I Need New Motivation

Bearface115

Im a BUSY girl now:grumble: , and i have alot going on and i am gaining weight and i cant stop eating emotionally:sad: and after a long day of school and work, i find myseft picking thoughout the day with bad food and then finish the day with even worse food. it helps to releive me when im tired and just wanna stuff my face with bad food after a long frusterating day... :embarassed: which by the way, i have a huge appetite from when i wake in the morning, till i over do it at night.:sick: i used to be like everyone on here and diet and exercise and see weight loss results, but now im busy getting a career started with a bunch of studing and traveling that i cant help but crave that bad food when i pass it and im STARVING! Please... please... will someone PLEASE give me advice that can be helpful to my busy schedule.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: So limited exercise is in session for me. only becuase my weeks aren't even and crazy! please friends, i need help to curb my insane appetite and limit my craving for horrible food ALL the time.:drinker: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :drinker:

Thanks guys,
Bearface115

AKA: Loren Elizabeth

npryor100

I've been there.

I finally decided I had to scale back my schedule to make time for me. If I couldn't get control of my health and my eating NOW, when was it ever going to change? I decided being healthy meant lowering my stress level as well, even if I percieved there was pressure to be "doing more". For me, the right choice was to quit my second job and stopping some of my volunteering I was doing. I am still figuring out alternative ways to deal with stress.

Finding time to exercise, shopping for healthy food, packing healthy lunches and snacks when you are on the go is time-consuming. It's a huge undertaking! Don't be too hard on yourself! I had to be happy with small change, slowing cutting out fast food, etc.

Take it one day at a time and find people in your life who are supporting your life change.

sayuri1

I can so relate to you! Sometimes work keeps me 13 hrs of the day and then I have to find time to cook and work out. So this is how I do it. Early in the morning before the crazy day begins... yes I know I am NOT a morning person myself... I drag myself out of bed, put some sweats on, stretch and put on a work out dvd. I finish and throw some chicken on a pan and let it grill in it's on juices and I run to take shower. Getting out of the shower I check on the chicken and start making a salad. Once the chicken is done I pack some of it along with my salad and I take a lot of snacks to work with me. Mainly a lot of fruits. The chicken I didn't take I leave it in the fridge. And there I go off into the day. When I come back I eat the chicken I left and if I get more cravings... then I eat the special k cereal with chocolate. It's something small to kill my cravings for junk food.

monoxidechick

That does make it soooo hard to make good choices and stay on track. I am in the same boat most days with school and work. I find that I just HAVE to plan out my meals for the week. I stock up on healthy snacks to take with me and things that tend to go bad if I do not eat them. I pack yogurt, bananas, raw veggies, crackers and hummus, string cheese, and other snacks that should be eaten soon or they will not be good for long. I set them on my desk and then I can't justify eating something else and letting these snacks sit there and go bad. I still occassionally eat what is available in the kitchen or the snacks in the break room, but I try to make myself eat my snacks first, and by that time I am usually full and have had time to think about my decision.

I also like to make large batches of easy to take meals meals when I do have time to cook so that I will not just give in to something fast and unhealthy when I have to come home and study all evening.
I also take breaks between studying and writing papers to do 10 minutes of excercise. I do ten minutes of intense sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, running up and down my stairs, or squats. This gets me refocused on my school work, keeps me from grabbing a snack when I'm not hungary, and gets a few minutes of excercise in.

I guess that the main thing is to plan for your busy schedule. Take the time that you do have to prepare meals and snacks in advance. Always have something with you that will fill you up and is easy to throw in a bag and eat while you are passing the junk food that you would usually eat. Good luck and remember that you are worth the extra planning and effort that it requires to stay on track!!

SaraTN

First and foremost you need to change your perspective if you want to be successful. You must be willing to commit to a lifestyle change. There are no shortcuts, period. You have to look at the facts....

You do have time... if you make it.
You can do this... and you will if you set your mind to it.
You are worth it and deserve it. If you put crap in.... you get that in return. Only you can take care of you.

With respect to the time issue you can find the time if you want to. Are you a social person that likes to work out with a group? Take a class. Do you like to dance? Blast the music in your house and dance for 20 minutes a day. If you travel a lot stay in hotels with a fitness center or access to one. While watching tv, march in place, do situps and pushups. If possible ride your bike to work or walk twice a week. There are countless other options.

You have to believe in yourself and do something for you everyday. Trust me on this one.. I worked in a high-position that I sacrificed myself for to climb the corporate ladder only to discover it would NEVER be enough. It is OK to be selfish and take time for you. If climbing the corporate ladder is important to you then you will need the exercise to reduce stress, illness, and make you a more pleasant person to be around in general. Exercising and eating quality foods not only impacts our weight and body fat composition but it effects our attitudes as well. Examine your diet and how you are feeling now.... I am glad you reached out.

Exercise gives you more energy. Even if you are tired find the time to do SOMETHING... ANYTHING for 15 minutes. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and it will give you an energy kick as well.

You are STARVING because you are feeding yourself crap. Your body is asking you for quality nutrients so it can function.

When you start to feel out-of control -- jot down what just happend. See if there is a trigger that is causing your emotional issue.

If my words seem harsh, they are. We all feel a lack of motivation from time to time. I am glad you reached out for some support. It is here and that is a step in the right direction but YOU have the power to turn this around and only YOU can do it. So its time to put your big girl panties on... and make some changes.

I believe in you.

Added: I just read you work at a gym... I realize you are in class but I assume that some days you can go to work an hour early or stay an hour late for your work-out at least 3 days a week and supplement with other activities on the days you don't. Do you get a break at the gym? Exercise on your lunch/dinner break. You mentioned enjoying your boyfriend... go ride bikes together, play tennis, hike, walk, run, etc.

Bearface115

That all does sounds simples, but most days i have work at 5;00am i try to at least attempt an hour of cardio after words. Any suggested supplements to take to drift my hunger away and not wanting to eat 24/7

SaraTN

That all does sounds simples, but most days i have work at 5;00am i try to at least attempt an hour of cardio after words. Any suggested supplements to take to drift my hunger away and not wanting to eat 24/7

If you eat healthy foods you wont be hungry. Approximately 30 baby carrots are 100 calories.... I have a hard time eating 15 in one sitting and they hold you over. An apple and tablespoon of peanut butter works. As does some low sodium deli meat and a piece of cheese. You could try Muscle Milk protein shakes (make them yourself not the premade ones) and mix them with a banana or try a pure protein bar with a full glass of water. Which leads to the question are you drinking enough water? How is your sodium intake -- you could be thirsty and confusing that with hunger.

Bearface115

i gussel water like crazy and im still hungry, haha i have a problem,lol! but im trying to work on it. i just need to get my mind of fatty food that drive me to become discouraged!

Jessie1810

i gussel water like crazy and im still hungry, haha i have a problem,lol! but im trying to work on it. i just need to get my mind of fatty food that drive me to become discouraged!

I'll echo what everyone else has said. It is all about planning out your meals and your day. I am a full-time graduate student, work 20 hours a week and am at my internship 25 hours a week and struggle to find time to work out...but I do! Make your lunch the night before, spend a few hours on the weekend and make meals that can be frozen into individual servings so you can just grab-n-go, keep healthy snacks around so the cravings don't win. Get a food scale and weigh out everything you eat, so you can get used to true serving sizes.

Give up that fatty food cold turkey. The first few days are the hardest, but once you have done that, you aren't going to want/crave that unhealthy food. SImply doing that right there can give you more energy!

Good luck, stick to it, you can do it!

SlipperySlope

I echo the make-a-salad-before-leaving-for-work thoughts...I work 13-14 hour shifts in an ER where I can't count on there being good/quality snacks...in fact, my coworkers CONSTANTLY bring in CRAP to eat and "share." (but that's a story for another day!)

If I don't bring some good snacks and a large, fresh salad (I love the hummous, too), I eat junk that doesn't even fill me up, let alone keep my feeling satisfied.

Pack 2 cups of fresh greens, and toss whatever veggies you have on top in a tupperware. I love the chicken idea--I usually don't get up with enough time to even do that, though. I usually grab a small envelope of tuna. My favorite add-on is quartered artichoke hearts...even after you've drained them, there's a small amount of olive oil in them that acts as a dressing, so you don't have to add those calories from a separate salad dressing...

Red/Yellow/Green peppers, onions, tomatoes, fresh peas, asparagus, celery....it all keeps for a while so you don't have to keep buying it over and over all week, plus it's easy to throw in a tupperware and call it good.

Keep up the good work and try to remember why you started in the first place...you can do it!

Chelsey8D

I'm the type to have cravings ALL THE TIME. Instead of 'starving' yourself, find some stuff you can snack on. I like to snack, even when I know I don't need the calories. Instead of eating chips, I love fruit. For some reason frozen fruit (no added sugar or anything- just frozen) satisfies my hunger and craving the most. So I always have some in my freezer. I snack on that, I make fruit smoothies, and I add fruits and veggies to a HUGE salad (very filling, super low calorie, and you can make a big tub ahead of time for a busy schedule).
There are tons of low calorie meals you can make (grilled chicken breast is low fat, low calorie, healthy, and can be added to almost anything you're eating)- I like to cook up enough food for a few days or the entire week, then tupperware the separate meals. I tend to eat fast food when I don't want to cook and I'm hungry NOW- this solves the problem, microwave it for a minute and it is still a home cooked and healthy meal. Try finding some spices (NOT SALT!) that you like to make the flavors pop out and you won't feel bored with the taste, even if it is basically the same meal multiple days in a row. You can also switch up sides- I like broccoli, asparagus, and occasionally a baked potato.
As for exercising, it's great and all, but I focus more on dieting. Work out when you can, but don't sweat it (hah) when you can't. Good luck! Hit me up if you want some recipe ideas!