Don't Have Time to Work Out? Really??
ElaineDianne70
Posts: 243 Member
I have had some fabulous results with my commitment to being fit and health since last January. There isn't a day that goes by that someone at work or who I know personally says "Wow! You look great! What are you doing? I need to do what you are doing!" And I tell them "P90X and Insanity!" And more times than not, they say "Well, I don't have time for that" and that's the end of it.
Really? You don't have time? I hear this from people of all walks of life. Single, married, some have kids, some don't. Some work long shifts, some don't.
I have a full-time, Monday through Friday job and a part-time job as a Beachbody coach. I have two kids that I have to get to school every day by myself. Both are involved in after-school activities. I could easily say I don't have time too.
But when I decided to commit to P90X, pushing play 6 days as week, I meant it. I had to give up some things. I had to stop sitting on my computer playing Farmville. I had to give up some TV shows (as if my life isn't BETTER because I didn't watch the Bachelorette?) I had to pre-plan my meals. I had to shop and cook with those meals in mind.
When I decided that doing my workouts after work was taking too much time away from my kids, I changed my workout time to BEFORE work. I get up at 5am during the work week. Do I enjoy that? NO! But I'm committed to keeping up with my fitness AND my family. It's just not an option for me. I HAVE to work out. I HAVE to eat clean and healthy. That's it. And now I've stuck to it for ONE YEAR!
No matter how busy your lives are, there are ways to find time to work out. You might have to make a few adjustments to your schedule or shorten your workouts, but not having enough time is not a legitimate excuse! Make exercising part of your routine!
Really? You don't have time? I hear this from people of all walks of life. Single, married, some have kids, some don't. Some work long shifts, some don't.
I have a full-time, Monday through Friday job and a part-time job as a Beachbody coach. I have two kids that I have to get to school every day by myself. Both are involved in after-school activities. I could easily say I don't have time too.
But when I decided to commit to P90X, pushing play 6 days as week, I meant it. I had to give up some things. I had to stop sitting on my computer playing Farmville. I had to give up some TV shows (as if my life isn't BETTER because I didn't watch the Bachelorette?) I had to pre-plan my meals. I had to shop and cook with those meals in mind.
When I decided that doing my workouts after work was taking too much time away from my kids, I changed my workout time to BEFORE work. I get up at 5am during the work week. Do I enjoy that? NO! But I'm committed to keeping up with my fitness AND my family. It's just not an option for me. I HAVE to work out. I HAVE to eat clean and healthy. That's it. And now I've stuck to it for ONE YEAR!
No matter how busy your lives are, there are ways to find time to work out. You might have to make a few adjustments to your schedule or shorten your workouts, but not having enough time is not a legitimate excuse! Make exercising part of your routine!
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Replies
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Sorry, I guess my initial post didn't show up!
I have had some fabulous results with my commitment to being fit and health since January. There isn't a day that goes by that someone at work or who I know personally says "Wow! You look great! What are you doing? I need to do what you are doing!" And I tell them "P90X and Insanity!" And more times than not, they say "Well, I don't have time for that" and that's the end of it.
Really? You don't have time? I hear this from people of all walks of life. Single, married, some have kids, some don't. Some work long shifts, some don't.
I have a full-time, Monday through Friday job and a part-time job as a Beachbody coach. I have two kids that I have to get to school every day by myself. Both are involved in after-school activities. I could easily say I don't have time too.
But when I decided to commit to P90X, pushing play 6 days as week, I meant it. I had to give up some things. I had to stop sitting on my computer playing Farmville. I had to give up some TV shows (as if my life isn't BETTER because I didn't watch the Bachelorette?) I had to pre-plan my meals. I had to shop and cook with those meals in mind.
When I decided that doing my workouts after work was taking too much time away from my kids, I changed my workout time to BEFORE work. I get up at 5am during the work week. Do I enjoy that? NO! But I'm committed to keeping up with my fitness AND my family. It's just not an option for me. I HAVE to work out. I HAVE to eat clean and healthy. That's it. And now I've stuck to it for ONE YEAR!
No matter how busy your lives are, there are ways to find time to work out. You might have to make a few adjustments to your schedule or shorten your workouts, but not having enough time is not a legitimate excuse! Make exercising part of your routine!0 -
very motivational! This is so true. Saying "I don't have time" is just an excuse. Everyone has the time. It's just how you manage your 24 hrs.0
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Everyone has the same 24 hours a day. What most people DON'T have is time management skills. Once I gave up Facebook games, I suddenly had a LOT more time because Facebook doesn't really interest me outside of the games. I used to spend at least an hour planting crops, cooking meals, clearing trees, doing quests, and supplying stores in the games. Now that hour is spent at the gym. It's all in where your priorities lie!0
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Man! Talk about a smack in the face..lol. I was just going to get on MFP and tell how I cannot fit in a workout this week, but your right! I have an extra load on my shoulders this week b/c Im babysitting for a friend from 5am till 7pm everyday so working out isnt fitting this week BUT when I am not doing that I am still saying that I dont have time. Thanks for the motivation@! :-)0
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Man! Talk about a smack in the face..lol. I was just going to get on MFP and tell how I cannot fit in a workout this week, but your right! I have an extra load on my shoulders this week b/c Im babysitting for a friend from 5am till 7pm everyday so working out isnt fitting this week BUT when I am not doing that I am still saying that I dont have time. Thanks for the motivation@! :-)0
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I couldn't have said it any better. I am in the same boat as you...or was. I work from 8 am to 4 pm. Come home from work and get my kids, do homework, cook dinner and then I have a computer business outside of my regular job. I just to stay up almost every night fixing peoples computers...I'm talking 1-2 am I would crawl in to bed and then get up at 6:30 and do it all over again. I didn't have time to do P90X.
BUT, I also didn't have time to go the Dr all the freaking time, I didn't have time to go get my high blood pressure medication, I didn't have time to go to my sleep apnea appts to get my machine adjusted, I didn't have time to get my new supplies and I didn't have time for my own funeral that was fast approaching. Something had to give. When I read the P90X instruction it said minimum 7 hrs sleep. I decided I was going to do it. I committed to doing it and I succeeded. The program works and I DO have the time. Instead of staying up till 1-2 in the morning I am now in bed by 10pm and up at 5 am. Pushing play by 5:30 and still making all my customers happy. We all have the time...it's just do we want to commit. We are great at making excuses. Well I say shut the hell up with your lame *kitten* excuses and tell me what you overcame to fit in some time for you.
When I was doing Rev Abs Brett Hobel said it best when he said. IT'S ME TIME!!!
So I say to you and anybody else...get some me time before it's to late and your only me time is in a box 6 feet under. You think you'll have time then?0 -
Good points everyone!0
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Heard a great quote from Chalene Johnson during my TurboFire workout -
"Schedule your workouts and make that time non-negotiable. If you wait to make time to exercise, you will never find the time."0 -
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Great post Elaine! I get up at 4:30am every day to fit in my workout. By committing to "me time" at an hour when no one else in my house is awake I get the double pleasure of doing something healthy for myself that's both physically and mentally beneficial!
Sharon0 -
That was how I did it! My calendar now has workouts scheduled in and its simply part of my day now. I too used to sit for hours in front of my computer doing a whole lot of nothing. Now, I enjoy the feeling of doing something for me 0
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I am the same way. I woke up wanting to change my life and I so do, but havent got the time. I find myself skipping every meal till dinner then spurging. I ate 3500 calories during dinner. What can i do what motivation do I need to fix myself. I am so unhappy, i wanna die0
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I like my gym time as it is the majority of my "me" time. I schedule things around my workout time and try to always have a backup plan in case something comes up...If I could only be so diligent about my diet I would be set!0
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Once I gave up Facebook games, I suddenly had a LOT more time because Facebook doesn't really interest me outside of the games. I used to spend at least an hour planting crops, cooking meals, clearing trees, doing quests, and supplying stores in the games.
LMAO.....this was so my life. Stupid games. I initially "fasted" Facebook & the games & wouldn't you know it, I had oodles of time on my hands for other things like ME!
I'm the same as most everyone else on here, I work full time for a friend, my husband & I own our own business, I have 2 teenage daughters who are very involved with netball & school & I still have time to exercise & track my eating. Do I enjoy getting out of bed at 5:00am to force my body to run 3kms??? Heck no!! But do I do it??? Heck yes!!!
Besides the benefits that it will have to me, my body & my life in the months to come, how good an example am I setting for my daughters? That is all the motivation I need to not hit the snooze button & throw on the joggers.
:drinker: To our combined continued success0 -
I'm still reorganizing my life a bit to ensure that I have my gym "me time". But I've found I just can't do it first thing in the morning. However, I've entered negotiations with my hubby, and explained to him, that he can start dinner so that I can go to the gym straight from work. I set the menu, I wrote out the explicit instructions, and he's going to start dinner tomorrow night. I really hope he follows the instructions!! <lol> Cause when I come home from the gym tomorrow night, after doing my 2 hr cardio and arms workout, I'm going to be hungry.0
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Bravo!!0
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Finding time to work out is a chore? Especially when you work really abnormal hours.I don't enjoy working out, but the working out does help me. It has helped me sleep better and reduce my stress load. I didn't realize how much sleep I was missing out on. This site has help me be accountable of what goes in my mouth, and I have been reading some good literature that I never paid attention to. Thanks for kicking us in our butts, figuratively, and giving us the boost to do better for ourselves.0
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I absolutely agree! As a college student, it's so easy to say that "I don't have the money" or "I don't have the time" to get in a good workout or to eat healthy. Honestly, I have cut out facebook time and some time on the weekends when I used to be drunk/hungover and all of a sudden I can easily workout 6 days a week. Funny how that works! Thanks for the post!0
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For me, it's not about having time. It's about believing that I deserve to take that time for myself. This morning, I wasn't able to walk because I had to drive out to a radio transmitter to change an IP address. So in the afternoon, I decided to walk in a state park. I worried about it, because it meant getting home late without letting my husband know what was up. But you know what? That was my time. And I deserve that time.
I am fighting against a lifetime of taking care of other people instead of myself. It's difficult to go against something that's ingrained in my psyche. It's not about being lazy, or weak, or stupid. There is a mental component of weight loss that doesn't often get addressed. I think it's important to get your mind healthy as well as your body.0 -
I am fighting against a lifetime of taking care of other people instead of myself. It's difficult to go against something that's ingrained in my psyche. It's not about being lazy, or weak, or stupid. There is a mental component of weight loss that doesn't often get addressed. I think it's important to get your mind healthy as well as your body.
You have hit the nail on the head with this one. :-)
We never ever put enough stock in the mental side of this journey. We are entitled to do something for us. We don't have to put everyone else first. It is not selfishness to take care of ourselves. We all know that if we "fall", we take everyone around us down with us so shouldn't we be the one who makes sure that WE are okay????
The reality of it is that we don't ever work on the preventative stuff, we fix the problems when they happen. If we just took time out for ourselves (& remember baby steps :-), our whole worlds would be a much much better place. We would be happier. Our partners would be happier. Our children would be happier.
Remember this is our journey too.0 -
I am fighting against a lifetime of taking care of other people instead of myself. It's difficult to go against something that's ingrained in my psyche. It's not about being lazy, or weak, or stupid. There is a mental component of weight loss that doesn't often get addressed. I think it's important to get your mind healthy as well as your body.
You have hit the nail on the head with this one. :-)
We never ever put enough stock in the mental side of this journey. We are entitled to do something for us. We don't have to put everyone else first. It is not selfishness to take care of ourselves. We all know that if we "fall", we take everyone around us down with us so shouldn't we be the one who makes sure that WE are okay????
The reality of it is that we don't ever work on the preventative stuff, we fix the problems when they happen. If we just took time out for ourselves (& remember baby steps :-), our whole worlds would be a much much better place. We would be happier. Our partners would be happier. Our children would be happier.
Remember this is our journey too.
Something finally clicked for me at the end of last year. My dad had a stroke and I felt like I had to "protect" him and the family business. I ended up getting so caught up with taking care of other people, I stopped taking care of myself and my freelance business. I had to reach a crisis point before realizing that 1) I don't need to protect a 55 year old man, 2) I don't need to protect a 50 year old business, and 3) I'm not able to take care of anyone or anything if I'm not taking care of myself.
This is huge for me - and it's the reason I believe that I'm going to be healthy for the rest of my life and not just "on a diet" that will one day end.0 -
I am fighting against a lifetime of taking care of other people instead of myself. It's difficult to go against something that's ingrained in my psyche. It's not about being lazy, or weak, or stupid. There is a mental component of weight loss that doesn't often get addressed. I think it's important to get your mind healthy as well as your body.
Amen Sister!
Sharon0 -
That was how I did it! My calendar now has workouts scheduled in and its simply part of my day now. I too used to sit for hours in front of my computer doing a whole lot of nothing. Now, I enjoy the feeling of doing something for me
Great idea. We create a calendar for our workouts that we made off of Windows calendar maker. I enjoy the satisfaction of checking off a brutal workout each day.0 -
OMG, I did that too!! I was playing games literally, over 10 hours in 2 days. I deactivated that account ASAP, and ta-da, I've been way more focused on exercises this past month or so, since it's been gone!Once I gave up Facebook games, I suddenly had a LOT more time because Facebook doesn't really interest me outside of the games. I used to spend at least an hour planting crops, cooking meals, clearing trees, doing quests, and supplying stores in the games. Now that hour is spent at the gym. It's all in where your priorities lie!
Edit: I still spend too much time on the computer, but now I'm on MFP, planning workouts in Google calendar, and doing more productive things.0 -
Wow, some great discussions here! Love that people aren't spending so much time doing Facebook games. I used to be addicted too. What a waste of time!!0
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That is one of my friends excuses and I hate hearing it.0
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My husband and I cut out the TV time at home. After being at work for 10 hrs, it just became a habit to sit on the couch and relax and watch a movie about every night. Now between 7:30 and 8 we will put in the P90X DVD's! I can't speak for him, but I feel SOOO much better. My energy level is up. And I just feel good!! In a couple of months my husband will get busy and start working 15-16 hr days, and he honestly won't have time. But that only lasts a couple of months. I will continue my workouts and hopefully he will get back into the routine with me.0
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I'm on the fence between one of those "I don't have time" people, and one of the people who makes time. This post reminds me of an old ad (I think it was Reebok) I used to have hanging in my dorm room. It was a picture of Nancy Kerrigan (one of my favorite athletes and role models) holding a pose on a platform held up by other people (they were in silhouette), and the caption was:
"There are 24 hours in a day. This one's mine."
In my challenge to change sides of the exercise fence, I should try to remember that sentiment, and really think about why that time is good for me, instead of just thinking about the negatives.0 -
I'm on the fence between one of those "I don't have time" people, and one of the people who makes time. This post reminds me of an old ad (I think it was Reebok) I used to have hanging in my dorm room. It was a picture of Nancy Kerrigan (one of my favorite athletes and role models) holding a pose on a platform held up by other people (they were in silhouette), and the caption was:
"There are 24 hours in a day. This one's mine."
In my challenge to change sides of the exercise fence, I should try to remember that sentiment, and really think about why that time is good for me, instead of just thinking about the negatives.
Love it!0
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