Wouldn’t it be great if we could do something for only a couple of hours and it would work out? I find myself thinking this more so on the weekends than during the week because I want to get so much done and I have so little time. I have been working out with PiYo and I am at the end of week 3 right now. I have “skipped” one day in favor of PM yoga, but really I just swapped my rest day a day early. I needed the mindfulness of yoga and I was aware of that in that moment. I also had high hopes for weight loss when I started this program. But then I did the math, and in order to maintain a 1,200 calorie diet (which is the minimum recommendation for women) mathematically I knew I couldn’t lose more than 1 lb per week. And I really had to be okay with that. I couldn’t compare myself to the people who lose 5 lbs per week, because I knew that just wasn’t feasible. On top of that, it’s not feasible for most people. Continuously losing 5 pounds a week requires an average calorie deficit of 2,500 calories per day. It’s not just about what you eat, but also how and when you eat at this point. There’s an understanding of how your body works, but also, you will not lose weight if you aren’t starving your adipose tissue (fat cells).
But this post isn’t just about weight loss. I wanted to start with that because it is something I struggle with, and I have seen others struggle too. It’s also about the housework and the errands and the time spent with family/friends. The weekend is such a wonderful opportunity to catch up on things that didn’t get fit into the week because you don’t have to worry about work (for most of us). The downside is, that each day has the same 24 hours regardless of how you fill them. I slept for almost 10 hours last night because I filled my Friday with tons of friends and activities. I wanted to quit about halfway through the night, but I’m really glad I didn’t. It didn’t change any of the errands that I ran today. It didn’t change anything about how I spent my Saturday (except how much coffee I consumed). I wish I could have just snapped my fingers and gotten everything done, but then I wouldn’t have the moments of happiness and accomplishment. I also worked much harder during the week to make sure that little things that don’t take as much time so that I do have some downtime and I am not just running around constantly.
At the end of the day, there are a lot of ways that you can try to implement a quick fix. Hire a maid instead of cleaning yourself. Have your groceries delivered instead of going to the store. Eat a lot of salad instead of going out to eat. All of these work, but for me, they just don’t bring the same sense of joy and accomplishment and that’s a problem for me. If it’s not a problem for you, and money allows, then choose those things that give you the peace of mind.
What is your favorite way to spread out your work so that you don’t feel overwhelmed? Or, what makes you feel overwhelmed that you wish you could do less of?
She’s Got a Whole PhD 