active job and Cathe?

[prfitness]

Hi everyone

I need some advice about how many times I should workout. I used to workout 6 days a week with some yoga on my rest day. After a lot of issues with fatigue and binging, I reduced my workouts to 5 days a week with more weights than cardio with good results. I have always had a desk job and apart from walking a lot and cleaning the house, Cathe was basically the only real exercise I was getting.

I've recently given up my job (after a lot of soul searching) to do what I have always wanted ro do - work with animals. I am currently training to be a dog groomer and loving it. But the job is intensely physical (a lot more than I thought it would be!). Although I am forcing myself to workout 4 -5 days a week, I have to admit I feel crap. Last week, I only worked out on Sat and Sun and actually felt a lot better. But I don't think I could ever maintain my current fitness level on 2, 3 or even 4 days a week of Cathe. I also would like to lose some weight and with my current job, its kind of hard to skimp on calories. I was just wondering if anyone with an active job (like nurses, busy moms etc.) or those who or on their feet most of the day have any advice on how I can keep up with Cathe, do my job effectively, lose weight and not kill myself in the process. Thanks for any tips/ advice.

PS - I was also wondering if anyone knows anything about athleticity (don't know if that's a word). I sometimes wonder whether genetically I was never really cut out to be fit because I go through so many problems with overtraining inspite of having exercised for years now and not really doing that much.

 

[tvan_horn]

I do know exactly how you feel! I have a fairly physical job and a very active 3 yr old, so sometimes it is hard to have energy for my workouts.

Here are a few suggestions:
1. Give your body time to adapt to the new demands of your job!!!

2. Decrease the intensity of your workouts or do shorter workouts until you get used to the new demands and then ease back into the schedule you have been used to. CTX and Timesaver are great workouts.

3. Do your workouts in the morning, so that your low energy doesn't interfere with workouts later in the day.

4. Don't skimp on calories, but do focus on trying to eat to fuel yourself for your work and workouts! If you are busy at work, that makes it easier to avoid the vending machine and junk food that everybody brings in! Watching your sugar and refined food intake, will do amazing things for your energy level!

Best Wishes with your new job! Congratulations on making the decision to do something you enjoy! That can be a tough thing to do!

Tina

 

[Jennifit]

Those are great suggestions above! I am a PE teacher and coach - I can relate to your physically demanding job. I try to break up my workouts - cardio in the morning lifting at night. It seems to work for me. During the school year, I really listen to my body and give it break when it needs one. You CAN do it!

 

[Southernfit]

Yes....I have 2 active jobs...I am a third grade teacher and a mother to a 3 year old and a 3 month old. I have discovered that the best time to workout for me is first thing in the morning. If I wait until afterschool, I am usually too tired and busy with my own children. In addition to morning workouts, I have found that I have to plan workouts that are fun and enjoyable. There are some that no matter how many times I try them, they don't do it for me. I also try to utilize the extra time I have on Saturday and Sunday for longer workouts.

Like someone else already said, it is also very important to LISTEN to your body...and not to feel guilty if you are exhausted and need rest.

Good Luck!!
Jessi

Grace born 2-21-01
Jack born 7-09-04

 

[endorphin_junkie]

First off, congratulations on your brave decision to leave a desk job to pursue something that you love. That takes a lot of gumption and courage!! It sounds like you are very in tuned with your body which is great, you felt crappy so you didn't workout as much and that made you feel better. We are constantly told to listen to our bodies which is exactly what you are doing. If you want to lose weight maybe don't think so much about skimping on calories with your new job, just eat higher quality calories, more fruits and veggies, high quality low fat proteins, (tuna, beans, tofu).

I have two physically demanding jobs. I am a registered massage therapist and a fitness instructor. I have had to tinker with my workout regime so that my job performance is not compromised by my personal fitness schedule. If I do heavy upper body lifting early on a day when I am massaging I have found that it affects the quality and depth of massage so I don't ever lift heavy before massaging. I also don't lift heavy the day before teaching a weight class because I want to be able to lift as heavy as I can with good form to motivate my participants. My home fitness is cardio based and I have had to accept that lifting heavy is a rare treat.

With regard to your question about athletisism, certainly some people are more genetically blessed with things like ability to build muscle mass or eye/hand co-ordination or elevated metabolic rates but I personally don't think that any of us are not genetically cut out to be fit, thyroid or other pathologies notwithstanding (this is just an opinion, I'm interested in what others have to say about it). Granted, it is more difficult for some to maintain fitness, I personally lose and gain weight very easily so in order to stay at a weight comfortable for me I have to constantly adjust my eating to my level of activity.

Be patient with yourself, you are in a huge state of transition and when the dust settles and you feel like you are back into a routine then the regime that is right for will emerge. All the best to you in your pursuits!

Take Care
Laurie

 

[prfitness]

Thank you Tina, Jennifit, Jesse and Laurie for your encouraging replies. Its just good to know that there are so many people who are active and committed to exercise. Sometimes people just don't get that exercise is a hobby and stress reliever - the other groomers that I work with don't understand why I need to do Cathe - most of them say that a work is all the exercise that need. I'm glad I can come here and know that I will be understood.

I've had lots of suggestions from you guys and one thing that I know I need to do is cut out all the sugar in my diet. I also think I need to stop obsessing about cals and listen to my body. I think all the 1200 - 1400 cal days were fine when I was sitting at a desk but I need to be a little more flexible now.

I also think I should stop feeling guilty about getting rest when I feel I need it and being OK with half hour sessions (when it comes to cardio) occasionally.

Laurie - athletism is the word I was looking for. The reason I ask is that people who work out less than me just seem to be more fit than I am. For eg. I still huff and puff when I take the stairs and I just can't seem to manage most of the intense rotations that Cathe posts. Overtraining (in spite of the fact that I put thought into the way I train) is just a constant issue for me. I also cannot work out in the morning. I've tried it and I find that it affects my job performance and mood negatively in the mornings. I end up feeling hungry and fatigued after my workouts for quite a while and since mornings are the busiest for me (no time to snack or flake), I need all my energy for that period.

Anyway thanks once again everyone for responding. I hope I adapt to my new job soon and evolve a workout schedule that works for me.

 

[tvan_horn]

Well, sounds like you have answered your own questions and you have reasonable expectations for yourself! Give yourself a break when you need it and praise yourself for being dedicated!

It is interesting to hear somebody else say that exercise is their "hobby." That is exactly how I describe it - and guess what, very few people will ever understand that (except most of us here)!

Don't worry about those people who look "more fit" than you! You know that you are healthier because you are getting the exercise your body needs and you are conscious of your nutrition! You would probably be suprised if you saw more pictures of the women here on the forum. I can promise you that we aren't all 5'10" and 110 pounds. We come in all shapes and sizes and it takes a long time to accept that about yourself!

I recently had an interesting experience when i ran my first half marathon. I don't think I look like a runner. I would love for people to look at me and think, "She must be a runner." But that isn't going to happen. When I went to my half marathon and looked around at the other 3000 runners - guess what? Lots of them didn't look like "runners" either.

Oh, I get winded walking up steps sometimes too. We all do. Don't use that as an indicator of fitness!

Food for thought,

Tina