Need to change my focus . . .

MontanaGirl
MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm having issues with my scale right now. :grumble: OK - for all summer now! I've changed, tweaked, and uped and downed until I'm half sick. But with stress, etc., I'm not making any progress. So I've decided to switch goals. Now I have to figure out what to focus on. My calorie intake? Exercising x amount of days a week? Unfortunately I'm in a transition period and have been having trouble getting adequate sleep. When I have enough sleep, I can exercise in the a.m. and enjoy it. I miss it right now, but I'm not getting enough sleep and it's impossible to drag myself out of bed that early if I don't have enough sleep. I guess I'm looking for input. I can walk in the evenings with the family, but serious exercise is out due to a lack of time. So, it's morning or nothing. I also can't eat before I exercise in the a.m. because I can't have anything to eat for 1hour after taking my thyroid pill, so I have to be kind of careful.

Any stellar ideas from anyone??? TIA! - Kim

Replies

  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
    I'm having issues with my scale right now. :grumble: OK - for all summer now! I've changed, tweaked, and uped and downed until I'm half sick. But with stress, etc., I'm not making any progress. So I've decided to switch goals. Now I have to figure out what to focus on. My calorie intake? Exercising x amount of days a week? Unfortunately I'm in a transition period and have been having trouble getting adequate sleep. When I have enough sleep, I can exercise in the a.m. and enjoy it. I miss it right now, but I'm not getting enough sleep and it's impossible to drag myself out of bed that early if I don't have enough sleep. I guess I'm looking for input. I can walk in the evenings with the family, but serious exercise is out due to a lack of time. So, it's morning or nothing. I also can't eat before I exercise in the a.m. because I can't have anything to eat for 1hour after taking my thyroid pill, so I have to be kind of careful.

    Any stellar ideas from anyone??? TIA! - Kim
  • Canelitas
    Canelitas Posts: 712
    Maybe you can start by streching each omorning, once you awake....and just take it a day at a time...:flowerforyou:
  • MFS27
    MFS27 Posts: 549 Member
    If you absolutely can't do serious exercise right now, then I would focus on your calories. Log everything and try to drink lots of water. You can probably still lose weight by staying in the calorie guidelines given for you by MFP - throw in a evening stroll (I wouldn't log that) and you should be seeing a nice gradual decrease.

    As soon as you can, add that serious exercise back in there - I love my morning workouts as well!

    Sorry you're going through a bumpy period! Hugs! :flowerforyou:
  • pecksun8
    pecksun8 Posts: 570
    If you tell yourself that you can't...you won't. Take that word out of y our vocabulary. If you want this bad enough you will find the time, and the right time to do it in. All you need to do is at least 30 minutes a day. If you watch your calories and exercise it will happen, but you have to find what works for you and how you want to achieve it. Set solid goals and think of them every day.
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
    If you tell yourself that you can't...you won't. Take that word out of y our vocabulary. If you want this bad enough you will find the time, and the right time to do it in. All you need to do is at least 30 minutes a day. If you watch your calories and exercise it will happen, but you have to find what works for you and how you want to achieve it. Set solid goals and think of them every day.

    Well, I do have to be somewhat realistic. No, I can't do serious exercise in the evenings. I have kids to spend time with and house work to catch up on, not to mention catching up with hubby. The evenings go so fast by the time I get home from work, spend a little luvy time with baby girl, check in with soon-to-be teenager, fix dinner, eat, clean up the kitchen from dinner, and pick up a little. Then it's bath time for baby girl, story time for both and bed time. And by then I'm doing good to keep my eyes open long enough to read a chapter to the girls while they go to sleep. Never mind if there are school activities, church activities, etc that have to be attended to.

    I understand the concept behind what you're saying but there has to be some realism in there also. I know I can lose weight - I haven't given up yet even though I haven't budged in almost 6 months. There are mind set issues - the the can't/can thing isn't one of them!
  • emikarls
    emikarls Posts: 1,058 Member
    I'm having issues with my scale right now. :grumble: OK - for all summer now! I've changed, tweaked, and uped and downed until I'm half sick. But with stress, etc., I'm not making any progress. So I've decided to switch goals. Now I have to figure out what to focus on. My calorie intake? Exercising x amount of days a week? Unfortunately I'm in a transition period and have been having trouble getting adequate sleep. When I have enough sleep, I can exercise in the a.m. and enjoy it. I miss it right now, but I'm not getting enough sleep and it's impossible to drag myself out of bed that early if I don't have enough sleep. I guess I'm looking for input. I can walk in the evenings with the family, but serious exercise is out due to a lack of time. So, it's morning or nothing. I also can't eat before I exercise in the a.m. because I can't have anything to eat for 1hour after taking my thyroid pill, so I have to be kind of careful.

    Any stellar ideas from anyone??? TIA! - Kim

    Stellar ideas? no. Understanding where you are coming from? YES! I completely understand. For the first few weeks on this, I did not doing any type of exercise. I focused on my calories. When I had time, which was not often (i have 3 kids ages 5 and under, and work nights) I would get out and walk with the kids. Then after the scale started to move, I felt better about me, I made it a point to get back to my cardio which I love. Find something that you like to do. Dance around with your kids. Stretch in front of the TV while you are watching with your hubby. Incorporate them into the "better" you. Start slow, make the changes, and soon it will be apart of your every day life.

    I now do 2 hours. 1 in the morning and 1 later in the day. Studies show that when you break up exercise 10 mins here 15 there another 10 there it adds up to the same benefits as doing one long session. GOOD LUCK TO YOU! I BELIEVE IN YOU! :flowerforyou:
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
    Maybe you can start by streching each omorning, once you awake....and just take it a day at a time...:flowerforyou:

    That's a good idea. With school starting back up, I need to get my time balance back in the a.m. a little. Been being way too good of friend with the snooze button!! Didn't help the the neighbor got drunk last night and woke me up arguing a yelling at 3 a.m. *sigh* I didn't get back to sleep until 4:30. Yuck. But it I hit the button 1 or 2 less times and take a few minutes to streatch and breath, it might help my day start out a little smoother!! Thanks :happy:
  • abby1949
    abby1949 Posts: 32
    I can totally understand your situation. Children, life all get in the way and sometimes there just is not time for anything else! One of the things you may want to try is "video excersise" and have the kids watch you or let them play as you move! I know its hard, but you do deserve something for you. My kids have all left the nest now and have families of their own and I never found time for me, so I am looking at loosing 40lbs so do not be like me, be better and do it for you! You will also be a healthier adult with more energy and you are doing it for your kids too!
    Good Luck!:flowerforyou:
    Lyn
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
    I'm having issues with my scale right now. :grumble: OK - for all summer now! I've changed, tweaked, and uped and downed until I'm half sick. But with stress, etc., I'm not making any progress. So I've decided to switch goals. Now I have to figure out what to focus on. My calorie intake? Exercising x amount of days a week? Unfortunately I'm in a transition period and have been having trouble getting adequate sleep. When I have enough sleep, I can exercise in the a.m. and enjoy it. I miss it right now, but I'm not getting enough sleep and it's impossible to drag myself out of bed that early if I don't have enough sleep. I guess I'm looking for input. I can walk in the evenings with the family, but serious exercise is out due to a lack of time. So, it's morning or nothing. I also can't eat before I exercise in the a.m. because I can't have anything to eat for 1hour after taking my thyroid pill, so I have to be kind of careful.

    Any stellar ideas from anyone??? TIA! - Kim

    Stellar ideas? no. Understanding where you are coming from? YES! I completely understand. For the first few weeks on this, I did not doing any type of exercise. I focused on my calories. When I had time, which was not often (i have 3 kids ages 5 and under, and work nights) I would get out and walk with the kids. Then after the scale started to move, I felt better about me, I made it a point to get back to my cardio which I love. Find something that you like to do. Dance around with your kids. Stretch in front of the TV while you are watching with your hubby. Incorporate them into the "better" you. Start slow, make the changes, and soon it will be apart of your every day life.

    I now do 2 hours. 1 in the morning and 1 later in the day. Studies show that when you break up exercise 10 mins here 15 there another 10 there it adds up to the same benefits as doing one long session. GOOD LUCK TO YOU! I BELIEVE IN YOU! :flowerforyou:

    Thanks!! I appreciate it. Yeah - when I get a decent amount of sleep I do a great workout in the a.m. I will start focusing on that when the sleep evens out a little again. I never get uninterrupted sleep - haven't for years, but if it's decent I do really well. I need to iron out those sleep interruptions!! As soon as I do I'll shift my focus to consistent, increasing a.m. workouts. Until I can get some of those problems solved, I need something else to focus on other than the scale - evil thing that it is!! :flowerforyou:
  • mknipp
    mknipp Posts: 106
    If you tell yourself that you can't...you won't. Take that word out of y our vocabulary. If you want this bad enough you will find the time, and the right time to do it in. All you need to do is at least 30 minutes a day. If you watch your calories and exercise it will happen, but you have to find what works for you and how you want to achieve it. Set solid goals and think of them every day.

    Well, I do have to be somewhat realistic. No, I can't do serious exercise in the evenings. I have kids to spend time with and house work to catch up on, not to mention catching up with hubby. The evenings go so fast by the time I get home from work, spend a little luvy time with baby girl, check in with soon-to-be teenager, fix dinner, eat, clean up the kitchen from dinner, and pick up a little. Then it's bath time for baby girl, story time for both and bed time. And by then I'm doing good to keep my eyes open long enough to read a chapter to the girls while they go to sleep. Never mind if there are school activities, church activities, etc that have to be attended to.

    Sounds like you're getting plenty of exercise doing all you do! I wear one of those talking calorie counters that tells me the calories I've used, steps/miles I've walked, etc. If I'm sweatin' while I mop the kitchen floor, I figure I'm exercising. You can do it.
    Marti from Kentucky

    I understand the concept behind what you're saying but there has to be some realism in there also. I know I can lose weight - I haven't given up yet even though I haven't budged in almost 6 months. There are mind set issues - the the can't/can thing isn't one of them!
  • MontanaGirl
    MontanaGirl Posts: 1,251 Member
    Thanks Marti!!

Categories