I need help to change

hajohar

Hello guys, I'm new here. I'm 41 years old and I would like to change my way of living, i lack motivation to take care of myself but I decided to stop doing that. I never cooked before so the food concept is new to me.
My only problem is my work is demanding, from 6 am to 3 pm. When I get home I don't do anything because I have no energy. I would sleep at 6 or 7.some times i wake up at 3 or 4,i skip meals but sometimes when I'm really hungry I either drink milk or eat yogurt or order food, I eat breakfast but I doubt it's nutritious, I would appreciate any advice or suggestions when to start working out, how to organize my time and what to do and when. I lack appetite and suffer from depression. I can't take any medication because it gets in my line of work. I just don't know where to start, i joined this app because it was recommended and got a lot of good reviews.
Thank you for reading even if you don't reply 🙏

snowflake954

Actually, exercise over time gives you more energy and can help your mental health. Perhaps you could begin with a nice walk after work and see how that goes to start. You can slowly increase the length and speed, or go where it's hilly.

As for meals, you need to learn to prep so that you have things quickly available over the week. Grab and go. There are many threads on the topic if you do a search.

Start small and slow. Don't cut your calories too low, or you'll suffer fatigue. A small deficit and patience. Good luck. You can be a success.

SherryTeach

If you do not already have a qualified therapist that is a good fit for you, it is time to find one. It appears as if your mental health has interfered in your personal development and that you have not yet acquired the skills to implement and maintain a healthy self-care routine. Time management, sleep health, nutrition, and fitness all play a role.

88olds

Are you saying that waking up at 3-4 isn’t working for you? You don’t exactly say. What would optimum time for you to get up? Sounds like you need about 9 hrs of sleep. Do some reading on sleep hygiene. It works. Its not magic but give it time.

I agree 100% that walking is a great way to start a fitness plan. But this- exercise is terrific, but it’s not so hot as a weight loss tool. It’s vastly overrated for WL. But exercise does great things for our bodies and great things for our brains. It’s been shown to be a big help fighting depression. Can you start with just a leisurely walk? Don’t get involved with how fast you’re going or how far or how many calories you’re using. Just get up and out to walk. One of the good things about exercise is it’s addictive. You’ll see. You get in the habit of a daily walk and pretty soon you’ll feel crummy when you miss. I changed my life by walking 30 min after work with a long walk on Saturday. Can’t say enough good stuff about it.

If you choose to continue to get up early, can you cook then? Or can you make a menu for the week and do the cooking on weekends? The micro wave is a valuable weight loss tool.

emmaeatsbetter

Hi all, I am Emma - I am on a weight loss journey. I am not a new starter I have been up and down in weight for years. I am back on the weight loss train trying to loose around 4 stone. I would love to make a whats app group with like minded people, all centred around weight loss, healthy habits, accountability and well being.🌻 I want it to be a safe space where people feel open to voice any wise words, struggles or general chit
chat about things they find has helped them in their weight loss journeys. This can be a 24/7 support system a chance to make friends who are all in a similar mindset! 🤩 If you want to be a part then add my username as a friend on MFP! More than happy for a support chat system chat x

AnnPT77

Others have had good comments.

Do you have a time in your week when you could spend a couple of hours or so prepping food for those busy/tired times? Here are some categories of things that might be helpful for you to look at (via Google or Pinterest) to find recipes, that are simple for a new cook, and some can be frozen and microwaved:

* Overnight oats (can mix the dry part ahead, add liquid night before) i
* "Egg muffins" - like a mini scrambled egg thing you make in a muffin tin and freeze (but you can also make in any reasonable sized baking pan, cut up in squares before freezing - you might need to adjust the baking time, but that's easy if you check them to make sure they're set (put a knife in the center to see) but not burned.
* breakfast burritos (not just for breakfast!)
* hard boiled eggs (they'll keep for several days in the fridge)

If you like veggies, you can roast some and use them in various ways: Cold in salads (use a bagged/box greens mix for ease) with some meat/cheese/beans for protein; in canned or packaged soup to add some bulk, nutrition, texture; reheated a little as a mix-in with pasta or grain. (There are some higher-protein pastas and grains you can use, if you're worried about nutrient density.)

To roast veggies, you pretty much just wash them, peel some, cut up in even-sized chunks, then bake on an oiled baking sheet (375-400F usually works) until they're the done-ness you like. You can roast different types at once on the same sheet, though you may have to take some out of the oven sooner than others (just scoop them off the baking pan, put the less-done ones back in the oven.) Then you can put then in a covered dish in the fridge. Many people who aren't veggie lovers find the roasted ones to be tastier.

Cooking may seem a little daunting up front, but there are lots of things you can make with basic skills of boiling and baking. Be brave, seek out simple recipes, don't be afraid to use some prepacked frozen or jar ingredients.

Sinisterbarbie1

I would suggest picking one thing each week /month to focus on improving at a time, building that into a sustainable habit that fits in your life, and then moving to the next thing.
Since you are here, maybe start with getting up every morning and thinking in advance about what you will eat for the day and pre logging it to make sure it meets your goals. If you need to adjust your plan you can think about it in advance and plan it. This should help with time management bc you can pick your eating times based on breaks at work and pre plan your food so you can get it ready before going to work. Then when you come home you will also already have a plan for dinner in place rather than relying on carry out. For now just focus on the pre planning and logging part. In a week or so when you are good at it and see what works for you you can adjust the foods you are eating to be more oriented to losing weight.
Once that is managed maybe try to add exercise in to your time management plan. See if there are times of day where it would feel good rather than like a chore to go for a walk or do some sort of movement. If you like activities like gardening or other active work those count too. Put a 30 minute break in your day for movement every day and try to stick with it. If it doesnt work out dont get stressed over it, but putting something down as an appointment on your schedule sometimes helps you and others respect that time rather than use it for other stuff (or do nothing)
Like others said these actions may help with your lack of motivation and depression, but you should also consider taking up purely self care focused routines like meditation or setting aside time for journaling or doing something silly like cranking up the music and singing and dancing on your own to blow off steam.
Finally, You said you cant take prescribed medicines because of work obligations. I find it hard to believe that can be true or legal. I urge you to investigate further. You may need to provide your work with proof that the medicine is medically necessary and taken in accordance with a prescription, but there are workplace laws in most countries that prohibit discriminating against employees based on medical conditions. Speak to a dr about your mental health needs and if they think a medicine is needed they will know the relevant laws ( if any ) related to medicines they prescribe and should be able to suggest resources to help you navigate workplace concerns. Dont avoid taking medically recommended treatments