8-5 hour job need motivation

Nell8i8

I got an activity monitor. I have a step goal. It motivates me to workout after work seeing how inactive I am at work. I go to the gym and after a stressful 8 hour workday it has become my happy place. I'm also motivated to get up and take little water breaks which increases my activity and my water intake.

kimny72

I take a walk on my lunch break whenever the weather is okay. I make sure I get up and walk around as often as I can without getting questioned. I work out when I get home a couple of times a week. I take a walk after dinner if the weather is okay. I work out on Saturday and Sunday.

debrakgoogins

I work a day job sitting at a desk. I have tried to be a morning person but it never works for me. 5 am is too early for me to work out. I have just had to find time after work. I go to the gym 3 days a week and do yoga 4 days a week. Saturdays and Sundays I work out around 9 am so that I have the rest of my day free. If you can't get to the gym, try using an internet program like Fitness Blender and do the exercises whenever you can fit them in. You can choose the length, intensity and even the equipment needed with Fitness Blender plus it's free. Good luck to you.

chaoticdreams

I take a 15 min walk in the morning on break, walk to wherever we end up eating lunch which is about another 10-15 min (small town), and a 15 min walk in the afternoon on break. Come spring and it's not so dark after 5 anymore, I'll resume my hour long evening walks with my doggies. You can make exercise fit if you want too. I miss my evening walks, but in the meantime I do the elliptical for 30 min sometimes when I get home.

namelesshere

Start logging daily at each meal or prelog the day so you know what you are going to eat. Exercise is immaterial but if you want to do it, you have received many suggestions as to how to fit it in. As for meals, You can eat the same for breakfast and lunch for a week and only have supper to worry about to help you stay on your calorie goals. Make sure you don't have money for vending machines so you are not tempted, and eat only what you bring to help you stay on track. Enjoy the foods you do bring by taking smaller bites so your body has time to recognize the small amount. I do this by slicing an apple and a cucumber to include in my lunch with a low calorie sandwich. If I want to add a treat of a cookie or some chocolate, I can do so as long as I log it. I have lost without exercising as right now my health does not allow.

DavPul

You work 8 whole hours? 5 days a week?

cbelc2

I also work 8-5 m-f. I hit the gym on my way to work then walk on my lunch break. I take my lunch and eat at my desk on the clock. I try to get at least one 15 min break and walk outside or inside, including the stairs. I make healthy whole food smoothies the night before for breakfast with plain yogurt, 3 types of seeds, nuts, garden greens, water, banana, and berries. I drink half before and half after the gym. And I log it all in MFP. The premium features help me not to overeat carbs, which I limit to 100-130 per day.

kshama2001

I drove to the walking trail at lunch today, hoping that the town had plowed the parking lot and my fellow walkers packed down the 6 inches of snow we got Saturday night. To my delight, the lot was plowed and I learned that volunteers user a snowblower to make a path in the first half mile of the track all winter long. Cross country skiers did a great job packing down the other 1.5 miles.

strong_curves

DavPul wrote: »

You work 8 whole hours? 5 days a week?

Right?!! A whole 8 hours, 5 days a week like the majority of people here.

OP I work 8 hours a day 5 days a week in an office sitting on my butt the majority of the day. I get up at 5 am to work out for about an hour. I eat breakfast at home and bring my lunch to work. I've managed to lose weight working the same amount of hours/days.

Rachel0778

My alarm is set for 5am every day so that I can get to the gym before work. If you had told me I would be doing this 5 years ago, I would have looked at you like you were insane. However, my entire day goes smoother and I'm in such a better mood when I hit the gym before work. It's my "me" time. The best part is there are never any scheduling conflicts because no one in their right mind makes plans at 5-6am.

Over my lunch break I also take a long walk. I work on a college campus so I'm fortunate that I can also take over lunch yoga classes a few days a week. I also walk to a bathroom on a different floor of the building and drink a ton of water so I'm refilling my water bottle fairly frequently.

For food, I batch cook everything on Sundays and pre-portion it in containers so lunches are already made to go for the week. My dinners are also planned and veggies are chopped on Sundays so I can throw them together after work.

My dog also makes sure I'm active in the evening. Mr. High Energy and I play ball all over the house/yard until he's tuckered out.

Really, it's about incorporating as much movement as you can into your routine so that you don't even notice it because it just becomes "the norm". And my food choices are already perfectly laid out so it would take considerable effort to choose the unhealthy option. Why waste time sitting in line at a drive thru during lunch or after work when my lunch is pre-made and my dinner will only take 5 minutes to heat up?

azulvioleta6

I'm sure that most of us work in 8 hour shifts with minimal movement. It's not unusual and not a valid excuse.

Walk during your breaks. If you get in 15 minutes in the morning, 15 at lunch and 15 in the afternoon, that could be three miles/6000-7500 steps by the end of the work day. Add an hour workout before or immediately after work and you are golden.

If you have weekends off--even better!

bri170lb

I work 8 to 5.

I do not like to exercise first thing in the morning so I go to the gym or go jogging right after work.

I take breakfast lunch and a snack to work with me every day and I do not go out for fast food like everyone else. I do not eat treats that others bring in, I stick to what I bring with me. If I start my day right, it is easier to stay on track later in the day.

I joined a gym that has classes that start at 530. I go to Zumba a couple of times a week. I pack my gym bag every morning after I pack my food.

I often put dinner in the crock pot or have a definite plan for dinner when I get home. On days when I don't do this it is easy to go overboard because I'm hungry when I get home.

On days when I have to cart kids around to activities, I plan ahead to eat out and carefully choose the resturant so that I know there are good choices for me.

Week days are much easier for me than weekends because of the regular routine.

I try to pre log my food as often as possible.

meredithgir199

I work an 8-5 job with a 45 minute commute each way. I typically come home, cook dinner and eat with the family before heading to the gym. I can not motivate myself at home so in order to get a workout in, I MUST get to the gym.

The key to an exercise routine is making yourself a priority. Find an activity that you like and find ways to fit it into your schedule. You can get up early to hit the gym or do an exercise video at home or you can workout at lunch. Buy a fitbit and focus on getting 10000 steps a day to start.

Everyone is different. You have to find what works best for you!

jemhh

How do you find time to sleep?

Just exercise during the other 16 hours of the day. Before work. After work. On weekends.

Mini_Medic

I work 24 on 48 off EMS shifts, plus a minimum of 8 hrs overtime, usually 36 overtime per two weeks. I make time to exercise, work it in where I can and bring food for my long days so I don't get tempted by the quick fixes of fast food or gas station snacks during night shifts. If you really want a challenge, try to eat a meal six times and then get called out every single time until you are so hungry you'll munch your coworkers forearm. Then after you've been up all night hauling toothaches and stuffy noses to the ER try to conjure the energy to go work out and after eat healthy and not reach for the closest high sugar carb food just to keep yourself conscious. Some days I would literally kill for an 8-5 job, but I love my work and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It just requires adapting to ever changing situations and making real habits that will pull you through the tough times.

kshama2001

I reached the lowest weight I've been this century while working 8-6 with an hour commute on either end. My OH did the shopping and cooking and there was a lot of lean protein and veggies and a dearth of empty calories. I walked a little at lunch, swam on the weekends, and did yoga here and there. At that job, there was no temptation.

Unfortunately, at my next two jobs, there was a lot of temptation, which I did little to resist. And since I no longer had the long hours, I cooked more, and it was higher calorie.

luv2bowl6

This is my schedule:
I wake up at 530 in the morning and try to do between 30-45 of exercise this includes cardio
I also work 8-5 during my breaks and lunches where u take my leisurely walks to get my blood moving. My goal is 12000 steps.
I have taught myself to track my calories before I eat it so I know what I am going to consume before I eat it. This works alot so I don't forget.

cwolfman13

I hit the gym a few nights per week after work. I usually ride at lunch.

oh_happy_day

I go to yoga before walk, gym after work. I use any opportunity to walk around - use a bathroom on another floor, do circuits of the floors and stairwells, I use the speakerphone and pace around my office while I'm speaking to people etc. A few times a day I walk up to the very top of the building. I usually hit 10,000 steps before I leave work just by doing this.

I always take my own lunch and snacks. I food prep as much as possible on the weekends. I don't step foot in the cafeteria. I bring healthy contributions to shared morning teas and/or bring my own snack so I can still be social without gorging on food. I still eat that birthday cupcake but I fit it into my calories.

It's not particularly difficult. It just becomes a way of life.

tracie_minus100

I work 7-4, office job as well.
I'm lucky and have a gym at work that I can use on my lunch break. The downside is that I can only workout for 30 minutes max, and don't have time to shower right after. So I do a half hour of cardio on my lunch break everyday. The rest of my workouts are in the evenings after my kids go to bed, and on the weekends.
I get up as often as I can and walk a bit. I'll take the scenic route to the bathroom, I'll make multiple trips to do things even if I could do it all in one. I park far away and take the stairs.
I do the best I can. But I'm still stuck to that desk for most of the day.