Shocked by my intake of calories each day and unable to moti

Gottagetfit4me

I am new to all of this and It's much harder than I thought to make a life change to eat healthy and exercise. I set out in the morning to exercise and when I get out of work I find myself “finding” other things that need to get done. Like cleaning the grill, laundry or other things that could certainly wait until I take a half hour or an hour for myself.
So for today I set out with a goal to at least eat a healthy breakfast and drink at least a liter of water before I leave work at 4:00. My logic is ...baby steps with the food so I don’t throw in the towel completely and become discouraged.
My days is as follows.
Up at 6:30 and at work by 7:30/8:00.
I get out of work at 4:00.
Head home and meet my 12yr old and tackel whatever is instore for that day.
Tuesdays & Thursdays are the only day he has LAX now so that frees up more time during the week and the weekends as well (which I thought would make it easy to get started back at the gym but hasn’t been the case at all).
I do have a gym membership but find it hard to get up before work to go and find that I am to tired to go at the end of the day (well aware,,,more excuses).
Any advice, tips or encouragement on how to stick to my goal of exercising daily?

cillytilly

Yes it is all about the baby steps. One thing that has helped me stick with my food goals is to plan meals out. It can take asome time one day but once it is done it makes it that much easier to follow through on them.

As for exercising depends on what you can do. If you are able to get up 30 mins earlier and work out then that is the time for you. If you have a half hour to an hour break for lunch and you can eat at your desk take a walk. It is the little things that you can do and get started.

ronchap

It does take a little time and sometimes it's hard but when I started I just walked 3 days a week for 40 minutes. Get up 20 minutes earlier for breakfast and make a healthy lunch. It all will work itself out

porchwork

My advice coming from the mother of 5 is to get up and exercise early in the morning. My kids are grown now but I still get up at 4:30 AM. Exercise at 5, home and ready for work by 7:30. I like to run so that is my morning exercise of choice. If I had waited until evening then kid activities would have taken over or I would have been too tired and I would never have exercised. But by taking care of "me" first thing in the morning I didn't have to worry about it the rest of the day. If you can't do it every day then pick 3 or 4 days a week. (baby steps). Good luck.

dfrazier77

What about a quick workout during lunch? Walking, running could fit into a lunch frame. Also, maybe include your 12 yo in the workout in the afternoons. Go to the park and walk the track and the 12 yo can time you or walk with you.

Your solution will most likely be a hybrid not a straight forward solution.

ladybug1620

Make your workouts like an "appointment" for yourself. It helps to do it in the mornings, that way it's out of the way and nothing else can get in your way. If you think of it like any other obligation in your life, you'll get it done. Would you cancel a doctor's appointment or a meeting because of laundry or dishes would you? Treat your workouts the same way you would that type of thing.

Mateo1985

Think about why you want this? is it worth it for you? Decide once and for all!!!

lmarshel

I can completely understand how your busy lifestyle gets in the way. I have the same issue...NEVER enough hours in the day for all the things I need to get done.

I realized some time ago that going to the gym was not for me. It seemed like too much work, and I really prefer to work out on my own. When I got home at the end of the day, there was always something staring me in the face that had to get done, so it was easy to make excuses and not exercise. I finally started getting up early before work to do my workout at home. I run or use my elliptical machine for 30 minutes every morning. This means getting up before 4:30 every day, but it's been working for me for a while now.

You have to find what works best for you...try some different routines and see how it goes. If you make it a priority, something will fall into place. Best of luck!

bovbjerg

Can you get outside at lunch for a good brisk walk for 50 minutes or so?? You'd be surprised at how much of a difference that will make! I try to get out at lunch 2-3 times a week and it makes the afternoon much easier to get through and then I don't feel too guilty if I can't find the time or energy to exercise some more in the evenings (although my puppy usually guilts me in to taking him for another walk anyways - ha).

lovemyhoney

Going to the gym is great, but I understand having a lack of time or energy to do that. One thing I have learned with MFP is that it is easy to squeeze in some "exercise". That kitchen floor that needs to be mopped? That's exercise!! You would be surprised and the number of things you can count......I log at least 30-45 minutes of "exercise" by straightening up the house. I just log it in as "cleaning; moderate effort".......I saw today where someone logs their food preparation (cooking) as exercise time. That's brilliant!! Going to the gym is a sure fire way to get exercise, but when it isn't convenient, look for daily activities to use!!

Good luck on your journey to changing your lifestyle!

catchermo

Baby steps are definitely the way to go, so you're on the right track. It's hard to just up and change your lifestyle one day so don't be discouraged. Eating a healthy breakfast will hopefully help you to eat a healthy lunch and then dinner. As for the working out, have you ever tried a home fitness routine? I tried going to the gym for a few months but was WAY too busy to make that stick so I decided to try a home fitness routine. I was going to try P90X but I wanted more of a cardio workout so I got Insanity instead. I LOVE it!!!!! I can do it in the morning when I wake up, or after work, at night whenever it fits into my schedule. The company that makes P90X and Insanity have a ton of awesome options too, if you're really short on time you could try Tony's 10-minute trainer. 10 minutes a day to see a positive change in your body. It might not get you ripped, but it gets your muscles working and your heart rate up. Anyway, Insanity has been a life changer for me and I'll never go back to a gym. The home fitness method is definitely the right method for me...and it only takes the space of a yoga mat so you can do it in the living room, or basement or like me, I exercise right in my bedroom.

Good luck to you! I hope you're able to find what works!

taysuh

I work a similar schedule--I get up at 6, commute from 6:45 to 8, work from 8 to 5, and get home around 6, if not later. Then I have four hours in the night to workout, eat dinner, and do anything else I want to do.

What I mean to say is, getting in shape is just as important as everything else in your life. It's just as important as laundry. It's just as important as the things your son has going on. I treat exercise like work--I put it on my schedule for 8:30 p.m. every night and, just like work, I can't be late or miss it.

I think baby steps are a great idea, but don't let everyday life get in your way.

feliciapeters

im up at 5 and at work by 630. im usually out by 3
i hit the gym on the way home, tired or not,
get home, eat something, shower &20 minute nap.
ready to face the rest of the nite
we dont eat dinner till 7 but thats ok

DarkDiva2005

Nike had it right: Just Do It! I know it sucks, but that's what I know I have to do. I basically have to bully myself into exercising every day. But I know that in the long run that I will be glad that I did. If you want to add me as a friend and I'll bully you into it 2

BJPCraig

A 20 min walk @ lunchtime will help your digestion and total over 1-1/2 hours of exercise a week.

There are plenty of "10 minute" workouts available on DVD, watch instantly, Netflix, or even the Internet. Do one of those when you get home from work. It will not only help you get in shape, but help get rid of the stress of the work day.

I recently heard something great: Do NOT plan to workout in your "spare time;" nobody ever has any. Schedule your workouts and make it as inviolate as picking up your kid from LAX. Sometimes you have to put yourself first. If you want to be a good parent, the best thing you can do for your kids is to take care of their parents; I'm sure they want you around for a good, long time!

nula721

Hi,
I think your goal should not be to exercise everyday. Even 3-4 times a week would be beneficial. I do not like to wake up early for the gym either. What i think might work for you, is find 30 minutes at home and do a dvd or check on Demand for exercise videos. They are great and you will feel the burn if you follow correctly. Also I like to work out 2 days during the week and then work out Saturday and Sunday. I feel refreshed on the weekends and feel I have more time. Even a walk outdoors would be a great start.
Thats how I manage my daily life with work and chores and it seems to work for me!
Good luck, any other questions let me know:)

ldydestiny

I remember it was really hard to get up the oomph to get out of bed at 530am to go to the pool (my exercise of choice) in the mornings before work. I started doing it in November when it was still dark out and cold which just made it so much more difficult lol. I'm lucky that my hubby did it with me and he is much better at getting out of bed when the alarm goes off where I can easily just hit the button and go back to sleep but having that pressure of him being up and getting ready would make me get up myself.

If you don't have someone else there to give you that little push to get up and go early in the morning, try putting the alarm clock on the other side of the room so you actually have to get out of bed to shut the stupid thing off. By then you're sufficiently annoyed at it and awake that you might as well get ready and go lol. It takes awhile to find that elusive "exercise gives you energy" .. I think it was around 3 weeks before I really felt the energy at the end of the day instead of being ready for a nap by 10am. If you have a friend who you know gets up much earlier in the morning than you do, ask them to give you a wake up call to help you with getting up and going.

The best thing is just to keep trying.. keep the good intentions going and you will feel really good about yourself on the days that you follow through and eventually the days that you don't will become fewer and farther between.

MrBrown72

Step one, remove all negating terms and phrases from your vocabulary.

I can't, I don't, I shan't , I wont.

It's all just another way of justifying not making an inconvenient change. I work 60 hours a week minimum, and on the weekends I teach martial arts to at risk children. Yet I CAN still find the time to get in a workout almost every day. If you look around a bit and get to know some people you may find that you, and I, have it easy.

I actually have much the same schedule, so I started getting up at 4am, work out till 7am and at work by 8am. I find the mornings are the best time as everyone else is sleeping and not bothering me while I exercise. Should anyone I just make them join in.

The trade off is that I have to sleep earlier. So what do I miss by going to bed early? One more bad sitcom that I'd rather not watch anyway.

You CAN do this and you CAN show your child that there is a better way to live and take care of yourself. It's all a matter of making yourself believe that. Determining to do it, and then being stronger then atrophy.

IBHEALTHY2

I was about to post some advice on this but everyone has already mentioned all the ideas "that work". Taking "me time" early in the morning before the day begins is the best solution I have found. Take my coffee with me for that walk and when I get back I am ready to hit the shower and I am awake and energized to start the day. This also help with the stress of the day to come. Good Luck and let us know how you are doing with this.

seph_house

but find it hard to get up before work to go and find that I am to tired to go at the end of the day

if it helps any, making time do do the baby steps of exercise should slowly get you to the point where you *do* have the energy to do more after work. at least it seems to be woking for me!

does your gym have any classes aimed at kids? maybe if you can get your kid hooked on a class there, you'll have a hour-ish free when you have to be at the gym but may as well fill the time

IBHEALTHY2

VERY well said Mr Brown! Mind over matter and choices. After all, its poor choices that have gotten us into a rutt to begin with.