Saturday, January 12th
Well, no changes yet. But some definite progress...
I didn't work out as much as I would have liked to, which brings me to this week's topic...
It's not easy. But it is possible.
And in the last couple of weeks I have figured out a few good tips and tricks.
Now, I'm lucky...ish. My hours are 10AM-7PM.
This means that I have time to work out in the morning, but it makes fixing and eating a good, healthy dinner a bit more difficult.
But here are my tips for all you working gals out there who don't think you have time to eat well or work out because of your jobs. Now that I actually have a real, big-girl job, I feel that I am actually qualified to say this because I know how exhausting it can be...but you can do it!
2. Go to bed early, get up early.
Sleep plays a key roll in our health, even in weight loss. When we don't get enough sleep, our hormones can become unbalanced, {Leptin, Grehlin, Cortisol, etc.} which can really upset the relationship between our metabolism and appetites. So basically, we're more likely to consume extra calories & less likely to burn off the fat and extra calories we consume. Not good.
So get enough sleep so that you can wake up early and move on to my next tip:
3. Work out in the morning.
Trust me, this is the hardest one for me. But, if you are anything like me, if you don't do it before work, you probably won't do it after work. When I get home from work I am usually ready to crash on the couch as soon as I finish dinner...or as soon as I walk in the door.
So, try your darnedest to do it when you first wake up and get it out of the way!
If you have a dog, they can be great motivation to get you out of bed and moving in the morning. Atticus is ready to go outside as soon as the sun comes up. She lies near the edge of the bed and watches for any signs of waking...as soon as I roll over and open my eyes she is up, tail wagging, ready to go.
I have been taking her on a long walk as soon as we wake up. Drink a big glass of water and get moving...get that heart rate up early! It will help you wake up and sets a great tone for the day.
My current schedule is to wake up, drink a tall glass of water and eat something small, usually a piece of fruit, and then take Atticus on a 20-30 minute walk. This gives my stomach some time to settle before I get home and work out. And I am usually ready to eat something else by the time I am ready to leave for work. Which brings me to my third tip:
3. Eat breakfast.
This one is actually hard for me. I'm usually not very hungry in the morning.
But if I make myself eat something small before I leave for my walk with Atticus, I'm usually pretty hungry by the time we get back. And if I don't eat something before my walk, I don't feel like working out or doing much of anything by the time we get back.
So, my go-to breakfasts are usually the following:
- a cup of low fat yogurt with a serving of high protein, high fiber cereal in it
- spread some peanut butter on a piece of toast...then mash up a banana and mix some cinnamon in it and spread it on the toast...one of my favorites, so delicious and filling!
- a hard-boiled egg and some fruit -- I love hard-boiled eggs, {Brian can't stand them, especially the smell, so I usually try to only eat them when he's not around and I never take them to work for a snack}
- steel-cut oats are a treat...they take a long time to make because I prefer making them on the stove instead of in the microwave. But if I do make oatmeal, I stir in 1 mashed up banana, a T of peanut butter and some cinnamon and sometimes a little vanilla extract...yum.
- Banana-nut muffins...I love making variations of this recipe.
Just try eating something small. Fruit is always a great start to the day, and remember that some protein and fiber will really help keep you feeling fuller longer.
And then...
4. Eat small meals throughout the day.
Basically, eating small meals throughout the day helps to keep your metabolism revved up, keeps your blood sugar levels steady, and even helps me not to overeat at meal-times. My goal is to keep my hunger satisfaction at a steady level throughout the day.
*You should never feel very hungry or very full.
This is a big one for me, as it makes the most sense with my 10AM - 7PM hours. I like to take my lunch break around 2PM or 3PM, to better break up my day, but I cannot wait that long to actually eat my lunch!
Which brings me to my next tip:
5. Pack healthy snacks.
NO TRIPS TO THE VENDING MACHINE!
Here are some of the things I have been packing to take to work...
apple
banana
baby carrots
2 T of peanut butter
2 T of hummus
raw almonds
pretzels
mixed nuts
a single serve bag of low-fat, microwave popcorn
...you get the idea.
I also have a couple microwaveable bowls of healthy soup in my desk drawer for days when I get too busy to leave in time for a good lunch.
Keep food around so that you're not tempted to go to the vending machines or drive through fast food restaurants on your way home!
Next.
6. DRINK WATER.
You've heard it before, you know it's important. Drink your water.
I try to keep a cup like this at my desk in case I forget to bring it to work with me.
Try to fill it up 3 or 4 times a day! If you're anything like me & you're new to drinking a lot of water, you're going to have to pee a lot. But that's ok, and it brings me to my next point:
7. Take the STAIRS.
If you work in an office, swear off elevators. Just do it.
Okay, if you work on the 42nd floor...take the elevator up to the 35th and then walk the rest of the way.
I work on the 1st floor. But my building has 4 floors, and the door to my department is right by the stairs, so every time I get up to use the bathroom, I walk up to the 4th floor.
Jog up or take the stairs 2-by-2.
It really gets my heart rate up at least for a few minutes which is a really nice change from sitting at my desk all day. And I definitely feel the burn in my legs and glutes.
Once I get into a little better shape I am going to start working the stairs into more of a 5-minute or so break and climb them more than once. But for now I get enough weird looks as it is when I return to my desk breathing heavily.
I have been climbing the stairs 3 or 4 times a day which I figure adds up to about 15 minutes of cardio...which is not too shabby.
So, these are the things that have been helping me stay on track! What are some of your tips for staying in shape on the job?
Hopefully I'll have better news for you on Saturday and will have shed a few lbs/inches...
Until then, Atticus is enjoying my healthier lifestyle...can you tell she knows what it means when I put on my running clothes?
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