January fitness challenge

[Butterthebean 8,146]

Ok! I am really trying but I honestly just dont know how you people find time to work out so much! 13 hours at work on my feet all day. Zumba, or anything else for that matter just ain't gonna happen... not tonight anyway, and since tomorrow is Saturday and I already have over 8 hours of clients scheduled plus bookkeeping and cleaning, probably not tomorrow either. You guys must all be retired or something!

Seela....I wish. I work 12 hour shifts....plus I have an hour commute each way. It does make it challenging to find the time...much less e energy. Frankly....some things get sacrificed. But I've tried to sacrifice the things that weren't doing much for me to begin with. I've almost completely cut out TV....whereas before I watched several hours a day.

[proudmom239 20]

I work fulltime, 4 children, and in nursing school. I just had to make working out apart of my daily routine. It wasn't easy at first but it had to be done!

[Seela 1,187]

I guess im just not there yet... after being on my feet all day and trying to run my business, raise my kids, blah, blah, blah... I've got nothin left.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Butter - an hour commute? That's rough. I did that for a year and it got old so fast.

Fiddle - thanks for the suggestions, I cannot eat oats or wheat but I can have chia and flaxseed, I put 2 TBSP in a little boiling Water and add a half tsp of coconut oil and that is my hot Cereal Breakfast, I am trying to remember to prepare a shake ahead of time so that I can immediatley drink it afterward but the Water is so tough!! I'm so full from food and I feel like I'm constantly eating, so drinking is really difficult for me. Basically, the only days I get my full water intake are days when I barely eat.

My body knew what was up, by the way; it took 6 weeks of stubborness, eating 650 cals and doing Insanity 5x a week before the bulb went on and I said screw that! I switched to the compound Xfit lifting every other day with my buddy and a minimum of 1200 cals and after only 3 sessions I am already down 4 pounds, BOOM!

And Fiddle I think you will appreciate this: our weights are in a "clamshell" tent/building and yesterday the power went out in the afternoon and they weren't able to fix it. Now we are right in the heart of an Afghan winter at 8000 ft so the cold gets brutal fast, but we still went! I never took off my two sweaters, my hat, my gloves, or even changed out of my boots for my gym shoes. It was pitch dark, I could see every puff of breath, and was working out by flashlight, but I didn't stop!!

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Seela, I think this is completely understandable. I work from home and so have a pretty flexible schedule. That said, I have to wrestle my time to exercise away from other things. For example, my CrossFit box has sessions at 6 am, 5:30 and 6:30 pm. That's it. Those also happen to be times that everyone at home "needs" me. I try to squeeze in a couple of 5:30 times per week and everyone can have dinner while I'm there or otherwise just deal. (Unfortunately I also work a lot of evenings, board meetings and rehearsals and such…so nothing is perfect.)

I can work in the lap swimming usually when they're at school. But on the weekends it is the same thing. "Where are you going? Why are you going? You're getting thin. You're working out too much. I guess you have your OWN life and you are not worried about us. But we want to go out to lunch/breakfast/dinner. Who's going to make us breakfast/lunch/dinner" etc.

You'll get there. But the other side is that if you are on your feet for 12 hours every day that is already a lot.

[deedadumble 1,033]

Ok! I am really trying but I honestly just dont know how you people find time to work out so much! 13 hours at work on my feet all day. Zumba, or anything else for that matter just ain't gonna happen... not tonight anyway, and since tomorrow is Saturday and I already have over 8 hours of clients scheduled plus bookkeeping and cleaning, probably not tomorrow either. You guys must all be retired or something!

I don't think I would be able to work out if I were on my feet all day. I own a business and can be a bit flexible on my hours, but I still work 60+ hours a week. My short runs I get up earlier during the week. I run my long run on the weekend. For my run yesterday I needed a battery, so I ran to the store and back to get it. I have to prioritize fitness or I won't do it.

[sheilarae 84]

I don't get it either. I teach 20 4 year olds all day and have meetings or run errands after school. I get home and unpack / pack my bag and lunch, fix supper, go thru the mail, set up my MEDS for the next day, feed the cat and dog, eat supper , and the cat sits only lap while I dose thu TV and go to bed at 9. Wow, I didn't realize how pathetic that was ! On week ends I try to see friends, walk the mall, nap...sometimes I sleep most of the day. Fibromyasia sucks. And this accident I was in just set me back. I know, I know...whoa is me,..suck it up!!!!

[Seela 1,187]

Seela, I think this is completely understandable. I work from home and so have a pretty flexible schedule. That said, I have to wrestle my time to exercise away from other things. For example, my CrossFit box has sessions at 6 am, 5:30 and 6:30 pm. That's it. Those also happen to be times that everyone at home "needs" me. I try to squeeze in a couple of 5:30 times per week and everyone can have dinner while I'm there or otherwise just deal. (Unfortunately I also work a lot of evenings, board meetings and rehearsals and such…so nothing is perfect.)

I can work in the lap swimming usually when they're at school. But on the weekends it is the same thing. "Where are you going? Why are you going? You're getting thin. You're working out too much. I guess you have your OWN life and you are not worried about us. But we want to go out to lunch/breakfast/dinner. Who's going to make us breakfast/lunch/dinner" etc.

You'll get there. But the other side is that if you are on your feet for 12 hours every day that is already a lot.

I appreciate your understanding. I own a hair salon and am literally on my feet all day. Sometimes I have energy at the end of the day but my feet have a different idea!. I got a fit bit which helps me to remember to get in more steps during the day. And while I appreciate everybody's me first attitude, the reality for me is that my kids come first. After working all day, cooking dinner and doing homework I dont want to spend the last hour or so of my kids awake time working out, I want to snuggle up with them and talk to them and such... I live in a small apartment so no room for any gym equipment. If i get home early enough I try to do workouts with my kids.. it's fun. But I guess, for me, my time with them is more important to me than being in great shape. Im sure as we head into spring and summer I'll spend more time outside riding bikes and running around.

[Butterthebean 8,146]

...... And while I appreciate everybody's me first attitude, the reality for me is that my kids come first. After working all day, cooking dinner and doing homework I dont want to spend the last hour or so of my kids awake time working out, I want to snuggle up with them and talk to them and such... I live in a small apartment so no room for any gym equipment. If i get home early enough I try to do workouts with my kids.. it's fun. But I guess, for me, my time with them is more important to me than being in great shape. Im sure as we head into spring and summer I'll spend more time outside riding bikes and running around.

I guess the rest of the people on this thread with kids are lousy parents compared to you?

[Seela 1,187]

I guess the rest of the people on this thread with kids are lousy parents compared to you?

Oh please! Lol... don't even go there... I dont think that at all... I said 'for me' and I haven't figured it out yet. I just haven't found a way to balance it yet and right now I feel like a lousy parent. Butter, I dont even know why you would want to start up something like that. I come on this site everyday and I'm amazed at all of the energy you guys have and so impressed that you have found a way to balance work family and working out. I haven't been able to do that, but im still pretty early out. I thought this was a safe place to express my feelings and concerns without having them twisted around. You and I have somewhat of a history on here (even though short) and that remark was just hurtful.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Seela- you might find it easier to allocate smaller time blocks during the day such as 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. 15 minutes is just enough time to benefit from the exercise and may work better until you are able to time manage larger time blocks. Also, as you spend more months working out, there is less and less of a reason to not workout and it gets easier. I think the key is to identify a plan that will work for you and then adapt it as you are able to.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Fiddleman

[Seela 1,187]

Oh please! Lol... don't even go there... I dont think that at all... I said 'for me' and I haven't figured it out yet. I just haven't found a way to balance it yet and right now I feel like a lousy parent. Butter, I dont even know why you would want to start up something like that. I come on this site everyday and I'm amazed at all of the energy you guys have and so impressed that you have found a way to balance work family and working out. I haven't been able to do that, but im still pretty early out. I thought this was a safe place to express my feelings and concerns without having them twisted around. You and I have somewhat of a history on here (even though short) and that remark was just hurtful.

I apologise to anyone who read something into my previous post that I didn't intend. I was expressing the problems and thoughts I am having and it had no bearing on my thoughts of how you are doing. I am just so exhausted at the end of the day I can't figure out how you (I) could possibly find the energy and time to concentrate on myself. No disrespect intended.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

But I guess, for me, my time with them is more important to me than being in great shape. Im sure as we head into spring and summer I'll spend more time outside riding bikes and running around.

:faint:

For me, teaching my kids that *I* matter, that *my health* matters and that we can be healthy and active and fit together matters. Yes, they are only small once, but the habits I teach them now will last long after I am gone.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Seela- are you able to do a little workout at the beginning of the day instead of the end of the day? This will also help you with energy through the day. I used to be the same as you with being exhausted at the end of the day and always finding a reason to not workout (by the way, spending time with kids is a good reason). Eventually I started doing all my workouts after work at the same time, month after month. This is 4 pm for me because I start work at 5:00am. It became habit after a while. Now it is just part of the day, like eating dinner with my wife at 7:30 pm. It took me a while to work up to my current exercise commitment of 1.5-2 hours a day (not continuous - there are 4-5 different sections to the workout). I usually put in another 3-4 hours of work at home later in the evening so 12 hours is average on a given day. I did the 2 hour commute thing for most of my career until about 2 years ago. It probably contributed to my obesity back then. Now that I work from home, I hope this can continue because commuting is such a headache. I think after a while, you will find putting your health first puts everything in your life in perspective.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Fiddleman

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

I have been on every side of this debate…as someone who has two kids (11 and 14) and has worked almost the entire time.

The fact is, now that I work at home I am more available to them for the little day to day stuff. As I said, I've been on every side of this. I think the assertion that women who work outside the home are not raising their children, for example…something I've heard a lot over the years…is complete crap. And I also understand your desire to be with them when you are not working.

But here is the thing. This is not a long term, healthy strategy for me.

In the 3 years I have been working at home, my kids (and husband) have come to depend on me and in some ways use me for more than they ever did. I have always been responsible for 90% of the childcare, all of the cooking and housework as my husband travels a lot, but in the first couple of years I worked at home I went out of my way to try to please everyone. My employers, my children, my husband, my volunteer positions. And in some ways sealed the nail into the coffin of needing WLS, because I came dead last. Always.

So what I have decided since I did have WLS is that I NEED these 5 hours or so that I'm currently taking to exercise. I will need them when they stretch into 10 as I hope. Everybody else gets the majority of the other 163. They need to see me making good choices and putting my health first. Because then I will also be around for my kids and grandchildren for a long time to come.

I can't judge what is right for you, and I really get that your time constraints are crazy! (Been there!) But I do not find what I do to be "me first" or selfish except in the best possible construct.