New Job + New Lifestyle = Weight Gain

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unckat09
unckat09 Posts: 97
in Introduce Yourself
I have never been considered "skinny", but I have always been athletic. I grew up playing sports, and in college I participated in a lot of intramural activities. Now, I have started my "career" and I have gained so much weight. It breaks my heart, as this is not where I planned to be at this point in my life. I joined MFP because today I want to make a change.

Has anyone else gone through a similar situation? If so, how did you manage? I am so tired/stressed when I get home that the last thing I want to do is workout. In fact, I get joy from sitting on the couch and watching 5 episodes of The Real Housewives of (insert city) while drinking Pinot and eating sushi. It's sad and pathetic. I need to get out of this slump!

Suggestions, tips, and war stories welcomed . . .

Replies

  • alex51026
    alex51026 Posts: 71
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    We are probably in the exact same boat! You will LOVE this website and the community it brings!
  • cindaroses
    cindaroses Posts: 117
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    I am the same way. But I really do feel better about everything after I workout...even though I am so tired!
  • darrenw74
    darrenw74 Posts: 86 Member
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    Getting the workout in is difficult, but it's essential. If you can slip out of work during your lunch hour to a nearby gym, that's the easiest on your life schedule. Otherwise, either do it first thing in the morning before you leave for work, or first thing when you get home.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    Can you take a walk on your lunch break at work? A lot of people at my company do that. Some people can get up early enough in the morning to workout. I would LOVE to do that, but can not get myself out of bed. This site will be such a help to you. The support is great, and tracking your eating alone, will do so much to help you change your eating habits and see results. Exercising lets you eat MORE calories, but if you are not exercising, while eating well, you will still lose weight. :flowerforyou:
  • digitalyssa
    digitalyssa Posts: 112 Member
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    Can you walk to work? Walk somewhere at lunch? Workout on weekends?

    Sometimes when I'm bagged after work I'll relax for a little bit then I'll bust out my handy mini trampoline and weights. Taadaa! Or hey, even turn on some tunes instead of the TV when you get home and dance while you make yourself a healthy meal! :)
  • kickchick
    kickchick Posts: 19 Member
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    I had the same experience years ago...when I went from a fast paced, out in the field kind of job to a sit at your desk all day sort of job. Something that helped me was using my breaks at work to walk. I started walking at my two 15 minute breaks (getting in almost a mile at each break) and then I walked at my lunch as well. Sometimes just to walk, sometimes to go get food, sometimes I did some jogging on the way...not enough to really make me smelly though (didn't want to annoy my co-workers). Eventually as I started to lose some of the excess weight I had more energy after work and wanted to work out more. Good luck!!
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
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    Get up and do a workout video! Go for a walk, something! It is true that exercise helps relieve stress, and gives you energy. It might be just the thing you need to get out of your funk!

    I went from a very physically active job to a desk job. It is HARD on your metabolism. I work 40 / week, have a 1.5 hour commute 5 days a week, am a mommy, and go to school full-time online at night. If *I* can find 30-60 minutes a day to work out, and still have the energy to do everything I need to do, I believe anyone can!

    Good luck, and welcome to the site!
  • mlally1014
    mlally1014 Posts: 119 Member
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    I am with you. I went back to work last may and have gained 15lbs. I was very happy with my weight and now I am so mad with myself, but I can't seem to break the cycle. I am tired and just want to go to bed when I put the kids to bed. I really need to force myself to get out and exercise more. Good luck!
  • sabrads
    sabrads Posts: 152
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    I started a new job 6 months ago and really enjoy it - I have to travel a lot and I started bad habits - now with the new year I am changing my lifestyle to work with the job and travel.

    It didnt help that my Fiancee decided to end things last thursday but I am taking that as a lifestyle change and that I can control what I eat better.

    So 2011 is going to be the start of the journey to a better and heathier lifestyle for me.
  • superwmn
    superwmn Posts: 936
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    I get joy from sitting on the couch and watching 5 episodes of The Real Housewives of (insert city) while drinking Pinot and eating sushi. It's sad and pathetic. I need to get out of this slump!

    First of all, we're all in this together! WE CAN DO THIS!!!

    The above quote is very telling to me. When something brings me joy, TRULY brings me joy, I do not consider it sad and pathetic or something that I need to get out of. If It truly brings me joy, I want to do more of it not only for how it makes me feel while I'm doing it, but for how amazing it makes me feel for HAVING done it.

    If something is making you feel guilty or inducing negative thoughts, it's not truly bringing you joy. What TV and food bring you sounds more like 'escape' to me. I totally understand needing to escape. I did this for YEARS. When I came back from my escape into food, everything I was trying so desperately to avoid was still there waiting for me...so I'd have to escape again. And again.

    Then the weight problem happened.

    If you can figure out what you really want, you can give THAT to yourself (as opposed to the weak substitute that is television and food).

    The book Women Food and God by Geneen Roth gave me the tools I needed to figure out what I really wanted (I didn't want food). Once I figured out why I was turning to food, I was able to change my life. Here's an excerpt from Oprah.com if you're interested.

    http://www.oprah.com/health/An-Excerpt-from-Geneen-Roths-Women-Food-And-God

    Charmagne
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
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    What shift do you work? I work 2nd shift so I workout every morning. Sounds like maybe you work first shift. I use to get up @ 4:45 am go to work 27 miles away from where I lived which was a factory job where I was on my feet 8 hours a day and somedays even 10 hours a day. get home after 4 pm get ready and go to the gym around 5 pm workout for 1.5 to 2 hours a day come home grab something to eat then get a shower and get ready for my second job from 9 pm to 10 pm (I worked with a home nursing program where I'd just go in and help a client get ready for bed) I know how ruff it is. Now that I work 2pm to 10pm part time one job and one job only I find it hard to wake up @ 7am which seems crazy and get ready and head to the gym and workout for 1.5 to 2 hours then come home and get ready for work some days I do the P90x instead of goin to the gym bc of how cold it is. But you really need to find the strenght and the energy to push yourself. When I was working 2 jobs I had more energy then what I have now. But I still manage to workout and eat clean. Instead of sitting thru 5 epsiodes of desperate house wives stand up and move to the 5 eposides of desperate house wives then after you accomplish that do more by gettin out there and hittin the gym for an hour then move on to an hour and a half of workin out before you know it you will be reachin your goals. It's mind power and you got to use it or you will end up gainin more and more weight becoming more and more unhappy. Make sure you are eating healthy as well! Drink your water and avoid that sushi eat tuna instead or some other healthy choice like a salad.

    Try gettin a treadmill or bike or even an elliptical and keep moving that way while you are watchin tv.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Yes. I went though that. I got fat. Eating helps, smoking a few beers. Video games and TV, that is pretty much how I managed it. I also suggest the little games in face book, they take up a lot of time too.

    It took an illness for me basically loosing my appetite to loose some ridiculous amount of weight (~30lbs) to jump on the face that, hey I lost weight, I better keep it off. I started couch to 5k, and started weight lifting. It hurt, burned, sucked even more that I had horrible cigarette cravings, so I ate whatever, but managed to keep running and lifting, and only gained a little back, and was stable. I was working out 5 days a week, with some of those being 2 times a day. I was running a 5k 3 times a week, and met my lifting goals. I was ready to move up to start to run further. It was a complete lifestyle change. Running became fun, I looked forward to lifting as a little break. I had a DVR so I could record TV that I wanted, and not be tied to it. I gave up video games all together.
    I ended up falling off the bandwagon after a year, die to a life changing event, and put everything back on plus more. Since I had stopped caring about what I ate, so a lot of fast food. French fries are a killer. I was most likely eating over 3000 calories a day.

    Now, I feel like I'm starting over. My time is severely restricted and I managed to get in a 20 min elliptical workout last week. Hopefully my muscles will retain enough to be able to run. I'm sure I'll have to struggle for lifting. MFP helps. By diligently tracking everything I consume, is slows down my impulse eating, or helps with portion control, or just not using ketchup, because its less paperwork. Having MPF friends is a bonus too. You can see what they have accomplished and either get angry or strive to catch them. Your mileage may vary.

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