Ok, I've hit a big plateau...and I know why but right now I can't change it.

In the last 3-4 weeks, my workout has gone from 4-5 days a week to nothing (just tons of ups and downs in the stairs both at work and home). I've been working overtime at home and I moved during the Easter weekend. So as you can guess my time has been scarce.

See I work from 5am to 3pm monday to friday , add to that 3-6 hours of overtime at home, the keep of the house and sleep...I realy don't have alot of time left to take care of me.

Anyone have tips of maybe exercises I could do while working at the PC, tips on what I could eat that would fill me up without adding the calories/fat/sugars/salts.

I was supposed to lose around 20-30lbs between January 19th and July 10th, I lost a total of 6lbs since January 19th ...and right now I'm too scared to weight myself ...just in case I see myself higher than when I started (even if I don't feel that way physicaly).

I'm not into any medical help (like Xenecal and other pills like it) since I tried Xenecal , lost over 80lbs but as soon as I stoped, I started gaining all over again...I gained a total of 30lbs after that .

Like I said any kind of tips would be appreciated, right now working less hours is out of the question for at least 2 more weeks , my lunch hour is filled with work also (it's the only time my boss and I can get together to discuss the priorities in our workload), so I just lost another workout time from my day.

Thank you for your help

Do you have a stability ball? Perhaps you could replace your chair with the ball? I know some that people that do that and love it. There are also lots of exercise routines designed to be done while at your desk. Here's a link to some information and I'm sure you could do a search and come up with lots more. http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/82/97478.htm

~Dee

That is some good information... I think I'll try a few of those ideas!

I have to agree with the stability ball also. I have put one at my computer at home. When I'm sitting here I can all sorts of stretching exercises, plus it makes me think about my posture and holding my tummy in! Good Luck!!

When I hit a plateau I almost invariably look at Fitday and realize my calories have been creeping up. I re-focus on my diet first. They say that 90% of weight loss is in the eating (I'm not disparaging exercise, it does some very important things, but it doesn't burn enough calories to offset eating too much). I lose pretty consistently at 1500-1600 calories a day. I lose only about .5 a pound a week when it's closer to 1800.

Anyway, what helps me is to focus on protein, to keep from getting hungry. Then fill in with veg and fruit. Chicken, turkey, fish, tuna, hard-cooked eggs, low-fat mozzarella sticks or cottage cheese... they're all fairly low calorie, but high protein. Protein bars and shakes help, too, at times.

The other thing that helps me fill up without over-eating is soup. I LOVE soup, and will often roast a chicken for dinner, knowing Hunter will eat only the breast meat, leaving all the dark meat and the bones for a lovely chicken barley veggie soup (barley is very high fiber, and much more filling than noodles or rice).

Hope that helps.

I was having a time crisis a few months ago. I typed up my schedule and posted it on support and got heaps of great suggestions. I work 9 - 5 most days, but I have a two hour commute EACH WAY!!! Add eight hours sleep per day, and that don't leave much time left!!! It's annoying.

I still manage to get an hour cardio 5 days a week. It's not easy and takes a lot of planning. Try and build in exercise during the day. If you can walk for even 10 minutes 3 times a day, or if your office has stairs and you can climb up and down them, you can burn some calories.

It takes creativity and commitment but it can be done.

I would have to agree -eating is the key. You can eat in 5 minutes what would take you an hour to burn off in exercise. Sad but true. About the time to exercise - I would just like you to consider this: If you don't take the time to take care of yourself, you cannot help others. If you workout 5 hours per week intensely - that is 5 hours out of 168 That is less than 3% of your time in a week. I think you are worth 3% don't you?

Make the time to take care of yourself. Everything else you do in life will be easier to deal with if you have taken care of your physical well being. IMHO of course.

I agree with looking at your food intake .. where are your calories coming from.. I find when my processed foods are up(breads pasta) my weight stammers.. and mix up the old regiment.. new here but not new to losing weight.. the same 25 over and over and over.. LOL Kim

I like the idea of sharing my schedule with you...so here goes:

3am- Wake up and get ready for work, take care of the dog and leave by 4:15.

4:15 to 5am: commute to work

5am till 3pm: Work day ( more ofthen than not right now, I'm having a working lunch)

3pm to 3:45pm: Commute back home

3:45 pm to 4pm: Take care of dog (give him his diner, fresh water , ect)

4pm to 10pm: work on the files I didn't have time to close during the day

10pm-11pm: make sure the house is clean (and continue unpacking), and I have a load of laundry started, ect. The usual homemaker stuff.

11pm-3am: sleep

Workplace: I have stairs and since my boss is on a lower level than I, I take the stairs to go and meet with her...about 4 times a day or more. I try to take the stairs when I leave work (not always , but I'm working on it to be daily)

Home: This is a new place,and I went from a single storey home with no basement to a 2-storey home with a basement. I get to do more stairs there too.

I'm planing now to take the weekend of of any kind of work related projects to take my butt outside to work in the yard and flower beds, I'll sneek in some time to walk with the dog a few times.

For those of you who are wondering where my DH is during all this time...he's either sleeping or watching hockey ( I don't have the energy to get into a fight for him to help me out...I work in an office and he works as a fellow, so he thinks I don't do any "real" work, so I shouldn't be tired... ) He's usualy realy helpfull but right now he is useless in that area, so let's just hope that he will start helping out more before I drop down, burnt out.

My suggestion is to quit making a clean house a priority, and do your own laundry only and unpack only stuff you need. Keep one area clean as a sanctuary for yourself if messiness bothers you. Women have much higher standards of cleanliness than men, IMHO, and I think we should sacrifice those standards to take care of ourselves.

Also, if you're having to work at home that much to close files, can you have a discussion with your supervisor about your workload? That's almost a whole day's extra work at home. Nobody should have to do that (although if you're an attorney trying to make partner I guess that's the norm). You really need to take care of yourself or eventually you'll develop so many health problems that you won't be able to function.

I would also highly recommend Flylady as a place to go for advice on house-cleaning when you're feeling overwhelmed. I have an hour-and-a-half commute, and my husband works and then goes to school, so bedtime, dinner, housework and garden pretty much fall to me. If I tried to do it all at once I'd give up in disgust, or work myself into a nervous breakdown.

Flylady has only a few rules. Clean for 15 minutes and then STOP. You bless your house more in that 15 minutes of concentrated work than in an hour of running around aimlessly. She's also big on plans and routines -- having a morning and evening routine that works for you, so you don't have to think about it.

For instance, I know every morning I will get up, wash my face, weigh, put on makeup, do my hair, get dressed, feed/water the cats, pack my husband's Snack Sack for school, grab my cottage cheese and fruit, and head out the door. Knowing my routine, having it written down, makes it so I'm not flying around trying to figure out what to do next. Evening routines are important, too, like setting out your clothes for the next day. (one less ting to worry about in the morning)

I've even gotten our five year old to do some Flying with me. She'd much rather spend 15 minutes rushing around picking up her toys, trying to beat the kitchen timer I set, than get nagged for an hour about it. I have her set out her clothes for the next day. It's much less work for both of us, and Daddy, who gets her ready to go in the morning, is very grateful for the advance help.

New schedule: 4-4:10 walk away from your house rapidly, 4:10-:4:20 walk back to your house rapidly, 4:20-4:25 squats and pushups, 4:25-4:30 stretch. The world will truly not come to a screeching halt if you claim 30 minutes from that hectic and insane day for YOU. You do do do for everyone else and the dog. What about you? Seize those 30 minutes!

It also strikes me that 4 hours sleep is not nearly enough to keep a body functioning optimally - immune system, emotions, and weight loss. Everybody's needs are different, but I can't think of many that can survive on 4 hours for more than a few days. Good luck!

If you can find the time to post on here....you can find the time to do some exercise. Don't turn work into a scapegoat!

You have to make yourself a priority!!! No one else will!!!

[QUOTE=Sheila53]My suggestion is to quit making a clean house a priority, and do your own laundry only and unpack only stuff you need. Keep one area clean as a sanctuary for yourself if messiness bothers you. Women have much higher standards of cleanliness than men, IMHO, and I think we should sacrifice those standards to take care of ourselves.
QUOTE]

This was just something I saw that seemed relevant and funny:


When I told my boyfriend that, he didn't find it very funny. Just trying to lighten the mood.

I would also have to agree that you may want to open a discussion about your workload, because it does seem a bit excessive. I know that can be hard though. My bf is a mortgage broker and often has to work crazy hours to close loans. Good luck!