Stupid working hours and workouts

I know that I don't need to exercise but it has definitely helped me create bigger deficit /eat more and feel good .
Problem is I recently increased my hours ,I am still working until 6:30 pm but now get up at 5:30 to start by 6:30 am .

I study for degree ,3rd year starts in October and have a young kid ,also starting another diploma course I'll be doing on the weekends soon.

So life is busy but so far I 've managed but 5:30 am starts are killing me,I'm not a morning person in the slightest but I thought I'll get used to it by now ,just over a month in but nope.

I just feel tired all the time and by the time I finish work I got paperwork to do so "me " time doesn't really happen until 8:30,9pm and by that time I'm ready to faceplant the bed .

How do I get around this ?/Please dont tell me to get up at 4 am because I'd rather die .

I got used to workout 3-5x a week now I barely manage one or two and I feel rubbish for it .

Do I a) suck it up and do it same frequency
b) workout on weekends when I had some rest
c)chuck it all in and stay fat.

Ok c is not really an option .Also I have Bipolar so I get my ups and downs but generally I really enjoy working out no matter how I feel .

Any advice is appreciated

Replies

quiksylver296

What are your goals? Weight loss is about calorie deficit, not exercise.

mbaker566

i work 2 jobs and work out at 9pm because i am not a morning person at this time in my life.
i have been the 430am person. but i find work suffers

passenger79

I know its all about calorie deficit that's literally the first thing I said lol .I was saying that I ve been struggling to exercise as much as I used to ,my goals are to get fitter ,lose my weight easier with bigger deficit( who doesn't want to be able to eat more ) and just generally feel good .

passenger79

mbaker566 wrote: »

i work 2 jobs and work out at 9pm because i am not a morning person at this time in my life.
i have been the 430am person. but i find work suffers

Can I ask how many workouts a week do you manage ?
I used to run couple of times a week,do weights 2x a week and yoga almost daily .

emmies_123

You have a TON going on in your life right now. I would advise taking an exercise break and focusing on your mental health. The school won't last forever, and you can get back to your regular routine at that time. In the meantime, you can watch calorie intake and have a deficit that way.

If you need to exercise to feel good (and i understand the feeling since I started doing regular routines), I advise finding ways to work the exercise into your day. Do some exercises at work (I have some under-the-desk exercise if interested), do side crunches or cardio moves while waiting on copier/printer, walk on your lunch break, etc. Again, all this depends on what your job is and how much control they require over your workday, but I bet you can work enough motion in to keep up your energy levels.

tulips_and_tea

You have a lot going on: working lots of hours, taking classes and raising a child, but some of those things aren't forever. Eventually you'll be done with school and your child will grow up so in the meantime, just focus on getting the correct number of calories per day and being as active as possible.

Taking 15 minute walks help. They will help with your energy level as well. Are you active at all at work? Do you have breaks and a lunch hour? If so, utilize those as much as possible.

I realize you miss your past workout routine but if that's not possible right now then just do what you can and if you're consistent your energy level should rise.

Is your increase in work hours permanent? That seems like a really long work day. How many days per week?

kimny72

I'm not sure what kind of an answer you're looking for. You want to be able to work a 60 hr week while being a student while caring for a child while working out 5x a week and not be exhausted? I sure as heck wouldn't be able to do that.

Work out on the weekends. Try to take a 10 minute walk on your lunch break and maybe when you get up or get home. Sometimes you just need to accept that you can't give 100% to all your goals all at once and something has to take a backseat. If you're exhausted, this is probably one of those times. Are the extra hours at work worth it? Is it worth it to cut back on the exercise to study for your degree? These are questions only you can answer. Good luck!

mountainmare

With that work schedule and caring for a child and going to school you have a very busy life. Will the work slow down in the future? If so I would just go home-do some at home exercise, youtube for weights or other exercises and keep a little yoga for your head and on weekends play outside with your kid. I feel tired just reading your schedule. If work tapers off then you can see if you have more time.

kshama2001

Daily exercise is critical for my mental health so I make the time. I would prefer to do it before work, but that doesn't work with my schedule anymore, so I do it at lunch and at night. (I rarely feel like it at night and have to force myself to start.)

How much of your schedule is optional? You said you increased your hours at work - was that mandatory?

You seem over-scheduled now, and sounds like it's just going to get worse. How much of this is a choice?

How old is your child? Can you be active while spending time with them?

passenger79

Thanks everyone ,yep that's my Bipolar trait I want to be a superhero and get pissed when I burn myself out and crash ...which does happen
I have been told by MH nurse to cut down on my hours and not take on much but I chose to ignore it because ,well I ve always worked hard and not giving a 100 percent makes me feel like Im weak and lazy .

I just miss regular workout routines and feeling I am doing something good for myself .Course I will be starting in September has nothing to do with my current job and its basically learning a new skill so I can start a business /2nd job and work in the evenings and on the weekends for extra cash .

With my job I dont get regular breaks but often hit 10.000 steps a day and it can be hectic .

Maybe I should stick with weekends and couple of really good workouts would still be better then nothing .

kshama2001

What's more important? A little extra cash or your quality of life and being able to spend time with your child?

I think you should drop the September class for now. Especially since that sounds like it is in addition to the degree program you are already in.

passenger79

kshama2001 wrote: »

What's more important? A little extra cash or your quality of life and being able to spend time with your child?

I think you should drop the September class for now. Especially since that sounds like it is in addition to the degree program you are already in.

Im doing all this so I can provide more for her O have no family in UK and Im raising her by myself .

Yes it would be in addition ,side job if there's enough interest .

You make good points though I know .

mkculs

Honestly, see if you can find a different way to earn cash — but cut back the hours now.

When I got divorced, I found ways to increase income that didn’t require more work hours away from my kids and allow time to workout. The simplest of these was renting a room to a tenant. I was very careful to interview and do background checks bc of my kids. But it worked great—a few hundred dollars extra a month. I put one of my kids in my bedroom to free up the space in an otherwise small apartment.

Maybe you can find some way to earn more without increasing your work hours—heck, maybe ask for a small raise. But I think your MH and physical health are too important to persist in what you are doing. So even if you can’t immediately find another solution, cut back those hours.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

ecjim

When I was in school, for a while I had class, clinical rotations at hospitals, + a night/ weekend job at another hospital - it was a 8-9 day per week schedule. I kept the workouts simple, squat/ OH press or a bench/ deadlift , I kept the volume low/ moderate & weights moderate/heavy. My concern was to keep my strength & not wear myself out & need a lot of recovery. I couldn't afford the time for rest & recovery

kshama2001

mkculs wrote: »

Honestly, see if you can find a different way to earn cash — but cut back the hours now.

When I got divorced, I found ways to increase income that didn’t require more work hours away from my kids and allow time to workout. The simplest of these was renting a room to a tenant. I was very careful to interview and do background checks bc of my kids. But it worked great—a few hundred dollars extra a month. I put one of my kids in my bedroom to free up the space in an otherwise small apartment.

Maybe you can find some way to earn more without increasing your work hours—heck, maybe ask for a small raise. But I think your MH and physical health are too important to persist in what you are doing. So even if you can’t immediately find another solution, cut back those hours.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Yes, some years back there were big medical expenses in my family and I asked my employer if I could go back on hourly b/c I thought I could make more money than on salary and they gave me a raise instead

lorrpb

I totally understand wanting to keep up your workouts because they help you feel better. Can you try to get in some walks with the kiddo after work, and do a short 20-30 min workout at home a couple times a week and a longer one on weekends?

Give some more thought to taking the advice of your MH nurse. You've added work hours, so maybe something else needs to be taken off your plate to compensate. It sounds like you can cut back somewhere in your life, like the extra class, and still give 100 % to everything. Giving 110% to too many things sometimes ends up that we can only really give 80% to anything because we're never at our best.

mbaker566

@mkculs luckily my second job is at a yoga studio, so i manage about 5 hours of aerial yoga a week. i run at least a mile a day. some days more than a mile, some days run walk a mile. what's nice is i can include my dogs in that and maybe with a stroller you can include your munchkin. if you are at a park, maybe use the play gym to do tricep dips, angled push ups and that sort of thing.
i run right when i get home. immediately, change my clothes and go do it. no matter the time of night. i do not sit down, i do not look at my phone or do other chores. because any excuse not to, i will take advantage of it.

if my second job was not active, i would and have take active breaks with quick walks and stairs, and do bodyweight work when and where i can

DancingMoosie

Would it be possible to get in a 10 min brisk walk or jog right when you get up, and then another at lunch? Maybe some body weight exercises right after work? A total of 30 min daily, but broken up to fit your schedule. You can always add more if you have time on the weekend.

fiddletime

When I was in graduate school I also was extremely busy. Since you walk a lot, 10,000 steps, you could do what I did, which was to wake up and work out for 20 min. I chose to buy a cheap little rowing machine although now I’d get a small stationary bike. You can get a good workout 3 days a week if you push it.

RadishEater

fiddletime wrote: »

When I was in graduate school I also was extremely busy. Since you walk a lot, 10,000 steps, you could do what I did, which was to wake up and work out for 20 min. I chose to buy a cheap little rowing machine although now I’d get a small stationary bike. You can get a good workout 3 days a week if you push it.

I do 10 mins of rowing and I feel like I'm dieing and that is with breaks; I go at the vigorous row rate according to myfitnesspal! It definitely exercises most of the body. 20 mins would definitely be a good workout.

passenger79

Thanks everyone after having a good think and talking to my partner I decided to cut my hours to 5 pm .

My job is a bit different and without going into details my decision can cost me a good client and half my earnings but something has got to give .

I was close to tears last night again because Im jist feeling so overwhelmed and so freaking tired all. the .time .

This will give me quality time with my daughter and hopefully will have enough energy to workout again and keep on top of things .
Thanks everyone for all the great tips .