I'm a commuter and just plain pooped!

bennzz61
bennzz61 Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
:yawn: Hi all,

I commute from CT to NYC for work. I leave my home around 6:15 a.m. and get home around 7:00 p.m. When I get home I try to squeeze in 20-30 mins of an exercise DVD and in the morning I walk from the train to my office (approx. 30 mins). Some days I don't have the energy to exercise after work. I prep all of my meals on Sunday so that when I get home just have to either warm up somethng or plate a cool salad with some sides. I bring my meals to work with me too. It's still very tough to stay motivated especially with all the goodies always in my office. I need some motivation/inspiration to stay focused.

I'm usually good Monday through Wednesday but by Thursday the willpower wanes. Also, it doesn't help I'm going through menopause. I follow a few blogs for diet tips, recipes and exercise ideas but it's such a struggle. Anyone else here in a similar dilemma?

Replies

  • cricket_77
    cricket_77 Posts: 165 Member
    Can you work out during lunch? I use to do that a lot. I've pretty much commuting my entire working life and I agree, sometimes it's hard to find the time! You might also try to fit it in during the weekends.

    Do you have a desk job? Try to find ways to get up get moving while at work. Take a walk during your breaks.Good luck!
  • KaciWood19
    KaciWood19 Posts: 396 Member
    While I don't commute, I have a very busy schedule. It sounds like you already do the meal planning which is great. I walk on my lunch breaks, could you break out for lunch and get in a brisk walk? Also what about hitting the gym before your commute home? Right now, I wake up at 5:30 and get in a workout in the morning because the evenings aren't an option anymore for me. Also, what about the weekends?
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Why not work out on Monday - Weds, and then take Thursday and Friday off since you're starting to get burned out? Sometimes it just gets to be too much. If you worked out one weekend day, you'd be working out 4 days a week, which is really quite good. You could even work out on Saturday and Sunday if you wanted to.
  • bsuew
    bsuew Posts: 628 Member
    I try to walk during my lunch break, it gives a nice break to the day. I find the weekends are harder for me than during the week. I'm on everyday off and on during the day and love to encourage and be encouranged. Feel fee to add me
    I am also post meopausal. (per the lab work) I have just found this out. It hit with force, Easter Morning!!! I follow a 1200 calorie a day life style, low carb. It works best for me.
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
    Can you sleep on the train (not sure if it's safe in the US, but saw it quite a bit over the two weeks I spent near Tokyo, Japan last year)? That could help with some of the fatigue.

    Can you set some limits for yourself on the treats people bring in (like a "spoonful" or "an eighth of a piece")? I avoid gluten, so that makes saying no to a lot of things easy, but today I allowed myself a tiny piece of fudge and a tiny portion of a chocolate nut cluster (and recorded it in my log). If your eating plan is too restrictive (or too boring) I think that makes it harder to say no. Perhaps bring in (or buy) your own special treat just for yourself every day (in a suitable portion size, of course)
  • chymerra
    chymerra Posts: 212
    i also work full time and leave my house around 630am. i get up at 445am to workout and because i don't have much time, i do interval training to get the most of my workout in the shortest possible time.

    i also prep all of my meals so as i'm cooking dinner, i prep my meals (all 5 of them) for the next day.

    by 930pm, i'm totally wiped out and pass out for the night.
  • Soula7475
    Soula7475 Posts: 12 Member
    Convert your desk at work to a standing desk! Search it online...there are many benefits. I actually just put some books under my monitor and mouse. I'm really enjoying burning the extra calories through the day. Check out: http://www.juststand.org/
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Why not work out on Monday - Weds, and then take Thursday and Friday off since you're starting to get burned out? Sometimes it just gets to be too much. If you worked out one weekend day, you'd be working out 4 days a week, which is really quite good. You could even work out on Saturday and Sunday if you wanted to.

    I like this idea. Also staying as active as possible at work. I had an exercise physiologist professor who was very busy, but he would do isometrics at his desk, small resistant exercises in his office, and only used a balance ball as his chair. Also I assume you arent too far from a set of stairs in NYC. I was losing the most weight when I worked at an office with stairs and then 2-3 times a day I would climb those stairs back and forth for 15minutes. That was a great kick work out.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    I walk around the CBD at lunchtime in the rural city where I live. Is that a possibility for you?
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
    Bumping this as I have a lengthy commute too. I drive and sometimes traffic and accidents can add an extra hour minimum.
  • muddynicola
    muddynicola Posts: 41 Member
    surely 30 minutes walking a day is enough, you don't want to exhaust yourself. Just try and do an exercise dvd at the weekend when you have more time and adjust your calories in the week to account for less activity.

    Apparently weightloss is 75 percent diet 25 percent exercise, just concentrate on the diet.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
    I don't even commute but I leave home around 7:00am and get home around 7:15pm.

    For me the only solution (because I'm so tired in the evenings that I make excuses) is to exercise in the mornings. That means getting up at 4:30am. I'd be lying if I said it was fun but it does work.

    And like you I prep all of my meals on the weekend.
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    My commute is about an hour each way, and I have small children at home. I do my best to go to the gym three days a week. I found that paying for the gym made me go. I can't waste money like that. When I was doing it home I would be tired and just sit down. Also, I found that what I was doing at home really wasn't effective. I needed weights. I think of my time at the gym as my 'me time' when I just need to get away from home and do something for myself. One of my workout days is on the weekend so it isn't too hard to get in two days during the week, usually Monday and Wednesday when I'm still not exhausted.
  • Dino924
    Dino924 Posts: 47 Member
    Order some delicious, healthy take out on thursday, like sushi or something, so you have something to look forward to.

    Can you do 3 intense 45-60 minute workouts a week instead shorter workouts every day? Once you're changed and get going I find it easier to do another 20 mins, rather than try to do something shorter everyday. Eat a small dinner when you get home and do a longer workout later a few days a week.
  • BigBrunette
    BigBrunette Posts: 1,543 Member
    Bump.

    I drive 120 miles round-trip each day. Leave at 5:30 AM, get home at 6:30 PM if I'm lucky. Thanks for the OP and all the great ideas!
  • SueZQ82
    SueZQ82 Posts: 2 Member
    My sister is also a commuter in the NYC area. A few days a week she goes for a run during lunch time. She then eats a healthy lunch at her desk.
    I don't think you should wait til the end of your day to do that DVD exercise. Especially if you are exhausted by then. Then you will just hate exercising. If you cannot do it during lunch then try waking up 30 mins earlier. While I was in the army we always did our exercise early in the morning. It made me feel very good and energetic the rest of the day. It was refreshing.
    As far as goodies, can you bring some fruit to work as a snack?
    Well keep up the good work and I hope you can adjust your schedule.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    Commuter in Los Angeles, means you drive...By your tittle, i thought you had an "accident" in the car.:noway:
  • Mrsallypants
    Mrsallypants Posts: 887 Member
    One solution I found to the energy drain problem before exercising is consuming about 25 to 30 grams of whole grain carbs an hour before working out. Without that, deadlifting would be impossible for me.

    I guess caffeine is out of the question since you work out late, there are pre-workout supplements that have really motivated me to workout also.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I would suggest maybe joining a gym that's close to work so you can just workout before going home, but if you are walking to and from the station for 30 min twice/day then you could probably just get away with doing weights 2-3x/wk to build muscle. Is there a cheap gym on your walk to the train which you pass by? And I don't know if you are married or have a family. If not, then nobody would be upset if you came home a bit later???
  • judtod
    judtod Posts: 85
    My husband is in your situation. What works for him is taking walks at lunch, using the stairs at work, exercising on the weekends (and when he can after work during the week) and walking to the local stores when he runs errands. He has lost 33 pounds doing this (with cutting back on calories).
  • bennzz61
    bennzz61 Posts: 18 Member
    Wow! Thanks for all the replies and encouragement. I do go to the gym on Saturday for an 8:15 spin class followed by weights. I also usually take a nice hour long walk on Sunday with my neighbor and his dog. And on my lunch hours I try to take a walk depending the weather. Taking the stairs is out. They are strict on security and only used for fire drills.

    Some of my co-workers do work-out at lunch but the thought of quickly exercising of 30 mins and taking a 2nd shower doesn't appeal to me. The same with lugging extra clothes to work.

    I used to go to the gym 5 days a week before work when I didn't have this commute. I think menopause is the big issue. My metabolism just isn't the same anymore. :(

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