Struggling a Little . . .

[joshsmom]

Started working on eating and living a more healthy lifestyle on January 1. Started out with a BANG--really committed. I signed up for the gym closeby so I could at least use the treadmill.

I'm 3+ weeks in and have lost 11 pounds--which I am VERY proud of. This week has been really rough though. Things have fallen apart at work and I've been really stressed. I haven't really veered from my eating plan and when I have, I've claimed it!!

The issue I am having is fitting in exercise. I am a social worker. Drop DS off at school at 7:30 and then I have to go straight to work. Because I base my schedule on when my clients can see me, I often work overtime--sometimes as late as 7:30 or 8. When I get home, I am exhausted. I wanted to try getting up at 5:30 so I could make it to the gym before work, but so far, that has been a grand failure.

Any suggestions? I am very committed to making this a lifelong change.

 

[FireDancer]

I bring my gym stuff with me to work and hit the gym on the way home. Once you get home it is easy to not want to leave again and depending on where the gym is it might also end up costing you more time. I know I'm not a morning person so I know I wouldn't go in the morning.

There are also things you can do instead of the gym on days when you really have no time. I run a lot in the evening or even after dark. Instead if going to the gym could you walk or ride a bike around your neighborhood? There are also little things you can do throughout the day like taking stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away and walking, walking while eating lunch, and so on. We have a group of ladies at work that bring wraps or sandwiches and walk the parking lot while eating every day.

Some days it is hard to get in a workout but if you think outside the box sometimes you can find something to take the place of the gym on days you can't get there that while not as good are better than doing nothing.

Good luck with your new lifestyle. Over time it just becomes your lifestyle and requires no thought, it is just natural.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hmmm....exhaustion is not good for weight loss and leads to binging.

I would tell you to keep track of your calories and just focus on eating and sleeping right now.

Exercise on your days off right now. That is what I would do. You sound like you need sleep more than exercise.

 

[BabyTigger99]

I tell myself that no matter how exhausted I am, I will be feeling so much better after I get a workout in. Yesterday, left the house at 7 am, worked all day, got home at 5, left again at 5:20 to take DS to soccer, went to the grocery store, finally got home about 8. Put my jammies on, but five minutes later, I changed into workout clothes and went downstairs for a walk/run on my treadmill (yes, I belong to a gym, but I also have a treadmill (bought used) at home, specifically for nights like that!), and I felt so much more relaxed when I was done.

 

[slp1650]

I've been working late and I understand the exhaustion after work. There are so many nights I come home and just collapse instead of doing a workout.

I've always tried to get a workout in the morning. Now, I pick a few exercises and get a 15 minute workout in before I get ready for work. I usually have some push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks in there. Things I know will get my heart rate up and my muscles burning. So yes, you might not be burning a ton of calories, but you're getting moving and you are working on strength.

Plus, I've always found that working out in the morning wakes me up for the day and I'm ready to take on whatever stresses work and life in general will bring on.

 

[peter.scott279]

If you feel exhausted then exercise regime isn’t going in the right direction or timing isn’t good.

 

[PeterPan09]

I'm having the same issue. I play a couple of different roles at my job, one is primarily standing and one is primarily sitting. While I was doing 8-16 hour off my feet my workouts were going great! In one short week of 8 hours a day on my feet my workouts have completely deteriorated. I'm so tired that I can't even think about a run or weight workout. I think it's because I'm standing I one place and not walking or moving around.

Praying that I get a desk job full time soon!