Work Long Hours - Looking for ideas of fitting it all in

ezfits
ezfits Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
:smile: Hi All: I am 50 and part of my challenge is that I work an awful lot and when I'm not working, I'm exhausted and lack the time to prepare meals; workout the way I should, etc. I KNOW this is an excuse and I welcome practical ideas to fit it all in. I downloaded myfitnesspal to my phone and that helps in keeping track :). Would love to connect with others who make it all work :). Thank you in advance and cheers to good health!

Replies

  • bauerest
    bauerest Posts: 8 Member
    I am right there with you . . . some days I work 16 hours, and I always say, "I am going to go to the gym after work" (2nd job), but doesn't happen because I am always so tired. I am attempting to make my goal of going to the gym 3-4 times a week, and to not have a 'beverage' during the week, but only on the weekends. I would be thrilled to have us motivate each other, and meet our goals if you'd like. I recently joined back with MFP, and hoping to succeed this time, and not give up.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    The fastest, tastiest, healthiest, and cheapest breakfast I've ever encountered is refrigerator oatmeal, which is nothing more than equal parts old fashioned oats and yogurt, plus enough milk to get it to your preferred consistency. To this base, you can add anything you can think of to keep the variety going (cinnamon, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and molasses is my personal favorite). Just mix up the ingredients and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Next morning, remove from fridge and chow down (or heat it if you prefer).

    As far as meals, you can throw most of the components of a healthy lunch into an insulated bag. I whip up a turkey and cheese wrap, chop up some vegetables into a zip-loc bag, and throw in an apple, a banana, and a small handful of mixed nuts in a small tupperware. All of it can be eaten at my desk or on the go, and it'll all keep for a day without refrigeration. I spend maybe 10 minutes the night before prepping it along with the fridge oatmeal, and in the morning I just get up, grab, and go.

    As far as workouts, I walk as briskly as I can all the time to increase calorie burn, my company supports sit/stand workstations and I stand as much as I can handle it, and we also have a small gym at work. When I go into the gym I have an hour to work out, shower, and get back to my desk. I change quickly, hit some weights, set the elliptical to (time remaining - 15 minutes), crank the resistance up, and run like I'm being chased by very angry rabid weasels. Then a very fast shower and towel-down, get back in my worth clothes, and scurry back to my desk.

    I also bicycle to work as often as my schedule and the weather permit. That's a 28-mile round trip on a fairly hilly route. It costs me about 40 minutes each way added to my commute, but is offset by the fact that I don't need to take a 60-minute lunch break, so it really only increases my day by 20 minutes plus the time for a shower.
  • megandyan83
    megandyan83 Posts: 14 Member
    I have the same issues - work long hours and I often travel for work. My solutions mainly revolve around crazy levels of planning:

    On Sundays I go to the store and plan healthy groceries for the week. If I'm in town, this means cooking some meals and putting them in the freezer for dinners. If I'm out of town, this means buying healthy snacks so that I can eat enough nutrition to sustain healthy decisions. Also, when I eat out with work I try to stick to mediterannean, salads, or sushi (which I'm sure annoys my co-workers, but oh well). For breakfast, I eat oatmeal almost without exception.

    I know working that many hours, it feels like you don't have time to cook/grocery shop - that's why I have to make it my Sunday afternoon routine.

    Hang in there!

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