New job-- worried about continued weight loss!

cc2r1511

I am starting a new job this week and I wanted to know if any of you have any ideas for what to do for exercise... I am not talking about "walk to your car, take the stairs, etc" things... i mean real exercises that I can do after a 10 hour day (1 hour commute each way) at home. I thought about walking but because it is getting so dark so early (and my husband does not like me walking by myself in our neighborhood), I am not considering it. Plus, to be up at 5 I will have to go to bed early... and can only work out after I put my son to bed.

I will be able to work out on the weekends... Also, what do you do to keep your calorie intake down at work because my job will be a desk job without a lot of movement so I will need to focus on my calories to keep losing weight!

klowinger

I am hoping people have great suggestions for you. I find my life very similar...the drive, desk job and only being able to exercise when my son is in bed. Good Luck : )

msmayor

I'm up at 4:30 to get my work out in because I'm no good after work!!! I suggests getting up a little earier and using a dvd - I'm currently using the Jillian Michaels 30Day Shred (24min) I love it but it's more of strength than cardio so I run/walk for 30 min on the treadmill or you can jump rope - which is a great quick calorie burn

shawnscott5

If you are in a big enough building, go walking on your lunch break. Also with that type of commute, blast that stereo and dance in your car. I know I always get funny looks and make people smile, and it is fun. Good luck on your journey!

Pocket_Pixi

There are a ton of really good work out DVD's, a friend of mine uses the 10 minute trainer - he says its not a super intense workout but it is something for the days he has to work long hours. You can also look up basic home exercises on line - lunges, squats etc. Go for a walk at lunch or on your breaks.

I work 8 hours a day and most of my time is spent working at a desk, doing paperwork. I get up every so often and do some stretching and go for a quick walk. It doesn't sound like much but it all adds up. If there are stairs at work, walk or run up and down them a few times a day.

As for lunch, I always pack my lunch and make sure I pack 2 snacks, figure out the calories and its good that way - no different than I would at home except I have to put it in a bag before I leave in the morning. It will take some time to get used to and get a routine set up but once you do you will find it is pretty easy.

nmitch415

try walk away the pounds videos, walmart/target have them. your safe in your home, and its pretty simple to follow thats how im losing the bulk of my weight.

WordToYourMamma

I am in the same boat as you on all of those things. On top of it, I am a single mother and studying for the CPA exam. So I just eat the same thing at work every day because otherwise I can't maintain control. I keep calories as low as possible through the day so I can have a nice dinner. And I drink tea, plain tea. It's hard, lots of control. I use the restroom on a different floor for the extra exercise.

Eleisabelle

I don't know if this will work for you, or if your job will allow it, but the only way I was able to fit it in for a long time was during my lunch break. I have an hour break, so it's easy to get a good 40 minutes of exercise (allowing 10 minutes on each side for changing into and out of workout clothes). I don't bother with a shower--just spray myself with a good scented mist (lavender is lovely) to finish out the day.

There are some good routines at http://exercise.about.com/. If you search enough, you can find great workouts that use a minimum of equipment and that you can tailor to the time you have available--like on this page: http://exercise.about.com/od/homecardioworkouts/Home_Cardio_Workouts.htm

Good luck. It's hard to balance work and life, but it's worth it to find the way to do it. I hope your new company will be supportive!

venragh

If you have a gym at your work place... use it for 40 to 45 minutes in your lunch time..and take lunch to your desk so you don't take away too much time out of your work. If you dont have a gym, try finding one close by with a10 minute drive..and work out for 30 minutes..
Hit the gym before reaching home from work. If you come home, you will never go back to gym for the day.
Hit the gym before you go to work. Take a shower in gym and go directly to work.

socialite1

I usually take a walk during my lunch break to burn extra calories. I'll take a 30 or 40 minute walk (walk 15 or 20 minutes in one direction then turn around). I keep sneakers at my desk and baby wipes to freshen up. I'll eat at my desk either before or after my official lunch hour so I'm not rushed. If I choose to workout in the evenings, I have short workout videos that I use (especially now that it gets dark early). I can easily get a 20 or 30 minute workout in in my living room. I also keep healthy snacks at my desk: a small jar of peanut butter, rice cakes, cottage cheese and yogurt in the fridge, etc. This keeps me from going to the vending machine on my extra hungry days or if I don't pack enough food for the day.

mello

I too am up at 4:30 to get my workout in because I can easily talk myself out of it after a long hard day. I do intervals on the treadmill while watching the early morning news four days a week and weights two days a week. I'm learning to love those early mornings as it really gives a boost to my day!

As for food, I plan my menu for the week and buy the groceries on Saturday. I always cook enough to bring for lunch the next day. Example, what I cook on Sunday, I bring "leftovers" for Monday lunch, what I cook Monday night, I bring for Tues lunch. I eat breakfast at home and also add my snacks into my planning. Here lately I eat a banana and a babybel cheese at about 9:30 and an apple with a small handful of unroasted,no salt nuts at 3:00, thats with eating lunch at 12:00. It keeps me satisfied, I'm never hungry.

Congrats on the new job!!

jmxxiiii

You know, weight loss is 80% diet 20% working out, so really focus on your diet during the week, and take the stairs :]

Jewels211

I really like the Leslie Sansone Walk At Home videos. I have her Walk Away the Pounds-For Your Week, which is a compilation of 5 of her videos. It doesn't sound strenuous, walking mostly in place, but it is. You're mostly walking at a 3.5 - 4 mph clip on the two sessions I've done so far. There is a quick 17-min 1 mile walk and then the other I do is a 2 mile walk plus intervals of strengthening exercises w/a wide stretchy band that comes included with the DVD which takes 37 minutes, including the warm up and cool-down stretches. Even if it's "just" a straight walk session, there are side steps, knee lifts, kicking, back kicks, and arm moves involved at times. One of the sessions is on pilates. She's easy to follow, there is nothing convaluted that I'm too klutzy to do, and if I don't have much time, I can fit in a 17 min mile at least, so no excuses! LS has a TON of videos, some with longer walks, 3 and 5 miles I think, plus other things to target specific issues. I got mine @ Amazon for $12.99.

As to watching calories at work, just make sure to bring your own snacks that are healthy and pre-measured. Raw veggies with Laughing Cow Light or a couple tablespoons of peanut butter (carrots dipped in pb are amazing!). An ounce of nuts. Bringing your own lunch can help a lot, too. Eating out can really be killer on a diet. Even the supposedly healthy salads aren't always healthy or low cal. Have a water container on your desk to drink on all during the day. That will keep your stomach feeling fuller, as well as being good for you. And be prepared to say "no, thank you" when all the goodies are set out or passed around. Have a stock answer in mind like "I have health issues with sugar" or "I'm really working to get/stay in shape, so although it looks delicious..." so you don't even have to think, just spit it out and run! lol

Good luck with the new job, and the weight loss!

swimtaxi

I agree with the post about Leslie Sansone videos...I have used several of them...my favorite is the Pilates video. My goal is to do something every day even if it is only one mile walk.

Through my "on demand" feature on my tv, I can access free exercisetv workouts...they offer a wide variety...usually different every month so you can alway try out new workouts before purchase. I use these to vary my workouts and focus on toning different parts of my body.

I've found that bringing food from home is the only way I can eat nutritiously and track my calories even if i don't always log into MFP. Plus it is way cheaper than going out!

Good luck!

MinnieInMaine

A lot of good suggestion on the exercise part so I don't have anyting to add there but I wanted to address your question about keeping calories down while at work.

My secret weapon for that is planning and packing. If you only have what you can eat for the day at your desk and don't allow anything from the cafeteria or vending machines, you'll do just fine. Every day, I pack a greek yogurt and a couple fruits and my main lunch is either a sandwich or leftovers from dinner. For snacks, I keep TLC bars, almonds and cheerios in my desk drawer.

If they keep goodies in the kitchen, avoid that area at all costs. And if you can't, remember that someone coughed or sneezed on them or didn't wash their hands after using the restroom and touched them. LOL!

pholbert

I use my Wii sometimes they have different dvd's for workouts. And the Wii Fit you can walk while your watching tv.

olyrose

For exercise, there are good videos, and then I would get in more cardio on the weekends if you feel like the videos aren't enough. I typically have that long a day, and I usually hit the gym three days (or so) after work. The past week I've been getting up 30 min early to do the 30 day shred video.

I also have a desk job, and I have a desk full of snacks, like fiber one granola bars, and pre-measured servings of almonds, trail mix, and dried fruit. I also bring a lot of snacks with me, like cucumbers, apples, etc. That way I have things to snack on throughout the day, and am not so ravenous when I get home.

MikeSEA

burpees, push ups, squats, lunges, bear crawls (I hate doing them backwards), planks. There's lots of stuff you can do that uses your body weight, if you don't have anything else. Do them in circuit in the right order for 30 seconds a pop and you'll get a workout .