Seeking advice and motivation on routine.....

OneBusyMommaOf4

Good Morning all!
I am so tired of my body seeming to fight against me! I am currently 5'9" and 265lbs. My heaviest ever was 284, at which point i buckled down paid for a trainer and nutritionist and dropped to 245lbs. I was so happy but could not afford it any longer and I will admit I stopped working out as much as i should but STILL ate within my allowed calories and 99% of the time eating whole clean foods.

The weigh started steadily creeping up and on December 7th i weighed in at 279. I cried for probably 4 hours before i was mentally able to commit to myself to get back into fit-mode. I have gotten back down to 265 since then BUT i feel like it has been kind of slow, especially for someone who has about 100lbs to lose.

My typical routine has been;
Get up at 4:00am
Eat my protein shake (premier protein) at 9:00(ish)
Small lunch around 12:00-1:00
oversnack when i get home ( I KNOW!)
Eat larger dinner at about 5:30. And that is where I typically stop eating.

I know that is not the best so I have switched up the eating routine a bit so I am not so hungry at night.
NEW routine
Get up at 4:00am
Eat my REAL breakfast about 5:30 (today was 2 scrambled eggs and broccoli)
Eat a high protein lunch around 12:00 or 1
Small snack ( nuts or cheese stick)
Small dinner
I am for 1200 calories but typically eat between 1400-1500 each day.

NOW working out has always been a struggle for as I am a mother of 4 and work full time and have school (which i try to do at night when the kids go down). I tried to do the 21 Day Fix, Country Heat and other videos. Maybe I jump in too high intense and then burn myself out too fast. Or just cant find the motivation to do it so late or so early in the morning. The last few days I have been doing small stuff that my sister has been doing and she is looking great just in the past few weeks.
Treadmill for 15 min to get heart rate up
Cat camel holding tight for 30 seconds 10X
Bird dog holding 30 seconds 10X
Bridges 20X
I admit I am a little shocked that I am just as sore as I normally am doing i HIIT workout. Crazy.

Is these little static exercises good for trying to tone and lose weight? Am i eating right now? I am such an impatient person anyway I guess.... What are you all doing? What is your routine? Thank you guys!

cathipa

Best plan is to find a calorie goal and stick to it. Since you have at least 100 pounds to lose aiming for a goal of 1.5-2 pounds a day is reasonable. Weigh your food. Use correct entries (no homemade or generic). Drink water. Have patience. Exercise is great for physical fitness and is highly encouraged, but is not necessary for weight loss.

nowine4me

Are you getting enough sleep? Like going to sleep at 8pm to get eight hours?

Ninkyou

You haven't mentioned how many calories you're eating, so it's hard to tell whether you're eating in a deficit or not. All you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit. Exercise for fitness and cardiovascular health.

OneBusyMommaOf4

I typically get between 6-7.5 hours at night

OneBusyMommaOf4

I set a goal for 1200 calories but typically eat 1400-1500 each day

annacole94

The exercises you list will build core strength, but don't burn much calorie wise. I'm also strapped for time (working mom), so I focus on kettlebells for strength (multi-joint exercises done at an intensity that is also cardio), yoga for sanity (can do it on my lunch break once a week, and after bedtime once a week), and cycle commuting when it's not freaking winter.

Definitely consider your sleep. If you need to be up at 4, you need to be to sleep around 9. Lack of sleep will impair weight loss.

And then track. Weigh. Measure. And it never hurts to ask your doctor to run a thyroid panel.

nowine4me

My 2cents. I'd worry less about formal exercise at 4am and more on getting a solid 8 hours of sleep and proper nutrition to meet your calorie goal (suggest using 1# per week). Then sneak in mini-walks throughout your day.

cathipa

OneBusyMommaOf4 wrote: »

I set a goal for 1200 calories but typically eat 1400-1500 each day

Are you weighing your food?

psuLemon

Are you using a food scale? Are you logging daily? Do you have any medial issues? Can you open your food diary?

In terms of exercise, anything is going to be beneficial currently to increase caloric expenditure (which also allows you to eat more). I tend to like things that incorporate some resistance training as it helps maintain metabolic functions and muscle mass (and will give you that "toned" look when you are lean enough). If you like the at home workouts, I like chalean extreme. They have modifiers in all the videos and incorporates both cardio and weight training.

leooftheyear

So, a few suggestions, which have worked for me:

• Get a full 7-8 hours of sleep
• Have an AM and a PM snack (usually i'll have 2 egg whites and fruit about 1-2 hours after breakfast and hummus/almonds/some sort of protein about 2-3 hours after lunch).
• Weigh solids on a scale and liquids in measuring cups/spoons to ensure accuracy with logging.
• Do your best with exercise, but remember its not essential for weigh loss, even if its a 20-30min walk on your lunch break that's still 20-30mins of exercise.

OneBusyMommaOf4

Thank you guys! This definitely helps me with the motivation. I am currently not weighing the food. I will start to do so.

StaciMarie1974

If you are satisfied on 1400-1500 cals per day, keep doing that. There is no reason to limit to 1200. Consider the scenarios below:

a Force yourself to do 1200 a day, where you feel hungry/deprived and after 2, 4, 6, x weeks you give up and fall back to old habits. 6 months later you are worse off than you are today.

b Eat 1400-1500 cals, if that is enough to keep you feeling satisfied and satiated, and stick with it. 1-2 times a month allow yourself an extra 500 if you feel you need it to fit in special occasions and maintain your sanity, and understand this is a lifestyle not a diet. You're committing to a healthier YOU and will be better off in 6 months.

Exercise is good for the heart and lungs but not necessary for weight loss. If walking on the treadmill and doing bodyweight exercises fits into your life, then stick with them. If you don't like or can't otherwise do 'program' exercises, then don't bother with them.

psuLemon

OneBusyMommaOf4 wrote: »

Thank you guys! This definitely helps me with the motivation. I am currently not weighing the food. I will start to do so.

I would also recommend, at least in the interim tracking how you feel when it comes to foods and satiety. This is one of the biggest factors as it enables compliance. And while protein and fibers are generally the highest in satiety, fats and carbs are very individualistic. Once you firgure that out, you can modify your macros to align to satiation. For me, i cut fat and increase grains and starches.

spiriteagle99

At your weight, you may be eating too little. What does MFP give you for a calorie goal, assuming 1 - 1.5 lbs. lost a week? If you eat too little, you will be hungry, which makes it a lot easier to binge. If you have a treadmill at home, you might try doing 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. Leslie Sansome videos are also an option. They combine walking, high knees, kicks, etc. for low impact aerobics.