[xRiotGirl]

Anyone here in the same boat? I find it insanely difficult to lose weight when I don't even know what hours I will be working next week..It just becomes a huge chore every single week to try and navigate my fitness schedule around my work schedule. I also don't live alone, so finding quiet time to do my workouts is almost never easy and I don't drive so a gym membership is out of the question. :/ I hate that person who makes a million excuses for something, but I've been going at this on and off for the past 3 years and it always comes down to a lack of cohesiveness in my plan that finally throws me off track again.

Is there anyone else here juggling weight loss efforts and a job in retail with crazy hours? Maybe it will help to know that I'm not alone.

[Locke]

The big part of losing weight is what you eat, not how you work out. I wouldn't worry too much about missing exercising. Also be grateful that people who work retail have high energy jobs where you walk around a lot. I work in an office and am completely sedentary for most of the day.

[Sakai]

Retail ...7 years and counting, night shift.

I remembered that I gained weight when I first started working retail. Which blew my mind because I went from sitting on my butt all day and night. (but I hit the gym 2 hours a day 3 days a week) ...to on my feet and moving/hauling/lifting/climbing for 8 hours a day.
This has been and still is my problem to this day. I'm so physically worn out that I can not be motivated to work out at all....at all! It's a lucky day that I do a household chore other than cooking meals or doing laundry.
I'm (still) in the process of counting calories. I figure, "yeah I don't work out, but it's still all about calories in vs. calories in...right?"
Some days I don't think so.
I do not know what your hours look like. But mine are stable. 10pm to 7 am. so I normally try to squeeze in something to raise my heart rate directly after work. I practically melt out of my bed in the morning and I have to motivate myself to make food....much less work out so my best bet is right after work while I'm still wide awake. I'm lucky in that It's just me and my man here so I can workout literally whenever I want.
However I'm lucky to get 3 15 min work outs a week (mostly jogging) Some days we get off work very, very late and have hardly enough time to eat dinner before it's bed time. Some days I walked so much my legs throb in pain that Tylenol can't touch. Those are the days that I look at my treadmill and say "heck...no.."
My advice...any work out is good. even if it's stealing 15 min to do anything to raise your heart rate. Planing is good, but plan for things to not go to plan. I can plan to work out 30 min every day after work. but when we get off work 2 hours late, or suffering pain, or come home to find one of my pets made a massive mess that takes 45 min. to clean and you still need to eat dinner to make your daily calories and OMG it's 50 min before bed time and you still have to make lunch for the next day....yeah, some days only 15 min. of jogging is all I'm gonna get.

I worked retail for a bit. Finding the right shoes made a huge difference. Without them I was so sore didn't want to do any activity.

In theory it is correct diet is way more important to weight loss. In my real world experience, for me, exercise has always been vital. Getting a run/walk in might be hard many days. On those days maybe do the 7 minute workouts? Many 7 min apps available. Then do longer cardio when you can if that is something you want.

[Pattience]

I agree with Locke. You are making it too hard for yourself by organising your weight loos around going to the gym.

If you are walking around a lot in your job, then don't go to the gym at all on the days you work. Figuring the right amount of calories for the activity you do is the key here i think. Make sure you eat enough and of the sort of foods that will sustain you through the day without causing you a ravenous appetite. Just reduce your calories to a bit less than maintenance.

And then if you do feel like doing something extra on your days off, do it. But frankly, i can think of many more pleasant ways to get fit than at the gym.

On my diet i am pretty sedentary but i do some work in the garden a few days a week. Its quite demanding work with lots of walking about, digging and wheeling wheelbarrow. With the heat i am usually quite knackered by the end of that. That's all i do. the rest of the time i'm on my bum sewing or at the computer.

I'm losing weight. I eat well. I avoid hunger. Have a look at my food diary in the vegetarian section. I don't eat desserts, have a treats or cheat days. I avoid ice-cream and crap like that like its the plague now. It is for me.

I've been on this weightloss kick this time since the beginning of the year. I'm hoping this will be the last time. I eat how i want to eat for the rest of my life. So i drink wine, eat cheese and anything else i can do in moderation. Things i can't do in moderation, i don't eat at all.

I've done it before successfully too. But like the person above said, sudden changes in your life style or routine can cause havoc and also i had to work out what to do with the sweets thing when i got to goal. I still am not sure about it. Its doesn't bear thinking about that i can't ever sweets again but it sort of looks like it has to be something close to that. Anwyay i have to be vigilant forever it seems.

Its not about exercise. Exercise is good for your health. Its not essential for weightloss. So don't stress about it. Fit in when you have time and energy for it. Make it an enjoyable meaningful part of your life. Not a chore that you feel guilty about it you don't do it. That's not sustainable.

[Palestrina]

Sure, having a different schedule week to week can be unpredictable. But look at it from the positive side - you don't have to be stuck in the same old routine day to day!! That's how I see it, in fact I gave up my 9-5 job because if I had to be in the same place every freakin monday morning for the rest of my life would bore me to death. Presumably you do know your schedule a few days in advance so it IS possible to plan for it. So yea, you're just making excuses hehe.

Firstly I would wear a pedometer. You don't drive so presumably you're on your feet and taking public transport everywhere. I walk to the metro station but the one that's farther away from me. And I always get out a stop too early and walk the rest of the way. Same with the bus. All those little bits of walking really do add up.

Why does living with someone impact whether or not you work out? I live with my toddler who may or may not nap, may or may not throw a fit when we go out for a walk, may or may now be cooperative while out on said walk. But we go anyway. Also yoga or any other exercise done on a mat is out, he's walking all over my face haha. I do cardio at home in the winter and he runs around me in circles, he thinks it's fun. He does exercises with me. If I can workout at home with a toddler then you can surely do it with a roommate.

And I agree about the shoes, getting comfortable shoes for your job is imperative!

[novangel]

You will make the time if you want it bad enough. Also you live in chicago so there's tons of public transportation avail if you really want to get to a gym. You could do lots of outdoor walking, there's jogging and biking trails for free if money is an issue. Planet Fitness is $10 a month. Counting calories has zero conflict with work schedules. When there's a will there's a way.

I work full-time and was a single mom. It can be done.

[xRiotGirl]

Thank you for the tips, I guess I will just keep on working at it.

[crispin]

I hear ya on the lack of routine making weight loss difficult. Can you work exercise into your day? I know Chicago is painfully cold, but if you can handle it and there aren't safety issues, walking all or a portion to and from work every day will definitely help you drop weight. I live in a cold city myself, and I lost significant weight while working irregular shifts. The only exercise I did was walking 25 minutes to and from work (about 3 miles total). The walk home was fantastic for blowing off steam and helping me melt away that shift's stress.