Scheduled Life vs Woo Hoo Who Cares! Life

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mm3898
mm3898 Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So this coming Monday I start my first REAL job as a college grad- I'll be working in data entry, doing a 8-4 type gig during the week and working weekends at a veterinary hospital 8-3. Since last year when I moved back home (January 2009), I've been on wacky school schedules or no real schedule at all where I have nothing specific to do during the day. :yawn:

In the past, when I was going to High School and my first year in college when I had classes and a job to keep me busy, I was healthy and happy w/ myself. But now, for the past year and few months, I've been on wacky schedules and given some other stressors not really caring as much about eating well/exercising, thus gaining approximately 40-50 lbs of unwanted chubb-a-lubb. I was a vegan but have incorporated dairy,eggs, and fish because I find that the lean proteins help, but I still have tons of trouble being motivated :sad:

So I'm wondering if there is anyone out there in the MFP world who found that adding structure to their life helped in weight loss and overall health? I really hope it works for me, that being an "adult" with more responsibilities for myself will force me to WANT to be feeling great inside and out.... Thanks in advance for any advice on how to make the transition or any past experiences, you all are fabulous on MFP! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
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    It absolutely help! You now know your schedule ahead of time so you can plan at the beginning of the week. Throw your gym clothes in your car in the morning. If I go home... I dont leave!
  • shrublet
    shrublet Posts: 42 Member
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    More structure in my day always helps with me. I'm a university student and at the moment, I have a month off and have embarked on this whole fitness thing, which is going well so far. That being said, it's not easy to be at home for a good portion of the day and be disciplined enough not to snack! I always find that when I am busy with school, the structure helps with exercising and eating right because I schedule it in like all my other commitments. Plus being out and about definitely stops the snacking.

    That being said, it does take a lot more planning ahead, like cooking a bunch of stuff on the weekend for the rest of the week, getting gym clothes ready for the next day, getting up early, etc. So it's not quite as "fun" but it helps you stay disciplined.

    Just remember that when you have other stuff going on, it's easier to find excuses not to diet/work out ("I deserve a night off", "today was hard at work, just one cookie won't hurt"), so just be aware of that too. :)

    Good luck!!
  • jeanineadele
    jeanineadele Posts: 114
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    Your biggest challenge may be finding time for your health so it might be good to consider your physical needs first so your body can do all the things your asking it to do (working 7 days a week?). Really consider what you can realistically expect your body to accomplish? How much time do you need to budget for your meal prep, exericise and just plain old hanging out to rest your spirit. Remember to take care of your body and it will take are of you. :-)
  • Mellie13
    Mellie13 Posts: 424
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    It helps me a ton! I even have a dry erase board in my kitchen to keep track of schedules and the meals I am going to cook. I also have a blog (you can check out the link below). We just moved so things are kind of crazy right now, though!
  • queenmedusa
    queenmedusa Posts: 247 Member
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    I definitely think it helps to have structure and I hate it when things throw me off my stride. Normally I wake at 6am, get ready for work and have breakfast at 6.30am. Healthy snack at 9.30am. Lunch at 12.30pm. Dinner at 6pm. Stops me from feeling hungry at any point and makes sure I eat healthy cos I'm not grabbing chocolate to get my blood sugar levels back up. I also pack a lunch instead of buying food - probably saves me a couple hundred calories over a day (and takes away the temptation to have a candy bar and chips!) You may find that structuring your food intake helps you out in terms of energy and being healthy. I also have a stock of homemade soups and things in the freezer for when I feel too lazy to cook! Stops me from having any of those "grab it and go" moments when it would be too easy to pop to the store and buy a microwave meal.

    Good luck with revising your life x
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Absolutely, I have a terrible being in grad school, I wish I could stick to a regular schedule.

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