Yes I know if I *really* want to do this I would make the time. However (here come the excuses)
I live 130KM from work (or just over 100 miles) which has me commuting 20 hours a week. Can I do butt squeezes on the train? Sure. Do I really want to? No.
I work too much. It has it's rewards; I was just promoted to accounting team supervisor in July. But that means, I still work too much. 4 hours commuting each day and if I even leave on time at 5pm, I'm home at 7. Then I still have to eat dinner (Ron cooks usually) and by then I'm starving and I tend to overeat at dinner. Now, imagine when I leave at 7pm...
I get up at 4.30am. I know I need to change this and prepare stuff the night before to sleep in a little bit more, but to be honest, I really don't feel like it, once I've had dinner. I want to do other things. I want to spend time on hobbies (not that I have time for any), I want to spend time with Ron.
Can I go and take a walk at lunch? Sure. If I actually TOOK my lunch.
Do you see where I'm going here?
I have no problem preparing food and bringing stuff with me during the day, but the biggest challenge is... around Thursday I'm so tired that I give into that "I don't feel like it" monster and there are tendencies to think "I'll just get something healthy at the office". This, my friends, NEVER happens.
With all that, I'd like to go and do exercise at the gym. Do I? No. See excuses above. Can I work out at home? Yes - and many times I do, when Ron is cooking I can go on my elliptical. However, I get bored easily with the same old, same old and I like to do different stuff. I NEED to go to a gym, a class, go out for a walk, etc. This I don't have time for.
So maybe my other challenge is my attitude. When I PLAN and I exercise and I stay within my program guidelines, I am VERY successful. I lost weight on WW before and kept it off for 3 years, so I know it can be done. When this was the case I had a totally different life. I worked in the same town that I lived in. I rode my bicycle to work every day. I did no overtime. I had friends I went to WW and the gym with. I don't have any of that anymore and I find it very hard to do it completely alone.
I can't eat whenever I want or need to at my job. When it is time to eat I then overeat because I am hungry.
We also have to eat fast so my brain hasn't gotten the signal that I am full.
Very frustrating.
!
Mary
....The other is hopefully something that will change ... and it's just that I've been going through a huge amount of personal change over the last year, which has been incredibly stressful. I vacillate between not eating anything from stress and eating everything in sight because of stress.
Photochick, can you talk about it a little bit? I"d like to get to know all of us here on the 40's forum, and try to know a little bit about each of our lives.
My biggest challenges are portion control and finding time to exercise because I have a child with a disability. My son is older (22) and has a job from 8-12 Monday through Friday and that is when I go to work too. If the office is really busy, I bring him back to work with me (my husband and I own our own business). I have a gym membership, but they frown about me bringing my son with me---plus after 30 minutes he is ready to go. My husband is wonderful, but he is one of those people who sneezes and loses 5 pounds! He works out a lot---he is a triathlete---so I have to schedule my day around his schedule. I need to find an excercise routine that I can do at home---I know there are DVD's out there, but which one???
Thanks to everyone being so open---It helps to know there are others out there with similar issues.
momforever, Could your hubby possibly give up some of his workout time and spend time with your son while you get in more than a 30 min workout? Just a thought.
While DH would be happy to give up some of his workout time, he is training for a half Ironman in October. Plus he works out early in the morning and has long workouts on Saturdays and Sundays. I need to look at our schedules to see when I can schedule an hour plus a day. I thought by finding a workout to do at home it would remove the excuse of not being able to workout at the gym. Yesterday, I saw a cable tv channel that has a variety of routines, so I am going to give that a try this afternoon to find the type of exercise I like to do from home. Wish me luck!!!
momforever, wishing you luck...I too workout at home. I live rural so access to a gym is difficult. It can be done. Good for you for searching for what works for you rather than giving up!
Photochick, can you talk about it a little bit? I"d like to get to know all of us here on the 40's forum, and try to know a little bit about each of our lives.
Honestly a lot of it is veryvery personal. I don't mind sharing a little bit - I've talked some in other threads about being separated from my husband and working through divorce issues, but aside from that, there's just a lot of stuff ... career and money related (the economy is really putting the hurt on small, luxury item businesses like mine), personally, family wise, etc.
The past year has seen some huge changes in my life and I'm at a bit of a crossroads in deciding where to go from here. I've had to come to grips with the fact that children will not be part of my life, that my marriage is in fact over (which means I will lose the only family I really have - my inlaws), that I might have to rethink my career, and ... several other things that I just don't want to share here (no offense to anyone! ).
I'm contemplating moving across the country and starting over - but whatever plans I decide make will have to wait at least a year until I can get some financial security in order. And that also puts me in a little bit of limbo with regard to moving forward.
Add to that, one of my dearest friends in the whole world is dealing with pancreatic cancer right now (I've posted about this before as well). He just underwent surgery (called a Whipple procedure in which they removed his pancreas, his bile duct, 40% of his stomach, and 4 feet of his small intestine) but they found cancer in his lymph nodes while they were in there. So obviously, that's not a good outcome.
So ... really just a whole heck of a lot of stuff that I'm dealing with and trying to figure out.
My biggest obstacle is the medications I have to get on from time to time. This last time was well over a 20 pound gain from them. I now don't get upset about it because I know it is the medications and not what I eat nor lack of exercise but it can really be a bummer. I am at that stage again. Just off the medications with the gain that I have just lost this year. I would have reached my goal at my birthday in november now that isn't going to happen. I did give myself a few days to be down about it now the work is back. Get the weight off I put back on and then go forward again.
Photo, I'm sorry to hear that your friend received further bad news after his whipple procedure. I recall that the two of you are very close. I will keep he and his family and you in my prayers.
Kristi
Kristi - thank you so much. He's been a huge support to me over the past year as I deal with other stuff and so now I'm trying to be as much of a support to him. It's a tough situation all the way around.
Like dolphinlvr, I eat when stressed (and bored!). I'm working on this, and just blew it big time last week.
Like 36 paws, I have a naturally thin (not skinny, but lean) husband who can eat massive Dagwood-type sandwiches at midnight every day without gaining an ounce.
I also have three healthy and lean kids who can pretty much eat whatever they want whenever they want. My 13 year old son can eat three times what I can eat!! Yikes.
The only other "weight challenged" individual at our house is my fat cat who is obsessed with ham (long story). My other cat (lean and sleek) has no food issues.
So... add it all up. That's my challenge. To live with all of them, deal with life's stresses and not pig out.
I'm having a hysterectomy two weeks from today. I vacillate between knowing that I'd recover better if I lost a few pounds and was more active going into it -and- eating because I'm starting to get nervous about it.
for all of those going through crisis in their lives.
Photo
I know how hard it is to deal with a friend fighting cancer. Last year a good friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a partial masectomy cause it was in her lymph nodes. It was a long process but as of now she is cancer free. I know it's hard but being there for your friend is what he needs right now. Thank God he has someone like you to be there for him. I will put you and your friend in my prayers tonight.
Hang in there and thanks for sharing something so personal.
Hopefuldreamer
I was wondering where you were... good to see you posting again. I too have a thin cat but I have two fat cats. Precious always wants to eat our food plus hers
I don't mind sharing a little bit - I've talked some in other threads about being separated from my husband and working through divorce issues, but aside from that, there's just a lot of stuff ... career and money related (the economy is really putting the hurt on small, luxury item businesses like mine), personally, family wise, etc. 
