[Sakai]

Hi everyone. I think I've talked about this a long time ago...But I don't think any advice stuck.
My job is overnights, it's a lot of hard work.. I'm on my feet 8 hours of my 9 hour shift..I'm walking, hauling, lifting, pulling, climbing ladders...all night long.
(you would think having a job like this would help me lose weight...go figure) So I get off work and I'm wide awake and want to work out, a little cardio or weight training before my shower and sleeptime tea...but my body is just Soooo tired. My legs hurt, my feet burn from walking so much and my arms are just jelly. I end up passing out without my work out most of the time.
I wake up with about a hour - two hours before work. I make Breakfast for me and my BF, take care of our dogs, and have just enough time to get our lunch ready before we have to get ready for work and be out the door.
So how am I suppose to get my work-outs in when I feel like I was beaten to a pulp everyday at work? It can be done..I've done it before, but I just don't have the motivation to keep at it every day.
My Bf works the same job I do and he works much harder than I..so when he comes home, he REALY does not want to even think about working out...Much less talking me into working out. he says our job is work out enough.. but that obviously can't be right if I'm still heavy after 3 years of working there and 1 and half years of diet.
Any advice?

[Iconised Ghost]

It DOES sound like your work is very physical and I a few things come to mind:
-does the work get your heart rate up?
-what exactly are you eating and how much? What was the 1.5 year diet, did you look at the energy content?
-could you do 2 15min work outs a day instead of having to do one big one when you are tired?

[Cglasscock1]

It sounds like you and your BF both work in very hard physical jobs. I can understand the difficulty of even thinking about doing a workout after work.
You might want to focus on your diet. You didn't mention anything about what you are eating. Since you are active at work, I would be surprised if you could not lose weight simply by choosing a calorie-counting plan with enough calories to get you through the day. Losing weight is about 80% diet and 20% exercise. I'll bet you could get a good start by eating better, then when you are feeling more energetic, add any form of exercise -- even just walking after dinner. Find a diet plan that you can live with and go from there.
Good luck!

[tryn2bfit]

I agree with PP i would look into your diet and see what you can imrpove and change there first. Next I would make time to workout before I start my shift. I have a very grueling physical job and there are some days I come home that I have zero energy so I know once I workout I feel refreshed and energized so doing it before I start work helps me actually get through the day easier

[denice81]

I would try and plan to do it before your shift starts. It should also help energize you for your "day".

I agree with going in before work. That way you can pass out after work guilt free. Even if that work out is a brisk walk for 30 minutes. It's something that gets your energy going.

[Sakai]

Hi everyone...
My diet back then was pretty bad...
But now I think my problem is that I'm not getting enough calories. To be honest. I went vegitarian(sp) Starting back in Feb. I eat meat...once a week or less but the rest of my diet is whole foods. (some pasta) I also cut out most dairy as I found out I'm intolerant And I don't really want to take those pills everytime I want milk. I do eat eggs though.
I used to calorie count until I went Veggie and I ate 100% homemade food and it was hard to figure out the calorie content of a homemade meal. So I gave up on that, I figured if it came from a plant it must not be that bad for me. But there is the other hand where I might not be getting enough.
My Bf and I talked about doing our workouts before work. Nothing hard or it will just tire us out before our day even started, but something light and simple...save the hard stuff for the weekends, We'll give it a shot for a while

[ade903]

I think you aren't eating enough (haha I'm no expert), but especially if you are eating whole foods. Maybe track what you eat for a week. There are many online resources that could help you figure out the calorie content of food. I use Weight Watchers eTools (so I figure out the points), so I don't know much about FitDay, but I've heard people talk about it. You should be able to search on that site for "apple" and it'll give you the info (or any other whole food). When I was dieting several years ago, I was eating well for a couple of weeks, then decided to start tracking. I was shocked to find out that I was eating below 1000 calories every single day. Do you have a cell phone that can get apps? Droid has a calorie counter that you can search for foods and then add it to the food diary, and it'll keep track each day.

[misstraveller]

Sounds like working out before work would be the best route to go, then you don't even have to worry about it after work!

I found that going vegetarian did not help me lose weight. Vegetarian lifestyles can be very high in carbohydrates even if you try to keep it balanced with protein from beans and tofu. For me, that just did not work. Protein helps me process carbohydrates (i'm a diabetic) so it is essential for me.

Have you been to a doctor for a good workup lately? Everyone hates me asking this, but I only found out I was a diabetic at the age of 17 because of a random blood test my new doctor ran on me. I only weighed 220 pounds at the time. Just keep in mind, your doctor can have some great nutritional advice and can provide insight on your metabolism and hormones!

[Sakai]

Okay I did the math for a normal work day
On a normal day, if I don't eat after work, before bedtime I get about 960 calories.
Holy crap, I thought I was getting way more than that! There are some days when we do eat a little something before bed, 1 egg with some potatoes or A mix of cooked squash,tomatoes,onions with a tiny bit of cheese alone or with a wheat tortilla.
-.- No wonder I feel so tired all the time...

[FreeSpirit]

If you're not eating enough calories that could DEFINITELY contribute to your body being so tired after work. I would focus on upping your calories (with good, nutritious food) for a few weeks then gradually add exercise in. I bet you'll find it a million times easier to workout when your body is getting fueled properly.

[SarahD140]

I just wanted to throw in that I work a physical job as well, and trying to work out afterwards is just not working for me. I don't see it working for many ppl who work like we do, an I bet adding calories will help. I agree that you should do something before work, and as you get healthier you will feel able to do more!

I notice that after doing a job for a while, that I find ways to make every task easier, physically, even if its carrying boxes up ladders in the stock room. When I start to change it up, I see and feel results. Time permitting, you may try and work on better form. P.S., I do the whole modifying to make it easier subconsciously. I think we all do.

[Sakai]

Working out before work Seems to be doing the trick.
Getting up early so we have time to work out was a bit tough the first day but we fell right into it on the next.
My average calories for these 4 days rounded downto 1300. The weekly soup I make for lunch turned out a little light this week. I took out half the amount of beans and added 2/3 cup uncooked wheat pasta in it's place, which I think took out a bunch of calories. I'm working on finding a few good recipies to get the calories up to at least 250 calories per 2 cup bowl. (not 180 like it was this week) And now that I'm awake long before work, I have time to make a better breakfast for me and my BF.