First off this has been a long journey with ups and downs....Started last year and was doing good...went to work for about 6 months and threw me way off my routine but only gained back 5 lbs of the 27 I lost. Present day...have kinda hit a wall. Was having back trouble over holidays and daily headaches. Decided to go to a chiropractor...he was able to fix headaches immed. and still working on the back as I have a tilted pelvis but getting better. Well somewhere in between I developed what I believe is tennis elbow. Dr. looked at it yesterday and did something with my arm which hurt but hopefully it will heal faster. Still in a slump as I cannot seem to get back into the rhythm of my walks and exercise. I get up in morning get DD off to school, hubby comes home from night shift goes to bed. Noise doesn't bother him but I find myself feeling tired so decide to just nap it off. Before I know it, it is time to get some housework done and hubby ready for work then dinner for me and dd. Am so irritated with myself cause I know I can do this but maybe just more or less venting will help....no one at home to talk with and plan things out as no one I know personally takes it seriously except for hubby which is my rock. Friends and so forth always say yea then blow me off....Sorry this has been long just frustrated with myself and guess I needed to blow some steam

Hm. I'd focus on breaking the nap habit first. Perhaps go for a walk as soon as your DD is off to school?

wendyc15 must be tough being on different shifts. Are you not sleeping well while he's at work? I do some focused breathing at bed time, it helps quiet my mind and has been helping me sleep better it seems. Then after DD goes off to school Maybe some yoga or stretching, something you can do quietly will get you started.

Best of luck

Wendy,
Great work on the losses so far!
Are you sleeping ok? If you can use your nap time for a walk, that might be something. But in my experience a lot can be done with diet alone. If your mind and body won't let you exercise at the moment, try adjusting your diet to reflect that and you should be able to lose. It's about taking the path of least resistance sometimes. I refused to try to lose weight for years because I hate exercise for deep seated reasons. When I gave myself permission to try to do it with diet alone I got going. Not sure if you would feel the same but this is what worked for me.

It sucks that you have hit a wall of sorts, but it's great that you are here looking for ideas instead of merrily gaining! You can do it!

Seems to me, you have several hours, while dd is at school and the dh is sleeping, that you could use to exercise, meal plan and so on.

I do understand, that off shift work schedules are tough. At one time my dh worked for an emergency service, was on call. I worked a graveyard shift, and our high school age boys, were involved in everything.

We made it work. Work schedules, parent conference, games, healthy eating, exercise, and a farm.

Go old school, get out a piece of paper and a pencil, and write down, what you are doing now.

Then take a look at that, and figure out, how to make it work! It can. It might not be easy, but the answers are there! It's up to you to find them!

The only person that can help you, is YOU! You have the answers to you own questions, if you really want them.

Sorry you're having some aches and pains. I have found great relief with my pelvic injury through an osteopath - I know lots of people go to chiropractors but I just can't trust someone to touch me who's not a doctor. I've seen way too many injuries occur that way. Anyway, an osteopath is a doctor who uses manipulative treatment quite unlike a chiropractor. They are super gentle and tremendously effective. No cracking bones! My osteopath is my GP in fact. Here's more info http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopath...s/default.aspx

Finding time for exercise is really simple as others have suggested. Put it into your schedule as you would any important meeting and stick with it. You can't depend on your friends to work out with you, it's not their job to keep you motivated.

Napping in the morning doesn't sound quite right to me. Either you're sleeping poorly, eating a breakfast that makes you too lethargic or there's some kind of underlying health issue.

I get ready for my exercise as I get my son ready for school. I drop him off at school and then I'm off on my walk/run. It's a routine. I don't think about whether I want to do it or not, if I relied on motivation for exercise I'd be at home watching the real housewives lol. It's just the routine I've set in place like it or not. No excuses. At the same time I love it, and I love that I do it. It makes me feel good and even if I'm cranky and not up to it by the time I'm out there walking I'm enjoying it very much.

Exercise does not require motivation, nothing requires motivation in my opinion. It only requires commitment.

Hi Wendy!
you're right, sometimes it helps to vent, I do a lot of that I wonder if you have a bit of the January blues, especially after the holidays and now having some physical ailments- I know that can get me down. It can indeed be hard to get going again when that happens.
Some good ideas posted here-going for a walk right after your DD is gone would get you out and get it done. Is there anyone you can meet for a walk?
Or maybe a change of scene- sometimes I go to the library if I need to think/plan something- it helps to just get out of the house!
Anyway, if you can make a plan and then report back here, maybe it could help you feel better. Good luck, you aren't alone!

Wendy, find a good doctor and get a complete hormone panel. Emphasize the joint pain and exhaustion! You sound like me 20 yeats ago. I'll bet you have low thyroid. I let it go, chalked it up to low grade depression, congenital back troubles and normal aches of aging. Metabolic syndrome ( which I'm addressing with a ketogenic diet) combined with a subclinical low thyroid caused a 60 lb. weight gain, depression and chronic inflammation that has caused a host of permanent joint damages.

And BTW, a good chiro who fixes your problems can be a blessing. I wouldn't give mine up for the world. He is a true healer and will refer when a problem is beyond his scope. My GP and sports med. docs are both D.O.s but the fact is many D.O.s won't do adjustments anymore and a lot think it's voodoo.

I have the same problem, looking for a good expert in their field and try myself to be treated. Found one guy group is interesting in this topic, while I think about it.

I think it's important to plan ahead. Schedule in your workouts, and schedule a time to sort out your meal planning for the week. Doing this will hold you more accountable and you can feel happy once you succeed. Start small by scheduling in 3 30 min walks per week and one full week of meal plans. Before you know it this will become a habit and you will start to enjoy it!