Sedentary Workers Help!!!
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I am tied to my desk most of the work day, and also have children. I think there are a few things to consider: one- focus more on diet for now. Figure out the calories you need to lose at a reasonable rate using the sedentary setting. Two- involve the kids as much as possible. Take them on walks or bike rides with you. Find some of the active wii games and play with them. Drop off at girl scouts and walk the halls or around the building. Try a small stair stepper in your office and take 5 minutes every hour to get in a few hundred steps. When you walk to and from your car, increase your speed. Take the long way to the bathroom. Make meals ahead on Sundays when your husband can help, and be oven ready for the week. Don't feel bad about quick meals for dinner- eat a sandwich or breakfast for dinner. As others have said, you can lose weight without exercise. But there's still good reason and good ways to squeeze it in. Good luck!0
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I also work a desk job 8-5pm, head home, make supper etc. Technically I'm on call all the time for the thing I do but don't really get called much and I'm a home body so it's a non issue.
But 7pm-9pm is my vague window where I'll fit zumba in on the Wii. In other words, I have dibs on the TV and banish the hubby from the room for that time frame.
It's late to work out but now I've gotten to the point where I can wrap everything up from the day to plan for that time to have nothing to worry about but the workout.0 -
I totally understand. I get up at 5 am, leave home at 6 am, get home at 5:30 pm, work behind a desk, have 3 kids with youngest being 2 and a 6 month old siberian husky. I try to workout at least 30 minutes during weekdays and more on the weekends. I found my best results were starting dinner. While it's cooking, I get on treadmill at that time.
I, also, like the wii fit or just dance series for wii.
Good luck to you.0 -
1) If you don't already have one, definitely invest in a crockpot. It will make a huge difference in the time of day you'll have to get home for making dinner. If you had a day or two during the week where your husband can start eating prior to you physically making it each time, then you might have that extra 1/2 hour or so to do some more physical activity. I love my crockpot and use it at least once a week!
2) If you don't mind sweating up a bit at work, or if you have a shower, then try getting some ankle weights or a vest weight (you can get sand bag type weights to put into the pockets once you get to that level), and walk around on the lunch hour with these (or just one of them). The weights will add a world of hurt! You'll be surprised at what an added 2.5-5 lbs around each ankle does for the amount of work you have to put in. Add in a little high stepping with these ankle weights and you've got yourself a kick *kitten* workout for the amount of time you have. I'd wait for the vest until your activity level with weights have increased a bit.
3) As a non-morning person, I go work out at lunch each day, but if not, I make time at night (hence the crockpot idea). Although you've been walking at lunch every day, as everyone on the forums will tell you, you can't exercise away all of your bad food. So plan your meals well ahead of time (again, the crockpot is so great for this, you just dump all the ingredients into it and set the timer and go in the morning...minimal extra time in the morning needed).
Edited to add this idea 4) When you go to your meetings for your kids, maybe an additional walking exercise time? PTA isn't an option, but I'm thinking the kids activity time can also be yours?
Hope you will be able to use at least one of these ideas! Good luck!:flowerforyou:0 -
I AM a single mother who works full time, therefore 5:00 a.m. work out (gym in my case but not everyone can) . Also, if your husband is home, why isn't he doing the dinner?0
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First, I want to validate your busy-ness and say I totally understand. When you have any kind of dependents in your home (young or old) it's very tough to find time to exercise. I would recommend you read Lindsey's post very carefully because she said it all. Get up early...it's SO HARD but you get used to it. My 5:00 am workout is the one that "counts," and my 45 minute lunchtime walk is just extra. I can eat up the calories I burn walking without blinking twice, so they are just for a buffer. And give yourself time to see the results from logging your meals. That's where you're going to see the real scale results, and that just requires consistency and patience.0
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Believe me, I wish my husband could take over but with her meetings not until 6-8 I have to take her to all of these because he works at 7. I have walked for 30 on my lunch hour every day of work for the past 1.5 years and honestly have not had anything come of it. It not just a leisure walk either, we speed walk for 30 min out in the factory where it is pretty warm and i can feel my heart rate pick up but still havent seen any results, unless you want to say that it is keeping me from gaining a lot but I didnt watch my calories until about a month ago and was eating all sorts of not very good for me things. I just need to find better exercises that can be done that will actually show results. Thanks for everyones input so far though. It does help.
Walking every day for 30 minutes is good. Losing weight is 100% about calories in/calories out. Eat less calories to see the change. Walking will help you be healthier (heart/lungs/muscles, etc.). Eating less will help you lose weight. The calorie burn in exercise can help you lose weight, too, but only if you don't eat more calories than you expend in a day.
My job is sedentary, I don't walk at lunch often and only fit exercise in some of the time right now. My goal is to increase my exercising, but it's only because I want to build muscle. Weight's going down slowly based on closely (and I mean super annoyingly closely) watching my calorie intake.0 -
I have a desk job, too - 7:30 - 5:00ish - and also a nasty habit of working through my lunch because there is SO MUCH TO DO!
Then I have a nasty commute home that takes 45 minutes to an hour.
And I'm the cook in the house...my husband has started learning, but we both like my cooking and it's easier for me to do it.
That said, I bought equipment I knew I'd use at home, so I have - over the years - bought a stepper, glider, rowing machine and recumbent bike. I'm thrifty and bought all of these on super sale or after accumulating gift certificates to pay for them.
When I walk in the door, I kiss my husband and hug our pup and then immediately change and ride for 45 minutes, then shower quickly and start cooking. You could do some meal prep on the weekends to make your meal prep easier and faster. Then workout after he leaves for his job. If your kids are big enough, they can go on walks with you.
The other thing I do is leave my desk when I can more often. I'll even use the bathroom in a different building on a different floor just to get some steps in!
Good luck...you can do it!0 -
all about calories but you have to make time for exercise and make yourself do it................I make myself lol
and theres always workouts you can do at home.............even burpees would get your *kitten* in gear...................on a side note the last 2 weeks ive been eating a apple with breakfast and lunch, really fills you up and curbs your appetite.........before I would fight binges.............careful what you eat, some foods make you do things out of your control.........anyways since i've been doing this the weight is dropping off like crazy.0 -
1) If you don't already have one, definitely invest in a crockpot. It will make a huge difference in the time of day you'll have to get home for making dinner. If you had a day or two during the week where your husband can start eating prior to you making it, then you might have that extra 1/2 hour or so to do some more physical activity. I love my crockpot and use it at least once a week!
2) If you don't mind sweating up a bit at work, or if you have a shower, then try getting some ankle weights or a vest weight (you can get sand bag type weights to put into the pockets once you get to that level), and walk around on the lunch hour with these (or just one of them). The weights will add a world of hurt! You'll be surprised at what an added 2.5-5 lbs around each ankle does for the amount of work you have to put in. Add in a little high stepping with these ankle weights and you've got yourself a kick *kitten* workout for the amount of time you have. I'd wait for the vest until your activity level with weights have increased a bit.
3) As a non-morning person, I go work out at lunch each day, but if not, I make time at night (hence the crockpot idea). Although you've been walking at lunch every day, as everyone on the forums will tell you, you can't exercise away all of your bad food. So plan your meals well ahead of time (again, the crockpot is so great for this, you just dump all the ingredients into it and set the timer and go in the morning...minimal extra time in the morning needed).
Edited to add this idea 4) When you go to your meetings for your kids, maybe an additional walking exercise time? PTA isn't an option, but I'm thinking the kids activity time can also be yours?
Hope you will be able to use at least one of these ideas! Good luck!:flowerforyou:
Love this advice!0 -
Racing home to fix dinner is crazy.
Sunday - Prep Day.
Example: this past Sunday we slow cooked ribs for 6 hours (6 meals), grilled 5 medium chicken breasts (5 more meals), and grilled 4 cod fillets (4 more meals).
Melon diced, cucumbers cut, fruit washed.
Corn steamed (6 side dishes), Au Gratin Potatoes cooked (6 side dishes), Italian bowtie pasta salad (10 side dishes).
We then write the list on a dry erase board on the fridge and cross things off as they are eaten / taken.0 -
a great way to fit in exercise-while you are watching TV, at each commercial, get up and do jumping jacks, sit ups, lunges, squats-whatever you can!0
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Your husband is a parent now, he needs to learn how to cook. That would give you some time to go to the gym on the way home.
You could get up early three times a week.
You could squish two thirds of your work outs in to the weekend.
But as a previous poster said, I don't want to invalidate just how busy your life sounds. It's not always a case of "if you wanted it, you'd make it work" when you're a parent.0 -
It is tough working a sedentary job and taking care of a husband kids as well for sure.
I finally decided a few months ago that every one in my house was going to have to take on a little more so that I could work on me for a change. I go to the gym every day at 5AM-ish...I make sure that I have all of my lunch stuff cut and chopped ahead of time and dinner planned ( I do all of my meal planning and shopping on Sundays) I also work out 5 nights a week with a trainer or classes now. It is a lot to juggle, but I am determined to make this lifestyle change now and the family needs to be on board. That is the main thing, get the family involved, how old is the daugher, can she help make dinner? Can the husband help with dinner a few times a week....get their support, start doing for yourself and while it is a struggle....you will be happier in the end.
Good luck with this challenge....!!!!0 -
I am an only parent and have a desk job too. Morning and lunch workouts or walks are good. But have you tried riding bikes with your daughter to bring her to her activities? When she is just practicing walk/run or do lunges around the school or gym. I know kids like to be watched but you can watch while doing a little workout too. I know for my daughter's Girl Scout meeting they don't really want all the parents to stay because it is a distraction to the girls so I talked a couple other moms into walking with me during the meetings. Do you have that one show that is 30-60 mins long that you are sure to watch each week? You can do a little walking in place, sit ups, push ups, squats, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, arm curls, etc. during that show too.
I also got myself a fitbit. For me it is a good motivator to walk those extra steps before I go to bed at night just to see that 10,000 (or now 12,000) before I lay down for the night.0 -
When I get off work I have to rush home and get supper done because my husband goes into work at 7pm.
Is there a particular reason why your husband can't get supper done?
Honestly if I wanted to eat hamburger helper everyday I would let him cook but he is a pretty bad cook
he can make a mean frozen pizza though :laugh:
So cook on the weekends and prepare ahead of time. If he can make frozen pizza he can reheat stuff.0 -
Use your breaks and lunch hour to get some activity in. Even if it's 5 minutes at a time, that's better than sitting the whole time. Use a printer farther away from your desk so you have to walk. Get up several times a day to fill your water bottle. Go walk over and talk to people instead of calling/emailing. Use the stairs, even if you don't have to - meaning even if you work on the 1st floor, before you sit at your desk in the morning, walk up 2 or 3 flights then back down. Park further away from the building.
All these little extras will add up.
Could Hubby take over any of your duties? Could you do more crock pot meals? That might at least give you an extra 1/2 hour to get a quick workout in. Could you do something for exercise after putting the kids to bed at night? No need to go to the gym. There are tons of workouts on YouTube or you could just walk in place and do body weight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, planks, squats and lunges.
ETA: Technically you don't have to exercise to lose weight but it's definitely good for your health and you'll be more likely to be happy with the physical results (not just what the scale says) when you get to goal.
All of this!! If you want to see how much all of that "little stuff" adds up to, try a pedometer on your smartphone (if you have one) or buy a pedometer....work up to a goal of 10,000 steps a day0 -
I also have a job where I sit all day. So I started exercising at work. For example, when I go to the bathroom I'll do 15 squats before I pee and 15 after. Or I'll do 50 wall push ups. If you're making copies or standing somewhere talking to a co-worker, do some heel raises. Any little thing helps. Plus, it keeps you focused on being active and leads, naturally, to more activity.
I have no advice for the evening rush. I'm not married--thank goodness!!--and my daughter doesn't do after school activities. I do work late so there's very little time for me to work out in the evenings. I have set aside two evenings that are mine for walking with a girlfriend. Not only is it good for me physically, it's good for me mentally.
Good luck!!0 -
My wife and I get up 30 minutes early in the morning to exercise at home and then go to bed 30 minutes early at night so we still get the same amount of sleep. The last 30 minutes before bed is not a productive time and most people just spend it just watching TV. There are tons of good 30 minute workout routines including several from Jillian Michaels, P90X3, T25, etc.
I do this as well. I get up just a bit early in the morning. I just started T25 about 4 weeks ago and I am able to do it. I feel a lot better getting in the workout as well. I agree that doing the workout DVD's are really the way to go with little time. Early morning is best or like another poster said put TV for the kids for just 30 min and get your workout in.0 -
Racing home to fix dinner is crazy.
Sunday - Prep Day.
Example: this past Sunday we slow cooked ribs for 6 hours (6 meals), grilled 5 medium chicken breasts (5 more meals), and grilled 4 cod fillets (4 more meals).
Melon diced, cucumbers cut, fruit washed.
Corn steamed (6 side dishes), Au Gratin Potatoes cooked (6 side dishes), Italian bowtie pasta salad (10 side dishes).
We then write the list on a dry erase board on the fridge and cross things off as they are eaten / taken.
Great advice. Heck, I'm married to a long-distance trucker and we have no kids so I'm home alone a lot, and even I do stuff like this.0 -
I get up at 5:00 am, leave the house at 6:00 am. I have a 2 HOUR commute to work. I get to work at 8:00 am and sit at a desk until 4:30 pm. I have a 2+ HOUR commute from work (depending on weather/accidents/traffic/sports events etc.). I get home around 6:30 pm. Cook dinner, eat dinner, make lunch for the next day puts me at 7:30 pm. Take the dog for a 30 minute walk (this is the extent of my daily exercise). I have an hour to change, wind down and get things ready for work for the next day. I'm in bed by 9:00 pm because if I don't get enough sleep, I'll never get up at 5 am and I won't be able to stay awake behind the wheel. I've lost over 50 pounds over the last 6 months with this schedule and I don't attribute any of it to "working out." Change your diet with a calorie deficit, log your food, and you'll start shredding pounds.0
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I am really busy myself and training myself to run outside, and then waking up to run before work, is how I fit exercise in on days when I don't have time for the gym. I should preface this by saying that I always HATED running, and I have never been a morning person. But, after I trained myself to like running (using the C25K app), and got out there a couple mornings- I realized it was totally worth it. The alternative could be a workout DVD that you can do at home. Or, of course you could just eat within your calories without exercising. I found personally that once I started working out I began to genuinely enjoy it. I no longer feel reluctant to go to the gym or for a run- finding the time is really the hardest part. Good luck!0
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Racing home to fix dinner is crazy.
Sunday - Prep Day.
Example: this past Sunday we slow cooked ribs for 6 hours (6 meals), grilled 5 medium chicken breasts (5 more meals), and grilled 4 cod fillets (4 more meals).
Melon diced, cucumbers cut, fruit washed.
Corn steamed (6 side dishes), Au Gratin Potatoes cooked (6 side dishes), Italian bowtie pasta salad (10 side dishes).
We then write the list on a dry erase board on the fridge and cross things off as they are eaten / taken.
Great advice. Heck, I'm married to a long-distance trucker and we have no kids so I'm home alone a lot, and even I do stuff like this.
I do this too. I cook a batch of chicken breasts on Sunday to take in my lunches for the week. I also boil a dozen eggs all at once. Takes me about an hour and saves me more time in the long run.0 -
When I get off work I have to rush home and get supper done because my husband goes into work at 7pm.
Is there a particular reason why your husband can't get supper done?
Honestly if I wanted to eat hamburger helper everyday I would let him cook but he is a pretty bad cook he can make a mean frozen pizza though :laugh:
Buy him a beginner's cookbook or look for easy recipes online. If he can read and follow directions, he can learn to cook some simple meals.0 -
Planning - it's all in the planning....
This is such a good thing to do - plan the week - get to know what meals fulfil your nutritional requirements and make them ahead of time (where possible). Educate husband in doing some stuff as well - you can't do it all yourself.
As suggested - when you have kids meetings - use some of that time for yourself. I have to take my kids around at night. Often it's between 60 and 90 mins. I do the drop off, a little social thing and then excuse myself and go for walk or run or something. Then I'm back maybe 10 or 20 mins before finish. Works well.
Also - I have a resistance band that I use when at work. Maybe also you can use some of the runtastic apps? Pushups and squats etc are fairly easy to do behind your desk.
Stick with and and you'll do it:)Racing home to fix dinner is crazy.
Sunday - Prep Day.
Example: this past Sunday we slow cooked ribs for 6 hours (6 meals), grilled 5 medium chicken breasts (5 more meals), and grilled 4 cod fillets (4 more meals).
Melon diced, cucumbers cut, fruit washed.
Corn steamed (6 side dishes), Au Gratin Potatoes cooked (6 side dishes), Italian bowtie pasta salad (10 side dishes).
We then write the list on a dry erase board on the fridge and cross things off as they are eaten / taken.0 -
I don't have time to read the whole thread but I'm in a similar situation. I hate to get up earlier than I have to, so I go for a run while my kids are at soccer practice, and they're old enough now to be left alone while I run on weekends. This way I average 3 runs a week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) and lift weights twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday at home). I admit I'm not always good about lifting at home, but I just don't have time to go to the gym right now. Hopefully things will change...0
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I am a single mother of 2 teens with CRAZY schedules + a live-in boyfriend (who works 12 hours a day/6 days a week & is not available to assist with teen driving duties, etc. - since he manages a restaurant I rarely have to feed him though lol) & I also have a TOTALLY sedentary job. I am addicted to work-out DVDs - I have belonged to many gyms, Zumba studios, etc., but factoring in driving time + available class times just does not fit into my current schedule. I just started Ripped in 30 by Jillian Michaels & I definitely feel challenged - and it is about 30 minutes total. I wedge it in between getting kids to the bus stop & showering for work - or sometimes even prior to waking them up (wake up time is 6:40 AM.
) Even though it is a challenge to fit in that 30 minutes - I deserve it - & so do you!!! 0 -
I think you need to take a hard look at your diet, and start eating less than you burn daily. There are many great tools here on MFP or the internet for you to use to figure out your daily needs. If you are not already tracking your food on MFP, start right now. Every day, every meal, every bite. You may be shocked by how many calories you are taking in. Do that for a few weeks, then start cutting back on your intake. It will be hard, but you will lose weight.
Once you have your diet in order, you will be more motivated to keep your weight loss on track. That's the perfect time to start adding in more exercise. Walking at lunch is great, and if you do it daily, you are meeting the minimum weekly cardio guidelines, but it sounds like you are not seeing enough results from that. So find a strength or resistance routine and do it a couple of times a week in the morning. Yep, get up early and do it. I know it sucks, but it's worth it.0 -
I feel your frustration! we all lead sedentary lifestyles these days. And for someone who is always on the go it will be difficult for you to find "me" time to workout. This was my sister but then we helped her lose 106lbs and the first 30 without working out on her nutrition program the same one that I used to help me lose 30lbs. Love to help you do the same!0
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Hello, I have a sedentary job where I work from 8a to 5p or later depending on what needs to be done. When I get off work I have to rush home and get supper done because my husband goes into work at 7pm. Then I have to rush even more for volleyball, Girl Scouts, PTA meetings all while still being on call for my job 24hrs a day. I know most people are going to say, if you want it, you will make the time. But sometimes it feels like I am a single mother due to getting her up and ready for school and then the evening activities. There is no time for a gym membership!!
What are some of the exercises that you do to try to lose weight? Thanks in advance!!
I have a similar schedule (minus the PTA meetings, my little one's not in school yet) but I do a lifting program at 5am three days a week, then I'm back at the house by 6 or 6:30 to get everyone up, lunches packed & ready to go. But if your primary goal right now is just losing weight, put all of your focus on your diet and worry about the rest once you've got a good rhythm going with that. You can work out til you're blue in the face but you're not going to lose an ounce unless you've got your eating under control.0
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