Taking things one day at a time
- Thread starter shayne
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PLB
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I think this is a great idea if you can do it... waiting until you're really hungry can often lead to overeating or just making poorer choices with respect to food.
PLB
Moderator
I think that pineapple is an OK snack, but only if taken in moderation (like all food 
). A cup of pineapple chunks is about 165 grams... the recommended serving size is 112 grams or 3/4 of a cup. Although pineapple's main macronutrient is carbs, it's glycemic load is actually fairly low (6-7... under 10 is usually considered "low"), meaning that when eaten in moderation, your blood sugar levels should not spike drastically afterwards.
). A cup of pineapple chunks is about 165 grams... the recommended serving size is 112 grams or 3/4 of a cup. Although pineapple's main macronutrient is carbs, it's glycemic load is actually fairly low (6-7... under 10 is usually considered "low"), meaning that when eaten in moderation, your blood sugar levels should not spike drastically afterwards.Just attended body combat (kickboxing) class at the gym and had fun! I enjoy those kinds of workouts and its sad that I'm leaving the gym next month because of my busy sched
Still struggling with the urge to eat when I'm bored. Today, I drank a low calorie pinepple juice then after an hour or so of doing nothing at the clinic ended up drinking melon juice (not low carb) as well! Urghhhhhhh... I really have to work on my slips!
Still struggling with the urge to eat when I'm bored. Today, I drank a low calorie pinepple juice then after an hour or so of doing nothing at the clinic ended up drinking melon juice (not low carb) as well! Urghhhhhhh... I really have to work on my slips!
Hiding them won't be so easy as I live with my family. I already had things under my control. It's the sudden change in lifestyle that is making me screw things. I'm having a hard time adapting to my workload at the clinic. What's worse, I'm transferring to yet another more stressful department and have to work 30hours straight every 3 days! I'm upset my weight's not moving at all but if I start gaining weight, I'll probably be just well I dunno, be really really depressed!
Hi Shayne, I didn't know you'd been in. But good to see you are back.
I really can commiserate with you on your difficulties but if you can just your weight steady till you get more settled in. YOu really don't want to gain weight but try not think of maintaining weight as being a bad thing in your situation. Its so difficult where you are at.
I wouldn't have said anything different to what pbl said about the pineapple.
Certainly take extra fruit to work for those situations. Even taken a cheese sandwich with no butter. That will get your through - but for busy days , not for boredom situations.
When you are busy you need a high kickin snack. For boredom stick to fruit and cut vegies. I know cut vegies are very boring too. Unless you something rich and gooey to stick them in first.
For your 30 hours days. Get prepared well before hand. Pack up several small meals to take to work. Don't eat them all at once. Make sure you have enough food to be able to avoid the snacks that anyone else offers you.
Take some milk and either drink it straight or have it in coffee or tea without sugar of course.
Tomato sandwich is also nice.
Baked bean sandwiches are good.
Just keep the butter of all these options, unless you believe you need the calories.
Have you worked out your calories for these sorts of days. Your brain needs calories as its going to be so active.
For stress, just pace yourself and use calming nurturing self talk. I bet you do already. A lot of high functioning people do this. I learnt it from therapy.
I don't know what sort of foods filipinos would usually eat for lunch or snacks etc. or even what's available. So i can only offer you western ideas.
What sort of things are available in your work cafeteria. Do you buy lunch there?
I'd say you wouldn't have to eat all the snacks and things you take to wrok but it would be very good to have them available so you can avoid being ravenous. This will mean when you get home, you won't need to binge. You can just have shower and go to bed.
Oh i know you want to lose weight, and you can and you will. But the circumstances are far from ideal for this at the moment. You just have to be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself and above all do not fall into depression. Do not let the stress beat you. As soon as you leave work, leave it behind you. Stop thinking about it. You need to be able to wind down quickly so that you can recover quickly and also get all the sleep you need.
Have you spoken to any of the other doctors who've been there a bit longer for tips and ideas and insights? Are they friendly and helpful?
I really can commiserate with you on your difficulties but if you can just your weight steady till you get more settled in. YOu really don't want to gain weight but try not think of maintaining weight as being a bad thing in your situation. Its so difficult where you are at.
I wouldn't have said anything different to what pbl said about the pineapple.
Certainly take extra fruit to work for those situations. Even taken a cheese sandwich with no butter. That will get your through - but for busy days , not for boredom situations.
When you are busy you need a high kickin snack. For boredom stick to fruit and cut vegies. I know cut vegies are very boring too. Unless you something rich and gooey to stick them in first.
For your 30 hours days. Get prepared well before hand. Pack up several small meals to take to work. Don't eat them all at once. Make sure you have enough food to be able to avoid the snacks that anyone else offers you.
Take some milk and either drink it straight or have it in coffee or tea without sugar of course.
Tomato sandwich is also nice.
Baked bean sandwiches are good.
Just keep the butter of all these options, unless you believe you need the calories.
Have you worked out your calories for these sorts of days. Your brain needs calories as its going to be so active.
For stress, just pace yourself and use calming nurturing self talk. I bet you do already. A lot of high functioning people do this. I learnt it from therapy.
I don't know what sort of foods filipinos would usually eat for lunch or snacks etc. or even what's available. So i can only offer you western ideas.
What sort of things are available in your work cafeteria. Do you buy lunch there?
I'd say you wouldn't have to eat all the snacks and things you take to wrok but it would be very good to have them available so you can avoid being ravenous. This will mean when you get home, you won't need to binge. You can just have shower and go to bed.
Oh i know you want to lose weight, and you can and you will. But the circumstances are far from ideal for this at the moment. You just have to be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself and above all do not fall into depression. Do not let the stress beat you. As soon as you leave work, leave it behind you. Stop thinking about it. You need to be able to wind down quickly so that you can recover quickly and also get all the sleep you need.
Have you spoken to any of the other doctors who've been there a bit longer for tips and ideas and insights? Are they friendly and helpful?
The residents are a bunch of arrogant jerks to be honest.. except for a few of them who really care and bother to give advice every once in a while.
So, I've had yet another major binge today (I know, I keep slipping these days) but it's finally on some decent, good food. I can feel the craving calming down now. I have not stepped on the scale yet and it's scaring the shit out me having to weigh tomorrow! Urghhhhhh, I just hate these kinds of days... you know, when nothing's under my control at all. Not work, not my weight loss, not my food choices. This sudden change is taking its toll on me and I'm just on my first month of internship! It feels like my first day in med school and everything was so hard and stressful. The last time I felt like this I gained 20lbs and I can't let that happen again. Especially now that I've worked hard on losing the 32lbs.
Fortyfour, thanks for all the helpful advice! Filipinos are fond of eating rice and that's one thing I don't think I can ever give up! It's been working for me since last January. I eat 1-1.5cups of white rice in a day. Supposedly half cup with each main meal and then have snacks in between. However, for the past week I've decided on eating a cup with each meal and ditch the snacks and I'm guessing it didn't work coz my boredom hunger kicks pretty hard in the afternoons. I'm thinking of reverting back to my more than 3meals a day plan and just be really disciplined with portions and get a grip on unnecessary eating! Another issue is coffee. Of course I need coffee to be able to stay up on an all nighter and all that they sell in the cafeteria are the instant 3-in-1 sachets with lots of sugar. I don't think I can bring along coffee at 7am and drink it at around 12mn. Any ideas on how to get through that?
Milk sounds like a great idea too! I just bought a couple and will bring one to school everyday from now on. I'll retry timing my meals rather than eating out of impulse. I'll have my meals @ 7am, 9am, 12nn, 3pm and 6pm. No more in betweens! If I don't stop screwing up I'll be gaining weight soon (if not yet) and that will just ruin everything!
As for advice from older batches. I have a cousin who graduated a year ago who said there's only one thing to focus on during Jr. Internship and that is surviving! I'm not very sure what that means but it makes it look like I have a very long year ahead of me. I'm pretty bad at adapting and it took me a whole year to find a decent rhythm in med school and learn how to survive it. I don't have that much time now! So I have to figure out a way out of this mess ASAP!
So, I've had yet another major binge today (I know, I keep slipping these days
) but it's finally on some decent, good food. I can feel the craving calming down now. I have not stepped on the scale yet and it's scaring the shit out me having to weigh tomorrow! Urghhhhhh, I just hate these kinds of days... you know, when nothing's under my control at all. Not work, not my weight loss, not my food choices. This sudden change is taking its toll on me and I'm just on my first month of internship! It feels like my first day in med school and everything was so hard and stressful. The last time I felt like this I gained 20lbs and I can't let that happen again. Especially now that I've worked hard on losing the 32lbs.Fortyfour, thanks for all the helpful advice! Filipinos are fond of eating rice and that's one thing I don't think I can ever give up! It's been working for me since last January. I eat 1-1.5cups of white rice in a day. Supposedly half cup with each main meal and then have snacks in between. However, for the past week I've decided on eating a cup with each meal and ditch the snacks and I'm guessing it didn't work coz my boredom hunger kicks pretty hard in the afternoons. I'm thinking of reverting back to my more than 3meals a day plan and just be really disciplined with portions and get a grip on unnecessary eating! Another issue is coffee. Of course I need coffee to be able to stay up on an all nighter and all that they sell in the cafeteria are the instant 3-in-1 sachets with lots of sugar. I don't think I can bring along coffee at 7am and drink it at around 12mn. Any ideas on how to get through that?
Milk sounds like a great idea too! I just bought a couple and will bring one to school everyday from now on. I'll retry timing my meals rather than eating out of impulse. I'll have my meals @ 7am, 9am, 12nn, 3pm and 6pm. No more in betweens! If I don't stop screwing up I'll be gaining weight soon (if not yet) and that will just ruin everything!
As for advice from older batches. I have a cousin who graduated a year ago who said there's only one thing to focus on during Jr. Internship and that is surviving! I'm not very sure what that means but it makes it look like I have a very long year ahead of me. I'm pretty bad at adapting and it took me a whole year to find a decent rhythm in med school and learn how to survive it. I don't have that much time now! So I have to figure out a way out of this mess ASAP!
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Ok, so this sucks big time! I actually gained 2lbs this week!!!!!!!! Nooooooooo! God, I hate myself at the moment. It's my fault, I know. Because I've let the stress get to me and my eating. This is the first time I've gained weight since January and from the way things are going, it might not be the last
The residents are a bunch of arrogant jerks to be honest.. except for a few of them who really care and bother to give advice every once in a while.
So, I've had yet another major binge today (I know, I keep slipping these days
Fortyfour, thanks for all the helpful advice! Filipinos are fond of eating rice and that's one thing I don't think I can ever give up! It's been working for me since last January. I eat 1-1.5cups of white rice in a day. Supposedly half cup with each main meal and then have snacks in between. However, for the past week I've decided on eating a cup with each meal and ditch the snacks and I'm guessing it didn't work coz my boredom hunger kicks pretty hard in the afternoons. I'm thinking of reverting back to my more than 3meals a day plan and just be really disciplined with portions and get a grip on unnecessary eating! Another issue is coffee. Of course I need coffee to be able to stay up on an all nighter and all that they sell in the cafeteria are the instant 3-in-1 sachets with lots of sugar. I don't think I can bring along coffee at 7am and drink it at around 12mn. Any ideas on how to get through that?
Milk sounds like a great idea too! I just bought a couple and will bring one to school everyday from now on. I'll retry timing my meals rather than eating out of impulse. I'll have my meals @ 7am, 9am, 12nn, 3pm and 6pm. No more in betweens! If I don't stop screwing up I'll be gaining weight soon (if not yet) and that will just ruin everything!
As for advice from older batches. I have a cousin who graduated a year ago who said there's only one thing to focus on during Jr. Internship and that is surviving! I'm not very sure what that means but it makes it look like I have a very long year ahead of me. I'm pretty bad at adapting and it took me a whole year to find a decent rhythm in med school and learn how to survive it. I don't have that much time now! So I have to figure out a way out of this mess ASAP!
Gosh you poor luv. Things are tough now and sounds like they are going to be tough for a while. Lemme give you a hug.
I Hope that works this time. Now, first, coffee: Take your nescafe and own milk to work and make it there or buy a big thermos flask, make it at home and take the flask along. Lock it up so noone steals it. Do you have a microwave at work, or just a kettle. Give that cafeteria shit coffee a miss. That's my advice there anyhow. I don't like that freeze dried milk that i think amy is referring to below. I'd go with normal powdered milk if you have to but it comes down to personal preferences really. I will be using full cream powdered milk on my bike trip. Its very moreish.
I like the sound of the 3-hourly meals for you. That way you will be able to cope from one meal to the next. But tell us what you will eat at those meals cause they might need adjusting. Especially portion size. So if you've got time, when you get it all worked out, can you tell us? Or is too time consuming.
White rice is not known for its staying power. Sadly. The poor people who survive on 1 cup a day and nothing else are wasting away and don't do any exertion or at least they can't do it easily as you'd apppreciate. If you can include something like canned tuna with your rice, some sort of solid protein food, you might last longer. On my upcoming bike trip when i can be cycling for 6-8 hours I will have 250grams of raw pasta (cooked of course) a day with 95 grams of tuna for lunch and again at dinner. I have done something similar before and I think it works. With it, i have olive oil and parmesan cheese. Now that's a fair bit of fat, and calories (and no vegies) but becauses i am constantly moving, albeit at what i think is low intensity most of the time I have no trouble losing weight on this. ( i am a long way from shops and stuff adn cna't carry fresh vegetables because of their weight. I can't carry much in the way of cans either so it has to be protein). I can't remember well what i was eating for breakfast but this trip i will eat either half a cup or one cup of oats with one cup of milk. When i eat like this, i tend to still do well on only three meals a day. But i don't get bored so perhaps that's the reason.
But you are under a lot of stress and if you have boredom all of that makes eating harder. So i reckon put protein in at least three of your meals. Be it meat, fish, egg/cheese/milk. If you want to eat plant proteins, put it in the other three meals.
How much cocoonut milk do you consume? Can you cut back on that if its a lot. Its also high fat and saturated at that.
Can you get hold of any bread like pita? Its very filling and should keep you going easily. What i suggest you could do is something like this....
Work out your six meals but at about maintenance calorie levels. Reduce the quantity every couple of days. When you find a comfortable level, stop there. You might need to play around with it but so long as you are always eating maintenance or less you won't put on weight. Maybe becuase of the stress factor, you should not reduce your calories too much below maintenance. Rather, be patient with your weightloss and keep your energy for doing your job well.
if you haven't got time to count your calories try using one of the meal programs. I just found one that might be easy for you to adapt. I will pm it cause its a competitor website.
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Shayne, do you have anything like this where you are? It's milk that's been dehydrated. It's not as nice as real milk but it won't spoil if you can't keep it in a fridge (in fact you shouldn't keep it in a fridge). I agree on taking your own coffee to work, and using a kettle if you've got one (although I suppose hot water from the tap would do if you were desperate).
What your cousin said is pretty much what i have heard over the years. That's why taking it a day at a time and managing your stress are so important.
What are your stress management skills and strategies. Do you have good self talk. Calming stuff. Encouraging stuff.
Can you switch off the internal chatter?
You need to be able to do these sorts of things throughout the day.
Well you did figure out how to survive med school so you can learn how to figure this out too. It may well have taken all the others a whole year to figure med school out as well.
Don't waste your energy worrying. Try to be efficient with your time and don't waste too much of it of it on pointless tasks or activities (such as sitting about chatting too long with the family or friends when you should be resting) but at the same time, engage in occasional rejuvenating recreation when you can squeeze it in.
Oh i know.... Are you familiar with mindfulness. Look it up on wikipedia. Its the best thing! Wiki has a good explanation and here's your first mindfulness technique to demonstrate what its like. I'm gonna quote myself here just to highlight it.
This skill of learning to detach from your own self is very helpful tool for so many thing but especially being calm. I am sure you can use it when you are bored at work with nothing much to do. YOu can watch yourself think about food, about noticing your appetite, your bodily agitation. And you can let them all go as you sit there with your eyes closed.
Do this exercise a lot. It is great for stress.
Mindfulness is being fully aware in the moment of what's going on in your head and outside your head. I should do it more myself but i tend only to do it or mainly do it during stressful times. It really helps me with difficult situations like new workplaces and so on. It can help you respond better to actual situations. YOu learn to listen to your gut feelings, niggles and things like that. You become very conscient or do i mean conscious. Alert. Your decision making will improve. Everything will improve.
Keep doing your exercise on the weekends/days off. It will pay off in the long run.
If you find yourself getting depressed or overly stressed, find professional support. Some sort of councellor who understands something about the situation you are in because a depressed doctor is going to be a disaster. Becoming a doctor seems to require superhuman strength during this year. Its really crazy but it is meant to weed out the weaker ones and expose the cracks. YOu will learn a lot more about yourself, about other people as well as your job. I know that i couldn't do it even now, let alone when i was your age.
You will just have to become good at adapting but do realise that this is a very difficult situation and so be kiind to yourself. Stop with the hating. Really you must stop that. Forgive yourself. The sooner the better.
take lots of these too.
Don't trouble yourself with answering shayne. I know you are busy and don't expect any sort of reply. Just if you have any more questions, i am always happy to try to answer or give some ideas or whatever.
Just keep popping in from time to time and writing about how you are going. That way we can keep encouraging you.
Have i told you i am leaving on Friday for two months. I am heading off on my bike journey. I might have already told you but i can't remember. Sorry i can't be around to support you during that period. There's really not much internet where i am going.
Just keep popping in from time to time and writing about how you are going. That way we can keep encouraging you.
Have i told you i am leaving on Friday for two months. I am heading off on my bike journey. I might have already told you but i can't remember. Sorry i can't be around to support you during that period. There's really not much internet where i am going.
PLB
Moderator
Hey Shayne, sorry to hear that things have been so stressful lately! I think fortyfour and amy have given you some very good advice on how to try to get through your stress. In my opinion, if you can come out of this internship without having gained much weight, then I would consider that a success! People have a hard enough time losing weight when they have a 'normal' work schedule, so don't beat yourself up about not losing weight when you have to pull all-nighters and deal with huge amounts of stress! Just focus on eating as healthy as you can, exercise when you can, make small but healthy lifestyle changes over the course of your internship, and you'll see the results eventually - even if that means just maintaining your weight for now.
Learning how to cope with stress is going to be so important for you... I'd be willing to bet that once you can figure that out, other areas of your life will begin to fall into place
You can do it!
Learning how to cope with stress is going to be so important for you... I'd be willing to bet that once you can figure that out, other areas of your life will begin to fall into place
You can do it!
Just thought I'd give you guys an update. I'm back at 163!!!!!!!! Woot woot! my cravings have mostly cooled down and I'm not binging much anymore (thank god!) ATM, I'm very fond of eating ripe mangoes (in moderation of course) and realized that it's a good source of fiber. My bowel movements are comfortably regular at the moment Also, work isn't as stressful as I've thought and 30hour duties no longer feel as exhausting as it used to. Last week I was able to work out 5x and proud of it!!!
Also, work isn't as stressful as I've thought and 30hour duties no longer feel as exhausting as it used to. Last week I was able to work out 5x and proud of it!!!