need help on meals and exercise after going back to work

Hi Everyone Last Monday was my first day back to work. It felt good to get back to work, but I keep running out of time. If I got my water in, I ran short on getting all my protein in and if I got all my protein in, I didn't get all my water in. Also exercise this past week, didn't happen. I pretty much went right to bed when I got home from work. Now I have noticed that as the week went on, I was able to stay up a little later and actually have a small dinner. Is this normal? I am thinking that as time goes on, I will get my groove back. Now on to the exercise question. When do you all get your exercise in? Do you exercise in the morning before work, or in the evening after work? Starting Monday, I am going to try to do my exercise (walking on the treadmill) in the morning before work. This way, I will definately get my exercise in. I think I am going to hold off on trying to go to the water aerobics class at 8:30 in the evening. I am usually asleep before 8:00 pm. Any advice or suggestions???? Rose

Rose, Not sure how normal it is, but I can tell you that it took me a while to get back into a routine that worked also. Keep plugging along ... you will find what works best for you. Just a thought ... perhaps you would want to combine your liquids with protein powder for a double whammy (protein and fluids) to help you reach both goals until you get into your grove? Just a thought. About exercising, I work-out at different times on differing days ... just depends on what we have going for that week and when we can fit that block of time in. I usually work out first thing in the mornings 3 days a week, mid mornings/early afternoon 1 day per week, evenings 1 day per week and one floating time one day per week. I prefer to work out first thing in the morning, it helps to get my day started right and helps to give me energy to face my day. I have also read that working out first thing before eating helps to burn fat. Not sure how accurate that is though, so it is just something I keep in the back of my mind and hope to try to reseach it soon. Just a note ... when I do this, I ALWAYS have a protein shake right after my workout to help make sure that my body does not eat away at my muscle. Again Rose, remember, I am just plugging through all of this also and trying to find my way too. But this is what seems to work for me at least today, who knows what tomorrow will bring Oh just a side note - the very first time I tried to do a power mile (guess I was about 1 month out of surgery) - as soon as I finished it, I crashed and slept for quite a while afterwords, with a huge smile on my face of course. It really did me in. Pre-Op, I was lucky to do 5 minutes on the treadmill. These days I am running, rowing, cycling, power miles, aerobics, strength training on most of the machines at the gym, and doing some free weights, and etc ... you will find that your body loves exercise and will really work with you to build stamina fast and help to morph your body. Hang in there and do what you can do, rest when you need to do so, and push when you are just feeling lazy. I truly believe that exercise is such an important components of a "healthy" weight loss with our surgery. You only want to lose fat, not muscle, and excercise helps us do just that. Wishing you the best Rose, keep plugging along! You are doing excellent!

Don't you wish you could add more hours to a day? I know I do. I have days where I have to scramble to eat. Its hard to maintain a schedule although I hear people are doing it. I guess its disciplining ourselves! I have no problems with fluid its the food thing! Although to tell you the truth I am better disciplined on working days then I am the weekend. I usually have breakfast when I get up and dressed....hour later start drinking....(my goal is 16 oz of fluid), then it is usually around 10AM for my mid snack. Lunch at 1PM mid snack around 3:30 and of course dinner around 9 ish depending if I am at gym or not. Weekends with my running and I do run alot I am so off game its the pits! I have not been exercising for the last few weeks....I have had so much going on its hard to get everything in but this week that is changing! Don't be hard on yourself. We are only human. Just pay attention to what you are doing and try and learn how to make it better for you! I think you are doing a really good job and I love your positivity! Debbie