Grad school apps and our bodies

[melusine]

So.. My applications are almost all done (I am waiting for my updated transcript to mail the four remaining), and I've just realized what a hard time this past term has been for not only my brain, but also my body!

I've just arrived home at my parents' for the holidays and, judging by their worried expressions, the effects are noticeable.

What's creepy is that I hadn't realised the extent of it until I put on my old (size 2) pair of PJs which fell to my knees. My bum is gone!

Apparently, a consequence of my (stress-induced) stomach ulcer and the fact that the only form of relaxation I've had time for this term was watching TV at the gym, is me being back to a pretty emaciated size zero.

The other day, I was actually approached by someone downtown with a flier promoting drug-assistance rehab services.

Oh well. Nothing a week of parent-cooking can't fix, but that leaves me wondering..

Has anybody else noticed any marked physical effects of the (often) stress-fuelled application process we've all just gone through?

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

You lost weight? Well I gained. Not much (5 lbs), but I've worked hard to lose weight in college and don't plan on gaining it all back. I'm also back home and gonna start jogging again, and finally have time in my next semester schedule to work on cardio.

But no, my physical changes are not as marked as yours. Get back to being healthy!

[keylimekai]

just nursing my addictions affections for coffee and beer

[JerryLandis]

I've stayed the same weight because I have been overeating, but also working out a lot. I have always been a waif, could never do a single push-up, skipped PE classes, basically just HATED working out, until this year. I have discovered the mindless magic of exercise. Every day this semester when I woke up, dreading the prospect of the stressful day to come, I would delay my work by working out. I finally discovered why people must like it - it allows you to feel productive without having to think at all - and you can even listen to music! Amazing. I wonder though if my new habit will dwindle away now that applications are almost finished.

Another obsessive habit has been trimming my split ends. I can spend a full hour a day searching them out to trim them off. Again, I never used to do this before.

[zilch]

So.. My applications are almost all done (I am waiting for my updated transcript to mail the four remaining), and I've just realized what a hard time this past term has been for not only my brain, but also my body!

I've just arrived home at my parents' for the holidays and, judging by their worried expressions, the effects are noticeable.

What's creepy is that I hadn't realised the extent of it until I put on my old (size 2) pair of PJs which fell to my knees. My bum is gone!

Apparently, a consequence of my (stress-induced) stomach ulcer and the fact that the only form of relaxation I've had time for this term was watching TV at the gym, is me being back to a pretty emaciated size zero.

The other day, I was actually approached by someone downtown with a flier promoting drug-assistance rehab services.

Oh well. Nothing a week of parent-cooking can't fix, but that leaves me wondering..

Has anybody else noticed any marked physical effects of the (often) stress-fuelled application process we've all just gone through?

so what you're saying is we need to package this as a miracle weight loss solution and make millions.

[melusine]

so what you're saying is we need to package this as a miracle weight loss solution and make millions.

LOL!

Exactly! That is exactly what I'm saying!

[joro]

I have gained an excessive amount of weight and got sick more times than I normally would.

I started applications last year. I was lean, a bit muscular, and athletic before the start of my applications. I am 5'10 and went from a size 32 waist (it was somewhat loose too) and now wear a size 36 (which is a bit tight). I am not exactly attracting the ladies now and I don't think I was before either.

Once I am over this whole missing LOR problem, I will get back to working out. I don't want to start grad school in an unhealthy state.

[a fragrant plant]

I suffer from very bad sleeping pattern since I started. But now I only have 3 more applications to work on, thankfully.

[luar de ouro]

I've stayed the same weight because I have been overeating, but also working out a lot. I have always been a waif, could never do a single push-up, skipped PE classes, basically just HATED working out, until this year. I have discovered the mindless magic of exercise. Every day this semester when I woke up, dreading the prospect of the stressful day to come, I would delay my work by working out. I finally discovered why people must like it - it allows you to feel productive without having to think at all - and you can even listen to music! Amazing. I wonder though if my new habit will dwindle away now that applications are almost finished.

Another obsessive habit has been trimming my split ends. I can spend a full hour a day searching them out to trim them off. Again, I never used to do this before.

I've been obsessively trimming my split ends too! I moved to Beijing this summer for a year, where air is really dry and water is really hard, so my hair's been splitting like crazy. I went for 2 hours straight once.....not proud

[jessabee]

I haven't gained any weight (I don't own a scale, so I'm just going by how tight my pants feel...although I have been wearing the same pair for the last 3 days, since there is no point in changing when all I am doing is sitting at my desk obsessively revising my SOPs and sending reminders to LOR writers...). I have been waking up in a panic lately, though. I also wake up about 5 times a night starving b/c I keep forgetting to eat during the day and I feel dizzy a lot.

[joro]

I haven't gained any weight (I don't own a scale, so I'm just going by how tight my pants feel...although I have been wearing the same pair for the last 3 days, since there is no point in changing when all I am doing is sitting at my desk obsessively revising my SOPs and sending reminders to LOR writers...). I have been waking up in a panic lately, though. I also wake up about 5 times a night starving b/c I keep forgetting to eat during the day and I feel dizzy a lot.

Wow, that doesn't sound good. You really need to take care of yourself. And I know how you feel about the LOR writers because I've been having my own problems with one.

[90sNickelodeon]

Interesting question. I've definitely started eating a lot of sweets since I started applying in November, but no noticeable weight gain.

[JennyFieldsOriginal]

I put on a pound for each application (12...ugh). Now that they are over I am spending an hour a day running to drop the weight. Working out is also a productive-ish distraction while waiting. I hope thumb twiddling burns a lot of calories.

I think it only gets worse. A friend of mine gained 30 pounds studying for orals because he spent months in a chair reading. I consider the application weight gain to be a good lesson so that I'll be more careful during my actual graduate career.

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

I put on a pound for each application (12...ugh). Now that they are over I am spending an hour a day running to drop the weight. Working out is also a productive-ish distraction while waiting. I hope thumb twiddling burns a lot of calories.

I think it only gets worse. A friend of mine gained 30 pounds studying for orals because he spent months in a chair reading. I consider the application weight gain to be a good lesson so that I'll be more careful during my actual graduate career.

The lab tech and PhD student in my lab both told me that it is crucially important to set aside time to work out while in grad school. It's a really good stress reliever and possibly the only time you'll have to do something other than work .

[iceman]

I've taken my smoking from 1-2 cigs a week to 2-3 a day and my weight has dropped 12 pounds over the last 6 months. My family and friends were shocked when I visited over the holidays. I think once that first admit comes, I'll be back though.

[Roll Right]

LOL, wait until you begin grad school. Itll beat the passion out of you with a metal bat and destroy what life you previously enjoyed. But its a great time!

[mario]

I've taken my smoking from 1-2 cigs a week to 2-3 a day and my weight has dropped 12 pounds over the last 6 months. My family and friends were shocked when I visited over the holidays. I think once that first admit comes, I'll be back though.

i've gone from smoking 1.5 10-packs a day to probably 3 10.packs a day, gained at least 3 kilos (sorry for the different system, i'm in another hemisphere)

[killerbees]

I woke myself up screaming in my sleep sometime back before Christmas. Things were getting a little tense there for a while. I do exercise regularly, however, and I think this has saved not only my sanity but my waistline. It also gets me out of the house and away from my computer and the obsessive email, etc., checking that I do. I also had a few fits of inspiration while working out and wrote down some notes or worked out how to do a personal statement.

[joro]

I recently got sick again. I'm not falling asleep as easily anymore either.

[ScreamingHairyArmadillo]

I've joined the local gym mostly to take their directed classes (and lose my application weight). Holy hell, my legs ached for 2 days! Can't wait to go back tomorrow!

I'm headed for a life of field work so I need to work on my muscles and endurance.