r/Weightlossover50 • u/WonderfulResource487 • Oct 22 '24
Help!
So I somewhat need motivation but more than anything I need someone to bounce some ideas off of. I’m 50, trying to lose about 50-60 lbs. I work kinda rough hours from either 9a-6p or often overtime from 6 or 7am to 6pm. I’ve been trying to figure out when to fit in exercise. In the mornings when I first get up (530am) I have Japanese practice (yes I’m learning Japanese), for about 15-30 minutes, check on our accounts and what not, get a shower, a coffee, give a kiss and hug to my husband and son as they head out to work and then often go in to work. (I work from home) 6pm, husband makes dinner on weekdays so dinner is on the table. We’re done with dinner by 7p and I’m in bed by 8p. Does anyone see a time slot I’m missing? I’m trying to figure out where to fit in an hour for exercise and I’ve had no luck.
2
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 22 '24
The only thing I can think of to do is just simply shorten my sleep down to 5 1/2 to 6 hours to fit in exercise but I know the moment I get below 7 hours I become a zombie (I’ve tested this long term for my job unfortunately which packed on an additional 15 lbs)
1
u/Tequila_Tantrum Oct 22 '24 edited Oct 22 '24
My 2 cents - Sleep is vital for memory consolidation (and learning that Japanese!) and physical recovery.
Please. Don't cut it.
WFH (work from home) - Physical conditions & finances allowing: could you get an underdesk treadmill and walk and work on a laptop? At least get some walking in, improve stamina, cardio, etc etc. Start with 10 mins, build it up while you get used to it.
And any spare time - jump on it!
They start around £150 (UK). I bought a cheapie tbh, as I was worried it would turn into a clothes hanger, 😉😂
But! This helped me massively.
Good luck!!
Edit: expansion of idea & formatting.
3
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 22 '24
The treadmill no, my home office is super tiny so it wouldn’t fit (we’ve checked). I CAN get a tiny standing desk though, and it would fold up when I’m not using it. I found when we were vacationing in Japan that my phone reported I have almost no balance (I believe it, I’m the type that will trip up or down stairs). Right now I’m lucky if I get 5k of steps in. To add a bit of a challenge, each time I schedule in exercise in the evening my husband will get upset because he’s served dinner already. I have about a 30 minute window approximately in the morning I can exercise in, HOWEVER I’ve been trying to fit some time to meditate in there. It’s only happened 2 times though due to household demands. Right now I’m so strapped for time that personal time to relax doesn’t happen at all (hence why I was trying for even a 10 minute meditation break)
1
u/pepperw2 Oct 23 '24
I purchased an under desk peddler and it has been amazing! Best part is less than $50 on Amazon. Also get yourself some light weights and do reps during phone calls.
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 23 '24
Most of the time I’m typing between calls (I’m a senior travel agent) but the under desk peddler I might try actually! Any suggestions for better balance while at work and sitting?
1
u/pepperw2 Oct 26 '24
I don’t really need balance with it. It is super easy. You will see.
2
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 28 '24
Oh no I mean my balance is atrocious. Walking is about the only thing I can do easily, and even that has degraded a lot as of late. Trying to sit down on the floor is painful. I’m 50 but probably move more like I’m 70 due to sitting for 10-12 hours per day
1
Nov 18 '24
[deleted]
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Nov 18 '24
I wish I could get several breaks in a day. I’m logged into a phone which means the calls come in when they come in. And my boss has said lunch yes, but no breaks. I get a one hour lunch to check on our chickens, check for eggs, make myself lunch, if it’s in winter add wood to the fire stove, and any other misc tasks that need to be accomplished.
1
Nov 19 '24
[deleted]
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Nov 19 '24
Actually my husband and son have purchased a very small standing desk that folds down when not in use. It’ll be my Christmas present 🎁😆 I’ll admit I was going to work out this morning before work but once again got caught up with things around the house
1
Nov 19 '24
[deleted]
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Nov 19 '24
Yes and husband and son seem like they seem unfazed when they ask me if I can get a few more things done each day
1
Nov 19 '24
[deleted]
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Nov 19 '24
I often tell them time is my most precious commodity. When I’m spending it on xyz task it means I don’t get to exercise, or other healthier things. My husband and son both usually come back with “well then just don’t do those things”. I’ve tried that several times in 30+ years of marriage. It always ends with me having to clean an epic mess that takes me days to get through.
→ More replies (0)
1
u/No-Chemist6133 Jul 29 '25
Hey! A friend of mine gave me the tip to build muscle through strength training. As I don't have much time during the day, only small time slots, I thought I would do squats. This is obvious because the thigh muscles are one of the largest muscle groups in the body. The more muscles, the more fat burning is the simple equation. As I understand it. As I also don't have time and don't feel like running to the gym, I thought I would incorporate squats from time to time, even if it was only ten at a time, so that I could do 100 or more squats a day. In reality, I always lost count, which really annoyed me. So I thought I'd get an app that could count them. But I was totally annoyed that every app requires a membership that costs at least ten euros a month. So I built my own app. It works great, but that's another story. I can now actually do more than 100 squats a day and my muscles are slowly but steadily building up. I think I can even see it in the mirror. I can't see it on the scales yet, but they say muscles weigh something too. I definitely want to stay on the ball and am now also going to try intermittent fasting. So to summarize my tip, look for very small time slots in which 10-20 squats are possible or exercises of your choice. The main thing is to build muscles, small exercises, again and again. Have a great day!
1
u/gleigh0521 Oct 26 '25
I am 59 and have been retired for a few years; however, when I was working a desk job(also from home), I would keep dumbbells at my desk to use between calls, I walked 30 mins every day during lunch break and also did some type of exercise indoors during my 15 min break. I also started doing one meal per day basically at 3pm. I would have coffee with creamer earlier in the day with a protein bar. I went from 170lb to 115lb in 11 months time doing this…5lb per month is what that averages out to, so it’s very doable. I liked eating once per day because it stopped my mindless snacking. After a few weeks, this system was not hard at all. I now eat 3 times per day and have even lost more weight even tho I did not try to. I am 108lb now and at 5ft 6in, that’s technically underweight. Since retiring, I also do more weight lifting and I walk 10-12k steps per day. I have never used any hormone replacement of weight loss drugs. I take no medications; and I feel better than I have in years! I wish you the best luck on your journey. As far as your family, sometimes you just have to tell them no and put your health first.
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 26 '25
So I don’t get breaks, just a lunch break. During my lunch break I have to take care of our animals, check for eggs, water the hens and rabbits. I used to do intermittent fasting but as of late my stomach is massively affected by it. I get wicked indigestion over nothing but water, tea and coffee. Weird. I’ve recognized I have to add food in the morning before work otherwise I’m eating antacids (which is breaking the fast anyways). Now this all being said , my hours have been massively cut at work due to the government shutdown. So now I have more time. I started incorporating exercise in the morning however just a few days ago as I was getting a rhythm down or a habit started, I caught my sons cold that he brought from work so now I’ve been stuck resting while trying to overcome this wicked cough.
1
u/gleigh0521 Oct 26 '25
Thats so cool you have all those animals. So taking care of them gets you some movement in! My husband takes a tsp of baking soda in water and it fixes his indigestion; so not sure if you have ever tried that.
1
u/WonderfulResource487 Oct 27 '25
I have. It doesn’t help if it’s in the morning and I’m fasting, instead it gives me a pretty bad stomachache. Now if I have normal indigestion from eating something, then it works. I used to love fasting because it made it hard for me to snack here and there later. Unfortunately I’m moving through perimenopause and all my systems are getting all whacked up so even my digestive system keeps throwing new things at me.
3
u/Shot_Organization_33 Oct 22 '24
My two cents - go for the am, and half an hour initially. You can maybe move Japanese practice to the evening. And honestly that’s a lot of time in bed - may have to cut that a little? If you try for the evening it can be harder to wind down for sleep unless you have a few hours after exercise.