Too busy to diet but too busy to be fat!

ctraill

I've been lurking for a little while on this forum and I just wanted to introduce myself. I am a current graduate student in the Humanities and I am busier than I can describe. I work 20-30 hours a week on top of my schoolwork, read thousands of pages of novels & critical readings a month and I'm on campus probably 12 hours a day. I cannot cook worth **** which probably explains why I have always been so heavy. I was around 175-185 for years until I moved in with my current partner a few years ago. He's a Chef and loves red wine and cooking high fat & high sodium meals all the time. And of course, my already subpar eating habits only got worse because I wasn't compensating for the extra calories that I was eating now.

Anyway, my unhealthy lifestyle has made me sluggish and tired all the time and I've been really struggling to stay on top of things. I've lost some weight in the past but I always do it really unhealthily (drastic eating/exercise habits that I can't maintain) and I always gain it back. I'm looking for a lifestyle change so that I can just stay healthy & fit for the rest of my life. I don't want to be super thin which is why my goal weight is 165. I'm 5'8" so that would put me on the high end of normal which is good enough for me. I want to challenge myself to be able to stay at that weight for a long period of time because I would be devastated if I set my goal lower and then just gained back all the weight I've lost (again).

My strategy is a pretty simple one - I've been trying to plan ahead my meals, bring food with me to the university (so I don't succumb to bagels, burgers, etc.), reducing the amount of fast food/take out that I eat, curbing my drinking and, most importantly, bringing my books to the gym (although I'm usually working out too hard to get much work done, it at least motivates me to actually get my *kitten* INTO the gym).

My biggest weakness is still going out for dinner with friends and social drinking but I'm trying to incorporate them into my plan since it's not realistic for me to stop doing these things and I'd rather lose weight in a slower, more sustainable way, anyway.

I'm really hoping to network with all of you find some support to keep me accountable. I'm such a yo-yo dieter that I'm afraid to talk to the people in my life about this new diet since I know they won't think I can do it (since I never have before).

How do the rest of you busy people find the time to work out, eat well & live your lives? I'm hoping for good tips from all of you!

HeatherShrinking

If you know where you are going out to dinner, it helps to pull up the menu online and figure out what to order before you go.

KatWood

You have to make it a priority, no excuses! And you have to make it fun! Having a support system like MFP also helps Also, it has to be a permanent lifestyle change (not a diet) and thus sustainable. For me this means indulging in a glass of red wine and dark chocolate on occassion.

melizerd

I'm a mom and a full time student, and a wife too! I'm in nursing school so it's pretty busy.

I read my text books while on my elliptical machine for 30-40 min 5-6 nights a week. It kills two birds with one stone. I NEED to work out and I feel better and have more energy to do my work AND do things I need and want with my family.

I pre-plan meals one day a week for the whole week. That way I know exactly what I'm eating for breakfast, lunch and (most) dinners. If I go out I look at where we're going and look up their nutritional info to make a smart choice and get a to go box right away since most restaurant portions are HUGE! That allows me to eat what I want and not feel (too) guilty and enjoy my life. This is NOT a diet. It's my life.

Working out is hard at the beginning, it's easy to say "I don't have 30 min" well then take 10 min, take 20 min whatever it is you DO have it you just have to find a way to do it. Now that I've been doing this since August I feel icky the days I don't work out and I NEVER EVER thought I would be that kind of person.

Take it from me it's so worth it to find a way to work it in.

KendalBeee

you can do it! we are here to support you and once you start losing weight, the people in your life will notice and start supporting you too!

Shawna_831

I work for a weight loss Doctor and she said if you could get in at least 15 minutes every day (7days) then that is better than not working out at all. What time do you wake up?
I understand that the busy life will get in your way but you have to make time for your health. I have 2 kids who are in 2 different sports right now at the same time. I'm also married so there is my 3rd child to take care of. :happy:
We have school & work all day and then as soon as I leave from work, its off to pick them up from school and head to practice. This is Monday-Friday every week. I had to force myself to wake up at 5am just to fit in a work out.
After a few weeks of this it got a lot easier and became routine. Cut out the fast food and eating out as much as you can. I still
eat out but just smarter and not as often. :drinker:

KendalBeee

oh...and one little tip that finally helped me.....externalize your thought process. When you are eating something, don't think of if *you* want it, ask yourself if your body NEEDS it. Then listen to your body. How do you feel after eating that fast food? Fat? Sluggish? Bloated? Your body wants healthy food with lots of nutrients and you will start having all kinds of energy to keep going.

AdamATGATT

I am also an overworked grad student. Ontop of my full-time employment, I'm starting a new course every eight weeks. That and trying to have a life, ontop of eating better and working out, are still achievable. It just takes some planning.

It seems you have a good idea of what your goals are and how you want to achieve them. I like to keep healthy snacks in the places I'm going to be when its time. I have a drawer in my office reserved just to snacks and tea. I also keep backup, easy to make meals in there (oatmeal, cream of wheat, dried fruit, etc) that I can throw together instead of running somewhere to grab lunch or going without and being hungry later.

Eating out can be one of the most difficult challenges to eating better, but like Heather mentioned, its a good idea to check their menu beforehand to see what healthy choices are available. If it's a spur of the moment thing, the MFP app on my phone has proven invaluable in determing what foods to avoid and what will work within my plan for the day. Just don't splurge or give in to your friends pressure...stick to your guns and make the best choice for you.

One of the greatest things about MFP is the network of people here who will help you succeed. We try and keep each other accountable around here, so be sure to log EVERYTHING You'd be surprised how all the little stuff can add up throughout the day. Oh...and begin drinking plenty of water. It helps!

Friend request incoming.

ctraill

Thanks for everyone's comments so far. It's so inspiring to see you guys actually doing & following these things - it really reinforces the idea that I've made excuses for myself for far too long!

@HeatherShrinking - That's a great suggestion, I always forget to look up those things. We don't tend to eat at a lot of franchise places but I had never thought that even looking at menus from similar places would probably give me a better ballpark than my poor guesstimation.

@KatWood - I would die without my red wine, I indulge far too frequently! But you're right, slow & steady is way more sustainable and it's not conceivable that I would ever stop drinking full stop. (Except when/if I get pregnant, obviously!)

@melizard - That's so inspirational, thank you! You're so right, everyone has that extra 15 minutes. I'm hoping that eventually working out will become a habit!

@Shawna_831 - I get up pretty early already but doing it in the morning when I first get up, even if it's a short workout, will get me into the habit of just doing it and getting it done. I feel like I've been trained to think that if you don't have an hour to have a great workout and really dedicate yourself to it then there's no point (which is, obviously, stupid).

ctraill

@ KendalBee - That's an excellent idea, thank you! I definitely have not succeeded in the past because all I do is stop eating when I should be replacing the food with better food. I have some really pisspoor eating habits. I've always had a pretty active lifestyle even though I don't exercise formally much and I genuinely believe that I would never have become fat if I just had better eating habits. I can't tell you how many times in my life I've been starving, gone to the gym and then been SUPER starving and then had McDonalds.

@abkeeling - Yay, fellow grad student! I have actually never thought to put healthy food in my desk but that's a great idea. I agree that the mobile app is invaluable - I have actually been so good this last month at really logging everything I eat (which I have never done before) and it's just because I always have my phone on me and I always remember to do.

I'm so happy to hear that you guys will keep me to task, this seems like an excellent community so far.

ccrawshaw

Welcome! You're more than welcome to add me as a friend if you'd like. I can understand the time demands as I only completed my undergraduate program a couple weeks ago. That on top of working FT, recently purchasing my first house which has been lots of work to remodel and attempting to keep up with my business made it crazy to think about adding more to my plate, but I was sick of the weight I had gained during the last three years of classes. I started MFP the end of September (25th, I believe) and made a goal to lose 5 pounds by the time I completed my coursework. Well, I actually doubled that number which was very encouraging and now I've begun adding exercise into my habits since I have a bit more time.

MFP is awesome motivation, has outstanding tools, great people and obviously RESULTS! Just keep changing little things until you find what works for you. Once you reach a balance that you like, stick with it and add other positive habits to your routine that will further define you along your journey.