Finding time
ONUnicorn
Posts: 45 Member
How do other people find enough time to eat right and exercise?
I lost a lot of weight once before, though I didn't make it to my goal weight. At that time I was making most of my own food and going to the gym 2-3 times a week.
In the last 18 months I've gained it all back and then some (about 50 pounds), but my schedule is much more hectic than it was. Now I eat a lot more processed foods, eat out a lot more, my husband does what little cooking gets done, and I've cancelled my gym membership because I don't have time to go.
Here's a typical day: oversleep, wake up about 7:30, rush around and leave for work about 8:30 drinking a Carnation instant breakfast and eating a banana in the car, get to work about 9, at lunch time order Panera Bread online then go across the street to pick it up and eat it at my desk, leave work at 5:00 and walk 3 blocks to the law school where I'm an evening student, in class until 8:00 (most days - sometimes earlier and sometimes later), home about 8:30, eat whatever husband has prepared and watch tv, play a game with husband or go for a walk if it's still light and the weather's good (rare), go to bed about 10 and fall asleep trying to do the reading for the next day's class about midnight.
On weekends I try to do add much studying as possible while fitting in church and social functions, visiting my aunt in the nursing home, helping my parents out, and trying to do some house and yard work and spend quality time with my husband. We're out of the house a lot and grab whatever is around to eat.
I'm not happy with this and it's not healthy or sustainable and I'd like to lose weight and eat healthier but I don't know where to find the time! Does anyone have any advice?
I lost a lot of weight once before, though I didn't make it to my goal weight. At that time I was making most of my own food and going to the gym 2-3 times a week.
In the last 18 months I've gained it all back and then some (about 50 pounds), but my schedule is much more hectic than it was. Now I eat a lot more processed foods, eat out a lot more, my husband does what little cooking gets done, and I've cancelled my gym membership because I don't have time to go.
Here's a typical day: oversleep, wake up about 7:30, rush around and leave for work about 8:30 drinking a Carnation instant breakfast and eating a banana in the car, get to work about 9, at lunch time order Panera Bread online then go across the street to pick it up and eat it at my desk, leave work at 5:00 and walk 3 blocks to the law school where I'm an evening student, in class until 8:00 (most days - sometimes earlier and sometimes later), home about 8:30, eat whatever husband has prepared and watch tv, play a game with husband or go for a walk if it's still light and the weather's good (rare), go to bed about 10 and fall asleep trying to do the reading for the next day's class about midnight.
On weekends I try to do add much studying as possible while fitting in church and social functions, visiting my aunt in the nursing home, helping my parents out, and trying to do some house and yard work and spend quality time with my husband. We're out of the house a lot and grab whatever is around to eat.
I'm not happy with this and it's not healthy or sustainable and I'd like to lose weight and eat healthier but I don't know where to find the time! Does anyone have any advice?
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Replies
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Don't worry so much about what you eat. Just make sure you're eating at a deficit. Whne it comes to being active, you just need to make the time. It's a committment and you gotta want it bad enough.0
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it's not so much about finding time as it is making time. while my schedule isnt nearly as hectic and i am single my typical day goes like this
up at 4:45am and waiting at the gym doors at 5:15am. do 30 minutes of cardio and back home by 6am. shower and eat breakfast out the door by 630. start work and leave at 4pm. get home get changed and back to the gym. leave gym and eat (drink) a protein shake for dinner. clean up what needs to be done. shower. in bed by 8-830.
is there a planet fitness near you? i think those are open 24 hours and you can either go later or get up earlier, but again it is up to you to make the time to do0 -
It's hard but if you want it bad enough you have to make the time. From looking at your schedule you have a short commute to work. I used to get up at about the same time you do and I have short commute as well. It's hard to get up early I understand believe me cause I used to be a night owl. Knowing it would be hard to get up earlier than 7 am I first did it on the weekend...Got up at 6 am and walked 1.25 miles (a circle around my neighborhood). I did it on the weekend so that if I felt really tired I could take a nap later. By the time Monday rolled around I woke up early didn't want to get out of bed but felt guilty so I got up and before I knew it. I was automatically waking up at the new time. I find it's best for me to get it done early that way if something was go change doing the evening and I cant make time then no big deal I already worked out in the am.0
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You don't need to make the food choices you do. Prepare a breakfast you can grab and go. Ask your husband to make double so you can take dinner leftovers for lunch. Pack some easy snacks - HB eggs, yoghurt, chopped vegies with hummus, nuts, fruit, beef jerky etc.
Same with exercise - you make time. Plan it and do it regardless. Get in the habit of waking up earlier for a walk or exercise in your house if weather is bad. Wear gym clothes to bed if that makes it easier to get up and go!0 -
Losing weight is all about choices. We choose to do what is necessary to reach our goal or we don't. If you are going to bed at 10 and getting up at 7:30, you have slept about 9 hours. Get up an hour earlier and exercise. Processed food is not good for anyone. Set aside time on the weekend to prep meals for the week. If you choose to do what is necessary, you will be successful.0
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I’d just like to add that weekend meal prep and slow cookers are your friends. You can look up a ton of recipes online, throw the ingredients in the slow cooker before you head out in the morning, and at night both you and your hubby have a hot meal waiting. You can use the recipe tool on MFP and measure out serving sizes (I usually transfer everything to a plastic container to store in the fridge and weigh it then). For breakfast, you can do things like overnight oats with yogurt and fruit: you just mix it all up in a container before you go to bed and it’s ready to eat in the morning.
At the end of the day it’s all about maintaining a caloric deficit, and you can absolutely accomplish that no matter how busy you are. Getting a bit more exercise is always a nice idea, I know I feel better when I move more: maybe go for a 20-30min walk after lunch, or go for a walk with the hubby after dinner more consistently. Consider skipping rope if you want to do cardio, you don’t even have to leave the house to do it. Look up bodyweight exercises to do at home for resistance training to help retain muscle mass during weight loss.
I know you’re tired and I get it’s crappy (I’ve been to law school, though not while working full time). You can do this with some smart planning, though - don’t give up!
Edited to add: there’s nothing wrong with processed food as long as you’re meeting your macros (protein, fat, fibre), but it *can* make it harder to do that when you’re not in control of your meals throughout the day.0 -
I have to agree with what everyone above me is saying. If you want something bad enough you have to make time for it. I go to school and work full time third shift. I'm also a volunteer firefighter. So to find time for friends, school, work, homework, eating healthy and the gym. I've been doing it strictly for about a month now. If I don't have time to go to the gym during the week,I do a 20-30 minute workout before or after work depending on the day. YouTube has some fantastic free exercise programs. I used to eat a lot of process/fat food too just because it's easier than cooking. I either do a slow cooker recipe or I grab something healthy from being out. It's all about calories in vs calories out. I eat approximately 1100-1300 calories a day, sometimes 1400-1500 if I do a real hard core workout. Instead of carnation instant breakfast, grab a protein shake. I got the 'blender ball' which is at WalMart for $10. I throw in water,protein mix, and some kind of fruit, mix it up and go. You don't need an actual blender and you can mix it up whenever your ready. Just make the time to do what you want with your life. You can do it! Plus MFP has a great support system and when you're feeling unmotivated there are plenty of people to help you out.0
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I'm with everyone here...
Just like you make time for all of the things you have listed, your health is ultimately what determines your longevity on this planet. Perhaps, get up earlier and get in a workout (we get up at 4:30am to hit the gym...it doesn't have to be then, but maybe an extra hour), get a salad at Panera, pack carrots and hummus, don't eat what your husband makes instead make a quick salad or prep food on the weekend, pack a blender bottle with protein and a side veggies for school or whenever. Your health is as important as any job, so take it just as seriously and WORK it. These are just suggestions, you have to do what works for you, but as a sales executive who is on the road 15-20 days a month and also just spent two years getting an Executive MBA on the weekends, I can definitively say it can all be done.0 -
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snickerscharlie wrote: »
I absolutely LOVE this. Trust me, we all know how a schedule so hectic can feel overwhelming. Everyone has given you GREAT advice. Please feel free to add me, as I too, lost a great deal of weight before here and gained it back and a bit more. About 40 pounds total. I'm at it again but I'm doing it with that quote above in mind. Good luck love.
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How do other people find enough time to eat right and exercise?
I lost a lot of weight once before, though I didn't make it to my goal weight. At that time I was making most of my own food and going to the gym 2-3 times a week.
In the last 18 months I've gained it all back and then some (about 50 pounds), but my schedule is much more hectic than it was. Now I eat a lot more processed foods, eat out a lot more, my husband does what little cooking gets done, and I've cancelled my gym membership because I don't have time to go.
Here's a typical day: oversleep, wake up about 7:30, rush around and leave for work about 8:30 drinking a Carnation instant breakfast and eating a banana in the car, get to work about 9, at lunch time order Panera Bread online then go across the street to pick it up and eat it at my desk, leave work at 5:00 and walk 3 blocks to the law school where I'm an evening student, in class until 8:00 (most days - sometimes earlier and sometimes later), home about 8:30, eat whatever husband has prepared and watch tv, play a game with husband or go for a walk if it's still light and the weather's good (rare), go to bed about 10 and fall asleep trying to do the reading for the next day's class about midnight.
On weekends I try to do add much studying as possible while fitting in church and social functions, visiting my aunt in the nursing home, helping my parents out, and trying to do some house and yard work and spend quality time with my husband. We're out of the house a lot and grab whatever is around to eat.
I'm not happy with this and it's not healthy or sustainable and I'd like to lose weight and eat healthier but I don't know where to find the time! Does anyone have any advice?How do other people find enough time to eat right and exercise?
I lost a lot of weight once before, though I didn't make it to my goal weight. At that time I was making most of my own food and going to the gym 2-3 times a week.
In the last 18 months I've gained it all back and then some (about 50 pounds), but my schedule is much more hectic than it was. Now I eat a lot more processed foods, eat out a lot more, my husband does what little cooking gets done, and I've cancelled my gym membership because I don't have time to go.
Here's a typical day: oversleep, wake up about 7:30, rush around and leave for work about 8:30 drinking a Carnation instant breakfast and eating a banana in the car, get to work about 9, at lunch time order Panera Bread online then go across the street to pick it up and eat it at my desk, leave work at 5:00 and walk 3 blocks to the law school where I'm an evening student, in class until 8:00 (most days - sometimes earlier and sometimes later), home about 8:30, eat whatever husband has prepared and watch tv, play a game with husband or go for a walk if it's still light and the weather's good (rare), go to bed about 10 and fall asleep trying to do the reading for the next day's class about midnight.
On weekends I try to do add much studying as possible while fitting in church and social functions, visiting my aunt in the nursing home, helping my parents out, and trying to do some house and yard work and spend quality time with my husband. We're out of the house a lot and grab whatever is around to eat.
I'm not happy with this and it's not healthy or sustainable and I'd like to lose weight and eat healthier but I don't know where to find the time! Does anyone have any advice?
Your breakfast sounds really light on calories as it is. Panera Bread has some lower calorie options (or you could eat half of a higher calorie meal). Are you saying you don't eat anything else until after 8pm? Unless your lunch and dinner are huge, something isn't adding up. If they are huge, eat smaller amounts. You should be able to lose the weight just by making the amounts fit into your calorie allotment.
If you're looking to fit in more exercise, honestly it may be tough since you are working FT and going to school (and have a lot of reading to do). Maybe you could do your reading on a bike or treadmill at a gym?? or walk during your lunch break? You could turn your evening walks into more intense runs. Otherwise, something has to give (and you need sleep).
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If you could get up 30 minutes earlier at 7:00 a.m. & workout for 30 minutes you could get exercise out of the way. Anything extra you would fit in to the day would be a bonus! I grill on the weekends & eat leftovers for the next couple of days just warming up a side or vegetable. Pre-planning and preparing your meals in advance are a bonus in every situation. First it would already be packed so you wouldn't be rushing around in the morning, then you would know what you are consuming, it costs less & it is usually healthier because you are making it & it is not loaded with preservatives or hidden ingredients. Once our office was ordering from Panera and despite selecting a low calorie option, most all of their items have approx. 1,000+mg of sodium. My body stores sodium by retaining and bloating so I personally try to avoid high sodium foods at all costs. Since I'm up at 5:45 to be at work by 7:30 a.m I walk at lunch & try to work out immediately when I get home from work.
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How do other people find enough time to eat right and exercise?
It doesn't take much time.
-- I don't eat breakfast
-- I walk as part of my commute to work
-- I eat a small snack at about 10 am (total 100 cal). I have a collection of things in my desk drawer ... crackers and cheese, fruit, etc.
-- I go for a 30-60 min walk at lunch
-- I eat steamed veg + rice + tinned chicken in springwater OR steamed veg + lentil soup ... or something like that, some combination of that. I have the rice, tinned chicken, soup, etc. in my desk drawer, but I bring a bag of veg to work with me each day. (total 300-400 cal)
-- I have a small snack mid-afternoon (total 100 cal), again, from the collection in my desk drawer
-- I walk as part of my commute home
-- I have cottage cheese and pickles or cucumbers for an after work snack (100 cal)
-- My husband and I go for a walk or bicycle ride for about an hour
-- My husband makes dinner (about 500 cal) while I do some other house cleaning or studying (I'm a part-time student, full-time employee)
-- I have a late night snack of yogurt (100-200 cal)
I restock my desk drawer collection about once a week when my husband and I go grocery shopping together.
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All that time you spend in a week going to Panera, standing in line, paying, going back. . . add it all up and use the same amount of time on the weekend batch cooking and portioning out your food. While you are doing that cooking, listen to an audiobook or podcast related to your field of study.
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Stop "oversleeping"...set your alarm for 7 and get in at least 30 minutes of exercise. Do a youtube video or most libraries have workout dvd's you can borrow. You could trade watching tv to exercising in your home... you can exercise WHILE you are watching TV....spend quality time with your husband by taking nice long walks. I'm hearing excuses here........0
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First of all, 90% of losing weigh is food, not exercise, and finding time for eating right is easier in my opinion. I cook mostly on weekends, some meals we eat during Monday-Wednesdays, some meals I freeze for Thursday-Friday. Rarely go out. There are many many healthy, calorie dense recipies here.
Finding time for exercising is harder - you have a lot of things on your plate. But, if you really want it you'll find time. Examples:
1. wake up earlier and exercise. I personally hate waking up early. I do it only once a week for swimming, because it's the only time I can realistically do it. I wish the nearby pool was open 7-10pm...
2. walk during your lunch time.
3. exercise in the evening - run, do some dvds, ply tennis with your husband - whatever
4. spend your weekends actively - hikes, horse riding, kayaking...
Good luck!0
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