Finding time to exercise

In December, I abruptly stopped walking in the mornings.  I could no longer work until midnight and get up at 6:15 a.m.  I told my walking buddy that I just needed a month off.

But sleeping turned out to be irresistible and I told her in January that I was giving up the morning walks.  I thought I would exercise later in the day, but then I started working forty hours a week, shifts starting around noon  and ending at midnight, broken in half.  I have two to four hours between shifts, but during those hours I cook dinner, eat dinner, spend time with my husband, clean up, maybe read. 

I'd hoped to walk during the lull between my afternoon shifts and my evening shifts, however,  reality has intruded:  on Tuesday nights, my husband teaches a class.  On Wednesday, my husband takes the boys to youth group, leaving me at home with the younger kids.  Thursday nights mean baseball games.  Fridays I work from noon until 9 p.m., with only an hour's break stuck in there.

I can't seem to get out of my house!

Wednesday, though, I decided to make time for exercise.  So, first thing in the morning (which for me is about 9 a.m.), I hopped on the exercise bike instead of jumping into the shower.  After the cardio, I did lunges, crunches, push-ups, and did some weight work for my upper arms.

Exercise is essential to me for several reasons. 

First, my metabolism all but stopped running when I stopped walking.  My weight, which I'd easily maintained for over a year, began to creep up.  I need the exercise to keep the weight off.

Second, I suspect that I am fighting a low-grade depression.  Exercise has always helped me stave off moodiness and dark days.  I think I'm stuck in a slow spiral of depression, making it tough to exercise, making the depression more persistent, which has me searching for something to eat.

Third, I'm getting old and notice loss of motion and flexibility and odd aches and pains when I don't exercise.  I don't care (as much) about the shape of my legs, but I do care if my legs aren't able to do what I want, when I want.  If I need to jog down the street, I want my legs to cooperate.  If I spend a couple hours doing yard work, I don't want my back to rebel for days afterward.

My life has changed significantly in the past four  months with the addition of my full-time job so I simply have to find a way to adjust.  Next fall (right around the corner, if your life is as fast-paced as mine) my daughter will go to kindergarten and I will have to adjust again to a different schedule.   I envision myself dropping her off at school and then going for an hour-long walk.  I hope!

Meanwhile, right now, I will do what I can. 

Now, my next problem is night-time snacking while I work at the computer (until midnight!).  Any suggestions?  I find I have little will to resist my urges when it's late, I'm tired, but I still have hours to go before bedtime.

Comments

[Artemis]

Hey Mel - I feel for your fluctuations and your comments today regarding your need for exercise could have been written by me...Isn't it odd that no matter how many tangible benefits that I obtain through exercise, I still need to push myself to do it? (Although I did read recently about how one shouldn't classify exercise as a chore, but rather rejoice in the ability of your body to move! That attitude does help, but isn't yet second nature for me.)

One item that I've found that helps decrease the "snacking urge" is white tea - low in caffiene, high in antioxidants. And don't forget the brush-your-teeth trick (who wants to eat something right after you've brushed?).

Hang in there! I'm with you all the way :)

A

[Cheri]

I have to exercise for my mind (I'm positive I have depression). The family will beg me to exercise if I've gone a while without doing something resembling exercise. I vaguely remember having a metabolism, oh how I miss those days...I think mine now goes into reverse when I don't exercise.

I have no willpower against snacking late at night, and have to banish myself from the kitchen.

[Trish]

Try chewing Gum. It is something sweet but very low cal. It gives your mouth the impression that you are eating something even though you really aren't. Gum has really helped me from snacking at other times of the day too. I do it when I am cooking dinner. I can't taste little bits of food here and there because it would get stuck in my gum! EWWWW.
Give it a try. And good luck.

[Jennifer]

Drink a big glass of no-calorie tea w/ lots of ice and crunch on the ice (that's what i do...don't tell my dentist, though.)

Snack on frozen blueberries..yum!

Do you work every day? I can't figure out if you work 12 hr shifts and 40 hours a week how many days your schedule is insane...(sorry, I'm not a math whiz! :) But, could you just focus on exercise the days you are off instead of trying to squeeze it in on your hectic days? (of course, you are a mother, all days are hectic I'm sure!)

Another idea is to use a big exercise ball as your chair at the computer...you could do squats and stuff while you sit there!

[Grumpy Chair]

I was going to suggest chewing gum also. Maybe sip on some herbal tea.

[Anonymouse]

Lately I've been on a rutabaga kick. I buy the smallest one I can find, wash it thoroughly, then slice it and peel the slices. Cut the slices into sticks and place in a zip-lok bag. When I get the urge to entertain my mouth, I grab the bag and crunch away.

Yellow and orange bell peppers are delicious and crunchy, too. They're too expensive here for more than the occasional treat, though.

Those shaped, pre-washed little carrots in bags can be good at times. But sometimes they are slimy and taste funny. The carrots with their tops intact are always good. Again, expensive, but I only eat about one a day.

I like to chew gum, too. Trident Splash Apple with Raspberry is wonderful! Only 5 calories apiece.

[Sarah]

I only realized I have some kind of low grade depression when I started working out...It has been a great motivator for me to be obsessive about finding time to exercise. I find that only 12 minutes of semi-moderate cardio is enough to take care of the depression for 48 hours, and by the time I've exercised 20 minutes I'm determined to get in at least another 40 minutes after that.

Since I've gone back to work it's been hard to get in long stretches of exercise. I've started running (well, more like jogging very slowly), and find it gives me way more bang for my buck. I'm much more sore and tired after just 30 minutes running than I am after 90 minutes on an elliptical. It doesn't solve the underlying problem--that you *should* theoretically be able to have an hour a day for yourself, but it does keep the crazies at bay and the metabolism ticking.

For some reason, running also works better for me with the depression fighting than any thing else I've done, probably because it is so much more strenuous.

[Amy]

I am right there with you-trying to be motivated to exercise despite the bennies as well as late night snacking.
I have found that I have to establish a new night-time routine. For me, brewing a cup of hot decaf tea reminds me that I am done for the evening. It took me several weeks of each night doing this before I got it. And sometimes it is still a very real struggle.
I know that it does not help you in the moment, but know that you are not alone.

[Sara B]

Sometimes I think that losing weight is like a second job. It is constant, and we have to make the right choice every day. It is so hard, and it is worth it but sometimes I resent the chopping of vegetables and long hours of exercising. I would say, that when your husband sends you out on Saturday, exercise then, for sure. Even though I would rather do some thing else. Maybe your work out buddy can meet you then? For snacking, I would have safe snacks available, like saving your strawberries until evening, and I agree with the idea of drinking hot tea, or something else. Also, maybe get an air popper, and popcorn - you can spray it with olive oil to make the salt stick. I heart popcorn! We're here for you, always, so each out when you need it. Depression is hard, and I commend you for speaking about it here. My husband suffers from a much worse grade, and I know that exercise is a huge help/improvement. It's a hard battle. You are incredible woman that I have never met, but I wish you much success!!!

[Melissa]

I have trouble fitting in exercise too - I get up extra early, but I've devoted (no pun intended) to getting my time with God in. Got to get disciplined to have the inner AND outer man taken care of, though.

Yesterday, I walked for nearly 30 minutes outside. Then, before lunch, I took a wild hare and walked to the grocery store (about 10 minutes one way, maybe 1/2 mile) to get a couple of things. Little did I know that my husband would attempt trimming some trees that run along the fenceline in our backyard, and I spent another 30 minutes carting limbs to the curb!

Now, if only I could find that much time to exercise every day, I'd be in good shape!

[Sandy McCann]

Well, I am able to get in 20-30 minutes of intense toning stuff most days...but I am NOT up on my cardio (proven by a jog of 4 flights of stairs at the library Friday.)

For fighting the urge to snack at night...all the suggestions people made are good:) Personally I do best (and I stay up late doing stuff most nights with hubby persistantly snacking next to me) when I have a decent protein boost 2-3 hours after dinner. My personal favorite is making one of the South Beach Ricotta desserts....but in a pinch some plain cottage cheese, plain deli turkey meat, or even a couple skim milk string cheese sticks...you could also mix up some of that protein drink mix...

[Kitten]

Hi,
I've enjoyed reading your blog for quite awhile. Your transparency while you struggle with weight loss encourages me to keep trying. (Plus you live only about 45 min. away from me, so I feel I know you. :)

Anyway, I read somewhere to pick a time for all eating to stop for the day. They said not to make it too early at first, but gradually you'll make it earlier. They recommended having a container to put the food you think you want to eat at night and save it for the moring. I think they know that Cheetos won't sound nearly as good for breakfast. I still haven't fully implemented this concept, but it really makes sense to me to have a no more food after "8:00" plan.

HTH you, too!

[poppy]

I feel so much better than I did three weeks ago, when I came back to Illinois after a week in California. I've decided that I must have a degree of SAD. Because the change in my mood was so dramatic. Living in Illinois is bad for me, because it's dark, dreary, and cold so much of the year.

But I'm not moving, so this means I need to do what I can to fight it. This means I need to eschew refined carbs and get more exercise, preferably outside in natural sunlight.

Could the weather be affecting you?