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Old 04-28-2010, 09:01 PM   #1  
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Default Busy moms-how DO you do it?

I have been MIA here for a couple of months now. I want to get back to losing weight and following a program. I went back to work last week after 8 months at home/maternity leave. I get up around 6:30am, leave for work around 7:30am, and I am not back home until 6pm at which point I am sooo tired. My son goes to bed at 8-8:30pm. I can't go to the gym in the evenings cause I don't have a babysitter and my hubby works in the afternoons (I have a gym membership). How many of you go to the gym in the morning (but like really early)? Do you have time to shower and get ready for work?

I want to do something because this weight now is just sitting here on me and I want it off.....
Ohhh I was on ww 2 months ago so I'll eaither follow ww or count calories. But, do any of you have any suggestions on how I can start exercising given my work schedule???

Thanks!
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Old 04-28-2010, 10:41 PM   #2  
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I have an elliptical machine that I can jump on and use while watching TV after G goes to bed. I also have a collection of workout videos (from stretching and yoga to dance to kick boxing to The Firm and Biggest Loser) to choose from, and resistance bands and hand weights for strength training. (actually I have a whole weight bench, but that's quite an expense if you don't already have one)

I also switch off with my husband some nights... like tonight he watched G while i took a bike ride.

I am up at 5:30 and get home around the same time in the evening. Thank God, DH usually has dinner ready (or at least begun), and he's the main daughter-wrangler after school.
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Old 04-28-2010, 11:24 PM   #3  
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Oh, I am totally understanding your frustrations. It seems like there just isn't enough time to do it all. I have two kids and a full time job. We all get home around 5 and it's dinner, play around, bath and bedtime. And I am exhausted by the time they are all in bed. There is no way that I can work out after the kids go to bed, but I do go running on the weekends. Also, as the weather gets nicer and it stays dark longer, I can maybe fit in a short run on one or two days during the week. There is no way I can make it to the gym and that is primarily why I chose running as a work out. I had a treadmill and tried running on it while the kids were home, but it stressed me out when they got close to it and it seemed like I was always most needed when I was using it. My weight loss has been extremely slow (especially as I get closer to goal weight), but I haven't given up yet.
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Old 04-28-2010, 11:29 PM   #4  
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I have older kids now (14, 9, and 7) and I get up early to work out at 6 am. Either I do strength-training at home, or I ride my bike to work. Because I am the breadwinner, my husband does a lot of the childcare stuff, such as getting the kids breakfast, packing their lunches, walking them to and from school, etc. He also cooks dinner for us, though I assist with that as well.

Previously when I tried to put my workouts at the end of the day, that didn't work so well, because I was too tired when I got home. Working out first thing in the morning is much more successful for me. I also did have quite a bit of success doing hill-walking on my lunch break for a while, but then my office moved away from the hills.

It's really all about making it a rock-solid daily commitment, and about putting it in the schedule at a regular time.

That being said, weight loss is about 90% diet, so formal exercise may not be necessary for you.
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:47 AM   #5  
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Hats off to you ladies making the effort to exercise. I try to walk for 30 mins when I get home at 5pm but the weather here is turning towards winter otherwise if I'm not too lazy I'll put on an exercise DVD but space to do the exercises is another issue....when I was much younger I used to go to a gym but there's too many reasons for me NOT to go these days and I cant/wont/dont drive so that's me stuck! Also our lunchtime is only 45 mins & there's no gym near enough.
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Old 04-29-2010, 07:45 AM   #6  
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I home school my 4 kids, work part-time and my dh works two jobs so four days a week he leaves at 7 am and doesn't get home until midnight. I am very, very busy

I used to really believe that I couldn't lose weight because of all of this, but once I decided that I simply needed to work harder at it my life got so much better. I get up very early so that I can exercise before dh leaves and the kids wake up. This past winter I did videos at home (exercise tv's website has TONS of free workouts) and now I go for a 30 minute run. Getting used to being up a couple of hours before the kids (well, most of them because my 11 y/o ds runs with me) was total torture, but I adjusted and now wouldn't change my mornings for anything.

I also count calories using LoseIt on my iphone, which has changed everything about how I eat. This is the main reason that I have lost so much weight, because all of the exercising in the world won't matter if I eat too many calories every day. Exercising certainly is important, but before I had my last child I lost about 20 lbs without any exercise at all. Now I work out because it makes me feel soooo good.
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Old 04-29-2010, 11:45 AM   #7  
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My hat is off to working mothers of small children who can work in time for themselves to exercise---it is hard. My only advice is to use it as your "me time"--and realize if you do get up earlier to exercise you'l have to go to bed not long after your son does--can't burn the candle at both ends--not for long anyway.

As you get ready for bed you can "stage" the morning by getting everything possible ready the night before. Clothes, breakfast, lunches etc. That is the only way I can get up and exercise and I don't have little ones at home anymore.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:18 PM   #8  
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I'm a single mom 100% of the time, so no shared custody where I don't have my son. We leave the house at 7:15 am and get home at 6 pm, assuming I don't have to run errands or something. We play together on the Wii sometimes in the evening, and that was ok for my activity when I was first starting out, but now it's not really challenging enough but I'm too tired to try to make it a more intense work out plus, I don't want to shower again at night.

So I had to face the fact that the only time I can find for working out is early morning. I get up between 5 and 5:30 and put in my time then, and still have enough time for the rest of my morning routine to get us out the door on time. I have to find things I can do at home while my son is sleeping since I can't leave him home along to go to a gym (and even the ones with childcare don't have it at 5:30 am! lol!)

And as Nada points out, that does mean I have to go to bed earlier to have enough energy to do this. It's all part of what I have to do to prioritize my health and my weight loss.
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Old 04-29-2010, 12:37 PM   #9  
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Also a Mom to 4 here.....ages 14 (special needs/legally blind) 7, 5 & 2. I need f/t pay but wanted to be home with my kids so I do home daycare and work evenings and every weekend at a furniture store (interior designer by trade). Hubby works 6:30 - 6 six days a week (construction). we have no family/help and the kids are in a million activities so I understand busy.

I wake up at 5am, walk/run 5k 6 days a week (even in -30 in snow), home, stretched and in the shower before 6am, blowdried/flat ironed/makeup/dressed by 6:30 and ready to start the day feeling like an accomplished rockstar!

But...I must be in bed by 10 or I burn out. I find that the days I feel frumpiest/lazy are the days I don't exercise.

It does take a huge committment, but you are worth it - I NEVER exercised in my life but started by promising myself 6 weeks of 5 am exercise - after 6 weeks it was just a habit, like coffee or showering, I have done it with the exception of a few months of IT band injury (I was up to running 10-16k) for almost 2 years now ......Good Luck!!!
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Old 04-29-2010, 02:49 PM   #10  
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Your life sounds pretty similar to mine. I started losing weight before I had my son, but gained 50 back with pregnancy so since having him I've lost more weight than I lost before having him so yes, it is very very doable. That said it is a lot of work, but you have to want it. So here is how I do it.

The "diet"
I calorie count religiously. Every night while cooking dinner I prepare my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day and I prepare my son's lunch for the next day. To make this easier, lunch is usually leftover dinner and for breakfast I usually make a large batch of low cal low fat high protien super muffings on Saturday and keep them in the fridge. So the there is not much time to preparing all that. I use the LoseIt app on my phone and this take maybe 5 mins everyday to log in my cals. I also preplan my meals for the week on Friday or Saturday before I go to the grocery store so that I know what to buy and there is no thinking during the week.

The workout
I get up at 4:30AM and go for a run, usually 3-4 miles. Come home shower and then take my son to daycare. Now because getting up at 4:30AM SUCKS I take Tuesdays off and go for a run on Sundays with my son in a jogging stroller.

For you I don't know how old your son is so I don't know if a jogging stroller is an option, but if it is you could got for a quick jog with him in the evenings. Otherwise you're in my boat and you're are just going to have to suck it up and get up early. Showering at the gym is totally and option (just bring your flip flops ) I used to do this, but I don't have a memebership anymore and since I have to come back home to take my son to daycare it takes up too much time. So anyway, you can do this, but you're going to have to make some tough choices and sacrifies, but it's worth it. Good luck!
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Old 04-29-2010, 04:30 PM   #11  
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I have a gym at work, so I am able to go workout during my lunch break. I eat lunch at noon while I work, and then head down to the gym around 2 for my "lunch break". That has been working out SUPER for me. Otherwise, I would probably not exercise, since i am NOT very good at getting up in the morning... but I think that if I couldn't exercise during the day, I would just HAVE to do it in the morning.

Sometimes I take my son out in his jogging stroller. He loves it!

We eat a lot of frozen bagged dinners. I would love to say I cook up fresh meals all the time, but not so much. "Viola" dinners are pretty good. I try to look for meals that are lighter (not the vodka sauce ones) and I add an additional bag of veggies to the meals. I try to pick brands that don't have so many preservatives and such (I try to stay away from anything with trans fat, partially hydrogenated oils, MSG, yeast extract, HFCS, etc. I am not always successful, but I am doing my best!)

When I do cook, I try to make a whole lot so I can freeze single portions in containers to eat later on.

Crock pots are great!

Anyways - I agree with people who say you have to look at exercise like you look at showering. Not doing it is just not an option. Even with a little one, I find time to shower, so I try to do the same for exercising.
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Old 04-29-2010, 07:34 PM   #12  
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These are all great suggestions, thanks. We have an elliptical but since we had it in the living room and it was taking so much space, we put it away. I've just asked my husband to drag it out. So, looking at your suggestions, I think I can get up 1/2 hr or 45 minutes earlier and at least do some cardio and stretching then shower and get ready for work. You are absolutely right when you say that I have to make my weight loss a priority. I'll have to goto bed by 10pm but it will be worth it.

Thanks again.
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Old 05-04-2010, 11:43 AM   #13  
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Just wanted to mention.....I just joined a place called anytime fitness - a gym on a key fob & high security system....open 24 hours! Maybe worth googling and seeing if there is one in your area - it's a US franchise and very cool with great rates.
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