How do you recommit?

creesama
creesama Posts: 128 Member
in Motivation and Support
From June to the beginning of September I was losing weight and making lifestyle changes that I felt like I could do long term. I was locked in and feeling the most success I've ever felt when trying to change habits. But then life changes just kept coming including stopping breastfeeding, going from part-time to full time work and being the sole bread winner, turbulence in family relationships, and the passing of a family pet. I'm trying to get back on track, but work schedules and trying to spend as much time as I can with my kids and husband are making things like meal prep and exercise take a back seat. How does everyone else find a balance and not feel like you're slipping in one area while trying to take care of another?

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    I don't have kids but do have a hectic work and life schedule (Chairperson of local rowing club and was running a 300 member social club). My job involves a lot of out of hours work which can mean evening, early hours or weekend calls.

    In the last couple of years my workload has increased and this has had a knock on effect on my weightloss.

    I think the first thing to realise is - you have a lot going on, it's ok not to be able to do all you could do before, you need to find a method of maintaining a calorie deficit that works with your life, what worked through one phase may not necessarily work during another.

    To lose weight you don't need to meal prep or exercise, they are just the method you used previously to get to a calorie defiicit.

    Consider the following:
    • Might a slower rate of loss be more suitable
    • adjust portion sizes or make swaps that bring you to your calorie deficit
    • Do active stuff with your Kids and Husband to bring up your NEAT, moving more doesn't necessarily need to be exercise - go for a walk/cycle, play with the kids, do some gardening, etc.

    There is a post somewhere about improving your NEAT will try and paste link in.
  • creesama
    creesama Posts: 128 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I don't have kids but do have a hectic work and life schedule (Chairperson of local rowing club and was running a 300 member social club). My job involves a lot of out of hours work which can mean evening, early hours or weekend calls.

    In the last couple of years my workload has increased and this has had a knock on effect on my weightloss.

    I think the first thing to realise is - you have a lot going on, it's ok not to be able to do all you could do before, you need to find a method of maintaining a calorie deficit that works with your life, what worked through one phase may not necessarily work during another.

    To lose weight you don't need to meal prep or exercise, they are just the method you used previously to get to a calorie defiicit.

    Consider the following:
    • Might a slower rate of loss be more suitable
    • adjust portion sizes or make swaps that bring you to your calorie deficit
    • Do active stuff with your Kids and Husband to bring up your NEAT, moving more doesn't necessarily need to be exercise - go for a walk/cycle, play with the kids, do some gardening, etc.

    There is a post somewhere about improving your NEAT will try and paste link in.

    Thank you for the response, it made me feel a little better. Those are all good suggestions and I'll give them a try. New month, new start.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    creesama wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I don't have kids but do have a hectic work and life schedule (Chairperson of local rowing club and was running a 300 member social club). My job involves a lot of out of hours work which can mean evening, early hours or weekend calls.

    In the last couple of years my workload has increased and this has had a knock on effect on my weightloss.

    I think the first thing to realise is - you have a lot going on, it's ok not to be able to do all you could do before, you need to find a method of maintaining a calorie deficit that works with your life, what worked through one phase may not necessarily work during another.

    To lose weight you don't need to meal prep or exercise, they are just the method you used previously to get to a calorie defiicit.

    Consider the following:
    • Might a slower rate of loss be more suitable
    • adjust portion sizes or make swaps that bring you to your calorie deficit
    • Do active stuff with your Kids and Husband to bring up your NEAT, moving more doesn't necessarily need to be exercise - go for a walk/cycle, play with the kids, do some gardening, etc.

    There is a post somewhere about improving your NEAT will try and paste link in.

    Thank you for the response, it made me feel a little better. Those are all good suggestions and I'll give them a try. New month, new start.

    This is the link https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    Don't be drawn into all the diet myths around clean eating, etc for weight loss, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using tinned/frozen veg etc and ready meals. It'd be fab if we all had the time to cook everything absolutely from scratch but the fact is there's still nutritional value to convenient foods.

    I often use my microwave steamer to steam frozen broccoli/green beans/carrots/etc as an accompanient to meals. I still batch cook curries and stews in the slow cooker from time to time but I will keep some steam rice bags in the freezer and add on of those as an accompanient for a winter work lunch.
  • sal10851
    sal10851 Posts: 171 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    creesama wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I don't have kids but do have a hectic work and life schedule (Chairperson of local rowing club and was running a 300 member social club). My job involves a lot of out of hours work which can mean evening, early hours or weekend calls.

    In the last couple of years my workload has increased and this has had a knock on effect on my weightloss.

    I think the first thing to realise is - you have a lot going on, it's ok not to be able to do all you could do before, you need to find a method of maintaining a calorie deficit that works with your life, what worked through one phase may not necessarily work during another.

    To lose weight you don't need to meal prep or exercise, they are just the method you used previously to get to a calorie defiicit.

    Consider the following:
    • Might a slower rate of loss be more suitable
    • adjust portion sizes or make swaps that bring you to your calorie deficit
    • Do active stuff with your Kids and Husband to bring up your NEAT, moving more doesn't necessarily need to be exercise - go for a walk/cycle, play with the kids, do some gardening, etc.

    There is a post somewhere about improving your NEAT will try and paste link in.

    Thank you for the response, it made me feel a little better. Those are all good suggestions and I'll give them a try. New month, new start.

    This is the link https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    Don't be drawn into all the diet myths around clean eating, etc for weight loss, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using tinned/frozen veg etc and ready meals. It'd be fab if we all had the time to cook everything absolutely from scratch but the fact is there's still nutritional value to convenient foods.

    I often use my microwave steamer to steam frozen broccoli/green beans/carrots/etc as an accompanient to meals. I still batch cook curries and stews in the slow cooker from time to time but I will keep some steam rice bags in the freezer and add on of those as an accompanient for a winter work lunch.

    I bought in to those myths too! Nothing wrong with canned or frozen foods just the misconceptions attached to them. If we buy into all the myths we literally could not eat anything. For every food group there is a study telling us everything that's wrong with them. Truth is that with moderation there is nothing off limits to me. Overconsumption is the enemy not the food
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    There's no such thing as the Finish Line. There's no such thing as the perfect day to begin again or start over. You don't quit or give up on yourself because without you the business at hand won't get done. You come first and that's not selfish. Your health is essential if you want to take care of the family.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    I either get up early or stay up later and do meal prep on one day off but I get up super early so it’s half done when everybody gets up and then I just get them involved with cooking so it’s quality time
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    It is really hard..because the slightest thing can derail and good run. My cat died and I swear the sadness ruined the ground I had made in losing my lockdown weight. It takes a lot of energy to prep and eat healthy .,and when things are going right it is just easier to focus. Sorry about your loss of. your pet..that along with the other stresses? I can understand why it is tough. Give it some time.. keep at it..and your willpower will return.
  • silverpl2525
    silverpl2525 Posts: 138 Member
    Try to be lenient with yourself. It's ok to slip back when you are so stressed. You've lost weight before, and can do it again. Maybe just wait until life seems more manageable to go back to your routine?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    FWIW, this was a good thread (in the maintenance part of the forum) about how to cope when it seems like you "feel like you're slipping in one area while trying to take care of another".

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10787818/minimum-basic-and-preferred-habits

    The value isn't limited to people in maintenance, I think. But since it's in that section, it includes some thoughts from people who've been working at this weight management thing for a while, with some success: Voice of experience, sort of.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    @creesama how are you getting on now?
  • creesama
    creesama Posts: 128 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    @creesama how are you getting on now?

    I’m working at things at a slower pace. It’s working, but will say I sometimes get frustrated with the slower loss rate and I’m thinking I need to try and add exercise into the mix now. It’s just hard working full time and not being with my kids. I end up wanting to play with them rather than carve out exercise time. And early morning workouts are a bust when the 10 month old isn’t always sleeping through the night lol
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    creesama wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    @creesama how are you getting on now?

    I’m working at things at a slower pace. It’s working, but will say I sometimes get frustrated with the slower loss rate and I’m thinking I need to try and add exercise into the mix now. It’s just hard working full time and not being with my kids. I end up wanting to play with them rather than carve out exercise time. And early morning workouts are a bust when the 10 month old isn’t always sleeping through the night lol

    Glad to hear it's working. Doing active things with the kids could burn the same as some workouts I'd bet!

    Remember slow progress is better than no progress and at least you won't burn yourself out.

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