New life is making weight loss very difficult, need help!

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  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
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    How much do you enjoy your night job? Is it worth it? Is their something closer to home? Even if it is a slight pay cut, the 1-3 hours it seems you spend on commute would make up for gas and sanity and allow you more free time.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
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    Getting the 100 calorie packages are about 5-10x higher in price than simply buying a big bag of pretzels, and preportioning small bags for yourself.

    Sugar-free Jello (Snack Pack) (10 cal per cup)
    100 calorie popcorn bags
    100 calorie snack bags (cookies, pretzels, chips, etc.)
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    On a weekend make one very large breakfast frittata, you can find healthy recipes on line. Freeze most of it, and then microwave as you go. Eggs can give you a good amount of protein, and being hot, will keep you fuller, longer.

    Lunches
    Prep a salad that will last 3 days and in a separate container put in chopped veggies to agg through the week.

    A baked ziti gives you an opportunity to add in a LOT of veggies you normally have a hard time adding in.
    Chili is another dish. Make one huge meal of both and freeze for a few weeks. Thaw 2 or 3 at at time so you have a choice.

    There are lots of healthy soups you can get as well.

    Investing in containers is your best route. There are a few "boil, heat and eat" meals out there to take advantage of. Spinach and cheese ravioli with marinara is good.

    Good luck, cooking for 2 weeks at a time will allow you to have 2 free weekends and some hearty meals along the way. Get in extra water, too
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
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    I am a school counselor. My 2 sons have football 4 days a week and games on 1 day. Life can df be crazy!!

    Don't waste your $$ on 100 cal packs. Make your own w sandwich baggies. Things like yogurt/cottage cheese/hummus/triscuits/bagged veggies/fruit can be put in a lunch pack. On Sundays make 4 or 5 pounds of chicken. Separate it out. Buy things like pitas/tortillas/wraps. Fill them w chicken, veggies, salsa, whatever. I understand being energy less. Work on getting the kitchen piece down pat then worry about exercising.

    And I loooove my crockpot. If boyfriend is at home, he can turn off while you are at job #2. I make chili, stew, pulled pork, oatmeal (can be cooked overnight), French dips, a ton of stuff. Most days it takes me 8 min max to throw things in the crockpot.

    And I don't know about your school, but ours, because of the new initiatives, has very healthy lunches.

    , hard boiled eggs are my lifesaver. It is easy to grab 2 eggs and take them for breakfast or a late afternoon pick me up snack.

    Stay out of food that is fried. Go to Subway. Heck, even some pizza places offer whole wheat crust w healthy options.
  • AngieSchaible
    AngieSchaible Posts: 84 Member
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    This is Interesting,
  • Mrgruntysmom
    Mrgruntysmom Posts: 42
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    Before I decided to stay home with my second kiddo, I was teacher that drove 50 minutes to work so I understand about prep time! I also use to sub so I know it can be crazy. Really, even though it is tough, you have to make a little time for you if you want to stay healthy. Not sure, but if you are planning to be a teacher, you need to get in the habit now of taking care of yourself because it is so easy to slack when things are busy and when you are a teacher things are always busy! This is part of why I am here now!

    Take time to wake up even five minutes early to have breakfast. Lay out most of the stuff the night before so that you don't have to dig around. I did a lot of oatmeal with adds in such as peanut better, flaxseed, or nuts. Breakfast wraps are easy to make and you can eat that on the way to work.

    As for lunch, you need to pack yourself a lunch. Buy a cooler as someone suggested and use that daily. Pack as much as you can the night before. That will help a lot! You could even carry dinner with you. Just buy some extra cold packs or use the fridge at the school where you are teaching. The office can point you to the teacher room. Here is a great website for lunch/dinner/ and snack ideas. I also carry a big purse and have snacks, labeled, in there for me.

    http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com/

    Do you have plan periods free? When I subbed, I usually had an hour or so free. Get in the corner of the room, and do lunges or squats, etc. I bet there is a ton of websites that can give you some easy exercises.

    Hope things slow down for you soon! Good luck :smile:
  • alesnie
    alesnie Posts: 97 Member
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    I have heard from multiple "professional" sources (podcasts, books, etc.) that weightloss is anywhere between 75 and 90% DIET and that exercise is a good way to speed along the process and make your skinnier body look better, however it is much more about what you eat.

    That being said, it is all about preplanning. Your day sounds completely exhausting, and I don't blame you for being stressed out and wanting to just stop at a fast food restaurant and go the easier route.

    As others have said before, you can even spend one afternoon a month preparing most of your food (chicken etc) and freezing, and then a very short amount of time the other Sundays preparing some of the more perishable foods. Get some freezer containers and prepare a bunch of frozen healthy meals. There is a podcast called Fat2Fit that I HIGHLY recommend, and one of the guys prepares over 40 meals at a time!!

    There are many snacks that you can just put in your trunk as well as a case of water for those times that you are needing a snack and can just throw something in your purse. For example, Emerald almonds have lots of different flavors that are super yummy. You can either pre-portion them, or there are 100 calorie packs you can buy as well. I just keep an entire container in my purse (I have a big purse haha) and when I get hungry I grab a small handful.

    Finally, I suggest downloading some podcasts for your long rides. Jillian Michaels, Fat2Fit Radio, etc. Some may disagree with certain advice, etc. but it will keep your mind in the right place and always keep you aware that you really do want to be making those better decisions.

    Good luck!
  • FireTigerSoul
    FireTigerSoul Posts: 274 Member
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    Getting the 100 calorie packages are about 5-10x higher in price than simply buying a big bag of pretzels, and preportioning small bags for yourself.


    While I do agree that they can be costly, they are a time-saver, and an easy way to stay within your calories for the day. The OP was asking about ways to adjust to her new, busy life. I wait until these items go on sale and I buy them in bulk. They're fast, east, and low-cal.

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