Unemployed = weight gain

Healthy breakfast without eggs, you could have cereal with fruit, toast with peanut butter and unsweetened jam, oatmeal, or smoothies. Smoothies you just have to throw ingredients in and blend.

I totally know how you feel. I was laid off in December and been in the same boat. I was substitute teaching until the school year ended and it was easier for me then as I was too busy at school all day to eat. But now I am looking for full time teaching jobs and doing online coursework for my certification and it seems like I always have to have something beside me at the computer while I am working on coursework or applying for jobs.

I try and start out each day with a workout...I can't afford a gym but my city's local rec center is very affordable so I joined that. If I start out my day healthy it tends to bleed over into the rest of the day and if I don't...likewise.

I would eat a lot of canned veggies. there pretty easy to make- just pop em in the microwave. But to the bigger issue your weight gain. Yes you have probably gained weight just from a lack of doing and added eating. But if you are going to gym classes like 4 days a week then you should be getting enough exercise to help. (hopefully those classes are free seeing as how you are unemployed?) But the biggest thing that jumps out at me is your body may just be responding differently to things because you may be depressed. The lack of want to and laziness would be a dead give away. You may not even know you are depressed but that is probably whats going on. You are over eating, you always want one more bite, gaining weight. I mean you have been unemployed for 9 months that is nothing to be happy about you know. I would get up and stop applying online, go show your face at the companies and make sure they know you really want a job. Apply everywhere for goodness sakes. Once you are employed I am sure you will lose some weight.

Interesting, it's had the exact opposite effect on me. I gained weight with the constant harassment i was getting at work, and then when they laid me off because the constant harrassing me wasn't getting me to quit, I shed 43 lbs since being laid off, I look for jobs, apply to what I can in the morning, workout, eat, and then look for more jobs in the afternoon. Even though I'm completely stressed, I feel like working out all day has really helped to keep that stress at bay.

This is my third summer off work (yay for teaching!) and it used to be a problem, but I managed to develop a routine.

I'm up at 5:00 most days and run or cycle most mornings. Home by 7. I cook oatmeal or microwave eggs for breakfast. Snack is normally Fage Greek Yogurt. Lunch is a salad made mostly of things I grow in my garden (plus Tyson precooked chicken). I love to cook so dinner is normally homemade too.

I spend too much time doing "nothing". Reading, catching up on TV (I don't have time 9 months of the year, so don't judge!), killing time on pinterest... But as long as I keep my calories in check most days, and work out most days, I'm okay.

Try setting up a routine. My mom works from home writing techincal manuals so she works in 3 hour blocks, going to the gym or doing yardwork in between. (That is also what I did during a three month period of unemployment years ago.) We don't live together, but both of us eat ONLY at the kitchen table. And ONLY on real plates and using real silverware. Stops the excessive snacking. Good luck!

I was the opposite. I was unemployed because of a long distance move and had a hard time finding employment in my new city. I was off for about 9 months. The first few months my weight crept up a little bit because of a temporary living situation with a poorly equipped kitchen (it was much easier to do take-out, once we got into our permanent home we began cooking again), lack of gym membership, and too much snacking. I got back to the gym, discovered MFP, and lost 30lbs during my last 5 months off from work. It was tough at first not to snack all day, but I kept myself busy job searching, cleaning, working out, exploring my new city, etc. When I did finally land a job, sticking with my new eating habits was easy because it had become so routine and I had a list of go-to snacks and lunches I knew I could prepare ahead of time. The old me would just grab pre-packaged food to throw into my lunch bag on the way out the door in the morning. I continued to lose a bit more weight after I began working again, however I am now pregnant and focusing on maintaining a healthy lifestyle until I give birth. Then I'll be home again and back into the weight-loss groove!

I wish I could take a 6 month leave from my job to focus on getting healthier. OMG all that time in the day! I'm pretty anal about my time schedule now and getting stuff done within a certain time (I don't know how it takes people 8+ hours to clean) so I would love to be at home all day. I would be able to spend more time at the gym. More time making meals. More time just do do anything!

It can take 8+ hours to clean when as soon as you get the house clean someone makes another mess :mad: