Lack of commitment.

I am struggling because there are so many lifestyle factors making it sooo difficult.

I guess some is part laziness, but the laziness comes from lack of time. The lack of time comes from prioritising family time first, and yet I know that if I want the best out of family time I need to be fit and healthy. How to do both?

I guess I should say it's not really lack of commitment, more so lack of ability to commit.


I work full time and I am on my feet all day so I find it hard to negotiate exercise into my daily routine when if it is before work it exhausts me, and of it is after I am already exhausted.

We bought a season pass to the local pool, and while not doing lapsas I am both unfit and an unskilled/uncoordinated swimmer, I am getting some exercise out of it. We have a cross trainer at home as well.

What I find difficult is having no routine... my work roster is unpredictable. At the moment most shifts are 3-11 but I find it hard to maintain a routine when it changes. Also I am nto good at taking dinner to work and not a fan of reheated meals, so I am either eating crap or not eating at all.

And then on morning shifts i dont have time for breakfast.

the one thing I am good at is drinking water and I tend to drink 2-3 litres oon shift, not including at home. A headache is the first sign of not enough so I am always chugging it down.

I have the number of two BB girls thinking having some other people to bust my arse would help but I haven't had time to text them or reply. I just need more time!

I know this is a bit of a non-sensical ramble (in a hurry, work in 20 mins), but does anyone have any hints, tips or experiences to help me out?

ETA: And can anyone tell me WHY??? is all the centimetres coming off my hips and nowhere else. I hardly got hips when pregnant it's the last place I need to lose from right now. My pants won't stay up any more :( So now my baby belly is lookinh even more disproportionate!

Hey CM - I hear you on routine and rotating rosters. Makes life difficult!

Re: where they cm are coming off - your tummy is usually the last place for fat to leave. Annoying considering that is often the most needed place! :wall: If you want to target certain areas, you can try toning exercises targeting those areas.

In relation to finding a routine for yourself and dedication... well, motivation is something you have to work on yourself. I have a whole list of quotes I find inspiring and motivating I am happy to share if you like. But the best advice I can give is to try to develop a routine... if you can fit even 10 min in a day, you will find yourself feeling the desire to do it each day. Once it is habit, you will do it automatically. If you can force yourself out of bed 10 min earlier each day and spend that time on the cross trainer, you will notice some improvement in your energy... not immediately but it will happen. Initially you may feel more tired as you adjust but within a couple of weeks you will notice the difference!

If you're struggling to get in a block of exercise, perhaps try to fit in shorter periods. Say 10-15 min in the morning and the same at night. The added benefit of this is that it will increase your metabolism compared to 1 30 min session.

When you go to the pool, there are things you can do to get in effective exercising. Can DS swim? If not, pull him along in the water (whether he is on a kickboard, or in a floaty thing). Doing laps like this is actually very beneficial. Squats in the water isn't as taxing and is just as beneficial on land! AND you can make it a game with DS!

What I do when I get my roster (I get 4 weeks at a time) is I sit down as soon as I get it and "book" times. I am lucky enough to have 2 PT sessions a week (most weeks depending on roster) which I book a month in advance. I also book my physio/pilates sessions. Then I look at my roster and book in my home training times. It helps me when I'm trying to work out everything else that I have to fit in! Family time is important but so is my health and wellbeing. And, to be honest, I go batty if I don't exercise!

HTH

MG

CM, MG has made some great points. I find that I have to put exercise in my calendar/diary, that way it helps me to commit to doing it. How far in advance do you know your shifts? Once you know, you can schedule the following week or however long with exercise around your shifts, etc. Doing small chunks is very beneficial too, 10-15 minutes at a time all adds up.

CM, I used to work the 3-11 shift regularly and my answer to that was a 6-inch subway - choose the 6 grams ones, leave out the cheese, and go heavy on the salad. OK so you won't want it every night, but add the occasional salad from home, etc and it will help. YOu could also try having your main meal early (midday) and then just having a light lunch meal when you're at work.

Thanks MG, Eluned and MD. :) Much appreciated

Any quotes / affirmations would be great. I bought coloured paper to print on and then put around the house but haven't had the chance yet! I did get a slight routine with the cross trainer but when my shifts change again it went down the toilet. I guess I need to develop a routine for my 8-4 days, 3-11 days and then the days off. At least then if I have a reference to remind me maybe it will help.

I think something else is that I know I do not sleep enough and that can hamper weight loss and sleep is another difficult routine, last night I wasn't home until midnight and the night before was closer to 1am!! And I guess just like eating breakfast, once you do it a few times your body craves it - sleep and exercise will eventually fall into the same must have pattern.

We always go to the pool together so i do get some time to be on my own but my fitness level and water confidence doesn't cater for more than half a lap :redface: I do a few laps by sculling. I hold Alex in his floatie between my legs, but that's about it. As my fitness slowly improves it will better help me make pool time more exercise efficient.

Bought a diary for next year yesterday so I can try and plan in advance, once the roster become more stable I shouldn't have as much trouble.


As for food, I don't get a break, have to eat on shift so unfortunately when I forget it's KFC or McD's *sigh* I continue to try to take the healthy route (ie skinless and grilled) but it still feels dirty, IYKWIM. Guess I have to get DF to be more reliable and help me out with this.


Thanks for your replies :grouphug:

I will dig out some of my quotes in a second CM. But first, let me knock down the walls you're putting up ;) (I have done the same in the past - it's just about changing how you look at it):

Not enough fitness or confidence to swim laps. Ummm how is your fitness going to improve if you don't give it a go? Swimming is like no other fitness. Even the most competent runners will struggle to swim effectively in freestyle because it is a different kind of respiratory fitness. So long as you're moving in the pool, it doesn't matter. Style, grace, speed, and ability don't matter - give it a go. If you look at other swimmers, you will notice many alter their stroke between laps or do a "set" of one stroke then change. Bringing me to my first quote for you: Dedication ultimeately proves better than ability by Ray Wheatley (Vice-President of the International Boxing Federation). Having said that, you don't need to swim to reap the benefits of aqua fitness. Try walking and running in water up to your waist. You'll be surprised how your legs feel at the end!

Routine going out the window when roster changes. Hon, the best part of rotating rosters is the flexibility. Slot it in your diary as you would any other appointment - it is just as important as a Dr appointment or coffee with Mum. Make sure you tick it off each time it's in your diary. If you're really struggling to fit it in, aim for a minimum amount of sessions per week. Perhaps try to fit in 3 sessions a week to start with and then increase if you like. 3 sessions isn't much. 3 30 min sessions is less than 2% of your time ;) That's how my trainer spins it to me! And remember, you can split your time up - so some in the am and some in the pm.

Not enough sleep hampers weight loss. So does not exercising ;) It's not so much about the qty but the quality of sleep. You will find that once you begin to exercise regularly, you will sleep better. Especially on the days you exercise! PLUS you will have MORE energy to get through the day! Like I said before, the first few weeks you'll still feel a bit drained and think "What the hell was she on about?! I haven't got more energy!" BUT - you WILL get more energy! Promise!

Food at work. Well, it's a harder one because it relies on you remembering to take food ;) BUT you CAN do it. Make your lunch/meal the night before so you just have to grab it and walk. When you do your meal plan for dinners for the week, do one for your lunches. Keep it on the fridge so you just have to look and grab.

Ok, some quotes for you:

A Journey of a thousand miles, begins with a single step.

Your past does not determine your future

The greatest thing in life is doing what people say you cannot do

If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.

If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?

You are the handicap you must face.
You are the one who must choose your place.

You are never a loser until you quit trying.

Any Change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts by Arnold Bennett

If someone says "I CAN'T DO IT" I ask them "CAN'T or DON'T WANT to do it?" Jim Cassidy winning jockey of two Melbourne Cups

100% of the shots you don't take, don't go in by Wayne Gretzy

'People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily' Zig Ziglar

Hope they help.

:hug: MG

CM, the affirmation that I'm finding really helpful at the moment is

"I am willing to change". Everytime I'm tempted to do the same ol thing, I remind myself that I embrace change, it makes it easier to push myself.