Here is my problem:

I used to be a gym buff in really great shape. I was an incredibly lean size 6. I have never been an over eater and i dont have horrible eating habits yet there is room for improvement.

I haven been to the gym in 13 months. The first few months i was just tired and couldnt get back into the swing of things. I started working out 3 days a week in my apartment instead but it wasnt the same. Since then i have sporadically exercised in my apt but not enough to make any difference whatsoever.

I am stuck at a size 8. That size isnt thaty bad but i feel like a squishy size 8 when i was a lean size 6 for 4 years. I am gettign very disgusted with myself to the point of not being able to look at myself. I can t buy any new clothes because nothing fits me right and i dotn knwo how to lose weight without exercising.

I work full time. I get home bewteen 6:40-7:20 every night and I go to school until 10pm tuesdays and thursdays. I am in school all day saturday. My issue is time combined with exhaustion. Sunday is my only free day in which i dont do any homework. Monday and friday nights i have homework to do. Wednesdays i do any household work and even then i dont have time or am too tired to get that done.

I tried changing my eating habits. Liek i said they werent that bad to begin with. I am not a big junk eater, i only eat 3 average sized meals a day, and have always drank skim milk, diet everything, etc.... I stopped eating anything fried, swithced to all whole grain/whole wheat products, cut out red meat, ate only 900- 1100 calories a day ( 3 full meals and snack included) and i am disappointed. Changing my eating habits made a light improvement but not enough.

I am beyond frustrated with myself and dont know what to do. I gave up the calorie counting because it was a pain in the ass. I know the only way i will be satisfied with myself again is if i go back to the gym but i just dont have time and when my schedule lightens up i jsut feel too drained to attempt it.

Does anyone have any helpful ideas on how i can lose weight when i have a very tight, time-crunched schedule that leaves me exhausted?

how about those slendertone electrodes that you hook up to your abs ond legs and they contract your muscles to make you buff?

if not just gym really, suppose you could just do free-weigths at home, less aerobic exercice and more focus on bodybuilding resistance stuff.

You don't necessarily need to work out to lose weight. You can approach it entirely from a diet standpoint. I'm sure there is something else you can change about your diet. Do you drink sodas, iced tea, or any other sugary drink like that? Eliminate that stuff. If you're actually eating 900-1100 calories a day, that's not enough. Starving yourself isn't the answer and it just slows your metabolism, which I'm sure you know.

I stopped eating the 900-1100 calories a day about a month ago. I lost a few pounds but it wasnt worth it. I was eating low calorie cereal for breakfast ( only 160 calories with the skim milk), whole wheat turkey wraps for lunch, and grilled chicken and veggies or fish with veggies for dinner. I had pudding,apples, or oranges for snacks. It wasnt starving myslef but it wasnt realistic for the long term either. I need something realistic for long term.

yr schedule reminds me of mine. I found the best way to crunch exercise in is on my lunch break. I do a brisk walk for 30 minutes almost every day. Yeah I give up most of lunch, but it is better than trying to work out when I am tried and getting home from work at 6:30. And on the weekends lots of good exercise.

Definitely watch your carbs. If you can, eliminate all drinks except for water or try to drink calorie-free diet Coke or something. I can lose 10 pounds just by cutting out drinks except water.

You'd be surprised what you can lose without muxh exercise by following a strict low carb diet. By strict I mean, not calorie restricted but you HAVE to avoid carbs, you don't have to do Atkins induction and stay under 20g, but try to stay around 30g a day. At the very least if you don't want to go this low keep your carbs to under 60g a day. I think the more carbs, the more you need to watch calories also, if you keep it to 20-30g carbs you don;t really need to worry about calories. This works but, check with your doctor to make sure you don;t have a reason it would be unhealthy for you. I'd say if you have kidney problems, avoid low-carb diets...etc.

Or, try Weight Watchers which is eat and drink whatever you want but it is basically a 1200/cal a day diet or whatever, dependingon your points.

No more weight than you need to lose to go down a size, you should just try to cut out sodas/drinks, and walk more, and watch your carbs a little, and you'll be ok. You may not be able to formally exercise in a gym, so just do the little things, try to keep moving, walk more, park further away, etc.

it sounds like what you are trying to achieve is not about weight, but body composition. i am in the same boat right now. the sad truth is nothing but exercise is going to give you the results you desire. someone suggested going for a walk everyday which i trhink is great advice. i would also suggest trying to get up an hour earlier every morning and exercise then. it's tough at first, but i find after i get into the groove of things, it's really the best time as it gives me energy to help me through the rest of the day and i feel good because i started my day doing something good for my body. i know its hard to get up an extra hour early but once you are used to it, it becomes natural and its a habit that is worth its weight tenfold.

At lunchtime i do some homework

Also, i walk a minimum of 13 blocks a day ( 3 blocks to the bus stop, 3 blocks once i get off the bus to get to work, and 7 blocks to get to the bus to get home. I am a NYC commuter ).

I may try to do the card counting thing someone suggested. The only weekend time i have is sunday and i cant seem to make myself do much of anything on that day. I do agree that somewhere, somehow i need to fit in exercise but i havent figure out how to do that with this schedule. I think next semester i will only go to school on weekends so i will have some of my weeknights free. that should help me out some.

Honey, relax.

You wear a single digit size, you are in no health danger, you are in no danger of being unattractive. The only thing you are in danger of is being consumed by obsession. If you want to firm up then take up a new type of excercise, but at your small size, there is no need for quick weight loss. In fact, if you try to lose it fast, it will make you bigger in the end because your metabolism will be fucked up.

Could you try working out for an hour each morning before work? It'd be a pain, at first, but give you a lot more energy and you'd likely lose a little weight or, at least, stop feeling "squishy"....otherwise, there's always meth!

Amputationz

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Agreed.
It sounds as though your healthy, at a size 8 there is really nothing to feel disgusted about, its just a mindset you need to get yourself out of.
To achieve what you want you need to go to the gym and its not like your too lazy or anything, your too busy...give yourself a break and don't worry about your weight. Just do a little bit of exercise when you have the time.

thanks.

There are just certain things that are hard to see when you are looking at yourself.