How do you motivate yourself to work out when you're too tired and you have little time?
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There are a number of aps out there with quick (15 to 20 minute) minimal to no equipment exercises. They are not a magic bullets but something is better than nothing. Check out the 12 minute athlete. It's pretty cool and cheap. ($3 maybe?)2
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Unless you husband has some specific fitness aspirations, he doesn't need to workout if he has a very active job...his body doesn't know whether he's working in the gym or doing hard labor outside. I used to do landscape constructions...no deliberate exercise/workout was necessary for anything.
Well, he's obese according to his BMI and his doctor wants him exercising more. He did lose about 30 pounds his first few months on his job last year, but now he's plateaued so his doctor wants him to increase his activity level.How busy are your weekends? Could you take the kids somewhere to swim? Especially at the start I motivate myself with a step count. I challenge myself to go 100 more steps everyday and everyday I found myself with more desire and energy to go further. Losing weight is mostly about the calories, and like someone else posted finding those calories that fill you up and lessen the desire to snack and eat over your goals.
Our weekends are not too bad most of the time (although DH does often work on Saturdays). I am definitely able to do more on my days off work (like today, I'm off and my adult daughter and I are going to take the kids to the mall to go walking in a few minutes). But I know that weekends alone won't be enough.
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slimpig342 wrote: »Do you have a pedometer?
I do. I actually have 4 (two I bought and two were given to me) and they all suck. None of them reads even close to accurate. I was going to ask for suggestions for good, accurate pedometers in another thread, but while we're on the subject, does anyone have any recommendations?0 -
Juniper210 wrote: »I've tried just cutting calories, but based on my sedentary lifestyle MFP says I need only around 1300-1400 calories and that is just not doable for me. By dinner time I am starving and I end up overeating.
You are working very hard to try to come up with a way to exercise, how about putting that effort into finding a way to eat 1300-1400 calories? You will not get the weight off getting some exercise in here and there. You will get it off through calorie reduction.
You're willing to walk around in 100 degree weather, but you are dismissing the main thing that will let you lose the weight. You have the motivation to lose, but you are putting your focus in the wrong place.
Taking a quick look at your diary, you can make easy little changes to drop your cals. Switch from the pepsi to a diet pepsi, that's 550 calories gone. Switch from the 330 cal hamburger patty, to a 200 cal turkey burger and have one less cookie. Bam, that's basically the same amount of food but it hits your calorie target instead of going over.
You can do this. You are not destined to keep overeating. You can make better choices. Items that help keep you full throughout the day. Small switches that drop the cal count. Prelog treats and work around them. You can do this.
^^^THIS...focus on what you are putting in your body...don't worry about exercise right now because your schedule is jammed packed. Eat at a deficit and you will lose weight. Find a way to stay full on your allotted calories.1 -
Why dont you just pick a smaller weight loss goal? Try .5 lbs a week or 1 lb and eat those calories. I started at 1,200 calories and it was just way to hard, even after I've lost 32 lbs and now am on 1,300 calories plus exercise calories (which as I mentioned before isnt me slaving away in the gym its just doing something outside or an exercise dvd) I feel satisfied and I still have the foods I enjoy. Your weight loss is going to come from your diet, Fitness is going to come from exercise, you can lose all of the weight you want with purely diet alone. I think the saying is you cant exercise your way out of a bad diet.
As for the pedometer, I have the fitbit charge 2 and I love it. I eat 90% of my fitbit adjustment back and Im losing what im supposed to every week.3 -
I know I definitely need to watch what I eat as well. I've gotten REALLY bad this summer with the sodas. I typically have a 44oz Pepsi every day, and sometimes more! I was doing really good in the spring and had almost quit sodas cold turkey. Then it got hot and I had "just one" and then "just one more" and now it's a daily thing. And I recently bought cookies for the first time in months which was a big mistake because I have no willpower when it comes to sugar. This is another goal I have, to eat healthier.
Lots of good ideas so far. You know it, the the regular Pepsi is a killer. The 550+ calories in 44 ounces takes 3-5 miles of walking to work off.
Remember, you can't out exercise a bad diet.
Best of luck.3 -
On mornings that I don't go in early for work, I motivate myself with the fact that it's the coolest time of day to workout and that I'm going to get home late and not want to. On days I do get called in, the kiddos in my class help me out (we sing and do laps around the classroom, they like for me to pick them up and do shoulder lifts and squats, or we walk down and back to the fence outside together).1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Unless you husband has some specific fitness aspirations, he doesn't need to workout if he has a very active job...his body doesn't know whether he's working in the gym or doing hard labor outside. I used to do landscape constructions...no deliberate exercise/workout was necessary for anything.
Well, he's obese according to his BMI and his doctor wants him exercising more. He did lose about 30 pounds his first few months on his job last year, but now he's plateaued so his doctor wants him to increase his activity level.How busy are your weekends? Could you take the kids somewhere to swim? Especially at the start I motivate myself with a step count. I challenge myself to go 100 more steps everyday and everyday I found myself with more desire and energy to go further. Losing weight is mostly about the calories, and like someone else posted finding those calories that fill you up and lessen the desire to snack and eat over your goals.
Our weekends are not too bad most of the time (although DH does often work on Saturdays). I am definitely able to do more on my days off work (like today, I'm off and my adult daughter and I are going to take the kids to the mall to go walking in a few minutes). But I know that weekends alone won't be enough.
He can exercise if he likes...but really, he needs to eat less...he's eating maintenance if he's not losing weight. Doing some exercise for 30-60 minutes is going to pale in comparison to having an active job in regards to energy expenditure.
Bottom line is he is eating too much...weight loss comes down primarily to diet...it's way more efficient to just cut back on your calories than to go out and try to work everything off.
Eat less...3 -
I think you need to break away from focusing on exercise right now other than trying to get in those walks during work hours. Your focus should be on logging your meals to stay within a deficit range. One thing that has worked so well for me was NEVER skipping breakfast. I also have a snack twice a day. Log everything into your diary. Don't give up on that!
As far as cooking, I just started using my crock pot and boy does that remove hours a week in the kitchen! I also just ordered some containers to try and prep meals for the week. I plan on starting slow. Prep for Mondays only then keep going till I can do it freely.
You have the right attitude. Remember this is YOUR life. Nobody else's. If Mama is happy, everyone is happy right?!1 -
Wow, you are busy! I have it easy compared to you. I'm menopausal so as far as tired I do understand, it has completely drained me. And I live in Georgia so I know all about HOT! I do not focus on how I feel when I start the workout (dreading it on the drive home, etc.). Instead I focus on how good it feels to finish the workout. As for your situation, you have to make exercise work for your life and it can't be something you never enjoy doing! I don't know how old your young kids are, but I suggest finding activities that you can do with them, riding bikes in the back yard or in the neighborhood, basketball or badmitton, walking in the park. Video games that make you get up and move (Rockstar, Wii, etc.). You can find older models in pawn shops. Life is short, enjoy some of it, please!!3
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So many excuses. Just get going.5
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
He can exercise if he likes...but really, he needs to eat less...he's eating maintenance if he's not losing weight. Doing some exercise for 30-60 minutes is going to pale in comparison to having an active job in regards to energy expenditure.
Bottom line is he is eating too much...weight loss comes down primarily to diet...it's way more efficient to just cut back on your calories than to go out and try to work everything off.
Eat less...
Oh he's definitely eating too much. He's been told he needs to cut his portions down. His doctor even put him on an appetite suppressant, but he always forgot to take it. Before starting this job he ate enough food per meal to feed 3-4 people. Now that his activity level has gone up with the job, so has his appetite. He now eats 2-3 times as much as he ate before and says he still feels hungry all the time. That's why his doctor wants him to exercise more, because he can't get his portion size under control. His doctor also referred him to a nutritionist, but DH hasn't wanted to take a day off work to go.
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I think you need to break away from focusing on exercise right now other than trying to get in those walks during work hours. Your focus should be on logging your meals to stay within a deficit range. One thing that has worked so well for me was NEVER skipping breakfast. I also have a snack twice a day. Log everything into your diary. Don't give up on that!
The problem with this is I cannot keep my calories in the deficit range. I'm starving by early afternoon, then end up binging on anything that sounds good. On the days I do remember to track everything I eat, I'm averaging well over 2,000 calories. That's why I want to increase my activity level. Since I just can't seem to get my calories down, I feel like I need to get my calorie burn up to compensate.
One thing that I'm finding is helping me today is I'm guzzling water like crazy and it's helping with my appetite. I bought a new travel mug. It holds 30 oz of liquid and keeps everything VERY cold. I filled it with ice this morning and just keep refilling it with water as I empty it. Since 6:30am I have refilled this thing 4 times. I measured it out and when it's full of ice I can add 2 cups of water to it, so I've drunk 8 cups of water so far and it's only 2:00. My goal for today is to drink nothing but water, including with meals. So far, so good!
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I see it as a challenge to my will and push harder than ever before!2
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
He can exercise if he likes...but really, he needs to eat less...he's eating maintenance if he's not losing weight. Doing some exercise for 30-60 minutes is going to pale in comparison to having an active job in regards to energy expenditure.
Bottom line is he is eating too much...weight loss comes down primarily to diet...it's way more efficient to just cut back on your calories than to go out and try to work everything off.
Eat less...
Oh he's definitely eating too much. He's been told he needs to cut his portions down. His doctor even put him on an appetite suppressant, but he always forgot to take it. Before starting this job he ate enough food per meal to feed 3-4 people. Now that his activity level has gone up with the job, so has his appetite. He now eats 2-3 times as much as he ate before and says he still feels hungry all the time. That's why his doctor wants him to exercise more, because he can't get his portion size under control. His doctor also referred him to a nutritionist, but DH hasn't wanted to take a day off work to go.
Heard an interesting thought on a podcast. An individual always said he didn't have an hour a day he could fit in exercise (or in your husband's case medical appointments). Fast forward 10 years and the individual is going to dialysis due to kidney issues from obesity 3 times a week from 6AM to 8AM. He always makes those appointments. Wonder if the outcome would have been different if he made the time for 1 hour of exercise 3 times a week 10 years ago.
Also you guys have 2 little kids. Remember what the flight attendant says before takeoff regarding the oxygen mask, "get your own mask on before helping others". Same thing, you both, through diet (especially) and exercise if possible, need to control your weight for your kids.
Best of luck.
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quick question on the calorie goal: is 1300-1400 at a goal of losing 2 lbs per week?
If so, maybe change it to a 1 lb or even 0.5 lb per week loss goal. That way you will adjust to counting calories itself as well as helping your stomach adjust to normal portions.
When I started, I remember the first week to 10 days being really hard when it came to food. I felt like I was hungrier than normal and not getting enough food. But honestly, my stomach was probably just used to overly large portions. After that 7-10 days, I adjusted and starting feeling full on smaller (ie: normal) amounts of food. From then on it was very doable. I played around with my weekly loss goal to get to one that felt comfortable and sustainable for me.
Even if you were to only lose 1/2 lb per week, that is still making progress and learning some healthier habits!
As far as workouts at home, I started as a SAHM with 3 kids under 4. The oldest stopped napping, so I would do videos at home in my living room while it was just her awake. I found the website www.hasfit.com and it changed my view of fitness. Totally free and there are beginner calendars. I started with 10 minute videos - all I could handle at the time. Even if you can only get in 10 minutes, it can help - plus potentially motivate you not to eat that extra cookie/cake/soda since you won't want to undo that hard work.
Best of luck!1 -
Do you have a backyard? Buy yourself a sprinkler and let the kids run through that when you get home. It's a fun way to play in the heat. Let them eat Popsicles. You keep drinking water to keep yourself hydrated. Then hand off the kids to your husband to watch, and go take a walk. Fifteen to thirty minutes at whatever pace you want. It'll not only get you out doing something physical, but will help clear your head.
But sorry about science: you have to eat fewer calories than you burn.1 -
On the days I don't feel like it, I put my headphones in and walk outside or on treadmill. Always glad I made that choice even if it was to clear my head for the day and not get a full body workout.1
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Loads of good ideas already, but I'm going to throw in a few more...
- Don't drastically reduce your calories all in one go. You CAN do it if you want to. It's hard, but it's totally possible if you want the weight loss more than you want a muffin or cookie or whatever. It sounds like you've done some honest logging already and know where you are (2,000+) and that soda bumps that up. I'd suggest creating mini-goals than aren't necessarily about calories to get started. Maybe the first one could be switching to diet soda (or water) and sticking to that for a week. Then when you've conquered that, pick the next target. Aim to take about 200 calories out with each step, but it might be easier to think of it in terms of food swaps rather than numbers.
- Remember that the key to wanting (slightly) less food, is eating less food! It really does seem to be true that suddenly going from massive portions to small ones will leave you and your husband with an empty-tummy feeling, as your stomachs have got used to the larger amount of food. You have to be willing to make the change, and do it slowly to make it less hard.
- Volume of food doesn't have to be hugely calorific. There are lots of ways to feel like you've eaten a lot, without huge calories. Lean protein, eggs, I find aubergine particularly good as it almost feels like a carb but isn't, shredded cabbage/carrot/pepper salads which are huge and take ages to eat but are super low cal... I'm not a fan, but cauliflower rice is a thing too. Have a think about what you might be able to change about your meals at home to keep the volume and feelings of satiety but take some of the calories out.
- Eat slowly, sitting at the table. Chat as you eat. Have a glass of water on the go. It really can help you eat less without feeling deprived!
- When you drive to other schools, can you leave the bus and go for a walk/hike/use the school's gym or whatever while you wait? If you want it badly enough, you could take a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands in the bus with you, and find the nearest park and crack on. If you find exercise totally boring, try podcasts or audio books so your brain is engaged in something else while your body's doing its thing.
The biggest thing is WANTING to make a change. I found that if I asked myself the question every time I picked up a chocolate bar - do I want this chocolate more than I want to look the way I want to - then 99% of the time I put the chocolate down again.
Also, I have an app called "Life Cycle" which basically uses the GPS on your phone to draw a pie chart of how you spend your day. I never felt like I had time to do the things I wanted to, but it made me much more accountable for my time, and how I choose to spend it. It's kind of the time logging equivalent of MFP! Now I know where my spare time is (and really isn't) and I can make more informed choices about how to structure my day.3
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