Incorporating exercise & diet into an intense schedule?
Hello~ I got a lot of great advice last time I posted a thread in here about dealing with a diet saboteur... that problem has since been resolved, but now arises a new one:
My busy season at work is about to start, which means I'll be at the airport from 07:00-19:00 six days a week, and possibly there for a few hours on the day off. I wake up at 05:30 to get ready, do five or six back-to-back flights, and by the end of the day I'm usually too tired to even go out with friends. There is no lunch break during this time either, so if I don't get breakfast I probably won't eat until night time (this was the case during last year's season, and I gained 10 lbs from the stress/poor-dinner-choices-&-wine as a result- I've managed to lose 5 of those pounds but have been plateaued at 115±1 for nearly half a year now).
So the question is how on earth do people manage to go to the gym or get any exercise done at all with a schedule like this? How do people manage to eat right? I will not have time to go to my spin class or yoga class, and the last thing I want to do is prepare a weeks worth of food on my day off because I like to go to the city or be with my friends on that day.
I know there are people here who go to school and work at the same time, or have 12 hour workdays like me, so if there are any success stories in here I'd love to know how you budget your time to make it work! I'm extremely organized in my professional life but I feel that when the season starts everything else goes into disarray, my health first & foremost. I really don't want to let that happen again this year.
I know this is hard to do but I would suggest trying to get up a half hour earlier to do 30 minutes of exercise.
I was having a hard time getting my exercise in and finally decided that me and my health are worth the sacrifice of getting up a little earlier in the morning to get it done. Not easy but it is worth it.
I don't have a similar work schedule but I did once upon a time. I'm a busy mom now. Eitehr way, working or as a mom, kettlebells were essential. Quick 20 minute workouts with portable weights. Not sure about your position requirements but you may be able to bring KB's with you on flights. Or, do it at home before work.
google "Lauren Brooks kettlebell queen"... she does 20 minute workouts a day, that's it, mom of 2. It doesn't get more efficient than that. Not easy, but efficient.
I work full time and go to school full time, so i never have time to go to classes and i cant afford a gym. So my gym is the living room floor and the outdoors. The biggest thing, i think, would be diet and nutrition. Maybe, dont drink wine? Have water instead. Or make more conscious eating decisions even if you REALLY REALLY dont want to. It will pay off
With exercise, the only thing i can suggest, is go for a short walk on a break, and/or do some stretches. Stretching still burns calories and helps out the body. If im exhausted some days and feel like i cant do anything else, i will just do 10-15 minutes of stretching, shower, and go to bed. It does wonders, i sleep better, i feel more relaxed. Its also great for stress.
I also work 12 hour shifts, at night, and with school it can be a nightmare. So i wrote out a schedule for myself and i realistically listed my work hours, with commute, healthy sleeping hours, school hours with commute. Then i looked at the time in between those things, if any. So i made a weekly schedule fitting in some kind of exercise, even if its just stretching for a couple minutes. Im currently at work, i get off in just over an hour, and it takes me 40 minutes to drive home. Once im home, im going to changae, do some quick stretches, and go on a 15 minute bike ride (or 4 songs) and go home, shower, sleep.
The biggest thing, i have found, is determination. Im glad i found this site because it is the support that gives me the determination not to give in and quit. Im loving the support. Its what has made the difference for me completely. Good luck!
12 hour days are tough and while I'm able to keep my diet in check (pre-plan meals the night before, keep a granola bar in my purse), I have no time to exercise on those days
First, focus on the diet piece so that you don't fall into emotional/stress eating. You could also wear a pedometer just to see how many steps you take in a dya and check it every so often to see if you can make a daily goal.
I know this is hard to do but I would suggest trying to get up a half hour earlier to do 30 minutes of exercise.
I was having a hard time getting my exercise in and finally decided that me and my health are worth the sacrifice of getting up a little earlier in the morning to get it done. Not easy but it is worth it.
Yep, I agree. It's the only way I've been able to keep an exercise schedule.
I do think it's worth it to make food when you have a free day. You don't have to make time-intensive meals and waste your entire day, but quick recipes (soup, pasta meals, legumes, meatballs, burritos, etc) can be made quickly and frozen. If you have one hour, you can make three 20 minute meals. If each one serves 6, you have 18 meals in your freezer. If you roast veggies, for example, roast a lot at one time and keep the rest in your fridge.
I'll make dal, pasta, and soup, at the same time and I end up with an hour of work, but 18 containers of food in my freezer.
I also love quick meals like quesadillas (I've even frozen my chopped peppers/onions), use canned beans, pre-sliced mushrooms, or frozen veggie mixes with pre-shredded cheese. Stir fry (you can use individual frozen fish or chicken and take out one before leaving for work in the morning), frozen veggie stir fry mix, and serve with minute rice. The same stir fry would work in a noodle bowl with rice or shirataki noodles. Breakfast for dinner is a great option and is always quick - an egg white omelette, some turkey bacon/sausage/kielbasa, etc.
You can also make one large batch of chicken in a crockpot and use it for three or four days. Sometimes I separate it out into baggies that are 2-3 oz each and use it for salad, sandwiches, wraps, etc.
Just wanted to say, I heard Target has dumbells that adjust in weight from 5-15lbs. That might be a good idea for you if you take some of the other tips given.
Incorporating exercise & diet into an intense schedule?
