Workaholic needs some advice

being a workaholic does not give you a free pass to indulge in 500 cal coffee's

if you know the next right thing to do is going to get to a healthy place physically wouldn't it be worth exploring?

so you die from a heart attack from over eating or over working

you have to be able to make a life decision

ETA not trying to be rude

I know how you feel. Last year, I felt as though I'd have to be laid off to be able to lose weight! I don't work as many hours as you, but there still are a lot of things you can do. We live in a world of pre-prepared foods, many of which are good for you. You can pick up pre-roasted chickens at almost any market, pre-cut and washed lettuce, cut up broccoli, pre-shredded cabbage. Have some roast chicken for dinner, throw a potato or better a sweet potato into the microwave for 6 minutes or so, have some salad with a low-calorie dressing. then throw some more of the lettuce into a plastic bowl, and cut up some of the chicken into it. Buy a bag of pre-sliced almonds and throw some of those into your salad, too.

Cook some huge amounts of healthy stuff on weekends, especially stews with lots of veggies. Put them into individual plastic containers and stow those in the freezer.

Keep almonds and apples around. They're great basic diet foods.

You say you could work an 8-hour day at your job but choose not to because you would be bored at home? If that's true, I would suggest some flexibility in your viewpoint. During that time you could be exercising, super-important part of this whole endeavor. You could cook real meals for yourself. You could study up on nutrition. You could walk with a friend. You could take up an active hobby. You could go dancing.

Agree with post above.

You mention you could either work or be at home... which to me implies slight flexibility in your schedule? If this is the case, why not try penciling out an hour a day to get in some activity?

And actually, while I think activity is going to be good for you (as it is anyone), sounds like once you start making smarter decisions with your caloric intake you will start to lose.

Some may not agree with my advice, but this may help you in the beginning.... figure out how many calories you are allowed to eat per day to lose "x" amount of lbs per week... and DO NOT GO OVER. Have your 500 calorie coffee for breakfast, have some raw veggies as snacks throughout the day...... etc. As long as you stay in deficit, you will lose weight. I'm not saying that you should take a 1500 calorie allowance and make it all crap , all day every day. But I think the biggest struggle for people in the beginning is thinking they have to eat 100% "healthy". Everything in moderation is ok.

Try to first get in the habit of logging EVERYTHING and knowing how much you're taking in, and always remain under your calorie goal. You will see weight loss. Looks like you're already moving in the right direction by noticing those crazy coffees you were drinking! (hey, we all have an eye opener. Mine was a measly looking chocolate chip cookie that turned out to be 600 calories lol)

You don't have to give up coffee, you just have to give up drinking coffee that has 650 calories (!!) of other stuff in it.

I bring my lunch from home, usually a sandwich and a salad, sometimes yogurt, fruit, pretzels, trail mix, etc.

I cook dinner at home, and I know this can be tough on weeknights when working long hours, but one thing that helps is that I typically make recipes meant to serve 4 people for just myself, that way I can eat the leftovers a few times rather than cooking something new every night. If you really have no time during the week, cook a few things on the weekend so you don't have to cook at all during the week.

If you're busy and more comfortable drinking your calories, start with high protein, meal replacement shakes.

Then cut out one of your shakes, whenever it's the easiest, and replace it with a healthy meal, made with real food.

Only after your new habits become routine, cut out another shake and add a snack each day made with real food . . . and so on.

Gradual change is more likely to stick, and be realistic - you might always want to keep meal replacements close to hand for when you really don't have time for food. They may not be ideal, but they're better than coffee.

Like someone else mentioned, start packing your food.

Have a healthy and filling breakfast. Oats of some kind, porridge, etc.

Throw together veg stews and freeze them.

Start introducing exercise and light weight lifting into your daily schedule (find time for it)

Log your calories here on MFP - know exactly what you're putting into your mouth.

Replace coffee's with green tea (helps keep your metabolism burning)

take ownership of your problems.

While I don't agree with the way Cp731 worded their reply, I have to admit they do have a point. I understand where you're coming from as I, too, hate having to figure out what people are talking about with all their shortcuts and terms I've never heard before. And I wish there was an easy way without having to care about all of these things. But I'm afraid there isn't.

You come here pointing out all the things you KNOW you should do but give us reasons why you cannot / don't want to do them. You don't want to take the time to prepare proper meals because you work so much. You cannot make room for (more) exercise in your schedule. You do not want to spread your calories over several meals and snacks per day as WW suggests because you do not want to eat "so much". When people direct you to the information that could help you, you say it's all "blah blah blah" to you. That's all fine and well, it's your right to choose what you do.

But what can we do for you, then? No one here can change the laws of nature. Don't you think that if even just one person on this forum knew a way of losing weight without making the time and effort, we'd all be following their path? We may not all be workaholics but I'm sure everyone here has a bunch of things they'd rather do. Eating less and cutting down on the things you know are bad, i.e. your "coffee" is a good step but obviously it's not enough or otherwise you wouldn't be posting this. So you need to go a step further. And that could mean getting more / some exercise done, eating several proper meals and first and foremost understanding what you're doing. That means learning a little bit about calorie deficits, TDEE, macros and all the other technical terms I, too, wish I didn't have to learn about. Otherwise the only thing you can do is go on as you have before which is vaguely cutting out things you think are bad for you.

I'm starting to think you don't need advice on weight loss but on time management. Perhaps you should just learn to plan far ahead, making meal and exercise schedules for the next week(s), so it'll be easier to fit in. Maybe cook all your lunch / dinner meals for the week in one day and put them in the fridge / freezer. Something like that may help you if you have problems with making the right decisions spontaneously.

Time management..!

Your work is not an excuse. Your OCD? Honestly??... You find excuses to not do the things you know that you have to do in order to feel better.

And I think we can't help you with that.

But here are my tips from a girl who not only work a lot but also lives out of two suitcases and is sent around the world every six months... So you work 18 hours? Why don't you wake up earlier and try at least to do some exercise? Prepare some lunch at your house or bring the enough food to make a turkey sandwich and a salad at work (I've seen it being done in my office!). Prepare on the weekends soup or stew and leave it for daily dinners.

The road to hell was created with excuses... (it sounds better in Spanish haha)

Take a 1/2 hour each day to plan your tomorrow. Once you get used to it, it will only take about 15 minutes.

I pack a lunch to work and plan my workout for the day as well.

Without trying to sound rude I am going to tell you the same thing I tell my brother and best friend - WHEN you have a stroke or heart attack, what is your employer going to do? Simple - they will kick you aside for the next person that will work that much.

Make time for yourself, you are worth it

Without trying to sound rude I am going to tell you the same thing I tell my brother and best friend - WHEN you have a stroke or heart attack, what is your employer going to do? Simple - they will kick you aside for the next person that will work that much.

Make time for yourself, you are worth it

Sounds like OP's in the "I should probably do this someday" headspace, but isn't really in the motivational state to act, yet.

Sounds like OP likes/is used to her life & basically wants to keep doing what she's doing, making as few lifestyle changes as possible & avoiding putting (even a minimal amount of) time & effort into the necessary learning/preparation, but, somehow lose weight.

Not possible, I'm afraid. And in fact that whole process, of investing time and effort and intention, is what ingrains the changes into you.

& you DO have to make changes, and it's uncomfortable & disruptive and will not be fun for a while. That means you have to keep your long term goal in mind, and use other tricks to overcome immediate impulses.

All a question of motivational preparedness; unsure OP's there. (Gauntlet thrown!)

Workaholics need better nutrition to maintain their schedule, not worse.

You could eat the same thing every day (or variations thereof). You don't sound like a food person, so this might work for you. Boiled egg or cereal. Roast beef in a rollup. Raw veggies and hummus.

You could put together your meals for the week every Sunday, throw them in the freezer ,and pull them out and microwave.

You could have meals delivered, ordering them on the internet. My mom did that when my dad was very ill and she couldn't cook.