How Can I Fit Healthy Living in With Starting a FT Job & Com

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  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    definitely try to exercise before or after work, before your car ride home. a) it may help because traffic will be different. b) you won't be as tired as when you get hiome.
  • mjshmily
    mjshmily Posts: 137 Member
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    This is my challenge to..not so much the commute but 9 hours at the office. I pack my lunch and snacks and do not go out for lunch. That keeps me safe on te calories side! I make sure I have LOTS of diet yogurt in the fridge for quick filling snacks.

    The exercise part is not so easy. I am a single mom and I leave my house around 7 in the morning and I get home about quarter to 6. By the time dinner is made/eaten and homework looked at, daughter to dance class or tutoring or whatnot there isn't a lot of time and I don't want to be gone too much in the evenings and miss the family time we have. So sometimes I resort to just having fun with my family-40 minutes of Just Dance with teenage girls on the Wii, shooting hoops at the the schoolyard, and every day a walk with the dog. It may not be as much as going to the gym, and I hope I can get an elliptical to use at home soon, but for now it keeps me and my family active on weekdays and edges me closer to my goal.
  • kent4j
    kent4j Posts: 391 Member
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    Congratulations on your new job, I have a daughter the same age who is looking for a full time job too. You are doing the right thing by trying to get advice and figure out how you can do this. It's not easy but try different things to see what works best for you. I try to walk on my lunch whenever I can, it clears the mind, gives you more energy and at least you get in some walking. I also have a gym I can use at work. I always have my gym clothes with me and if you can get in the habit of exercising before you head home I think that will be a winning situation for you. Also bring a snack to eat on the car ride home. Good luck!
  • MrBrown72
    MrBrown72 Posts: 407 Member
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    I like to suggest the math and trash method.
    1 day 24 hours.
    - 8 hours sleep = 16 hours
    - 12 hours for work (getting ready, driving and working) = 4 hours

    Now, throw away the Television set and you can probably work out 4 times as much.

    I don't know you or your lifestyle, however most people on the site managed to do this or more. I work over 50 hours a week. commute for 2 hours a day and still work out 1.5 to 2 hours a day, six days a week.

    I am old and slow.
    Your argument is invalid. :smile: :smile: :tongue:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    Oooo yikes honey! I knew you were going to get thrashed on this one. I cringed as I read your post! Anywho...

    Congratulations on your commitment to a healthy lifestyle and of course, congrats on your new full time job!!

    What I usually do (I work 40 hours plus a long commute too) is - have oatmeal for breakfast, bring a turkey sandwich for lunch, have plenty mid morning and mid afternoon healthy snacks on hand (fresh fruit, yogurt, almonds ect). And then when I get home the first thing I do is work out....because if I hesitate or get side tracked by chores I know working out will fall by the way side. So I make it my top priority. I've become the queen of short but efficient work outs ( 30 minutes or 1 hour)...bam get ur done. Have DVD's at home to work out to are nice for days that you are wiped out and can't make it to the gym. Walking during lunch is also a good idea too!

    Best wishes and good luck!
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Oatmeal for breakfast, a broth-based soup for lunch, lots of water, healthy snacks in the desk.

    And...my commute is 40min each way, longer in bad weather. The radio only boosts my stress, so I make sure to listen to books on CD -- there are tons available through the public libraries in MN.
  • ABetterBalance
    ABetterBalance Posts: 298
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    You've gotten a lot of great advice and I just wanted to throw in some support.

    It had a hard time adjusting to having a full time office job with a commute, but it is possble. My workouts vary depending on how much I hate my 4:30 alarm!

    I either get up 1t 4:30 and workout before work, or I wait until after dinner (around 7-8 at night) Neither one is ideal, but I know I have to sacrifice something (an extra hour of sleep, or an hour of vegging on the couch with my husband)
  • MrBrown72
    MrBrown72 Posts: 407 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies everyone! I've skimmed over them and have some more thoughts to add on.

    First of all, yes I know other people have full time jobs and other responsibilities and still manage to live a healthy life. That's why I asked for tips from those who are already living this way.

    Secondly, working out before I leave is out of the question right now. I live with my parents still (hence the long commute) and I'm already going to be waking up at 5 to get ready and leave by 6:30. So, I'll be working out when I get home from work (Jillian Michaels will be my friend again). There is also a gym at where I will be working, so I'll keep that in mind too once I get a hold of what my days are like. Weekends will be saved for longer workouts, especially so I can get some sunshine!

    My job will be a desk job (Online Fundraising Specialist) with lots of time in front of the computer. So I'll be trying to get away from the computer and stretch every hour. I don't know if I have my own office or just a cubicle yet, but I'll be bringing a water bottle and healthy snacks. I've had two internships, so I've got the eating part down pretty good. It's just trying to figure out how to get it all down a shorter amount of time.

    Once I'm able to move closer to my job (hopefully soon, I've just got to figure out my take-home pay and a monthly budget), it will be a lot easier because I won't have the commute to deal with (or the stress from it).

    This sounds like you have a good plan. I just wish my work had a gym. Have you thought about going from your desk to the gym after work, putting in an hour or so and missing rush hour traffic as an added bonus?
  • jenniferlspies
    jenniferlspies Posts: 75
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    Oatmeal for breakfast, a broth-based soup for lunch, lots of water, healthy snacks in the desk.
    And...my commute is 40min each way, longer in bad weather. The radio only boosts my stress, so I make sure to listen to books on CD -- there are tons available through the public libraries in MN.
    I'm definitely going to be making some soup soon (I'm freezing all the time now!), I have a delicious recipe for turkey meatball soup and two pounds of ground up turkey in the freezer.

    I hardly ever listen to the radio anymore (thank goodness for a GPS with traffic updates), I have a car adapter for my ipod and listen to either podcasts or audio books. I have several on hold from the library (including Unlimited by Jillian MIchaels).
    This sounds like you have a good plan. I just wish my work had a gym. Have you thought about going from your desk to the gym after work, putting in an hour or so and missing rush hour traffic as an added bonus?

    I'll probably be doing that, once I find out what equipment the gym has. In the first couple of weeks, I'll probably take my tennis shoes with me and go for a walk after work, before the snow sets in.

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