating weight that sits between 120 - 125 on normal occasions. I have always fit in size small t-shirts and was content with having an average sized booty.
However, my second semester of Junior year, all of my nursing friends convinced me to go to the local gym. This gym is a very large facility that my University gives free memberships to during their course of being a student. I have never seized this great opportunity to utilize a free gym membership (that normally runs $500/year), and figured if everyone else was doing it, why not try.
Now, my journey started very, very slowly. Although I was "thin" by context, I certainly was not strong. My muscle mass was probably the equivalent to a bowl of jello, and my attempts at the different weight machines was literally comical (My best friend made no qualms about chuckling). Starting off with the bare minimum of 10 pounds on each weight machine and going for a solid five minutes on the elliptical seemed like a very impressive feat for Couch Potato Michelle.
Throughout the next year of my fitness journey I began to fall in love. I went up in weights on all of the machines gradually, worked myself up in time on the elliptical, and dedicated set times to go to the gym each weekday. I have been known to be that crazy girl who wakes up at 4:30 am to be at the gym when it opens, before attending my 8am class.
Although now I am far from looking like a body builder, I am able to feel a difference in my body. My legs are toned and if I flex really, really, really hard I can see definition in my arms. I feel more energy throughout the day and my moods improved from all of the endorphin's released at such an early hour. I could not imagine going back to my completely sedentary lifestyle and am grateful for having been introduced to a new lifestyle of fitness.
Diet is something that continues to be a challenge - as well all love chocolate cake more than we love salad. However, I keep my eating habits within moderation and view going to the gym as burning off those calories of that hotdog and fries I ate the night before while cramming for a quiz. Maybe one day I'll dive deep into the world of clean eating and a completely organic kitchen, but for now, I'm content with my moderately healthy food choices.
I know that getting fit during nursing school can seem like a very large challenge - it's just another thing to add to your agenda. I mean, who want's to go to the gym after having an eight hour clinical day?
My suggestion to those who want to start their fitness journey (from an amateur) is to start small and keep at it. The only way I got to the "level" I am today is through not giving up. I could have easily never walked into that gym again after struggling to lift 10 pounds on an arm machine. But, here I am having worked my way up to lifting 50 pounds with different specific muscle groups being targeted. It can be done and it can be done with a full schedule.
If you want it bad enough, you'll be willing to put in the work for it. Heck, that's what you've been telling yourself all throughout your own nursing school journey, hasn't it?
But, if all else fails, you can always lift your text books and use them as weights. Everyone knows their heavy enough.
Have a lovely day!
- Michelle
#BSNbabe
As all nursing students know, we spend way too many hours sitting in chairs or lying in bed with a textbook glued to our faces. The long hours of studying or our full clinical schedule can make it difficult to eat healthy and stay active. I have succumb to late-night chocolate temptation many times throughout my four years of college, but have vowed to make a life change for the better.
Being "fit" and "toned" was not something that I always aspired to be - I was very comfortable eating an entire can of Pringles in one sitting and remaining on the couch an entire day watching TV. This habit lasted me well through my teenage years, and into my freshman and sophomore year of college. Now, I was never "fat" by the classic label. I stand at 5'4'' with a fluctuating weight that sits between 120 - 125 on normal occasions. I have always fit in size small t-shirts and was content with having an average sized booty.
However, my second semester of Junior year, all of my nursing friends convinced me to go to the local gym. This gym is a very large facility that my University gives free memberships to during their course of being a student. I have never seized this great opportunity to utilize a free gym membership (that normally runs $500/year), and figured if everyone else was doing it, why not try.
Now, my journey started very, very slowly. Although I was "thin" by context, I certainly was not strong. My muscle mass was probably the equivalent to a bowl of jello, and my attempts at the different weight machines was literally comical (My best friend made no qualms about chuckling). Starting off with the bare minimum of 10 pounds on each weight machine and going for a solid five minutes on the elliptical seemed like a very impressive feat for Couch Potato Michelle.
Throughout the next year of my fitness journey I began to fall in love. I went up in weights on all of the machines gradually, worked myself up in time on the elliptical, and dedicated set times to go to the gym each weekday. I have been known to be that crazy girl who wakes up at 4:30 am to be at the gym when it opens, before attending my 8am class.
Although now I am far from looking like a body builder, I am able to feel a difference in my body. My legs are toned and if I flex really, really, really hard I can see definition in my arms. I feel more energy throughout the day and my moods improved from all of the endorphin's released at such an early hour. I could not imagine going back to my completely sedentary lifestyle and am grateful for having been introduced to a new lifestyle of fitness.
Diet is something that continues to be a challenge - as well all love chocolate cake more than we love salad. However, I keep my eating habits within moderation and view going to the gym as burning off those calories of that hotdog and fries I ate the night before while cramming for a quiz. Maybe one day I'll dive deep into the world of clean eating and a completely organic kitchen, but for now, I'm content with my moderately healthy food choices.
I know that getting fit during nursing school can seem like a very large challenge - it's just another thing to add to your agenda. I mean, who want's to go to the gym after having an eight hour clinical day?
My suggestion to those who want to start their fitness journey (from an amateur) is to start small and keep at it. The only way I got to the "level" I am today is through not giving up. I could have easily never walked into that gym again after struggling to lift 10 pounds on an arm machine. But, here I am having worked my way up to lifting 50 pounds with different specific muscle groups being targeted. It can be done and it can be done with a full schedule.
If you want it bad enough, you'll be willing to put in the work for it. Heck, that's what you've been telling yourself all throughout your own nursing school journey, hasn't it?
But, if all else fails, you can always lift your text books and use them as weights. Everyone knows their heavy enough.
Have a lovely day!
- Michelle
#BSNbabe
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