Workouts and schedules - what works for you?

I'm fortunate enough to have a flexible schedule much of the time, but on days when I have to be in the office all day, I work out as soon as I get home, and then heat up leftovers or cook something really simple.

I work out before work. For a while I got up at 4am to do it, but fortunately I don't need to do that any more. I'm not a morning person, either, but I did it with the knowledge that if I waited, chances were that I wouldn't get around to it later.

Your schedule sounds almost exactly like mine! I'm also doing the body revolution by JM. I'm on week 4. However, I also go running during my lunch because it gives me energy for the rest of the day. I don't start my JM workout until after 7:30 or 8PM. One thing that I do is change into my workout clothes right away because it reminds me of having to work out. However, some days when I don't have the energy, I take green tea energy pills and they really give me energy. If you aren't a coffee drinker then I don't recommend the pills.

I am in the same boat. Full time work, 30 minute commute, and having a toddler makes it difficult to make time for workouts for me. I am also not a morning person. I can barely be up at 5:45 am to get to work on time. Also with everything that needs to be done, it's hard to get to bed before 10 or 10:30. I need my 7 hours of sleep so waking up any earlier is exceedingly difficult. We also eat home cooked meals daily except for weekend.

Here are a few things that have worked for me:

1) I have accepted that workouts are NOT going to happen daily for me. I run, so I try to fit in a work out or two in the weekend and try twice during the week days. So it's usually about 3 or in better weeks 4 workouts a week. I know people say that if you really want to make something happen, you will. But honestly, besides losing weight and being fit, I also have other things I want to do like spending time with my toddler and husband in the evenings, watching TV for half hour at the end of the day, or relax and read a book. So that's that.

2) Crock-pot is awesome! I use it a bunch. I often prepare all the ingredients for a crock-pot recipe the night before and throw them in the next morning. When we get back from work, nice steaming and healthy dinner is ready! I have a crock-pot that automatically switches to "keep warm" mode after the pre-set time is up, so that's great. You don't end up overcooking the food that way.

3) I also cook for multiple days. I cook large batches of dinner that will last 2 or 3 days. You end up eating the same food 2 or 3 days in a row, but you also end up cooking less frequently and have the time to workout.

4) We usually eat dinner a bit late (around 7 pm). I really hate working out after dinner. This way, I can go for a run after my husband gets home (and watches our toddler) and before dinner. I am not suggesting you should change your dinner time or anything. Just saying that this schedule works for us.

Good luck!

I mostly workout in the morning.

However, since that won't work for you, I think that crockpot meals and casseroles are a good idea. Two other ideas are having super easy meals during the week (e.g., sandwiches, etc.) and doing prep work on Sunday (if you are going to have tacos one night you can brown the meat and season it on Sunday and then just heat it up the day you need it.)

I'm very lucky in that my husband starts dinner every day since he's home from work by the time our daughter gets home from school. We still try to stick to easier meals during the week and then things that take more time (baked steak, yummmmm) on the weekends.

I have a similar schedule, but when I get home I get my workout in as soon as possible. As in, I change into my workout clothes for the commute home (mostly because I run from work to the train station as well), so that when I walk in the door I am ready to go. It doesn't kill anyone that dinner is 30 minutes later than it normally would be, and I know that if I sit down there's NO WAY I'm getting back up to work out.

I workout in the morning (up at 4:45am) or mid-day if I'm slow at work. I've always been a morning person.

Evening workouts have never worked for me because competing priorities always get in the way.

There's no "right answer" for this. As Yoovie did, you can become a morning person. Alternatively, you can workout later in the day, but it takes discapline to make that a priority.

Tuesday and Thursday nights after work are lifting nights and I'm in the gym...it's as much a part of my schedule as anything else. My third lifting day is Saturday morning.

I generally get my cardio in during my lunch hour and eat afterwards at my desk. I can usually squeeze in a 15-20 mile ride on Mon/Wed/Fri and I usually run on Tues/Thurs...but sometimes I just go for a walk depending on how I feel...if I'm tired, I save it for the weight room later that night.

I usually also ride my bike to and from the gym on Saturday morning which gives me another 16 or so miles round trip.

During the summer months I'm more willing to get up a little earlier to try and get my rides in morning vs lunch...but it's just too cold to ride at 5:30 AM in the winter.

I do two JM workouts in the morning (so an hour in total) four days a week, one run in the middle of the week and one of JM's longer workouts (NMTZ etc) on a Saturday morning. I have to be out the door by 8:30a.m so I wake up at 5:45, have a coffee and start just before 6:30.

If I leave it until the evening, I never get around to it consistently.

Majority of my workouts are in the morning. I work nights though from 11pm to 7am and go workout when I get off from work.

My preference is to work out right when I get home from work, then start dinner. It makes us eat a little later, but that actually helps me with my nighttime snacking urges.

Doesn't always work out that way, so many times I do end up working out at 8pm.