Night Shift and Fitness

I work in an emergency room, and I work third shift. I have been doing this for about a month. It honestly took me three weeks to adjust to nights. I decided, though, that my health needed to be my top priority if I were going to be able to take care of my family and home.

This is what I have figured out:
1. Sleep. Sleep that mo'fo' off or you will feel like death. Don't try to workout when you get home, because your body needs rest to feel it's best. I really didn't mean to make that sound like a bumper sticker.

2. Workout when you wake up and a couple hours before your shift. Trust me on this one. I've been tweaking around to figure out a regimen, and I have found that even when I'm on my third day straight of 12 hour shifts, a good workout gets my blood flowing. Even if it's short, get your blood boiling, and sweet talk your metabolism into being on your side.

3. Eat clean. Why have a bloated belly and guilty conscience when you can just be prepared with clean snacks around the house. My go-tos are low fat cheese sticks, raspberries, and apples with peanut butter. I'm not yet fancy enough to have other nut-butters, but it's all about the journey, not perfection.

This morning is the morning of my third day on night shift. So I'm off to bed.

Eat clean and get lean!

Clean Eating, eh?

It's not that I'm an over-eater. I just haven't been an over-achiever (ah, ah, see what I did there??)

I just turned 32. Whatever happened to my glory days is beyond me, but I'm constantly reminded about getting older by the two little people who showed up and have been calling me "Mommy" and the guy I've been waking up next to for almost 8 years. Not to mention the right shoulder and hip pain I get from sleeping on my side. Yes, I think it's safe to say my glory days of being carefree and high metabolism days are done-so.

So I begin a journey of clean eating and weight lifting to, honestly, impress myself, and feel more invigorated as I meet the usual challenges of life plus that of a 30 something mommy who works full time as a nurse.

I hope to meet others who are on the same journey and can share in our victories and stick together through the hard times. Anyone??

My starting point is sad. I'm 6'0. Last night at work I weighed myself and discovered I packs on quite a few pounds. My starting place is 167lbs (gulp).

Let's do this.