Who has the time to work out?!

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Replies

  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Also, you can go to bed a little earlier, and get up earlier. I do this and it is so efficient!
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
    Hoestly, I Love to workout and look forward to it most of the day, so for me I make time for it. I consider it as important as eating or sleeping. I have 3 kids and just about every second of my life is planned out to the second because I am always super busy. So, I just have to schedule it in like any other appointment. Most days it's evening either before or after dinner. Either way, if I had to put my kids to bed and go at 8:00 I would do it because it's on my priority list. Once you start to do it each day your body will start to crave the exercise and then you will be excited to figure out when you can fit it in. (I have no advice about the morning workouts because I also Looove sleep)
  • AglaeaC
    AglaeaC Posts: 1,974 Member
    First a quote: Saying yes to too many things is saying no to one's priorities.

    Then I suggest finding the joy in this, because it can be happiness-inducing rather than a Project That Causes Gritted Teeth To Appear.
  • perfect_storm
    perfect_storm Posts: 326 Member
    If you are as serious as you say you are you will find the time....just get up... after a few weeks it will be no problem.
  • lambchristie
    lambchristie Posts: 552 Member
    I am serious about losing weight this year and eating 1200 a calories a day almost seems impossible to me. I have been going over by 100-200 cals a day :(
    I want to start working out and doing come cardio, however with school and work I just seem to be tired and not motivated. I would like to start getting up early in the morning and working out before my day begins but I can't seem to get myself out of bed. Any suggestions???

    You need to find something that you like/enjoy to do for your workout, then you will be motivated to get up early and do your workout.
    Have you tried Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred? You can find it on You Tube. There are three levels, start with level one and do it for 10 days (or longer if needed) and progress from there. Its only 20 minutes a day and you will be amazed at your transformation in just 30 days.

    It takes 21 days to develop a new habit .. you can do this ... for YOU!!!! :happy:
  • mrst17
    mrst17 Posts: 14
    I run into this problem a lot too, I work full time and go to school as well. Here is what I have done:

    1. I got a stand/sit convertible desk for my office. I stand half the day. I've noticed an increase in my metabolism, and I burn a few extra calories this way, which add up over time. Plus, you fidget more when you stand, which burns more calories.

    2. When I need a break from work I go for a short walk around the building.

    3. 3-4 times a day, I close my office door and do 10 squats, or 10 lunges, 10 push-ups, a yoga stretch, or just a little bit of whatever. This only burns a few calories, but it adds up. I've read recent research that suggests that small bursts of exercise increase your overall energy level and metabolism. If you don't have a private office, sneak off to a bathroom and use the handicap stall, or if you're brave just do it right in front of your co-workers and who cares what they think.

    4. I still try to work out at least a half hour 3-5 times a week. I do exercise that I enjoy, so the hard part is getting going. I usually tell myself, "OK, I'll just get out there for 5 minutes and see how I feel, then I can stop if I want". I often find myself going for 40 minutes to an hour because I actually have a lot of fun once I get started.

    Don't beat yourself up over not having time for full exercise sessions. If you can do small things here and there throughout your day they can add up to the equivalent of a full work out session, and can actually be better for your metabolism.
  • lustergirl
    lustergirl Posts: 123 Member
    If you are serious about losing the weight then you make time. Once you get into a routine of exercising it gets easier.
  • SmoothRiko
    SmoothRiko Posts: 193
    Everyone says the best time to work out is in the morning, to jump-start the metabolism. Although I partially agree, I too cannot make it out of bed in the morning and I rather use the time to get ready for work rather than work out.

    I work out 2 hours in the evening before bed, it's the second to last thing I do before I thank God for letting me live to see another day.

    With night work outs, I've lost approx 7 lbs so far and I JUST started this weight loss routine. Try the night time!
  • water_coloured
    water_coloured Posts: 81 Member
    I'm sure everyone can set aside 30-60 minutes to exercise. It doesn't even have to be every day. 3 days a week is a good start. If you have time to watch TV or sit in front of your computer, you have time to work out.
  • earvizu92
    earvizu92 Posts: 320 Member
    Hi there!! Well......I work full time M-F (7-1530) and Im a wife and mommie of four. I take my gym bag with me to work and go directly to the gym after work for about hour or so five days a week! It feels so good, I love it and its almost addicting hehehe!! Its the best part of my day!! :wink:
  • gracielynn1011
    gracielynn1011 Posts: 726 Member
    I work 45-50 hours a week and have 3 kids and a husband. I have a calendar on my refrigerator with the workout that I will be doing each day. When I'm done for the day, I check it off. I do my workout in the evening, that's what works for me. My husband occupies the kids if they are rowdy and then when I am finished I have an energy burst that I use to cook, clean, and do laundry.

    If you really want to do this, you have to make it a priority. If you don't take care of yourself, no one else will.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    A. For a 25-year-old with 50 lbs to lose, 1200 calories is not enough. Your BMR has to be well above that. The reason you're going over is because that amount is not enough.

    B. If you wanted to lose weight badly enough, you wouldn't need to "find time" to work out. You'd make time for it. This is not intended as an insult; I'm just trying to be honest with you. You make time for work and school because those are things you feel you MUST do, right? If you felt that way about exercise, you'd be asking a different question than "Who has the time to work out?!"
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I have a full-time job, a part-time job, a horse that I do everything for but feed and four active dogs. I don't have any human children but my dogs all need exercise every day and I have to go to the barn twice a day for my horse. Now I don't work out in the mornings because I am on medication that makes me extremely drowsy so I have to "sleep" it off but it's a necessary evil. So at first I didn't use the excuse I don't have time, my that was "when am I going to make time to work out?"

    I started by doing Zumba and some other DVD's at home but the dogs always got in the way. Some other simple things I do that I don't even record is throwing 3 toys for 3 of my dogs at the same time in 3 different directions. I don't keep track of the burn but after 20 minutes we are all panting and I am really sweaty. I get up and walk around every hour at work to rest my eyes from the computer. I drink a lot of water so I visit the ladies room a lot and sometimes I walk to the one furthest away. The way my house is set up I take the longest route possible to whatever room I want to go to and will sometimes to an extra loop and chase the dogs.

    I've also made some sacrifices like TV, a perfectly clean house, and a perfectly groomed yard.

    I started C25K and discovered I love running. It's been two days and I'm going crazy in anticipation of my run this afternoon.

    I also made myself accountable my joining a gym and hiring a personal trainer. I live on a tight budget already and I have to make it worth spending this money on myself so I pressure myself into going when I don't feel like it or when I'm tired.

    But I find the more I go the more I want to go and as I see my body changing on a weekly basis and once very difficult tasks becoming easy it makes it all worth it.

    As far as the eating, I was eating 1300 cal/day and was exhausted all the time. Then I figured out my TDEE and BMR and realized I was really undereating. Now that I'm eating the right amount I have at least 3x more energy so you may want to look into what your body needs compared to what you're eating.

    Good luck and I hope you find your magic formula :)
  • Mashizou
    Mashizou Posts: 28 Member
    I had the same problem. I work and go to school full-time, so it's easy for the day to get away. In the end, you just have to make time and schedule it into your routine.

    I get up at 6am to do my 30 minute circuit training (right now I'm doing Jillian's 30-Day Shred) plus 20 minutes of weight-lifting. Oatmeal only take about a minute, so I'm able to pop a bowl in the microwave, eat, and be out of the shower by 7:30am. I ride my bike to work or school, so that helps me get some extra cardio in. I usually get home by about 7pm or 8pm (depending on the day), pop in a 60-minute pilates or yoga video, and I'm done.

    Eating-wise, don't worry about sticking to exactly 1,200 calories per day. If you're struggling, then it might just end up stressing you out. In the beginning, try to just focus on falling somewhere around that ball park. I usually put a lot of emphasis on portion-control and snacking throughout the day (protein shakes, apples, or carrots and hummus are awesome). You might also try planning out all of your meals a week in advance. I do this and it's helped tremendously. Any time I get the urge to gorge, I just remind myself of the plan that I prepared. For me, it really helps to pack my lunch and all of my snacks for the day in a lunch box and carry it with me wherever I go. A little tedious, but it works because I don't want to waste something I already made. One thing that's really important is to still eat the things you love. Eat that cookie or that pizza. Just work it in with your day and don't go overboard.
  • I'm late to the party but I plan it into my day.

    Right now that means getting out of bed at 4:40 am and getting on the treadmill for 30 minutes before I get ready and leave for work.

    The other admin types at work and myself try to walk 3 days a week for lunch.

    I plan 3 x a week for my bow flex.
  • VictoriaSnape
    VictoriaSnape Posts: 58 Member
    You just need to find it in yourself to get out of bed and do it. Nobody is going to do it instead of you, so make up your mind. Either you really want it or you don't. It may seem harsh, but that's the reality.
    On the other hand i am a college student, with two jobs and i still wake up 6 days a week at 4 a.m. to go running. with the additional strength training 3 times per week.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    People do what they want.

    You don't work out because you don't want to. Weight loss is hard. I've lost 75 lbs and I can guarantee you that.
    No one can motivate you if you don't want to do it. The choice is yours.

    100% agree. I made every excuse I could for the past several years. I quit making excuses a few months ago. Amazingly, I now exercise 4-6x a week. I don't always want to, and I don't always love it. But I've never regretted a single workout when I was done with it.
  • Treadmills are great. Wake up an hour earlier & jump on. You have to make time. We have to work our bodies everyday.
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
    All the tips and advice won't help if you don't make the effort. Make it a point to get up early and workout (the first hurdle is mental) soon it will become routine. I do recommend increasing your calorie intake between 1400 and 1500 (since 1200 is not doable for you)...you will still have a loss just not as quickly.

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  • Cut off your cable :)
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
    Cut off your cable :)

    ^^ THIS!

    When my alarm goes off at 4:45 I get my *kitten* out of bed. That's how I find time.
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    There are 24 hours in a day, and honestly if you WANT to workout, you will make the time to workout. I get up between 5am and 5:30 every morning (depending on the day/what time I have to be at work/what my run for the day looks like) and go do my training runs for my half marathon, I go to work for 8-10 hours, hit up the gym for my weight lifting session for about an hour and then do everything else I need to do, including prep and pack my food for the next day. I still have time for friends, my boyfriend, downtime, and me time. I will note though that most nights I only sleep 6-7 hours, and for some people this isn't enough. If you WANT it bad enough you'll make the time, you'll figure out where in your life you can make the sacrifice. During the week if I want to see my boyfriend or do something with friends the sacrifice will come from my sleep, or my sacrifice is not seeing my boyfriend everyday or cutting 1.5 hours off our hangout time so I can workout and shower.

    As far as getting yourself out of bed, I set my alarm and the moment it goes off I pop out of bed and go put my contacts in, that way I can't lay back down. I then go get changed and head straight out the door for my run. If you have a friend who gets up to workout around the same time ask if you can workout together. However, learn your body, if you're not a morning person, don't workout in the mornings, workout at night. Its all honestly about how much YOU want it.

    I will tell you there are mornings I don't want to get out of bed (this morning for example...I literally fought every ounce of my body to get out of bed and came up with 10 million excuses) there are days I don't want to lift, and there are days I just flat out want to go home and stuff my face full of ben and jerrys, pie, and bojangles, but I don't. There isn't a workout that I've ever done that I've thought "man I really wish I hadn't worked out today" so stop the excuses and start doing.
  • emjean76
    emjean76 Posts: 116 Member
    I just started the T25 workout program. It's only 25 minutes. I get up a little earlier than normal and I have so much more energy throughout the day. Good luck finding what works best for you!
  • _Resolve_
    _Resolve_ Posts: 735 Member
    5:30 came awfully early today, but I still got out of bed, went to the gym for an hour and went to work. You find the time.
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  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    Stop watching TV and log off the internet.

    An excuse is just a reason to justify your failure when you don't put in the required effort.
  • 1200 calories seems really low. You should eat more than that, and exercise will definitely help as well. I tried for ages to get up in the morning and do yoga/pilates and never could. Then, I tried getting up to run and it works like a charm. Unless I really didn't sleep well the night before, I'm almost always willing to go for a run right out of bed. In addition, I go to yoga right after work. The trick for me is to not let myself "relax" or else Ill never get up again.
  • jkoenig1980
    jkoenig1980 Posts: 31 Member
    A. For a 25-year-old with 50 lbs to lose, 1200 calories is not enough. Your BMR has to be well above that. The reason you're going over is because that amount is not enough.

    B. If you wanted to lose weight badly enough, you wouldn't need to "find time" to work out. You'd make time for it. This is not intended as an insult; I'm just trying to be honest with you. You make time for work and school because those are things you feel you MUST do, right? If you felt that way about exercise, you'd be asking a different question than "Who has the time to work out?!"

    this.
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