Teachers and summer weight...

HornsUT32
HornsUT32 Posts: 146 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Teachers!!! The past few summers I have gained at least a few pounds over the summer. Do you ever have this problem? I find myself sitting around a lot, even after spending over an hour in the gym, and then I start snacking. During the school year, we are too busy to snack haha...and I find it is easier to plan.

For me, losing weight during the school year is SOOOOO much easier than during the summer. Do you have this problem? This is the first summer in 5 years that I haven't gained weight, but I am not losing very fast either. At this point, I just want to maintain until we go back to work in 3 weeks haha.
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Replies

  • Arredondo145
    Arredondo145 Posts: 50 Member
    I thought I was the only person in the world that gained summer weight! I think it is from having a lower activity level overall, even with daily gym trips. I always look forward to the return of school if for no other reason than the change in my activity level.:smile:
  • bridgeo74
    bridgeo74 Posts: 191 Member
    I feel exactly the same!!!
    And I do not get enough water at home... more likely to grab a diet Pepsi!!!
    LOVE having summers off, but the control freak in me likes the schedule during the school year!!

    Are you on the Teachers Take Charge group? There was a big discussion about this in the beginning of the summer. I thought it was weird, because majority liked the summer for losing...NOT ME!!!

    Good luck...not many weeks left!!!
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    I do snack more during the summer too but I also have more time to workout too. During the school year it's easier to eat right but it is harder to workout more because I'm soo tired!
  • HornsUT32
    HornsUT32 Posts: 146 Member
    I am so glad I am not the only one!!! I am have such a hard problem losing weight right now.
  • mlcheng
    mlcheng Posts: 4
    I tend to lose during the summer. There's so much for time for community exercise classes, such as water aerobics and pilates. I keep to my hilly 30 min walk 5x a week. However, snacking is my downfall as fall. Keep it up everyone. We can do it! School starts soon so we'll all be back on our regular routine of starbucks and sandwiches!
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
    Haha! I was just saying how i like the structure of the classroom to lose weight! I teach behavior modification with severely agressive/autistic kids so my school days are spent running around and doing restraints, toileting, chasing, preventing attacks... I get to wear gym pants to work :)

    Lucky for me my summers are spent on the beach (i live on the beach) so i tend to keep busy while my 9-5er friends are hard at work.

    I find as long as I keep me eating in check all is good- its summer- the veggies and fruits are great so i just stick with those :)
  • mommie2monkey
    mommie2monkey Posts: 7
    I do much better with healthy eating durng the school year but I have no time for exercise. During the summer, I can find time to exercise but the diet goes down the tubes.
  • HornsUT32
    HornsUT32 Posts: 146 Member
    I tend to lose during the summer. There's so much for time for community exercise classes, such as water aerobics and pilates. I keep to my hilly 30 min walk 5x a week. However, snacking is my downfall as fall. Keep it up everyone. We can do it! School starts soon so we'll all be back on our regular routine of starbucks and sandwiches!

    Haha, that is complete opposite of me! We only have 30 minutes for lunch, and almost 10 minutes of that is making sure the hallways are clear and safe during the passing periods. We don't have time to leave, so its a good way to make sure we have small, healthy lunches. I also drink a lot of water, especially since I have to repeat the same class 6 times. Talking about the Civil War, 6 times over, becomes a painful thing without water to wet your wistle haha.

    I get off at 4, so I head right to the gym for an hour or so. I think I am just a creature of habit, and I need my schedule back.
  • bridgeo74
    bridgeo74 Posts: 191 Member
    Easier for me to work out during the school year because my daughter can attend Afterschool Club while I work out.
    None of the gyms here have daycare, so it is hard for me to get my Zumba on!
    Also, she is involved in sooooo much I can' t get to the night classes (when hubby is home).
    I should stop complaining though, at least I get the time off to spend with her!!!
  • hatescows
    hatescows Posts: 69 Member
    I do much better during the school year too. I have managed to lose 5 pounds this summer. A HUGE win for me!!
  • tara_seay
    tara_seay Posts: 171 Member
    First off, all you guys feel free to add me. I am a special ed teacher at the elem level.

    Second, The summer weight I gained this summer is what motivated me to start trying to lose weight. I only have been doing MFP for a week. I have gained almost 30lbs since May! That's disgusting!

    But think about it, it makes sense... we walk around during the year, checking our kids, can't snack, and we most likely plan our meals because we don't want to eat cafeteria food..
  • marsellient
    marsellient Posts: 591 Member
    Funny that this should be posted today...although I'm now retired, I was thinking about this just this morning. I definitely maintain the summer holiday mindset There's such an abundance of good, fresh fruit and vegetables in summer, that you'd think it'd be easy to stay on track with calories, but there are so many social gatherings that involve grilled meats and creamy salads and drinks, that it takes a lot of planning to stay within limits. Some days it's hard to keep exercising in the heat, too. Then there are road trips! I wish you all well with maintaining your plan, and hope you agree that logging in to MFP and having support here is the best way to stay on track!
  • sarahrobin
    sarahrobin Posts: 138 Member
    Last summer I lost weight. I gained most of it back this last school year. Too much stress! I'm trying to get back on track this summer. I am at a new school this coming year. I'm hoping that the stress level will be much less. Last year I actually would lose chunks of hair because the year was so awful- all because of one staff member in my classroom that I could not get rid of and made my life hell. But anyway. I will not have to deal with her this year. I will have wonderful kids (that I actually taught 4 years ago) and work with staff that I know and love (again, worked with most of them 4 years ago). My goal is to actually lose weight this school year and stay on track! Good luck to everyone. Enjoy the remainder of summer as it will go by too quickly and before we know it life will be wonderfully chaotic again! :smile:
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    I have the same summer problem with the added issue of never going outside because it is 115 degrees or higher. the only good thing is that summer vacation is only 6 weeks. School starts Monday.
  • NeverGoingToQuit
    NeverGoingToQuit Posts: 49 Member
    The summers are wonderful and so relaxing but I find myself munching as well. During the school year I never have time to snack, constantly drink water, (teach 3-5 year olds in a headstart program) and I am on the go. But, I find it hard to get exercise in because I am so exhuasted. In the summer I walk, bike, dance, and hang with friends and family swimming. Winter I get into the gym maybe 2-3 times a week.

    I am hoping that going back to work will be a great step in the right direction for this weight loss haha

    best of luck to all of you!
  • trich33702
    trich33702 Posts: 21 Member
    I am the complete opposite. The summers are wonderful for weight loss. I am stress free and have so much time I tend to work out two or three times a day. For some reason I don't snack as much because I am always doing some project around the house, or I just get out of the house.

    During the school year I am so busy with my work schedule and my children's activities I often neglect my own exercise and diet. I am stressed so I crave sweets and often reward my self with something sweet when I make it though a stressful week. I lost 40 pounds two years ago, and I had been on a steady weight loss during the summer and maintaining it through the winter and fall. This past fall and winter I put on 20lbs. I am working hard this summer to shred those pounds and am hoping the changes I've made in my eating will be maintained over the school year. I'm already anxious/worried about how I'm going to fit my exercise in. One positive is that my son will be away in college, so that will be one less child to juggle with school and activities. My daughter is old enough now that I can take her with me to jazzercise or we can walk/jog together in the evenings. I am hoping that she will help keep me on track. The downside is that with it just being the two of us, (and she loves to eat out) that I will fall into the pressure of eating out instead of cooking. I have been teaching her to cook this summer and she seems to enjoy it, so maybe we can alternate on the cooking. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
  • IleanaMargot
    IleanaMargot Posts: 30 Member
    Summers presents the same problem for me...too much time to lounge!!! It's great to release all that stress that builds over the course of the year. I too am a creature of habit and need my routine and summer is too liberal...as it should be...lol. Feel free to add me for support.
  • rebeccasedwards
    rebeccasedwards Posts: 208
    I agree that you have to really control what you eat during the summer. I do tend to lose during the summer and have lost quite a bit this summer. I love having the time to workout every morning. I know I will be very tired after school and will have a hard time to keep up with my hour long workouts. But I refuse to gain back the weight I have worked so hard to lose since January. I have to find a different way to deal with the stress than to sit at the computer working on our awful detailed lesson plans and eat junk stressing over evaluations.
  • valz2000
    valz2000 Posts: 78 Member
    I have been able to still lose weight this summer but last summer was horrible. I eat better when school is in but get in more exercise during the summer. Feel free to add me.. Having support from people who understand the daily teaching grind would be a major plus.:bigsmile:
  • ShanteA13
    ShanteA13 Posts: 26 Member
    It is hard for me to have time to exercise during the school year but I do eat much healthier during the year because I plan out my meals ahead of time. I have lost five pounds over the summer and hope I can keep it up. During the school year I'm just so tired when I get off of work that I don't feel like exercising. I'm going to try my best to at least exercise for an hour each day during the school year. Please feel free to add me. I go back to school August 14th and it would be nice to have the support when we all return to school.
  • legs_n_bacon
    legs_n_bacon Posts: 478 Member
    I'm not a teacher but I work in a high school and have the summer off. I have the opposite problem, I lose like crazy over the summer because I am so active and within the first few weeks or so of school, I gain it all back.

    I'm determined this year not to let that happen! I'm going to keep exercising in the morning before school, and am hoping at least 2 days a week I can go to the gym after school. I'm also getting a new mini-fridge for my office, so I will make sure I pack my lunches and snacks and not make trips to the cafeteria.

    We did a Biggest Loser challenge last year and are planning to do it again once school starts back up. I think that wil help a lot with motivation. We all contributed $5, used the scale in the Nurse's Office, the top three Losers won money and we bought a plant for the Nurse's Office for their help. It was a lot of fun and I met some people that I'd never had the chance to talk to before.
  • mandr97
    mandr97 Posts: 40
    I agree that you have to really control what you eat during the summer. I do tend to lose during the summer and have lost quite a bit this summer. I love having the time to workout every morning. I know I will be very tired after school and will have a hard time to keep up with my hour long workouts. But I refuse to gain back the weight I have worked so hard to lose since January. I have to find a different way to deal with the stress than to sit at the computer working on our awful detailed lesson plans and eat junk stressing over evaluations.



    This :) Exactly!
  • Slinkysmilez
    Slinkysmilez Posts: 11 Member
    I agree as well. The summer I WANT to be lazy because I have no time during the year. I also basically have 20 minutes for lunch b/c of hallway checks, walking to and from my room for lunch, and going to the restroom. Half of the time I just have time for a couple things of fruit and water. I am more energized to lose weight at the start of the school year. I do great until the second half starts and I lose all energy for anything.
  • Ashers83
    Ashers83 Posts: 92 Member
    I gained 20lbs this past school year!!! I've lost about 8lbs so far this summer. I find the school year to be overly stressful and I take no time for myself. I'm hoping to change that this year but it depends how many different classes I will have to prep for this year... still don't know my schedule :(
  • vallemic
    vallemic Posts: 278 Member
    I have always gained weight during the summer months! Ugh! Summer off means more vacation getaways which usually involve eating in restaurants and drinking not so calorie friendly cocktails! HA! Also, I'm home alot which means snack, snack, snack! This summer, I told myself I was not going to put on any of the weight I just loss (loss 42 lbs from Sept. 2011-May 2012). So far, so good! I have been pretty much maintaining (actually down 1 lb)!

    For me, the structure of the school year, as busy and stressful as it is, makes it easier to eat healthy! I prepare my lunches/snacks for the workday at night and even pre-plan family dinners! At night, once the little one is in bed, I go for a run or go to the gym! I guess there's just less room for error!
  • checkmatekingtwo
    checkmatekingtwo Posts: 118 Member
    I'm in the other camp: I lose weight in the summer and gain it all back during the school year. In the summer, I have time to go regularly to the gym and I work out much more. Plus I have time to prepare good, healthy meals. During the school year, including the after-school activities, it's so much easier and more-efficient (time-wise) to do the drive-through meals, to the detriment of my diet. And usually I'm so wiped out by the time I get home after teaching all day, working after-hours, and doing the after-school activities, the last thing I have time for is a trip to the gym.

    I have to change this behavior, but it's not easy!
  • dawnmichelea
    dawnmichelea Posts: 112 Member
    I teach P.E., so I am so much more active during the school year! I participate with all of my classes, all day long, so I burn a ton of calories! During the summer, I walk 2 miles a day period! Well, I'm also doing a push-up challenge. Gotta show my high-schoolers what a 45 year old woman can do!
  • caro1275
    caro1275 Posts: 198 Member
    I lose weight in the summer. I get lazy during the school year.... I slack off with the gym, I tend to eat out more, and not eat as healthy, and I also tend to stress eat. I do much better in the summertime. :)
    Caro
  • jwilllose
    jwilllose Posts: 18 Member
    I usually dread the start of Fall because my pants don't fit. I tried a pair on today and they're too big- I've been pretty dedicated this summer and have lost 8 lbs since school ended. We don't go back for 6 weeks so I need to really focus on keeping it off.

    I work out during my lunch hour at school, too. I only get 25 minutes but if I didn't get those 25 mins, I wouldn't get a work out in (2 small kids and my husband works nights).

    So you're not alone!
  • crossuturn
    crossuturn Posts: 15 Member
    I loose weight during the summer because I have more time to focus on my food and exercise. I hope this school year I will be able to keep working out since the gym is on the way home from my new teaching job.

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