[Jinx]

I work nights Sun-Thur 10 pm- 6 am. I am so tired all the time and I am struggling to find the time and energy to exercise. My husband and I have 2 little boys 5-7 at home and I have 3 grown children. It is getting so hard as the days go by to keep going. I have tried exercising in the morning when I get home and in the afternoon when I get up but I am still so worn out. I need advice if anyone has any to offer. I feel so guilty because I planned on 6 days a week exercising but that was too much because on Saturdays I also work all day for my father- inlaw. I dropped to 4-5 days, now I am lucky if I get in 3-4 for the last few weeks. I feel like the exercise is making me more tired and it wasn't that way in the beginning. I have found that I do better on my treadmill that anything, but I need more than cardio. I have no idea what a reasonable exercise schedule would be for someone with my schedule. My goal is to lose 20-30 lbs by Christmas. I am doing this at home so there are no gym trainers just me.
Jen

[madison27]

I know where you are coming from.

Been there
Done that
Hated it

Try working out before you go to work, that way you will be full of energy (hopefully) after your workout, take your shower (that way, you'll only have to shower once a day), and go to work.

also you had mentioned you need to do more than just cardio. Try adding some wrist/ankle weights and hand weights. You can do upper body toning while on the tred and the legs will build lean muscle with the added ankle weights.

There, you have just killed two birds with one stone.

[ThickAZChick]

I used to work a 7:30-6am for a few years. What I found nice was that where I worked, kept their gym open 24hrs w/ a badge access. I would walk over to the gym on my 15 minutes breaks and get on the treadmill for 10 minutes at a time and on my ½ lunch I would go and get on the elliptical for 15 or do arms for 5 and legs for 5. It wasnt much but it was better than trying to workout during the week which doesnt work out for a mom w/ two little one's at home. I have two little girls 9 and 11- it is so hard now that I work swing shift to get a workout done in between taking them to school, running errands and getting my dinner ready all befre 2:30pm! I work 4-10 right now and am in bed by midnight or 1am...my nap is usually around 9am-11 with a workout between 11 or noon.

If your job doesnt have a gym try walking around the buildings if it is safe. Try getting a few co-workers to walk with you and get you some of those 8 minute workouts to do at home..You dont have to do an entire workout at once. As long as your active your body is going to burn! hth

[Jinx]

I wish that I had that option but I am a guard at GE so I am stuck sitting on my butt for 8 hours looking at cameras, we even have on duty lunch breaks so I can't even get out of here to walk on my lunch hour or I would. I do have the hand weights and I am using them.
Thanks.
Jen

[p7eggyc]

Jen,
How much sleep are you getting? I worked nights a lifetime ago and know it was really hard for me to get enough sleep during the day.

I think 3-4 days per week for 30-45 min would be a very respectable goal. Also, is it possible for you to stand for a portion of your shift? If it was, maybe you could march in place 5 min of every hour?

Is the food stuff you were working on a few weeks ago going better?

Peg

PS) Check around on the recommendations for ankle weights while walking. I'm nearly sure that is not recommended because of injury risk. You can get a weighted vest to wear that is safer I believe.

[Jinx]

Peg, I am not getting as much restful sleep as I would like. I am on thyroid meds and I just spoke with my pharmacists and she said to quit taking it in the morning when I get off as it may be keeping me awake. I am doing so much better with my food, no more junk! I hav been sticking to veggies, fruits and sugar free foods, and lots of water. I tried to take a sip of coke the other night and it tasted so awful to me, if you had any idea how many cokes a day I was drinking up until about a month ago you would not believe it. I feel so much better as far as diet, just very tired. I am hoping taking my thyroid med b4 work will work out better for me.I am due for another recheck too so who knows maybe it needs to be adjusted. I feel jumpy, anxious, tired and sick to my stomach after feeling that way for a while. II Is not a good feeling.
Thanks for your concern.
Jen

[p7eggyc]

oh, gosh that has got to be taking a toll on you. Wow, you have made some great changes in a very short time period. I'm sure I would believe how much coke you were drinking because I bet I was drinking just as much once upon a time. That was one of my very first healthy eating changes and now I very rarely have one. Sadly never lost my taste for them but it is usually only in a mixed drink that I enjoy them now. Anyway, hang in there on those changes because they will serve you so well going forward!

I would encourage you to consider getting enough sleep to be just as high if not higher priority to getting more exercise. Not sleeping enough just creates havoc in so many areas including, studies show, weight loss. Your body needs that just as much as exercise so consider accepting the 3-4 days a week you are getting now and work on the pieces of the puzzle to get the sleep worked out. Glad you talked to the pharmacist about the thyroid meds. Hope you'll get that recheck scheduled if you haven't already. You deserve to feel well and that is one condition they really should be able to get it straight for you.

Hugs,
Peg