To be finding it so impossible to work FT and lose weight?

[Fat13]

Of course, this is on some level ridiculous because people do work full time and do lose weight or maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle but for whatever reason I don’t. I had a long period where I wasn’t working as lockdown 1 ran into my maternity leave so I was off for nearly 18 months. I did so much walking and managed gym visits when they started again, lost a lot of weight.

Now back at work and I just … can’t. Just so tired and run down I crave food and the cravings are overwhelming in a way they weren’t when I was off.

Anyone find the same?

@grafittiartist

Op- don't worry! When we retire we know that we will be back to our usual selves!! Just hang in until then

Or go on maternity leave again!

In all seriousness though this is the issue. I want to conceive again, god knows why when I haven’t slept for ages but I do want to be healthy.

Thanks, we do have a microwave at work but tbh I’m fine in the day. It’s evenings when I end up doing stupid things like eating a whole packet of biscuits and crisps.

I was struggling to fit in exercise after taking a senior leader role and working longer hours. I now force myself to go to the gym even when I'm not feeling like it. I always feel better and more energised after going and it also helps dissipate stress from the day. It feels a bot counterintuitive to go and do exercise when you are tired but I find it really helps and I notice I feel worse if I miss it. I've also stopped buying junk food and wine so that there is no temptation during the week. I could easily default to having a glass of wine with some nibbles so removing the temptation is what works for me. It's not easy but worth it.

Could you incorporate a walk into your commute. Walk to train for example? Don't know your situation. I think prepacked lunch and snacks is key. Susie Orbach's book 'On Eating' is good. Eating real food and stopping when you are full. It takes time to learn it, a year or more, but it's transformative.

I know what you mean, but actually I find the opposite. Probably because for me the eating is more the thing than the exercise, and I find it easier to control my eating if I’m in a work routine (not working from home). But then I also prefer to eat low carb and find it works well with work days as I need relatively little (low carb high fat medium protein) food to stay full and energised
At home I just graze and still don’t have time for exercising

Can your partner take over dinner/bath/bed 2-3 evenings a week so you can sort the exercise?

I think a reason for binging in the evening is "willpower fatigue" - they've done studies that show people have a finite amount of willpower, and probably you're using it up at work (swallowing what you really want to say, rushing to the next class/meeting, etc).
Could you arrange your environment so that you don't need to exercise willpower? Like don't buy biscuits/crisps; prepare carrot sticks in the morning when you make packed lunches so they're ready to crunch when you slump on the sofa.
Also I think stress hormones cause people to hold on to weight - pp's suggestion of yoga might help dispell some of that stress.

Personally, I find it easier to diet when I’m at work! It a distraction so I’m not aimlessly shoving food in my face.

Can you:
Gym before work
If work isn’t a walking distance, park your car further away and walk 20 minutes
Cut your calories down by 150/200 a day on days you aren’t exercising?
Stop buying biscuits and crisps and instead buy things like sugar free jelly so if you’re snacking at least it’s v low calorie?

That’s really interesting @SquirrelFan as I identify with that. I always used to think I just had no self control but I really did - then back to work and just vanished.

I buy biscuits and so on when I want them - so will go to the supermarket after work with dc and get them then, they aren’t in the house as a matter of course. I shouldn’t, I should have more self control but it really is like something in my brain says oh, fuck it.

Knew you'd be a teacher! It's really hard to make time, because even you're not physically knackered, you're exhausted from being 'on' all day and fire fighting/remembering it all etc. And you have a small child. And you feel like you can't go to the gym cos you barely ever see your kid as it is and there was a meeting you had to go to, or 7 phone calls to parents to make or a pile of essays that came in or a data analysis you forgot about, or that task you were putting off but is now due.

My two were shit sleepers. 8 years of shit sleepers. I used to make myself do an exercise class or 2 one night a week. I planned everything around that, and knew I wouldn't be working that night. I would make myself go, no matter how tired I was. I also used to do one weekend morning.

I stopped taking a snack, other than a banana. No bread, ever. Eating shit after work is still a problem though. It's a sugar craving that fruit won't hit.

Intermittent fasting helps me.

And I know people are trying to be helpful but honestly walking to work, even part of the way isn’t an option. I’m pushed for time as it is.

Can you look at when in the school day you eat? If you are craving crap, have you got past being hungry so would be better to eat at break rather than lunchtime if you can. If you can control what you take with you to work, then you only need to show will power the night before when packing your food for the next day.

When you put the dc to bed, clean your teeth. It really helps to reduce the snacking feeling.

Try Noom, it’s brilliant. I don’t work for them.

Encourages a very healthy mindset to weight loss, the lessons / coaching make all the difference. Having tried MFP before and getting into unhealthy short term behaviours, Noom has changed my mindset in a long term way.

It’s definitely the evenings that are the issue.

If you’re not really finding the daytime a problem, just the 2 hrs in the evenings from 7-9pm, can you move your evening meal?

I’d ask DP to do dinner/bath/bed 2 days a week while I went out to exercise, and eat dinner after the DC are in bed.

Or clean your teeth at DC bedtime!

Cleaning teeth is a good suggestion. I find it’s probably the period between 4-6 pm. This is when I’m likely to go to the supermarket with dc as difficult at home and then buy food I want.

I’ve gained a stone and I really could do with losing 3 (it used to be 2! )

It is really hard to loose weight when you’re tired all the time. Is the baby sleeping through? If it is it is worth going to the doc to get your bloods checked.

Assuming all is fine, then basic things like protein and fibre in every meal helps. Have enough for dinner, and then clean your teeth to symbolise eating is over for the day.

Get your trigger foods out of the house. Have some healthy stuff around so if you do snack you don’t do too much damage. If your husband wants biscuits get him to put them away, ideally in the garage or something.

If you are tired, keep exercise gentle for now or you will just get more tired. Do you like yoga? Or would a podcast make walking less boring.

Ranjan Chatterjee has a book called loose weight feel great, which is not a diet book but good for general guide to healthy eating which incorporates some stress management. He has a good book on stress also. (Also - is your partner doing enough grunt work?!)

I buy biscuits and so on when I want them - so will go to the supermarket after work with dc and get them then, they aren’t in the house as a matter of course.

That’s the habit to break, then.
No supermarket trips.

.. teeth - ha

Also - get shopping delivered

And generally think about how you can drop your standards / take shortcuts on housework cooking so you have less to do.

I don’t think I’m explaining very well, I don’t go to the supermarket to get other things, I go to buy the things I want. If it was as simple as don’t buy it no one would be a drug addict, smoker etc, I mean on one level it is that simple but on another it isn’t.

Sleep isn’t great so I always get disturbed at least once and sometimes we have those ‘split nights’ which are difficult. It’s better than it was. But still not great.

I find it’s probably the period between 4-6 pm. This is when I’m likely to go to the supermarket with dc as difficult at home and then buy food I want.

That’s emotional eating, then. Not willpower. What’s difficult about that period and can you hack it/change it? Just regular tired whiny child stuff?

If it was as simple as don’t buy it no one would be a drug addict, smoker etc, I mean on one level it is that simple but on another it isn’t

It’s not easy (indeed breaking addictive behaviour is very hard work) but it is simple.

It’s why AA says it’s all about saying no to just one drink, just one day.

The solution of not going to the supermarket to buy crap might feel hard emotionally but it is the simple solution.

@Fat13

It’s definitely the evenings that are the issue.

Don’t buy biscuits, crisps and chocolate. Tell yourself your not eating them anymore. I eventually started to believe it!

Well yes but what I’m trying to explain is how overwhelming the cravings are. I mean, tbh, I wasn’t necessarily looking for advice on it, it’s more to see if other people found this? As I definitely have now noticed a pattern.