Balancing a FT job, PT school, 'dieting' and fitness.

xsabrinalynn
xsabrinalynn Posts: 146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
In August, I'll be starting college, only part time, while working a full time job as well. Monday through Friday I work 830-430 and on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays I'll be working and then have classes from 6-930. I'm trying to prepare myself and figure out how to balance work&school and still manage to eat healthy "on the go" while keeping up with exercising.

Any suggestions? Routines? How do you do it?

Replies

  • findfan4ever
    findfan4ever Posts: 153 Member
    Good job on heading back to school. I know how that is working full time, graduate school full time, and family. It won't be easy, but if you stay committed, you can make progress.

    The most obvious thing to do is exercise Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun; however, if your school has an exercise room for students and showers you could do that between your job and class. You could keep it a short and quick high intensity activity that last about 30 minutes tops on one of your school nights.

    Juggling the times will be a work of art.

    I believe in you.
  • carrotstick2012
    carrotstick2012 Posts: 161
    If your college/university has a gym then you could join that and workout between classes when it fits in. Or go for a walk around the outskirts of the campus each day. Take the stairs rather than elevators.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    Nobody ever came to me and said they had extra time on their hands, so they'd
    like to get fit.
    The motivation to exercise is internal.
    We either make the time or not.
    Your fitness goals are either a priority, or they are not.
    And if they are not, then failure is asured.
    What I am saying is that you decide that you will exercise and eat right NO MATTER WHAT, and somehow, you just find a way.
    That's reality.
    Make the time.
  • xsabrinalynn
    xsabrinalynn Posts: 146 Member
    Good job on heading back to school. I know how that is working full time, graduate school full time, and family. It won't be easy, but if you stay committed, you can make progress.

    The most obvious thing to do is exercise Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun; however, if your school has an exercise room for students and showers you could do that between your job and class. You could keep it a short and quick high intensity activity that last about 30 minutes tops on one of your school nights.

    Juggling the times will be a work of art.

    I believe in you.

    The college does have a gym, a very small one, but they do have one. The only problem with working out after work and between classes is I will get in the area of my school around 515/530 depending on traffic. So I'll have a half hour-45 minutes before my class and I also need to fit a healthy dinner in there! I'm thinking ultimately I'll probably waKe up earlier than I ususally do on day I have classes to get some cardio in before work. Still trying to figure out how I'm going to fit a decent dinner that isn't coming from the college's cafeteria!

    Thank you!
  • PrettyKeli
    PrettyKeli Posts: 29
    2 words "DAILY PLANNER" it is a life saver. buy some plastic containers and make your meals at night. Put them in your backpack and head out the door.

    Setting a time for everything you have to do can bring so much balance to your hectic schedule! Hope this helps ^_^
  • TaintedVampyre
    TaintedVampyre Posts: 1,428 Member
    I'd love to just quote what been said so far. But of course every body's been talking about the exercise aspect of your new journey. In regards to your meal making you either dedicate a day to cooking and freezing enough meals to last you the week. Or 2-3 meals, freeze and have leftovers throughout. Or you do healthy crockpot dinners and. And then breakfast you could always do the same thing or prepare things the night before so you just grab and go. There a lot of great on-the-go homemade protein bars and breakfasts.
    Good luck :)
  • heatherrose9
    heatherrose9 Posts: 122 Member
    I would recommend making a big batch of food and seperating it! Like, a buncha chicken measured and packaged. That way during the week you can grab your pre-packaged meals! It's the best way to ensure you are eating the right stuff, and not running out of time and having to grab unhealthy food on the go!! I learned to work out at 6 in the morning when necessary and got really used to it! If you can fit that in to your lifestyle-try it! either than or late at night! GOOD LUCK! :)
  • lsjd2000
    lsjd2000 Posts: 287 Member
    I am in the same boat work and school full time with family etc and I drive an hour one way to work/school. I found that I do better If I pack a lunch/dinner -lots of ICE packs to keep it cool then I eat in my car or at a table on campus (depending on the weather) somtimes in the classroom before class etc. You can do it is just takes planning I also know that If i forget my lunch there is a subway close to campus (a better choice then the Raising Canes next door :) Good Luck with starting classes it isnt easy but it is worth it
  • hmuh
    hmuh Posts: 379 Member
    Awesome! It is definitely tough, but totally doable and worth it! The key is planning ahead (demise comes from not planning ahead. Trust me. Ha!). Just make sure to stock up on the weekends, pre-pack some healthy snacks, and cook food that can easily be frozen/reheated for those late nights when youre too tired to cook and the takeout menu is whispering sweet nothings. You got this! Best wishes :)
  • parmoute
    parmoute Posts: 99 Member
    Find food you like and make it in batches!

    I'm also working and going to school and I love using MFP to plan my meals ahead of time. If you prepare 2-3 servings of this and 2-3 servings of that and have everything in your fridge ready to go, you can mix and match meals to meet your calorie count for the day without having to stop and prepare food. A lunch bag with a little cooling pack will make foods like salads and yogurt travel better as healthy snacks/meals in between work and school (and i always keep a granola bar-type snack in my purse for emergencies).

    For me, finding the time to prepare food is what gets me in the most trouble: there's traffic, errands, a paper that has to be done tonight, or I'm just exhausted so I eat something microwavable or pick up food on the way home--and then feel awful about it. I feel so much better (and can hang in there without the junk food) knowing there's a healthy meal waiting for me at home.

    Edit: Wow! Sorry for the duplicate advice--but it works! Six or seven people must have posted the same thing while I was writing mine :-)
  • jamiealdridge02
    jamiealdridge02 Posts: 93 Member
    Hi-I feel for you. I work full time, take graduate courses at night, and have three children. I work as a special ed teacher, so I frequently have work to bring home at night and on the weekends. It is scary when you have so many things going on and the temptation to grab junk food just to survive are really high. I have lost almost 30 lbs in spite of being so busy. Here is what has helped me:
    1) Prepare, prepare, prepare. I bring a cooler of food with me. I try to bring foods that I can eat quickly but will still satisfy. This includes dinner and also a healthy snack for later on.
    2) Drink plenty of water and try to stay off the caffeine. It sounds strange, but drinking tonsof water has really helped me lose weight and keeps me from mindlessly snacking, especially when I am working on a paper or project.
    3)On days when you have class, could you get up early and do a 20 minute workout? I usually plan light workouts on my class days or use those as my planned rest days. I make sure I get in good strong workouts the rest of the week. Also, if I know I won' be able to workout, I am extra cautious about my food intake.
    4)Get plenty of rest and try not to stress (hard, I know :). Plan out your days and weeks the best you can, but be forgiving if you have a bad week.

    Good luck and congrats on going back to school. You can do it!!!
  • amsohs85
    amsohs85 Posts: 166
    Planning is the key to healthy weight loss on a busy schedule. Make a weeks menu in advance then purchase the ingredients. Try to buy mostly fresh foods not prepackaged. (the preservatives and sodium are killer). Take an hour or two to cook your meats in advance. Divide into individual portions and freeze them. Boneless chicken breasts are a great option. Bake four or five at a time then slice or dice the meat. Use to top salads, make chili, or season it for fillings in whole wheat pitas/tortillas. Make soup full of veggies and beans then freeze. Stock your frig with fresh fruit and veggies for snacking. Keep some greek yogurt on hand to make healthy smoothies. Oatmeal in the canister is great for breakfast and you can top it with fruit. I always keep a few cans of tuna in the pantry for quick sandwiches. Packaged lunch meat is okay if you check the calorie/fat content. Buy a couple sport water bottles and keep them in the frig already filled with water to grab on the way out the door. Check out theyummylife.com for healthy recipe options.

    Hope this helps and remember the effort is well worth the results!!!

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