I didn't really start losing weight until I was done with grad school, but throughout college and grad school I managed to fit exercise into a pretty hectic schedule. This included when I was student teaching (a full time job essentially) plus taking a full load of graduate credits and working a few hours a week! I don't miss it!!

You really need to make yourself a priority. Can you wake up early to prepare food for the day? (I would do this to ensure that I didn't buy crap food) Can you make all meals during the weekend if you can't do that?

Can you exercise before or after work? When you start, exercise doesn't have to be every day or even for a lot of time. Just starting at 20 minutes, 3 times a week may be enough to get you going (and it's better than not exercising!).

If you can't do both diet and exercise, I would prioritize cooking healthy food. I use our slow-cooker to make large batches of food that I divide into tupperware to take with me to work. I hardly cook or prepare food at all during the week and that saves a lot of time. I also eat a lot of things that only require the microwave for preparation, like oatmeal and quesadillas.

Those are really good ideas!
Sontaikle, this semester my Mon/ Wed class starts at 7:30, so I can try to work in exercise between work & school on those days. Maybe I'll do Mon/Wed/Fri since I don't have classes on Fridays.
ERHR, Thanks for the suggestions for food. I've been doing pretty well with bringing my lunches. Making big batches on the weekends sounds like a great plan!

Thanks ladies!

When I started trying to lose weight, I found it overwhelming to try to overhaul my eating habits and start exercise habits so I picked one. I focused on food and eating first and then built up exercise (I think starting slow and building up is a great idea, especially when you're trying to figure out how to fit it all in).

I recently started working out consistently because of a friend (my aunt actually). We worked out together when I was starting so that I was accountable to someone and it really helped me a lot. I would try to find a friend who has a similar schedule who you could work out with (trips to the gym, walks or runs, etc.).

Good luck!

Haha! This is such a good topic! I just posted a little of my usual day earlier in the weekly chat, and man is it tough to work things in there! I am 26, married, with 2 LOs (a 4 year old and a 7 month old), and we have a lot going on! Basically I workout in the mornings otherwise it will NOT get done! That is one of my main recommendations, if you CAN workout before your day starts, I WOULD! I also highly recommend DVD workouts if you like that kind of stuff, I am on my second round of Insanity, and it has rocked my world lol! I do Insanity at about 6am and then from 7am-8am get kiddos ready (eat, clothes, brush teeth, etc) then go to the gym from 8-9:15am before nap time. Being able to be a SAHM helps in the workout area, but really, I always have worked out in the morning, it always seems to give me more energy throughout the day! Good luck with your schedule that reminds me of when I was in college/post-grad too (only had one LO at that time, but had him plus school, coaching, hubby haha!) YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

I would pick either eating well or exercising and work on that first. Once you get those changes down, start working on the other. If you try to do too much at once with your schedule, you'll set yourself up for failure. I would go with eating better first since that has more impact on weight loss than exercise. You can't out-exercise a poor diet, but many people lose lots of weight by changing eating habits alone.

If you don't get bored with food, try cooking on the weekends or on Fridays and portioning out your meals for the whole week into baggies/tupperware, etc. I did that when I was in grad school, and although it can get a bit boring, it was easy, saved me time in the long run, and really allowed me to eat much more healthfully than I would have had I needed to cook something or grab somethign from a drive thru. Also, to combat boredome, change what you make each week. Meal planning can save you tons of time (and money) at the grocery store, too.

Once you have healthy eating down, try to add some exercise, but remember that it doesn't have to be an hour five days a week or even three. I assume you get breaks during your classes-- go for a brisk walk in the halls or climb some stairs. Go for a walk outdoors betweek work and classes, consistently park farther away (provided it's safe to do so). If you're at home, squeeze in pushups and situps in three minute intervals. It doesn't all have to be done at once, and something is better than nothing. That said, I'd still focus on healthy eating alone first for a month or so until you feel comfortable with your new routine.

My plan for the school year is to make a few extra portions every time I cook, and put them in the freezer. That way I still get some variety instead of eating Sunday's dinner for lunch ALL week. It doesn't add much time to make more of something you're already putting together.

For exercise, I'd start small. You've got Friday evenings and your weekends off... Maybe you can try and commit to two days of exercise per week. It doesn't have to be something incredibly long, a little exercise is better than none. Have you heard of BodyRockTV? They have really intense workouts that are usually only 20 minutes or less. There's tons of variety and all her videos are free on her site. She's also got some meal plan advice but I haven't read up on it much, could be useful though! She says on her site that the workout she posts that day is the only workout she does. She doesn't go and run a mile afterwards or hit the gym. Her claim is that the high intensity interval training is so effective that you don't need to spend hours and hours working out... her body is unreal (more jacked than I'd ever want or need to be) so it's definitely working!

I totally know what you mean...I'm a biology graduate student so I am in the lab at all hours of the day/night including the weekends and taking classes. Eating healthy and calorie counting has gotten me this far on my weight loss journey, but I have stalled hardcore. I really need to incorporate some exercise, but I feel like I have no time already for myself.

I have the exact same problem! I'm 20, married, a full time online college student, and working fulltime 40 hours a week (scattered hours too). I can't seem to find the energy once I find the time. Also, at work I'm always just grabbing something quick and easy and going. It is a never ending cycle.

While I"m not married with kids, I do have a very full schedule. I'm an actor and have rehearsals at night in addition to full time classes during the day and working on weekends. Anyway, I started exercising in the morning using a 30 minute workout dvd (a jillian michaels dvd) and it was very simple to fit in. It actually helps me to relax, my "me" time. That would be my suggestion. It's such small time, it's relatively easy even for me to fit in. And like others have said, one small change at a time. I've lost ten pounds this summer by simply filling myself up on veggies. And that was my goal for the summer, eat more veggies. I have more mini goals but it's a great way to start. Good luck!

Since you are working AND taking classes... can you get your husband on board to be in charge of making healthy meals so you don't have to worry about it?

If that's not an option... make an effort to make and plan a weeks worth of meals on one of the weekend day... chop a ton of veggies... make enough food for a week and pop it in the freezer so you can take something out to thaw each day and have it ready...etc. That's what I did when my college/work schedule was similar to yours.


For exercise... I would suggest getting a couple workout DVDs so you don't have to leave the house and doing 30 minutes to an hour of workout each day or every other day. When I was in college I would get up at 6 or 7 to try and get a run or a workout video in. Either that or you might find me doing something relaxing like bellydancing at 10 in the evening before winding down for bed. I love the gym but when you are strapped for time the extra effort it takes to go to the gym, change, etc is not worth it when you can workout at home.

As far as losing weight goes in my opinion its about 80% the food choices that make me lose. I'd get that in control first and figure out a routine for getting the healthy food made so you're not tempted to eat junk or fast food or indulge in sugary/caffeinated drinks because you're trying to stay awake. The exercise is important for health and fitness... but I wouldn't fret it if you can't fit it in every day at this point in your life.

These are all really great suggestions! I got a few workout DVD's. School starts back Monday so the workouts will too! I think I'm going to do a couple trial workouts this week to see how early I need to get up in the mornings, etc.
Thank you for all of your comments! It's wonderful to hear from people who have done it!
Jamber1234 & aliquot I'm with you! We can do it!~

What are some yummy healthy things I can make big batches of to freeze and eat during the week?

My advice to you is take care of the health stuff now b/c it is much harder to lose weight at 40. I also would grill/bake lots of chicken breasts in advance and add them to salad...quick, easy and yummy :-)
As for exercise it has been easy for me these past few weeks b/c I have summers off...worried about how I will keep it up come BTS time.
Mini goals are also awesome...makes you feel like you have and can accomplish goals :-) I wanted to remove diet coke from my life and I have (and I was addicted with a capital "A"). YOU CAN DO IT!!

It depends on what you like to eat. I'm eating a lean protein/veggie type diet, so I always grill a bunch of chicken or bake a bunch of fish, cook a large pot of fresh green beans, etc.

There are lots of good and healthy soup recipes out there. Those are also easy to freeze. Make a big stir fry and a big batch of rice. Chop up a bunch of lettuce for salads if you don't buy the bagged kind. Cut up veggies for snacks/sides at lunch. Even if you don't prep everything ahead of time, the biggest key is to PLAN what you're going to eat-- e.g. figure out a fast breakfast you can make in the mornings (cereal, toast and fruit, etc.). It also helps me to pack my lunch and/or dinner or whatever I'll need for the day before I go to bed the night before. That way the "no time in the morning to pack lunch" excuse doesn't get in the way.

If you don't have ideas for healthy recipes, get a healthy cooking book from the library, google online, or check out some Weight Watchers recipes. Those are usually pretty good.