Stressed, tired, cannot lose weight - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

cgw3000 · 07-04-2015, 06:34 PM

Hi all. So, it's summer. During the summer I work a summer camp for 5/6 year olds (I'm an elementary school teacher). Summer camp has me stressed and exhausted. Plus, I'm tutoring two hours a day. So I'm working ten hour days, I'm stressed, and I'm exhausted. I cannot find the energy to exercise at all and I find myself binge eating a lot. Somehow I've only gained two pounds, but I've worked so hard and it kills me to as the pounds creeping back. Any advice?

IanG · 07-04-2015, 06:50 PM

Your work day sounds like the rest of us. Life, eh? My advice is to focus on your diet. Eat healthily and it will boost your energy levels and boost your desire to exercise. Depending on your portion sizes, healthy food should also help you lose weight too. Try cutting the processed carbs and the cr@p (candy, cake, icecream, bread). Eat lots of lean protein (eggs, chicken, fish/seafood) and lots of vegetables (big salads), oats and a little fruit and a little dairy. That's my opinion.

katiam247 · 07-04-2015, 07:46 PM

Another suggestion would be to pre-package some snacks like carrots, celery, and veggies that would keep a few days. You can cook a dish and double what you usually make on the weekend and portion it out. That way you can come home and just zap it after a tiring day.

Chubabub · 07-04-2015, 11:43 PM

Exercise will actually help with the stress. Make yourself do it at first and soon you'll be looking forward to it. But find an exercise you like.

Also do you have any way to put more activity in your work day? Instead of just supervising the kids can you join them?

cgw3000 · 07-04-2015, 11:58 PM

I actually do play with my students... A lot! I get up to 7,000 steps from 7:30-3:30, according to my Fit Bit. I think that's why I'm so tired LoL.

jean1234 · 07-05-2015, 11:05 AM

That's a tough load for a teacher's summer! How are you going to have the energy to get through another school year??

If you are doing the best you can given your energy and your stress levels, then try to adjust what you are doing to not hurt your weight so much. Eventually you have to figure out how to get exhausted and stressed and not eat yourself up over 200 pounds (something that is life long work for some of us!) However, you might try eating less in the day for awhile and save some "treat" calories for the evening.

One of my favorite "icecream" treats is a frozen banana and .3 cups of half and half, you just blend it and blend it until it is creamy and lovely. Way better than the real stuff, IMHO, and only costs about 200 calories.

Take care and don't let the little ones tie you up!

Jacqui_D · 07-05-2015, 12:07 PM

You ARE exercising. You may not call it exercise but if you are getting in over 7000 steps by 3:30, you are doing more exercise than a lot of people do. The thing you need to focus on is eating healthily. I'm sure the stress is hard on your digestive system and if you add binge-eating and unhealthy foods on top of that, it's no wonder your weight is creeping back up. You need to choose an activity other than binge-eating to unwind. Take a hot bath, read a book, watch tv with a tall glass of water instead of a snack in your hand. In fact, eat at the table only. And make sure you are getting enough calories during the day so that when you get home, you aren't physically (as compared to emotionally) "starving." Take healthy snacks to work with you to make sure. If you aren't allergic to nuts, Emerald has 100-calorie packs of almonds that would be great to keep in your purse and/or car.

Palestrina · 07-05-2015, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgw3000

Hi all. So, it's summer. During the summer I work a summer camp for 5/6 year olds (I'm an elementary school teacher). Summer camp has me stressed and exhausted. Plus, I'm tutoring two hours a day. So I'm working ten hour days, I'm stressed, and I'm exhausted. I cannot find the energy to exercise at all and I find myself binge eating a lot. Somehow I've only gained two pounds, but I've worked so hard and it kills me to as the pounds creeping back. Any advice?

Since you're very active during the day then I would not fret too much about adding a lot of exercise. If you're getting at least 10,000 steps a day then you don't have to do much. If I were in your situation I would get up a little early to do some deep breathing and some strength exercises such as squats, lunges, planks, and push ups. These will get your heart rate up and you can have a short routine done withing 15 minutes to start your day. The fact that you're a teacher and working with kids over the summer (couldn't pay me a million bucks to do it, me needs my summers off from kids), the later part of your evening should be a time to wind down. I would take a walk after dinner, 30minutes max and then come home and do mindful breathing and stretching, a nice cool shower and into bed for some netflix or skyping with a friend.

About the food - make sure you are eating the bulk of your calories during the day. If you make sure you are satisfied at your breakfast and lunch meals it will be much much easier to eat a light dinner and it will also prevent you from oversnacking.