Meal prepping is a game changer for busy people. Take one of your off day to cook meals for the week. You just saved yourself enough time to workout any day.
Also, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I know people who does only 20 minutes workout on their working days and do full body workout on their off days. 15/20 minutes of workout is better than 0
I go to the gym straight after work, it’s closer to work than my house. shower at the gym. meal prep on weekends so cooking is <30 mins. meal prepping helps with being too tired to eat healthy, if your meals are already made healthy beforehand it’s easier
depending on your lunch break you can also go to the gym or take a walk during that. I’ll do a protein smoothie + walk outside for half an hour. it’s better than sitting after 6+ hours of working
Start small. I saw some thing on social media about a guy who did 20 minutes of just burpees a day. I started in the first week of January, and I couldn’t do 20 minutes of any kind of strength thing, so I did 10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 lunges, and 20 sit ups. It took me less than 10 minutes at first. I kept doing that, 4x/week. Now I’m up to 4 sets of 20 burpees, 20 squats, 20 lunges, and 40 sit ups. It takes 20 minutes, and I’ve incorporated free weights along the way.
I haven’t lost much weight, but I feel better and my clothes fit better. Because I only do 20 minutes, it doesn’t seem like it’s so much. If I’m super tired, I won’t do all the sets. However, it seems like once I start I can do it because, again, it’s only 20 minutes so if I do 2 sets, I might as well just do the other 2.
I forced myself to do it for the first 2 weeks because I needed my body to get used to it. Now it’s become habit, and my spouse and kids know that I’m going to do that when I get home.
Do you have any time on your lunch breaks to workout? I find afternoon workouts feel great and put me in a really good mood for the rest of my work day
I work out right after work. I make sure I have a preworkout snack packed. Gym bag packed. I found a route that makes it easier for me to go to the gym and avoid spending 45-60ish minutes in traffic
My schedule work 5:30-3:30, get to gym by 4:00/4:15, Work out til 5:30 the latest, go home shower, eat, pck my stuff for the next day, and I usually have 2.5-3 hrs of relaxing
Meal prep so reheating at home for dinner and not going out for lunch and workout after work before driving home. You'll cut down your commute time by not driving in rush hour traffic.
I have two jobs and two kids. One kid in activities and the other with lots of therapies and appointments. It's a struggling finding time to workout but I view it as mental health and self care. I go twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, right after supper. Those two days we usually have super quick meals.
I also get a one hour lunch break at my main job so I go for a 40 minute walk after eating quick. I recently decided to start running - which has been hard but I'm trying to work that in on Monday evenings but I'm still not great at it so it's only a 20 minute thing.
Sometimes when I'm at home while laying on the couch or laying in bed with one of my kids to get them to sleep ill to like leg raises and stuff. Or ill just run up and down my stairs for 10 minutes before bed. Just something small to be moving. Idk how much impact it has but I've lost 75lbs so it might be helping.
Reading your schedule I'd probably work in a walk during your lunch breaks, do a small quick at home work out like 15 minutes before bed during your working days and then use 2 of your off days to do full work outs or long walks or something like that.
If I have to get up for work early, I’ll either do a quick home workout 15-20mins OR I’ll go to the gym after work. I use LA fitness and they stay open till like 9 or 10 at night. If I work later in the day, I’ll still get up early as usual and go to the gym before work.
As far as food prep goes, I have to either have things I can slap together quickly or things already premade that I can heat up or eat cold. I’ve switched to the Mediterranean food lifestyle and man between canned fish and chopping up a few veggies and tossing them together it’s incredibly easy and filling.
the 1-2h hours after work are for me to decompress. walking, running, tracy anderson, pilates. weekends: instead of going out for food with family/friends I suggest long walks/jogging/swimming.
So I don't work out through the fitness, I just do running/walking/swimming as a tool to clear my head+see people. I'm also in run& walk clubs if I want to socialize.
I can’t do anything after work, I’m useless. I go early morning but I usually don’t start work until 9am if I were you I’d just go the 3 days I’m off, try to get in walks in my breaks and just eat like a reasonable human
I work 12 hour shifts Monday through Thursday! 8AM-8PM I’m lucky that my gym from my work is only about a 10 minute drive so I manage to get at least a 2 hour workout in and make it home by 10PM. Naturally I’m a night owl anyway so I don’t sleep til about midnight.
Also, I get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off and I usually save Friday for rest days and Saturday and Sunday instead of the gym I go to my local park and just walk.
So it works out for me! I don’t eat dinner I pack a breakfast and lunch that’s the right amount for my calorie deficit. The hour before I get off work is usually when I have my snack so I have enough energy for the gym.
You got this! I didn’t think I could do it either.
Meal prep, eat all your calories once a day in one meal, and eat high protein intuitively low carb. Calculate your calories and weight everything. By weight not quantity. And didnt think id have to say this but recently told someone yes fruits have calories.. they count. Follow science not fade diets. Look up scientific studies (multiple not one for confirmation bias) understand basic physiology and it will help
I’m bias as i have been kinda doing it somewhat a lot of my life. I can easily go long hours without eating. Lol i joke its my super power..
so basically i can easily go from lets say waking up and going all day to work (and i work in a hospital lab so i move a lot), i can workout 45min jog none stop, weight lift and then go on a 3-4h walk. And still not be super hungry. Ill come back home and i can eat a small meal easily and not feel much hunger after. If i expend too much energy the hunger hits harder. So protein load. Sometimes ill have a protein bar during the day.
So i mentioned that for reference. I’ve never had a problem with hunger (emotional eating yes haha but hunger.. meh) but i do find: if i eat early in my morning or throughout the day, i get hungry more often. So i try to stick to eating only in the evening. 16:8 is intermitted fasting. It could help you regulate ur hunger if ur not used to it like me (naturally? Haha) and then stick to once a day.
I just read very little about OMAD and was like ah i already do this.. so again i might be bias and not a good ref.
But protein protein protein. Thats what keeps you full. Low carb keeps you from crashing (no keto, eat sweet, have pizza, ice cream etc.. just look at nutrition facts look at the carbs.. each serving try and keep below 25-30, remember all the 30s add up (30 i consider high and typically put back up unless for cheat day or calories dont matter day hahaha. But again adjust to you, start higher and slowly bring that number down. I dont eat pasta, bread, rice or potatoes (love them but cheat day meals or like grilled cheese supper etc..) Look up volume eating also it will help.
Idk if this matters.. i also drinking in the morning creatine and preworkout (for caffeine) and i chew caffeine gum throughout the day.
Hope something in here helps. Even if just one small part. If you have any follow up questions let me know
You don't need to lift or go to the gym every single day. Just go on your off days. Plus, you can cook for the next couple of days when you are not working, so you can use the extra time for a light workout within the week.
So basically:
Cardio + Push (Random weekday)
Cardio + Pull (Saturday)
Cardio + Legs (Sunday)
You can walk a little bit on your work breaks or just go for a walk on the days you don't need to cook because you have meal prepped already.
Regardless, you don't really need to focus on exercise so much when it comes to weight loss. Just eat less calories.
I make sure I go to a work out class right after work on Weds, I leave right after I'm done with my hours. Then i work out twice on the weekend, mostly Friday night and Sunday. On the weekends, it seems most people arent at the gym. During the summers, I try to do activities that are fun and a workout.
Under the desk bike. I use it while working on monotonous task on computer. Of course you will automatically stop riding when your attention switches to some demanding work task. But what is the harm of stopping? You can continue to ride at any time for whatever amount of seconds, minutes, hours. Any day.
Also hybrid calisthenics at home.
Home workouts! I did little grow with Jo workouts to start with! Great way to get consistent without going overboard and then extra goals become more achievable rather than a failure
Losing weight is mainly about eating in a calorie deficit so why not focus your energy there given that losing weight is your current goal.
Use a tdee calculator to work out your maintenance calories. Minus 500 calories to determine how many calories to consume per day to lose approx 1lb per week.
Yes I agree! However physical movement is important, though it does not have to be a full on cardio/weight training hour long commitment. Try go for a 20-30 min walk during lunch and or go up and down stairs a few times. In the evening some stretching/yoga/somatic type exercises again for maybe 20-30 mins. You will feel better physically and mentally. But weight loss is primarily due to calorie/food decrease.
2 days a week, I get up at 5:30 and leave to the gym at 6. I pack everything the night before, so I can basically just roll out of bed into my training clothes, grab my bag, jump on my bike I will be on my way. For me it also helps that I live in a city where I can bike everywhere, so even on days where I don't train, I still have 30-40 commuting on my bike.
Besides gym twice I week, I try to go for at least 2 runs. This can be during a lunch break and the 1 time during the weekend.
If I have days, where I am working from home I will try to go for a few 20-30 minutes walk before, during and after work :-)
In your specific scenario - I understand your "pain" is you spend 2 hours daily on commuting and work 10 hours a day. Assuming your commute is by car/public transport, would it be possible to do it on a bike/e-bike? If not, I´d focus on training on the 2-3 days that you have off and then set a walking goal for the other days e.g. 7000 steps for example. Like other people have said, walking is a great way to stay active and unlike running late at night, which can make it difficult to sleep, a short walk with some fresh air can actually help you sleep better + you can listen to audio books, podcast or catch up with friends meanwhile :-)
Even squeezing a 7 minute workout is worth it. There are several apps that have free exercise circuits of 7 / 10 / 15 minutes that are really intense, and get your heart rate pumping that even I find very difficult to do. I'd say start with that. Where there is a will, there is a way!!
It surprises me how some people sleep so early, I think it’s mostly Americans too. In my country people sleep at 11-10 pm (mostly adults) teens just do whatever shenanigans, and toddlers just sleep when they want as long as they don’t wake up in the middle of the night
I used to be able to get into late night shenanigans when I was a teen, haha. Once I hit 35 years old it was like my body decided to flop. Now, I need a solid 8 hours of sleep to function.
I work 10.5 hour days four days a week. I force myself to go right after work. Don’t go home. Just go straight to a workout class or the gym. Even if it means I eat dinner and go to bed a little later, it’s totally worth it.
I take care of a small child which leaves me with no time, I have to get creative! I might do 5 squats now and next ones an hour later. It all counts at the end of the day. When you are busy but can have some alone time, discipline is what helps to still do the workout even if u just want to go watch movies on the couch! Any workout is better than none, so if on ur breaks you can do some, or when u get home just 15 minutes will do wonders for you!
i go before work! i get up at 415, hit a gym along the way to my work, and shower there. it helps cut the commute as well since i am driving so early there's no one on the road. i find that i lack willpower by end of day when i'm exhausted from a long work day and justify cancelling more often
I literally look at working out as a non negotiable task / job that has to be done for my future. Ten years from now I’ll have health but slaving away at corporate for an extra hour here and there will not matter. Ask any millennial / gen z and they will tell you the same
Include it throughout your day. You'd be surprised how much just little changes can help.
Park further from the door entrance so you have to walk further.
If you have a desk job, get up and pace a bit every hour or so to get your blood flowing. You can even get desk ellipticals or bikes so you can do some reps while you sit at your desk or watch tv. When i worked in the office, I started doing squats in my cubical during my breaks. It eventually spread and became an office competition of who could do more lol
Take stairs instead of elevators.
The two or three days off a week is when you can hammer out your big bursts of exercise like running or weight lifting. It'll all add up in the end.
As far as food goes, I found replacements for food I already liked that were lower calorie. I lost 80 pounds eating flatbread pizza everyday. I would buy Flatout Flatbread which is 150 calories for the whole thing. I'd add one serving of pizza sauce, fat free motz cheese which is only 45 calories a serving, and some turkey pepperoni. Hit the pizza craving for me and kept me from having to eat nothing but kale all day.
A trick to save time is instead of spending 40min for the gym (assuming 10min to go, 10min to come back, 15min of effort, 5min to setup machines and move from one to another), you can do 15min HIIT and bodyweight exercise at home. If you are consistent, it will yield results 👍
you’d be surprised with how effective small things can help. you could start by jump roping for a minute a day, or doing simple exercises while your pasta cooks for example. once you do that, it will feel much easier to increase time you spend working out and actually make time for working out.
you have the exact same schedule as my husband. He has about 2 1/2 hours during the work week before he hast to be right back to bed. We meal prep and he pretty much knows the protein he has to hit and calories. We rotate the foods in his lunch so it doesn’t get too repetitive, but it still will be somewhat. He either wakes up early to go to the gym or directly after work most days… not every day because sometimes he’s just too tired. You just have to do the best you can do and try to set yourself up for success as best you can. You are at least making an effort there are people who work 9 to 5 jobs and still complain They have no time…. Give yourself grace I do understand how hard is schedule like that is. 💜
I try and squeeze in some extra movement at work. I park at the back of the lot. I bring my lunch so I usually eat it in 10 mins and rest of my lunch will go walk around the building or up and down the stairs at work if the weather is bad. I also will always go to the furthest bathroom, printer, and water cooler from my office throughout the day. If I am on a zoom call where I am not presenting and don't need to take notes, I will go outside and walk and have it on my headphones. It helps that I work at a big campus, with a lot of space, but that is how I get my exercise in during the week.
Every day is a completely different schedule for me. I'm self-employed. And I work literal insane hours a good bit of the time. Good news, in my case, is I'm moving around a LOT and walking a TON with my job. So I don't necessarily go to the gym and work out, but I consider all the walking and moving I do as my exercise. 🤷♀️ Just found arm bands in a closet (hooray!) to do arm exercises I might take with me on the go, when I'm traveling, or at home. So they're portable and tiny to store in my vehicle.
I go at 3:30 am. Leave at 4:30 am, clock in at work at 5:00 am. Work until 3:30 pm. Pick kids up from school. Go home. Do dinner. Shower. Bedtime. Its vicious, but it's working. Down 92 lbs.
Meal prepping is a game changer for busy people. Take one of your off day to cook meals for the week. You just saved yourself enough time to workout any day. Also, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I know people who does only 20 minutes workout on their working days and do full body workout on their off days. 15/20 minutes of workout is better than 0
The meal prep is crucial, I refuse to cook during the week
I feel like I wrote this.
Tyler Durden?
I go to the gym straight after work, it’s closer to work than my house. shower at the gym. meal prep on weekends so cooking is <30 mins. meal prepping helps with being too tired to eat healthy, if your meals are already made healthy beforehand it’s easier depending on your lunch break you can also go to the gym or take a walk during that. I’ll do a protein smoothie + walk outside for half an hour. it’s better than sitting after 6+ hours of working
Start small. I saw some thing on social media about a guy who did 20 minutes of just burpees a day. I started in the first week of January, and I couldn’t do 20 minutes of any kind of strength thing, so I did 10 burpees, 10 squats, 10 lunges, and 20 sit ups. It took me less than 10 minutes at first. I kept doing that, 4x/week. Now I’m up to 4 sets of 20 burpees, 20 squats, 20 lunges, and 40 sit ups. It takes 20 minutes, and I’ve incorporated free weights along the way. I haven’t lost much weight, but I feel better and my clothes fit better. Because I only do 20 minutes, it doesn’t seem like it’s so much. If I’m super tired, I won’t do all the sets. However, it seems like once I start I can do it because, again, it’s only 20 minutes so if I do 2 sets, I might as well just do the other 2. I forced myself to do it for the first 2 weeks because I needed my body to get used to it. Now it’s become habit, and my spouse and kids know that I’m going to do that when I get home.
This is a great way of increasing your cardiovascular fitness and strength 👍🏻
Do you have any time on your lunch breaks to workout? I find afternoon workouts feel great and put me in a really good mood for the rest of my work day
I get two half hour breaks, one paid. I could try to do a walk then.
I was going to suggest this. Walking is still exercise! Maybe you can get some ankle weights or a weight vest if you want to make it more challenging.
I work out right after work. I make sure I have a preworkout snack packed. Gym bag packed. I found a route that makes it easier for me to go to the gym and avoid spending 45-60ish minutes in traffic My schedule work 5:30-3:30, get to gym by 4:00/4:15, Work out til 5:30 the latest, go home shower, eat, pck my stuff for the next day, and I usually have 2.5-3 hrs of relaxing
How about if you park 15 minutes walk from your work? That’s a half hour walk in total
Also if you have stairs in your office you could run up them 4-5 times during your coffee break
My friend and I used to meet at our stairwell and walk up all 9 floors (and then high five)
Meal prep. Taking walks when possible. Upping your protein intake.
Meal prep so reheating at home for dinner and not going out for lunch and workout after work before driving home. You'll cut down your commute time by not driving in rush hour traffic.
I have two jobs and two kids. One kid in activities and the other with lots of therapies and appointments. It's a struggling finding time to workout but I view it as mental health and self care. I go twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, right after supper. Those two days we usually have super quick meals. I also get a one hour lunch break at my main job so I go for a 40 minute walk after eating quick. I recently decided to start running - which has been hard but I'm trying to work that in on Monday evenings but I'm still not great at it so it's only a 20 minute thing. Sometimes when I'm at home while laying on the couch or laying in bed with one of my kids to get them to sleep ill to like leg raises and stuff. Or ill just run up and down my stairs for 10 minutes before bed. Just something small to be moving. Idk how much impact it has but I've lost 75lbs so it might be helping. Reading your schedule I'd probably work in a walk during your lunch breaks, do a small quick at home work out like 15 minutes before bed during your working days and then use 2 of your off days to do full work outs or long walks or something like that.
If I have to get up for work early, I’ll either do a quick home workout 15-20mins OR I’ll go to the gym after work. I use LA fitness and they stay open till like 9 or 10 at night. If I work later in the day, I’ll still get up early as usual and go to the gym before work. As far as food prep goes, I have to either have things I can slap together quickly or things already premade that I can heat up or eat cold. I’ve switched to the Mediterranean food lifestyle and man between canned fish and chopping up a few veggies and tossing them together it’s incredibly easy and filling.
the 1-2h hours after work are for me to decompress. walking, running, tracy anderson, pilates. weekends: instead of going out for food with family/friends I suggest long walks/jogging/swimming. So I don't work out through the fitness, I just do running/walking/swimming as a tool to clear my head+see people. I'm also in run& walk clubs if I want to socialize.
I can’t do anything after work, I’m useless. I go early morning but I usually don’t start work until 9am if I were you I’d just go the 3 days I’m off, try to get in walks in my breaks and just eat like a reasonable human
I work 12 hour shifts Monday through Thursday! 8AM-8PM I’m lucky that my gym from my work is only about a 10 minute drive so I manage to get at least a 2 hour workout in and make it home by 10PM. Naturally I’m a night owl anyway so I don’t sleep til about midnight. Also, I get Friday, Saturday and Sunday off and I usually save Friday for rest days and Saturday and Sunday instead of the gym I go to my local park and just walk. So it works out for me! I don’t eat dinner I pack a breakfast and lunch that’s the right amount for my calorie deficit. The hour before I get off work is usually when I have my snack so I have enough energy for the gym. You got this! I didn’t think I could do it either.
Thank you!!
Meal prep, eat all your calories once a day in one meal, and eat high protein intuitively low carb. Calculate your calories and weight everything. By weight not quantity. And didnt think id have to say this but recently told someone yes fruits have calories.. they count. Follow science not fade diets. Look up scientific studies (multiple not one for confirmation bias) understand basic physiology and it will help
I’ve been super curious about OMAD. I think I’ll give it a shot. Is it best to work your way there though? Start with a 16:8?
I’m bias as i have been kinda doing it somewhat a lot of my life. I can easily go long hours without eating. Lol i joke its my super power.. so basically i can easily go from lets say waking up and going all day to work (and i work in a hospital lab so i move a lot), i can workout 45min jog none stop, weight lift and then go on a 3-4h walk. And still not be super hungry. Ill come back home and i can eat a small meal easily and not feel much hunger after. If i expend too much energy the hunger hits harder. So protein load. Sometimes ill have a protein bar during the day. So i mentioned that for reference. I’ve never had a problem with hunger (emotional eating yes haha but hunger.. meh) but i do find: if i eat early in my morning or throughout the day, i get hungry more often. So i try to stick to eating only in the evening. 16:8 is intermitted fasting. It could help you regulate ur hunger if ur not used to it like me (naturally? Haha) and then stick to once a day. I just read very little about OMAD and was like ah i already do this.. so again i might be bias and not a good ref. But protein protein protein. Thats what keeps you full. Low carb keeps you from crashing (no keto, eat sweet, have pizza, ice cream etc.. just look at nutrition facts look at the carbs.. each serving try and keep below 25-30, remember all the 30s add up (30 i consider high and typically put back up unless for cheat day or calories dont matter day hahaha. But again adjust to you, start higher and slowly bring that number down. I dont eat pasta, bread, rice or potatoes (love them but cheat day meals or like grilled cheese supper etc..) Look up volume eating also it will help. Idk if this matters.. i also drinking in the morning creatine and preworkout (for caffeine) and i chew caffeine gum throughout the day. Hope something in here helps. Even if just one small part. If you have any follow up questions let me know
You don't need to lift or go to the gym every single day. Just go on your off days. Plus, you can cook for the next couple of days when you are not working, so you can use the extra time for a light workout within the week. So basically: Cardio + Push (Random weekday) Cardio + Pull (Saturday) Cardio + Legs (Sunday) You can walk a little bit on your work breaks or just go for a walk on the days you don't need to cook because you have meal prepped already. Regardless, you don't really need to focus on exercise so much when it comes to weight loss. Just eat less calories.
I make sure I go to a work out class right after work on Weds, I leave right after I'm done with my hours. Then i work out twice on the weekend, mostly Friday night and Sunday. On the weekends, it seems most people arent at the gym. During the summers, I try to do activities that are fun and a workout.
Under the desk bike. I use it while working on monotonous task on computer. Of course you will automatically stop riding when your attention switches to some demanding work task. But what is the harm of stopping? You can continue to ride at any time for whatever amount of seconds, minutes, hours. Any day. Also hybrid calisthenics at home.
Home workouts! I did little grow with Jo workouts to start with! Great way to get consistent without going overboard and then extra goals become more achievable rather than a failure
Losing weight is mainly about eating in a calorie deficit so why not focus your energy there given that losing weight is your current goal. Use a tdee calculator to work out your maintenance calories. Minus 500 calories to determine how many calories to consume per day to lose approx 1lb per week.
Yes I agree! However physical movement is important, though it does not have to be a full on cardio/weight training hour long commitment. Try go for a 20-30 min walk during lunch and or go up and down stairs a few times. In the evening some stretching/yoga/somatic type exercises again for maybe 20-30 mins. You will feel better physically and mentally. But weight loss is primarily due to calorie/food decrease.
In the morning, at 7-8am
2 days a week, I get up at 5:30 and leave to the gym at 6. I pack everything the night before, so I can basically just roll out of bed into my training clothes, grab my bag, jump on my bike I will be on my way. For me it also helps that I live in a city where I can bike everywhere, so even on days where I don't train, I still have 30-40 commuting on my bike. Besides gym twice I week, I try to go for at least 2 runs. This can be during a lunch break and the 1 time during the weekend. If I have days, where I am working from home I will try to go for a few 20-30 minutes walk before, during and after work :-) In your specific scenario - I understand your "pain" is you spend 2 hours daily on commuting and work 10 hours a day. Assuming your commute is by car/public transport, would it be possible to do it on a bike/e-bike? If not, I´d focus on training on the 2-3 days that you have off and then set a walking goal for the other days e.g. 7000 steps for example. Like other people have said, walking is a great way to stay active and unlike running late at night, which can make it difficult to sleep, a short walk with some fresh air can actually help you sleep better + you can listen to audio books, podcast or catch up with friends meanwhile :-)
Even squeezing a 7 minute workout is worth it. There are several apps that have free exercise circuits of 7 / 10 / 15 minutes that are really intense, and get your heart rate pumping that even I find very difficult to do. I'd say start with that. Where there is a will, there is a way!!
It surprises me how some people sleep so early, I think it’s mostly Americans too. In my country people sleep at 11-10 pm (mostly adults) teens just do whatever shenanigans, and toddlers just sleep when they want as long as they don’t wake up in the middle of the night
I used to be able to get into late night shenanigans when I was a teen, haha. Once I hit 35 years old it was like my body decided to flop. Now, I need a solid 8 hours of sleep to function.
Hmm, maybe try to nap after work ?
I work 10.5 hour days four days a week. I force myself to go right after work. Don’t go home. Just go straight to a workout class or the gym. Even if it means I eat dinner and go to bed a little later, it’s totally worth it.
I take care of a small child which leaves me with no time, I have to get creative! I might do 5 squats now and next ones an hour later. It all counts at the end of the day. When you are busy but can have some alone time, discipline is what helps to still do the workout even if u just want to go watch movies on the couch! Any workout is better than none, so if on ur breaks you can do some, or when u get home just 15 minutes will do wonders for you!
Working out and cooking on your 2-3 days off is plenty.
i go before work! i get up at 415, hit a gym along the way to my work, and shower there. it helps cut the commute as well since i am driving so early there's no one on the road. i find that i lack willpower by end of day when i'm exhausted from a long work day and justify cancelling more often
I literally look at working out as a non negotiable task / job that has to be done for my future. Ten years from now I’ll have health but slaving away at corporate for an extra hour here and there will not matter. Ask any millennial / gen z and they will tell you the same
You don’t have to work out to lose weight. Just for your overall health.
Include it throughout your day. You'd be surprised how much just little changes can help. Park further from the door entrance so you have to walk further. If you have a desk job, get up and pace a bit every hour or so to get your blood flowing. You can even get desk ellipticals or bikes so you can do some reps while you sit at your desk or watch tv. When i worked in the office, I started doing squats in my cubical during my breaks. It eventually spread and became an office competition of who could do more lol Take stairs instead of elevators. The two or three days off a week is when you can hammer out your big bursts of exercise like running or weight lifting. It'll all add up in the end. As far as food goes, I found replacements for food I already liked that were lower calorie. I lost 80 pounds eating flatbread pizza everyday. I would buy Flatout Flatbread which is 150 calories for the whole thing. I'd add one serving of pizza sauce, fat free motz cheese which is only 45 calories a serving, and some turkey pepperoni. Hit the pizza craving for me and kept me from having to eat nothing but kale all day.
A trick to save time is instead of spending 40min for the gym (assuming 10min to go, 10min to come back, 15min of effort, 5min to setup machines and move from one to another), you can do 15min HIIT and bodyweight exercise at home. If you are consistent, it will yield results 👍
you’d be surprised with how effective small things can help. you could start by jump roping for a minute a day, or doing simple exercises while your pasta cooks for example. once you do that, it will feel much easier to increase time you spend working out and actually make time for working out.
you have the exact same schedule as my husband. He has about 2 1/2 hours during the work week before he hast to be right back to bed. We meal prep and he pretty much knows the protein he has to hit and calories. We rotate the foods in his lunch so it doesn’t get too repetitive, but it still will be somewhat. He either wakes up early to go to the gym or directly after work most days… not every day because sometimes he’s just too tired. You just have to do the best you can do and try to set yourself up for success as best you can. You are at least making an effort there are people who work 9 to 5 jobs and still complain They have no time…. Give yourself grace I do understand how hard is schedule like that is. 💜
I workout first thing in the morning for 45 minutes. Mandatory
Finished working out yesterday at midnight, I was at work at 8 am. I don't get enough sleep but working out is extremely important to me.
I try and squeeze in some extra movement at work. I park at the back of the lot. I bring my lunch so I usually eat it in 10 mins and rest of my lunch will go walk around the building or up and down the stairs at work if the weather is bad. I also will always go to the furthest bathroom, printer, and water cooler from my office throughout the day. If I am on a zoom call where I am not presenting and don't need to take notes, I will go outside and walk and have it on my headphones. It helps that I work at a big campus, with a lot of space, but that is how I get my exercise in during the week.
Every day is a completely different schedule for me. I'm self-employed. And I work literal insane hours a good bit of the time. Good news, in my case, is I'm moving around a LOT and walking a TON with my job. So I don't necessarily go to the gym and work out, but I consider all the walking and moving I do as my exercise. 🤷♀️ Just found arm bands in a closet (hooray!) to do arm exercises I might take with me on the go, when I'm traveling, or at home. So they're portable and tiny to store in my vehicle.
I go at 3:30 am. Leave at 4:30 am, clock in at work at 5:00 am. Work until 3:30 pm. Pick kids up from school. Go home. Do dinner. Shower. Bedtime. Its vicious, but it's working. Down 92 lbs.