Trying to figure out the Summer schedule

Hi all - As a teacher, I am VERY fortunate to not have to work over the summer - however, I am already finding my weekends either very unstructured or over scheduled out of the house and had some issues this holiday weekend becuase of that.

For example, I wake up whenever I want and don't usually feel hungry therefore, I do not eat anything for a while.  On Saturday, I forgot to take all my vitamins and pills and felt AWFUL on Sunday - I am thinking I wont do that again!  Because of my unstructured schedule, I do not get all my meals and therefore, all my protein in.  i am worried that this summer is going to be difficult.

Is there anyone else in this situation, or anyone who has any tips for me as I head into the lazy days of summer?

P.S. - I am soooo not complaining!  I LOVE my job! :)  Especially in July and August! :)

Well...while it is not the same...I work nights...and therefore am constantly switching between daylight hours and night hours.  For example - I will work tonight from 7p-7a and then have off tomorrow (wed) so I will only sleep for 1-4 hours when I get home, if I sleep at all, and then will be up all day.  Conversely - I will sleep like a "regular" person Wed. night, get up and hang around the house for the early part of Thursday and then lay down, get a 2 hour nap in, and go back to work Thursday night 7p-7a so I constantly have to change my eating pattern.

So....what I do is this:

Take my first "round" of vitamins as soon as I get up.  Keep it by the nightstand, tooth brush, sink....on top of the toilet...wherever you go first.

Also...keep in mind the earlier out you are the less often you will feel true hunger.  Get used to eating by the clock.  If you can't eat a lot in the mornings when you first get up....at least have a yogurt or a protein shake or whatever.  Then set a timer on your watch, phone, whatever for 2-3 hours after that.  And repeat.  Eat when the timer goes off.

When you are leaving the house...bring a bag of food with you ALWAYS.  Even if you think you are only running out to the store for "just a minute"  It's easy to get side tracked.  I do it often.  I never leave the house without my little cooler lunch bag with at least 2 bottles of water, a yogurt (and spoon), a couple of string cheese snacks or the like.  I used to keep protein bars with me as well, but use them less frequently these days.  I know some people leave things like beef jerky in their car.

Short and simple:  Get used to be being the "ultimate" WLS boyscout - "always be prepared"

It takes some getting used to - because all of this means putting yourself first.  Oh - I also separate my vitamins into daily pill containers and keep THAT with me all day long too.  That way I always know that I have them with me in case I am out when I should be taking them.

Good luck!

Pam

Pam's right  - no matter what you have to set yourself up on some kind of schedule to make sure you get your vitamins, proteins and water in. I am much more structured during the week since I'm at work - I admit that - but you're on a 3 month 'weekend' so you might as well get yourself set up on a schedule now.

I did protein shakes in the mornings for a long time to get something in my pouch for when I took my vitamins and meds - if you can't drink milk that early in the day (it still upsets my pouch at times) find one of the other protein shakes that you can tolerate and use that, but get something in because you really do need to eat about 6 times a day - even if its just little amounts in the beginning and once you get yourself and your pouch used to that it'll become automatic.

As always the girls have given you great advice!!  The only thing I would add is to journal EVERYTHING (food, whatever, vits, protein count, etc).  I still do this every day but it's critical on weekends for the very reason(s) you outlined.  It's too easy to get "caught" up when we're off and either forget what we've had or forget to eat (NEW problem but interesting to have - LOL).  So.  At work I use an excel spreadsheet M-F.  The weekends I use it at home - keep computer on all day.  If I'm out and about I use a very pretty, specialized journal (because I love stuff like that and I'm more committed to writing in a pretty and fancy journal) that I keep counts in.  I monitor all day long.  Like at 3 I might look at everything so far (adding numbers up) as I get ready to drink more water and realize "Crap, I forgot my vitamin at lunch" - so then I WRITE IT in where I will be logging my next snack so that when I finally DO write in my snack I'll see, oh, gotta take that vitamin too.  I don't use it to penalize or judge myself, it's a tool, like the pouch that I use to "stay on track" all day long.  Because life is tough and food is easy - for me.  Also, at the end of the day, I look at everything and celebrate what I DID do.  "Look at you girl!!!  All your water AND you met protein!!!"  Or as a way to stay informed -- "Ooooo.  Gotta watch the protein better.  Go eat a fudgesicle (that adds two grams) and tomorrow we'll beef up lunch a bit."

It's like what you do for parents.  You chronicle by journal (grades, notes home, newsletters) what the kids are doing, how well they are doing it and what needs improvement.  YOU deserve to have that too -- so YOU do it for YOU as a way to love yourself and stay on track.  Even when life gets in the way.

Keep rocking it girl!

Keri- would you mind emailing me a copy of the spread sheet you use - as a teacher - I'd rather NOT reinvent the wheel so to speak!   It is [email protected].  Thank you so much for your advice!  I went to Barnes & Noble last night and bought a cute little note book - now I just need to be sure I USE it! :)