Starting over...how do you all find the time???
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Do your school reading while on the treadmill or exercise bike. Recite your notes into a recorder and listen to it while going for a jog. Have the kids do an exercise video at home with you, or take them outside to play ball.
These are really great suggestions! Maybe start with that.
I work a full time job, a part time job, and occasional freelancing. I don't have kids... Just a dog and a man-child (my fiance who also works a lot). I log my meals while I'm eating them and do my best to plan meals for the week on my day off (or sometimes it's just a half day off depending on my part time job schedule) so that I always have healthy options available. I pack a lunch box with what I need when I'm on the go. I take my dog running with me a few days a week because it's good for both of us. I do yoga and/or body weight exercises (push up, pull ups, sit ups, squats, etc) at home each morning.
I also started a little bit at a time. I would introduce a new habit, work for that to stick, then introduce a new one. I started with logging food. I added in weekly food prep. Then I added in running and elliptical/other every other day. I run outside when I can. Then I added weight machines on my gym days, which is only an extra 20 minutes. When I work both jobs in one day, I do my run in the morning or go to the gym during my lunch break at work. After that habit stuck, I started doing yoga pretty much every single morning. It's helped a lot with stress/anxiety.
Basically... Make one healthy choice over and over until it's a habit. Then make another. You can either make time for your health now, or you'll be forced to make time for sickness later. Take care of yourself!
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Thank you all for the helpful ideas and suggestions! I think that I was putting too much thought into how I can get it all done so I can set a good example for my kids. I can't be everywhere and do everything at once, so I think I will involve my kids more in doing what I need to do. They will "love" to work out with mommy, I'm sure! ha ha. Yes, I have the home dvds, getting them involved will be a great way to spend time with them and exercise at the same time while setting a good example and getting them started on the healthy lifestyle as well! I will just have to hold off on studying and homework for when they go to bed or I can try to find ways to involve them with that as well for when mid-terms and finals come up! Sleep is important and as one person said, I can try to catch up on the weekends. Crock pots are a great idea as well, I will have to learn to use them more. I mainly use them to cook meals sometimes, but they are definitely a time saver! I have two of them, so I can hopefully find a way to prep two meals at once. We don't eat out often, so that wasn't really an issue. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just trying to have a healthier lifestyle.0
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As someone already suggested, you don't have to go to a gym. For me, I workout 3 days a week, during naptime. I'm currently doing 30 day shred and wii zumba. The crock pot can become your best friend as well for meal preps. And some meals I make enough to freeze to have another day, or for the next day. Do one grocery shop for meals and meal plan so your not forgetting ingredients.
Number 1 is to eat well and take the snack suggestions from others. And 2 is move more. You don't have to workout 2 hours everyday to get results.0 -
I used to make the weeks meals on Sunday. Then I didn't have to worry about what I was going to make that night for supper plus I used all the same pans to make several dishes so I had less dishes to do. So at night all we had to do was warm up food. I also planned my meals and recorded them in this program while I was on the treadmill. I also walked during my breaks and lunch breaks at work. I also did squats sometimes while waiting for the copy machine to finish! At home when I only have a few minutes, I jump on the elliptical and put it on the maximum resistance and I can burn 100 calories in 5 mins. And as gross as this sounds- I would schedule my workouts so I didn't have to shower after every workout. So at night I will workout and then go to bed and workout the next morning also then shower. Also during classes you can do muscle contracting exercises. Good luck! Your doing a great job!0
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Honestly, once you get into the habit of logging what you eat, you will be thinking about it much more often and it will seem like something you WANT to do rather than a bothersome chore. I actually stop myself now before putting something in my mouth if I don't know the nutrition information, because I hate guessing when I log, and that is huge!! I don't OBSESS over counting calories, and believe me, it is just as much a pain as it was when I first got serious about it back in January. However, there is an undeniable sense of achievement that comes with planning out your day's meals and fitting into that plan just like you wanted. Rather than be a slave to your schedule, make your schedule work for you.
Gonna be in class all day? Make a meal in a Crock Pot, or find less offensive frozen meals and canned soups (try to go for reduced sodium at the very least) that can be prepared with little effort when you're tired. Stock up on the raw produce, it makes for great grazing. Yogurts and nuts are an easy source of protein, and there are plenty of healthy cereal options available that makes breakfast easy. Contrary to the popular myths, you don't actually need a lot of money or to shop at fancy places to stock a healthy pantry. I shop at Aldi almost exclusively and am very satisfied with their selection.
The key to success here isn't thinking about how hard all this is and how much time it takes-- just try to think of it as part of your routine, like going to class and being with your kids. Exercise is a puzzle piece too, but it can be as simple as doing a few push-ups with a child on your back, chasing your kids around the house for hide-and-seek, or going up and down the stairs for five minutes on the commercial break while you're taking a well-earned TV break. The time it takes to plan out meals and get in some exercise is actually not a huge chunk at all, once you get into the habit. Best of luck to you!0 -
There is always a way to make time regardless of how busy you are. Personally, I believe saying there is no time to make healthy foods or no time to exercise is an excuse.
When you need to study, read your textbooks or notes while walking on the treadmill or using a stationary bike. I read my texts and notes while using the stationary bike while I was in school. I usually would study for anywhere between an hour and three hours in a day depending on what needed to be done. I would read notes and texts while using the exercise bike, I would read my notes or texts while taking a bath... I would write my essays/do homework while waiting for food to cook, while on the bus/train, while waiting for an appointment, etc.
There are so many ways to make time. Easy to study while exercising depending on the exercise you do. Study while dinner is cooking. Study while waiting for an appointment,, while on transit if you don't drive. Study when the kids are doing a sport if they do that.
Pick one day a week and make a lot of food. Make your lunches and dinners than put into the fridge/freezer until you need them. Cut up your fruits and veggies for the week than as well. Portion it out into bags or containers and pop into the fridge. If you are making dinner one night, make extras for lunch the next day. When you cut up veggies for dinner, cut up extras for snacks. When you cook chicken for example, cook many more pieces than you need. You can use them for future meals... cut some up for stir frys or wraps or chicken salad. Always cook more than you need than once it's cooked, take a portion or two out and put into containers and into the frigde or freezer.
Again, there are tons of ways to make the time if you want it bad enough. Sneak in ways to get exercise. Park a block or two from work and walk the rest of the day. Walk to the store if there is one close enough. If not, park on the other side of the lot and walk to the store. Do squats while cooking. Instead of sitting around and watching TV with the kids, go for a walk with them. Play an active video game. PLay in the yard.
Take ten minutes multiple times a day for exercise if you have to. Walk up and down the stairs in your house... or run up and down the stairs in your house for a few minutes.
Logging what you are eating shouldn't take a lot of time. Use the app on a smartphone if you have one (the scanning feature makes it so easy!). I can log all the food I will eat in a day in maybe 5 minutes.. 10 mins if I need to make recipes. If you have a laptop or a smartphone input the foods you are eating while cooking/preparing them. If you have a smartphone or an ipod log while you are exercising... or brushing your teeth, etc. Multitask as often as you can.0 -
I just do what I have to do. I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. Work full time, school after work, I have a 4 year old, and my husband is out of town working monday thru friday. I get up at 4:30 every morning during the week to work out. I cook on the weekends. I'm constantly doing something productive, unless I'm sleeping. It sucks sometimes, but I have very clear cut goals so i make it work.0
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I suggest starting with small goals. Work out 2-3 days a week. Be good Mon-Fri with eating. Don't beat yourself up if you "mess up" one day by not eating the healthiest or missing a workout. Stay positive. Try to stay in the mentality that every day counts, not the mentality that you'll do it tomorrow. Good luck!
I agree with this. Like you I really felt I had no time. I work 60 hours a week at a completely sedentary but demanding job. I have two kids, so before and after work is all about feeding them, reading to them etc. the last thing I wanted to do after that was exercise. SO I just decided not to give myself a hard time about it and to do what I could. For the first month that was only logging what I ate and watching calories. But then as I started to lose some weight I found that I wanted to do a bit of exercise too. S I started by taking my kids swimming at the weekends, which they like. I can't do many lengths, because I'm playing with them, but I manage some. I was still only managing to do this at weekends. But just this week I have started doing fitness DVDs form20 mins in the morning - I know I won't manage every day, but I will manage some days. So my advice is to not use the fact it is hard to do it all as an excuse to do nothing, but to just try and take baby steps - something is better than nothing, and you might find that as you do more, you will discover new ways of stealing a little time back.
Hope that helps - I do sympathise!0 -
Oh yes, and I do cook at weekends and put atuff in the freezer. And I started playing wii sport with my kids, and wii dance, which they love and I was always too lazy to play!0
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As people have already said, it's not about "finding" the time. I have tried that an failed 10 different times in the past 6 years. Now, I don't have to worry about finding time. It's part of my daily life. Look at it this way....
When you had kids, did you try and find time to change their diapers, feed them, take them to the doctors, etc? If you forgot 1 day because you were busy, no big deal, right? Of course not...you built that into your daily life / routine.
Same thing you need to do with the food and exercise. At first, it is VERY daunting. However, as you get healthier and fitter, your self esteem increases, you health increases, you are sick less, you feel better overall...and wonderfully you can do more than ever did before.
Like anything, the initial investment is rough, but the payout in the end is HUGE! Good luck!0 -
When I set very high goals for myself (like go to the gym 5-7 days per week) I couldn't meet them and felt like a failure. I've been successful for the past 2 months by having a goal of 3x per week at the gym. That's it. Sometimes I find the time to go more, but if I don't , I don't feel like a failure. I'm also doing the couch to 5K running program, and actually having a set goal instead of just "work out, lose weight, get healthier, blah blah blah" is very motivating to me. It's just so much more concrete to say "today I'm going to do the run on week 5, run #2", and then when I do it I feel so accomplished.
Some other tips I've found helpful for saving time:
* Use your iPhone (or whatever smart phone) to log everything, that way you can do it while you're doing other things, such as waiting in line at the checkout line at the store.
* Stop watching TV. You'll probably end up going to bed earlier, and then you can start getting up earlier. (And if you have a TV in your bedroom, get it out now!)
* Online shopping. Amazing. I don't just mean stuff like clothes and shoes, but anything else as well that you buy regularly. I get my favorite hair products online, keurig coffee and tea pods, pet food, etc. I also am part of a local fruit/veggie delivery that's great--I get fresh stuff delivered every 2 weeks.
*I'm trying to start doing some basic exercises first thing every morning. Push-ups and abs, maybe. Just 5-10 minutes every morning won't affect my schedule, but could really make a big difference if I'm consistent.
*Walk everywhere you can possibly walk. This is easy if you live in the city, but even in the suburbs there's a lot you can do. There are some giant shopping center parking lots that people often drive from one store to another! It feels like you're wasting time, but it often doesn't take much longer than driving, and you're getting lots of exercise. Also, take the stairs instead of the exercise. The time difference is really negligible.
* Spend just half an hour every saturday to plan out your meals for the week, and then cook on Sunday. Easy meals that you can be studying or spending time with your family while cooking. And portion them out and refrigerate or freeze them for the week. Again, don't strive for more than you can handle. It's OK to "plan" to eat a grab-and-go meal, and not plan to cook something for yourself during the week. Just think about it ahead of time. I like to have a variety of things quick and ready, depending on how hungry I am and what I feel like. Maybe a frozen meal, or some leftovers to heat up, or just a bowl of cereal, or a random assortment (I recently had a luna bar, a couple little oranges, some stuffed grape leaves, and a handful of dried cranberries for dinner. Not the best, but it kept me from ordering takeout!).0 -
I agree with everyone that said you dont find time, you MAKE the time. I also understand it's hard because we all have our own set of obstacles that make this lifestyle difficult. Wouldn't it be easy if we all had unlimited time, unlimited funds, and unwavering support? Sure. But lets not sit around waiting for perfection. Life gets in the way. Figure out a way to work around the obstacles. I think what it boils down to is LITTLE stuff accumulates, either for the good or for the bad. Little things add up. Every ounce you lose add up to pounds at some point. Just like little decisions add up to success. I don't think you'll read anything here you don't already know. I don't think any huge revelation will surface from this thread. I have no delusions that you will read my advice and think, wow that chubby girl changed my life! Just like I don't think you'll "find" time hiding under your bed.
A couple things you prolly already know but need to remind yourself:
1. Planning is key!
2. Have a list of go-to meals your kids love, your budget loves, and takes little or no prep time. The crockpot is my alternative to take-out. Most crockpot meals require 10 mins or less prep and it cooks while you are at school or work.
3. Find a way to incorporate studying and fitness. (Remember Elle Woods studying on the treadmill in Legally Blonde? Lol) Do that if you can. Record lectures in class and play it back through headphones on a walk or jog.
4. List every obstacle you can think of that gets in your way and dont settle for excuses. Tackle each challenge on that list and come up with viable solutions around them. Make a plan.0 -
Whatever you do, make sure you get enough sleep. I recommend folding fitness into your routine - take the stairs, walk instead of driving etc.0
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Thank you all for the helpful ideas and suggestions! I think that I was putting too much thought into how I can get it all done so I can set a good example for my kids. I can't be everywhere and do everything at once, so I think I will involve my kids more in doing what I need to do. They will "love" to work out with mommy, I'm sure! ha ha. Yes, I have the home dvds, getting them involved will be a great way to spend time with them and exercise at the same time while setting a good example and getting them started on the healthy lifestyle as well! I will just have to hold off on studying and homework for when they go to bed or I can try to find ways to involve them with that as well for when mid-terms and finals come up! Sleep is important and as one person said, I can try to catch up on the weekends. Crock pots are a great idea as well, I will have to learn to use them more. I mainly use them to cook meals sometimes, but they are definitely a time saver! I have two of them, so I can hopefully find a way to prep two meals at once. We don't eat out often, so that wasn't really an issue. I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just trying to have a healthier lifestyle.
crock pots are the best invention ever!!! a large can of broth, some meat, let it go all day!!! i use it almost everyday!, then, about an hour before your ready to make the plates, add in some veggies to the pot, add some carrots, broccoli, celery... yesterday i made chicken in salsa, cooked all day in the crock pot, then, served it with a side of black beans and rice. kids loved it, house smelled awesome, and cleanup was simple!0 -
I understand it's important. I have tried to make the time, I'm asking for what works for people. It's not that I don't get how important it is. There are 24 hours in a day, I work and I'm in school for 14 of those hours two days a week with the homework and studying that goes along with it. It's not like I'm making excuses.
Study/read while you're on the treadmill, elliptical or recumbent bike, or while you're walking/jogging around the house. You're going to have to find creative ways to incorporate movement into your day. It can be done if you're really scheduled so tight that you find it impossible to carve out a dedicated 30 minutes a day to focus on exercising by itself.
If you can't get to a gym, or if you don't want to bother driving that far to exercise, then buy home equipment. Kettlebells are pretty cheap and youtube has free videos.
If you get your eyes off what you think is a problem, and focus on the solution instead, then one is going to present itself that you can be happy with and that's doable and sustainable. It's all about what we choose to focus on, really.
I'd suggest figuring out your current schedule, and then dumping things you can give up and rearranging others. I had to give up some of my usual activities to get my butt moving on a regular basis. I had to give up a purchase I really wanted to make, to buy exercise equipment instead. So? It's a give/take situation since God isn't going to create more hours in a day especially for me. We all have the exact same time amount to work with.
Eating healthy, incorporating regular activity and getting sufficient amounts of sleep are foundational, basic life things. Far more so than school and whatnot, which are optional, really. Focus on the foundational and call the optional what it is, and let it sit in the background for a moment until you have the foundational things under control. I think you have it a little backwards, honestly. And, I'm not being judgmental, just factual, because I understand how easy it is to get caught up in non-essentials and confusing wants and needs which in turn messes with our priorities.0 -
Wow there are a lot of people telling you to make time. That's really not supportive. I have two children aged 3 and 2, work full time and my husband works in anther city. I also have fatigue epilepsy and I used to study part time whilst I worked and you know what......it is hard to find time and you don't get to make it. That's nonsense from people who haven't been there. You have to figure out a way to make diet and exercise fit in with your schedule and that takes trial and error and can get disheartening when you fall behind.
All I'd say is stay positive, it's worth it. I found short bursts of exercise helped me. 30DS DVD is 30 minutes and I can fit that in a couple of times a week. I also found making play time with the children my exercise time really helped; hula hoop or dancing or if you can get your hands on a trampoline! I cheat too with food; I buy ready made soups cos they're quick and easy or I eat what I'm making the children anyway. I also have a tablet rather than a computer so I can log on the go (on the bus, whilst the children get bathed etc) and it means I can just scan bar codes and click add rather than trying to find things. Having tried the whole work and study thing I wouldn't recommend trying to combine your study time and your exercise time - you are under a lot of pressure already don't overload yourself.
Good luck0 -
I think you have to multi-task... You can march in place, do squats, or do push-ups against the counter while you wait on the microwave, or while brushing your teeth.... do a squat for each storke as you brush your hair..... ect. Take the stairs when ever you have the chance... Park as far away from the building as you can get and still be safe.... Load the kids up and make them walk with you before dinner.
make play time a work out for you.... You can lay in the floor and shoulder press the little ones, Or lift them with your legs.. Or let them climb on your back and see how many pushups you can do with them....
If you take a day a week and cook all of your meat and portion it out in freezer bags, you'll at least have stuff you can re-heat... chop veggies and store them in "lunch box" size portions too...0 -
When you are working try using a excercise ball instead of a chair. When you have only a few minutes get to dong some crunches and sit ups. There are a bunch of excercises you can do that only take a few minutes at a time. I know people might say you won't see any results but it is a start in a really good direction. You will be blown away by how many excercises you can squeeze into a day by doing this. When I am home and can't get to the gym for a few days, when I go from one room to the next I make sure to go to the floor and do 50 sit ups and 50 push ups. Good luck0
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Really make time. For yourself. 30 minutes @ day is all you need. If you do 20 minutes that's good. Also.0
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I've started doing squats while waiting for my husband's toast to pop in the mornings - anyone watching through the window must think I'm nuts lol
I work long hours (plus spend 2hrs in the car commutting each day) so I squeeze in little bits of strength training as and where I can (push ups before getting in the shower, takes 5mins) and then on my day off, that's when I try to do longer sessions of cardio on my bike or take the dog for much longer walks than she gets on a weekday.
It is hard, mostly because it's new. I have a fairly structured day and the first few weeks I couldn't honestly see where I could find an hour to exercise and the truth is, I don't have a whole hour, but I do have lots of little 5 or 10mins and while it may not be ideal, it's a hell of a lot better than I was doing before (sitting on my *kitten* eating cake is a reasonable assumption ). 0 -
I've started doing squats while waiting for my husband's toast to pop in the mornings - anyone watching through the window must think I'm nuts lol
not whilst making toast but I do squats each evening while I'm drying my hair - amazing how many you can do in that time!0 -
I stuck with MFP religiously over a year ago, did over 20lb but then I moved house... had no kitchen, we lived off takeaway and microwave meals and I regained all the weight and then some!!
But I decided to really go at it again, I reset my MFP, deleted all my old stats (so not to depress me), and started again.
Even after Christmas big meals, easter chocolates, or big going out meals. The next day I record the damage, and just start again. May make a longer process, but dieting is not something that we just do to get rid of a bit of weight and go straight back to our original lifestyle, its pretty much for life!
Anyway, I do the 30DS, Running and Gym... Now there is only 7 days in the week and I will only do one a day... so its a bit awkward really! The 30DS has best effects if you do it every day, but its a good workout regardless so I do it when I can! Although I swear she is trying to kill me...0 -
I'm asking for ideas to help make the time, not people telling me how easy it is for them to do it or telling me that I'm making excuses by saying that I'm lacking time. While I appreciate everyone responding, sometimes people just need ideas. The fact that I'm asking for assistance shows that I've been trying and what I've been doing hasn't been working.
What about with the kids? i'm sure they play whilst you are looking after them so why not join in? Play soccer, catch have a water fight and run around with them. It's a great way to get a work out in and i'm sure both you and the kids will enjoy it 0 -
I know that it's important to eat healthy and exercise, but I honestly can't find the time without giving up sleep. How do you all do it?
I give up sleep.
I get up 2 hours earlier than I technically need to to go to the gym and do food prep.
I work 60+ hours a week0 -
I just can say what i do maybe it helps you too.
I don't have kids but i have a full time job too and i am often on business trips.
And on the busniess trips it is always harder but i pack my running shoes and ask at the hotel for god trails or if it is in winter i do some excercises in the hotel room.
Maybe you don't have time to go to the gyme because of work and kids but try to get movement to your daily routine use stairs instead of elevators. Walk instead of taking the car (i know that isn't possible eveery time but sometimes)
Maybe you can get a stationary bike or soemthing like that and place it inyour livingroom and when the others watch tv you can watch with them on your bike so you are at home with your kids and exercising DOUBLE BONUS
if oyu don't like cycling there are other opportunities like arobic running kettle bell maybe zumba with the DVDs
I am sure you will find something that works for you0 -
I agree with those who are being supportive and admitting that time constraints are real problems for people. That being said, there still is much you can do.
I think the suggestion of a 30 minute video program is a good one. On days when your mom watches the kids (due to school), could she keep them 45 minutes longer to allow you time to exercise? Or could you squeeze in a half-hour workout once they're in bed?
Jillian Michaels was a big proponent of the "no-excuses" attitude. Then recently, I read an interview she did where she admitted that now that she's adopted two kids, she realized that there are actually real reasons people can't exercise at full effort all the time. But she suggested workable solutions (such as reading on the treadmill).
YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY COMING FOR HELP - but some people on this forum are very all or nothing...so take that with a grain of salt.
Best of luck!0 -
I make time even if it isn't nothing but 20 minutes.0
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