Motivation, stress, and lack of sleep...
So, the past few weeks my motivation has really been tanking. I've really slacked off on exercising and on eating right - I went from going to the gym at least three days a week, if not more, and eating primarily plant-based diet with just a few treats, to going to the gym one day a week (and even then the workout is usually pretty sluggish compared to my old standard) and as for food...ugh, I don't even want to talk about food. I'm back into that eating until I'm sick, swearing I'm not going to do it again, and then eating until I'm sick...at the very. next. meal. Bacon, cheese, fries, pizza...you name it. I think the only way I've been staying relatively steady around my current weight (it's fluxuating between 167 all the way to 173ish) is because I'm on my feet sixteen hours a day.
I know at least part of what the problem is - it's the busy season at my night job, and we just now hired a new guy at my morning job so the past few weeks I've been pulling extra shifts to get him trained and ready. Once he gets ready, I mean, the extra shifts should go away - but for about three weeks straight, I've worked around 70 hours a week, getting five hours of sleep a night, maximum. Which some people may thrive on five, but definitely not me. I don't feel right until I hit eight or nine - that's my good point. It seems excessive, I know, but that's the way my sleep patterns are when they aren't being screwed all to hell. The busy season at my night job isn't going to end anytime soon, and I'm pulling extra shifts there, too (we've lost a few cooks, and they decided why hire more, when we can work the ones we have to death?)so no matter how you look at it, I'm not going to be working less than 60 or 70 hours a week for the foreseeable future, and the same probably goes for sleep.
Obviously stress and lack of sleep are having a big effect on my energy level for working out (not to mention less time to do so), as well as my decision making when it comes to food. Since my work schedule isn't something I can change right now (though I am going to try to do better about sleep, even if it means napping between jobs instead of computering.) I was hoping you guys would have some tips for something that can help me feel less...ragged and beat down. From a workout that is fun and not too exhausting I could try until my schedule is normal again, or a food that gives you pep, to a meditation exercise (though I'll say that I used to meditate every day, but now when I do, I fall asleep - even standing up. Not kidding.) that might help. ANYTHING. I don't want to gain any weight back, and damnit, I want to keep losing - but when it comes to making the choices I need too, well, it's just not coming together for me. Or tips on ways to keep myself focused when I'm too tired and stressed to really...well, focus.
Or you can just say words to make me feel better, even if they're lies. I'm good with that.
I know at least part of what the problem is - it's the busy season at my night job, and we just now hired a new guy at my morning job so the past few weeks I've been pulling extra shifts to get him trained and ready. Once he gets ready, I mean, the extra shifts should go away - but for about three weeks straight, I've worked around 70 hours a week, getting five hours of sleep a night, maximum. Which some people may thrive on five, but definitely not me. I don't feel right until I hit eight or nine - that's my good point. It seems excessive, I know, but that's the way my sleep patterns are when they aren't being screwed all to hell. The busy season at my night job isn't going to end anytime soon, and I'm pulling extra shifts there, too (we've lost a few cooks, and they decided why hire more, when we can work the ones we have to death?)so no matter how you look at it, I'm not going to be working less than 60 or 70 hours a week for the foreseeable future, and the same probably goes for sleep.
Obviously stress and lack of sleep are having a big effect on my energy level for working out (not to mention less time to do so), as well as my decision making when it comes to food. Since my work schedule isn't something I can change right now (though I am going to try to do better about sleep, even if it means napping between jobs instead of computering.) I was hoping you guys would have some tips for something that can help me feel less...ragged and beat down. From a workout that is fun and not too exhausting I could try until my schedule is normal again, or a food that gives you pep, to a meditation exercise (though I'll say that I used to meditate every day, but now when I do, I fall asleep - even standing up. Not kidding.) that might help. ANYTHING. I don't want to gain any weight back, and damnit, I want to keep losing - but when it comes to making the choices I need too, well, it's just not coming together for me. Or tips on ways to keep myself focused when I'm too tired and stressed to really...well, focus.
Or you can just say words to make me feel better, even if they're lies. I'm good with that.