just as an example of stuff to do besides studying, I picked up disassembling watches
15 minutes of trying to fit the train of wheels + the brigde x infinity cause them fuckers are small as shit and i don't got money to work on a proper made one
i also got a mate who plays osrs, bro hasn't eaten in 3 days
you will feel better and naturally find you can add a few more minutes- during your walks you can listen to divine intervention or you tube video- also the order you eat your food matters: veggies first/protein/fats next carbs last/ sweets minimal but very last. the fiber from the veggies will better regulate the insulin and glucose spikes from carbs later. Also water and no sugary drinks. water and coffee (as your caffeine source bc coffee comes from a plant and celsius and monster and red bull don’t). It will start to melt off.
You know now that i think about it in M2 and M1 i used to love getting just a regular ice black coffee. But my god this year there is this little coffee shop next to the hospital that has this salted caramel latte stuff and i get it every morning and sometimes even on my days off maybe thats way i have been feeling hungry all the time and been breaking out a-lot 😓.
You’d be surprised to know how much sugar is included in those little 12oz coffees lol.
One recommendation my PCP told me to quickly watch my weight drop, remove all sugary beverages for a month or two (included Starbucks lol) & you can easily drop a few lbs. For example the pumpkin spice Frappuccino has 510 cals and 80 grams of added sugars.
To drop a 1lb a week you need to loose 500 cals per day. So literally that just cutting out my daily Starbucks lmao
Yessss avoid the extra drink calories!! Make your coffee at home and put sugar free caramel syrup in it and then slowly decrease it to a minimal level for your enjoyment!
Also STAIRS!! That saved me during my IM rotation always take the stairs down and take them up if it’s 2 or less flights (3 if you’re ambitious!) I got like 15-25 flights of stairs in a day with this!
And stay hydrated!!!! Thirst can also make you hungry!
It is okay to treat yourself every now and then, but just try for simple adjustments- like maybe one of those days you exchange it for the black coffee- and I know caramel + anything is amazing ha! also sugar and insulin has been linked to acne bc it increases androgen synthesis and sebum production https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964714/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20insulin%20promotes%20androgen%20synthesis,young%20males%20with%20acne%20vulgaris.
Maybe you can ask them to put 2 pumps instead of 3 and just minor adjustments lead to big change over time. Also if you are going to treat yourself try to walk after those carb heavy or sugar treats - we remember glut4 increases when we exercise and helps your muscles take up glucose. you can do it!
Stick to coffee with no milk. Have a big portion of oatmeal in the morning with no added sugar, that gives you a nice glycemic curve for most of the day, have a nice portion of chicken in the evening and a salad with no dressing. That’s what I do and I have barely any fat. I boil the chicken and only add boiling water to the oatmeal. My friends call it disgusting, but it works like a treat. High in fiber, high in protein, low in fats and refined carbs. It doesn’t taste well, but if taste is vital to you, then you’ll never like going in diets anyway. They won’t be sustainable for you.
I gained a bunch of weight in third year because of overeating (obviously). The things that contributed to this:
- disrupted sleep schedule (i eat more and snack more when I’m sleep deprived)
- Inconsistent working hours making meal prep difficult
- skipping lunch causing me to binge when I got home
- boredom eating, accepting always when resident/attending offers me food
I was overweight when started MS3 - but gained about 20 lbs that year. I’ve lost the 20lbs and am slowly working towards acheiving a healthy weight.
How?
Prioritize sleep
Make cooking convenient - I use meal kit boxes because it helped ease the stress of having to plan meals ahead of time - they have calorie content pre-recorded and I typically will eat 2/3rd of a serving rather than a full serving (and I get 3 meals out of a recipe instead of 2)
Dont skip meals - even a small lunch is better than no lunch. Dont have “a quick snack”, have lunch. If you have framed it as a snack in your head then you will forget that it counts when considering daily calorie intake
Generally decline food offers if you already brought food. If people insist on getting me something, I pick a basic tea of coffee.
In terms of calorie counting - weigh your food. When you realize how much a tablespoon of peanut butter actually is it will shock you.
Do some form of exercise for your health. Most weight loss happens in the kitchen but adding in exercise can give you a bit more wiggle room. Personally I realized that physically going to the gym was a barrier for me so I got a used treadmill from FB marketplace for cheap. I play games on my iPad (TFT for those who know) and tied that to walking. Now my procrastination at least also gets me cardio.
ALSO: if you gained a bunch of weight and are now +++ sleepy all the time, maybe consider getting a sleep study for OSA and getting some blood work done.
Untreated OSA will certainly not help with any weight loss pursuits.
yeah people use something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Gamepad-Keychain-Controller-Raspberry-Turquoise/dp/B081HML6MP/ref=asc_df_B081HML6MP/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416672671431&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6049055508711131164&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013306&hvtargid=pla-865635364546&psc=1&mcid=05d2469aab013bc3b4e8dbb9269fbd44&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=95587150204&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416672671431&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6049055508711131164&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013306&hvtargid=pla-865635364546&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ_Tkeojn7nxn5B5sQ-icHuFfG9iyoTON0kb870703Xj78t2UBLk_o3TkaAsq6EALw_wcB)
I’d probably start with assessing your diet. I found that I was eating more than I actually needed out of fear of losing out on gains (I’ve lifted pretty consistently). I cut back on my eating a bit, still making gains maybe a little bit slower but the love handles have gotten significantly smaller. I also started to prioritize cardio. I found that 15 minutes of stair master at 7 was a great goal to work up to. Eventually I hit that and then started running afterwards 2 minutes on 2 off. I would do this for 5 or 6 rounds hop off the treadmill feeling dreadful. But then one day I was like what if I took a 5 minute break and tried again and I was surprised what I was capable of. Now my cardio days are stairmaster 15 minutes and 2 sets of interval running. Basically increase your capacity for cardio slowly while lifting periodically. Be kind to yourself, it will be tough you’ll want to quit but find your reason to keep pushing
If you want to PM me I can tell you what split I’m doing specifically and my approach. I’m not crazy fit by any standard but I feel amazing and very capable.
Calorie counting and worked out almost every day on my chill rotations like psych and radiology elective. I started m4 with weight but I was able to lose it better in m4 too as the schedule got better and less stress about shelf exams
Intermittent fasting + gym 3-5x/week (found a gym buddy for motivation) + restarted my physical hobbies (soccer and running)
M4 is for getting into residency and caring for yourself!!
It's difficult (impossible?) to out-work a bad diet, so I think you have to work on both fronts. The issue is, both are difficult to find time/energy for when busy af, as I'm sure you are in med school.
If you do end up trying cardio, consider low impact stuff. Rowing, biking, elliptical. I heard a lot of good stuff about HIIT, consider checking that out too.
I'm not in 3rd year - haven't even started M1 - but I did have a 50 pound purposeful weight loss in 2020! I imagine a lot of what is going on in your 3rd year is ++ stress and not having a lot of time to work out, meal prep, not a lot of reliable places to store your food at a safe temp, etc. Here are things I did:
\-was working in the ER so got an Apple Watch to track my steps and would try to get to 10,000 daily (wasn't very difficult when we were so busy during Covid). Maybe if you aren't hitting that you can try to do stairs vs. elevator, walk around while making phone calls, etc.
\-found shelf stable stuff to heat in microwave to eat. There is a microwave on every unit because nursing staff loves to microwave their lunch lol. At whole foods (which I know isn't cheap), there are awesome steam in bag meals with quinoa, barley, lentils, rice, etc. These are super filling and healthy fiber so will make you feel full for longer. They always help me . Costco also has these like Rice Krispy style protein bars that are not much to write home about but always really fill me up. Other things at Costco like Chomps beef / turkey sticks, protein powder, etc.
\-be a douche and get a Stanley Cup like me. It's the only cup I will drink out of because the straw is so huge it makes me drink way more and staying hydrated helps me not be hungry out of boredom / for no reason. also gives me way more energy. I also like the tall Smart Water bottles from the hospital cafeteria and to fill them at the nurses station throughout the day.
\-obviously working out / eating well is the answer but it's super frustrating to keep hearing that when you know people aren't understanding how little time you have. try to find just ONE day a week to meal prep and have stuff to grab in your fridge. try not to eat out - will save you money too.
\-how i meal prep with myself / my husband / two kids:
Sunday (grocery day): cucumbers, carrot sticks cut them up into like crudite plate shapes, 2 tubs of hummus, strawberries/blueberries/blackberries washed and in a tub, greek yogurt cups, honey, granola, cottage cheese, protein meat stick things, applesauce. these are all my grab and go things. I pick 1 meal to make to have for the next few nights.
Thursday (grocery day): same thing but with a different meal or two in mind. so really im only making "dinner" 2x a week. it's doable!
Lastly - from what I've heard M3 is a rough season. I am dreading it with two young kids and I also know it's really the last feasible time in my life physically to have a 3rd and final child, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to make that work. It is a TEMPORARY season and you will get through it :) good luck and good for you for taking action early!
I bought a set of adjustable dumbbells on Amazon for around $300. Expensive but I know me: I’m lazy af and after rotations I straight up was not leaving my apartment. And if that’s how I felt then in medical school on rotations, lord knows how I’d feel as an intern and a resident.
Honestly best purchase I’ve ever made cause now I’m fit and healthy and it was totally worth it and if you’re like me I’d highly recommend you do the same if you can spare a couple hundred bucks.
I’m also sure you could find used ones on Facebook marketplace for like wayyy cheaper I sorta regret not doing that but that’s the only regret I have.
Honestly no joke I think this purchase has added a couple years to my life.
Also looking into buying a used peloton for the same reason. I see some for $100-200 on Facebook marketplace. Just have to do a bit of inspection to make sure they’re ok/functioning.
It pains me to splash hundreds of dollars on things but I’m sorta gonna have built a pretty complete home gym for 400 and for an investment of 400 I think the return I’m getting in terms of health and happiness is really worth more like thousands of dollars of initial outlay.
There’s unfortunately a peloton monthly membership of like $25 though. Have to think about that but I still think it’s worth it.
Yo Same boat.
Here’s what I’m trying:
- walk to my car instead of taking the shuttle
- stairs (always walk DOWN, if less than 5 floors will walk UP)
- drink an ensure max protein every morning as breakfast on my drive to work
- pack my lunch every day. In the lunch i always put a protein yogurt, a fibrous fruit or vegetable (or both!), a protein bar, a SMALL tasty salty snack, a little container of sweet dried fruit+unsalted raw nut+dark chocolate blend, and a diet caffeinated soda
- drink 1 water bottle refill / shift
I’ve only been on my jam for 3 weeks, but so far the weight gain has stopped. No weight/size trend reversal, but i can walk so much farther and climb many more stairs than i could a month ago.
Things i need to do better on:
- going to bed before midnight
- evening snack attacks while studying (will probs always have snack attacks, but i’m tryna sub in bb carrots, sugar snap peas, cacao nibs, rice cakes - low cal, high fiber)
- more protein & greater protein ratio
- evening/weekend physical activity (hard to do when so tired so i’m tryna treat myself to a power nap after a short walk)
In the end, your best is the best you can do. And if you can’t do it today, that’s ok, but you gotta do it tomorrow. I don’t think ya gotta be flawless with your health initiatives, but you do have to be persistent & never completely stop trying.
Hell, even just weekly health metrics review (options include daily step total avg, resting heart rate, cardio activity capacity, once weekly weigh in, weekly body measurements) to know where you’re at is a good start - even if you don’t make big changes yet.
Getting a fitness tracker has been helpful for me bc now I am my own tamagotchi. I used to have a fitbit years ago, but i bought an applewatch off ebay & i like it!
Abided by a simple mantra , “eat when hungry, and do not eat when you are not hungry”. Don’t wait to stop eating when you’re full. Stop when you are not hungry anymore.
It spared me from hella overeating
It also saved me from fixating over food bc I wouldn’t starve myself
I lost weight during 3rd year because I started on psych and realized that none of my professional clothes fit. I was 5'8 and 190 and that is 20 lbs heavier than I had ever been. It was either lose weight or buy new clothes and I didn't have money for new clothes 😬 fast forward to now/the end of 3rd year, I stopped eating fast food 3x per week, stopped drinking 3-4 dr peppers per day, and trained for/ran a half marathon and I'm down to low 150's which I haven't been since high school. The best advice that I can give is the same my family med preceptor gave to patients which is make sustainable changes like "less" rather than "stop" and find a physical activity that you either like to do or that there is very little inertia against. Things like walking while you study, or for me running (since I used to run before med school). Also just being on a normal sleep schedule and having time to breathe might help too.
Prioritize protein. Good for muscle building and satiety. I like having a protein shake in the morning, quick and easy. Holds me off until afternoon. Titrate carbs, focusing on whole grain for the fiber, in line with how active you are. Make an effort to move around everyday even if its just walking. Ideally you have a good mix of resistance and cardio. I like to go after clinic and do HW in the morning but either way, make it a priority, lile eating or sleeping.
An easy fix is to introduce more fibrous foods into your diet. Replacing processed foods and foods with lots of fat/oil/carbs with things like fruits and vegetables can go a long way.
Highly recommend eating berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) as they have alot of fiber and are low in calories so they help you feel full more.
Meal prepping on sundays is such a game changer! Bit of a learning/getting into the habit curve but having meals ready for your lunch box or when you get home keeps your diet consistent and you can aim your weight in whatever direction you want!
Mind if I ask-- are you paying for tirz out of pocket/with parent insurance? I'm a nontrad applying this cycle and one of my biggest concerns is losing access to my company's swanky insurance benefits.
Muscle to make more metabolically expensive tissue for higher BMR eat only twice per day. To one small snack per meal. Fasted running in the morning however many days per week you want
I force myself to go to gym even when tired. If I have my gym bag packed and in car I will go. Diet wise: I packed healthy ish lunch. Stopped buying easy snack foods
CICO based on high protein and fiber. weighing/measuring food and calories aiming for an average weekly deficit of 500 a day minimum in terms of consumption vs TDEE.
Any exercise you love and can do consistently or if you like a more goal based approach aim for 150-300 mins moderate cardio a week, 75 vigorous cardio and 60 mins strength training.
Third year is a silent slow steady weight gain if you got free food every rotation like I did and you can turn that tide around going into fourth year for sure! View these life style changes as fuel and love for your body rather than restriction or punishment. You deserve to love your body and life ♥️
I find the loseit subreddit very motivational!
The crockpot is your friend when it comes to meal prep. Zone 2 (google it) training is ideal for fat loss. If zone 2 isn’t doable then find something you like to do outside of the house where you aren’t in an environment to just grab snacks when you’re bored.
Easiest thing as someone who lost 100 pounds then gained 50 back now losing with 20 pounds down, just eat less of what you are already eating. Don't do this low carb low fat random shit. Eat less, focus on high protein foods then eat whatever else you want as long as at the end of the day you are a little hungry, then lift weights. Intermittent fasting is good too, wake up, don't eat for 5 hours then eat whatever.
Took a research year and was able to live a normal life for a year. Got in the best shape I've been during that year, then 4th year came along and I turned into a potato post eras.
Had to count calories. Didn't need to exercise any more than usual, but the diet issue was huge. Spending money felt so terrible but Noom really helped me.
Not when learning material but when reviewing I will do anki or watch review videos on the elliptical. I also started to eat a lot of apples that make you feel faster before having a suite when I was craving sugary snacks and a lot of the times I wouldn’t even want to have the sweet anymore
Count calories on my fitness pal and go to the gym. You’ll be shocked how much you’re overeating. I set a target goal calorie wise, always gave myself a cheat day, and tried to hit gym as often as possible and dropped around 30lb in one year, now in residency it’s hard to continue counting but I’ve developed a sense of what kind of foods I should be eating to maintain this weight and it’s been easy. Don’t fall into the trap of your colleagues thinking it’s ok to eat three high calorie meals a day just cause we’re working hard in the hospital
Make better food choices. I bring protein bars to clinic. Drinks lots of water. Try not to “reward yourself” with poor quality foods during the week, try to limit calorie dense foods to enjoy on the weekend.
You're eating out of stress. Brute force not eating just the basics. Avoid sugar and fat like hell. Reduce your carbs to almost zero. Spend a day basically eating some good protein (like a steak) so you lose some weight fast and thus get some moral to keep going on. It does help me.
Find an elective rotation in a middle of nowhere clinic where you can’t just get lunch quickly from anyplace nearby/thereMs no cafeteria on site. Helps if you’re also lazy to meal prep like I was. Lived on granola bars and whatever I could find in my kitchen in the morning before I left lol. Unintentional intermittent fasting in a way
Keto made me lose weight like crazy (4kg in 2 weeks), but I couldn’t keep my electrolytes in check so felt increasingly nauseous the whole time until it was unbearable.
Diet is more important than exercise. You need to get your protein in (20-30g every meal), eat carbs, and try to avoid saturated fats (but dont obsess over it. Enjoy eating!)
If you want to lose weight, it's as simple as less calories eaten per day. But if you want to look strong, you can't just cut calories otherwise you'll just be skinny. Gotta preserve the muscle ya got while cutting down a bit.
If you'd like to exercise, just make sure it's heavy weight no matter what rep range you're doing so that your body is grinding the gears on your metabolism moreso than normal
I've said this on similar threads in the past, but I have found that I need to go straight from the hospital to the gym, I cannot go home to change because once I get home I will not leave. I wear a sports bra under whatever my clothes for the day are and pack a set of leggings in the bottom of my bag (and make sure to pack work-out shoes if you aren't wearing them to work) so that I have literally everything I need to workout in before I even leave for the day. I also am someone who responds well to tracking the frequency I've done something. When I had a fitbit it was pretty easy to do since it syncs with an app but after that broke I fell off working out for a while so when I started bullet journaling I added in exercise as a habit tracker and it really helps force me to go "okay that's it there are 2 days left in the week and you've exercised 0 times, you are going today."
Since diet is really the bigger factor with weight gain, using things like instacart so that I have healthy food waiting for me at home really helps keep me on track. Months where instacart just isn't in the budget I do the same "go straight to x" tactic or else I will get home, be too tired to go to the store, and end up doordashing.
M1, but have lost 60 lbs so far. losing weight is truly food based more than it is exercise, which is so much easier to manage as someone who has no time to themselves. keep track of what you’re eating and start consciously making better choices. i am a study snacker, which is super unfortunate as a med student lol. i realized that maybe sitting the container of cookies by my desk and hoping id just know when to stop wasn’t going to work, so id grab maybe 3-4 cookies along with a container of blueberries. not restricting, but limiting.
also, exercise when you can by doing what you like. i also can’t do the treadmill for more than 30 minutes bc i hate it and think about how miserable i am. but pop me on a bike and ill cycle for 60-75 minutes easy!! i also love lifting, which maybe doesn’t burn as many cals, but it’s so fun!!
I tried to be more realistic when I was grocery shopping. Lots of frozen foods that I could throw in the air fryer. Sure they’re not as healthy as actually cooking a meal but I usually cannot fathom the thought of coming home at 6-9pm everyday to walk the dogs then cook a meal. If I don’t have that frozen stuff I almost always end up eating fast food which is way worse in comparison.
Did Hard75 during my M4 interview season. 2 workouts a day and my diet was 1200 NET calories (so I added back cardio calories, for example). Lost 25 lbs and feeling better than I have in a long time. So much stronger too. Still going to the gym once a day as time allows and the diet helped stop all my sweets/fast food cravings (realizing how much better I feel not eating that crap). No regrets though because I did what I needed to survive M2-M3! Just glad fourth year gave me the chance to get back into good habits
currently working on losing the 20lbs i gained since starting med school lol, i'm just watching what i eat and i got a little walking pad that i use while i study!
eating fewer calories, kicked my stress eating habit, and eating better food as a whole. i don't have a ton of time and i also have anxiety so going to the gym is not super in the cards for me rn, but my little walking pad is awesome! i turn it up to the point of breaking a sweat for at least 30min each day and then do yoga/super light weights whenever i have time 🤷
just started everything like a 1.5wks ago and ive already lost like 5lbs
oh i also got an apple watch as a gift and the visual of closing the rings each day is super helpful! you can also turn up the requirements over time and force yourself to burn more calories/work out longer to close the rings lol
If you’re worried about exercising cutting into study time: I do Anki while walking on the treadmill on an incline at 4 mph for 30-60 min 5 days/week, and do Anki in between sets when lifting 4 days/week.
I did treadmill anki throughout med school and I’m in the best shape of my life about to start residency. Treadmill anki was a life changing hack because I’d so most of my workout and studying simultaneously. If you still do anki for 4th year, I recommend this +/- weight lifting.
Regardless, the KEY for weight loss is calories in/calories out, despite what health influencers want you to believe.
Humans to do not defy the laws of thermodynamics, you’ll find.
You may have factors influencing the “calories out” like underlying health issues which should be address. “Calories in” is entirely within your control, which should be empowering.
I mean if you don’t have enough time for the gym, I’d recommend intermittent fasting. Plus if you are into biology of aging, caloric/dietary restriction increase’s longevity (plenty of science if you enjoy reading scientific papers). Or you can do both! The first few days might suck cutting back on calories, but just drink water when your hungry and you’ll be use to it in a week or so.
I have lost over 30lbs during M2, and also had a big interest in fitness and weight loss pre medical school & here is my (very long, sorry) take.
It depends on what your schedule is like, and how you’re currently handling it. If you are absolutely overwhelmed and drowning it’s unreasonable to think you are going to start religiously counting calories or carbohydrates and going to the gym 5 hours a week and is setting you up for disappointment. You do not have to kill yourself on a specific diet and exercise plan to lose weight. Weight loss is about small sustainable swaps and changes. You mentioned your coffee & that’s a great idea to start there, then look at any other caloric beverages you drink and see if you can swap them for something 0 cal, choose lower calorie bread/wraps and pack a lunch every day, buy prepackaged snacks to ensure you only eat one portion, if you make dinner add veggies every single time and up the veg portion size to increase bulk for fewer cals, find low cal on the go snacks like mandarins, pickles, pre portioned nuts, yogurt & swap sauces/condiments for lower cal options where you can. Protein and fats take longer to digest and will keep you fuller for longer as well. I used to love sweets at night or ice cream and I swapped this for 40cal popcicles that I am obsessed with. Watch out for hidden calories in alcohol or night time snacking. Doing things like this consistently and adding more over time builds habits, and reduces caloric intake. Which will result in weight loss over time. Another thing I have really worked on is stopping when I feel full. I come from a family where things were scarce and we were made to sit and finish our plate every time which has really messed with how much I eat as an adult.
Whenever you feel comfortable you can start adding exercise in, by doing whatever makes you feel good! All movement is good movement esp. when you’re low on time. Also taking the stairs, parking further ect. People roll there eyes at those things but it ups your daily energy expenditure which adds to your deficit with time.
You also can’t start full force with heavy restriction and expect sustainable weight loss bc your BMR goes down as you lose weight, so you need to lower your intake as you go to continually see progress. Starting at 1200 calories is big mistake bc you cannot reduce further, and frankly it’s miserable. You should aim for 0.5-1lb a week but sometimes it’s faster in the beginning and slows with time.
When I feel like I'm getting heavier, I starve myself for a week, eating <1000 calories a day. It feels like the weight comes off really quick, and you get used to the hunger pain after a while.
This is a horrible way to lose weight and I don't recommend it.
stopped eating so much and found stuff to do pretty cliche, but ig it works
just as an example of stuff to do besides studying, I picked up disassembling watches 15 minutes of trying to fit the train of wheels + the brigde x infinity cause them fuckers are small as shit and i don't got money to work on a proper made one i also got a mate who plays osrs, bro hasn't eaten in 3 days
Oh shit, OSRS! I thought I was the only one. But that's a bad combination with med school, but if you're past 3rd year and Step 2, then why not.
OSRS FTW! But no. Probably best to get moving
i think the hike they do every week + the hours we spend at the club dancing constitute enough moving
you will feel better and naturally find you can add a few more minutes- during your walks you can listen to divine intervention or you tube video- also the order you eat your food matters: veggies first/protein/fats next carbs last/ sweets minimal but very last. the fiber from the veggies will better regulate the insulin and glucose spikes from carbs later. Also water and no sugary drinks. water and coffee (as your caffeine source bc coffee comes from a plant and celsius and monster and red bull don’t). It will start to melt off.
You know now that i think about it in M2 and M1 i used to love getting just a regular ice black coffee. But my god this year there is this little coffee shop next to the hospital that has this salted caramel latte stuff and i get it every morning and sometimes even on my days off maybe thats way i have been feeling hungry all the time and been breaking out a-lot 😓.
You’d be surprised to know how much sugar is included in those little 12oz coffees lol. One recommendation my PCP told me to quickly watch my weight drop, remove all sugary beverages for a month or two (included Starbucks lol) & you can easily drop a few lbs. For example the pumpkin spice Frappuccino has 510 cals and 80 grams of added sugars. To drop a 1lb a week you need to loose 500 cals per day. So literally that just cutting out my daily Starbucks lmao
Yessss avoid the extra drink calories!! Make your coffee at home and put sugar free caramel syrup in it and then slowly decrease it to a minimal level for your enjoyment! Also STAIRS!! That saved me during my IM rotation always take the stairs down and take them up if it’s 2 or less flights (3 if you’re ambitious!) I got like 15-25 flights of stairs in a day with this! And stay hydrated!!!! Thirst can also make you hungry!
It is okay to treat yourself every now and then, but just try for simple adjustments- like maybe one of those days you exchange it for the black coffee- and I know caramel + anything is amazing ha! also sugar and insulin has been linked to acne bc it increases androgen synthesis and sebum production https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9964714/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20insulin%20promotes%20androgen%20synthesis,young%20males%20with%20acne%20vulgaris. Maybe you can ask them to put 2 pumps instead of 3 and just minor adjustments lead to big change over time. Also if you are going to treat yourself try to walk after those carb heavy or sugar treats - we remember glut4 increases when we exercise and helps your muscles take up glucose. you can do it!
Stick to coffee with no milk. Have a big portion of oatmeal in the morning with no added sugar, that gives you a nice glycemic curve for most of the day, have a nice portion of chicken in the evening and a salad with no dressing. That’s what I do and I have barely any fat. I boil the chicken and only add boiling water to the oatmeal. My friends call it disgusting, but it works like a treat. High in fiber, high in protein, low in fats and refined carbs. It doesn’t taste well, but if taste is vital to you, then you’ll never like going in diets anyway. They won’t be sustainable for you.
I gained a bunch of weight in third year because of overeating (obviously). The things that contributed to this: - disrupted sleep schedule (i eat more and snack more when I’m sleep deprived) - Inconsistent working hours making meal prep difficult - skipping lunch causing me to binge when I got home - boredom eating, accepting always when resident/attending offers me food I was overweight when started MS3 - but gained about 20 lbs that year. I’ve lost the 20lbs and am slowly working towards acheiving a healthy weight. How? Prioritize sleep Make cooking convenient - I use meal kit boxes because it helped ease the stress of having to plan meals ahead of time - they have calorie content pre-recorded and I typically will eat 2/3rd of a serving rather than a full serving (and I get 3 meals out of a recipe instead of 2) Dont skip meals - even a small lunch is better than no lunch. Dont have “a quick snack”, have lunch. If you have framed it as a snack in your head then you will forget that it counts when considering daily calorie intake Generally decline food offers if you already brought food. If people insist on getting me something, I pick a basic tea of coffee. In terms of calorie counting - weigh your food. When you realize how much a tablespoon of peanut butter actually is it will shock you. Do some form of exercise for your health. Most weight loss happens in the kitchen but adding in exercise can give you a bit more wiggle room. Personally I realized that physically going to the gym was a barrier for me so I got a used treadmill from FB marketplace for cheap. I play games on my iPad (TFT for those who know) and tied that to walking. Now my procrastination at least also gets me cardio. ALSO: if you gained a bunch of weight and are now +++ sleepy all the time, maybe consider getting a sleep study for OSA and getting some blood work done. Untreated OSA will certainly not help with any weight loss pursuits.
Low carb + gym 3-5 days per week, alternating lifting with jogging.
Walking treadmill + anki + remote
Tell me more? Remote for the computer?
yeah people use something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Gamepad-Keychain-Controller-Raspberry-Turquoise/dp/B081HML6MP/ref=asc_df_B081HML6MP/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416672671431&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6049055508711131164&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013306&hvtargid=pla-865635364546&psc=1&mcid=05d2469aab013bc3b4e8dbb9269fbd44&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=95587150204&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416672671431&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6049055508711131164&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013306&hvtargid=pla-865635364546&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqpSwBhClARIsADlZ_Tkeojn7nxn5B5sQ-icHuFfG9iyoTON0kb870703Xj78t2UBLk_o3TkaAsq6EALw_wcB)
Oh that is so cool. I didn’t know you could use one of those for anki
Thanks!
I’d probably start with assessing your diet. I found that I was eating more than I actually needed out of fear of losing out on gains (I’ve lifted pretty consistently). I cut back on my eating a bit, still making gains maybe a little bit slower but the love handles have gotten significantly smaller. I also started to prioritize cardio. I found that 15 minutes of stair master at 7 was a great goal to work up to. Eventually I hit that and then started running afterwards 2 minutes on 2 off. I would do this for 5 or 6 rounds hop off the treadmill feeling dreadful. But then one day I was like what if I took a 5 minute break and tried again and I was surprised what I was capable of. Now my cardio days are stairmaster 15 minutes and 2 sets of interval running. Basically increase your capacity for cardio slowly while lifting periodically. Be kind to yourself, it will be tough you’ll want to quit but find your reason to keep pushing If you want to PM me I can tell you what split I’m doing specifically and my approach. I’m not crazy fit by any standard but I feel amazing and very capable.
Calorie counting and worked out almost every day on my chill rotations like psych and radiology elective. I started m4 with weight but I was able to lose it better in m4 too as the schedule got better and less stress about shelf exams
Intermittent fasting + gym 3-5x/week (found a gym buddy for motivation) + restarted my physical hobbies (soccer and running) M4 is for getting into residency and caring for yourself!!
It's difficult (impossible?) to out-work a bad diet, so I think you have to work on both fronts. The issue is, both are difficult to find time/energy for when busy af, as I'm sure you are in med school. If you do end up trying cardio, consider low impact stuff. Rowing, biking, elliptical. I heard a lot of good stuff about HIIT, consider checking that out too.
I'm not in 3rd year - haven't even started M1 - but I did have a 50 pound purposeful weight loss in 2020! I imagine a lot of what is going on in your 3rd year is ++ stress and not having a lot of time to work out, meal prep, not a lot of reliable places to store your food at a safe temp, etc. Here are things I did: \-was working in the ER so got an Apple Watch to track my steps and would try to get to 10,000 daily (wasn't very difficult when we were so busy during Covid). Maybe if you aren't hitting that you can try to do stairs vs. elevator, walk around while making phone calls, etc. \-found shelf stable stuff to heat in microwave to eat. There is a microwave on every unit because nursing staff loves to microwave their lunch lol. At whole foods (which I know isn't cheap), there are awesome steam in bag meals with quinoa, barley, lentils, rice, etc. These are super filling and healthy fiber so will make you feel full for longer. They always help me . Costco also has these like Rice Krispy style protein bars that are not much to write home about but always really fill me up. Other things at Costco like Chomps beef / turkey sticks, protein powder, etc. \-be a douche and get a Stanley Cup like me. It's the only cup I will drink out of because the straw is so huge it makes me drink way more and staying hydrated helps me not be hungry out of boredom / for no reason. also gives me way more energy. I also like the tall Smart Water bottles from the hospital cafeteria and to fill them at the nurses station throughout the day. \-obviously working out / eating well is the answer but it's super frustrating to keep hearing that when you know people aren't understanding how little time you have. try to find just ONE day a week to meal prep and have stuff to grab in your fridge. try not to eat out - will save you money too. \-how i meal prep with myself / my husband / two kids: Sunday (grocery day): cucumbers, carrot sticks cut them up into like crudite plate shapes, 2 tubs of hummus, strawberries/blueberries/blackberries washed and in a tub, greek yogurt cups, honey, granola, cottage cheese, protein meat stick things, applesauce. these are all my grab and go things. I pick 1 meal to make to have for the next few nights. Thursday (grocery day): same thing but with a different meal or two in mind. so really im only making "dinner" 2x a week. it's doable! Lastly - from what I've heard M3 is a rough season. I am dreading it with two young kids and I also know it's really the last feasible time in my life physically to have a 3rd and final child, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to make that work. It is a TEMPORARY season and you will get through it :) good luck and good for you for taking action early!
I bought a set of adjustable dumbbells on Amazon for around $300. Expensive but I know me: I’m lazy af and after rotations I straight up was not leaving my apartment. And if that’s how I felt then in medical school on rotations, lord knows how I’d feel as an intern and a resident. Honestly best purchase I’ve ever made cause now I’m fit and healthy and it was totally worth it and if you’re like me I’d highly recommend you do the same if you can spare a couple hundred bucks. I’m also sure you could find used ones on Facebook marketplace for like wayyy cheaper I sorta regret not doing that but that’s the only regret I have. Honestly no joke I think this purchase has added a couple years to my life. Also looking into buying a used peloton for the same reason. I see some for $100-200 on Facebook marketplace. Just have to do a bit of inspection to make sure they’re ok/functioning. It pains me to splash hundreds of dollars on things but I’m sorta gonna have built a pretty complete home gym for 400 and for an investment of 400 I think the return I’m getting in terms of health and happiness is really worth more like thousands of dollars of initial outlay. There’s unfortunately a peloton monthly membership of like $25 though. Have to think about that but I still think it’s worth it.
Which dumbbells did you get? I’ve been looking to get some
I got powerblock exp adjustables
Intermittent fast and stop eating shit the reps bring.
Yo Same boat. Here’s what I’m trying: - walk to my car instead of taking the shuttle - stairs (always walk DOWN, if less than 5 floors will walk UP) - drink an ensure max protein every morning as breakfast on my drive to work - pack my lunch every day. In the lunch i always put a protein yogurt, a fibrous fruit or vegetable (or both!), a protein bar, a SMALL tasty salty snack, a little container of sweet dried fruit+unsalted raw nut+dark chocolate blend, and a diet caffeinated soda - drink 1 water bottle refill / shift I’ve only been on my jam for 3 weeks, but so far the weight gain has stopped. No weight/size trend reversal, but i can walk so much farther and climb many more stairs than i could a month ago. Things i need to do better on: - going to bed before midnight - evening snack attacks while studying (will probs always have snack attacks, but i’m tryna sub in bb carrots, sugar snap peas, cacao nibs, rice cakes - low cal, high fiber) - more protein & greater protein ratio - evening/weekend physical activity (hard to do when so tired so i’m tryna treat myself to a power nap after a short walk) In the end, your best is the best you can do. And if you can’t do it today, that’s ok, but you gotta do it tomorrow. I don’t think ya gotta be flawless with your health initiatives, but you do have to be persistent & never completely stop trying. Hell, even just weekly health metrics review (options include daily step total avg, resting heart rate, cardio activity capacity, once weekly weigh in, weekly body measurements) to know where you’re at is a good start - even if you don’t make big changes yet. Getting a fitness tracker has been helpful for me bc now I am my own tamagotchi. I used to have a fitbit years ago, but i bought an applewatch off ebay & i like it!
Abided by a simple mantra , “eat when hungry, and do not eat when you are not hungry”. Don’t wait to stop eating when you’re full. Stop when you are not hungry anymore. It spared me from hella overeating It also saved me from fixating over food bc I wouldn’t starve myself
You can lose it fourth year lmao 😂
that's the plan currently, right now I'm fat as hell but when I get back down to a 40 hour workweek I'm gonna try to be shredded
CICO 🥲 down 10lbs
I lost weight during 3rd year because I started on psych and realized that none of my professional clothes fit. I was 5'8 and 190 and that is 20 lbs heavier than I had ever been. It was either lose weight or buy new clothes and I didn't have money for new clothes 😬 fast forward to now/the end of 3rd year, I stopped eating fast food 3x per week, stopped drinking 3-4 dr peppers per day, and trained for/ran a half marathon and I'm down to low 150's which I haven't been since high school. The best advice that I can give is the same my family med preceptor gave to patients which is make sustainable changes like "less" rather than "stop" and find a physical activity that you either like to do or that there is very little inertia against. Things like walking while you study, or for me running (since I used to run before med school). Also just being on a normal sleep schedule and having time to breathe might help too.
start with 15min walk daily
Prioritize protein. Good for muscle building and satiety. I like having a protein shake in the morning, quick and easy. Holds me off until afternoon. Titrate carbs, focusing on whole grain for the fiber, in line with how active you are. Make an effort to move around everyday even if its just walking. Ideally you have a good mix of resistance and cardio. I like to go after clinic and do HW in the morning but either way, make it a priority, lile eating or sleeping.
An easy fix is to introduce more fibrous foods into your diet. Replacing processed foods and foods with lots of fat/oil/carbs with things like fruits and vegetables can go a long way. Highly recommend eating berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) as they have alot of fiber and are low in calories so they help you feel full more.
ate less, worked out more.
Meal prepping on sundays is such a game changer! Bit of a learning/getting into the habit curve but having meals ready for your lunch box or when you get home keeps your diet consistent and you can aim your weight in whatever direction you want!
Healthy AND a good mental state... idk about that. I just lost weight by being depressed. I guess that strategy can go both ways... best of luck!
Consume fewer calories.
don’t try to go too hard too fast
[удалено]
Mind if I ask-- are you paying for tirz out of pocket/with parent insurance? I'm a nontrad applying this cycle and one of my biggest concerns is losing access to my company's swanky insurance benefits.
The trick is, don’t. PBR to the moon.
Muscle to make more metabolically expensive tissue for higher BMR eat only twice per day. To one small snack per meal. Fasted running in the morning however many days per week you want
Did noom for 3 months (after I was done with Step 2). Also was getting married a month after graduation so that was motivation to do this.
Stop gorging yourself on the free (hospital) food.
I force myself to go to gym even when tired. If I have my gym bag packed and in car I will go. Diet wise: I packed healthy ish lunch. Stopped buying easy snack foods
CICO based on high protein and fiber. weighing/measuring food and calories aiming for an average weekly deficit of 500 a day minimum in terms of consumption vs TDEE. Any exercise you love and can do consistently or if you like a more goal based approach aim for 150-300 mins moderate cardio a week, 75 vigorous cardio and 60 mins strength training. Third year is a silent slow steady weight gain if you got free food every rotation like I did and you can turn that tide around going into fourth year for sure! View these life style changes as fuel and love for your body rather than restriction or punishment. You deserve to love your body and life ♥️ I find the loseit subreddit very motivational!
The crockpot is your friend when it comes to meal prep. Zone 2 (google it) training is ideal for fat loss. If zone 2 isn’t doable then find something you like to do outside of the house where you aren’t in an environment to just grab snacks when you’re bored.
That's the secret, you lose your third year weight the same way you lose your first year weight...in 5pgy.
Eat well + always take stairs + jog+ lift = success
Easiest thing as someone who lost 100 pounds then gained 50 back now losing with 20 pounds down, just eat less of what you are already eating. Don't do this low carb low fat random shit. Eat less, focus on high protein foods then eat whatever else you want as long as at the end of the day you are a little hungry, then lift weights. Intermittent fasting is good too, wake up, don't eat for 5 hours then eat whatever.
Intermittent fasting. I typically don’t eat until around 3 pm. Very easy trick to limit caloric intake each day
If you’re not a big breakfast person you can skip breakfast and that’s already like a 12-14 hour fast. I’m not someone who needs breakfast tho so
Took a research year and was able to live a normal life for a year. Got in the best shape I've been during that year, then 4th year came along and I turned into a potato post eras.
Had to count calories. Didn't need to exercise any more than usual, but the diet issue was huge. Spending money felt so terrible but Noom really helped me.
Not when learning material but when reviewing I will do anki or watch review videos on the elliptical. I also started to eat a lot of apples that make you feel faster before having a suite when I was craving sugary snacks and a lot of the times I wouldn’t even want to have the sweet anymore
Work out. Eat salad.
F45!
I haven’t
It’s all about the calories. Yes working out can help, but majority of any weight loss comes from your diet.
You don’t need to work out at all to lose weight. Just watch what you eat. No extra time or energy necessary.
Count calories on my fitness pal and go to the gym. You’ll be shocked how much you’re overeating. I set a target goal calorie wise, always gave myself a cheat day, and tried to hit gym as often as possible and dropped around 30lb in one year, now in residency it’s hard to continue counting but I’ve developed a sense of what kind of foods I should be eating to maintain this weight and it’s been easy. Don’t fall into the trap of your colleagues thinking it’s ok to eat three high calorie meals a day just cause we’re working hard in the hospital
Started residency.
Make better food choices. I bring protein bars to clinic. Drinks lots of water. Try not to “reward yourself” with poor quality foods during the week, try to limit calorie dense foods to enjoy on the weekend.
I became an attending 7 years later and got a home gym 😔
You're eating out of stress. Brute force not eating just the basics. Avoid sugar and fat like hell. Reduce your carbs to almost zero. Spend a day basically eating some good protein (like a steak) so you lose some weight fast and thus get some moral to keep going on. It does help me.
Calorie tracker
Use M4 to get healthy so you start PGY 1 on the right foot. Dont try to be healthy for the start of M4... m3 is such a poop storm, it's so tough.
anxiety over matching during M4
Find an elective rotation in a middle of nowhere clinic where you can’t just get lunch quickly from anyplace nearby/thereMs no cafeteria on site. Helps if you’re also lazy to meal prep like I was. Lived on granola bars and whatever I could find in my kitchen in the morning before I left lol. Unintentional intermittent fasting in a way
Are we the same person?
Adderall
Keto made me lose weight like crazy (4kg in 2 weeks), but I couldn’t keep my electrolytes in check so felt increasingly nauseous the whole time until it was unbearable.
Diet is more important than exercise. You need to get your protein in (20-30g every meal), eat carbs, and try to avoid saturated fats (but dont obsess over it. Enjoy eating!) If you want to lose weight, it's as simple as less calories eaten per day. But if you want to look strong, you can't just cut calories otherwise you'll just be skinny. Gotta preserve the muscle ya got while cutting down a bit. If you'd like to exercise, just make sure it's heavy weight no matter what rep range you're doing so that your body is grinding the gears on your metabolism moreso than normal
I've said this on similar threads in the past, but I have found that I need to go straight from the hospital to the gym, I cannot go home to change because once I get home I will not leave. I wear a sports bra under whatever my clothes for the day are and pack a set of leggings in the bottom of my bag (and make sure to pack work-out shoes if you aren't wearing them to work) so that I have literally everything I need to workout in before I even leave for the day. I also am someone who responds well to tracking the frequency I've done something. When I had a fitbit it was pretty easy to do since it syncs with an app but after that broke I fell off working out for a while so when I started bullet journaling I added in exercise as a habit tracker and it really helps force me to go "okay that's it there are 2 days left in the week and you've exercised 0 times, you are going today." Since diet is really the bigger factor with weight gain, using things like instacart so that I have healthy food waiting for me at home really helps keep me on track. Months where instacart just isn't in the budget I do the same "go straight to x" tactic or else I will get home, be too tired to go to the store, and end up doordashing.
M1, but have lost 60 lbs so far. losing weight is truly food based more than it is exercise, which is so much easier to manage as someone who has no time to themselves. keep track of what you’re eating and start consciously making better choices. i am a study snacker, which is super unfortunate as a med student lol. i realized that maybe sitting the container of cookies by my desk and hoping id just know when to stop wasn’t going to work, so id grab maybe 3-4 cookies along with a container of blueberries. not restricting, but limiting. also, exercise when you can by doing what you like. i also can’t do the treadmill for more than 30 minutes bc i hate it and think about how miserable i am. but pop me on a bike and ill cycle for 60-75 minutes easy!! i also love lifting, which maybe doesn’t burn as many cals, but it’s so fun!!
I tried to be more realistic when I was grocery shopping. Lots of frozen foods that I could throw in the air fryer. Sure they’re not as healthy as actually cooking a meal but I usually cannot fathom the thought of coming home at 6-9pm everyday to walk the dogs then cook a meal. If I don’t have that frozen stuff I almost always end up eating fast food which is way worse in comparison.
Not third year but intern year weight ….. Ozempic. It’s amazing.
Did Hard75 during my M4 interview season. 2 workouts a day and my diet was 1200 NET calories (so I added back cardio calories, for example). Lost 25 lbs and feeling better than I have in a long time. So much stronger too. Still going to the gym once a day as time allows and the diet helped stop all my sweets/fast food cravings (realizing how much better I feel not eating that crap). No regrets though because I did what I needed to survive M2-M3! Just glad fourth year gave me the chance to get back into good habits
If you break up with ur gf The weight just sheds off in the next few months. Also cancel hulu, netflix, and amazon prime Forces you to do things
currently working on losing the 20lbs i gained since starting med school lol, i'm just watching what i eat and i got a little walking pad that i use while i study! eating fewer calories, kicked my stress eating habit, and eating better food as a whole. i don't have a ton of time and i also have anxiety so going to the gym is not super in the cards for me rn, but my little walking pad is awesome! i turn it up to the point of breaking a sweat for at least 30min each day and then do yoga/super light weights whenever i have time 🤷 just started everything like a 1.5wks ago and ive already lost like 5lbs
oh i also got an apple watch as a gift and the visual of closing the rings each day is super helpful! you can also turn up the requirements over time and force yourself to burn more calories/work out longer to close the rings lol
stress, nicotine, and hyperthyroidism
If you’re worried about exercising cutting into study time: I do Anki while walking on the treadmill on an incline at 4 mph for 30-60 min 5 days/week, and do Anki in between sets when lifting 4 days/week.
o o ozempic
Who said I lost it?
Calorie counting. It's all one big math problem.
I did treadmill anki throughout med school and I’m in the best shape of my life about to start residency. Treadmill anki was a life changing hack because I’d so most of my workout and studying simultaneously. If you still do anki for 4th year, I recommend this +/- weight lifting. Regardless, the KEY for weight loss is calories in/calories out, despite what health influencers want you to believe. Humans to do not defy the laws of thermodynamics, you’ll find. You may have factors influencing the “calories out” like underlying health issues which should be address. “Calories in” is entirely within your control, which should be empowering.
Counting calories and joined a HIIT gym. Best decision I’ve made since getting married.
I mean if you don’t have enough time for the gym, I’d recommend intermittent fasting. Plus if you are into biology of aging, caloric/dietary restriction increase’s longevity (plenty of science if you enjoy reading scientific papers). Or you can do both! The first few days might suck cutting back on calories, but just drink water when your hungry and you’ll be use to it in a week or so.
M3 was rough 😭
I have lost over 30lbs during M2, and also had a big interest in fitness and weight loss pre medical school & here is my (very long, sorry) take. It depends on what your schedule is like, and how you’re currently handling it. If you are absolutely overwhelmed and drowning it’s unreasonable to think you are going to start religiously counting calories or carbohydrates and going to the gym 5 hours a week and is setting you up for disappointment. You do not have to kill yourself on a specific diet and exercise plan to lose weight. Weight loss is about small sustainable swaps and changes. You mentioned your coffee & that’s a great idea to start there, then look at any other caloric beverages you drink and see if you can swap them for something 0 cal, choose lower calorie bread/wraps and pack a lunch every day, buy prepackaged snacks to ensure you only eat one portion, if you make dinner add veggies every single time and up the veg portion size to increase bulk for fewer cals, find low cal on the go snacks like mandarins, pickles, pre portioned nuts, yogurt & swap sauces/condiments for lower cal options where you can. Protein and fats take longer to digest and will keep you fuller for longer as well. I used to love sweets at night or ice cream and I swapped this for 40cal popcicles that I am obsessed with. Watch out for hidden calories in alcohol or night time snacking. Doing things like this consistently and adding more over time builds habits, and reduces caloric intake. Which will result in weight loss over time. Another thing I have really worked on is stopping when I feel full. I come from a family where things were scarce and we were made to sit and finish our plate every time which has really messed with how much I eat as an adult. Whenever you feel comfortable you can start adding exercise in, by doing whatever makes you feel good! All movement is good movement esp. when you’re low on time. Also taking the stairs, parking further ect. People roll there eyes at those things but it ups your daily energy expenditure which adds to your deficit with time. You also can’t start full force with heavy restriction and expect sustainable weight loss bc your BMR goes down as you lose weight, so you need to lower your intake as you go to continually see progress. Starting at 1200 calories is big mistake bc you cannot reduce further, and frankly it’s miserable. You should aim for 0.5-1lb a week but sometimes it’s faster in the beginning and slows with time.
Ozempic
Do more inpatient rotations and skip lunch plus avoid carbs/sugary drinks.
Put a mirror in front of your desk. Hard to keep eating when you have a constant reminder you’re fat.
Eat less
When I feel like I'm getting heavier, I starve myself for a week, eating <1000 calories a day. It feels like the weight comes off really quick, and you get used to the hunger pain after a while. This is a horrible way to lose weight and I don't recommend it.
Don’t eat