Crazy schedule + Red bull abuse?

tabika05

Hello to All! ~ I am becoming extremely discouraged. I am what my mother calls "healthy" and I despise that people say this to me because I have the love handles and my belly button can talk.

I need advice to keep going from people who have similar lives.

I work every day of the week, 60+ hours a week, both day and night schedules.
My body doesn't signal that it is hungry until I am about to faint, then I know to eat.
I am exhausted by the time my work day is over and gathering the energy to pay bills and do normal household chores is about all I accomplish.
When I try to keep myself awake and going I end up gorging on bad foods because my body wants some sort of energy to keep going.

So, how do I fit in a workout?
What should I do to keep within my calorie limit (1200 cal.)?
What can I use as motivation?
Also, I drink two sugar free red bulls when I work nights...is this dangerous or unhealthy?

Thank-you!

Xephyr

Before I started dieting I drank rockstars in place of coffee.
Since I started I cut those out.
Instead I buy the little 5-hour energy bottles, and a diet soda with zero carbs/sugar.
The energy bottle tastes like medicine but no biggie it works.
The Peach Citrus Frescas are actually good. You get used to them.

Xephyr

Oh yes and my diet doesn't recommend Workouts for people over 40. :-) so I don't have that in my routine.
I work nights, and yes often don't feel hungry until I am "HUNGRY"

I premake up my meals and stick to them even when not really hungry--just until satisfied.
It is a low carb diet...however I notice it actually stays right around the site's recommended carb intake anyways.
My food diary is posted if you wanted to peak at the first two weeks. (most recent week and a half are the 'use your own judgement time')
I go back on the strict diet next Monday :-)

Rhonnie

You are crazy busy and you are adding more to your todo list (at least that is what it probably feels like and is why it is so daunting). I'd suggest you just make changes one at a time.

I'd start with getting your meals on track. Obviously you can try to make these healthier meals, but more importantly is getting your body used to eating every so many hours or so many times a day... what ever works best for you. Use an alarm if you have to to remind you to eat, pre-make (or pre-buy frozen) meals so it's quick an easy, use whatever tricks you need to get your system on track. Once you do you will probably start to be able to recognize your hunger pains sooner etc. If not drinking enough water is one of the things you want to improve you could probably be doing that at the same time. I know that I used to never feel hungry and I never drank my water. Now that I drink my water I am able to recognize when my body is hungry better.

Once you have got that system down start working on what you are actually eating and make the changes needed. This will probably take a little while at first, depending on what 'changing your diet' means for you... obviously if you want to eat nothing but home cooked meals when right now all you do is go through drive through, then this is going to make a difference in how much time you spend preparing food. But it doesn't have to. I was a complete fast food person, and I've switched to a combo of frozen meals and ready to eat foods so I've actually probably have more time then I did because I'm not driving back and forth to the fast food joint.

Once you have 'healthier diet' as more of a habit then a chore and your body has relearned what a portion size is you can take the food part to what ever level of 'healthy' you are striving for. At this point you will probably be feeling better and have more energy so if you do want to start cooking from scratch more it will probably naturally happen. If not, decide what your goals are and work on those.

When you basically have what you put in your body under control you can start on the next big schedule change.... getting in exercise. Start with little quick things you can do on your breaks at work, or even just during a commercial while watching tv. With the busy schedule you have you don't want to waste time driving somewhere to exercise and then waste time driving home again. And just like having a good healthy diet will give you more energy, getting exercise will give you more energy as well. If you have more energy you feel like you have more time in the day.

You can do this!! Just don't put the pressure on yourself to change everything at once.... this is a slow life style change, you are making new habits.

tabika05

Thanks so much! I actually already eat really healthy and only home cooked foods and drink TONS of water. All I need is a real eating schedule. That would definately help as well as finding time to work out.