Stressed out working mom!
 

Hi! This is my first time posting on this site. I was just curious how working moms try to keep it all together! I'm a teacher and put in many hours at school and at home. During the summer, I do an okay job of getting the exercise into my daily routine. During the school year, it is nearly impossible. I have a two year old son that requires a lot of energy and attention on my part. I have two choices of either getting up at 5 am each morning to work out for 20-30 minutes or wait to exercise until after my son goes to be, around 9pm. The problem is that I usually have many papers to grade and end up working on that up until bedtime. I really need to lose weight so that I can feel good about myself again. I keep saying to myself that I accept how I look, but deep inside I don't except it. I'm tired of having no energy for anything! I know the answer is that I just need to make the time and stop with the bellyaching! It is just so hard. I'm 30 years old and my DH and I are thinking of having another child. I can't do that until I get rid of the baby fat I picked up with my first pregnancy. I guess I just needed a place to vent my frustrations. The answers are in me. I already know how to solve this problem. I just need to start making the sacrifices and let the papers go ungraded so that I have some "me" time.

Thanks for hearing me out!

Neek:tired:

No one else can relate? Anyone care to share their advice on getting with a program?

I can totally relate. I have 4 children, all of the older, 17. 15, 13, and 11. But even at these ages they still need their mommy. They are very busy kids, too, especially the 13 year old. She just seems to have activities at least 4 times a week. I work 40+ hours a week. I am the practically the sole driver, seeing as how Don thinks that the children shouldn't be so active. I see that as an excuse not to help. They love to be gone. Anytime they can leave to go do something, they are thrilled. So, I take them. I am lucky in one respect, though. I have schedualed one of my days off to be Monday. They are in school and I get a little mommy time. It is so nice. I am very addicted to it.
It is very hard for me to find time to exercise. I think mostly it's just an excuse, but I am so tired from work (I am a baker, which is not the best profession to be in when you want to lose weight)
May I suggest small, doable goals? Also, since your child is so younge, now would be a great time to change how you prepare food, before he gets too used to bad food. Good luck
morningglory

Thanks Morning Glory. It is so true about changing the food now for my son rather than later. He is already a very picky eater, as both his dad and I are. I watched Oprah this afternoon and they stressed that the eating habits you have will be passed on to your children. I do not want my son to have my bad eating habits. He is already picky. I planned out my meals for the next week and hope that eventually my son and husband will try some of the meals I will be preparing. Right now, I'm going to have to prepare almost two separate meals because I know my hubby and son will refuse to eat it. Like I have the time! Oh well, no more excuses. I thing small goals is a good idea. For the next couple of weeks, I plan to be using the Richard Simmon's food mover program to help me plan out my meals. I need to get exercising, but just one step at a time. I have parent/teacher conferences this week so it will be a long, tiring, and stressful week. Probably not the most opportuned time to start a diet! I've decided that I can't keep supplying excuses for not starting a program.

Thanks again, Morningglory!

Neek

It is so hard. Luckily, my family wants to eat better. And Don will eat anything I fix. For me, it's just changing 36 years of eating habits. How my parents cooked is how I cook. I really think that once I find new recipes and get in the habit of cooking them it will become much easier for me. Maybe a solution for you, right now, is to try some of those low cal, low fat premade meals. Or maybe make up an extra portion of the meals you prepare, and freezing it. There are so many reasons to put off eating right, or to slip back into old habits. We beat ourselves up over them, and call them "excuses", but sometime there are valid reasons for our relapses. After all, like I have said before, food is not like alcohol or cigerettes, we need it to survive. We need it to have energy, and when we are hungry we are in pain. So, beating ourselves up is ultimately unneccesary and unproductive.
morningglory

Hi Neek!

I wanted to say that I totally agree with morninglory about making small changes to get started. I've lost a little over 30 lbs since May doing this and even though the weight is coming off slowly, it is coming off. I also wanted to remind you about drinking your water. One of the very first things I did was cut out sodas, juices, etc and started drinking water. It is so important to do this and not only will it help you lose weight but you will feel better since your body needs it to function properly. And just think of the calories you will save if you are a regular soda drinker like I was. I added it up and couldn't believe how many extra calories I was consuming just from having a couple of them a day.

So good luck to you, I am single working mom with 3 teenage kids and I can relate to your stress. I regularly post under the general diet plan titled doing our own thing. Please feel free to join us, it is a great group of ladies all working towards the same goal, to lose weight and get healthy.

LJ

Thanks huntress! I appreciate the words of wisdom and the invite! I may have to poke in to say hello!